One Family – Nostalgia Central

1 9 5 6 (UK)
75 x 15 minute episodes

Debuting on Monday 20 February 1956 and airing each weekday at 4:45 pm, this 15-minute serial from ATV followed the day-to-day lives of the middle-class Armstrong family – Father Guy, Mother Sherry, and kids Johnny, Barbara, Mary and Maxie.

50-year-old Guy Armstrong (Patrick Holt) was the sales manager of a furniture shop and a solid, dependable, friendly sort of chap. He was happily married to the slightly scatterbrained but witty Sherry (Joyce Heron), who was rather like a sister to her four children.

The eldest, 25-year-old Johnny (Antony Doonan), worked as a pilot for a firm of air freighters. He was adventurous and would often bring home all his newfound friends.

Sophisticated sister Barbara (Roma Denville) worked for a fashion house run by Vivienne (Dorothy Primrose) and had ambitions to become a model. She had been in love with a married man, and the family was on the lookout for someone to take her mind off him.

Mary (Dinah Anne Rogers) was a riding enthusiast, and 15-year-old Maxie (David Coote) was a sparkling little chap.

Their grandpa Gus (Gordon Harker) was a great philosopher and friend to all. Mrs Pixie Hook (Hilda Barry) was their daily help.

Sherry’s niece, “Toots” (Rosemary Miller), came all the way from Australia and moved in on the family, full of ambitions to succeed on the British stage.

Amongst the many storylines, Maxie became the chief witness at the trial of Nobby Clark, while Barbara achieved her ambition to model clothes, but was visited by the wife of her former fiancé while modelling at a dress show at Vivienne’s.

ITV cancelled One Family (and their other daily serial, Sixpenny Corner, which had been running since the inception of independent television) on 1 June 1956.

The official explanation was that “The programmes are being rested”, but neither ever resumed.

The scripts were by Basil Dawson (later with George Kerr) from a story by R.F. Delderfield. The series was produced by Antony Kearey and directed by Rex Firkin.

Mr Guy Armstrong
Patrick Holt
Mrs Sherry Armstrong
Joyce Heron
Johnny Armstrong
Antony Doonan
Barbara Armstrong
Roma Dumville (as Roma Denville)
Mary Armstrong
Dinah Anne Rogers
Maxie Armstrong
David Coote
Grandpa Gus Armstrong
Gordon Harker
Mrs Pixie Hook
Hilda Barry
Toots Armstrong
Rosemary Miller
Chuck Sturman
Philip Vickers
The Tar Man
Patrick Troughton
Miss Fanshawe
Jessica Spencer
Mrs Mead
Ilona Ference
Vivienne
Dorothy Primrose
Bob Burgess
Maurice Kaufman