I Don’t Believe It! ‘One Foot in the Grave’ Appreciation

[TrampolineForMrKite]

I’ve been sick the last two weeks, and have ended up watching a few things on iPlayer, one of which was The Royle Family (which I loved at the time and, up until the 2006 special, still stands up as being brilliant). After the last episode it started playing ‘One Foot in the Grave’ and being too sick to protest, I started watching it.

I’ve seen some of the episodes before, and think that I even watched the final series with my parents when it aired. But I hadn’t ever watched them in order or from the beginning, as it began when I was 8.

I’ve been so surprised at how genuinely brilliant it is. I think the fact that it’s quite dated and has the studio audience/laugh track means I’ve overlooked it. I don’t really know what I thought it was, a bit Frank Spencer/Brittas Empire daft, I think, but it’s so not that. It’s dark, it’s weird, it’s hilarious. I’ve been in stitches. I do remember my parents and grandparents loving it (but they also liked a lot of old rubbish throughout the 80s and 90s, so that’s not much of a recommendation).

So if you’ve ever dismissed it like I did, well worth a watch. And if you appreciated it at the time, it’s all on iPlayer. Any other Meldrew fans here?

Also, I’ve watched the one where Victor liberated the old people’s home a few times now. Amazing.

Love it. Especially relate to the episode when they get new carpets fitted, and the doors no longer fit. So funny, and so real.

Or when the new lightbulb in the streetlamp shines into his bedroom.

Yes it is hilarious and dark and sad and quality.

I absolutely love it too, and like you, recently watched them all from the beginning on the iplayer. I too was too young to really watch them when they originally aired.

Hedgehog slippers!

I love victor. Annete crosbie is fab in this.

4921

Ha I was going to say

Hedgehog slippers!

Washing his face with a bloo loo

The wasp in the ice cube

The car left in Victor's skip.

My favourite moment is when Victor thinks someone has written "MELDREW'S A TURD" on a box but it actually says "MELDREW SATURDAY"

Very much a fan. Not just tear inducingly funny but clever, dark and sad. the finale being a case in point. David Renwick is a very good writer, i also liked Love Soup and Jonathan Creek.

I love the bit where they’re stuck in a traffic jam and he keeps moaning, , ‘I wish I were dead!’

Eventually she (driving) says, ’I wish you were dead!!!’ 😂

Ah it's a great show, and actually touched on some really sad and important issues, like retirement, grief, loss of a child, suicide, abuse of the elderly...and so many more.

Very clever and funny show, and fab performances by the cast too.

I loved it!!
The very old woman who was in their bed and Victor didn't notice and got in bed with her. Margaret walks into the bedroom and says something like 'what the hells going on'!?
Victor says 'I thought it was you'

When the phone rang and Victor picked up the sausage dog instead and said "Hello Hello"

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

I love the bit where they’re stuck in a traffic jam and he keeps moaning, , ‘I wish I were dead!’

Eventually she (driving) says, ’I wish you were dead!!!’ 😂

One of my favourite scenes

What always amazes me in hindsight, though, is how young Victor was supposed to be: the character had taken early retirement at 59 (and Richard Wilson was only 53 when he began playing the role) - and yet he was portrayed as an old man!

I absolutely love it and watch the Christmas specials every year.

My husband is very like Victor in that he gets himself wound up easily if things don't go to plan. There's a quote from Margaret in the episode where she almost has an affair where she says that Victor is the most sensitive man she knows. "That's why I love him. And why I constantly want to shove his head through a television set."

My favourite is the traffic jam episode. Superb acting and script.

Mrs Worboys hand grenade!