Victor Meldrew
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Victor Meldrew was the main character in the BBC 1 sitcom One Foot In The Grave, created by David Renwick and played by Richard Wilson.
The pensioner is most famous for his catch phrase, "I don't believe it!" - an expression of discontent which was actually used fairly infrequently. According to Wilson this is because the show's producer wanted to avoid the catch phrase becoming over used.
The series was so successful that in the UK the term a Victor Meldrew has become shorthand for a bitter and complaining elderly man. This is a little unfair to the character, as the bizarre misfortunes that befell Meldrew would often be enough to exasperate anyone. Renwick once pointed out in an interview that the name "Victor" was ironic, since he almost always ends up as a loser.
In the final episode, Meldrew was killed off after being hit by a car. This eliminated any potential rumour of a seventh series being made.