All About "One Foot in the Grave"

"One thing you can be sure about in life: just when you think that things are never, ever going to get better, they suddenly get worse." (Victor' s worldview; Episode 4:6)

One Foot in the Grave centres around the life and bizarre and random misfortunes of Victor Meldrew, a perpetually grumpy early-retired man with an extremely short fuse and little sense of tact or diplomacy, who argues and falls out with almost everybody he comes into contact with, spends the vast majority of his time moaning, and making the world, as he would see it, a just and fairer place. In many respects, this involves plotting revenge on his antagonists.

His wife Margaret suffers incessantly with the life of Victor, often living in regret of over thirty years of marriage despite their having a deep love that goes beyond the catastrophes life throws at them. Margret's bumbling and also outstandingly accident-prone drama-queen friend, Jean, adds great entertainment value, even though Victor can't stand her and all of her good intentions.

The Meldrews' next-door neighbours consist of the ever-excitable and Freudian "S-mother" victim Nick who Victor views with great suspicion (because no-one's ever met "mother"), and Patrick and Pippa who don't quite know what to make of Victor because they always seem to come across the most odd of experiences at the Meldrews' whenever they drop by or look out of their window! Understandably, their impression of him is unfavourable!

Two unique strengths of the programme (characters and outstandingly fantastic bizarre situations aside) are the occasional moments of soliloquy when viewers are allowed the opportunity to explore Victor's complexities a little deeper; and the few but well-presented moments of melancholy when the characters suffer misfortune and/or reflect upon the deeper issues of life; yet the true category of situation comedy is retained as these occasions are quickly contrasted by another hilarious situation. The range of misfortunes which Victor and co. encounter, are quite extraordinary and keep the viewer well gripped and entertained!