Butterflies (TV series) 670367 211244278 2008-05-09T12:34:52Z Cheesemite 1388209 /* External links */ {{infobox television | | show_name = Butterflies | image = [[Image:Butterflies title card.jpg|250px]] | caption = Series title card | format = [[Sitcom]] | runtime = 30 minutes | creator = | starring = [[Wendy Craig]] <br> [[Geoffrey Palmer (actor)|Geoffrey Palmer]] <br> [[Nicholas Lyndhurst]] <br> [[Andrew Hall (actor)|Andrew Hall]] <br> [[Bruce Montague]] <br> [[Michael Ripper]] <br> [[Joyce Windsor]] | country = [[United Kingdom]] | network = [[BBC2]], [[BBC1]] | first_aired = [[1978]] | last_aired = [[1983]], [[2000]] | num_episodes = 30 ''(including 2 shorts)'' |}} '''''Butterflies''''' was a [[situation comedy]] written by [[Carla Lane]] mainly shown on [[BBC2]] between [[1978]] and [[1983]]. All the cast apart from [[Michael Ripper]], who had recently died, reunited for a 13-minute episode in aid of [[Children in Need]] in November 2000. The cast was a strong point of the programme. [[Wendy Craig]] played frustrated housewife Ria Parkinson, [[Geoffrey Palmer (actor)|Geoffrey Palmer]] played her phlegmatic husband, Ben. Their youngest son, Adam, was played by [[Nicholas Lyndhurst]] and their older son, Russell, was played by [[Andrew Hall (actor)|Andrew Hall]]. [[Image:Wendy Craig in Butterflies.jpg|left|thumb|150px|''[[Wendy Craig]]'' and ''[[Geoffrey Palmer (actor)|Geoffrey Palmer]]'' in ''[[Butterflies]]'']] The situation is one of the day-to-day life of the Parkinson family in the bitter-sweet style the writer has made her hallmark. The comedy came from both traditional situation comedy sources (Ria's cooking, family squabbles) and more unusual places such as Ria's unconsummated love affair with her [[soulmate]], the rich Leonard, played by [[Bruce Montague]]. The ''Butterflies'' theme song, "Love Is Like A Butterfly", was written and originally recorded by [[United States|American]] [[country and western]] music artist [[Dolly Parton]]. The version used at the opening of each episode was recorded specially for the series by [[Clare Torry]], with a band conducted by the BBC's well-known TV composer [[Ronnie Hazlehurst]]. An American remake was piloted but never commissioned. It was broadcast in August 1979 on [[NBC]] with little change to the original scripting, which did not help it to attract an American audience accustomed to broader humour. Many of the exterior scenes were filmed in [[Cheltenham]] including the High Street, Montpellier and Hatherley Park. The Parkinson house is situated on Bournside Road in Up Hatherley, Cheltenham. ''Butterflies'' - the title of which comes from the character Ben's [[lepidopterist|lepidoptery]] hobby - is also said by many{{Views needing attribution|date=October 2007}} to be the inspiration behind another BBC sitcom, ''[[My Family]],'' in which the mother of the family is a bad cook and the father is a dentist named Ben. There is no counterpart to Leonard, however. == DVD release == All episodes of '' Butterflies'' are available on DVD in the UK; only the first two series are available in the US. ==External links== *{{bbc.co.uk|id=comedy/guide/articles/b/butterflies_7771125.shtml|title=''Butterflies''}} Comedy Guide *{{imdb title|id=0081838|title=Butterflies}} * {{Screenonline TV title|id=1180242|name=Butterflies}} *[http://www.sitcom.co.uk/butterflies/ ''Butterflies''] at Sitcom.co.uk *[http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/bflies/ ''Butterflies''] at Phill.co.uk [[Category:BBC television sitcoms]] [[Category:1980s British television series|Butterflies]] [[Category:1978 television series debuts]]