A Fine Romance (1981 TV series)

A Fine Romance is a British sitcom starring husband-and-wife team Judi Dench and Michael Williams. The series was nominated for ten BAFTA British Academy Television Awards and was a winner of two for Dench's performances in 1982 and 1985.

Cast
Judi Dench starred as the female lead, Laura, against Michael Williams as the male lead, Mike. Laura's matchmaking sister and brother-in-law were played by Susan Penhaligon and Richard Warwick, respectively.

Creatives, production, and broadcast
A Fine Romance was written by Bob Larbey, and took its name from the Jerome Kern song, "A Fine Romance". Judi Dench recorded the song as the theme music of the production. It was produced for London Weekend Television by James Cellan Jones (series one and two), Don Leaver (series three and four), and Graham Evans (one episode in series four). It was first broadcast on 1November 1981, and lasted for twentysix episodes over four series. The final episode was broadcast on 17February 1984.

Plot
The series follows the unlikely romance between Laura Dalton (Judi Dench), a translator, and Mike Selway (Michael Williams), a landscape gardener. Both are approaching middle-age, shy, content with being single, but with their own insecurities and career struggles. Laura's younger sister, Helen (Susan Penhaligon), and her husband Phil (Richard Warwick), are incurable matchmakers, and at one of their parties, they introduce her to Mike. Laura thinks Mike is nervous and boring but they agree to feign interest in one another so they can escape the party. However, as the first series develops, they are drawn to each other and begin a relationship.

The series follows the development of their relationship, although bad luck dogs them, from a dinner in France that does not turn out as expected, to a failed romantic evening watching television. They become estranged at the end of the third series, but find they cannot live without one another, and so get engaged in the last episode of the final series.

Episodes
The following are the titles of each of the episodes in the four series, with the date of original airing given in parentheses.

• Series one (1981)

• 1. First Meeting (1November 1981)

• 2. Different Answers (8November 1981)

• 3. The Restaurant (15November 1981)

• 4. Unlucky in Love (22November 1981)

• 5. How to Avoid Bankruptcy (29November 1981)

• 6. Keep Them Apart (6December 1981)

• 7. Playing Games (13December 1981)

• Series two (1982)

• 1. A Helping Hand (17January 1982)

• 2. A Trip to the Dentist (24January 1982)

• 3. Was That a Proposal? (31January 1982)

• 4. The New Secretary (7February 1982)

• 5. Boulogne (14February 1982)

• 6. Furniture (21February 1982)

• Series three (1983)

• 1. Missing (4November 1983)

• 2. The Hotel (11November 1983)

• 3. The Dinner Party (18November 1983)

• 4. Business Problems (25November 1983)

• 5. Parenthood (2December 1983)

• 6. Extreme Measures (9December 1983)

• Series four (1984)

• 1. The Telephone Call (6January 1984)

• 2. In Hiding (13January 1984)

• 3. Mike's New Girlfriend (20January 1984)

• 4. A Weekend Away (27January 1984)

• 5. Problems (3February 1984)

• 6. A Romantic Meal (10February 1984)

• 7. Happily Ever After? (17February 1984)

Home releases
All four series of A Fine Romance have been released on DVD by Network, with release dates as follows.

Awards and recognition
The series was nominated for ten BAFTA British Academy Television Awards, including four nominations for Best Comedy Series. It won twice for performances by Dench, in 1982 and 1985.