Laura and Disorder – Nostalgia Central

0 Views

1 9 8 9 (UK)
6 x 30 minute episodes

Debuting on Sunday 19 February 1989, Wendy Craig starred in her first BBC comedy since Butterflies as recently divorced Laura Kingsley, who arrives home after ten years in California to find her beloved Britain much changed.

Ever a magnet for the unexpected, she has no sooner touched down at Heathrow than she is up to her neck in disorder.

Incident-prone Laura finds herself involved with some villainous art thieves who have switched identical hand luggage with hers to pass a stolen Modigliani through customs.

On the way to the home of her stuffy lawyer son, Howard (Graham Sinclair) and daughter-in-law, Helen (Sally Hughes), she becomes pals with a young black van driver, Oberon (Stephen Persaud), and enjoys a stop at a friendly pub.

When the villains make the luggage swap at the pub, they end up driving away with the wrong bag again – and her frillies.

Later, Laura pays Oberon a visit at his squat in Slough, where she meets his girlfriend, Holly (Marie Berry). The building is owned by a property shark whose aim is demolition rather than preservation, but he hasn’t bargained for a confrontation with Laura.

Laura finds that life with Oberon and Holly is much more fun than with Howard and Helen, where she is at risk of becoming the butt of too many mother-in-law jokes, and – much to her son’s horror – she decides to move into their squat, where she is determined to launch Oberon’s musical career.

Wendy Craig co-wrote the scripts (under her pseudonym Jonathan Marr) with her ex-journalist husband Jack Bentley and their son Ross.

Unfortunately, the series was not a success and was not renewed.

Laura Kingsley
Wendy Craig
Oberon
Stephen Persaud
Howard Kingsley
Graham Sinclair
Helen Kingsley
Sally Hughes
Holly
Marie Berry
Gosset
Stephen Greif
Hepple
Jonathan Stephens
Mr Mansfield
Peter Clapham
Marriott
Derek Royle
Mr Gatana
Andreas Markos