Fresh Fields
| Fresh Fields | |
|---|---|
| Format | Comedy |
| Written by | John Chapman |
| Directed by | Peter Frazer-Jones |
| Starring |
Julia McKenzie Anton Rodgers Ann Beach Fanny Rowe Ballard Berkeley Debby Cumming Daphne Oxenford Philip Bird John Arthur |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 27 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Peter Frazer-Jones |
| Running time | 30 min (including commercials) |
| Production company(s) | Thames Television |
| Distributor | Fremantle Media |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Original run | 7 March 1984 – 23 October 1986 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | French Fields |
Fresh Fields is a British sitcom written by John Chapman and produced by Thames Television for ITV between 7 March 1984 and 23 October 1986. A ratings success at the time, it stars Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers as Hester and William Fields, a devoted middle-class couple with an idyllic suburban lifestyle. William works while Hester keeps home. The crux of the show (and the meaning of the title) was that she was always looking to try new hobbies or find ways to improve her life, much of which exasperated her hard-working husband.
The family home had a granny flat attached, in which Hester's mother Nancy (Fanny Rowe) lived. She was divorced from Hester's father Guy (played by Ballard Berkeley) although remarried him as the series progressed. The couple had a daughter called Emma who frequently telephoned but never appeared (Debby Cummings supplied the voice). Her husband Peter (Philip Bird) did appear often. They later had a son — the Fields' first grandchild — whom they named Guy, after his great-grandfather.
Perhaps the best remembered supporting character was Sonia Barrett (played by Ann Beach) who would frequently pop round to borrow items to replace hers due to breakage, theft or mislaying. Hester was not perturbed by this, as the two were close friends, but Sonia's appearances would irritate William to comical effect. Sonia had the show's only catchphrase — she would always knock on the back door of the Fields' home and then say "It's only Sonia!" as she let herself in. This would sometimes lead to applause of recognition from the studio audience, a phenomenon more regularly seen within American sitcoms. Sonia's husband John (John Arthur) appeared on occasion, as did William's secretary Miss Denham, played by Daphne Oxenford.
Fresh Fields ran for four series, and in the final episode in 1986, William accepted a position with a French company. Three years later, in 1989, the series resumed as French Fields, which saw William and Hester relocated to France. There were three series of 19 episodes made over two years, all written by John T. Chapman and Ian Davidson. Philip Bird appeared in several episodes and Ann Beach made an appearance in the final episode in 1991.
Episodes
DVD releases
All four series of Fresh Fields have been released on DVD, A 7-disc set (containing both the series and sequel title) was released in 2011.
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