Original title
Agony
Released
3/11/1979
Origin country
GB, US
Genre
Comedy, Documentary
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
3
Number of episodes
20
Agony is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1979 to 1981. It starred Maureen Lipman as a successful agony aunt but whose own personal life and marriage is a disaster. It was written by Len Richmond, Anna Raeburn, Stan Hey and Andrew Nickolds. It was made for the ITV network by LWT. Although a comedy, Agony sometimes dealt with issues that were seen as taboo at the time such as drug use, racism, abortion, interracial relationships, and swinging, and was the first British sitcom to portray a gay couple as non-camp, witty, intelligent and happy people. It also openly mocked the government, the ruling classes, and religion, and occasionally contained dark and dramatic storylines.
Jane Lucas, overworked advice columnist for Person magazine, tries to cope with her usual hectic schedule as she advises a shy transvestite and takes a phone call from her husband informing her he's leaving her.
Jane tries to get use to being alone and to deal with the reactions from an avid press and an overwrought mother.
Laurence returns when Jane agrees to try some mechanical assistance for their lovemaking.
Laurence's interest in another woman at the hospital where he works prompts him to suggest that he and Jane have an open marriage agreement.
Jane tries to balance Laurence's demands for attention with Michael and Rob's need for her to mediate a quarrel.
Jane celebrates her birthday by taking the advice she's been giving to another woman; she leaves Laurence.
Jane returns from vacation and decides to start dating again, but sees Laurence on a tape at a video-dating service talking about how much he loves his wife.
Val threatens to moonlight in one of Vincent Fish's erotic films when Diana refuses to give her a raise.
Michael appears anonymously on Jane's radio show to answer questions about the homosexual lifestyle, but Junior's blunder exposes his identity with devastating consequences.
Jane tries another medium when she makes a television pilot that goes completely off course.
Jane helps Rob explain his homosexuality to his parents and advises her mother about a smitten Junior Truscombe.
A religiously reformed Andy Evol returns and both he and Jane return to Happening Radio when Junior falls ill.
Jane is taken hostage during her radio show by a reader unhappy with her advice.
Jane encounters a broad range of opposition when she decides to stop working and be a full time wife and mother.
Jane and Laurence wait for their baby while attending a baby care class run by a strange woman and trying to help Michael deal with a fight with Rob.
Jane continues helping people from her hospital bed as a black nurse faces the anger of her superior and Val runs off with Andy Evol.
Jane's investigation into group therapy uncovers a problem in her marriage and in that of Val and Andy.
Jane and Laurence's quarrel over having young Michael circumcised uncovers hidden prejudices.
Jane and Laurence grow farther apart when their baby is kidnapped by a disturbed man.
Laurence tries to win Jane back and she throws a New Year's Eve party that promises to change many people's lives.
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