Butterflies is a British sitcom

British sitcom

A British sitcom tends, as it does in most other countries, to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. Unlike American sitcoms, where twenty or more episodes in a season is the norm, British sitcoms...

 written by Carla Lane

Carla Lane

Carla Lane, OBE is an English television writer responsible for many successful sitcoms, including The Liver Birds , Butterflies , and Bread ....

 broadcast on BBC2 from 1978–83.

The situation is the day-to-day life of the Parkinson family in a bittersweet style. There are both traditional comedy sources (Ria's cooking, family squabbles) and more unusual sources such as Ria's unconsummated relationship with the outwardly-successful Leonard. Ria is still in love with her husband, Ben, and has raised two potentially fine sons, yet finds herself dissatisfied and in need of something more. Throughout the series Ria is searching for that "something more" and finds some solace in her unconventional friendship with Leonard. In a 2002 interview, Carla Lane explained "I wanted to write a comedy about a woman contemplating adultery."

In the first episode, an expository discussion between Ria and Leonard alludes to the significance of the series' title: "We are all kids chasing butterflies. You see it, you want it, you grab it, and there it is, all squashed in your hand." She adds, "I am one of the few lucky ones, I have a pleasant house, a pleasant man and two pleasant sons. My butterfly didn't get squashed." Ria's husband Ben collects and studies butterflies.

Cast

The show stars Wendy Craig

Wendy Craig

Wendy Craig is a BAFTA Award winning English actress who is best known for her appearances in the sitcoms Butterflies, ...And Mother Makes Three and ...And Mother Makes Five...

 as frustrated housewife Ria Parkinson and Geoffrey Palmer

Geoffrey Palmer (actor)

Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE is an English actor, best known for his roles in sitcoms such as Butterflies and As Time Goes By.-Career:...

 as her reserved dentist husband, Ben. Their youngest son, Adam, is played by Nicholas Lyndhurst

Nicholas Lyndhurst

Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart, and as Adam Parkinson in Carla Lane's series Butterflies...

 and their older son, Russell, by Andrew Hall

Andrew Hall (actor)

Andrew Hall is an English actor and director.Most recently has been seen in ITV's Coronation Street playing the controversial character of Marc Selby...

. Bruce Montague

Bruce Montague

Bruce Montague is a British actor, best known for his role as Leonard Dunn in the television sitcom Butterflies. In 2000, he guest-starred in the Doctor Who audio adventure The Genocide Machine and, in the following year, he starred alongside Paul McGann in the Doctor Who story Sword of...

 plays Ria's friend Leonard. The show also featured two recurring minor characters: Leonard's chauffeur

Chauffeur

A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...

 and confidant Thomas (Michael Ripper

Michael Ripper

Michael Ripper was an English character actor born in Portsmouth.He began his film career in quota quickies in the 1930s and until the late 1950s was virtually unknown; he was seldom credited. He played one of the two murderers in Richard III. Ripper became a mainstay in Hammer Film Productions...

) and the Parkinsons' cleaner, Ruby (Joyce Windsor), who often lent Ria an ear.

Theme song

The Butterflies theme song, Love Is Like a Butterfly

Love Is Like a Butterfly

Love Is Like a Butterfly is the fourteenth solo studio album by Dolly Parton, released in September 1974. The title track was the third consecutive single to reach #1 on the U.S. country charts for Parton. For the few years before her pop chart success, "Butterfly" was considered Parton's signature...

, was written and originally recorded by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 country and western music artist Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...

. The version used at the opening of each episode was recorded specially for the series by Clare Torry

Clare Torry

Clare Torry is a British singer who famously performed the wordless vocals on Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky" on the 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon.-Education:...

, with a band conducted by BBC TV composer Ronnie Hazlehurst

Ronnie Hazlehurst

Ronald "Ronnie" Hazlehurst was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director....

.

Scene location

Many of the exterior scenes were filmed in Cheltenham

Cheltenham

Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...

 including the High Street, Montpellier

Montpellier, Gloucestershire

Montpellier is a district of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire , at the end of the Promenade south of the town centre. Originally developed in the 1830s in conjunction with the spas, it is now known for its bars, cafés, restaurants and range of specialist shops...

 and Hatherley Park. The Parkinson house is situated on Bournside Road in Up Hatherley

Up Hatherley

Up Hatherley is a civil parish and a suburb of the spa town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Formerly a hamlet in the parish of Shurdington, it became a parish in 1887 and became a part of Cheltenham in 1991.-History:...

, Cheltenham.

Episodes

Twenty-eight episodes were originally produced and broadcast.

Series	Year	Episodes
1	1978	"When Ria Met Leonard" "Breaking the Silence" "Thinking About a Job" "How About Lunch?" "The Lovers" "He'll Have to Go"
2	1979	"Leaving" "Fox Hunting" "Worrying" "A Dog's Life" "Keeping Fit" "An Attractive Visitor" "Lunch with Leonard" "Christmas with the Parkinsons"
3	1980	"An Empty Cage" "Ruby's Crisis" "Pregnancy" "Problems, Problems" "Happy Birthday, Ria" "Gimme Shelter" "Parting"
4	1983	"Back from New York" "Amanda" "Pot" "Cleaning Windows" "Calling" "Breaking Up" "Loose Ends"

In November 2000, the cast (save for Michael Ripper

Michael Ripper

Michael Ripper was an English character actor born in Portsmouth.He began his film career in quota quickies in the 1930s and until the late 1950s was virtually unknown; he was seldom credited. He played one of the two murderers in Richard III. Ripper became a mainstay in Hammer Film Productions...

 who had recently died) reunited for a 13-minute episode in aid of Children in Need

Children in Need

Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...

. The premise is Ria's 60th birthday and the lack of change to her situation.

Special (2000)