The Best Night of the Week

I don't watch t.v.

With one exception...

Friday night. The best night of the week. Work is done, two blissful days of freedom loom ahead, and my BBC comedies are on PBS.

Judi Dench is my favorite actress, and she stars in As Times Goes By with Geoffrey Palmer. She was a nurse and he was a soldier during the Korean War. When he left for war, she stayed behind in England and they wrote letters to one another. But one of those letters went astray, and so did their relationship.

Thirty-eight years later, they meet again and their romance is rekindled!

I absolutely adore this show. It's brilliantly written, intelligent, and always makes me feel wonderful after I watch it. Precious few shows have been able to do this, and that's why I reserve Friday nights for this particular show.

But the other BritComs are hilarious, too. There's Keeping Up Appearances with Mrs. Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced "Bouquet") and her hen-picked husband, Richard. One Foot in the Grave features Victor Meldrew, a stubborn, grouchy old codger who never fails to make his wife furious with his antics. Then there's the classic Are You Being Served? that takes place in a department store with Captain Peacock, the floor manager, Mrs. Slocombe with her variously tinted hair-do's, and a whole host of eccentric employees.

I've also been sort of an Anglophile, but I started watching BritComs on my PBS station back in junior high. I love the simplicity of them, the brand of humor, and the acting.

So tonight, I'll indulge in a bit of chocolate, cuddle up on the couch with my daughter (who also loves BritComs, even though she's only five!) and enjoy my shows. Then starting tomorrow, it's back to writing!