British Comedy Guide
Last Tango In Halifax. Image shows from L to R: Caroline (Sarah Lancashire), Celia (Anne Reid), Alan (Derek Jacobi), Gillian (Nicola Walker). Copyright: Red Production Company
Last Tango In Halifax

Last Tango In Halifax

  • TV comedy drama
  • BBC One
  • 2012 - 2020
  • 24 episodes (5 series)

Romantic comedy drama about would-be childhood sweethearts who are reunited after 60 years. Stars Derek Jacobi, Anne Reid, Sarah Lancashire, Nicola Walker, Tony Gardner and more.

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Episode menu

Series 1, Episode 5

Alan finds it hard to choose his best man. Caroline and Gillian discover they were born on the same day, but their respective birthday celebrations descend into chaos when John outs Caroline and Kate.

Preview clips

Further details

Last Tango In Halifax. Image shows from L to R: Alan (Derek Jacobi), Celia (Anne Reid). Copyright: Red Production Company

Caroline's depression lifts and she decides to seize the day, throwing herself whole-heartedly into her relationship with Kate.

Alan and Celia spend lunchtime in the pub with Harry and Maurice, taking injured Paul with them because he's going stir-crazy at Gillian's. Alan test-drives a second-hand Landrover (Gillian's birthday present) and ends up with more than he bargained for; unable to turn either of them down, he privately agrees with first Maurice, then with Harry, that they can both be his best man.

Later Alan explains his indirect involvement in Eddie's death to Celia. Celia puts his mind at rest and tells him to let it go. They push the furniture back and jive like teenagers. Everybody's amazed when it turns out that Caroline and Gillian weren't only born on the same day, but are exactly the same age! Could Alan and Celia have been thinking of each other 46 years ago when Caroline and Gillian were conceived?

Caroline tells John that the 'someone' she's seeing is a woman. Devastated with the implications, he doesn't know who to turn to and ends up over at the farm, hoping for Gillian's sympathy. Here he gets drunk and nastily tells Celia that her daughter's a lesbian. Celia's appalled and insists on going home. Drunk, Gillian invites John to go to bed with her.

Broadcast details

Date
Tuesday 18th December 2012
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
60 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Derek Jacobi Alan
Anne Reid Celia
Sarah Lancashire Caroline
Nicola Walker Gillian
Tony Gardner John
Ronni Ancona Judith
Dean Andrews Robbie
Josh Bolt Raff
Edward Ashley William
Louis Greatorex Lawrence
Nina Sosanya Kate
Sacha Dhawan Paul
Paul Copley Harry
Guest cast
Meriel Scholfield Beverley (Caroline's Secretary)
Roy Barraclough Maurice
Ishia Bennison Susan Jatri (Paul's Mother)
Writing team
Sally Wainwright Writer
Emily Feller Script Editor
Kam Odedra Script Editor
Production team
Sam Donovan Director
Karen Lewis Producer
Nicola Shindler Executive Producer
Matthew Read Executive Producer
Sally Wainwright Executive Producer
Richard Cox Editor
Luana Hanson Production Designer
Murray Gold Composer

Video

A very much unwanted birthday present

It's Gillian's birthday and Alan's bought her a new car for the farm. She's thrilled but worried about how much money he's spent. He then breaks the news that the clutch is broken and Gillian realises that she's going to fit the new clutch herself.

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