For the Love of Ada

British television sitcom

For the Love of Ada is an ITV sitcom that ran between 1970 and 1971. Although not seen on British TV for over 30 years, the complete series began airing again in late 2018 (and again in 2020, 2021 and 2023) on Talking Pictures TV, albeit edited with certain offensive words muted out. One of the notable points about this series was there were no opening titles or closing credits in the real sense of the word. Instead both were superimposed on the screen as the 'live' action and script played out on the screen.

The sitcom stars Irene Handl as Ada Cresswell, a Cockney widow, a pensioner who is prone to malapropisms. She lives with her daughter Ruth Pollitt (Barbara Mitchell) and son in law Leslie (Jack Smethurst). Ada starts a relationship with Walter Bingley (Wilfred Pickles), the gravedigger who buried her husband, after meeting him at the cemetery while laying flowers on her husband's grave. Walter is a Yorkshireman; his relationship with Ada slowly changes from one of companionship to one of romance. They get engaged, and later marry, after which they move in together at his cemetery lodge abode.

A film version, based on the series, was released in 1972. It was directed by Ronnie Baxter and featured the same principal cast, along with an appearance by Arthur English as a colleague of Walter. The plot revolves around a surprise party being planned for Ada and Walter's first wedding anniversary.

For the Love of Ada spawned an American remake called A Touch of Grace that premiered on ABC in January 1973. This version starred Shirley Booth and J. Pat O'Malley as Grace Simpson and Herbert Morrison, who like their English counterparts fall in love. The American version faced very tough competition from All In The Family and drew low ratings, resulting in its cancellation in April 1973 after 13 episodes, but ABC ran reruns of the show in prime time until June 1973.