The BEST Episodes of As Time Goes By
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Sep 1, 2019
Network: BBC One
Army officer Lionel Hardcastle and nurse Jean Pargeter had a three-month affair in 1953. After Lionel is posted to Korea, the two lose touch when Lionel's letter to Jean fails to get delivered. Thirty-eight years later, they meet again. A sweetly charming situation comedy that ran for nine seasons. Best enjoyed with your feet up and with a cup of tea and some custard tarts at your side.
#1 - Welcome News
Season 4 - Episode 5
Rocky decides to give Lionel his country house in-which the film crew for the miniseries has decided to shoot. Jean and Lionel get engaged.
8.59 
#2 - Avoiding the Country Set
Season 5 - Episode 4
Jean and Lionel visit the country house again but, this time try to avoid the townspeople that caused them so much trouble the last time they visited.
8.56 
#3 - Wedding Day Nerves
Season 4 - Episode 8
Lionel and Jean's wedding day arrives. Lionel has to deal with a case of nerves while Jean has to deal with her sister-in-laws meddling.
8.54 
#4 - Pardon?
Season 7 - Episode 1
Jean suspects that Lionel is going deaf. But despite the fact that he clearly can't hear very much, Lionel resists going to a doctor. Meanwhile, he becomes convinced that Jean is having problems with her eyes, and sets about solving this dilemma.
8.50 
#5 - Going Online
Season 8 - Episode 6
Jean wants to get on the Internet. Allistar makes an annoucement which leads to his reconcilation with Judy. Meanwhile Harry breaks his leg and that leads to his reconcilation with Sandy.
8.48 
#6 - Improvements?
Season 4 - Episode 10
Lionel gets some suggestions for improvements to his script for the miniseries. Jean and Lionel argue over her retirement that has yet to happen. Later they go out to the country house to see some of the filming for the miniseries.
8.47 
#7 - What Now?
Season 9 - Episode 4
Alistair and Judith are now married, but will Harry pluck up the courage and ask Sandy to join him in Canada? Meanwhile, in the Hardcastle household, Jean has taken pity on a homeless girl named Dave - but Lionel is not entirely sure about her new friend.
8.44 
#8 - The Copper Kettle
Season 1 - Episode 3
Lionel is about to go on a lecture circuit, so he invites Jean for a day out. The revisit some old haunts, only to discover that a lot has changed. However, after a trek through an overgrown field, they find 'The Copper Kettle', an old place which Lionel and Jean were quite fond of.
8.41 
#9 - The Cruise
Season 2 - Episode 6
Jean becomes angry when Lionel invites her along on a cruise as a 'freebie'.
8.40 
#10 - Rocky's Wedding Day
Season 3 - Episode 2
It's Rocky and Madge's wedding day but, things don't go quite as planned.
8.39 
#11 - Future Imperfect
Season 8 - Episode 5
Lionel is still worried about his money future and Alistair suggests he sell the country house. Lionel and Jean decide that they should sell the house but, who is going to tell Mrs. Bale and Lol they are out of jobs. Lionel and Jean go to the country to inform everyone of their decision to sell. Later Rocky calls and offers to buy the house from Lionel so everything can remain the same.
8.39 
#12 - Visiting Rocky
Season 2 - Episode 3
Lionel takes Jean to see his eccentric father Rocky, the complete opposite of Lionel's gruff self.
8.39 
#13 - A Weekend Away
Season 2 - Episode 2
Jean is put on the spot when Judith goes away for the weekend, and the house is left empty. She is somewhat flustered with all the suggestive comments regarding her and Lionel, and makes a fool of herself.
8.37 
#14 - Time to Settle Down (a.k.a. You Can't Manufacture Happy Endings for Everybody)
Season 9 - Episode 1
Alistair has finally proposed to Judith, needless to say there are complications as Judith plans for a country wedding and realisation strikes confirmed bachelor Alistair.
8.36 
#15 - The Book Signing
Season 2 - Episode 7
The book is finally published, and Lionel begins a nationwide book-signing tour.
8.34 
#16 - A Surprise for Jean
Season 6 - Episode 7
Jean tells Lionel that she wants him to surprise her more. So Alistair suggests Lionel surprise Jean with a trip. However it turns out not to be the easiest thing to do.
8.34 
#17 - White Hunter
Season 2 - Episode 1
Lionel is nervous regarding an upcoming photo shoot for the cover of his book. Despite advice from Jean and Judith that whatever helps sell the book is worth it, Lionel is completely taken aback by what Alistair has in mind.
8.33 
#18 - Judith's New Romance
Season 4 - Episode 9
Judy gets a new boyfriend and Jean decides to ""help"" out her daughter.
8.32 
#19 - Why?
Season 2 - Episode 4
Lionel wonders why Alistair, a rich, successful publisher would be interested in publishing Lionel's less-than-blockbuster book.
8.31 
#20 - The Affair
Season 4 - Episode 4
Jean's sister-in-law decides to move in with her and Lionel after she finds out her husband is having an affair. Actually he being so secretive because he is planning a surprise anniversary party for her.
8.30 
#21 - You Must Remember This
Season 9 - Episode 5
On their own at last, with Alistair and Judith married off and Sally and Harry gone to Canada, Jean and Lionel take a look back on their life together in a one-hour retrospective featuring clips from past episodes.
8.30 
#22 - Lionel's New Hobby
Season 5 - Episode 3
Lionel starts building model boats as a way to pass the time. Jean worries about Lionel. Alistair trys to get Lionel to work on another book.
8.30 
#23 - The Picnic
Season 1 - Episode 6
Jean and Lionel are both flattered by the romantic attentions of Alistair and Judith, but decide that things cannot continue as they are. Jean bets that if all four of them go on a picnic together, Judith and Alistair will hit it off. But perhaps it will be Jean and Lionel who grow closer...
8.28 
#24 - The Country Set
Season 5 - Episode 1
Jean and Lionel spend a weekend in the country at Rocky's house. Upon arriving, they are visited by ""the country set.""
8.26 
#25 - Moving In
Season 3 - Episode 5
Lionel finally agrees to move in with Jean.
8.25