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As Time Goes By (TV series)
Encyclopedia
As Time Goes By is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One
from 1992 to 2005. Starring Judi Dench
and Geoffrey Palmer
, it follows the relationship between two former lovers who meet unexpectedly after not having been in contact for 38 years.
The programme's original working title
had been Winter with Flowers (from the German proverb "An old man loved is winter with flowers.") but was changed during its first day of filming due to the cast's protestations. The new title was taken from the 1931 song "As Time Goes By
", which was used as the title music, recorded by Joe Fagin
.
The show was created by Colin Bostock-Smith, but written by Bob Larbey
, who had co-written The Good Life. 2004, As Time Goes By came 29th in Britain's Best Sitcom
.
The series was produced by Theatre of Comedy Entertainment, in association with DLT Entertainment Ltd. for the BBC
.
programming special Behind the Britcoms: from Script to Screen hosted by Moira Brooker and Philip Bretherton, the series creator/producer revealed that Jean Simmons
had declined the first offer of the role of 'Jean' (which was written with her in mind) due to her reluctance to uproot her sunny life--specifically mentioning her dogs, garden, and family--in California. Dench was later cast after auditioning for the role.
Lionel Hardcastle (Geoffrey Palmer
) and Middlesex Hospital
Nurse Jean Pargetter (Judi Dench
) met in the summer of 1953 or 1954 (depending on the episode) and fell in love, but when Lionel was sent to Korea
they lost touch. He had sent her a letter when he arrived in Korea, which she did not receive, and each assumed the other had lost interest. After his war service, Lionel had gone to Kenya
and become a coffee planter. He and his wife, Margaret, had divorced on the grounds of "mutual boredom", and he had moved back to England. Jean married, and after her husband's death set up "Type for You", a secretarial agency. She has a daughter, Judith Hanson (Moira Brooker
), who had married twice (to "Ken", who had "sad eyes", and "Edward", who was "very clever"), with both marriages ending in divorce. At the start of the series, Judith has moved back in with her mother and also works with her mother at "Type for You".
In the opening episodes, 38 years later, Lionel selects "Type for You", initially unaware that Jean is the proprietor, to finalize the copy for his book My Life in Kenya. When Jean and Lionel recognize each other, their romance begins to blossom again, but only after a slow start. In the third season, Lionel moves into Jean's house in Holland Park
, London
, and they marry during the following season.
As the series begins, Judith develops a crush on Lionel, and his publisher, Alistair Deacon (Philip Bretherton
), takes an interest in Jean. Both crushes are brief, and eventually Judith and Alistair fall for each other and, much later, marry. Other plot lines feature Lionel being asked to write an American
TV mini-series, Just Two People, based on his early romance with Jean. The mini-series fails after one episode. Jean eventually retires from her company, and later donates work hours to a charity shop
.
Jean's very efficient secretary and Judith's best friend is Sandy (Jenny Funnell
), who eventually moves in with the Hardcastles after splitting with her boyfriend Nick, later becoming a manager in the agency after Jean's retirement. She later starts dating Harry (David Michaels
, later replaced by Daniel Ryan
), a policeman and rugby player
, whom she marries at the end of the series. Other notable characters include: Lionel's father, Rocky (Frank Middlemass
), who owns a large country house in Hampshire
, which he later gives to Lionel; the housekeeper, Mrs. Bale (Janet Henfrey
), who has an unusual interest in the Shipping Forecast
, and the gardener, Lol Ferris (Tim Wylton
). Rocky marries Madge (Joan Sims
) when he is 85 and she is 78, and they often travel around the world. In Series Nine, Madge is mentioned as being on an archaeological dig in Egypt
; in reality the actress who portrayed her had died before filming began. Jean's first husband's neurotic sister Penny (Moyra Fraser
), who always calls Jean "Poor Jean", and her dentist husband, Stephen (Paul Chapman
), who once accidentally declined the OBE
, also make many appearances.
, who played Rocky, before his death in 2006.. Actress Joan Sims
passed away in 2001 and the role of Rocky's wife, Madge Darbley-Hardcastle was not recast; in Series 8 it's mentioned that she's away participating in an Egyptian archaeological dig.
