About As Time Goes By

As Time Goes By charted a fine romance between Jean and Lionel, who had fallen in love during the early 1950s, but had lost touch due to a lost letter.

As Time Goes By

Winter with Flowers

Up until the first day of the filming, the series was called Winter with Flowers. This was taken from the less-than famous German proverb "An old man loved is winter with flowers". Luckily, the cast protested and the title was changed.

Changing faces

The part of Jean was written with actress Jean Simmons (The Thorn Birds, Guys and Dolls) in mind, but she turned down the part as she was reluctant to leave her Californian home (and her dogs) for the filming.

A Fine Romance

As Time Goes By was written by Bob Larbey, who'd not only co-written The Good Life but also had penned that other romantic sitcom starring Dame Judi Dench, A Fine Romance.

That?s Living Alright

The show?s title was eventually taken from its theme tune, as sung by Joe Fagin, who had scored a big hit with the theme for Auf Wiedersehen Pet (?That?s Living Alright).

You must remember this

Although made famous in the film Casablanca, Herman Hupfeld wrote "As Time Goes By" for the 1931 Broadway musical Everybody's Welcome.

America in love

Thanks in part to Dame Judi?s Oscar-winning turn in Shakespeare in Love and her nomination for Mrs Brown, As Time Goes By was that rare thing; a Brit sitcom that was a hit in the US.