Butterflies to fly again?

Writer's hopes for sitcom revival

Eighties sitcom Butterflies could be on for a revival – if writer Carla Lane and star Wendy Craig have their way.

Both have said they would like to return to the story of bored housewife Ria contemplating adultery – to see how things worked out 25 years later.

But Lane said she had fallen out of favour with commissioners, saying: ‘The last time I went into the BBC comedy department it was full of giggling girls and cleavage.’

‘I don't think the viewers are very pleased with what they're getting these days,’ she added.

‘I am ready to get back into writing TV comedy. I always loved Butterflies and I have an idea for how Ria and Ben might have changed over the years.’

Butterflies ran from 1978 to 1983, and also starred Geoffrey Palmer as husband Ben and Nicholas Lyndhurst as youngest son Adam.

Craig, now 75, told the Daily Mail: 'I would love to find out what happened to Ria 25 years on. It would be great to get back together with Geoffrey Palmer, Nicholas Lyndhurst and the others.’

A 15-minute Butterflies reunion special did air as part of Children in Need in 2000. Other than that, 71-year-old Lane’s work has not been on TV since an unsuccessful 1996 revival of The Liver Birds.

Published: 24 Jun 2009

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