Channel 4 · Ended

Mann's Best Friends

Comedy · 1985

Last aired: S1 E6, Episode Six · 1985-05-20

Mann's Best Friends was a Channel 4 comedy about the misfit residents of a lodging house, their landlord, and the ex-water board official who moves in to try to bring some order. Henry Mann (Barry Stanton) is the owner of The Laurels, a rundown guest house populated by a motley crew of odd characters. Hamish Ordway (Fulton Mackay), who has recently retired from his job at the water board, moves into The Laurels. He's a pompous, fussy, nosy little man who loves interfering in everyone else's business. Other residents include an alcoholic named Duncan (Bernard Bresslaw) and a blonde "drama tutor" named Dolly Delights (Patricia Burke), who likes to entertain lots of "gentlemen callers" in her room.

Cast

Fulton Mackay Hamish James Ordway

Barry Stanton Henry Mann

Bernard Bresslaw Duncan

Barbara Hicks Mrs. Mann

Patricia Brake Dolly Delights

Clive Merrison Irvin

SC Sara Corper Phoebe

Liz Smith Mrs. Anstruther

Season 1

E1 Episode One 1985-04-15 · 30 min Hamish Ordway is newly retired from a long life's service to the water board, and looking for his own private rented accommodation for the first time. After aggravating an estate agent he is pointed in the direction of The Laurels...

E2 Episode Two 1985-04-22 · 30 min Mann and Ordway meet at a local tea shop to discuss the details of the latter's running of The Laurels. Their meeting is brought to a premature end, before Ordway is shocked by lodger Irvin's suicide threats.

E3 Episode Three 1985-04-29 · 30 min As Ordway moves in, Irvin contracts Duncan to become his bodyguard. As Hamish tries to begin to bring some order to the house, he suggests Dolly move out and gets off to a poor start with Irvin.

E4 Episode Four 1985-05-06 · 30 min Ordway attempts to begin putting his plans into action, but it's not easy with Irvin's depression, Dolly's stream of male visitors, and Simba's predilection for chasing him up trees...

E5 Episode Five 1985-05-13 · 30 min A tenants' meeting does not go remotely to plan for Hamish, who ends up locked in his own car boot. Henry begins to think Hamish is taking far more power than he'd ever imagined.

E6 Episode Six 1985-05-20 · 30 min One of the mice runs up Ordway's sleeve, and Henry struggles to find the rodent. Meanwhile, Irvin readies a noose and seems closer to suicide than ever.

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