May to December is a British sitcom which ran for 39 episodes, from 2 April 1989 to 27 May 1994 on BBC1. The series was written by Paul Mendelson and produced by Cinema Verity. The series was nominated for the BAFTA award for "Best Television Comedy Series" in 1991, but lost out to The New Statesman.
Set in Pinner, London, it revolved around the romance between a widowed solicitor, Alec Callender (played by veteran television actor Anton Rodgers) and a much younger woman, Zoë Angell (played by Eve Matheson in series one and two, and by Lesley Dunlop in series three through six).
The title of the show comes from the Anderson-Weill song "September Song", which is sung during the credits.
The titles of all of the episodes of May to December are taken from songs. Most are from musicals, reflecting Alec and Zoë's mutual interest, but some later ones are hits from the 50s and 60s.
Video May to December
Characters
- Alec Callender - (Anton Rodgers) - a widowed, Scottish solicitor who tries to balance his work, his family and his new romance with a much younger woman, Zoë. Alec idolises Perry Mason, and has a "signed" photo reading "Cheers, Alec, let's crack open a case sometime. Perry." He wishes his cases could be more exciting, like Perry's, but instead the most excitement he sees is the occasional divorce.
- Zoë Angell - (Eve Matheson, series 1-2) & (Lesley Dunlop, series 3-6) - a feisty PE teacher, who divorced her husband after discovering he'd been having an affair. She briefly dated the boys' PE teacher, Roy Morgan Jones, but the relationship is not serious and ends almost as quickly as it began.
- Miles Henty (Clive Francis) - Alec's surviving partner (Semple died years earlier though his name is still on the door) who is a bit of a womaniser even though he is married to a sculptress named Annabelle. He initially encourages Alec to take Zoë out on a date. He is prominent in the first series and often takes Hillary to lunch, among other places.
- Jamie Callender (Paul Venables) - Alec's son, is an easy-going bachelor, who approves of his father's relationship with Zoë. He has a great sense of humour and seldom ever in a bad mood. He's a bit of a free spirit and lightens any scene he is in. He starts as a law student and takes over for Mr. Henty in as Alec's partner after he gets his licence. He is the polar opposite of his sister.
- Simone Callender (Carolyn Pickles) - Alec's daughter. Simone is married to a vicar and has a high moral standard that borders on prudish. She is vehemently opposed to her father's relationship with Zoë, especially when they purchase a house a little too close for comfort to the vicarage, but slowly warms to her over the series.
- Vera Flood - (Frances White) - The senior secretary who comes across as prim and bookish but has secretly written a romance novel using a pseudonym. Her love life isn't as active as the other characters, especially in the beginning, but she eventually marries a man named Gerald Tipple.
- Hillary - (Rebecca Lacey) - the ditzy and scatterbrained junior secretary. She is the exact opposite in every way to Miss Flood from her personality to the way she dresses. She has a long-standing relationship with boyfriend Derek, though she is briefly engaged to Miss Flood's nephew, Anthony. She moves to the Isle of Wight at the end of the fifth series.
- Debbie - (Chrissie Cotterill) - Zoë's sister. While she doesn't completely approve of their relationship, she is more tolerant of it then most of the family. She works in her parents' greengrocery store and has a long term relationship with the much talked about, but never seen Trevor, who works nights. She is primarily Zoë's sounding board.
- Dot Burgess - (Kate Williams) - Zoë's opinionated mother. She has quite a bit in common with Alec and likes him, but doesn't approve of her daughter's relationship with him. She has infrequent appearances. She owns a greengrocer's with Zoë's father Barry (Ronnie Stevens), from whom she later separates briefly before reconciling to the strains of "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White".
- Fleur - (Sophie Louise Collinson) (episode 1), (Natalie Boonarec) (episode 2), and (Charlotte Perry) (episodes 3-6) - Alec and Zoë's daughter who is born in the first episode of the fifth series.
- Rosie - Ashley Jensen - Replaces Hillary. A mad Scotswoman who is always asking: "Hoo's yer juices?"
Maps May to December
Episodes
Series 1
Series 2
Christmas Special
Series 3
Series 4
Series 5
Series 6
DVD release
May to December series one and series two are both available on DVD in the UK, distributed by Acorn Media UK.
References
External links
- May to December on IMDb
- May to December at British Comedy Guide
- Detailed episode guide to May to December at Newton's laws of television
- May to December - UK TV Schedules and Episode Guide
Source of article : Wikipedia
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