One Foot In the Grave
Who would have thought retirement could be so chaotic?
One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series The series features the exploits of Victor Meldrew and his long-suffering wife, Margaret. The programmes invariably deal with Meldrew's battle against the problems he creates for himself. Living in a typical household in an unnamed English suburb, Victor takes involuntary early retirement. His various efforts to keep himself busy, while encountering various misfortunes and misunderstandings are the themes of the sitcom. The series was largely filmed on location in Walkford, near New Milton in Hampshire, although several clues show that the series may have been set in Hampshire – possibly Winchester. Despite its traditional production, the series supplants its domestic sitcom setting with elements of black humour and surrealism.
Seasons
1. Alive and Buried
Air Date: 1990-01-04
Victor Meldrew, 60 years old, is at last retiring from the rigors of his security guard job at Watson-Mycroft. Replaced by a talking machine, Victor soon discovers that retirement will give him just as many reasons to be grumpy.
2. The Big Sleep
Air Date: 1990-01-11
As retirement throws more problems for Victor Meldrew's retirement, including a next-door neighbour's noisy party, a disturbing and puzzling rash and an atheist funeral, has Victor bitten the bullett?
3. The Valley of Fear
Air Date: 1990-01-18
After being mugged whilst photographing badgers, and having his house sprayed with the phrase 'The Man Who Lives Here Is A Turd', Victor decides to hold a crime prevention meeting.
4. I'll Retire To Bedlam
Air Date: 1990-01-25
After being stuck in the shed for over three hours, then forced to spend an entire day with his eyes closed after a visit to the optometrist, Victor cannot bear the trials of babysitting.
5. The Eternal Quadrangle
Air Date: 1990-02-01
Although Margaret is glad that Victor finally has a hobby to occupy his time, she is less pleased to discover that it involves painting nudes.
6. The Return Of The Speckled Band
Air Date: 1990-02-08
Following a food poisoning incident, problems with the electricity man, the Meldrews embark on a well deserved holiday, however this is only the start of their problems?
1. In Luton Airport No One Can Hear You Scream
Air Date: 1990-10-04
When Victor and Margaret return from their holiday, they discover that their luggage has been sent to the other side of the world, and that their house has been burned down.
2. We Have Put Her Living In The Tomb
Air Date: 1990-10-11
The Meldrews are given the responsability of looking after their god-daughter's tortoise.
3. Dramatic Fever
Air Date: 1990-10-18
Victor discovers a new talent - writing comedy. However, his views of comedy are somewhat different from everyone elses, and he finds himself without support.
4. Who Will Buy?
Air Date: 1990-10-25
While Pippa believes that Victor may have murdered an elderly blind man, Victor uses a benefit concert to re-introduce his ventriloquist act.
5. Love & Death
Air Date: 1990-11-11
When the Meldrews visit some friends on the South Coast, Victor is given a surprise.
6. Timeless Time
Air Date: 1990-11-15
A variety of bizarre factors, including a dead hedgehog, keep Victor awake. And if Victor's awake, Margaret isn't going to get much sleep either.
1. Monday Morning Will Be Fine
Air Date: 1992-02-02
After a burglary Victor decides not to replace his television set in order to give him and Margaret more opportunity to get out of the house. However, a trip to the pub results in a disconcerting experience with an old friend.
2. Dreamland
Air Date: 1992-02-09
Margaret is having a recurring dream about murdering someone who looks like Victor. However, it's Margaret who is starting to irritate Victor. That is, until she disappears.
3. The Broken Reflection
Air Date: 1992-02-16
Alfred, Victor's accident prone brother, is making his first visit from New Zealand for 25 years. Victor is not looking forward to his stay, preferring to act as a neighbourhood vigilante.
4. The Beast In The Cage
Air Date: 1992-02-23
The Meldrews and Mrs Warboys get stuck in Bank Holiday traffic.
5. Beware The Trickster On The Roof
Air Date: 1992-03-01
Mr Swainey has brought Victor a present back from his holiday - an unlucky charm. Victor thinks that Mrs Stebbings's tv aerial is laughing at him and his resulting misfortune. Meanwhile, Patrick and Pippa are having problems trying to sell their house.
6. The Worst Horror Of All
Air Date: 1992-03-08
Even a shed falling on him cannot upset Victor when he finally gets a new job. However, before starting work he must first contend with some unwanted visitors and a trip to the BBC organised by Mrs Warboys.
1. The Pit and the Pendulum
Air Date: 1993-01-31
Victor is employing a workman in the garden, although he never seems to do any work. On the other side of the fence, Patrick has acquired a pet daschund called Denzil.
2. Descent Into The Maelstorm
Air Date: 1993-01-31
Margaret falls ills to nervous exhaustion that has been building up over the last 34 years. She has little chance for peace and quiet in which to recuperate, especially with Victor's problems with gorilla suits and the waste disposal system. She is however cheered by a visit from an old friend.
