First broadcast: 1981
Stars: Judi Dench, Michael Williams, Susan Penhaligon
Writer: Bob Larbey
The lowdown: Real-life husband and wife duo Judi Dench and Michael Williams star in this charming 1980s drama as a couple of middle-class, middle-aged singletons who embark on an awkward romance after being paired up by friends. Dench plays translator Laura Dalton, who is sent into a flap when placed in any kind of social situation, while Williams is shy landscape gardener Mike Selway who doesn't say much. Despite their inability to communicate with each other, can Laura and Mike get it together for long enough to show the other their true feelings?
Memorable moments: The success of the show's gentle humour was largely down to the calibre of the cast and the writer's subtle, observational scripts. For example, the simple storyline involving Mike trying to woo Laura over a meal, while she tries to trace her lost contact lens.
Trivia: Judi Dench sang the theme tune to the show, a version of the 1930s song A Fine Romance, originally penned for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
The series was nominated for nine TV BAFTAs, with Dench's performance winning her two in 1982 and 1985.
The show was re-made in the US for a one-off TV pilot in 1983, with Dench's part played by Julie Kavner, who is best known for providing the voice of Marge in The Simpsons.
