25-398: The Mistress can refer to: Film and television [ edit ] The Mistress (TV series) , a British sitcom The Mistress (1927 film) , a silent German film The Mistress (1962 film) , a 1962 Swedish film The Mistress (2012 film) , a 2012 Filipino film Doctor Who characters [ edit ] Missy (Doctor Who) ,
50-414: A Christmas special called The Funny Side of Christmas on BBC1 on 27 December 1982. The family are happy for a seasonal excuse to avoid eating Ria's food. She reveals to Adam privately that Leonard has gone to New York, but he is instead outside in his car, until Thomas reminds him that his former wife is waiting for him at home. Leonard calls Ria on the home phone and Adam answers. Asking for Ria, Leonard
75-415: A bittersweet style. There are traditional comedy themes (such as Ria's terrible cooking, and various family squabbles) as well as other more serious themes such as Ria's unconsummated relationship with the outwardly-successful Leonard. Ria is still in love with her husband, Ben, and has raised two teenage sons, yet finds herself unhappy and dissatisfied with her life and in need of something more. Throughout
100-459: A boxset in Region 2 (UK) on 10 March 2014. Butterflies (TV series) Butterflies is a British sitcom written by Carla Lane that aired in the 9 pm timeslot on BBC2 from 10 November 1978 to 19 October 1983, with each series repeated on BBC1 a few months after the original transmissions. The subject, the day-to-day life of the comfortable middle-class Parkinson family, is treated in
125-458: A comfortable lifestyle, supported by one breadwinner in the household at a time in British history when 'stay-at-home' housewives were becoming less common. Ria's disastrous attempts at cooking are a recurring gag. The Parkinsons have two teenaged sons, both of driving age (at least 17 years of age under UK law in 1978) and unemployed (in 1978, youth unemployment was increasing). Their younger son Adam
150-575: A female incarnation of the Master character in Doctor Who The Mistress, a depiction of Romana II in a series of Doctor Who audioplays Other uses [ edit ] "The Mistress", a song by Charlotte Church from Two "The Mistress", track by Jesper Kyd from the 2018 Indian film Tumbbad See also [ edit ] Mistress (disambiguation) All pages with titles beginning with The Mistress Topics referred to by
175-413: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages The Mistress (TV series) The Mistress is a British sitcom that first aired on BBC2 from 1985 to 1987. Starring Felicity Kendal and Jane Asher , it was written by Carla Lane . The Mistress features Kendal playing Maxine, a young florist, who is having an affair with a married man. It
200-644: Is played by Nicholas Lyndhurst , and their elder son Russell by Andrew Hall . Throughout all four series, there is a continuing subplot running in tandem with the main storyline, tracking the difficulties faced by young adolescent men coming of age in the UK at a time when there were relatively few employment opportunities. Both of the Parkinson sons are seen making fun of their father's traditional post-war reserved British attitude, whilst also facing their own issues such as unemployment, girlfriend troubles, cannabis use against
225-511: Is pregnant. Similar to Carla Lane's other sitcoms, including Butterflies and Solo (which also starred Felicity Kendal), The Mistress has a serious theme – here, that of an affair. The series was produced and directed by Gareth Gwenlan . The Mistress was filmed in Bath, Somerset , the florist shop being in Abbey Green, Bath and Maxine's house location at 26 St Mark's Road, Bath. After
250-552: Is told that Ria is kissing Ben under the mistletoe. When Ria gets to the phone, Leonard hears her voice and hangs up without speaking. In November 2000, the cast (except for Michael Ripper who had recently died) reunited for a 13-minute episode in aid of Children in Need . The premise is Ria's 60th birthday and the lack of change to her situation. Her son Adam is married and has a primary-school-aged daughter named Sophie. Russell however, has no interest in settling down. An American remake
275-487: The Parkinson's house at 30 Bournside Road was, in fact, the rear of the catering block of the then North Gloucestershire College of Technology in The Park, Cheltenham, and is now a housing estate. Some external shots were filmed outside Cheltenham and surrounds; the railway station in "An attractive visitor" was Moreton-in-Marsh . The series comprises twenty-eight episodes. An eight-and-a-half-minute sketch aired as part of
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#1732844076661300-512: The Parkinsons' cleaner, Ruby ( Joyce Windsor ), who often lends Ria an ear. The Butterflies theme song, " Love Is Like a Butterfly ", is a 1974 single written and originally recorded by American country music artist Dolly Parton . The cover version used at the opening of each episode was recorded for the series by Clare Torry , with a band conducted by BBC TV composer Ronnie Hazlehurst . The Adagio in G minor attributed to Tomaso Albinoni
325-403: The covers. In the final episode, Luke effectively admits to Helen that he has had an affair but it is over, and they both say they do not want to get a divorce. Maxine and Luke angrily return each other's gifts, but ultimately admit that they are still in love. The programme and the series ends with Maxine on the phone telling her shop assistant and friend Jamie that the affair is over, and that she
