One Foot in the Grave

Sixty year old Victor Meldrew's security guard post is abruptly discontinued given an electronic box can do everything he used to do "except complain about the air conditioning". He spends a reluctant early retirement exasperated by conspiracies of fate which often snowball as a result of him addressing complacent and uncaring aspects of society – predicaments in turn exasperating wife Margaret. Victor (a career defining role for Richard Wilson) acquired iconic status as a "grumpy old man". Eric Idle's comic theme song accompanies stock footage of giant tortoises.