Regular Price $79.99

Starring:
Directed By: Simon Cellan Jones,  Graham Evans (II),  Don Leaver, 
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
Format: Box set,  Color,  DVD-Video,  Full Screen,  NTSC, 

Editorial Reviews and DVD Information about A Fine Romance - The Complete Collection

Description
From the vaults of British television comes a comedy gem starring two consummate actors who were also a couple in real life: Dame Judi Dench (Iris, Shakespeare in Love) and her husband Michael Williams (Educating Rita). They play a pair of middle-aged, dating-game dropouts as wary of romance as they are perfect for each other.

Laura, a brainy translator, and Mike, a shy landscape gardener, are introduced by Laura’s glamorous younger sister, who is intent on finding a mate for her spinsterish sibling. Awkward and rumpled, Mike drives an old wreck and fails to impress the prickly Laura. Still, Mike senses an opportunity, if only he can find the courage to pursue it. From this unpromising beginning, the pair lurch and swerve their way to companionship, friendship, and, finally, love. This is a fine, funny, and all-too-real romance. Written by Bob Larbey (As Time Goes By).

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE cast and crew biographies and episode selection.

Amazon.com
As the Jerome Kern-Dorothy Fields standard goes, this is A Fine Romance, a smart and low-key 1981 British series starring Oscar-winning Judi Dench and her real-life husband, Michael Williams, as a mismatched couple. In the first nine episodes, a comedy of errors keeps linguist Laura (currently translating a German textbook on urinary infections) and struggling landscape gardener Michael from hooking up romantically. It is, to again quote the song, a fine romance with no kisses (at least not until episode 6). Like Glenda Jackson, Dench excels at portraying prickly women of fierce intelligence who possess a quick wit and a sharp tongue, and who do not suffer fools. "I don't have any small talk," she complains to her matchmaking sister at a party. "Or any medium talk." Williams has a rumpled Dudley Moore quality as sad-sack Michael, "the odd single chap for the odd single girl." He is, as one character notes, "second division": quiet, nervous, short, and shy. His desperate attempts to find common ground with Laura--witness their ill-fated excursion to an ethnic mask museum exhibit in episode 2--make up much of the humor of these initial episodes.

In the nine episodes that comprise the second season. the mismatched couple moves in together, deal with jealousy, throw an ill-fated dinner party, fret over Mike's struggling business, meet Laura's parents, and in the poignant cliffhanger, contemplate parenthood (she wants a baby, he does not). You don't have to be British to enjoy this intimately observed human comedy (there is nothing like it on American television). But in the case of one episode's running joke, in which Mike is mistaken for some obscure (in this country, at any rate) celebrity, it no doubt helps.

Do Mike and Laura appear to be in shambles in the final eight episodes? Laura is much more sympathetic and vulnerable in these poignant episodes (she won Britain's equivalent of the Emmy) as she contends with Mike's reluctance to become a parent, his new girlfriend, and ultimately, his shouted marriage proposal. A final crisis involving their dream farmhouse seems to be "the final reckoning" for the luckless couple. Not to worry: A Fine Romance ends on a welcome and satisfyingly graceful note. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews for A Fine Romance - The Complete Collection

Oldy but Goody
A Fine Romance - The Complete Collection

I bought this for my wife and she has had hours of enjoyment. Speed of shipment was great!A Fine Romance - The Complete Collection

A fine Romance
As a huge fan of "As Time goes by" I wanted to see Judi Dench in her original sitcom series. This series is delightful and was my first introduction to Judi's real life husband who passed away in 2001. I recommend it to all Judi Dench fans.A Fine Romance - The Complete Collection

Awful Theater
Tums Antacid/Calcium Supplement, Maximum Strength, Assorted Fruit, Tablets, Value Size 160 tablets (Pack of 2)This is a terrible depressing series. It is not a comedy or a farce it is a pathetic attempt to keep 4th tier writers employed! If you watch it long enough you may want to not watch anything at all! It has two speeds, stop and reverse. I like Judy Dench but this really is terrible. Get the ipecac! PBS must have gotten quite a deal on this (free maybe) because they keep showing it in Sacramento... A root canal sans drugs, would be more entertaining and less painful.
Ok. I'm done.A Fine Romance - The Complete Collection

A Fine Romance - more than just Fine
Bob Larby's work in this series as well as in "As Time Goes By" shouldn't be missed. His writing is so gently compelling and delightful. He has such genius for showing sides to his characters that we can all identify with in some way or another. Just brilliant.

Then to have Judi Dench AND Michael Williams filling out his characters in this one...there is just no better combination or magic for a storyline or series. Michael Williams is so wonderful, and Judi Dench is certainly a fabulous common denominator in the magic mix of both series (A.F.R & A.T.G.B) , but in all, Bob Larby's work is just genius when it comes to capturing "people".

Nothing but praise and delight can be found in both "A Fine Romance" and the later "As Time Goes By" series. Don't pass this one up though, you will surely be happy you didn't.A Fine Romance - The Complete Collection

Middle aged awkward romance
A spinster type older sister(Judi Dench) is fixed up with a blind date by her attractive sister with an awkward landscape developer(Michael William her real life husband), who drives an old beat up van that has lawn chairs for the seats and one door that won't open, too funny. They goe thru many trial and tribulations, a great series.A Fine Romance - The Complete Collection