TV Series · 1986

The Life and Loves of a She-Devil

58 min · Comedy, Drama · Ended

Composite

6.5

IMDb

7.9 / 10

791 votes

TMDB

7.2 / 10

10 votes

Local

— / 10

No votes

Synopsis

Ruth Patchett has it all: a large, warty body, a standard suburban home, a couple of unruly children, a dog, a cat and a guinea pig. She also has Bobbo, her unfaithful accountant husband who resents her very existence. Bobbo wants, and is wanted by, romance novelist Mary Fisher, who lives in a lighthouse by the sea. When Bobo leaves Ruth for Mary, Ruth decides that Mary doesn't know the first thing about love, and she's gonna teach her.

Streaming availability

flatrate

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video with Ads

Streaming data provided by JustWatch.

Cast

Julie T. Wallace

Ruth Patchett

Patricia Hodge

Mary Foster

Dennis Waterman

Bobbo Patchett

Paul Herzberg

Garcia

—

Caroline Butler

Nicola Patchett

—

Christopher Mossford

Andy Patchett

Crew

Art

Humphrey Jaeger Production Design

Costume & Make-Up

Joyce Mortlock Costume Design
Elizabeth Rowell Makeup Designer

Editing

Malcolm Banthorpe Editor

Production

Sally Head Producer

Sound

Peter Filleul Original Music Composer

Writing

Fay Weldon Novel
Gwenda Bagshaw Script Editor

Seasons & episodes

Miniseries (1 ep)

4. Part 4

Oct 29, 1986 · 58 min

Her romance in tatters, Mary turns for help to lonely, well-meaning Catholic priest Father Ferguson. She is not to know that Ruth, having given Vista Rose over to Hopkins, has installed herself as the priest's atheist housekeeper Molly, who also introduces him to sex, convincing him that love does not exist so that the only comfort he gives Mary is cynical and carnal.