One Foot In The Grave. Image shows from L to R: Margaret Meldrew (Annette Crosbie), Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson). Copyright: BBC
One Foot In The Grave

One Foot In The Grave

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC One
  • 1990 - 2000
  • 42 episodes (6 series)

The grumpy complainer and accident prone Victor Meldrew takes early retirement and finds he has far too much time on his hands. His long suffering wife and neighbours just have to grin and bear it. Stars Richard Wilson, Annette Crosbie, Doreen Mantle, Owen Brenman, Angus Deayton and Janine Duvitski

Episode menu

Series 6, Episode 6 - Things Aren't Simple Any More

After Victor dies in a road accident, Margaret faces up to life without him and vows to take revenge on the hit-and-run driver responsible.

Further details

Victor's luck continues as usual: he is now being sued for GBH after plunging a hypodermic syringe into a mooning youth's bare backside. This comes all despite his having been dead for some five months.

Yes, Margaret is now alone: Victor was killed in a hit-and-run accident outside the local train station - returning from a party she had encouraged him to attend - leaving her to boil with righteous anger not just for all of the injustices Victor has suffered over the years, but the final, fleeing perpetrator of the crime. She swears revenge, whatever the cost.

She has, meanwhile, commissioned a painting of them as a precious memory of their marriage but when delivered, Victor is horribly misrepresented. To support her in the continuing madness is new friend Glynis, whose husband also recently died: they met doing community litter-picking, searching for meaning and purpose after their losses, and Margaret soon discovered they shared similarly surreal existences.

Stepping back in time, Victor's last days on Earth were as bizarre as ever. A misunderstanding with the local paper caused a host of Catholic pilgrims to gather at the house to pray to Virgin Mary, offering requests and thanks for miracles achieved. Victor finds the supermarket even more of a nightmare than usual, filled with fake snow and dancing dwarves as a Christmas TV advert is filmed in the height of June; and has his keep-fit attempts put to shame in the local park.

Finally, he - slightly reluctantly - attends a work reunion party at Margaret's recommendation, but is aghast to find he is the only one of the group who actually manages to make it; despite this, he's treated to personal (and dreadful) cabaret!

Back to the present day, Margaret and Glynis are regaling each other with further tales of their misfortunes when a search for paracetamol brings about the most shocking turn of events of all.

Broadcast details

Date
Monday 20th November 2000
Time
9:15pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
45 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Wednesday 10th August 2011 10:55am Gold
Wednesday 10th August 2011 4:30pm Gold
Friday 26th August 2011 8:05pm Gold
Friday 26th August 2011 11:10pm Gold
Monday 31st October 2011 10:00am Gold
Monday 31st October 2011 4:20pm Gold
Friday 2nd December 2011 8:00pm Gold
Saturday 3rd December 2011 12:55am Gold
Saturday 4th February 2012 10:45am Gold
Wednesday 7th March 2012 1:05pm Gold
Wednesday 7th March 2012 7:05pm Gold
Saturday 30th June 2012 1:05pm Gold
Tuesday 28th August 2012 9:00pm Gold
Wednesday 29th August 2012 12:45am Gold
Saturday 1st June 2013 6:40pm Gold
Sunday 2nd June 2013 7:40am Gold
Sunday 21st July 2013 11:00am Gold
Sunday 21st July 2013 6:00pm Gold
Thursday 12th December 2013 7:25am Gold
Thursday 12th December 2013 12:00pm Gold
Friday 20th December 2013 6:05pm Drama
Sunday 6th April 2014 7:55am Gold
Saturday 12th April 2014 6:00pm Drama
Sunday 13th April 2014 5:00pm Drama
Thursday 17th July 2014 8:10pm Gold
Friday 18th July 2014 4:10pm Gold
Friday 5th September 2014 9:45pm Yesterday
Saturday 6th September 2014 7:45pm Yesterday
Thursday 6th November 2014 11:25pm Gold
Friday 7th November 2014 7:20pm Gold
Saturday 6th December 2014 10:55am Gold
Thursday 11th December 2014 7:55pm Gold
Friday 12th December 2014 5:00pm Gold
Sunday 24th May 2015 10:25am Gold
Sunday 24th May 2015 3:25pm Gold
Monday 22nd August 2016 9:10pm Yesterday
Monday 22nd August 2016 11:40pm Yesterday
Thursday 22nd December 2016 10:05pm Yesterday
Friday 23rd December 2016 8:00pm Yesterday
Monday 20th February 2017 9:40am Gold
Saturday 11th March 2017 5:40pm Drama
Friday 17th March 2017 7:50am Gold
Wednesday 11th October 2017 10:40pm Yesterday
Thursday 12th October 2017 11:00am Yesterday
Friday 24th November 2017 11:00pm Yesterday
Saturday 25th November 2017 5:00pm Yesterday
Wednesday 14th April 2021 12:20am Yesterday
Wednesday 14th April 2021 10:20pm Yesterday
Saturday 31st July 2021 8:00pm Yesterday
Saturday 27th November 2021 2:00pm Drama
Sunday 12th December 2021 10:30pm Yesterday
Saturday 29th January 2022 8:40pm Yesterday
Saturday 9th April 2022 3:00pm Drama

Cast & crew

Cast
Richard Wilson Victor Meldrew
Annette Crosbie Margaret Meldrew
Guest cast
Jonathan Cecil Mr. Gundry
Hannah Gordon Glynis
Joanna Scanlan Gillian
Howard Attfield Blind Man
Jeanne Mockford Catholic Woman
William Osborne Father Blakey
Paul Merton Barman
Jean Challis Cabaret
Ed Welch Cabaret
Christine Gernon Advert Director
David Renwick Advert Crew Member
Writing team
David Renwick Writer
Production team
Christine Gernon Director
Jonathan Paul Llewellyn (as Jonathan P. Llewellyn) Producer
Mark Lawrence Editor
Linda Conoboy Production Designer
Jacky Levy Costume Designer
Geoff Harrison Director of Photography
Vanessa White Make-up Designer
Chris Kempton (as Christopher Kempton) Lighting Designer
Eric Idle Composer
Ed Welch Composer
Katie Thompstone 1st Assistant Director

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