One Foot in the Grave (TV Series) The Valley of Fear (1990) User Reviews

A classic.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 6 November 2019]

The place by the sideboard smells, Victor's been mugged, and a cat has found a way into the house, a normal day in the Meldrew household.

We've had two very funny opening episodes, with glimpses of the type of humour to expect, The Valley of Fear however takes the show in a much darker direction.

I can remember the sheer outrage the famous kitty scene caused, however I find it outrageously funny, it is a hilarious scene with some real laugh out loud moments. The look on Margaret's face when poor Mrs Birkett utters the words, 'we've had to freeze the kitty,' golden.

Victor of course takes the law into his own hands, with terrible consequently.

So often they had moments that were unexplained, what was the smell by the sideboard? 9/10

Victor's Faux Pas

[tlfirth · 8/10 · 21 November 2014]

When I first started watching this series, I didn't know what to think of it! There wasn't any definite direction they were heading, yes there were nods to mortality and such, but in terms of a comedy, it didn't seem to have any essence to begin with, except for some standout moments. However, I can safely say that the third episode has most definitely compensated. From Victor locking poor Mrs Warboys in the attic to robbing a clothes shop in the marketplace, it turns out to be quite an hilarious run - not to mention a frozen cat in the fridge.

This is the first episode I've noticed to have defining edge to it, which allows great comedy and some well-moulded corners for the characters to be trapped. Richard Wilson, as usual, steals the show and his performance continues to develop as we start to see how his flaws influence his actions.

This is only the beginning, I can't wait to watch more!

A frozen cat

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 1 July 2016]

When I watched this episode, I swore that one of the older actor's in the Neighbourhood Watch meeting looked so much like the late character actor Sam Kydd that he must have been his brother. A quick check showed that there was a Jonathan Kydd in this episode, however he is Sam's son and he played the younger market stall holder.

This kind of serendipity happens a lot to Victor but not in a good way. While out photographing a sunset Victor gets mugged. His boiler is making loud noises and the repair man gets burned because he checks it while wearing shorts. Graffiti is sprayed on his house, an old woman gets trapped in their loft. There is a strange smell by the sideboard, a frozen cat is found in the freezer. He ends up unwittingly stealing from a market stall and when he think he is getting attacked by two hoodlums, they are in fact coming to his aid.

By the third episode you kind of gather this is not a conventional sitcom about an elderly couple. Strange bizarre things happen a lot to Victor or ends up in weird situations. Check out a young Jake Wood with hair (Max Branning from Eastenders) playing one of the yobs.