Butterflies (TV series)
Butterflies was a
situation comedy written by
Carla Lane and shown on
BBC 2 between
1978 and
1983.
The cast was a strong point of the programme.
Wendy Craig played frustrated housewife Ria Parkinson,
Geoffrey Palmer played her phlegmatic husband, Ben. Their youngest son, Adam was played by
Nicholas Lyndhurst and their older son, Russell was played by
Andrew Hall.
The situation is one of the day-to-day life of the Parkinson family in the bitter-sweet style the writer has made her hallmark. The comedy came from both traditional situation comedy sources (Ria's cooking, family squabbles) and more unusual places such as Ria's unconsummated love affair with her
soulmate, the rich Leonard, played by
Bruce Montague.
The
Butterflies theme song, "Love Is Like A Butterfly", was written and originally recorded by
American country and western music artist
Dolly Parton. The version used at the opening of each episode was recorded specially for the series by
Clare Torry, with a band conducted by the BBC's well-known TV composer
Ronnie Hazlehurst. An American remake was piloted but never commissioned.
Butterflies is also the inspiration behind another BBC sitcom
My Family where the mother of the family is a bad cook and the father is a dentist named Ben. However, there is no equivalent of Leonard.
*
BBC Comedy Guide*
British Sitcom Guide*
Phill.co.uk Comedy Guide 
