Butterflies

This is one of the most subtle comedies to come out of the UK. Not as brash or slapstick as a lot of others. Lots of character development, especially the lead, Ria, played by Wendy Craig. Every middle aged woman I know that has seen Butterflies relates to the frustrations that Wendy portrays so well, not just the stale marriage and longing for romantic adventure, but also the idea of being a stay-at-home "kept woman". The extra kicker is that she isn't even a good housewife. Lousy cook etc. Luckily, her long suffering husband has learned to cope with her, keeping his head down, and advising his sons to "act normally" as they listen to Ria's frustrations pour out. The whole supporting cast was so well chosen, from Ria's erstwhile lover to the house cleaner who takes the sons girly books home for her husband to read. Brilliant writing and direction. Not to be missed by anyone over 40.

Once you read through all the viewers' comments, you can see that "Butterflies" had a devoted crop of followers who found this show fresh, gentle, involving and - funny. Even today I think back fondly for that show. I watched each week, and I was so grateful for each of these wonderful characters. Geoffrey Palmer was remarkable in playing what I would think a difficult role (makes me think of the husband's part in "Iris," or a couple of the husbands in "Enchanted April"). Ria's character was of course the center, and I appreciated her situation - even sympathized with her, for I was in her kind of spot when I got hooked on the series.

"Butterflies" showed real people making sense of their lives. I loved it!

This is an excellent British Comedy. Wendy Craig is amazing as Ria the bored housewife, Geoffrey Palmer is fantastic, as usual , as Ben Ria's dentist husband who just doesn't understand how she can be unhappy. The boys Russell and Adam are hilarious. This is Brit coms at their best. Dry humor and all. Try it. One of the best!

Far superior to the majority of sitcoms, "Butterflies" is a gentle, subtle, elegant delight. It tells the story of Ria (Wendy Craig) - a middle aged housewife with a family who becomes friends with a loveable, self-indulgent businessman but cannot take the relationship any further due to her loyalty to her husband. Much of the programme deals with her dreamy, wistful nature which results in a few overcooked meals. The acting by the three leads is superb. Geoffrey Palmers conservative manner and appearance maker him perfect as Ria's conventional dentist husband and Wendy Craig's charm and grace make 'Ria' especially sympathetic. Sometimes philosophical, sometimes poetic, "Butterflies" should be adored by a discerning audience.

"Butterflies" bears the unfortunate label of being a "gentle" British comedy..which is something of a misnomer. Dramedy, if that word still exists, would fit the bill better. Gentle, yes, so don't tune in expecting gut-busters or you will be sorely disappointed. Instead, smiles (not guffaws) come from how relatable the characters are and how well underplayed they are. The main storyline (Ria is bored with her marriage and her life; should she succumb to the excitement of an extramarital affair?) won't appeal to everyone but if you enjoy following character development week after week and have an attention span that meets or exceeds 25 minutes, you may well enjoy "Butterflies". In addition to the wonderfully wry Wendy Craig the cast includes "As Time Goes By" favorite/britcom perennial Geoffrey Palmer.