The BEST Episodes of As Time Goes By
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Feb 19, 2020
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 - A Very Personal Problem
Season 8 - Episode 1 - Aired Jul 30, 2000
Judy and Alistair are no longer seeing each other neither are Sandy and Harry. So Jean decides to cheer them up. Alistair comes around to see Lionel but, Jean thinks he's there to see Judy. Jean worries that Judy will think that she was meddling so she tells Judy that Alistair was there discussing a personal problem that Lionel has. Thinking that it involves Jean, Judy plans a romantic weekend away for Lionel and Jean.
8.87 
#2 - Pardon?
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired Apr 19, 1998
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.
8.85 
#3 - What Now?
Season 9 - Episode 4 - Aired Aug 4, 2002
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.
8.84 
#4 - Improvements?
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired May 7, 1995
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.
8.80 
#5 - Welcome News
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired Apr 2, 1995
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.
8.67 
#6 - The Affair
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired Mar 26, 1995
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.
8.66 
#7 - Wedding Day Nerves
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired Apr 23, 1995
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.
8.64 
#8 - A Surprise for Jean
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired Jun 29, 1997
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.
8.60 
#9 - Time to Settle Down (a.k.a. You Can't Manufacture Happy Endings for Everybody)
Season 9 - Episode 1 - Aired Jul 7, 2002
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.
8.59 
#10 - Showered with Gifts
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired Feb 25, 1996
Lionel and Jean befriend the villagers who shower the couple with gifts.
8.55 
#11 - At Death's Door
Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired Feb 18, 1996
When Jean's sister-in-law Penny has to go into the hospital she thinks things are worse than they are and makes a big fuss.
8.54 
#12 - An Old Flame
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired Apr 26, 1998
Jean and Lionel take a parental interest in Harry, Sandy's policeman boyfriend. Yet, the affairs of the younger generation seem to diminish in importance when Jean receives a phone message from an old flame.
8.53 
#13 - Too Old ... or Too Nosy
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired May 17, 1998
Jean's sister-in-law, Penny, and her husband Steven are expected for another visit. As they are considered a rather dull couple by the Hardcastles, it is most surprising that they arrive via separate modes of transportation to announce that they are having a tiff.
8.52 
#14 - The Country Set
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired Jan 7, 1996
Jean and Lionel spend a weekend in the country at Rocky's house. Upon arriving, they are visited by ""the country set.""
8.40 
#15 - Avoiding the Country Set
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired Feb 4, 1996
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.
8.39 
#16 - Rocky's Wedding Day
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired Jan 9, 1994
It's Rocky and Madge's wedding day but, things don't go quite as planned.
8.33 
#17 - Visiting Rocky
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired Jan 24, 1993
Lionel takes Jean to see his eccentric father Rocky, the complete opposite of Lionel's gruff self.
8.33 
#18 - You Must Remember This
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired Jan 12, 1992
We meet the two main characters: Lionel and Jean. In the pilot episode, Lionel is in a hotel cafe giving a waitress a hard time. He is scathingly sarcastic. Jean is, similarly, seen being brittle and unbending. Lionel is working on his book ”My Life in Kenya” about his life in Kenya. (This joke comes up in numerous episodes.) He requires a secretary to help with the revisions. That's where Jean's secretary service ""...Type for You"" comes in. Judith, Jean's daughter, meets Lionel at his hotel to apologize for the terrible secretary. Lionel asks Judith out. When he arrives to pick her up he is introduced to Jean. After about two seconds Jean and Lionel both independently figure out who they each suspect the other person to be: a lover last seen in 1953.
8.32 
#19 - Future Imperfect
Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired Aug 27, 2000
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.
8.32 
#20 - Judith's New Romance
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired Apr 30, 1995
Judy gets a new boyfriend and Jean decides to ""help"" out her daughter.
8.30 
#21 - Lionel's New Hobby
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired Jan 21, 1996
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.
8.29 
#22 - Animal Magnetism
Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired Aug 6, 2000
Lionel trys to convince Jean that a dog has been following him. Judy and Sandy come home with the very dog that was following him. The women want to keep the dog but, Lionel wants to take him to the shelter so they can find his owner. The owner contacts the police and Harry brings him around to get the dog. Since Judy won't go with him to a party, Alistair invites Sandy and she excepts. Meanwhile Harry asks Judy to go to the movies with him and she excepts.
8.28 
#23 - The Anniversary Party
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired Apr 9, 1995
Stephen plans a surprise anniversary party for Penny but, mixes up the dates. While Jean and Lionel argue about being ""engaged"".
8.28 
#24 - The Bathroom
Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired Aug 13, 2000
After Lionel walks in on Sandy in the bathroom Jean decides to add a second bathroom. But, things don't go as planned.
8.26 
#25 - The Psychotherapist
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired May 25, 1997
Just as Lionel is getting used to his new leisurely lifestyle, Jean steps up her pace at work and home. Jean decides to see a psychotherapist to help her with wanting to stop working but, not wanting to ""retire"".
8.25