Maureen Lipman starred as Jane Lucas – a cosmopolitan Jewish wife and mother who was also a radio broadcaster and author of the problem page in the (fictitious) magazine Person.
The main premise was that Jane spent so much time sorting out other people’s problems that she was unable to handle her own – and they were many . . .
She had a psychiatrist husband, Laurence (Simon Williams), who was a philandering ex-public schoolboy and a Christian to boot (and from whom she eventually parted); a needy and manipulative archetypal Jewish widowed mother, Bea (Maria Charles); a magazine boss, Diana (Jan Holden), who was impossible to work for; a gung-ho office secretary, Val (Diana Weston); and, at ”Happening Radio 242”, a DJ colleague, Andy (Peter Blake), who was shallow and insufferably vain.
The only people to offer Jane any real comfort and support were Rob (Jeremy Bulloch) and his boyfriend Michael (Peter Denyer), her gay neighbours.
The portrayal of this homosexual couple as non-camp, sensitive, intelligent, witty and generally happy was a notable first in the British sitcom genre, where their arguments and tempestuous relationship provided the source of the comedy, rather than just the fact that they were gay.
When Michael took his own life in the final episode, it was a deeply tragic loss.
Real-life press and radio ”agony aunt” Anna Raeburn advised and (for the first series) co-wrote this sometimes daring and always entertaining sitcom about her own work.
The series’ media setting and Jewish background meant that the lead character could be legitimately witty, delivering wisecracks and sharp one-liners in a style more usually associated with American sitcoms.
Indeed, deviser and co-writer Len Richmond was a Californian who had worked on US TV, notably on Three’s Company.
Agony ended after three series but enjoyed two further leases of life: the first was a US translation, The Lucie Arnaz Show (with scripts from Richmond), not screened in Britain, which starred the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and ran for six episodes on CBS in 1985.
The second was a 1995 British sequel (made by the BBC, not ITV this time), Agony Again with Lipman still starring.
Now Jane was the host of the TV talk show, Lucas Live. However, she was still pestered by her mother and those around her, who included her gay son, her new man, Daniel, and her ex-husband, Laurence, who could never quite let go.
Jane Lucas
Maureen Lipman
Laurence Lucas
Simon Williams
Bea Fisher
Maria Charles
Andy Evol
Peter Blake
Rob
Jeremy Bulloch Michael
Peter Denyer
Val Dunn
Diana Weston
Diana
Jan Holden
Vincent Fish
Bill Nighy
Junior Truscombe
Robert Austin Richard
Niall Buggy Michael Lucas
Sacha Grunpeter Daniel
David Harewood Debra
Doon Mackichan Catherine
Velarie Edmond
Video
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The main premise was that Jane spent so much time sorting out other people’s problems that she was unable to handle her own – and they were many . . .
Now Jane was the host of the TV talk show, Lucas Live. However, she was still pestered by her mother and those around her, who included her gay son, her new man, Daniel, and her ex-husband, Laurence, who could never quite let go.
Michael 
