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
8 Reviews
Fields of glory
ShadeGrenade23 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I must admit I was not an admirer of 'Fresh Fields' when it first aired on I.T.V. in the mid-Eighties. In fact my nickname for the show then was 'Stale Meadows'! The main problem for me was that it went out at a time when alternative comedy shows such as 'The Young Ones' and 'Saturday Live' were considered the in-things to watch for young people ( which I was then ). Now that I'm middle-aged myself, I can watch and laugh and not feel guilty for doing so. I still dislike the theme tune and opening credits though. The show was about a happily married couple: accountant 'William Fields' ( the late Anton Rodgers ) and 'Hester' ( Julia McKenzie ). He is a pleasant, easy-going chap while she is facing a mid-life crisis and taking up one new hobby after one another, often with disastrous results. When she went to a gym in one episode, for instance, she was so worn out by the experience she had to be helped out of the building by friends. Other episodes had her taking part in a stage musical, cookery contests, art classes, and so on.
Rodgers had an undeniable flair for comedy ( he stood in for Peter Sellers in the film 'Rotten To The Core' in 1965 ) that was put to good use here, while McKenzie had experience of sitcoms with 'Maggie & Her' and 'That Beryl Marsden'. The pair gelled perfectly in 'Fresh Fields'. The show bore a strong resemblance to the B.B.C.'s 'Happy Ever After ( later adapted into 'Terry & June' ) which starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield and was partly written by John Chapman, the creator of 'French Fields'. The main difference was that here the woman was the over-enthusiastic one. Supporting characters included 'Nancy Penrose' ( Fanny Rowe ) who lived in a granny flat close to her daughter, her estranged husband 'Guy' ( the wonderful Ballard Berkeley ), and the Fields' dippy neighbour 'Sonia' ( the lovely Ann Beach ), who had a habit of barging into their kitchen at inopportune moments. The Fields' daughter was 'Emma' ( Debby Cumming ), whom never appeared on screen and was heard only talking to her mother on the phone. Plots usually revolved around Hester's latest hobby or William's problems at work. It was cosy, middle-of-the-road stuff, and that led to it being savaged in some quarters, most notably from critic Nina 'Queen Of The Box' Myskow, who said it was 'so middle-of-the-road as to be a load of old bollards!'. Nevertheless, it notched up four seasons from 1984 - 86 and earned Anton Rodgers a T.V. Times Award ( which they do not give out any more ) for 'Funniest Man On Television'! In 1989, the Fields moved to France and the show continued ( minus Guy and Nancy - Rowe and Berkeley both died in 1988 - and Sonia ) under the title 'French Fields'.
Rodgers had an undeniable flair for comedy ( he stood in for Peter Sellers in the film 'Rotten To The Core' in 1965 ) that was put to good use here, while McKenzie had experience of sitcoms with 'Maggie & Her' and 'That Beryl Marsden'. The pair gelled perfectly in 'Fresh Fields'. The show bore a strong resemblance to the B.B.C.'s 'Happy Ever After ( later adapted into 'Terry & June' ) which starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield and was partly written by John Chapman, the creator of 'French Fields'. The main difference was that here the woman was the over-enthusiastic one. Supporting characters included 'Nancy Penrose' ( Fanny Rowe ) who lived in a granny flat close to her daughter, her estranged husband 'Guy' ( the wonderful Ballard Berkeley ), and the Fields' dippy neighbour 'Sonia' ( the lovely Ann Beach ), who had a habit of barging into their kitchen at inopportune moments. The Fields' daughter was 'Emma' ( Debby Cumming ), whom never appeared on screen and was heard only talking to her mother on the phone. Plots usually revolved around Hester's latest hobby or William's problems at work. It was cosy, middle-of-the-road stuff, and that led to it being savaged in some quarters, most notably from critic Nina 'Queen Of The Box' Myskow, who said it was 'so middle-of-the-road as to be a load of old bollards!'. Nevertheless, it notched up four seasons from 1984 - 86 and earned Anton Rodgers a T.V. Times Award ( which they do not give out any more ) for 'Funniest Man On Television'! In 1989, the Fields moved to France and the show continued ( minus Guy and Nancy - Rowe and Berkeley both died in 1988 - and Sonia ) under the title 'French Fields'.
Just watching again
marktayloruk18 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Really enjoying it. One of those things that makes one suspect that life might be worth living! Really liked Sonia, too - taught me meaning of "a gleam in her eye."
Made me feel bit wistful- why couldn't my life have been like that?
a cute funny warm Brit-com
timmauk12 January 2001
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!
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!
Pedestrian at best
sts-2622 February 2009
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.
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.
''It's only Sonia!''
Rabical-9117 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
'Fresh Fields' is all about married couple Hester and William Fields - he a laid back slippers and newspaper type ( who works as an accountant ) who is happy with his lot and her an over-enthusiastic housewife who jumps from one hobby to the next ( in a bid to fight against her empty nest syndrome as her daughter Emma, who is never seen but heard frequently on the telephone, has left home ).
