Fresh Fields : The Complete Second Series

Review by David Woodward

Fresh Fields was a successful British TV series that originally screened for four seasons from 1984-1986.  It had a typical "feel-good" Sunday night atmosphere and went on to spawn an even better sequel series French Fields.

Both series featured a highly compatible couple of actors Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers. Both were seasoned TV and film veterans who went on to do other work on TV (McKenzie as Miss Marple and Rodgers in May to December). Rodgers had also appeared in Murder Most English.

The premise of Fresh Fields is that Hester and William Fields have been married for 20 years with two children who no longer live with them.  However, Hester's mother does live in a granny flat at the back of the Fields' house which creates its own problems. 

They also have a neighbour Sonia (who liked to turn up at the back door with her catchcry "It's only Sonia!").  The actor who played the "Major" in Fawlty Towers often makes an appearance as Hester’s father too.

Despite the series being made over 25 years ago, it has taken a long time to be released on DVD.  In fact, Australia led the way ahead of the UK with its release of the first and second seasons of the show.

There were only six episodes in most seasons which perhaps explains the quality of the scripts and the laughs that they generate. In a way, it would probably be better to have released the complete set of 26 episodes (and one Christmas special) as a package so that the show can be watched in its entirety!

Nevertheless, Fresh Fields is one of my personal favourite TV shows and I really enjoyed re-visiting the second season and the misadventures of William as he deals with Hester’s new pastimes and challenges while trying to run his accounting business.

The best episodes are "Alright On The Night" where Hester tries to talk William into getting involved with the church bazaar, and "Get Me To The Church" where William and Hester feel the pressure on their daughter’s wedding day.

The strength of the series is the believability of the two lead characters. I particularly enjoyed their conversations over the dinner table as they nibbled on some cheese and drank their ever-present bottle of wine.

I thoroughly recommend the viewing of the second season of this highly regarded TV series and can’t wait for the release of subsequent episodes on DVD.

DVD Special Features

Nothing on offer at all here which, while not surprising, is a little disappointing.

Conclusion: Episodes 100% Extras: N/A