Now Showing - "A Fine Romance: First Meeting"

The husband and wife team of Michael Williams and Judi Dench were already well-respected actors when they decided to undertake Bob Larbey's sitcom A Fine Romance in 1981; it would prove a wise choice, as the 26 episodes over four series would eventually garner nine BAFTA award nominations and win two, for Dench's performance, in 1982 and 1985.



Concerning a very different kind of star-crossed lovers than Williams and Dench had been classically trained to portray, A Fine Romance handles the entirely modern subject of social ineptitude amongst the middle-aged with a typically British elan; acting as ideal foils for Laura (Dench) and Mike (Williams) are Laura's sister Helen (Susan Penhaligon) and brother-in-law Phil (Richard Warwick), whose own seemingly perfect marriage fuels much of Laura's insecurity...



This episode of A Fine Romance - which, appropriately enough, was the pilot - is posted here today in memory of Michael Williams, who died on this day in 2001.  In addition to various stage and screen collaborations, their 30 year marriage produced a daughter, known as Finty Williams; Williams also has a son named Sam.
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