"The Upper Hand" aired from May 1990 to Oct 1996.

Charlie Burrows (Joe McGann) is an ex-professional footballer who has had to give the game up due to injury. His young wife died suddenly and he was left to raise their daughter, Joanna (Kellie Bright), on his own.

When Jo gets into yet another fight, he realises that he needs to obtain a better way of life for her and takes a job as a housekeeper to a rich and divorced career woman, Caroline Wheatley (Diana Weston). This gives Jo the opportunity to go to a better school and have a female role model in her life.

Caroline is uptight and very repressed. She lives in a wonderful house in Henley with her son, Tom (William Puttock) and her mother, Laura (Honor Blackman) and doesn't want a 'hunk' of a male to be housekeeper even though her mother has already employed him.

Of course as the show progresses we see that Laura chose the right person for the job. Charlie is good for Tom as he needs a father figure and he's also good for Caroline as he gradually loosens her up a bit.

The line between employer and employee vanishes rapidly as Caroline comes think of Jo as the daughter she never had and, although she fights against it, there is also a strong attraction between her and Charlie.

Laura actively tries to get the couple together and is rewarded when, ultimately, they fall in love and finally get married.

"The Upper Hand" is, in fact, the British version of America's own sitcom, "Who's The Boss?" starring, Tony Danza and Judith Light as the warring housekeeper and boss.

In the episode, "Tunnel of Love", Katherine Helmond, who played Mona - Laura's equivalent in the show, 'Who's The Boss?' - had a role as a fortune teller that finally pushed Charlie to admit his feelings for Caroline - that was a nice touch.

The final season was only seven episodes long just to tie up any loose ends after Charlie and Caroline's wedding - and let Caroline finally get pregnant.

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