Season 11 • Episode 6
LatestOliver tells Simon about a bargain in a shop, which leads to extraordinary efforts by the two to be first in the queue to buy it. Guest starring Diana Mahoney, real-life wife of Donald Sinden.
Never the Twain is a British sitcom that ran for eleven series from 7 September 1981 to 9 October 1991. It was created by Johnnie Mortimer, and was the only sitcom he ever created without his usual writing partner, Brian Cooke. Mortimer wrote the entirety of the first two series and four episodes out of six of the eighth, with the rest being mainly written by Vince Powell and John Kane. It starred Windsor Davies and Donald Sinden as rival antique dealers, and also starred Derek Deadman, Zara Nutley, Robin Kermode, Tacy Kneale, Julia Watson, Honor Blackman, Teddy Turner and Maria Charles. The title is taken from the Rudyard Kipling poem; The Ballad of East and West.
Acting
Sinden and Davies weaponizing every syllable of loathing.
Writing
Mortimer's solo masterpiece: vicious politeness as art form.
Production
80s British TV cosiness that somehow makes malice feel warm.
Creator
Johnnie Mortimer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The title references Kipling's 'East is East'—ironically, since neither man has traveled further than Tunbridge Wells.
Windsor Davies had just finished It Ain't Half Hot Mum; audiences expected warmth. He delivered magnificent frost instead.
GB
