Little Britain (TV series)
Little Britain is a BBC radio and television sketch show written by Matt Lucas and David Walliams. The original series debuted on BBC Radio 4 in 2001, running for two short series of five and four half-hour episodes respectively. In 2002, the show began as a television series on the BBC's digital-only channel BBC THREE, running to 6 episodes. Most of the TV material was adapted from the original radio sketches, but there were also some original sketches featuring new recurring characters. Due to the success of the series, the first series was repeated on the mainstream channel BBC TWO. Although reactions to the series were mixed, many critics were enthusiastic, and the show has been recommissioned for another series. Interestingly, unlike many radio-based successes which have crossed over to television, it is understood that a new radio series of the programme is also planned. A second TV series featuring several new characters began on BBC THREE on October 19 2004 and due to the show's popularity the scheduled repeat run has been "promoted" to BBC ONE, guaranteeing higher ratings.
A compilation of sketches from the first radio series was been released on CD, later followed by the complete first series (presumably by public demand). Radio 4 began a rerun of all 9 episodes in February 2004. Unusually, this overlapped with a rerun on digital radio channel BBC 7 of the first 5 that began in mid-March. In June - July BBC 7 broadcast the remaining 4.
A DVD was recently released featuring all the sketches from series one, as well as a book of series ones 'Sketches and That'.
The sketches
The format of the show is based around short sketches featuring familiar characters, linked by voiceovers from Tom Baker (most famous as Doctor Who). These voiceovers take a wry look at Britain, with comically absurd statements on the nature of Britain (e.g. "Britain ... we've had running water for over 10 years and we invented the cat"; "unlike other countries Britain has people of two genders, male and female"). Regular characters include a mad Scottish hotelier with a flute; Dafydd, a gay man in a fictional small Welsh village who takes offence at any suggestion that he might not be the "only gay in the village"; the overweight, bigoted leader of Fat Fighters, a group to help people lose weight; and a caricatured schoolmaster who teaches at Kelsey Grammar (a reference to the actor Kelsey Grammer), an old-style British grammar school.
Recurring characters
A number of characters have recurred throughout the series include:
Marjorie Dawes (Lucas) runs a branch of diet group Fat Fighters. The group includes Paul, Meera (a British-Indian who Marjorie calls Mary), Jenny and Sue. One diet used by Fat Fighters is the Half the Calories diet. This involves cutting food in half. Because it is in half, it has half the calories, and because it's half the calories, you can have twice as much. Unfortunately, the diet doesn't seem to work for anyone, least of all Marjorie, although she does claim to be at her target weight, despite being over 15 stone. Marjorie originally appeared in the BBC TWO panel game Shooting Stars in the late-1990s as the mother of baby percussionist and score-keeper George Dawes. She was suspended at the end of the first series, but is again seen in charge of Fat Fighters at the start of the second, as newer viewers may have been confused by her absence.
Ray McCooney (Walliams) is the owner (chef in the series pilot) at the Aberdoon Stookhoose somewhere in Scotland. He likes speaking in riddle and rhyme and also plays his flute whenever possible, infuriating customers and staff. He doesn't appear in the second series, as the set was proving too expensive, but both stars have hinted that he may return in future, due to his popularity among viewers.
Daffyd Thomas (Lucas) claims to be the only gay man living in the small Welsh mining village of Llandewi Breffi, despite plentiful evidence otherwise. He himself, however, often displays homophobic, or least stereotyping tendencies. He can often be found in his local, The Scarecrow and Mrs King, sipping Bacardi and Coke and reading his copy of Gay Times.
Dame Sally Malcolme (Lucas) is a famous romantic novelist who likes nothing better than lounging on her couch eating truffles while her aide, Miss Grace, types up what she is dictating. Unfortunately, Dame Sally's novels often fall short of the required length, so normally end with 'blah blah blah', the entire Bible being read aloud by one character, or with whatever is on the radio at the time.
Emily/Edward Howard (Walliams) is a not very convincing transvestite and demands to be treated as a lady. But often slips back into his/her normal voice. (S)he runs a guest house in a costal town and claims to have a husband who is away at sea.
Andy and Lou are best friends. Lou is kind and generous and helps his disabled friend Andy, who can actually walk. Andy is moody, contrary and just plain lazy. The characters of Lou and Andy are derived from a Rock Profile episode featuring ficticious versions of Lou Reed and Andy Warhol.
Kenny Craig (Lucas) is a stage hypnotist who uses his powers for silly reasons, like beating his mum at Scrabble. He can't, however, hypnotise people very well, as his powers eventually begin to wear off.
Vicky Pollard (Lucas) is a moody, obnoxious teenage girl incapable of doing anything except gossiping (in a strong Bristol accent): "she's some girl who dun this fing wot you don't even know about, so shut up. Anyway, Candice reckons she saw Kelly gettin off wiv Tony Tozer in Paperchase and she giv up smokin wen she was 12." When confronted with a question, she will usually reply: "Yeah but no but yeah but wot 'appened was..."
Sabastian (Walliams) is an aide to the Prime Minister on whom he has a huge crush. He is amazingly bitchy to anyone else who the Prime Minister shows attention to, even his wife.
Dennis Waterman (Walliams) is a minute actor who, unfortunately, never gets a part because he insists he should "write the feem toon, sing the feem toon" in every part he gets.
Anne (Walliams) is a mental patient who can only seem to say "eh eh ehhh!" but can speak normally while on the telephone.
Gary and Jason are two mates who visit Gary's grandmother, on whom Jason has a crush.
Des Kay (Walliams) is a rejected child TV star who works in a DIY store. Often seen with his crocodile puppet and shouts "Wickie Woo".
External links
- BBC Radio 4 Little Britain site – includes a link to listen to the latest episode online while the series is being broadcast
- BBC Three Little Britain site
- David Walliams' site
- Little Britain page from IMDb