British Comedy Guide
As Time Goes By. Image shows from L to R: Jean (Judi Dench), Lionel (Geoffrey Palmer). Copyright: DLT Entertainment Ltd.
As Time Goes By

As Time Goes By

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC One
  • 1992 - 2005
  • 66 episodes (9 series)

Lionel and Jean were young lovers until accidentally losing touch. Years later they meet again by chance and unexpectedly rekindle their romance. Stars Judi Dench, Geoffrey Palmer, Moira Brooker, Jenny Funnell and Philip Bretherton

  • Series 1, Episode 3 repeated tomorrow at 12:40am on BBC4

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As Time Goes By. Image shows from L to R: Lionel (Geoffrey Palmer), Jean (Judi Dench). Copyright: DLT Entertainment Ltd.

Key details

Genre
Sitcom
Broadcast
1992 - 2005
Channel
BBC 1
Episodes
66 (9 series), plus 1 highlights special
Creator
Colin Bostock-Smith
Stars
Judi Dench, Geoffrey Palmer, Moira Brooker, Jenny Funnell and Philip Bretherton
Writer
Bob Larbey
Director
Sydney Lotterby
Producers
Sydney Lotterby, Philip Jones, John Reynolds, Donald Taffner Jr., Trevor McCallum and Clive Hedges
Companies

Lionel Hardcastle, a young man in the army, and Jean Pargeter, a nurse, are madly in love until Lionel is sent away to the Korean War and, through a lost love letter, they lose touch.

Thirty-eight years later Lionel, a curmudgeonly divorcee, is writing a book about his subsequent years spent living in Kenya and Jean, a no-nonsense widow, is running a secretarial agency in London. When Lionel requires a secretary to assist him with his book revisions he unwittingly contacts Jean's agency and the pair are reunited.

Gradually, after some reluctance and hesitation on both sides, Jean and Lionel begin to rekindle their old romance. Alongside this main story a more tempestuous relationship between Jean's daughter Judith and Lionel's publisher Alistair plays out.

This popular BBC sitcom draws humour from the ups and downs of unexpected romance in later life.

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Additional details

Production
Studio
Camera set-up
Multi-camera
Picture
Colour
Soundtrack
Theme tune is a version of As Time Goes By, originally written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. This version is performed by Joe Fagin and arranged by David Mackay.

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Sunday 12th January 1992 at 8:35pm on BBC One
Next repeats
  1. Series 1, Episode 3: Tomorrow at 12:40am on BBC4
  2. Series 1, Episode 4: Tuesday 3rd December at 8:30pm on BBC4
Most recent repeats
  • Tuesday 19th November 2024 at 8:30pm on BBC4 - Series 1, Episode 3
  • Sunday 17th November 2024 at 12:50am on BBC4 - Series 1, Episode 2
  • Tuesday 12th November 2024 at 8:30pm on BBC4 - Series 1, Episode 2

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