Butterflies. Image shows from L to R: Ben Parkinson (Geoffrey Palmer), Ria Parkinson (Wendy Craig)
Butterflies

Butterflies

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC Two
  • 1978 - 2000
  • 28 episodes (4 series)

Sitcom following dissatisfied housewife Ria Parkinson as she considers embarking on an exciting romantic affair with successful businessman Leonard. Stars Wendy Craig, Geoffrey Palmer, Bruce Montague, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Andrew Hall and more.

Press clippings

'Great sitcoms are missing from our TV screens and our lives - we need them in these times'

Even if "we're all doomed" under the Tories, as Dad's Army's Pte Frazer would say, shows like George And Mildred, Are You Being Served?, Robin's Nest and Three's Company still make us laugh.

Siobhan McNally, The Mirror, 24th January 2024

How the sitcom wife evolved in 10 classic characters

Here we chart their evolution via 10 of sitcom's most memorable wives, from both the UK and USA...

Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian, 21st August 2021

Legendary sitcom producer/director Sydney Lotterby dies

Producer and director Sydney Lotterby, whose credits include Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Porridge, The Liver Birds and As Time Goes By, has died at the age of 93.

British Comedy Guide, 30th July 2020

Andrew Hall obituary

Actor remembered for his role in Butterflies, who spread his wings to include West End roles and theatre production.

Michael Coveney, The Guardian, 24th May 2019

Butterflies actor Andrew Hall dies

Andrew Hall, who played Russell, the son of Wendy Craig and Geoffrey Palmer in the classic BBC sitcom Butterflies, has died. He was 65.

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 22nd May 2019

The top 10 British sitcoms of the 70s

The 1970s is rightly lauded as the golden age of British sitcom.

Greg Jameson, Entertainment Focus, 1st December 2018

The 8 best sitcom romances ever

With Valentine's Day approaching, love is in the air on Gold - so here is our list of comedy relationship favourites.

Chas Early, BT, 9th February 2017

Ordinary homes for showbiz fans on sale

There have been multiple opportunities to move into a house that has been populated by fictional characters ranging from The Young Ones to multitudes of spotted dogs. Also includes the Peep Show flat, the home of the Brockmans in Outnumbered and Alan Partridge's Linton Travel Tavern.

Bethan Bell, BBC News, 27th September 2016

BBC Comedy Sitcom Signature Tunes

There is one element in the sitcom which is overlooked - the signature tune. Evocative 30 second sequences of tightly-composed music which set the tone for the half-hour which follows. Without you realising it, that signature tune embeds itself in your psyche. From now until the end of your life, that tune will be a shortcut to the time when that sitcom made the first and greatest impact on you.

Jon Jacob, BBC Blogs, 2nd September 2016

Butterflies review - Carla Lane's masterpiece

Just as Carla Lane was one of the few women to crack the male-dominated world of 70s comedy, so Butterflies gave rare subversive voice to a mature suburban woman.

Michael Hogan, The Guardian, 2nd June 2016

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