Beryl's Lot

Beryl's Lot is a British comedy drama about a woman approaching middle-age and embarking on a programme of personal development. It was written by Kevin Laffan, produced by David Cunliffe and Peter Willes, and directed by Derek Bennett and David Reynolds for Yorkshire Television and broadcast on ITV between 1973 and 1977. Beryl's Lot ran for 3 series and 52 episodes in total before its cancellation. The first two series each consisted of 13 one-hour-long episodes, the third series of 26 episodes of 30 minutes.

Plot

The series focused on Beryl Humphries, a Battersea milkman's wife and mother of three, who decided as her 40th birthday approached that she needed to broaden her horizons, which she accomplished by enrolling on a philosophy course at night school. The series dealt with how Beryl's new ideas, attitudes and outlook affected her family, friends and neighbours.

Beryl's Lot was inspired by the story of Margaret Powell (1907-1984), a former domestic servant who had undergone a similar journey of self-discovery and had written a series of bestselling books about her life experiences.