, and is still currently being run weekly on PBS
(on which it has aired almost continuously since the early 2000s), with various cast members appearing live on air during yearly pledge drive
s. It has also been broadcast in Canada on BBC Canada
and TVOntario
, in Australia on ABC
and currently on Seven's Best-of-British-oriented 7TWO
. Also in New Zealand on both UK.TV and SKY Network Television
, in Finland on YLE TV1
and on DSTV
in Nigeria. In Ireland RTÉ One
has repeated the series on numerous occasions. As of 2010, it is broadcast by GOLD for viewers in the UK and Ireland. Still shown in Australia on Austar's Pay TV Channel UKTV in 2011.
between 1997 and 1999. The first episode included a flashback to Jean and Lionel 38 years before, something that never happened on television. All episodes correspond to a TV episode and featured the original cast, apart from the original actor from the television program (Bretherton) not playing Alistair in Series One - Bretherton did play Alistair in both Series Two and Three. So far, only the first series has been released on BBC Audio Cassette.
by Cinema Club, in DVD region code 1 by BBC America and as five sets in DVD region code 4 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
. The reunion special is also available on DVD now, distributed by Acorn Media UK
.
Australian DVD Releases:
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
from 1992 to 2005. Starring Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
and Geoffrey Palmer
Geoffrey Palmer (actor)
Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE is an English actor, best known for his roles in sitcoms such as Butterflies and As Time Goes By.-Career:...
, it follows the relationship between two former lovers who meet unexpectedly after not having been in contact for 38 years.
The programme's original working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
had been Winter with Flowers (from the German proverb "An old man loved is winter with flowers.") but was changed during its first day of filming due to the cast's protestations. The new title was taken from the 1931 song "As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By (song)
"As Time Goes By" is a song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became most famous in 1942 when it was sung by the character Sam in the movie Casablanca. The song was voted #2 on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs special, commemorating the best songs in film. It was used as a fanfare for Warner...
", which was used as the title music, recorded by Joe Fagin
Joe Fagin
Joe Fagin is a British pop singer-songwriter.-Biography:He was musical director for Jim Davidson, including his 1983 Falklands tour....
.
The show was created by Colin Bostock-Smith, but written by Bob Larbey
Esmonde and Larbey
John Gilbert Esmonde and Bob Larbey were a British television comedy scriptwriting duo from the 1960s to the 1990s, creating popular situation comedies such as Please Sir! and The Good Life.-Larbey's life:Larbey was born in Clapham, South London in 1934 and made his writing debut for...
, who had co-written The Good Life. 2004, As Time Goes By came 29th in Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
.
The series was produced by Theatre of Comedy Entertainment, in association with DLT Entertainment Ltd. for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Cast
In the March 2011 PBS pledge drivePledge drive
A pledge drive is an extended period of fundraising activities, generally used by public broadcasting stations to increase contributions. The term "pledge" originates from the promise a contributor makes to send in funding at regular intervals for a certain amount of time...
programming special Behind the Britcoms: from Script to Screen hosted by Moira Brooker and Philip Bretherton, the series creator/producer revealed that Jean Simmons
Jean Simmons
Jean Merilyn Simmons, OBE was an English actress. She appeared predominantly in motion pictures, beginning with films made in Great Britain during and after World War II – she was one of J...
had declined the first offer of the role of 'Jean' (which was written with her in mind) due to her reluctance to uproot her sunny life--specifically mentioning her dogs, garden, and family--in California. Dench was later cast after auditioning for the role.
- Judi DenchJudi DenchDame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
— Jean Mary Pargetter Hardcastle (Lead) - Geoffrey PalmerGeoffrey Palmer (actor)Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE is an English actor, best known for his roles in sitcoms such as Butterflies and As Time Goes By.-Career:...
, OBE — Lionel Hardcastle (Lead) - Moira BrookerMoira BrookerMoira Brooker is an English actress best known for her role as Judith Hanson in the British sitcom As Time Goes By . This programme lasted for nine seasons and was popular in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States, where it is still broadcast weekly on PBS...
— Judith Hanson (later Deacon), Jean's daughter (Regular) - Philip BrethertonPhilip BrethertonPhilip Bretherton is an English actor best known for his role as Alistair Deacon in the British television series As Time Goes By....
— Alistair Deacon, Lionel's literary agent, and later Judith's husband (Regular) - Jenny FunnellJenny FunnellJenny Funnell is a British actress best known for her role as Sandy in the British sitcom As Time Goes By .Funnell was born in Kenya, then still a British colony, and has a twin sister named Julie...
— Sandy, Jean's office manager and Judith's best friend (Regular) - Frank MiddlemassFrank MiddlemassFrancis George Middlemass was an English actor, who even in his early career played older roles. He is best remembered for his television roles as Rocky Hardcastle in As Time Goes By, Algy Herries in To Serve Them All My Days and Dr. Alex Ferrenby in Heartbeat...
