Who says there’s no humor in the lives of the elderly? It worked for Golden Girls. Waiting For God was a 1990s comedy set at Bayview Retirement Village in England, and starred the then-barely-50 year-old Stephanie Cole (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) as spitfire 60-something ex-photojournalist, Diana Trent. Her co-star was Graham Crowden (Doctor Who, For Your Eyes Only), who played her neighbor (and eventual live-in partner) Tom Ballard, whose cheerful battiness counteracted her own spiteful pessimism. Yet the two shared a no-nonsense cynicism and were soon spending their days helping each other through small (and not-so-small) dramas and being rebellious. No day was complete until Diana insulted or made life a living hell for the uptight and egotistical head of the retirement village, Harvey Baines (Daniel Hill). Eventually, Tom and Diana formed a strong bond, much to the disapproval of the retirement community staff and Tom’s son (Andrew Tourell) and selfish daughter-in-law (Sandra Payne), who feared that his money–and her husband’s inheritance–would be siphoned off by Diana. Meanwhile, there was another relationship on the horizon, only it was one of unrequited love. As revolting as Baines could be, he had the heart of Jane (Janine Duvitski), the meek and frumpy worker at the home whose incessantly-upbeat attitude annoyed Diana to no end. Consequently, she, too, fell victim to Diana’s cruelty, as did other residents of the home, little children, and just about anyone else. In addition to frequent visits from Tom’s family, Diana’s niece (Lucy Aston) occasionally stopped by. Although loving, the relationship between she and Diana was tainted by Diana’s inability to be a tender maternal figure. However, the birth of her grandniece would slightly soften her hard demeanor. The series ended with Harvey marrying Jane in order to gain entrance into an exclusive golf club, and although they were set to wed, Tom and Diana called off their vows last minute because, unconventional as she was, Diana was happy with their relationship as it was. Being set in a retirement home, it wasn’t too shocking that a cast member died just after the fourth season finished shooting. Michael Bilton, who played the sexually-charged and feisty Basil Makepeace, died in 1993 at age 73 and was written out of the show. In 2004, Waiting For God landed at 37 on the BBC’s Britain’s Best Sitcom poll.
