I guess it never ends being a parent. Children may move away and never look back or care for their parents, but turning away your child standing at your doorstep is not something that we see a lot. But should that love deprive you of finding happiness again? Edit and Phil must find out a way in Hold the Sunset TV series on BBC One starting in February.
Hold the Sunset TV Series Cast
The new Sunday night comedy premieres on BBC One on 17th February with a six episode first season and explores the problems seniors face when children return in the sunset years.
Hold The Sunset (2018)
Cast: Alison Steadman, John Cleese, Jason Watkins, Anne Reid
Network: BBC One
Air Date: 17 February 2018, 7.30 PM
Hold the Sunset TV Series Plot
Hold the Sunset TV series plot revolves around Edith and Phil as they make retirement plans. For Edith (Alison Steadman), life is pretty good. She’s been a widow for some years now, but her children live locally and drop by regularly, and she enjoys daily visits from Phil (John Cleese), an old boyfriend who now lives across the road.
Phil dreams of marrying Edith, and the pair of them upping sticks and moving abroad to the sunshine. But after months of turning him down, on the happy day Edith finally says ‘yes’, there’s a knock on the door – and there on the step, with a large suitcase, is her 50 year old son Roger (Jason Watkins).
He announces that he’s left his wife, his kids and his good job at the bank, and come home in an attempt to find his lost happiness again. And in a blink, to Edith’s dismay and Phil’s fury, all dreams are on hold.
Hold the Sunset TV Series Trailer
Watch this trailer of Hold the Sunset TV Series and tell us if you like this new comedy.
Hold the Sunset TV Series Review
Hold the Sunset comes across as a typical British Comedy. Whether it is John Cleese as Phil or childish Jason Watkins as Roger, the series has got the characters just right.
Compared to recent comedy series like The Bliss, Hold the Sunset is engaging and funny enough to draw you into Wendy and Roger’s fight and you can’t help but feel Phil and Edith’s pain, who are the real stars of the show here.
BBC comedies are sometimes hard to get. Other than classics like Blandings, I sometimes find it hard to find humor in BBC serials. Hold the Sunset though is pretty easy on those of us weaned on American TV series.
Phil and Edith are two neighbors who have been friends for a long time. Their spouses are gone and so are the children. They dream of retiring to a warm climate, a place abroad where they can relax and share the sunset. Phil proposes and Edith accepts, but the fly in the ointment appears in the form of Roger, Edith’s son. He has abandoned his own wife and kids and come to live with Mummy.
Roger’s childish behavior is cringe worthy at times. His wife Wendy is a hyper character who keeps dropping by Edith’s house to complain about Roger.
The series could be called slow paced. What I like most is the understanding between Phil and Edith. Phil keeps his cool even when his grand plans are disrupted and tries to show Edith a good time. Edith panders to her son a lot, but her feelings for Phil are strong and true. When Phil tries to steal a few special moments, Edith goes along with him.
My favorite scene is the couple enjoying a walk on a beach when Roger throws a party back home that gets out of hand. When the maid calls them, Phil tries to keep the drama from Edith. She responds with ‘It can wait till Monday.’
I don’t know if Hold the Sunset is a good comedy or not. It’s a good change of pace and it’s sweet. I’ll take that after an overload of crime dramas anytime.
Hold the Sunset TV Series Episodes
Take a quick peek inside or catch up with what’s happening in Edith’s love life with our Hold the Sunset TV Series episode guide.
Episode One
Edith’s dreams of retirement to the sun with her long-term suitor Phil are shattered when her 50 year old son Roger arrives home, seeking to recapture the happiness of his boyhood.
Episode Two
Phil and Roger make rival attempts to impress Edith on her 70th birthday. Roger’s bright idea is to dig up Queenie, Edith’s chaotic former cleaner, but Edith is far from pleased.
Episode Three
Queenie appoints herself marriage counsellor to Roger and Wendy, and Edith and Phil decide it’s the right moment to take a weekend break. While the cats are away…
Episode Four
As tensions grow between Roger and Wendy, a midnight break-in brings Edith face to face with a ghost from her past. How can she explain the raffish Bob (James Cosmo) to Phil?
Episode Five
Bob gives Roger the idea of applying to be a paid carer for Edith. Trouble is, Edith is perfectly well, so who can Roger persuade to stand in for her?
Episode Six
Phil is worried that Edith’s old flame Bob may be gaining ground, and that his own one-time floozy Desiree (Shobna Gulati) may put in an unwelcome appearance.
Leave a Reply