Fresh Fields

Fresh Fields is a British television sitcom starring Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers. A ratings success at the time, it was written by John Chapman and produced by Thames Television for ITV, running for four series between 7 March 1984 and 23 October 1986.

This article is about the British sitcom. For the American national grocery store chain owned by Whole Foods, see Whole Foods Market. For the 1933 play, see Fresh Fields (play).

Fresh Fields
GenreSitcom
Written byJohn Chapman
Directed byPeter Frazer-Jones
StarringJulia McKenzie
Anton Rodgers
Ann Beach
Fanny Rowe
Ballard Berkeley
Debby Cumming
Daphne Oxenford
Philip Bird
John Arthur
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original language(s)English
No. of series4
No. of episodes27 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)Peter Frazer-Jones
Running time30 minutes
(including commercials)
Production company(s)Thames Television
DistributorFremantle
Release
Original networkITV
Original release7 March 1984 (1984-03-07) –
23 October 1986 (1986-10-23)
Chronology
Followed byFrench Fields

Premise and series history

Hester and William Fields (McKenzie and Rodgers) are a devoted middle-aged, middle-class couple living an idyllic suburban lifestyle in Barnes, London. William works as an accountant while Hester is a housewife who works part-time in local restaurant Lucy's Kitchen. The title's meaning, and crux of the show, is that Hester combats empty-nest syndrome by livening up her life with new interests and hobbies, to the exasperation of her hard-working husband who just wants a quiet life.[1] The show's opening credits, featuring silhouettes of the characters, reflect this: Hester rides an exercise bike and plays a drumkit while William relaxes in a rocking chair.

The family home has an attached granny flat in which Hester's mother Nancy (Fanny Rowe) lives following her divorce from Hester's roguish father Guy (Ballard Berkeley); he often tries to win her back. (The pair finally remarry in the last episode.) Hester and William have two children of their own: the never-seen Tom who lives in New Zealand; and Emma, who is usually only heard (voice of Debby Cummings) telephoning her parents at inconvenient times. Emma's husband Peter (Philip Bird) appears occasionally; Emma and Peter later present the Fields with their first grandchild Guy, named after his great-grandfather.

The Fields's neighbour Sonia Barrett (played by Ann Beach) pops round in every episode to borrow items; these appearances would irritate William to comical effect. Sonia had the show's only catchphrase: "It's only Sonia!" she carols as she raps at the Fields's back door then lets herself in. Sonia's husband John (John Arthur) appears occasionally, as does William's secretary Miss Marigold Denham (Daphne Oxenford).

Fresh Fields ended in 1986 but three years later the series resumed as French Fields, which saw William and Hester relocating to France after William accepted a job there. There were three series of 19 episodes made between 5 September 1989 and 8 October 1991, all written by John T. Chapman and Ian Davidson. Philip Bird appears as Peter in several episodes, with Emma finally seen on-screen, now played by Sally Baxter. Ann Beach makes a guest appearance as Sonia in the final episode.

Filming locations

The show's main filming location was the Fields's salubrious Victorian detached home, which is actually situated in Teddington on the A313, Hampton Road, a short drive from what was Thames TV's main studio complex, where the indoor scenes were shot.

Cast and characters
Name of character Portrayed by Duration
Hester Fields Julia McKenzie Series 1–4, all episodes (27)
William Fields Anton Rogers Series 1–4, all episodes (27)
Sonia Barrett Ann Beach Series 1–4, 26 episodes
Nancy Penrose Fanny Rowe Series 1–4, 26 episodes
Emma Fields Debby Cumming Series 1–4, 13 episodes (voice only)
Guy Penrose Ballard Berkeley Series 1–4, 10 episodes
Miss Denham Daphne Oxenford Series 2–4, 6 episodes
John Barrett John Arthur Series 3–4, 5 episodes
Peter Richardson Philip Bird Series 1, 2 and 4, 5 episodes
Ms Turner Charlotte Barker Series 2 and 3, 3 episodes
Henry Richardson Eric Dodson Series 2 and 4, 2 episodes
Margaret Richardson Margaret Courtenay Series 2 and 4, 2 episodes
Mrs Fielder Zulema Dene Series 3 and 4, 2 episodes
Miss Henshaw Geraldine Gardner Series 2 and 4, 2 episodes

Episodes
Main article: List of Fresh Fields episodes
Series Episodes First aired Last aired
1 6 7 March 1984 (1984-03-07) 11 April 1984 (1984-04-11)
2 6 5 September 1984 (1984-09-05) 10 October 1984 (1984-10-10)
3 6 4 September 1985 (1985-09-04) 9 October 1985 (1985-10-09)
Special 1 25 December 1985 (1985-12-25)
4 8 4 September 1986 (1986-09-04) 23 October 1986 (1986-10-23)

DVD releases

All four series of Fresh Fields have been released on DVD, A 7-disc set (containing both the series and sequel title) was released in 2011.

DVDRelease date
The Complete Series 1
12 April 2010
The Complete Series 2
23 August 2010
The Complete Series 3
21 February 2011
The Complete Series 4
16 May 2011
The Complete Series 1 to 4 Box Set
24 October 2011

References
  1. Series 1, episode 5, stated by Hester
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