Just Good Friends

With Only Fools and Horses beginning to climb the ratings, writer John Sullivan turned his hand to an entirely new comedy. One inspiration for this was his desire to feature a female central character, and another was a problem letter that his wife had read to him from a woman's magazine.

Just Good Friends starred Jan Francis as sweet sophisticated Penny Warrender, who was out on a date at a pub when she bumped into Vince Pinner (Paul Nicholas), the man who had left her at the altar five years beforehand. Vince, a typically lovable wide-boy of the type that Sullivan was so adept at creating, was obviously still struck on his jilted ex-fiance, and in spite of her protestations to the contrary, she was obviously still in love with him. In Penny, both Sullivan and Francis created a witty, intelligent and believable character that broke the mould for female sitcom typecasting.

The two main characters in the series could not have come from more different backgrounds; she, an office worker in an advertising agency, came from a middle class background with a snooty mother (Sylvia Kay) and hen-pecked father (John Ringham). He was a turf accountant, whose rough and ready father (Shaun Curry) dealt in scrap metal and drove around in a flashy car playing his wife's (Ann Lynn) favourite rock n' roll sounds. But in spite of, or maybe because of their differences, the two leads sparkled with witty banter and delightful comedic situations expertly crafted by the writer as he drew them into an on-off / love-hate relationship that ended in a 1984 Christmas special, with Penny jetting off to a new job in Paris, with a half-hearted pact to meet Vince three years later at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

And there it may have rested had the public not demanded a happy ending. And so, two years later the couple were re-united. Penny was by now a successful businesswoman, no longer the incurable romantic, self doubts behind her and finally over her man - so naturally the series finished with the two of them marrying each other!

Alfresco

Also released in 1983

Running for two series in the early 1980s, Alfresco was the same quickfire combination of anarchic sketches and musical items that made Not the Nine O'Clock News, The Two Ronnies and Monty Python's Flying Circus so successful.

The Irish RM

Also released in 1983

A retired British Army officer who moves to the west of Ireland at the turn of the century, becomes become a Resident Magistrate.

Casanova

Also starring John Ringham

Banned? Almost. Forgotten? Never. The sexy, shocking series that redefined British television was Dennis Potter's Casanova, the 1970s drama that had the country blushing

'Allo, 'Allo

Also tagged Britcom

Created by TV comedy legends Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, who were responsible for some of the longest running sitcoms on British television, 'Allo 'Allo! was a wartime comedy created as a parody of Secret Army.

All Summer Long

Also starring Ann Lynn

Willie has tried to make his father aware of the danger to their house from flood water, but Dad thinks that Willie's fears are excessive. Willie decides to spend all summer long building a wall to keep out the river, but his efforts are in vain.

After the Funeral

Also starring Sylvia Kay

When Alun Owen's play 'After the Funeral' was read by Sydney Newman, head of drama for ABC Television, and William Kotcheff, the television director, they were so taken by his conception of Wales and the Welsh, they decided to see for themselves.

The Hanged Man

Also starring Jan Francis

Lew Burnett is a self-made man who owns a huge construction company. However, his success has bred resentment, and after the third attempt on his life he sets in motion a daring and dangerous plan to discover who is trying to kill him and why - by playing dead!