Victor Meldrew

Victor Meldrew
One Foot in the Grave character
Victor Meldrew as seen in the first episode of One Foot in the Grave
Portrayed by	Richard Wilson
Duration	1990–2000
First appearance	"Alive and Buried" (4 January 1990)
Last appearance	"Things Aren't Simple Any More" (20 November 2000)
Created by	David Renwick
Introduced by	Susan Belbin
In-universe information Occupation Security guard (retired) Father Victor Meldrew Sr. Brothers Alfred Meldrew Wife Margaret Pellow (1958–2000; his death) Sons Stuart Meldrew First cousins Geoffrey Ivor Roger

Victor Meldrew is a fictional character in the BBC One sitcom One Foot in the Grave, created by David Renwick and portrayed by Richard Wilson. The character epitomised the archetypal grumpy old man. Meldrew is a foil for the bothersome aspects of children, cars, animals, power cuts and next-door neighbours.

The character was created specifically for Wilson, with whom Renwick had worked on the series Hot Metal, though Wilson initially turned the part down as at 53, he felt he was too young to play the 60-year-old Meldrew. Renwick considered Les Dawson for the part before Wilson changed his mind.^[1]