Comedy Classics

A look back at the popular sitcom that starred Patricia Routledge as Hyacinth Bucket, who was endlessly let down by her family in her attempts to climb the social ladder. Cast, crew and celebrity fans pay tribute to the show and share backstage secrets, with Routledge revealing how she came to be cast, how she developed the character, and what happened when the cameras stop rolling.

A celebration of the writer's three most popular sitcoms, featuring the flat-sharing girls-about-town in The Liver Birds, bored, frustrated housewife Ria in Butterflies, and the Boswell family in Bread. Wendy Craig talks how Butterflies nearly never made it on air due to its adultery story line, while John Nettles remembers being cast in one of his very first TV roles as Sandra's boyfriend Paul in The Liver Birds. Peter Howitt, Melanie Hill and Nick Conway remember their time on Bread and recall the time that Paul and Linda MacCartney appeared in an episode.

Between 1979 and 1981, up to 24 million viewers were glued to their TV sets for a sitcom that followed the fortunes of upper-class widow Audrey fforbes-Hamilton (Penelope Keith) after she was forced to sell her manor house to self-made grocer Richard DeVere (Peter Bowles). This 90-minute special features an interview with Penelope Keith, as well as hearing from co-stars, crew and celebrity fans, while there are classic clips and behind-the-scenes archive.