'Fresh Fields' is all about married couple Hester and William Fields - he a laid back slippers and newspaper type ( who works as an accountant ) who is happy with his lot and her an over-enthusiastic housewife who jumps from one hobby to the next ( in a bid to fight against her empty nest syndrome as her daughter Emma, who is never seen but heard frequently on the telephone, has left home ).
Living next door to them is Sonia ( the late Ann Beach ), who barges into the Fields' home at the worst possible moments to borrow something, always announcing her presence with ''It's only Sonia!''. Also living at the bottom of the garden in a granny flat is Hester's mother Nancy ( Fanny Rowe ) who is divorced from Hester's lecherous father Guy ( played wonderfully by the late Ballard Berkeley, best remembered as the senile Major Gowen from 'Fawlty Towers' ).
'Fresh Fields' was overall twee, sickly and unreal. It was written by John Chapman, who earlier worked on the BBC's 'Happy Ever After' ( which starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield ). It is not dissimilar to the earlier show, with Julia McKenzie's Hester inheriting some of Terry Scott's traits, such as trying out new things, often with disastrous results.
'Fresh Fields' ended in 1986 after four series, though was back three years later, this time titled 'French Fields' when the Fields' upped sticks and moved to France, though Guy and Nancy did not appear as both Rowe and Berkeley died in 1988, though Sonia made a guest appearance in the final episode. Of all the cast, only Julia McKenzie survives. Anton Rodgers died in 2007 aged 74 while Ann Beach died last month aged 78.
Living next door to them is Sonia ( the late Ann Beach ), who barges into the Fields' home at the worst possible moments to borrow something, always announcing her presence with ''It's only Sonia!''. Also living at the bottom of the garden in a granny flat is Hester's mother Nancy ( Fanny Rowe ) who is divorced from Hester's lecherous father Guy ( played wonderfully by the late Ballard Berkeley, best remembered as the senile Major Gowen from 'Fawlty Towers' ).
'Fresh Fields' was overall twee, sickly and unreal. It was written by John Chapman, who earlier worked on the BBC's 'Happy Ever After' ( which starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield ). It is not dissimilar to the earlier show, with Julia McKenzie's Hester inheriting some of Terry Scott's traits, such as trying out new things, often with disastrous results.
'Fresh Fields' ended in 1986 after four series, though was back three years later, this time titled 'French Fields' when the Fields' upped sticks and moved to France, though Guy and Nancy did not appear as both Rowe and Berkeley died in 1988, though Sonia made a guest appearance in the final episode. Of all the cast, only Julia McKenzie survives. Anton Rodgers died in 2007 aged 74 while Ann Beach died last month aged 78.