This was the first ever series to be broadcasted on British television and probably paved the way for romantic comedies that we later enjoyed on television and at the cinema.
It starred Ann Todd as Ann Teviot and William Hutchison as Harold Warden - her prospective suitor. The programme had 5 episodes and started with the couple's first meeting in the park, went on to show their courtship and, finally, in the fourth episode, showed their society wedding. The fifth episode showed them travelling across the river to the Oval Cricket Ground.
The inspiration for the programme came from a radio play broadcasted on the London Regional Programme on 5th March 1932, with Anne Trevor playing the part of Ann. A sequel called "More About Ann and Harold" was broadcasted later in the same year on the 11th August. This play started from where the previous series left off and was about what happened to Ann and Harold after their wedding, the first act being about the christening of their first child.
Both plays were written by Louis Goodrich. Again, the character of Ann, now a proud mother, was played by Ann Trevor and her husband, Harold, now a proud father, was played by Geoffrey Wincott.
The BBC chose Ann Todd, who the Radio Times, dated July 15th1938, described her as the most beautiful actress on Television.
Her co-star was William Hutchison. Little is known about this actor. The Radio Times dated 8th July 1938 described him as being Scottish, although IMDB reports that he was born in Herne Hill, London.
The same issue of Radio Times also reports him as being 5 foot 10 inches in height and he was Member of Parliament for Romford (now part of Greater London) from 1931 to 1935. It is possible that he was predominantly a stage or a radio actor, as there seems to be no further record of him having appeared on television or in a film after 1939. Although, IMDB reports that he died in Hackney, London, at the age of 70 on the 18th July 1975.
I have not given this show a rating, as I was not born until 1951 and neither my parents, nor my grandparents, would have owned a television set in 1938.
