Sebastian (sts-26)
I never got this show. It has a tinny quality to it, and seemed to belong to the previous decade, fitting in better with such Britcoms as Father Dear Father and The Many Wives of Patrick, than with 80's fare like The Young Ones And the Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. Perhaps this was because the subject matter and main characters seemed so out of place for the time.Fresh Fields was about rather conventional forty-somethings at a time when the lives of the young and unconventional were being portrayed. At about this time there were, had been, enough Britcoms about the older generation (The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Butterflies, A Fine Romance) but they always had a very unique spin to them. Hester Fields was a cookie-cutter kooky housewife, with a long-suffering husband and a scolding child or two, and the episode plots were variations on the kind found in old and middling American sitcoms.Boring.
stafdj
I just want to say that I agree with the previous viewers where I clicked "yes" to what they said. We never seem to get good old BBC comedies on Aussie TV anymore and there's a large audience of 70 and 80 year old who love them. Anyway at least more and more are appearing on DVD - hope I can live long enough to see them all. From the 1960s to the 1980s was the best for British comedy as far as I'm concerned. Loved Anton in May to December - it was a very touching show. First saw Julia McKenzie in Blott on the Landscape and have watched her in everything that's come our way. Cheers from "downunder" Jessie in Sydney, Australia
Syl
Anton Rodgers is better known to me for his role on the other British comedy, "May to December." On this show, he plays alongside the amazing Julia McKenzie, a well known British musical actress. The pairing of them as a couple with an empty nest syndrome. Rodgers plays William, the beloved husband to Hester played very well by Julia McKenzie. The other cast members include Hester's mother who lives just across the driveway and her friend Sonia played by Ann Beach. Anyway, I only caught glimpses of this show the first time around but NJN has brought Fresh Fields which is also the name of a supermarket chain and a legal firm on Fleet Street in London, England. With the kids grown and gone, Hester is left to fend for herself and keeps busy by jogging, joining the local community center and pottery classes, and cooking French food. Anyway, I recommend Fresh Fields because it is a well done show for mature audiences who love British comedy. Somebody compared Julia to Lucille Ball and I couldn't agree more. She has a wonderful singing voice as well and a good comedic voice too.
timmauk
From the first moment I watched this, I knew it would be another classic British comedy. What a joy it must be to watch British TV. Even if you have to pay to have a telly!It is the story of an older couple, Hester and William Fields, who are still very much in love with one another. Hester is always out to prove that she isn't old enough to sit in a rocker. She is out jogging, running, taking classes, working as a cook, anything that tickles her fancy. William is a man who works hard to make a good life for the both of them and their future. Their crazy neighbor Sonja is always barging into their home("It's only Sonja!") at the most inopportune moments. Not helping matters is Hester's whining mother Nancy("It's not my place to say anything BUT....) who lives in the garage apartment in their backyard.It is cute and funny, especially if you are in a relationship because you can relate to what goes on. Even when they moved the show to France (calling it French Fields) it was still humorous. If you get a chance to watch it, please do. You won't be disappointed!
