Fortysomething (TV series)
| Fortysomething | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Written by | Nigel Williams |
| Starring |
Hugh Laurie Anna Chancellor Benedict Cumberbatch |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jonathan Powell |
| Producer(s) | Jo Willet |
| Production company(s) | Carlton Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 16:9 576i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 29 June – 9 August 2003 |
Fortysomething is a 2003 British comedy-drama series set in Wimbledon, London. Hugh Laurie (who also directed the series) stars as Paul Slippery, a doctor facing a mid-life crisis. His wife Estelle (Anna Chancellor) is starting a new career as a headhunter. His three sons, Rory (Benedict Cumberbatch), a student at the fictitious University of Reigate, Daniel (Neil Henry) and Edwin (Joe Van Moyland), are sex-obsessed. Meanwhile, Paul appears to hear the inner thoughts of others.
Other important characters include Paul's colleague and nemesis, Dr. Ronnie Pilfrey (Peter Capaldi), and Estelle's new employer, Gwendolen Hartley (Sheila Hancock).
The series was written by Nigel Williams based on his 1999 novel of the same name. The six episodes of the series were broadcast on ITV. Although a ratings failure on first transmission, leading to it being moved to an off-peak timeslot midway through the run, the appearance of Laurie, Cumberbatch and Capaldi, all of whom went on to greater fame, has subsequently led the series to sell well on DVD.
Paul wakes up one morning with the apparent ability to hear other people's thoughts. He is unable to remember certain things about his life, including when was the last time he had sex and his twentieth wedding anniversary. Rory is incensed that Daniel is trying to seduce his recently estranged girlfriend, Laura. Estelle discovers that her new job disappeared during a managerial restructuring of her company and leaves a vague message on Rory's phone that leads Paul to suspect that she is a lesbian. He tries to reclaim his wife while also dealing with the death of a patient and the delivery of several fridges for Edwin.
Paul resolves to have sex and plans to cook an erotic dinner for Estelle. Edwin again has a large shipment delivered to the house, this time of sex toys. Rory starts his new job at a homeless shelter where he recognizes an old fellow cast member who played Macbeth. Laura has moved in with Daniel just as his girlfriend, Lucy, returns from her trip to Thailand. Lucy, who is also Laura's sister, finds Laura at the house, wearing only Daniel's shirt. She calls their father and tells him. Dr Pilfrey finds Estelle at her new job in an attempt to woo her. Paul tries to avoid a medical examination of Mr Proek's (Laura and Lucy's father) bottom by pretending to be a Dutch doctor whenever Mr Proek calls.
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