Up the Garden Path

Up the Garden Path is a 1984 novel by Sue Limb, which was adapted into a radio series by BBC Radio 4, and later into a television sitcom by Granada TV for ITV. Both the radio and television series comprised three seasons, with the radio series originally broadcast in 1987, 1988, and 1993, and the television seasons broadcast in 1990, 1991, and 1993.

The television series has been repeated on the United Kingdom digital channel ITV3. The radio series is regularly repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Cast

 * Isabelle 'Izzy' Comyn (Imelda Staunton)
 * Dick Barnes (Mike Grady)
 * Maria Shadwell (Tessa Peake-Jones, television; Marty Cruickshank, radio)
 * Gwyn Jenkins (Tom Mannion, television; Sion Probert and Dafydd Hywel, radio)
 * Michael Tristram (Nicholas Le Prevost)
 * Louise Tristram (Susan Kyd, television; Phyllida Nash, radio)
 * Roger 'Razors' Razebrook (René Zagger)
 * Charles Armstrong (David Robb) appeared in Series 2
 * Bill Bailey (Neil McCaul) appeared in Series 2, 3
 * Linda (Adrienne O'Sullivan) appeared in Series 3
 * 5C pupil (Siobhan Hayes) appeared in Series 2, 3
 * Vincent (Kevin Treasure) appeared in Series 2, 3

Radio
The first series was broadcast Saturdays at 11.00 pm
 * Series 1 (1987)
 * Episode 1: "New Year, Old Problems" (7 November 1987)
 * Episode 2: "Tangled Webs" (14 November 1987)
 * Episode 3: "Punch Ups and Put Downs" (21 November 1987)
 * Episode 4: "Into the Lion's Den" (28 November 1987)
 * Episode 5: "The Menage" (5 December 1987)
 * Episode 6: "Over and Out" (12 December 1987)

The second series was broadcast Saturdays at 11.00 pm
 * Series 2 (1988)
 * Episode 1: "Arrivals and Departures" (15 October 1988)
 * Episode 2: "Hot Water" (22 October 1988)
 * Episode 3: "A Soft-Hearted Little Thing" (29 October 1988)
 * Episode 4: "The View from the Bridge" (5 November 1988)
 * Episode 5: "On the Side of the Angels" (12 November 1988)
 * Episode 6: "You Shall Go to the Ball" (19 November 1988)
 * Episode 7: "The More the Merrier" (26 November 1988)
 * Episode 8: "Love's Labours" (3 December 1988)

The third series was broadcast Wednesdays at 12.25 am
 * Series 3 (1993)
 * Episode 1: "New Men" (17 November 1993)
 * Episode 2: "Gooseberries and Fools" (24 November 1993)
 * Episode 3: "Over-Drawn, Over-Sexed and Over-Optimistic" (1 December 1993)
 * Episode 4: "Talking It on the Chin" (8 December 1993)
 * Episode 5: "Up the Stick and Sick as a Parrot" (15 December 1993)
 * Episode 6: "A Dick in Shining Armour" (22 December 1993)

Television

 * Series 1 (1990)


 * Series 2 (1991)


 * Series 3 (1993)

Reception
Critical reception was mixed. Writing in the Daily Mirror, television editor Tony Pratt called the first series 'one of the best [sitcoms] ITV has produced for ages. It's lively, adult and funny'.

However, The Guardian felt 'sorry for Imelda Staunton...who deserves a better script' with Hugh Hebert labelling the series 'dire' and referring to the character of Izzy as a 'caricature witless teacher who was God's promo for Baker MacGregor Re-Education Inc.'