Man Who Made Husbands Jealous, The – Nostalgia Central

1 9 9 7 (UK)
3 x 60 minute episodes

Lysander Hawksley (Stephen Billington) is young, handsome, plays tennis very well, is kind to dogs and has an expensive car. But he’s down on his luck and flat broke.

His business-minded pal Ferdie (Hugh Bonneville) notes the ga-ga effect Lysander has on several rich and neglected women of the parish and suggests he should cash in on his charm, repairing failed marriages in the process.

Before long, Lysander is romping around with a string of willing housewives who are wealthy, beautiful, have expensive cars, and find him very attractive.

Their husbands are also handsome and have expensive cars, although they are generally not young. The husbands are jealous of Lysander (which is the intended end result).

His conquests are happy to pay for the privilege, and he soon acquires a string of polo ponies and sports cars.

Hardly Shakespeare, but this lavish ITV adaptation of a Jilly Cooper novel kept middle-aged matrons across Britain fantasising over three consecutive weeks, debuting on Friday 6 June 1997.

Male viewers were equally captivated by the prospect of a series in which every single episode opened with a bed scene with beautiful women disrobing at regular intervals.

But there was nothing to offend the moral watchdogs. It was a lighthearted adult fairy tale where nobody really got hurt, and erring husbands were always persuaded to return to the marital fold.

Dishy unknown 27-year-old Stephen Billington was selected from hundreds of hopeful men to play lusty Lysander in his first lead role.

Lysander Hawkley
Stephen Billington
Flora Seymour
Rhona Mitra
Kitty Rannaldini
Kate Byers
Roberto Rannaldini
Derek de Lint
Martha Winterton
Donna King
Elmer Winterton
Mac McDonald
Ferdinand “Ferdie” Fitzgerald
Hugh Bonneville
Boris Levitsky
Ravil Isyanov
Larry Lockton
Nicholas Ball
Marigold Lockton
Gilly Coman
Matron
Maureen Bennett
David Hawkley
Trevor Bowen
Guy Seymour
Philip Bowen
Julia
Sandra Reinton
Priest
Tim Meats
Georgie Maguire
Kim Criswell
Nikki
Nichola Cordey
Hermione Harefield
Rosalind Plowright
Sound Recordist
David Kangas