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Executive Stress
GenreSitcom
Created byGeorge Layton
Directed byDavid Askey (series 3)
John Howard Davies (series 1–2)
StarringPenelope Keith
Geoffrey Palmer
Peter Bowles
Harry Ditson
Elizabeth Counsell
Mark Caven
Theme music composerAndrew Lloyd Webber
Opening theme"Why We Fell in Love"
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes19
Production
ProducersJames Gilbert
John Howard Davies
Running time30 minutes
Production companyThames Television
Original release
NetworkITV
Release20 October 1986 (1986-10-20) –
27 December 1988 (1988-12-27)

Executive Stress is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1986 to 1988. Produced by Thames Television, it first aired on 20 October 1986.[1] After three series, the last episode aired on 27 December 1988.

Written by George Layton, Executive Stress stars Penelope Keith as Caroline Fairchild, a middle-aged woman who decides to go back to work. Her husband, Donald, is played by Geoffrey Palmer in the first series. Palmer was unable to return for the second series, so Peter Bowles played Donald in the remaining two series.[1] Keith and Bowles had previously appeared together in the BBC comedy series To the Manor Born.[2]

Production

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The programme was set in the world of publishing as it was one of the few industries of the era dominated by women, meaning Donald and Caroline could realistically be on an equal footing at work. Producer John Howard Davies commissioned a second series before the first series had even aired.[citation needed]

The opening theme, "Why We Fell in Love", was performed by Julie Covington. The lyrics were written by Tim Rice with the instrumentals composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.[3]

Cast

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Plot

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After 25 years of marriage, mother-of-five Caroline Fairchild decides to go back to work.[2] Her husband Donald would like her to work part-time in their home town of Amersham in Buckinghamshire.[2] Instead she gets a job in London as an Editorial Director for a company called Oasis Publishing.[1][2] At the company she is reunited with her former secretary, Anthea Duxbury, who is a sales export director.[2]

Oasis Publishing is owned by the American Frankland Corporation, which is run by Edgar Frankland, Jr., the son of the corporation's boss.[2] On Caroline's first day at work, The Frankland Corporation takes over Ginsberg Publishing, the company that Donald works for. Donald is moved to Oasis, and Caroline and he find themselves working together.[2] However, an unwritten rule at Frankland states that married couples cannot work together, so they have to pretend not to know each other, so Caroline uses her maiden name of Fielding.[1][2] In Series Two, Edgar finds out they are married, but does not sack them and makes them joint managing directors of Oasis.[1][2]

Episodes

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Three series of Executive Stress were broadcast from 1986 to 1988. The first series, made of seven episodes, aired on Mondays at 20:00 following Coronation Street, as did the six-episode second series.[2] The third series, also of six episodes, aired on Tuesdays at 20.30 following The Bill.[2]

Series Episodes Year
1 7 1986
2 6 1987
3 6 1988

Series 1: 1986

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# Title Original Airdate[4]
1"Episode One"20 October 1986 (1986-10-20)
2"Episode Two"27 October 1986 (1986-10-27)
3"Episode Three"3 November 1986 (1986-11-03)
4"Episode Four"10 November 1986 (1986-11-10)
5"Episode Five"17 November 1986 (1986-11-17)
6"Episode Six"24 November 1986 (1986-11-24)
7"Episode Seven"1 December 1986 (1986-12-01)

Series 2: 1987

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# Title Original Airdate[4]
1"Episode One"21 September 1987 (1987-09-21)
2"Episode Two"28 September 1987 (1987-09-28)
3"Episode Three"5 October 1987 (1987-10-05)
4"Episode Four"12 October 1987 (1987-10-12)
5"Episode Five"19 October 1987 (1987-10-19)
6"Episode Six"26 October 1987 (1987-10-26)

Series 3: 1988

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# Title Original Airdate[4]
1"Episode One"22 November 1988 (1988-11-22)
2"Episode Two"29 November 1988 (1988-11-29)
3"Episode Three"6 December 1988 (1988-12-06)
4"Episode Four"13 December 1988 (1988-12-13)
5"Episode Five"20 December 1988 (1988-12-20)
6"Episode Six"27 December 1988 (1988-12-27)

Broadcast around the world

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In the United States, many PBS member stations aired at least the first series in the 1980s and 1990s.

Reruns of the series also aired in 2009 in Australia on ABC Television.[5]

DVD release

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The complete first and second series were released on 26 April 2010 and 24 January 2011, by Network, The third (and final) series was finally released on 20 May 2013, followed by a complete series set (consisting all three series) on 13 August 2018.

DVD Release date
The Complete Series 1 26 April 2010
The Complete Series 2 24 January 2011
The Complete Series 3 20 May 2013
The Complete Series 1 to 3 Box Set 13 August 2018

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Summary". British TV Comedy. 2006. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lewishohn, Mark (2003). Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy. London: BBC Worldwide. ISBN 0-563-48755-0.
  3. ^ Jennifer J. Bogdanski. "Sir Tim Rice – Singles & Other Songs". Tim Rice official web site. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  4. ^ a b c "Executive Stress Episode Guide". TV.com. Retrieved 1 January 2008.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "ABC Television airing schedule". ABC Television. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
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