[[quoteright:226:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fortysomething.jpg]]

->''This... is Paul Slippery.''
->''He is 44 years old.''
->''His life is about to fall apart.''
-->--'''Opening narration''', Episode One

''Fortysomething'' is a {{Britcom}} starring Creator/HughLaurie as Paul Slippery, a London general practitioner who begins to suspect that he's hearing other people's thoughts -- most notably those of his wife, Estelle. But when you consider that Estelle has started working for an ambiguously flirtatious power lesbian, Paul's eldest son (Creator/BenedictCumberbatch) is bent on revenge against his middle son for stealing his girlfriend (whilst involved with her sister!), Paul's youngest son is using the family home as a base for various entrepreneurial activities, his colleague (Creator/PeterCapaldi) is completely bonkers, and he can't even make an intimate dinner for his wife without his entire family asking for a taste of "Proud Banana"... well, it's not completely unreasonable that Paul would go a little mad.

The show ran for one six-episode series on Creator/{{ITV}} in 2003 and was released on DVD in the summer of 2008, at which point it was known in America as "that TV show where Series/{{House}} plays a ''nice'' doctor". Since the fall of 2010, it has become known as "that TV show where Series/{{House}} is Series/{{Sherlock}}'s dad", and from 2013 onwards as "that TV show where House and Sherlock have a ham-off with [[Series/DoctorWho the Twelfth Doctor]]".

Not to be confused with the late '80s/early '90s [[Creator/AmericanBroadcastingCompany ABC]] show ''Series/{{Thirtysomething}}''.
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!! This show provides examples of:
* AllMenArePerverts: All three of the Slippery brothers, and even Paul on a couple occasions.
* BadassFingersnap: Ronnie snaps his fingers to call the waitress, and recently hypnotized Paul falls asleep.
* EveryEpisodeEnding: Each episode ended with Paul and Estelle going to bed at night.
* HearingVoices: Probably Paul's imagination, but it's never conclusively settled.
* HeelFaceTurn: Subverted. Pilfrey feels like becoming a good person and tries his best to help Paul, but his jealousy of Estelle and envy for having a family is way too strong.
* HellBentForLeather: Pilfrey, while convinced that is what his beloved one likes.
* HypnoFool: Paul is ready to treat his crisis with some hypnosis, but his doctor is not a very nice person.
* TheImmodestOrgasm: When Daniel and Laura become official, they celebrate by having sex. ''Very'' loudly. With Paul and Rory still around no less.
* JerkAss: Daniel. Dr. Pilfrey as well.
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: The thoughts Paul thinks (maybe) he hears from Estelle are... not flattering.
* MistakenForCheating: Paul was initially afraid that Estelle was actually a closeted lesbian when hearing of her encounter with a "nice lady in the park." He also gets especially incensed at the thought of Dr. Pilfrey's constant attempts to woo Estelle.
** Not to mention when Estelle tries to set up a surprise party for Paul, inviting a fair few male friends.
* MistakenForSpecialGuest / TheInspectorIsComing: An inspector is to visit Paul's hospital, but he has left some very important documents at home. Fortunately, his son Edwin is about to go out and can bring the documents to the hospital. One of Paul's colleagues notices a young man in a suit and holding a folder with that logo, and so it begins.
* NakedPeopleTrappedOutside: Hugh Laurie fangirls should know about this.
* NiceGuy: Rory
** NotSoAboveItAll: He does have his moments of letting his jealousy get the better of him, especially when he plans revenge against Daniel.
* ObsessiveLoveLetter: Pilfrey sends some to Estelle.
* OncePerEpisode: Each episode takes place in a single day, beginning with Paul and Estelle waking up in the morning and ending with them going to bed.
* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Owing to an email prank (à la Theatre/TwelfthNight ), Pilfrey is convinced that Estelle is burning with lust towards him and planning on having an affair. Estelle, meanwhile, is has no knowledge of this, is ''not'' burning with lust towards Pilfrey, and thinks she's interviewing him to headhunt him for another position. Things get... very confusing.
** Also, when Estelle is inviting several friends for a surprise party for Paul, only for Paul to jump to the conclusion that she’s having several affairs at once. Cue confusion when Paul confronts first Estelle, and then one of the friends, Jeff, who’s setting things up at the house. The fact that one of the friends, [[ItMakesSenseInContext having bumped into Paul at an AA meeting]], has likewise jumped to the conclusion that Paul is an alcoholic, doesn’t help matters.
* OpeningNarration: The first line of every episode is "This... is Paul Slippery."
* RunningGag: Someone will ask Edwin why he's not at school.
* SiblingTriangle: More like sibling ''rectangle'', which eventually resolves itself into something approximating DoubleInLawMarriage.
* SilverVixen: Gwendolen is not young but a very good-looking woman.
* YoungEntrepreneur: Edwin, much to Paul's chagrin, as one of Edwin's business ventures results in a load of refrigerators delivered to their house... and another results in crates of sex toys sitting around the Slipperys' yard.
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