— Richard 'Rocky' Hardcastle, Lionel's father (from Series Two), (Recurring) - Joan SimsJoan SimsJoan Sims was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By.-Early life:...
— Madge Evita Darbley Hardcastle, Lionel's stepmother (Series Three to Seven) (Recurring) - Moyra FraserMoyra FraserMoyra Fraser was an Australian-born British actress and ballet dancer, who is best known for playing Penny in the long-running sitcom As Time Goes By. Her sister was the actress Shelagh Fraser...
— Penny Johnson, Jean's sister-in-law from her first marriage (from Series Two) (Recurring) - Paul ChapmanPaul Chapman (actor)Paul Chapman is a British actor who made his acting debut back in 1964 in the TV series Curtain of Fear. He was born in Hampstead, London in 1939 and is the brother of British play-write John Chapman and nephew of actor Edward Chapman Paul Chapman is a British actor who made his acting debut back...
— Stephen Johnson, Penny's husband (from Series Two) (Recurring) - Janet HenfreyJanet HenfreyJanet E. A. Henfrey is a British stage and television actress. Best known in the USA for playing Mrs. Bale on As Time Goes By, which is still rerun weekly on PBS stations, and for her role as the schoolteacher in the 1986 BBC Dennis Potter serial The Singing Detective...
— Mrs. Bale, Rocky and Madge's housekeeper (from Series Two) (Recurring) - David MichaelsDavid Michaels (actor)David Michaels was born in 1964 in Manchester. He is an English actor, appearing on stage and television.He appeared in many stage productions, including A Midsummer's Night Dream, and toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company....
— Harry, Sandy's boyfriend and later husband (Series Six to Nine) (Regular) - Daniel RyanDaniel Ryan (actor)Daniel Ryan is an English actor and writer.He is known for starring as Darren Alexander in the BBC drama comedy Linda Green, Andrew Gilligan in The Government Inspector, Andy Coulson in Steel River Blues and Kenny Reed in The Whistleblowers...
— Harry, Sandy's husband (2005 specials) (Regular) - Tim WyltonTim WyltonTim Wylton is a British television actor best known for his roles Stanley Dawkins in My Hero and Lol Ferris in As Time Goes By....
— Lol Ferris (Series Five to Nine) (Recurring) - Justine Glenton (1 episode), Zoe Hilson (4 episodes) - Daisy (Series Three to Four) (Guest)
Plot
Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
Lionel Hardcastle (Geoffrey Palmer
Geoffrey Palmer (actor)
Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE is an English actor, best known for his roles in sitcoms such as Butterflies and As Time Goes By.-Career:...
) and Middlesex Hospital
Middlesex Hospital
The Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, United Kingdom. First opened in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally closed in 2005. Its staff and services were transferred to various sites...
Nurse Jean Pargetter (Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
) met in the summer of 1953 or 1954 (depending on the episode) and fell in love, but when Lionel was sent to Korea
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
they lost touch. He had sent her a letter when he arrived in Korea, which she did not receive, and each assumed the other had lost interest. After his war service, Lionel had gone to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and become a coffee planter. He and his wife, Margaret, had divorced on the grounds of "mutual boredom", and he had moved back to England. Jean married, and after her husband's death set up "Type for You", a secretarial agency. She has a daughter, Judith Hanson (Moira Brooker
Moira Brooker
Moira Brooker is an English actress best known for her role as Judith Hanson in the British sitcom As Time Goes By . This programme lasted for nine seasons and was popular in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States, where it is still broadcast weekly on PBS...
), who had married twice (to "Ken", who had "sad eyes", and "Edward", who was "very clever"), with both marriages ending in divorce. At the start of the series, Judith has moved back in with her mother and also works with her mother at "Type for You".
In the opening episodes, 38 years later, Lionel selects "Type for You", initially unaware that Jean is the proprietor, to finalize the copy for his book My Life in Kenya. When Jean and Lionel recognize each other, their romance begins to blossom again, but only after a slow start. In the third season, Lionel moves into Jean's house in Holland Park
Holland Park
Holland Park is a district and a public park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in west central London, England.Holland Park has a reputation as an affluent and fashionable area, known for attractive large Victorian townhouses, and high-class shopping and restaurants...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and they marry during the following season.
