7.2 /10 1 Votes
6.4/10 TV Country of origin United Kingdom Final episode date 27 December 1988 Number of episodes 19 | 7.9/10 IMDb Opening theme Why We Fell in Love First episode date 20 October 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Directed by David AskeyJohn Howard Davies Starring Penelope KeithGeoffrey PalmerPeter BowlesHarry DitsonElizabeth CounsellMark Caven Cast Similar No Job for a Lady, To the Manor Born, After Henry, My Husband and I, Hot Metal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Penelope keith and geoffrey palmer in executive stress series 1 dvd clip out mon 26th april 2010
Executive Stress is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1986 to 1988. Produced by Thames Television, it first aired on 20 October 1986. After three series, the last episode aired on 27 December 1988.
Contents
- Penelope keith and geoffrey palmer in executive stress series 1 dvd clip out mon 26th april 2010
- Mixed tv continuity into executive stress 05 10 1987
- Production
- Cast
- Plot
- Episodes
- Reception
- Broadcast around the world
- Online releases
- DVD release
- References
Written by George Layton, Executive Stress stars Penelope Keith as Caroline Fairchild, a middle-aged woman who decides to go back to work. Her husband, Donald, is played by Geoffrey Palmer in the first series. However, Palmer was unable to return for the second series, so Peter Bowles played Donald in the remaining two series. Keith and Bowles had previously appeared together in the BBC Comedy Series, To the Manor Born.
Mixed tv continuity into executive stress 05 10 1987
Production
When writing Executive Stress, George Layton was inspired by his wife's difficult experience juggling a career in Public Relations after having had two children. His wife resigned a month after going back to work because she felt guilty, and Layton commented how "like Caroline In the series, she’d had a very good job and it set me thinking about all the compromises women have to make." The programme was set in the world of publishing as it was one of the few industries of the era dominated by women, meaning Donald and Caroline could realistically be on an equal footing at work.
The producer, John Howard Davies, commissioned a second series before the first series had even aired.
The opening theme, "Why We Fell in Love," was performed by Julie Covington. The lyrics were written by Tim Rice with the instrumentals composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Cast
Plot
After 25 years of marriage, mother-of-five Caroline Fairchild decides to go back to work. Her husband Donald would like her to work part-time in their home town of Amersham in Buckinghamshire. Instead she gets a job in London as an Editorial Director for an American company called "Oasis Publishing". At the company she is reunited with her former secretary, Anthea Duxbury, who is a sales export director.
"Oasis Publishing" is owned by the "Frankland Corporation", which is run by Edgar Frankland, Jr., the son of the corporation's boss. On Caroline's first day at work, Frankland takes over "Ginsberg", the company that Donald works for and they find themselves working together. However, an unwritten rule at Frankland states that married couples cannot work together, so they have to pretend not to know each other, and Caroline uses her maiden name of Fielding. In Series Two, Edgar finds out they are married, but does not sack them and makes them joint managing directors of "Oasis Publishing".
Episodes
Three series of Executive Stress were broadcast from 1986 to 1988. The first series, made of seven episodes, aired on Mondays at 20:00 following Coronation Street, as did the six-episode second series. The third series, also of six episodes, aired on Tuesdays at 20.30 following The Bill.
Reception
In an article published in The Daily Mail two days before the first episode broadcast, Corinna Honan praised Penelope Keith saying, "This is Keith at her best playing a totally believable middle class, middle-aged woman with wit, finesse and touching vulnerability". Honan also said that Geoffrey Palmer is the "perfect foil with his dry humour, understated style and rubbery features". She also said that the programme "makes very serious points about women, work and motherhood".
Broadcast around the world
PBS aired at least the first series in the 80s & 90s.
Reruns of the series aired in 2009 in Australia on ABC Television.
Online releases
All seven episodes from the first series have been released online through British Telecommunications BT Vision Download Store.
DVD release
The complete first and second series of Executive Stress were released on 26 April 2010 and 24 January 2011, by Network, The third (and final) series was finally released on 20 May 2013, with a complete series set to follow.