One Foot In The Grave creator writes a novel featuring his famous curmudgeon

Victor Meldrew is being brought back from the dead in a new novel.

One Foot In The Grave creator David Renwick revealed the character will be back and struggling to cope with life in the  21st Century - despite being killed by a hit-and-run driver 20 years ago in the sitcom.

Renwick - whose credits range from Jonathan Creek to the Two Ronnies - said the new book will ‘draw upon material’ from the television series, but updated.

The original series ran from 1990 to 2000, with Richard Wilson returning to the lead role for a 2001 Comic Relief special, but apparently as a ghost.

Telling the Distinct Nostalgia podcast about his new book, Renwick said he killed the TV version of Meldrew off because ‘I felt the show had probably lasted as long as it could have done… by actually terminating Victor in the story, I made sure that people wouldn't keep asking if I would write any more. That was the main reason.’

Now 69, Renwick hasn’t written for television since Jonathan Creek ended in 2016, ad told the podcast: ‘Now everything is subjected to so much scrutiny, so many committees and executives, that I wouldn't want to work under those parameters anymore, so feel very thankful and blessed that I worked in the industry when I did.’

Meanwhile, Wilson, 84, has been complaining that the BBC does not repeat the original series.

‘We are always a bit upset that Dad’s Army gets played for centuries… One Foot In The Grave should get a shot every now and again,’ he told the One Foot In The Podcast.

‘If they put it on terrestrial television we’d get a bit more money that we get if it’s on Gold.’

One Foot in the Grave and Counting will be published by Fantom Publishing later this year. Renwick’s comments revealing the book were first spotted by the British Comedy Guide.

Published: 5 May 2021