3. Hearts of Darkness
Air Date: 1993-02-14
During a trip to the countryside with Mrs Warboys and Mr Swainey, the Meldrews manage to get lost. Victor leaves the others to try to find help.
4. Warm Champagne
Air Date: 1993-02-21
Victor returns from holiday with sunburnt feet. His mood doesn't improve, thanks to rows with the neighbours and the addition of a streetlamp to his bedroom furniture. This gives Margaret a dilemma when she is contacted by Ben, a pleasant man who she met on holiday.
5. The Trial
Air Date: 1993-02-28
Victor has been selected for jury service. He hasn't been required in court yet, but he is on call so he is stuck in the house all day and must somehow beat his boredom.
6. Secret Of The Seven Sorcerers
Air Date: 1993-03-07
Victor is preparing for a meeting of his magician's club. He now has a job as a lollipop man, but is being bothered by hoax calls from the fire brigade. Patrick and Pippa are due to visit the Meldrews' for a reconciliation meal, but Patrick isn't looking forward to the experience.
1. The Man Who Blew Away
Air Date: 1994-12-25
Patrick is preparing for an important meeting with some Japanese businessmen. Next door, Victor's stolen car has been recovered, but he isn't very happy about it. Then the Meldrews are visited by Mr Foskett - a man who they met on holiday 17 years previously.
2. Only A Story
Air Date: 1995-01-01
Mrs Warboys is staying with the Meldrews following the flooding of her house and is starting to irritate Margaret. However, Victor is a lot calmer than usual thanks to the reflexology treatment that he has started receiving.
3. The Affair Of The Hollow Lady
Air Date: 1995-01-08
Victor thinks that the woman in the greengrocers fancies him. Meanwhile, Mrs Warboys has won a wax model of herself and the Meldrews are having problems with their door locks.
4. Rearranging The Dust
Air Date: 1995-01-15
When Victor and Margaret visit their solicitors in order to make a will they discover precisely why a waiting room is so-called.
5. Hole In The Sky
Air Date: 1995-01-22
Patrick is looking forward to his trip to stay with Pippa's brother after an embarrassing visit to an Armenian restaurant in order to attempt to make up with Victor. Meanwhile, the Meldrews are employing a pair of very strange workmen and Margaret is getting jealous of a marionette.
6. The Exterminating Angel
Air Date: 1995-01-29
Romance is in the air for Mr. Swainey when he finally invites Tania the nurse out for a date. Victor takes a new job as a chauffeur but rapidly wipes out his employer's beloved fleet.
1. The Executioner's Song
Air Date: 2000-10-16
Victor has a new job as a window-cleaner. Meanwhile, Patrick's plans for a quiet birthday are ruined after an unfortunate misunderstanding involving a modern art painting and Pippa finds herself in an adulterous affair.
2. Tales Of Terror
Air Date: 2000-10-23
In Mr. Swainey's production of 'Nosferatu The vampire', the actor who was supposed to play the vampire doesn't show up so Nick asks Victor to take the part. He did. Later, blood was found in Victor's digestive system during a test - after fearing the worst, the doctors discover that the blood was from an undercooked black pudding that was earlier given to Victor by Mrs. Warboys! later that week, whie on their way to visit the dreaded Ronnie and Mildred once more, Victor and Margaret are shocked to discover that Mildred has killed herself while playing a game of 'Happy Families' - they are even more shocked to discover that her body is still hanging outside the house!
3. The Futility Of The Fly
Air Date: 2000-10-30
Margaret regrets hiring an attractive cleaner to help around the house. Meanwhile, Mrs Warboys has a couple of nasty frights.
4. Threatening Weather
Air Date: 2000-11-06
During a power cut, Victor realises that he had been right through the middle of an area affected by a siege as it happened. Making the power cut worse, it occurs on a hot Summer night. Victor had the misfortune to have a light fitting drop right on to his privates, a cigarette stubbed out on his cap and a mysterious pain that leads him to think that he had been shot as he passed the siege that morning. Things were made worse by the arrival of the incontinent, fat and irritating elderly neighbour, Mr. Smedley.
5. The Dawn Of Man
Air Date: 2000-11-13
Victor's new fishing hobby leads to an unfortunate encounter with a fly-tipper. Meanwhile, a visit from Patrick's gay twin brother leaves Pippa feeling mentally and physically exhausted, especially when Patrick sits on a cork.
6. Things Aren't Simple Any More
Air Date: 2000-11-20
In the very last episode of 'One Foot in the Grave', Victor's decision to attend a school reunion unwittingly delivers him into the hands of fate. Margaret deals with the aftermath with the help of her new friend, Glynis.
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Rating
7.5/10
Release Date
1990-01-04
Episodes
36 (6 seasons)
Status
Ended
Cast
Videos
Production Companies
BBC