One Foot in the Grave

One of the greatest British sitcoms ever. One Foot in the Grave was thoroughly entertaining for its decade run from 1990-2000. Who could ever forget Victor Meldrew and his constant whinging and run of bad luck. I loved this show and wished it was still going. Richard Wilson is a fantastic actor and the shows guests like Mrs Warboys were hilarious also. Watch the telemovie they made in 1993 its a laugh a second. Congratulations to everyone involved in this one. Pure gold in every sense of the word, many sitcoms today you laugh at how unfunny it is, not One Foot in the Grave, a jewel in BBC's television schedule. Gone but in my mind never ever forgotten.

Which of us doesn't know a Victor Meldrew? It's nigh on 15 years since the last episode was transmitted, and I still know many families that refer to their equivalent as 'Victor.'

David Renwick penned some seminal, hilarious, moving, surreal and down right brilliant episodes, he made us fall in love with Victor, and have huge sympathies for his poor wife Margaret. Lots of fun always provided by friends and neighbours, the rather sad Nick, the long suffering Patrick and Pippa, and the star turn that was Mrs Warboys, she definitely had some of the best lines.

This show could have you screaming laughing, then shedding a tear in sorrow, the balance was incredible. Who will ever forget the tough to watch 'Hearts of Darkness' in which Victor liberates a house full of pensioners from an abusive Nursing home, an episode which drew large numbers of complaints. Who could forget Victor and Margaret's holiday in the Algarve, or UK break with Vince and April.

It took me ages to come to terms with this being finished, and to this day I can't look at Hannah Gordon without thinking 'you killed Victor.'

A brave decision from David Renwick and co to end it when they did, but I wish they'd made a few more. A case of quit at the top I guess.

TV doesn't get much better then this, one of the finest examples of bittersweet comedy gold. 10/10

'Not with the Pastry.'

I happened across this show quite by accident whilst channel surfing on Christmas Eve a couple of years back. I came across this show featuring a couple in their sixties: him a catankerous old codger who seemed to be a magnet for misfortune and trouble; her, his wife who suffered his constant moanings and groanings. Through the plot, which involved all manner of mayhem, I simply could not stop laughing. Unfortunately, it was only a one-off to fill time on the night: I did not hear of more episodes of this show until six months or more later. However, it again disappeared after only a handful of episodes, until six weeks ago it returned to my television screen. However, tonight I have just watched the final episode (ever), which leads me to believe its seasons were very short indeed.

Anyone who has not seen this show will do well to find videos of it. And those who have not seen the finale for the show, watch it. From the first time you hear Victor Meldrew's famous signature quote, "I do not BELIEVE this!", you'll be hooked. 10/10

This is just an incredible series. It deals with just about EVERYTHING! Not for the easily offended, though it doesn't go out of its way to offend. It's irreverent and pulls no punches. The series shows what it wants to how it wants to and makes no apologies. Sometimes it can be darkly humorous, but in these cases it usually has a valid point to make and does so quite well.

The best way to describe this series is as follows: Imagine if absolutely everyone and everything on the face of the planet were really as miserable, stupid, loud, obnoxious, belligerent, deceitful, crazy, lazy, greedy, unfair, ironic, annoying, etc., as one sometimes feels them to be. Put a bitter (but not unlikeable) retiree in the middle of this world as the protagonist. Now watch how he interacts with and reacts to the people, places and things in this world. Sometimes he's in the right, sometimes he's in the wrong. Sometimes he gets what he deserves, sometimes he gets what he doesn't deserve. Sometimes he gives others what they deserve, sometimes he gives them what they don't deserve. No matter where a particular episode goes, you will most likely bellow with laughter at some point, usually at many points. There are a few episodes that were created not so much for a laugh as they were for irony; some of that irony being quite bitter or just plain sad. In episodes such as these, one will at least feel something, even if it is not what was expected.

As of this writing, the first season is available in the UK on DVD and the second season will be released there soon. With absolutely every other Britcom available in the United States, it's unfortunate that this series isn't popular enough to be released here. I suppose the fact that public television didn't play it ad nauseum like "Are You Being Served," "Keeping Up Appearances," or "Red Dwarf" (not that they're bad shows) is why. Remember, it's not how good something is that makes it popular and available, it's how visible it is.

Actually, it's kind of fitting that "One Foot in the Grave" isn't receiving the recognition it deserves and is fading into obscurity while being surrounded by so many more popular yet inferior programs. It's exactly the sort of point that one of its own episodes might have made!

One Foot In the Grave has to be one of the funnest comedies to exist. It is up there with Dad's Army, Faulty Towers and Only Fools And Horses.

This is about Victor Meldrew and his long suffering wife Margaret and all the adventures they confront. Over the years, their home has had a lamppost in their bedroom, a Citreon 2CV in a rubbish skip on their front, an inn sign also on the front and a gravestone made for Victor's funeral when he dies. Plus Victor bedding an old lady, who was dropped off at their address by mistake from hospital. He thought it was Margaret! One of the best episodes was the one featuring Victor and Margaret in bed having a sleepless night.

Victor is of course noted for his well known catchphrase "I Don't Believe It".

Victor was played by Richard Wilson, Annette Crosbie was Margaret and former Have I got News For You host Angus Deayton and Janine Duvitski as the suffering neighbours Patrick and Pippa. The other regular cast were Doreen Mantle as Margaret's friend Jean Warboys and Owen Brenman as the other neighbour Nick Swainey.

The BBC still regularly show repeats of One Foot In the Grave and I still sometimes watch them. Very funny.