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

Press clippings

How Doreen Mantle made Mrs Warboys - a woman who could bore for England - such a joy

Victor Meldrew's foil and frenemy was perhaps the most tedious and annoying character ever seen on British TV. And she will be sorely missed

Alexander Larman, The Telegraph, 10th August 2023

I'll never throw out my DVD player - the woke police can't delete my box sets

These days there seem to be vanishingly few comedies that can be enjoyed by all the family. So recently, in desperation, I tried showing my son some of my favourite comedies from when I was young, instead.

Michael Deacon, The Telegraph, 8th June 2023

Vinyl release of One Foot radio adaptations

The four BBC Radio 2 adaptations of One Foot In The Grave, aired in 1995, are to be released as a bright burgundy-coloured vinyl set this summer.

British Comedy Guide, 1st June 2023

The 25 funniest Christmas comedy TV specials of all time

The comedy special is as much a part of British Christmas as a family row and mountains of sprouts. This year, comedy shows from Motherland and The Detectorists to Mrs Brown's Boys and Ghosts are returning with festive specials to round off 2022. To celebrate, we countdown the greatest 25 Christmas comedy specials of all time.

Tom Fordy, The Telegraph, 23rd December 2022

BBC Four to repeat comedy classics

To link in with the celebrations of 100 years of the BBC, from Saturday 22nd October BBC Four will begin broadcasting classic episodes of sitcoms and sketch shows.

British Comedy Guide, 14th October 2022

One Foot special gets deluxe HD screening

The popular One Foot Christmas special, One Foot In The Algarve, is to be screened from a new HD transfer in aid of Children in Need.

British Comedy Guide, 3rd October 2022

David Renwick wrote stage versions of One Foot In The Grave & Jonathan Creek

David Renwick has revealed that he came up with scripts for theatre versions of the popular BBC shows after the success of the musical of classic Beeb sitcom Only Fools And Horses in 2019. But both projects are now on hold after David withdrew from them during the pandemic over disagreements about staging.

Rod McPhee, The Sun, 5th September 2022

Where are the new classic sitcoms?

When The One Show recently ran a poll to find the best-loved BBC shows ever, half of the top programmes were sitcoms - but none was launched within the last 15 years. So where are the future classics?

Ian Youngs, BBC, 14th May 2022

OFITG latest show to be hit with woke warning

The episode - titled Love And Death - sees Victor (Richard Wilson) and wife Margaret (Annette Crosbie) go on holiday to Bournemouth. They are told by two guests that there are midgets in the bathroom, but thinking they said midges, Victor bursts in there with bug spray. Instead Victor - whose catchphrase is "I don't believe it", finds two half-naked dwarves, who are part of a theatre show. It is offensive to use the word midget in reference to people with dwarfism.

Fay Leyfield, The Sun, 14th July 2021

Richard Wilson says he'd 'had enough' of Victor Meldrew

Appearing on Desert Island Discs, One Foot In The Grave star Richard Wilson today reveals he was happy to see grumpy Victor Meldrew dead and buried.

Sarah Robertson and Myriam Toua, The Mirror, 19th June 2021

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