Years and years ago I stopped over my Mum and Dad's place one night to find them relaxing on the sofa in their jammie-jams and watching a seemingly charming British sitcom called As Time Goes By. More than likely I was visiting so as to use their computer, and as I sat at the desk I couldn't help but really enjoy not just the show, but my parents' reaction to the banter between the characters. Eventually they purchased every season on DVD and fell in love with the show. For those not in the know, it's about Jean Pargetter, performed by the lovely Dame Judi Dench, and Lionel Hardcastle, played to perfection by Geoffrey Palmer. Jean and Lionel were a serious item during the Korean War and when Lionel was shipped out, he wrote to Jean, but she never received the letter. They each assumed the other was no longer interested in the relationship and never bothered to attempt a correspondence again. 38 years later they cross paths and start their love affair all over again.
The secondary characters of Alistair, Judy, Sandy, Penny, Stephen (my favourite!), Rocky, Madge, and Mrs. Bale are absolutely delightful, but it is Jean and Lionel that cause me to watch and re-watch the seasons in binge fashion. Next up I plan on ordering writer (of all 67 episodes!) Bob Larbey's previous sitcom featuring Judi Dench (alongside her late husband, Michael Williams) in A Fine Romance. More on that in a future post!
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