Joking Apart(1993)

Joking Apart is a BBC sitcom written by Steven Moffat that chronicles the rise and fall of a marriage. Mark and Becky fall in love, marry, separate, and eventually divorce across twelve episodes broadcast between 1993 and 1995. Moffat drew the story from his own recent separation, crafting a semi-autobiographical portrait of relationship breakdown. The series employs an inventive structure: some episodes use non-linear parallel narratives that contrast the couple's early romance with their later dissolution, while others shift focus to ensemble farces centred on their friends Robert and Tracy. Paul Mark Elliott rounds out the cast as Trevor, Becky's lover. Directed by Bob Spiers and produced by Andre Ptaszynski for Pola Jones, Joking Apart balances sharp comedy with genuine emotional weight as it examines how love can unravel.