Don't Wait Up

This sitcom's first season was disappointing, with gags that fell flat or only hit the mark 50% of the time. But during second season, there was a noticeable improvement in characterization and storytelling, and the show became much more watchable. A large part of this was due to the likable and talented cast who perhaps made the material better than it might otherwise have been. Another plus was the writers' decision to let the characters change and develop over the course of the show--they weren't just running in place, and "Don't Wait Up" eventually became more than an intergenerational rip-off of "The Odd Couple". The jokes were still a bit hit-or-miss, but the relationships usually rang true and provided a nice mix of humor and, at times, pathos. The first three seasons aired on my local PBS station in the late '80s. Alas, I never saw the last three, though I managed to piece together the gist of what happened through various synopses. Still, it's not quite as satisfying as actually SEEING the episodes. Maybe someday, this show will be released on video, like some other British sitcoms?