''Moody and Pegg'' is a bittersweet British

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

, produced by

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

for ITV between 1974 and 1975. Written by

Donald Churchill Donald Churchill (6 November 193029 October 1991) was an English actor and playwright. He appeared in many film and television productions over a 35-year period and wrote several TV scripts. Career His films included '' Barnacle Bill'' (1957), ...

and

Julia Jones Julia Jones (born January 23, 1981) is an American actress. She may be best known for playing Leah Clearwater in '' The Twilight Saga'' film series and Angela Bishop in the television series '' Dexter: New Blood''. Early life and education Jul ...

, the series starred

Derek Waring Derek Waring (born Derek Barton-Chapple; 26 April 1927 – 20 February 2007) was an English actor who is best remembered for playing Detective Inspector Goss in ''Z-Cars'' from 1969 to 1973. He was married to the actress Dame Dorothy Tut ...

and

Judy Cornwell Judy Valerie Cornwell (born 22 February 1940) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Daisy in the British sitcom ''Keeping Up Appearances'' (1990–1995). She also played Anya Claus in '' Santa Claus: The Movie'' (1985). In ...

. Waring played Roland Moody, a newly divorced antiques dealer greatly anticipating freedom from matrimonial ties. Cornwell was cast as Daphne Pegg, plain spinster and dedicated civil servant in her early thirties who leaves her home in

Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...

after realising that her office boss will never agree to marry her. She heads for London in order to make a clean break from her past, but, owing to a rogue estate agent's dealings, finds that a man – Moody – also has a valid lease arrangement for the property she acquires. Unable to work out who is the squatter, they agree to be feuding partners and share, forging a very uncomfortable situation that is exacerbated by Moody's prodigious line of visiting girlfriends. Eventually, Moody loses in a winner-takes-all poker game and leaves, only to return in the second series. The title theme is "The Free Life" by prolific library music composer

Alan Parker Sir Alan William Parker (14 February 1944 – 31 July 2020) was an English film director, screenwriter and producer. His early career, beginning in his late teens, was spent as a copywriter and director of television advertisements. After abo ...

Cast

as Daphne Pegg *

as Roland Moody * Frances Bennett as Monica Bakewell *

Tony Selby Anthony Samuel Selby (26 February 1938 – 5 September 2021) was an English actor. With a career that spanned 71 years, he was known for his roles as Corporal Percy Marsh in the ITV (TV network), ITV British sitcom, sitcom ''Get Some In!'' (1975� ...

as Sid *

Sheila Keith Sheila Keith (9 June 1920 – 14 October 2004) was a Scottish stage and screen actress. She is well-known to horror film fans for her collaborations with director Pete Walker, starring in '' House of Whipcord'', '' Frightmare'', '' House of Mor ...

as Aunt Ethel * Peter Denyer as George *

Adrienne Posta Adrienne Posta (born Adrienne Luanne Poster) is a British actress and singer, prominent during the 1960s and 1970s. She adopted the surname 'Posta' in 1966.Adrienne Poster, page on "Ready Steady Girls" (readysteadygirls.eu). Retrieved 19 Novembe ...

as Iris

DVD release

References

External links

*
Cathoderaytube.blogspot.com
1974 British television series debuts 1975 British television series endings 1970s British comedy television series British English-language television shows ITV comedy-dramas Television series by Fremantle (company) Television shows produced by Thames Television {{UK-comedy-tv-prog-stub