"Waiting for God" (1990) TV series 1990-1994

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | unknown

Release Date:

28 June 1990 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

When Tom Ballard moves to Bayview Retirement Vilage, he meets Diana Trent, a feisty old woman who complains...

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom | Senior Citizen | Retirement Home | Cynicism | Elderly

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Graham Crowden	...	Tom / ... (47 episodes, 1990-1994)
Stephanie Cole	...	Diana / ... (47 episodes, 1990-1994)
Daniel Hill	...	Harvey Bains / ... (47 episodes, 1990-1994)
Janine Duvitski	...	Jane / ... (47 episodes, 1990-1994)
Andrew Tourell	...	Geoffrey / ... (46 episodes, 1990-1994)
Sandra Payne	...	Marion / ... (46 episodes, 1990-1994)
Michael Bilton	...	Basil / ... (27 episodes, 1990-1993)
Dawn Hope	...	Jenny (26 episodes, 1990-1994)

Series Directed by
Gareth Gwenlan		(42 episodes, 1990-1994)
Sue Bysh		(5 episodes, 1991)

Series Writing credits
Michael Aitkens		(47 episodes, 1990-1994)

Series Produced by
Gareth Gwenlan	....	producer (47 episodes, 1990-1994)

Series Cinematography by
Alec Curtis		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
John Dunstan		(29 episodes, 1992-1994)
Glenn Hyde		(16 episodes, 1990-1991)
Chris Wadsworth		(12 episodes, 1993-1994)

Series Production Design by
Roger Harris		(29 episodes, 1992-1994)
Richard Brackenbury		(7 episodes, 1990)
Don Giles		(6 episodes, 1991)
Marjorie Pratt		(4 episodes, 1991)
Graham Lough		(3 episodes, 1992)

Series Costume Design by
Robin Stubbs		(19 episodes, 1993-1994)
Philip Lester		(10 episodes, 1991)
Janet Tharby		(10 episodes, 1992)
Sarah Lubel		(7 episodes, 1990)

Series Makeup Department
Kerin Parfitt	....	makeup designer (39 episodes, 1991-1994)
Christine Greenwood	....	makeup designer (7 episodes, 1990)

Series Production Management
Johanna Kennedy	....	production manager (11 episodes, 1993)
Nick Bye	....	production manager (10 episodes, 1991)
Julia Thomas	....	production manager (10 episodes, 1991)
Peter Laskie	....	production manager (10 episodes, 1992)
Nick Wood	....	production manager (8 episodes, 1994)
Richard Valentine	....	production manager (7 episodes, 1990)
Lindsey Chamier	....	production manager (5 episodes, 1992)
Jonathan Paul Llewellyn	....	production manager (5 episodes, 1992)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Angela De Chastelai Smith	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1994)

Series Art Department
Alison MacMillan	....	properties buyer (20 episodes, 1992-1993)
Amanda Smith	....	properties buyer (10 episodes, 1991)
Ian Tully	....	properties buyer (8 episodes, 1994)
Jayne Libotte	....	properties buyer (7 episodes, 1990)
Everol McKenzie	....	graphic designer (6 episodes, 1990)

Series Sound Department
John A. Parry	....	sound recordist (29 episodes, 1992-1994)
John Downes	....	sound supervisor (28 episodes, 1992-1994)
John Relph	....	sound supervisor (16 episodes, 1990-1991)
Michael Spencer	....	sound recordist (10 episodes, 1991)
Steve Gatland	....	sound recordist (6 episodes, 1990)
Bryan Showell	....	sound recordist (4 episodes, 1993)

Series Visual Effects by
Chris Lawson	....	visual effects designer (1 episode, 1992)
Andy Lazell	....	visual effects designer (1 episode, 1992)

