As Time Goes By

[Deleted]

I hope I am not alone in loving this show. It's really the only thing right now that I tape every week.

I'm not quite sure what makes it such a good show, but the actors make for a great start - beginning with Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, of course, but I really have a soft spot for Philip Bretherton, who plays Alistair.

It a pleasure to see a show staring "A lady of a certain age" as the French would say, with Dench in the lead, especially since she doesn't look all pulled and tugged and tightened as do so many (even younger) Hollywood actresses.

Any other fans out there?

[marywebgirl]

I like this show, but I've never been good about watching it regularly, so I'm completely clueless about the larger story arcs.

[eleanorrigby]

Love this show. My whole family used to watch it every night until they moved it out of the 7:30 pm timeslot. Now we catch it when we find it. I should really just bite the bullet and buy the dvds. Favourite episodes include Jean and Lionel's wedding, and Judy's wedding. I also love any episode with Steven and Penny and Mrs. Bale.

[Oxynia]

Oh I absolutely adore this show! It's one of my all-time favourites.

What makes it so good? Well IMHO, the acting's first-rate (it's hard to go wrong with Geoffrey Palmer and Judi Dench, who both have a long history of subtly comedic roles). They can say more with a facial expression than most young actors can with an entire page of dialogue.

Also the writing is exceptional, they have really developed those two characters into something clever and classy and deep. There's too much room for error when you take a story such as theirs and try to bring it all to life. It's easy to cross the line into cheesiness or over-sentimentalism. But I think the writers do a great job of making us care about these two, with all their flaws and imperfections that are endearing rather than distracting. It seems mid-life romances are just as tricky and nervous-making as the younger kind, and I love how this comes across.

I also enjoy the supporting characters as well, they're quirky but believable and they round out the show very well. It's just a great show to watch and whenever we're home on a Saturday night, I put the kettle on and settle in for an enjoyable time. Even Mr. Oxynia watches with me, which is a testimony in itself!

[lyrasilver]

Though I haven't seen many episodes, I really like this show as well. I agree with oxynia that what makes it appealing is the fact that the characters are real people, who age and have feelings and flaws.

Plus, Judi Dench = the greatest actress ever. I even went to see The Chronicles of Riddick because she was in it.

[Deleted]

I've been watching it on our local PBS station. It hasn't been on for the last couple weeks and the last episode was the lead up to Judith and Alistair's wedding with Alistair in high stress mode. I'm hoping that the wedding is the next one. I am eagerly awaiting that episode.

Can someone who has seen it to the end tell me how many episodes follow from the wedding?

[eleanorrigby]

The wedding is the next one I believe. I also think that there is only one more real episode after the wedding which ties up Sandy's plotline. A look back at the series special aired after that. It's been awhile since I've seen the whole run though. I could be off by an episode or two.

[Oxynia]

No, Eleanor, you're absolutely right. There is one more episode from the series after the wedding, then a sort of retrospective after that. I was sorry to see it end, it was just such a charming and sweet show.

[eleanorrigby]

Excellent, my memory hasn't completely failed me! As time goes by is great because it holds up really well after repeat viewings. I've been watching this show for at least 4 years, and just yesterday I was giggling insanely over Lionel's "it's my deeply personal problem!"

[tulip]

I love this show, too. In fact, I much prefer a lot of the British comedies over the American ones. I think that the premise of their long, lost love letter was so romantic and it was so sweet that they met and ended up marrying later in life. Mrs. Bale and her weather reports make me laugh every time!