The Trouble With You Lilian (also titled on some databases as The Trouble with Lilian) is a Britcom that aired on ITV in 1971, starring Dandy Nichols and Patricia Hayes.
Lilian (Hayes) and Madge (Nichols) are a pair of old ladies living together in a house in London. The house is owned by Madge, whereas Lilian is only a lodger - this is the trouble with you, Lilian - as Madge uses this fact to constantly cause trouble for her and make her life a misery, if only to get over the crushing monotony of her own.
The series started life as a Pilot on BBC Radio 4 in 1966, with two series following in 1967 and 1969. Here, Beryl Reid played Madge, but it was when brought to ITV1, Reid was unavailable, and Nichols took her role.
The series was never repeated after 1971, and all of the episodes are now lost. However, the series' theme, "Counting the Coster", is available on YouTube here
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The Tropes for You, Lilian:
- Bully and Wimp Pairing: Living together are Madge (bully) and Lilian (wimp). As Lilian is Madge's paying lodger, Madge treats her poorly, knowing that as she has nowhere else to stay all she can do is take the abuse.
- British Brevity: Only six episodes were produced in one year.
- The Chew Toy: Lilian is the outlet for all of Madge's cruelty and frustrations. To make matters worse, she can't afford to live anywhere else and so is stuck with her.
- Disproportionate Retribution: It only takes the smallest of issues to send Madge into crisis mode, when she'll overreact and make everything worse. She does so to make up for how monotonous her life is.
- Fortune Teller: In "You Lose on the Swings", Lilian has her fortune told at the local fair by Gypsy Maud, against Madge's wishes:Madge: Your face is your fortune, so don't press your luck!
- Hospital Visit Hesitation: Lilian has to visit the hospital for a check-up in "Outside Patients" and is so nervous that she decides to buy a new hat first.
- It's All About Me: Madge is provocative, spiteful, and self-centred, believing she is better than Lilian and more important than her just because Lilian is her lodger.
- Laugh Track: Unusually for a Britcom from The '70s, the series was aired with no laughter - audience or canned - of any kind.
- No Full Name Given: Lilian and Madge's surnames were never revealed.
- Roommate Com: The premise of the series is that the titular Lilian lives with Madge as a lodger, albeit one who is treated like dirt with no way to stand up for herself.
- Short-Runners: The series only aired for six episodes in one year.
- Shrinking Violet: Lilian is shy and insecure, painfully so, brought on by living with someone as demanding and domineering as Madge.
- The Shut-In: Madge seemingly has a fear of the outside world, notably, she doesn't like the idea of other people being able to contact her via the telephone in "Fault on the Line", she warns Lilian of the threats of the laundrette and the people who go there in "The Long Wash", and deciding to go on a holiday is seen as a big step for her to take in "Long Way to Go".
- Sound-to-Screen Adaptation: The series began as a radio series that aired on BBC Radio 4 from 1966 to 1969. While Patricia Hayes played Lilian in both, Madge was originally played by Beryl Reid who was unavailable for the TV series leading to Dandy Nichols taking her role.
- Special Guest: Freddie Jones as Jack in "The Long Wash".
- With Friends Like These...: Lilian is Madge's so-called "best friend", even though being her lodger, Madge bullies her and forces her to go along with anything she says.
