A Comedy On This Day: The Mistress (31 January 1985)

 This is rather unsatisfactory, and exposes all of the problems with Carla Lane's writing that are usually more latent in other works. Characters continually stop to pontificate and philosophise at the expense of whatever dramatic situation is supposed to be going on, and I think, "No-one would actually talk like this, ever". Even the bits that are funny don't quite ring true. It starts with Felicity Kendall burning an elaborate meal a la Butterflies, but it’s hard to understand how she wouldn't have noticed or smelled the smoke. Because she takes a wire tray out of the oven and places it directly onto a work surface, she must have already turned all of the heating off some time earlier without noticing any smoke or that the food is burnt.
 
 Later on there's supposed to be some business when Maxine fails to uncork an obstinate bottle of wine, but Felicity Kendall abandons the bottle with such unseemly haste that its another moment that makes her look feeble, rather than defeated by circumstances.
 
 This was not Gareth Gwenlan's finest half hour as a director.

 I could do with more explanation of the economics of the characters' situation. Maxine has an impressive home for a single florist, so presumably must have come into money at some point... Jenny McCracken as her assistant is wearing a (very precisely mid-80s) Laura Ashley-style outfit in grey with a tight waistline and a lot of fabric around the shoulders that doesn't do her any favours.