Butterflies

Butterflies is a low key introspective comedy that was more popular with females than males.

It had a nuclear family, a wife who was a bad cook, a husband who was rather distant and reserved.

The husband is a dentist and collects butterflies in his spare time and two older sons who drive, are unemployed and are rather rebellious youths.

The comedy is bitter-sweet, you get traditional comedy via Ria's cooking and family disputes. However what was unusual was Ria's unconsummated relationship with the successful businessman Leonard.

Ria is dissatisfied and wants something more in life and believes that its obtainable with her unconventional friendship with Leonard.

The series ran for five years, Wendy Craig played Ria to a tee, Geoffrey Palmer was his hound dog best as her husband Ben.

Nicholas Lyndhurst played one of the sons and he ended up playing Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses at almost the same time.

The businessman Len was played by Bruce Montague who in effect had a difficult role and did well to make a potential Lothario so likable.

"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.

Even 20-odd years after the fact (and with it's late-70s sexual revolutionism looking humorously dated these days), Carla Lane's 'Butterflies' remains one of the freshest and funniest sitcoms Britain ever produced. The story itself is relentlessly simple -- a stifled housewife's yearning for more in her life is complicated by a distantly ironic husband, two sex-crazed still-at-home sons, and the romantic attention of a wealthy playboy whose desire revs up the more undesirable she feels. But it's not the plot that makes 'Butterflies' great so much as it is the opportunity that that plot gives Lane to explore Ria Parkinson's world as it slowly collapses around her, and it's impossible not to see a little bit of oneself in the sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-sobering struggles of Lane's memorable characters as they attempt to survive the small anguishes of day-to-day life. Smart writing and great performances all around.

A few years back, 'Butterflies' would show up in late-night rotation on PBS in the states and Canada; if it does again, catch it.

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!