Threatening Weather (6 Nov. 2000)

It's the hottest night of the year and Victor sprays himself to keep cool but, due to a power cut, fails to realize the spray is hair lacquer. Having discovered that he was shot at whilst ... See full summary »

Director:

Christine Gernon

Writers:

David Renwick, David Renwick (by)

Stars:

Richard Wilson, Annette Crosbie, Roy Hudd

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Richard Wilson	...	Victor Meldrew
Annette Crosbie	...	Margaret Meldrew
Roy Hudd	...	Mr Smedley

Storyline

It's the hottest night of the year and Victor sprays himself to keep cool but, due to a power cut, fails to realize the spray is hair lacquer. Having discovered that he was shot at whilst passing a siege and told off two kids who were having sex in his car he has to entertain an annoying and incontinent neighbor whose wife has been taken to hospital and who insists on being read aloud to.

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Plot Keywords:

victor meldrew | obese man | power cut

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 November 2000 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

33 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Victor Meldrew: Oh, misery me.

User Reviews

A Power Cut- I don't Believe It

A brilliant episode from the final episode of 'One Foot in the Grave' where not for the first time writer David Renwick breaks the rules of sitcom.

Victor and Margaret are in a power-cut. It is also the hottest night of the year. It has been off for three hours. Margaret's intrigued by a detective novel by torchlight, but it is just another excuse for Victor to moan. Margaret becomes less thrilled by her book when Victor accidentally tells her how it ends. More moaning for Victor when he goes outside to his car to find two teenagers having sex in the back of it. Worse still, because it is so warm, Victor was wearing shorts and two stark naked teenagers tell him to put some clothes on. Then Mr Smedley, an elderly neighbour turns up. His wife has been taken to hospital with a slight stroke (she'll be out in a couple of days) and he didn't feel safe in the dark, so Margaret invites him in. He reads a book, but in order to take it in, he has to read out loud, hence more annoyance for Victor. Then Mr Smedley needs the toilet, will he make it to the lavatory in time...

A brilliant, hilarious episode this was. Renwick has done a few episodes like this that break the rules of sitcom. 'Timeless Time' sees the whole episode in Victor and Margaret's bedroom in the early hours of the morning, 'The Beast in the Cage' is set entirely in a traffic jam, 'The Trial' just has Victor in it in the house one day on his own moaning to himself and in 'Re-arranging the Dust' it is set entirely in a solicitors waiting room. All these episodes mentioned and this one are brilliant episodes, Renwick's writing is given full glory. That great comedian and gentleman Roy Hudd played Mr Smedley.

Best Bit: When Mr Smedley starts reading his book aloud.