The Britcoms: Humor from the Other Side of the Pond

Over the last several years, the Public Broadcasting System has been airing reruns of several BBC America sitcoms. These programs, originally broadcast in the early 1990's, are worth watching, so check your local listings to see if and when they are broadcast in your area.

"As Time Goes By" is a series about a man, Lionel Hardcastle, played by Geoffrey Palmer, and woman, Jean Pargeter, played by Dame Judi Dench, who had a brief romance that ended when he was sent to fight in the Korean War in the 1950's. They lost touch when a letter he sent her went astray. Each assumed that the other was no longer interested, and married other people. Many years later, they are both single again and meet by chance when he hires someone from her London based secretarial agency to type a manuscript for a book he is writing. They resume their romance, decide to live together, and eventually marry. The opening of each episode features a montage of news footage from the 1950's to the 1990's while the title song, written in 1931 and recorded by British crooner Joe Fagin, plays in the background.

The humor in the series arises from Lionel's curmudgeonly disposition and Jean's meddling in the romantic affairs of her daughter, Judy, and Judy's friend Sandy, who lives with them. Lionel's globe trotting octogenarian father, Rocky, and Rocky's wife, Madge, make occasional appearances, as does their eccentric housekeeper, Mrs. Bale, who is obsessed with the shipping news.

The humor is low key, and largely generated by the interplay of the characters personalities. "As Time Goes By" aired on the BBC from 1992 to 2005.

"Waiting for God" is set in the Bayview retirement home in rural England. Its main characters are Diana Trent, an acid tongued, take no prisoners kind of woman, who had a career as a war correspondent/photojournalist in her younger days, and Tom Ballard, a retired, somewhat dotty accountant. Diana is played by Stephanie Cole and Tom by Graham Crowden. Diana never married. Tom is a widower who was put in Bayview by his son and daughter in law basically to get him out from under their feet. Diana and Tom have adjoining apartments at Bayview. Initially they don't get along, but eventually they become friends and then lovers, to the horror of Tom's insipid son Geoffrey and his pill popping lush of a wife, Marion.

Much of the humor in this series comes from the war between Diana and the administrator of Bayview, Harvey Baines. Baines has no respect for the residents of Bayview and is always scheming on how to cut costs to make himself look good to the board of directors. Because she is a champion of the seniors, Diana is a thorn in Baines' side and he is constantly trying to figure out how to get rid of her. Baines' assistant, Jane, is madly in love with him, but he has no use for her other than trying to use her in his schemes against the residents, especially Diana. But Diana always prevails.

"Waiting for God" aired on the BBC from 1990 to 1994.