Joking Apart: Complete BBC Series 1

"My wife left me...." From the pen of acclaimed writer Steven Moffat (Coupling, Doctor Who, Press Gang) comes an award-winning, painfully funny farce about divorce. Comedy writer Mark Taylor (Robert Bathurst - Cold Feet, My Dad's the Prime Minister) knows he has found the woman of his dreams when he meets Becky Johnson by chance, in highly embarrassing circumstances. Becky (Fiona Gillies - Peak Practice, Mother Love) is won over by his non-stop, quick-fire one-liners, and, following a brief but ever-eventful romance, they giggle their way up the aisle. But five years down the line, Mark hasn't noticed that the joke has worn thin and the laughter track run out. When he arranges a surprise party for his wife, little does he realise that it will truly turn out to be a night to remember for everyone. Now, for the first time since it was broadcast, you can experience the joy and the pain, the laughter and the tears with this digitally restored version of the complete first series of Steven Moffat's bittersweet masterpiece.

"My wife left me...." From the pen of acclaimed writer Steven Moffat (Coupling, Doctor Who, Press Gang) comes an award-winning, painfully funny farce about divorce. Comedy writer Mark Taylor (Robert Bathurst - Cold Feet, My Dad's the Prime Minister) knows he has found the woman of his dreams when he meets Becky Johnson by chance, in highly embarrassing circumstances. Becky (Fiona Gillies - Peak Practice, Mother Love) is won over by his non-stop, quick-fire one-liners, and, following a brief but ever-eventful romance, they giggle their way up the aisle. But five years down the line, Mark hasn't noticed that the joke has worn thin and the laughter track run out. When he arranges a surprise party for his wife, little does he realise that it will truly turn out to be a night to remember for everyone. Now, for the first time since it was broadcast, you can experience the joy and the pain, the laughter and the tears with this digitally restored version of the complete first series of Steven Moffat's bittersweet masterpiece............................ Special Features: Commentaries on four episodes with Robert Bathurst, Fiona Gillies, Tracie Bennett and writer Steven Moffat plus "Fool If You Think It's Over" - a look back at the making of Joking Apart.

Commentaries on four episodes with Robert Bathurst, Fiona Gillies, Tracie Bennett and writer Steven Moffat plus "Fool If You Think It's Over" - a look back at the making of Joking Apart.

Clever, anguished, extremely funny black comedy that began as an essay on marriage failure and turned into a series of ever more unlikely and riotous sex farces. Good scripts, good performances, good production values - these are not what we expect from the British sitcom. But they're all there, in abundance, and the result is some of the funniest comedy in years. --Marcus Berkmann- DAILY MAIL

Joking Apart is both a very high-energy rush and a scraping, bitter, quite angry piece. I rate this show very highly. It's one of those shows you like so much, it stops being the BBC's or Steven Moffat's or the cast's....It's ours! And our show is finally out now on DVD. What could be better than that? --William Gallagher - UK DVD REVIEW

Flavoured with a delicious bitterness about the perfidy of women and the conscience-less nature of the male orgasm, it was plotted with the intricacy of a good French farce. More please! --Margaret Forwood - DAILY EXPRESS

Robert Bathurst: Cold Feet, Roman's Empire, Kingdom, My Dad's The Prime Minister.................... Fiona Gillies: Peak Practice, Mother Love, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, A Perfect Hero.................... Tracie Bennett: Coronation Street, Dalziel and Pascoe, Shirley Valentine, Vincent.................... Paul Raffield: Worst Week Of My Life, 2 Point 4 Children, Vera Drake

Fawlty Towers, Dad's Army, French and Saunders, The Goodies, Absolutely Fabulous, The Comic Strip Presents, Press gang, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, It Ain't 'Half Hot Mum, Spice World

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital Stereo ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary, Interactive Menu, Making Of, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: From the multiple BAFTA Award winning writer, Steven Moffat (Coupling, Press Gang, Doctor Who, Jekyll, Tin Tin) comes the first series of Joking Apart, starring Robert Bathurst and Fiona Gillies. First shown in 1993, the series was a huge cult hit, and has been eagerly awaited on DVD ever since. Comedy writer Mark Taylor knows he has found the woman of his dreams when he meets Becky, and sweeps her off her feet with his non-stop, quick-fire one-liners. But five years on, Mark doesn't realise that the joke has worn thin, and a surprise party for Becky changes his life completely. Told in flashback, this award-winning bittersweet comedy has it all; laughter and tears, joy and pain. ...Joking Apart - Series One ( Joking Apart - Entire Series One )