One Foot In The Grave

An acerbic anthem for the unwillingly retired

When One Foot in the Grave first shuffled onto BBC One in 1990, it did more than just elicit laughs — it gave voice, in outrageously hilarious fashion, to a generation often ignored by mainstream television: the forcibly retired and involuntarily idle. Crafted with care and subversive wit by writer David Renwick, the series rapidly established itself as a contemporary comedy classic, thanks in no small part to the sublime central performance of Richard Wilson as Victor Meldrew — the very embodiment of grumpy old age in suburban exile.

Victor’s curmudgeonly war against life’s daily absurdities, however trivial or surreal, made him a figure of comic legend. From being unceremoniously replaced by a talking security box to his bizarre run-ins with taxidermists, nudists, and garden gnomes, Meldrew’s ongoing skirmishes with fate struck a chord with audiences who recognised the petty injustices of ageing and retirement. Wilson, a seasoned Scottish character actor, played Victor with simmering disbelief and righteous fury, transforming the phrase "I don’t believe it!" into a national catchphrase that now sits comfortably alongside the great lines of British sitcom history.

Integral to the show’s impact was the relationship between Victor and his long-suffering wife Margaret, played with quiet brilliance by Annette Crosbie. The pair’s chemistry grounded even the most farcical plotlines in emotional truth, presenting a believable portrait of enduring love frayed by the absurdities of everyday life. As Victor endured the indignation of being retired early and, worst of all, of having to put up with irksome neighbours Patrick and Pippa (Angus Deayton and Janine Duvitski), the terminally upbeat Nick Swainey (Owen Brenman), and Margaret’s oblivious friend Jean Warboys (Doreen Mantle) — so the show increased its ability to find humour in the humdrum.

The series, which ran for a full decade, maintained its sharp edge throughout, artfully blending slapstick with satire, and surrealism with soul. Renwick’s scripts never shied away from the darker undercurrents of ageing and mortality, and the show often balanced belly laughs with moments of striking poignancy. Rarely has British sitcom been so adroit at mixing comedy with existential reflection.

Victor’s demise in the final episode, aired on 20 November 2000, was a masterclass in dark comedy. Killed off in a hit-and-run (delivered with an unsettling ambiguity), his death was related entirely in flashback, lending the episode an elegiac tone that pulled no emotional punches. That night, however, marked not only Victor’s end but also a fierce ratings battle — the finale clashed with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which saw its first-ever UK millionaire crowned. Amid accusations of "dirty tricks" from the BBC, Millionaire pulled 13 million viewers to One Foot’s still-impressive 10 million. The next morning, fans gathered at Shawford Railway Station — the site of Victor's fictional death — laying flowers in a touching tribute to a character who had become part of the national psyche.

Though the series is no longer with us, its legacy lives on. The theme song, co-written and sung by Eric Idle, remains instantly recognisable, and the format was even adapted for American audiences with Bill Cosby in the lead — though it failed to recreate the original’s uniquely British blend of melancholy and mirth.

Ultimately, One Foot in the Grave was never just a sitcom — it was a biting, brilliant commentary on the indignities of ageing, and a rare celebration of life’s maddening unpredictability. Victor Meldrew may be gone, but his legacy — and his magnificent, despairing indignation — is immortal.