Butterflies

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!

Looking back over the past 28 years (since my first exposure to the show), all i can say is: Once you get it-it will stay with you forever. I remember my initial reaction being: 1) annoyingly overacted, 2)under produced 3) unlikeable characters

Well, two years later I watched some episodes again and didn't find it nearly as annoying. A year later I was able to catch the entire series from the beginning and quickly became engrossed in it's bittersweet tale of human fault and perspectives on happiness. Yes, the show has a style that is not for everybody, and I'm sure the dated production value would be hard to deal with now. But, I still think about the show at least once a month with a vague teary eyed longing for what seemed like simpler times...

BTW I am a married man...(for all who think this is a show for females)

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.

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.

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.