As Time Goes By (TV series)
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| As Time Goes By | |
|---|---|
 Judi Dench as Jean |
|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Creator(s) | Colin Bostock-Smith |
| Starring | Judi Dench Geoffrey Palmer Moira Brooker Philip Bretherton Jenny Funnell |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 67 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 64x30 minutes 1x45 minutess 1x50 minutes 1x60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC |
| Original run | 12 January 1992 – 30 December 2005 |
| Links | |
| IMDb profile | |
As Time Goes By was a British sitcom starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer which aired from 1992 to 2002, with a two-part reunion special broadcast in 2005.
The series followed the relationship between two former lovers who meet unexpectedly after not being in contact for 38 years. The title was a reference to the popular song "As Time Goes By", which for the series was sung by Joe Fagin.
As Time Goes By was written by Bob Larbey, who had co-written The Good Life. In 2004, As Time Goes By came 29th in Britain's Best Sitcom.
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- Judi Dench — Jean Mary Hardcastle (née Pargetter)
- Geoffrey Palmer — Lionel Hardcastle
- Moira Brooker — Judith Hanson (later Deacon)
- Philip Bretherton — Alistair Deacon
- Jenny Funnell — Sandy
Geoffrey Palmer as Lionel Hardcastle - Frank Middlemass — Richard 'Rocky' Hardcastle (from Series Two)
- Joan Sims — Madge Ovita Hardcastle (previously Darbley) (Series Three to Seven)
- Moyra Fraser — Penny Johnson (from Series Two)
- Paul Chapman — Stephen Johnson (from Series Two)
- Janet Henfrey — Mrs. Bale (from Series Two)
- David Michaels — Harry (Series Six to Nine)
- Daniel Ryan — Harry (2005 specials)
- Tim Wylton — Lol Ferris (Series Five to Nine)
[edit] Plot
2nd-Lt. Lionel Hardcastle and Nurse Jean Pargetter met in the summer of 1953 or 1954, depending on the episode, and fell in love, but when Lionel was sent to Korea they lost touch until 38 years later when Lionel uses Jean's secretarial firm, "Type for You", to write his book My Life in Kenya. He had sent her a letter when he arrived in Korea, which she did not receive, and both assumed the other had lost interest. Jean had married David, and after his death set up "Type for You". She had a daughter, Judith Hanson, who had married twice, once to Ken then Edward, but both marriages ended in divorce. Lionel had gone to Kenya and become a coffee planter. He and his wife Margaret had divorced on the grounds of "mutual boredom", and he had moved back to England.
In 1992, when they met up again, things got off to a slow start. Judith developed a crush on Lionel, and his publisher Alistair Deacon took an interest in Jean. Both crushes were brief, and eventually Judith and Alistair fell for each other and later married. In the third series, Lionel moved into Jean's house in Holland Park, London, and they married the following series. Lionel was asked to write an American TV mini-series, Just Two People, based on his early romance with Jean, which failed after one episode, and Jean eventually retired. She later worked in a charity shop.
Jean's very efficient secretary and Judith's best friend was Sandy, who eventually moved in with the Hardcastles after splitting with her boyfriend Nick. She later started dating a policeman and rugby player called Harry whom, at the end of the series, she married. Other characters were Lionel's father, Rocky, who owned a large house in Hampshire which he later gave to Lionel. The housekeeper was Mrs Bale, who had an unusual interest in the Shipping Forecast, and the gardener was Lol Ferris. Rocky marries Madge when he is 85 and she is 78, and they frequently travel around the world. Madge was played by Joan Sims, who died between the filming of Series Eight and Nine; in Series Nine, Madge is mentioned as being on an archaelogical dig in Egypt. The Reunion Specials were Middlemass's last television appearance before his death in 2006. Jean's first husband's sister Penny, who always calls Jean "poor Jean", and her dentist husband Stephen, who once accidentally declined the OBE, also made many appearances.
[edit] Episodes
The programme ran for nine series from 12 January 1992 to 4 August 2002. Almost all episodes were 30 minutes in duration. The final series episode was followed by an hour-long compilation show on the 11 August 2002, and by a two part "Reunion Special" broadcast on 26 and 30 December 2005.
[edit] Other countries
As Time Goes By is broadcast daily on BBC America, and frequently on PBS, and this has made it a popular programme in the United States. It has also been broadcast in Canada, on BBC Canada and TVOntario, as well as in Australia on ABC.
[edit] Radio
As Time Goes By was adapted and recorded for radio. Three series were broadcast on BBC Radio 2 between 1997 and 1999. The first episode included a flashback to Jean and Lionel 38 years before, something that never happened on television. All episodes correspond to a TV episode and featured the original cast.
[edit] Series One (1997)
- Episode One (18 Mar 97)
- Episode Two (25 Mar 97)
- Episode Three (1 Apr 97)
- Episode Four (9 Apr 97)
- Episode Five (16 Apr 97)
- Episode Six (23 Apr 97)
- Episode Seven (30 Apr 97)
[edit] Series Two (1998)
- Episode One (18 Jan 98)
- We'll Always Have Paris (25 Jan 98)
- Living Togeather - But Where? (1 Feb 98)
- Covering Up (8 Feb 98)
- Moving In (15 Feb 98)
- Branching Out (22 Feb 98)
[edit] Series Three (1999)
- The Mini Series (14 Feb 99)
- Dealing With Sally (21 Feb 99)
- Problems, Problems (28 Feb 99)
- A House Full of Women (7 Mar 99)
- Getting Rid of Gwen (14 Mar 99)
- The Affair (21 Mar 99)
- The Anniversary Party (28 Mar 99)
[edit] DVD releases
Series 1 to Series 9 are all available on DVD (Region 2, UK) through Cinema Club, as are the 2005 Reunion Specials. All episodes are also available in Region 1 (North America).
[edit] References
- Mark Lewisohn, "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2003
