TV Cream

Films: S is for...

Simon and Laura

Long before celebrity reality TV existed, the 50s saw a neat film idea in the form of following a celebrity couple as they go about their daily lives and the tidily dicky-bowed and well spoken TV execs are quite justifiably excited about their breakthrough idea. Simon and Laura, the famous real-life sparring partners, start the series well, by following a script to fail safe them behaving impeccably towards each other and generally acting in an as sickly a 1950s formula as is appropriate to the public’s thirst for morality but the public aren’t tuning in in great numbers.

The producers decide viewers are unnerved by the lack of children within the marriage and viewing figures improve when an actor is employed to stooge the role of their son. Lest we forget, now, just like then, celebrity couple on their own is of piddle all interest to the general audience without the conservative premise of peanut butter smeared kids under their noses, no matter how edgy the parentage (see The Osbournes and Katie and Peter…) but it’s only when they drop their guard during a Christmas special and let their true warring ways surface that the viewers become transfixed.

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