Please help me remember this TV show from ages ago. It's driving me crackers.

[cleverhatdisguise]

It might have been BBC. It was a mini-series, I think. A long time ago - maybe 15 years ago? Maybe more?

I thought it might have had Polly Walker (from Bookish) and Adrian Scarborough in it, but I'm notoriously bad at this so I may be wrong on both counts.

What I do remember is the plot: Ordinary middle class family. Mum pulled in 100 directions looking after kids, husband, wider family etc. I think it begins at a celebration - maybe birthday or anniversary? And THEN it transpires that the husband has had an affair and the main character, the woman, goes sort of eerily calm and takes stock and starts living her life for herself. The story is about her putting herself first, and how the family struggle without her putting them first.

Shot in a British city (maybe London).

It was very good, and very popular.

Any bells?

Yes. And for some reason, something about a toothbrush??

can’t remember what it was called though. I think it had a one word name?

Doctor Foster?

Yes! It was great, if its the one I'm thinking of it was Alison Steadman in the lead role as mum?

It sounds a bit like Butterflies with Wendy Craig but that was 70s/80s!

Or

Come Home ?

Without You?

Age before beauty?

I thought Doctor Foster too.

I think it was called Life

It sounds like ‘Life’ and the main character was Alison Steadman. It was a spin off from Doctor Foster and there were other stories going on with different characters too. Definitely BBC… I really enjoyed it too!

Life begins with that woman who does home shows now? And Alexander Armstrong?

Oh yes, Alison Steadman! I don't remember a toothbrush. Let me Google 'Life'.

Yes yes!! Life!! That was it!!

Omg thank you!!

Is it a spin off?
I didn't know. I need to Google Dr Foster as well now.

I thought doc foster. I've not seen the spin off so will look it up

Thanks for asking the question!

some interesting TV to hunt down in Autumn!

Yes! Definitely a spin off from Doctor Foster (one of the characters from that show appears in it). I’ll have to watch it again now you’ve reminded me of it!! X

I thought that one too with Peter davidson.

Oh gawd 🤦‍♀️ I watched both Doctor Foster and Life but didn’t know they were in the same universe. I’ll have a read about them now.

So neither of the actors you mentioned were in it and you were at least an entire decade out on when it was on.

Nice job OP 🤣

Haha! I am an unreliable witness.

Okay, so now I've decided that I was conflating two different tv shows.

Life was definitely one of them.

But who is that actress in her 40s or maybe 50s with ash blonde (or maybe grey) hair in a long, shoulder length bob, and she has blue eyes, and a sad face? I can picture her in something being hard done by and under-reacting.

I can picture her exactly in my head, but it's hard to describe someone.

Nicola Walker in The Split?

OMG I've worked it out.

At Home with the Braithwaits.

I had conflated Life with At Home with the Braithwaits.

Which is why I was surprised to see Alison Steadman starring in Life when
I was sure it was someone younger.

Although Peter Davidson and Adrian Scarborough are still two different actors, it turns out.

I'm glad it's not just me who conflates different things.

Another excellent series I'd love to see again was The Politician's Wife which Google tells me was shown in 1995 - 30 years ago! Cripes. There's a reason your thread has reminded me of it but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it and might get the chance. Juliet Stevenson, Minnie Driver, Anton Lesser and Trevor Eve had the main roles.