For the Love of Ada

For the Love of Ada is an ITV sitcom that ran for 27 episodes across four series between April 1970 and December 1971. It centres on a gentle romance between two pensioners, a theme uncommon in British sitcoms of the time.

Created by Vince Powell and Harry Driver, the sitcom starred Irene Handl as the widowed Ada Cresswell and Wilfred Pickles as Walter Bingley, a gentle, working-class cemetery gravedigger with whom she gradually falls in love. Ada shares a home with her sharp-tongued daughter Ruth Pollitt (Barbara Mitchell) and her well-meaning but often flustered son-in-law Leslie (Jack Smethurst). Much of the humour in the early episodes derives from Ruth’s disapproval and Leslie’s awkwardness as they attempt to adjust to Ada’s blossoming late-life romance. The series gently explores themes of companionship, ageing, and the generational divide, while maintaining a light, character-driven style.

The series, produced by Ronnie Baxter for Thames Television, was filmed in colour using a multi-camera studio setup, with episodes running 25 to 30 minutes. It notably dispensed with traditional title sequences, opting instead for opening credits superimposed over live scenes.