Father, Dear Father

- Season 3

(1970)

Mr. Schulz, an American movie mogul, wants to make a film out of one of Patrick's books. However, he is a very religious man who does not hold with divorce so that, when he and his wife come to Patrick's for dinner, the host has to supply a Mrs Glover. Barbara initially refuses but a friend of Georgie, Jo, agrees to the masquerade. All is going well until Barbara, who has had second thoughts, turns up,claiming to be Patrick's current wife - and, trying to be helpful, Nanny also claims to be married to Patrick.

Annoyed that his dog, H.G. has chewed up the manuscript of his latest book, Patrick gives him away to Ian, his publisher, earning the disapproval of Nanny and his daughters, who are shocked that he was so callous. When Ian's house is burgled, the police work out that it was the dog who let the burglars in so Ian returns him to Patrick, though the girls and Nanny have also lined up other dogs for him.

When Patrick's mother reminds him that Karen never had a proper christening, Patrick - and Barbara - decide to rectify this and go to see their local vicar. The vicar is expecting a couple who are about to get married and assumes this is Patrick and Barbara. In their innocence they answer all his questions, unaware that they are at cross purposes. The big day arrives and the vicar is about to marry Patrick and Barbara when Bill, long jealous that Barbara wants her ex-husband back, clouts Patrick. Ultimately the misunderstanding is resolved and the christening proceeds.

Nanny has met a gentleman friend - Mr. Bolton - and he has asked her to marry him. However she feels that, if she was to leave the Glovers, they would be unable to cope without her and so, to help Nanny decide, they go out of their way to show that they can do without her. She is about to resign when she tumbles to their deception and agrees to stay with them, tearing up her letter of resignation - actually a cheque for five hundred pounds - and makes them a nice steak and kidney pie

Patrick is disapproving of the type of boy with whom Anna is mixing and wants to encourage her to date clean-cut young Matthew Brockbank,whom he invites to dinner. Unfortunately Matthew's mother,to whom he is very close,also turns up and,due to Patrick's efforts to leave the youngsters alone,she gets the idea,as do his daughters,that he wants to marry her.

Patrick is off on holiday so Anna and Karen invite their artist friend Leslie to stay after he has rowed with his wife. When Patrick comes back earlier than expected and Nanny tells him they have a guest called Leslie, he assumes it is a woman. Leslie has to drag up as a female but Patrick sees through the ruse and asks him to paint his portrait before returning to his wife, with whom he has patched things up.