This particular episode from BBC’s Landmark Comedy Season comes under the “new episodes of old favourites” heading and was the last of the three episodes featured in this catagory. Goodnight Sweetheart was originally broadcast in 1993.
A late addition to the season Goodnight Sweetheart differs from the other ‘new’ versions (except Mrs Brown’s Boys) in that it is written by the original writers and stars the original cast. Where as in other episodes in the season many of the original cast are no longer with us as indeed are the writers.
Summary
We left Gary Sparrow trapped in war torn 1940’s London, after his time portal closes.
In the new episode we catch up with Gary in 1962. Still married to Phoebe, son Michael has grown up and is now 16. As much as he loves Phebe and Michael he mises his life in 1990’s Britain and muses as to what life would be like now.
On his birthday in 1962, he visits the hospital where his younger self is being born. After meeting his own Father, he manages to persuade him to be there for the birth. The result ends up with his Father passing out. The Nurse passes the newly born Gary to his older self. This results in him being thrown back into the future, also reopening the time portal, which is now in the bathroom of a trendy East London burger joint where Blitz and Pieces used to be.
How time has changed. During his time in the future, he learns that Ron is now living in Yvonne’s basement, that multimillionaire Yvonne is now an investor on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, and that he and Yvonne have a 16-year-old daughter named Ellie. He returns to the past, but decides on living a double life again so that he can get to know his daughter.
Clips
Surprisingly there were no trailers for this except the brief appearence seen in this BBC sitcom season trailer
Catch up for the next 9 days with i player
Cast
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Victor McGuire
Christopher Ettridge
Emma Amos
Elizabeth Carling
Details
Channel: BBC1
Written By: Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran
Original Transmission Date: 2nd September 2016
Extras
This was the one the critics loved and rightly so. It was incredibly well thought out, the time portal in loo, hilarious. Many expect Are You Being served to return as a series, but it seems the popular vote is for Goodnight Sweetheart to return.
We loved it, effortless comedy that shows just how much life has changed in the last 17 years.