As the series begins, Judith develops a crush on Lionel, and his publisher, Alistair Deacon (Philip Bretherton
Philip Bretherton
Philip Bretherton is an English actor best known for his role as Alistair Deacon in the British television series As Time Goes By....
), takes an interest in Jean. Both crushes are brief, and eventually Judith and Alistair fall for each other and, much later, marry. Other plot lines feature Lionel being asked to write an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
TV mini-series, Just Two People, based on his early romance with Jean. The mini-series fails after one episode. Jean eventually retires from her company, and later donates work hours to a charity shop
Charity shop
A charity shop, thrift shop, thrift store, hospice shop , resale shop or op shop is a retail establishment run by a charitable organization to raise money.Charity shops are a type of social enterprise...
.
Jean's very efficient secretary and Judith's best friend is Sandy (Jenny Funnell
Jenny Funnell
Jenny Funnell is a British actress best known for her role as Sandy in the British sitcom As Time Goes By .Funnell was born in Kenya, then still a British colony, and has a twin sister named Julie...
), who eventually moves in with the Hardcastles after splitting with her boyfriend Nick, later becoming a manager in the agency after Jean's retirement. She later starts dating Harry (David Michaels
David Michaels (actor)
David Michaels was born in 1964 in Manchester. He is an English actor, appearing on stage and television.He appeared in many stage productions, including A Midsummer's Night Dream, and toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company....
, later replaced by Daniel Ryan
Daniel Ryan (actor)
Daniel Ryan is an English actor and writer.He is known for starring as Darren Alexander in the BBC drama comedy Linda Green, Andrew Gilligan in The Government Inspector, Andy Coulson in Steel River Blues and Kenny Reed in The Whistleblowers...
), a policeman and rugby player
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, whom she marries at the end of the series. Other notable characters include: Lionel's father, Rocky (Frank Middlemass
Frank Middlemass
Francis George Middlemass was an English actor, who even in his early career played older roles. He is best remembered for his television roles as Rocky Hardcastle in As Time Goes By, Algy Herries in To Serve Them All My Days and Dr. Alex Ferrenby in Heartbeat...
), who owns a large country house in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, which he later gives to Lionel; the housekeeper, Mrs. Bale (Janet Henfrey
Janet Henfrey
Janet E. A. Henfrey is a British stage and television actress. Best known in the USA for playing Mrs. Bale on As Time Goes By, which is still rerun weekly on PBS stations, and for her role as the schoolteacher in the 1986 BBC Dennis Potter serial The Singing Detective...
), who has an unusual interest in the Shipping Forecast
Shipping Forecast
The Shipping Forecast is a four-times-daily BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles. It is produced by the Met Office and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The forecasts sent over the Navtex...
, and the gardener, Lol Ferris (Tim Wylton
Tim Wylton
Tim Wylton is a British television actor best known for his roles Stanley Dawkins in My Hero and Lol Ferris in As Time Goes By....
). Rocky marries Madge (Joan Sims
Joan Sims
Joan Sims was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By.-Early life:...
) when he is 85 and she is 78, and they often travel around the world. In Series Nine, Madge is mentioned as being on an archaeological dig in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
; in reality the actress who portrayed her had died before filming began. Jean's first husband's neurotic sister Penny (Moyra Fraser
Moyra Fraser
Moyra Fraser was an Australian-born British actress and ballet dancer, who is best known for playing Penny in the long-running sitcom As Time Goes By. Her sister was the actress Shelagh Fraser...
), who always calls Jean "Poor Jean", and her dentist husband, Stephen (Paul Chapman
Paul Chapman (actor)
Paul Chapman is a British actor who made his acting debut back in 1964 in the TV series Curtain of Fear. He was born in Hampstead, London in 1939 and is the brother of British play-write John Chapman and nephew of actor Edward Chapman Paul Chapman is a British actor who made his acting debut back...
), who once accidentally declined the OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, also make many appearances.
Episodes
The programme ran for nine series from 12 January 1992 to 4 August 2002. Almost all episodes were 30 minutes in duration. The final series episode was followed by an hour-long compilation show on 11 August 2002, and by a two part "Reunion Special" broadcast on 26 and 30 December 2005. The Reunion Specials were the last appearance of Frank MiddlemassFrank Middlemass
Francis George Middlemass was an English actor, who even in his early career played older roles. He is best remembered for his television roles as Rocky Hardcastle in As Time Goes By, Algy Herries in To Serve Them All My Days and Dr. Alex Ferrenby in Heartbeat...