Living next door to them is Sonia ( the late Ann Beach ), who barges into the Fields' home at the worst possible moments to borrow something, always announcing her presence with ''It's only Sonia!''. Also living at the bottom of the garden in a granny flat is Hester's mother Nancy ( Fanny Rowe ) who is divorced from Hester's lecherous father Guy ( played wonderfully by the late Ballard Berkeley, best remembered as the senile Major Gowen from 'Fawlty Towers' ).
'Fresh Fields' was overall twee, sickly and unreal. It was written by John Chapman, who earlier worked on the BBC's 'Happy Ever After' ( which starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield ). It is not dissimilar to the earlier show, with Julia McKenzie's Hester inheriting some of Terry Scott's traits, such as trying out new things, often with disastrous results.
'Fresh Fields' ended in 1986 after four series, though was back three years later, this time titled 'French Fields' when the Fields' upped sticks and moved to France, though Guy and Nancy did not appear as both Rowe and Berkeley died in 1988, though Sonia made a guest appearance in the final episode. Of all the cast, only Julia McKenzie survives. Anton Rodgers died in 2007 aged 74 while Ann Beach died last month aged 78.
Living next door to them is Sonia ( the late Ann Beach ), who barges into the Fields' home at the worst possible moments to borrow something, always announcing her presence with ''It's only Sonia!''. Also living at the bottom of the garden in a granny flat is Hester's mother Nancy ( Fanny Rowe ) who is divorced from Hester's lecherous father Guy ( played wonderfully by the late Ballard Berkeley, best remembered as the senile Major Gowen from 'Fawlty Towers' ).
'Fresh Fields' was overall twee, sickly and unreal. It was written by John Chapman, who earlier worked on the BBC's 'Happy Ever After' ( which starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield ). It is not dissimilar to the earlier show, with Julia McKenzie's Hester inheriting some of Terry Scott's traits, such as trying out new things, often with disastrous results.
'Fresh Fields' ended in 1986 after four series, though was back three years later, this time titled 'French Fields' when the Fields' upped sticks and moved to France, though Guy and Nancy did not appear as both Rowe and Berkeley died in 1988, though Sonia made a guest appearance in the final episode. Of all the cast, only Julia McKenzie survives. Anton Rodgers died in 2007 aged 74 while Ann Beach died last month aged 78.
An Awful Title but a Quality Show!
Sylviastel3 July 2006
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.
It's SO British!
malpasc-391-91538018 June 2021
We Brits, particularly in the 80s and earlier 90s produced a lot of this kind of sitcom - middle class and cosy. We don't do it so much now.
I vaguely remember this during its original run. I was a child so it wasn't really something I watched, more that my parents would be watching it and I would happen to be in the same room.
The setup is fairly straightforward - Julia Mackenzie plays Hester and Anton Rodgers plays William. They're a middle aged, middle class couple of 'empty nesters' living in a very middle class part of London. She is bored and he wants to relax. Much of the comedy comes from Hester's taking up of various hobbies - painting, keep fit, DIY etc. Whilst William just wants a quiet life. Of course this ends up with mild conflict and disaster - comedy and chaos ensues.
Alongside this there are supporting characters - the 'nutty neighbour' Sonya who barges into their kitchen uninvited and announces "It's only Sonya" every time which is met by rapturous laughter and applause from the studio audience. There's also Hester's estranged parents who also provide yet more of the clichéd comedy.. The acting is very "studio-based sitcom" with lines delivered between laughter and applause from the audience. French & Saunders once parodied these kinds of cosy domestic sitcoms with perfect accuracy. This isn't to say the show doesn't have its charms - it is warm and mildly funny, but it is so utterly cosy, safe and British as to be almost a parody itself. It isn't to say the cast aren't talented, because they are all very talented performers.
It's not a bad sitcom if you compare it to others of almost the exact same style and premise. In fact it's one of the better examples of this genre. Worth a look but don't expect any surprises. You can see the jokes a mile off, but will find yourself raising the odd smile.
I vaguely remember this during its original run. I was a child so it wasn't really something I watched, more that my parents would be watching it and I would happen to be in the same room.
The setup is fairly straightforward - Julia Mackenzie plays Hester and Anton Rodgers plays William. They're a middle aged, middle class couple of 'empty nesters' living in a very middle class part of London. She is bored and he wants to relax. Much of the comedy comes from Hester's taking up of various hobbies - painting, keep fit, DIY etc. Whilst William just wants a quiet life. Of course this ends up with mild conflict and disaster - comedy and chaos ensues.
Alongside this there are supporting characters - the 'nutty neighbour' Sonya who barges into their kitchen uninvited and announces "It's only Sonya" every time which is met by rapturous laughter and applause from the studio audience. There's also Hester's estranged parents who also provide yet more of the clichéd comedy.. The acting is very "studio-based sitcom" with lines delivered between laughter and applause from the audience. French & Saunders once parodied these kinds of cosy domestic sitcoms with perfect accuracy. This isn't to say the show doesn't have its charms - it is warm and mildly funny, but it is so utterly cosy, safe and British as to be almost a parody itself. It isn't to say the cast aren't talented, because they are all very talented performers.
It's not a bad sitcom if you compare it to others of almost the exact same style and premise. In fact it's one of the better examples of this genre. Worth a look but don't expect any surprises. You can see the jokes a mile off, but will find yourself raising the odd smile.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
