Bert Jones has a little too much of the gypsy in him. He is work-shy, and lives in a battered caravan with his wife, Betty. Their nearest neighbours, Wally and Lily Briggs, are Cockneys and don't always agree with the Joneses.
The series started with a one-off play in February 1972, and the first series was made before the sudden death of James Beck. Recasting introduced the snooty couple, Jeremy and Susan Crichton-Jones as the Briggs' new neighbours, but by 1976, the Briggs' we given their own show, Yus My Dear.
The new show saw Wally take on a new job - bricklayer - a new home - a nice council house, and Wally's sponging brother Benny as a lodger.
Romany Jones - The Play
Originally broadcast on Tuesday 15th February 1972 at 10.30, this 30 minute play was written by Ronald Chesney & Ronald Wolfe and starred:
- Mr. Briggs: Arthur English
- Mr. Gibson: Kevin Brennan
- Betty: Jo Rowbottom
- Mrs. Briggs: Queenie Watts
- Bert: James Beck
- Farmhand: Bruce Wells
The trouble with Bert Jones is that he has a little too much gipsy in his soul. After all, it is a husband's duty to provide his wife with a decent, comfortable bedroom, not a shakedown in a caravan crawling with ants - especially on the wedding night. Can a decently brought-up girl like Betty - born and bred in Streatham - survive such a start to her marriage?
The show was a Thames Television Production
Romany Jones - Series 1
The first series was made by London Weekend Television and started the weekend on Fridays at 7.30pm from the 25th May 1973, with a switch to Sundays at 7.25pm later in the run
| title | Tx. Date | Rpt. Date |
|---|---|---|
| The More We Are Together | 25 May 1973 | |
| Run Rabbit, Run | 8 Jun 1973 | |
| A Rough Night | 15 Jun 1973 | |
| An Addition to the Family | 22 Jun 1973 | |
| The Competition | 29 Jun 1973 | |
| Look After the Pennies | 6 Jul 1973 | |
| One and One Make Three | 14 Sep 1973 | 16 Sep 1973 |
| The Shower | 23 Sep 1973 | |
| 30 Sep 1973 | ||
| For Better or Worse | 7 Oct 1973 | |
| Not So Sweet Charity | 14 Oct 1973 |
Romany Jones - Series 2
The second series returned to Friday evenings from the 16th August 1974 in the slightly later slot of 8.30pm.
| title | Tx. Date |
|---|---|
| The New Arrivals | 16 Aug 1974 |
| The Invitation | 23 Aug 1974 |
| Loot | 30 Aug 1974 |
| The Dinner | 6 Sep 1974 |
| 'She Loves Me, That Bird' | 20 Sep 1974 |
| The Eggs | 27 Sep 1974 |
Romany Jones - Series 3
The third, and final, series returned on Friday evenings at 7.30pm from the 13th Jun 1975.
| title | Tx. Date |
|---|---|
| Cold Comfort | 13 Jun 1975 |
| The Learner Driver | 20 Jun 1975 |
| A Good Layer | 27 Jun 1975 |
| The Washing | 4 Jul 1975 |
| The Night Out | 11 Jul 1975 |
Yus My Dear - Series 1
The inimitable Arthur Mullard stars alongside Queenie Watts once again in this ratings-winning spin-off from hit 1970s sitcom Romany Jones. Yus My Dear finds notorious caravan dwellers Wally and Lil Briggs setting up home in a new council house, having been forced off their Romany site to make way for redevelopment; the warring couple are joined by Wally’s layabout brother, Benny (an early TV role for EastEnders star and stand-up comedian Mike Reid). Wally might be earning top wages on a building site, but Benny always has plenty of ways to spend Wally’s hard-earned cash before Lil can get to it...
Originally broadcast on London Weekend Television on Sundays at 7.25pm from 11th January 1975, this series was written by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe and starred Arthur Mullard, Queenie Watts and Mike Reid.
This series has been released by Network DVD and can be ordered from Amazon using the link to the right.
| title | Tx. Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brother Benny | 11 Jan 1976 | Wally and Lilly Briggs, those notorious caravan dwellers of Romany Jones, return in this new six-part series. Time has been kind to the Briggs, Wally is earning top wages on a building site. But brother Benny does his best to spend Wally's wages before Lil can get to them ... |
| Three's Company | 18 Jan 1976 | Ex-caravanners Wally and Lil Briggs have come up in the world now that they're living in a council house - and it seems Wally's brother Benny aims to take advantage of the situation by moving in on them. |
| The Set Up | 25 Jan 1976 | Benny borrows Lil's television set and leaves the wires trailing across the living room floor. Lil trips over them and is confined to bed. Benny is lumbered with all the housework, but after several days of sweated labour he decides to test out just how serious Lil's injuries are. |
| Be My Guest | 1 Feb 1976 | When brother Benny announces his engagement to Molly, he invites Wally and Lil to a posh restaurant for a slap-up meal. But, as usual, Wally ends up with the bill ... |
| The New Look | 8 Feb 1976 | |
| Foggy Night | 15 Feb 1976 |
Yus My Dear - Series
Originally broadcast on Fridays at 8.30pm from 3rd September 1976, switching to an earlier time of 7.00pm on Saturdays later in the run.
The second, and final, series has been released by Network DVD as a two-disc set and can be ordered from Amazon using the link to the right.
| title | Tx. Date |
|---|---|
| Gambling Fever | 3 Sep 1976 |
| The Kid | 10 Sep 1976 |
| The Homework | 17 Sep 1976 |
| Change Partners | 24 Sep 1976 |
| Blackjack | 1 Oct 1976 |
| The New Bed | 8 Oct 1976 |
| The Handyman | 15 Oct 1976 |
| Woman Trouble | 30 Oct 1976 |
| The Job | 6 Nov 1976 |
| The Bargain | 13 Nov 1976 |
| The Policy | 20 Nov 1976 |
| The Repair | 27 Nov 1976 |
| The Holiday | 4 Dec 1976 |