, who played Rocky, before his death in 2006.. Actress Joan Sims
Joan Sims
Joan Sims was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By.-Early life:...
passed away in 2001 and the role of Rocky's wife, Madge Darbley-Hardcastle was not recast; in Series 8 it's mentioned that she's away participating in an Egyptian archaeological dig.
International broadcasts
As Time Goes By has been aired in the United States on BBC AmericaBBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
, and is still currently being run weekly on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(on which it has aired almost continuously since the early 2000s), with various cast members appearing live on air during yearly pledge drive
Pledge drive
A pledge drive is an extended period of fundraising activities, generally used by public broadcasting stations to increase contributions. The term "pledge" originates from the promise a contributor makes to send in funding at regular intervals for a certain amount of time...
s. It has also been broadcast in Canada on BBC Canada
BBC Canada
BBC Canada is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel. It presents programming primarily from the BBC. BBC Canada is a joint venture between Shaw Media and BBC Worldwide.-Programming:Main article: List of programs broadcast by BBC Canada...
and TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
, in Australia on ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
and currently on Seven's Best-of-British-oriented 7TWO
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
. Also in New Zealand on both UK.TV and SKY Network Television
SKY Network Television
Sky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...
, in Finland on YLE TV1
YLE TV1
YLE TV1 is a Finnish television channel owned and operated by Finnish public broadcaster Yleisradio. It is the first and oldest Television channel in Finland. More than 70% of channel's programs are documentaries, news or educative programmes...
and on DSTV
DStv
DStv is MultiChoice's multi-channel digital satellite TV service in Africa, launched in 1995. It operates from two satellites over Africa, broadcasting on Ku band via Eutelsat W7 and Intelsat 7 , which only requires a small satellite dish...
in Nigeria. In Ireland RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
has repeated the series on numerous occasions. As of 2010, it is broadcast by GOLD for viewers in the UK and Ireland. Still shown in Australia on Austar's Pay TV Channel UKTV in 2011.
Radio
As Time Goes By was adapted and recorded for radio. Three series were broadcast on BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
between 1997 and 1999. The first episode included a flashback to Jean and Lionel 38 years before, something that never happened on television. All episodes correspond to a TV episode and featured the original cast, apart from the original actor from the television program (Bretherton) not playing Alistair in Series One - Bretherton did play Alistair in both Series Two and Three. So far, only the first series has been released on BBC Audio Cassette.
Series one (1997)
- "Episode One" (18 March 1997)
- "Episode Two" (25 March 1997)
- "Episode Three" (1 April 1997)
- "Episode Four" (9 April 1997)
- "Episode Five" (16 April 1997)
- "Episode Six" (23 April 1997)
- "Episode Seven" (30 April 1997)
Series two (1998)
- "Episode One" (18 January 1998)
- "We'll Always Have Paris" (25 January 1998)
- "Living Together — But Where?" (1 February 1998)
- "Covering Up" (8 February 1998)
- "Moving In" (15 February 1998)
- "Branching Out" (22 February 1998)
Series three (1999)
- "The Mini Series" (14 February 1999)
- "Dealing With Sally" (21 February 1999)
- "Problems, Problems" (28 February 1999)
- "A House Full of Women" (7 March 1999)
- "Getting Rid of Gwen" (14 March 1999)
- "The Affair" (21 March 1999)
- "The Anniversary Party" (28 March 1999)
DVD releases
The complete series was released in DVD region code 2DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
by Cinema Club, in DVD region code 1 by BBC America and as five sets in DVD region code 4 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
. The reunion special is also available on DVD now, distributed by Acorn Media UK
Acorn Media UK
Acorn Media UK is a DVD publisher which distributes and sells home video products with a particular focus on British television.- Company history :The company was founded in 1997 when Lesley Fromant set up a branch of parent company Acorn Media in the UK....
.
Australian DVD Releases:
- As Time Goes By - Series 1 & 2 (2 Disc Set)
- As Time Goes By - Series 3 & 4 (3 Disc Set) - 10 November 2004
- As Time Goes By - Series 5 & 6 (2 Disc Set) - 7 April 2005
- As Time Goes By - Series 7 & 8 (2 Disc Set) - 6 October 2005
- As Time Goes By - Series 9 - 9 August 2004
- As Time Goes By - Series 1-9: Collectors Edition (11 Disc Box Set) - 6 October 2006
External links
- As Time Goes By at bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
- As Time Goes By at British TV Comedy
- As Times Goes By at British Comedy (with radio episode guide)