Series Stunts
Paul Heasman	....	stunt coordinator / stunt performer (9 episodes, 1992-1994)
Gary Powell	....	stunt performer (4 episodes, 1994)
Tracey Eddon	....	stunt performer (3 episodes, 1992-1994)
Lee Sheward	....	stunt performer (3 episodes, 1994)
Denise Ryan	....	stunt performer (2 episodes, 1992-1993)
Sarah Franzl	....	stunt performer (2 episodes, 1994)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
John Record	....	film camera (28 episodes, 1992-1994)
Harry Bradley	....	lighting director (19 episodes, 1993-1994)
Colin Deehan	....	film camera / film cameraman (16 episodes, 1990-1991)
Gerry Tivers	....	camera supervisor (16 episodes, 1992-1994)
Ron Bristow	....	lighting director (15 episodes, 1991-1992)
Roger Fenna	....	camera supervisor (10 episodes, 1993)
Terry Brett	....	lighting director (8 episodes, 1990-1992)
John Hoare	....	camera supervisor (7 episodes, 1991-1993)
Ken Major	....	camera supervisor (6 episodes, 1990)
Henry Barber	....	lighting director (4 episodes, 1990)
Colin Aiken	....	camera supervisor (3 episodes, 1991)
Eric Metcalfe	....	camera supervisor (2 episodes, 1992)

Series Casting Department
Judy Loe	....	casting advisor / casting adviser (39 episodes, 1991-1994)

Series Editorial Department
Chris Wadsworth	....	videotape editor (27 episodes, 1991-1994)
Heather Gilder	....	vision mixer (27 episodes, 1992-1994)
Sue Collins	....	vision mixer (10 episodes, 1991)
Steve Jamison	....	editor: video tape / video tape editor (5 episodes, 1990)
Sue Thorne	....	vision mixer (5 episodes, 1990)
Paul Hagan	....	video tape editor (2 episodes, 1990)
Hilary West	....	vision mixer (2 episodes, 1990)
Hilary Briegel	....	vision mixer (2 episodes, 1992)

Series Music Department
The Nash Ensemble	....	music performers: title music (46 episodes, 1990-1994)

Series Other crew
Ray Liffen	....	resource coordinator / technical coordinator (30 episodes, 1991-1994)
Debbie Crofts	....	assistant floor manager / programme budget assistant (21 episodes, 1991-1994)
Tracey Gillham	....	production assistant (19 episodes, 1992-1994)
Ali Bryer Carron	....	assistant floor manager (19 episodes, 1993-1994)
Jonathan Paul Llewellyn	....	location manager (19 episodes, 1993-1994)
Gail Evans	....	production assistant (10 episodes, 1991)
Poonam Megone	....	production assistant (10 episodes, 1993)
Ken Morris	....	technical coordinator (7 episodes, 1990)
Teresa Powick	....	production assistant (7 episodes, 1990)
Julia Thomas	....	assistant floor manager (7 episodes, 1990)
Phil Dean	....	resource coordinator (5 episodes, 1992)
Philip Quinn	....	resource coordinator (4 episodes, 1992)
Angela De Chastelai Smith	....	studio director (2 episodes, 1994)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Runtime:

30 min (47 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Oaken Holt, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the episode where Tom thwarts Harvey's building plans by leading the residents outside to show them the habitat of the great crested newt, Diana and Jane stop to talk in front of the windows outside Bayview. There are scene shifters visible through the windows throughout their conversation.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Harvey Bains:Jane, you're touching me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Funny Ladies of British Comedy (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Trout Quintet, Op. 114

Cynically sweet.

Here we have a programme centring around two elderly and cynical people in a retirement home located in Britain's version of Florida: Bournemouth. Did I say elderly? Well, only in age, not attitude. Take one Tom Ballard, a gentleman deposited by his son into the retirement home who is one half of the cynical pair. Although cynical, his character expresses this with good humour and resignation, philosophy, and plays upon the ageist attitude that old people are helpless and eccentric, leaving one to wonder whether he is actually mad, or just pretending to be.

The other half, Diana, a worldly woman who sees the effects of society's attitude toward the old now that she is of retirement age and, in contrast to Tom, vents spleen any chance she gets, usually towards Harvey, the young man who runs the Home whose character is a composite of the 20-40 yuppy age group's attitude towards those beyond 65.

The humour is quick-firing, very British, and also pulls no punches with regards to attitudes and observations of society during the latter half of the 80s and into the 90s. All told, an excellent series that will take a long time in the future before it seems dated.