French Fields

French Fields is a British television sitcom. It is a sequel/continuation of the series Fresh Fields and ran for 19 episodes from 5 September 1989 to 8 October 1991. It was written by John T. Chapman (who created and wrote all the episodes of Fresh Fields) and Ian Davidson and was produced by Thames Television for ITV.

French Fields
Created byJohn T. Chapman
Ian Davidson
StarringJulia McKenzie
Anton Rodgers
Pamela Salem
Karen Ascoe
Victoria Baker
Sally Baxter
Philip Bird
Nicholas Courtney
Olivia Courtney
Liz Crowther
Robin Kermode
Valerie Lush
Philip McGough
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes19 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time30 minutes
(including commercials)
Production companyThames Television
DistributorFremantle
Release
Original networkITV
Original release5 September 1989 (1989-09-05) 
8 October 1991 (1991-10-08)
Chronology
Preceded byFresh Fields

Cast

The series stars Anton Rodgers and Julia McKenzie as middle-aged, middle-class husband and wife William and Hester Fields and follows the series Fresh Fields, which ran from 1984 to 1986. French Fields resumes the story three years later as William accepts a position with a French company and the series follows Hester and William as they move from London to Calais. The pair are regularly visited by their daughter Emma (Sally Baxter) and son-in-law Peter (Philip Bird). Bird is the only other Fresh Fields actor to appear regularly, as Emma only "appeared" via voiceover by Debby Cummings in the original show.

Other regular cast members include their French estate agent Chantal Moriac (Pamela Salem), who is also the Fields' neighbour to the left, and snobbish English couple Hugh (Robin Kermode) and Jill (Liz Crowther) Trendle, the neighbours to the right. Hester and William also cope with Madame Remoleux (Valerie Lush), the unintelligible, ancient, and generally useless (but unsackable) French cleaner who lives on and cares for the estate, "Les Hirondelles," ("Swallows" in English) where they all live. Also popping in regularly are local farmer and mayor Monsieur Dax (Olivier Pierre in series 1 and 2 and Philip McGough in series 3) and his cheeky daughter Marie-Christine (Victoria Baker), to whom Hester does her best to teach English. Nicholas Courtney also appears frequently as the estate's owner, the Marquis.

Ann Beach, Sonia in Fresh Fields, makes a guest appearance in the final episode, in which Hester and William decide to return to their former UK home.

Episodes

Series 1 (1989)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Chunnel Vision"TBATBA5 September 1989 (1989-09-05)
William and Hester decide to visit France for a taste of what their life there might be like. With his accountant mind, William weighs the pros and cons of making a move. Somehow, it all turns on a serving of shepherd's pie.
22"William the Conquered"Mark StuartIan Davidson12 September 1989 (1989-09-12)
The Fields break the news to their daughter and son-in-law that they're relocating to France. Now all they have to do is find a place to live, which ends up being more challenging than either expected.
33"A Moving Experience"Derrick GoodwinJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson19 September 1989 (1989-09-19)
Moving out of their home in England proves trying for William. Getting to their new house in France proves just as tough, especially when Hester misplaces their passports and William forgets which side of the road to drive on.
44"Ou Est La Plumber De Ma Tante?"Derrick GoodwinJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson26 September 1989 (1989-09-26)
William prepares for his first day of work in France, and Hester faces the prospect of dealing with a French plumber. Then just as she starts organising her new home, an unexpected lunchtime caller throws off her whole afternoon.
55"Who's Been Eating My Porridge?"TBATBA3 October 1989 (1989-10-03)
Hester insists on inviting William's new boss and his wife to dinner and serving some real English cheese for the occasion. William's efforts to oblige bring about his first brush with the law.
66"Le Week-End"Mark StuartJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson10 October 1989 (1989-10-10)
The Fields host their first visitors from England when Emma and Peter arrive for a short break, but by visit's end, William and Hester are ready for their own break.

Series 2 (1990)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
71"Long Legged Beasties and Things That Go Bump in the Night"TBATBA24 September 1990 (1990-09-24)
When a local farmer's nocturnal activities keep the Fields up at night, William wants to complain to the mayor - until he finds out who the mayor is. Hester intervenes to teach everyone a lesson in getting along.
82"Inside Story"TBATBA1 October 1990 (1990-10-01)
A top French magazine wants to do a story about the increasing number of English people moving to France — and picks the Fields as a typical couple. Thanks to a series of misunderstandings, the magazine gets a distorted view of the English.
93"Sheep May Safely Graze"TBATBA8 October 1990 (1990-10-08)
Hester wins a raffle at the village fair, but her prize isn't just a leg of mutton; they're four legs still attached to the sheep!
104"Home and Away"TBATBA15 October 1990 (1990-10-15)
William anticipates going on a motoring tour of France for his annual vacation, but his nautical-minded wife and daughter have other ideas and before long he's ready to jump ship.
115"Sale or Return"TBATBA22 October 1990 (1990-10-22)
When the Fields's lease on their beloved farmhouse comes to an end, their obnoxious English neighbours try to buy the place. William and Hester are powerless to stop them - until they get help from an unexpected source.
126"Double or Quilt"TBATBA29 October 1990 (1990-10-29)
William wins the locals' respect when he proves adept at the French game of boules. His newly-demonstrated skills not only allow him to win the game, but also to secure for Hester the thing she treasures above all else about their life in France.

Christmas special (1990)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
13"Noel Noel"Mark StuartJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson25 December 1990 (1990-12-25)
The Fields plan a Christmas celebration with the whole family, but their daughter has made other arrangements. Hester tries to teach the local schoolchildren some English carols, and her Christmas pudding does not go down too well with the neighbours.

Series 3 (1991)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
141"French with Tears"Mark StuartJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson3 September 1991 (1991-09-03)
Misunderstanding French ways lands Hester in a French jail, then misjudging the local speed limit as he drives to her aid gets William arrested. Hester's only hope is son-in-law Peter and his night course in French law.
152"The Merry, Merry Pipes"Mark StuartJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson10 September 1991 (1991-09-10)
Hester agrees to show a group of British house-hunters some local properties, while William struggles with a plumbing problem at his own house. William's difficulties mount when Hester's tour party shows up to use the bathroom.
163"Make for the Hills"Mark StuartJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson17 September 1991 (1991-09-17)
Emma's in-laws arrive unexpectedly for a visit, and the Fields look for any excuse to get out of town. When their camping trip somehow lands them in Paris, they realise they shouldn't have bothered.
174"Surprise, Surprise"Mark StuartJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson24 September 1991 (1991-09-24)
The Fields's 25th anniversary is approaching, and William is determined to throw Hester a surprise party.
185"Darling Daughters"Mark StuartJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson1 October 1991 (1991-10-01)
Hester runs afoul of the mayor when she tries to discipline his daughter, while William has problems with his own, Emma. Hester tries to explain the concept of fair play by explaining the rules of cricket.
196"Hail and Farewell"Mark StuartJohn Chapman & Ian Davidson8 October 1991 (1991-10-08)
William learns that getting fired in French sounds just the same as it does in English. The Fields know they can always go back to England if the worst comes to the worst, which it does when they learn who's renting the farmhouse next door.

Home releases

All three series of French Fields have been released on DVD by Network. A 7-disc boxed set containing all episodes of both Fresh Fields and French Fields was also released by the company.

The entire series was released in a single DVD box set by Acorn Media UK on 2012-2-28.[1]

DVDRelease date
The Complete Series 113 June 2011
The Complete Series 225 July 2011
The Complete Series 319 September 2011
The Complete Fresh Fields & French Fields Box Set24 October 2011

References

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