British Comedy Guide
One Foot In The Grave. Image shows from L to R: Margaret Meldrew (Annette Crosbie), Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson). Copyright: BBC
One Foot In The Grave

One Foot In The Grave

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC One
  • 1990 - 2000
  • 42 episodes (6 series)

The grumpy complainer and accident prone Victor Meldrew takes early retirement and finds he has far too much time on his hands. His long suffering wife and neighbours just have to grin and bear it. Stars Richard Wilson, Annette Crosbie, Doreen Mantle, Owen Brenman, Angus Deayton and Janine Duvitski

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1996 & 1997 Specials - Endgame

Victor accidentally kidnaps a businessman's mother. There is a mix-up over a holiday cottage, Victor buys a haunted caravan, and Margaret has a heart attack.

Further details

Victor goes shopping for an answering machine and ends up being collared to assist with a police identity parade for a flasher. When he actually does make it home, the device doesn't work, which only exacerbates Margaret's frustration over a rickety old caravan he's recently bought; and her temper is riled further when Mr. Swainey informs them it is supposed to be haunted!

Meanwhile, Victor reluctantly lends Swainey's old age charity a hand by picking up an elderly Indian lady from the airport, but her poor English ends with an unwitting hostage situation...

The Meldrews go to visit Derek and Betty, their new next-door neighbours, for dinner, where they find Patrick has left collection of horror stories in warning of Victor's antics - the stories defy belief, of course. The newcomers are going away to a holiday cottage for a few days, and as Betty attempts to recommend the rental company to Margaret, a booking confusion sows the seeds for quite the shock.

At the end of her tether over the latest of Victor's mishaps, Margaret refuses to join him for a get-away by the coast in the new caravan. After a strange night's sleep and a disturbing dream about Margaret he takes her earlier advice and attempts to ditch it off the edge of a cliff, but succeeds only in destroying their car instead.

Returning home, however, he is met with news that puts all of their holidaying woes into stark perspective.

Broadcast details

Date
Thursday 25th December 1997
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
70 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Richard Wilson Victor Meldrew
Annette Crosbie Margaret Meldrew
Owen Brenman Nick Swainey
Guest cast
Tim Brooke-Taylor Derek
Marian McLoughlin Betty
Usha Patel Mrs. Khan
Norman Eshley DI Rickles
Ian Redford Archie
Robin Davies Rambler
Christopher Robbie Dr. Clarke
Regina Freedman Doctor
Arif Hussein Mr. Khan
Matthew Whittle Actor
Ian Swann Actor
Alisdair Ross Actor
Nicholas Moore Actor
Coral Lorne Actor
Writing team
David Renwick Writer
Production team
Christine Gernon Director
Esta Charkham Producer
Mark Lawrence Editor
Bronwen Jenkins Editor
Linda Conoboy Production Designer
Chris Kempton (as Christopher Kempton) Lighting Designer
Eric Idle Composer
Ed Welch Composer
Val Metheringham Costume Designer
Christine Powers Make-up Designer
Paul Leather 1st Assistant Director

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