350-400: The few lucky ones, I have a pleasant house, a pleasant man and two pleasant sons. My butterfly didn't get squashed." Ria's husband Ben collects and studies butterflies. The show stars Wendy Craig as Ria Parkinson, a frustrated 'stay-at-home' housewife , and Geoffrey Palmer as her reserved and hard-working dentist husband, Ben, who is also an amateur lepidopterist . Ria's early dialogue in
375-407: The first series suggests her age as early 40s, whereas her husband, Ben, describes himself as "the wrong side of 45". Ben is a typically traditional, conservative white-collar professional, ill-at-ease with his sons' lack of work ethic and carefree, rebellious attitudes whilst remaining unaware of his wife's impending midlife crisis . They have been married for 19 years and are depicted as having
400-580: The lukewarm response to Series 1 over the subject matter, Series 2 was no more successful, and the series was axed after Series 2, which ended with a significant plot development. The sitcom, which had never been reshown previously, was aired on BBC Four in January, February and March 2023. The Mistress aired for two series, each of six 30 minute episodes, from 17 January 1985 to 26 February 1987. The episodes were originally shown at 9.00pm on Thursdays on BBC2. The two series of The Mistress were released in
425-1113: The prosperous town of Cheltenham , Gloucestershire . (Ben refers to this in the final episode, "Loose Ends." Although the Parkinsons live in Jade Road, this is a fictitious address, actually filmed at 30 Bournside Road). Many of the exterior scenes were filmed in Cheltenham, including the High Street, Montpellier and Hatherley Park. Exterior shots for the Parkinson house were filmed at 30 Bournside Road in Up Hatherley , Cheltenham. Locations included properties along Bournside Road, Lansdown Road and Christchurch Road in Cheltenham, and that town's Hatherley Park, Pittville Park, Imperial Gardens and Neptune's Fountain; High Street; The Promenade, Montpellier; Peter's Bar, 23 Montpellier Walk, which later became J.J. O'Neill's; and Presto supermarket , Grosvenor Terrace, which later became Bannatyne's Health and Fitness. The apparent office block that could often be seen behind
450-421: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title The Mistress . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Mistress&oldid=1250164031 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
475-429: The second series, Helen begins to suspect that Luke is having an affair, but when she tells him he neither admits it nor denies it. Helen moves out to stay with her sister. In the penultimate episode, Helen returns home and they share their bed. Maxine has a drunken escapade with a young man she meets in a cafe and they spend the night sharing her bed, but the young man is only seen next morning still fully dressed and above
500-510: The series, Ria searches for that "something more", and finds some solace in her unconventional friendship with Leonard. In a 2002 interview, Carla Lane explained, "I wanted to write a comedy about a woman seriously contemplating adultery ." In the first episode, an expository discussion between Ria and Leonard alludes to the significance of the series' title: "We are all kids chasing butterflies. You see it, you want it, you grab it, and there it is, all squashed in your hand." She adds, "I am one of
525-404: The viewer as a virtual image (almost like a thought bubble in a cartoon ) as she walks through the park. He later turns out to be real. The Adagio is used as a "filler" for the lack of script. The Parkinsons' address is confirmed as 11 Jade Road in the season 3 episode "Gimme Shelter". However, this had changed to 27 Jade Road by the season 4 episode "Cleaning Windows". Butterflies is set in
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#1732844076661550-400: The wishes of their horrified father, and teenage pregnancy , when Russell fathers a child with his on-off girlfriend. Bruce Montague plays Ria's friend Leonard, a successful businessman aged 44, whose wife has recently left him; he, like Ria, is approaching a midlife crisis. The show also featured two recurring minor characters: Leonard's chauffeur and confidant Thomas ( Michael Ripper ) and
575-498: Was disliked by some viewers, who were unhappy at seeing Felicity Kendal (best known as Barbara Good in The Good Life ) playing a woman having an affair with someone else's husband. Maxine is the owner of a florist shop and is having an affair with married man Luke. His wife Helen is unaware of the affair. While Maxine occasionally feels guilty and insecure about the affair, she is a generally optimistic and happy person. In
600-507: Was piloted but never commissioned. NBC broadcast the pilot in August 1979, with little change to the original scripting. It starred Jennifer Warren as Ria Parkinson and John McMartin as her husband, Ben Parkinson. Film actor Jim Hutton was featured as Leonard Dean in this version. It was Hutton's final acting job. He died suddenly from liver cancer at the age of 45 in June 1979, several weeks before
625-403: Was used as interlude music in most of the episodes where Ria is reflecting on her dilemma, and walking through a park on her own. It is a bittersweet twist on two partners, once very much in love, whose marriage is actually breaking down, but this is not recognised by the husband who is totally engrossed in his work and profession. Ria starts a romance with another man, which is initially seen by
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