Endstation Paradies

Here we have a programme centring around two elderly and cynical people in a retirement home located in Britain's version of Florida: Bournemouth. Did I say elderly? Well, only in age, not attitude. Take one Tom Ballard, a gentleman deposited by his son into the retirement home who is one half of the cynical pair. Although cynical, his character expresses this with good humour and resignation, philosophy, and plays upon the ageist attitude that old people are helpless and eccentric, leaving one to wonder whether he is actually mad, or just pretending to be.

The other half, Diana, a worldly woman who sees the effects of society's attitude toward the old now that she is of retirement age and, in contrast to Tom, vents spleen any chance she gets, usually towards Harvey, the young man who runs the Home whose character is a composite of the 20-40 yuppy age group's attitude towards those beyond 65.

The humour is quick-firing, very British, and also pulls no punches with regards to attitudes and observations of society during the latter half of the 80s and into the 90s. All told, an excellent series that will take a long time in the future before it seems dated.

These classic British comedies state timely and their humor. I rate this one up there with Their best. I wish it would come back.

Aging happens to us all. Much to our gratitude and dismay, my wife and I reside in "assisted living", complete with our very own "idiot Baines". In these circumstances the often grim humor of "Waiting for God" often rings true, and nearly always entertains hilariously. We wish it were still in production!

One of the funniest shows to come out of England in the nineties, it has a terrific cast of veteran television and stage players. It's funny and timeless comedy with a bit of slapstick humor and a polished verbal English wit. The wonderful relationship between atheist feminist single Diana and the widowed Tom Ballard is fascinating to watch unlike most relationships, they get better when they're together than apart. Tom's boring son, Jeffrey, can bore anyone to death but he is in a marriage to unfaithful, drunk, and pill popper, Marion, who despises and resents Diana as a threat to their inheritance. The cast includes another heterosexual relationship between old maid plain Jane and the Bayview manager, Harvey Nigel Bains. Harvey constantly mistreats the wonderful sweet Jane. He doesn't know what he's got until he almost loses her. Three great love stories and romances in a wonderful sitcom. The wait is over.

What a wonderful antidote to the usual crap on television--especially in its depiction of old people. All too often, in films and TV, old people are endowed with either great wisdom, insight or are gosh-darn cute. WAITING FOR GOD throws all these clichés out the window, showing us that old people can be nasty--just like anyone else! The film has two leads--Diana and Tom. While Tom isn't a major grouch, he is a bit of a trouble maker and loves being eccentric. Diana, on the other hand, is a nasty old crank that could care less about people she deems are beneath her--and that is practically everyone! And her anger and clever meanness is given plenty of righteous opportunity to come out at the old folks home they live in, as Harvey (the manager) is a total moron and his assistant, Jane, is just...well, pathetic.

Week after week, Diana (with assistance from Tom) make their lives miserable--along with Tom's truly awful son and daughter-in-law. There is a lot more I can say about the show, but the bottom line is that excellent writing, truly original characters and a nice sense of irreverence make this a must-see...especially if there is a little Diana within you.