6. This Old Heart of Mine

Jan Etherington’s award-winning comedy about a long-married couple in love with life and each other.

Starring Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam.

Joanna is accused of ‘mollycoddling’ by Roger, after his health scare. They meet the new partner of their recently widowed friend, Marian, and Roger tells Joanna ‘This is what’ll happen to us! When I’m gone, a few months later, you’ll find someone else and put my photo in a drawer’.

But a goddaughter’s joyful wedding brings back memories and they both agree that they’re still keeping the dream alive.

Producer: Claire Jones

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2023.

**** Conversations from a Long Marriage won Voice of the Listener & Viewer Award for Best Radio Comedy in 2020.

* ‘Sitcom is what most marriages are really like – repetitive and ridiculous – and Jan’s words are some of the best ever written on the subject’ RICHARD CURTIS

* ‘This gives me hope that life and marriage might permanently include taking the absolute piss while simultaneously dancing in the kitchen’. EMMA FREUD

* ‘Can Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam ever have done anything better than Jan Etherington’s two hander? Sublimely funny, touching… This is a work of supreme craftsmanship.’ SIMON O’HAGAN, RADIO TIMES

* ‘An endearing portrait of exasperation, laced with hard won tolerance – and something like love.’ THE GUARDIAN

* ‘The delicious fruit of the writer, Jan Etherington’s experience of writing lots of TV and radio, blessed by being acted by Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam. This series makes people laugh’ GILLIAN REYNOLDS. SUNDAY TIMES

* ‘You’ve been listening at my window, Jan’. JOANNA LUMLEY