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Little Britain is a character-based BBC radio and television sketch show written by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Its title is an amalgamation of the terms 'Little England' and 'Great Britain'. It made its debut on BBC Radio 4 in 2001, running for two short series of five and four half-hour episodes respectively. In 2003, it transferred to television, with an eight-episode series on the BBC's digital-only channel BBC Three. Two more series, of six episodes each, have followed since. The programme will return for a 2006 Christmas special and Lucas and Walliams continue to deny press speculation that the third series would be the last. The BBC regards the series so far as a success. An American version is due in 2007 for HBO. There is also the possibility of a film version in the US.
Background Most of the TV material was adapted from the radio version, but some new sketches featured recurring characters. As a result of its success, the first television series was repeated on the mainstream channel BBC Two. Although reactions to it were mixed, many critics were enthusiastic, and the show was commissioned for another run. The second TV series, featuring several new characters, began on BBC Three October 19, 2004. Because of its popularity, the scheduled repeats were "promoted" to BBC One, starting December 3 2004, which guaranteed higher ratings. However, this showing did not feature material from the original run that was deemed too offensive for the BBC One audience. A third series began on Thursday 17 November 2005 on BBC One, and ended six weeks later. After its transmission, it was unclear whether there would be another, as so many sketches were given dramatic twists and "wrapped up" — see individual character articles for examples. Lucas and Walliams were reportedly in talks for a fourth series with the BBC. Furthermore, they admitted in an interview they preferred to "kill off" certain characters in order to make way for new ones. Radio 4 began a rerun of all nine episodes in February 2004. Unusually, this overlapped with a rerun on digital radio channel BBC 7 of the first five, which began in mid-March. In June–July 2004, BBC 7 broadcast the remaining four. Overseas The show is aired in Continental Europe, Scandinavia and southern Africa on BBC Prime, in the United States by BBC America *, in Canada by BBC Canada and Showcase Television, in Australia by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in New Zealand by C4 (Channel 4, of CanWest), in Sweden by SVT, in Iceland on Sjónvarpið, in Ireland by BBC and RTÉ, in The Netherlands on Nederland 3 by VPRO *, in Finland by SubTV, in Norway by NRK, in the United Arab Emirates, in India, Pakistan & Malaysia by Star World, in Belgium on Canvas, in Italy by Jimmy, in Portugal on RTP, in Austria on ORF1, in Israel by Yes *,in Switzerland by SF, in Hungary by COOL TV *, in Singapore by Arts Central, Spain by Canal+ and in Germany by Sat1 Comedy. Style and content The format of the show is a compilation of short sketches featuring familiar characters, linked by narration from Tom Baker (most famous as the Fourth Doctor on Doctor Who). The voiceovers take a wry look at Britain, with comically absurd statements on the nation's character, such as, "Britain ... We've had running water for over 10 years and we invented the cat" or, "Unlike other countries, Britain has people of two genders: women and men." The style of Little Britain has evolved over the years. The radio series and first season on TV tended to consist of surreal concepts taken to logical extremes (such as the witch employing contractors to build her gingerbread house or the man leaving increasingly bizarre messages on his answering machine.) The sketches that really caught the public's imagination, however, tended to be those which gave rise to memorable catchphrases. As the TV series went on, the humour began to rely on these as well as stereotypes of increasing vulgarity. Criticism However, the second and third series have not been without their critics, who have been particularly vociferous at the perceived treatment of minority groups. For example, Johann Hari, writing in The Independent, stated: "Little Britain has been a vehicle for two rich kids to make themselves into multi-millionaires by mocking the weakest people in Britain. Their targets are almost invariably the easiest, cheapest groups to mock: the disabled, poor, elderly, gay or fat. In one fell swoop, they have demolished protections against mocking the weak that took decades to build up." Similarly, Fergus Sheppard, writing in The Scotsman, had this to say: "The latest series of the hit BBC comedy Little Britain may be hauling in record viewing figures, but it has also sparked a previously unthinkable chorus of criticism, with claims that the show has lost its way, trading early ingenuity for swelling amounts of toilet humour in the search for cheap laughs, and becoming increasingly offensive." Although the series' supporters have dismissed these attacks, the suggestions of unhelpful attitudes towards race are hard to shake off, since regular characters in series 3 included an obese black woman (played by Walliams, albeit that she is the enemy of an obese white woman) and an unattractive Thai bride (played by Lucas, though she is married to an equally unattractive white man). This is in contrast to the first TV series, which contained a sketch apparently aimed at racist attitudes: two men in blackface (as once seen in The Black and White Minstrel Show) are shown unable to find a room in a bed and breakfast. Much of this criticism has been dismissed by the fact that Matt Lucas is gay, overweight and from a racial minority himself. Charity sketches In 2005, to raise money for Comic Relief, David Walliams and Matt Lucas made a special edition of the show, dubbed Little, Little Britain. The episode included a variety of sketches with celebrities. These included George Michael, Robbie Williams and Elton John. Further series Matt Lucas and David Walliams have recently signed a three-year deal with the BBC. The duo are currently planning a new show — one in which some of their best-known characters return, but it will be a "totally new and different series". It is due to be broadcast in the autumn of 2007, and two new Little Britain Christmas specials will air Boxing Day 2006. The special, Little Britain Abroad will take the characters and put them into locations other than Britain. American version Walliams and Lucas are due to create an American version of Little Britain for HBO. Little Britain will follow the model of The Ali G Show, a series and character created by British comedian, Sacha Baron-Cohen, which was later also created for American audiences for the network. Simon Fuller has been recruited to co-write the series with the duo, along with a team of American writers. Little Britain: The Movie Walliams and Lucas have revealed that they are developing a film version of the series for the US. "We've got a sort of film development deal and we might also do something for TV out in the US."* The cast Other cast: Guest appearances Since its debut on television, Little Britain has featured guest appearances from celebrities and television personalities, the most prominent of these being Anthony Head as the Prime Minister. As themselves As characters Ruth Madoc, Simon Callow, Christian Coulson, Mark Gatiss, Nigel Havers, Jon Culshaw, Imelda Staunton, David Baddiel, Indira Varma , Jamie Theakston and Siobhan Hayes. Major characters
Catchphrases Here are some of the most popular catchphrases to appear in the show; some are now so well-known in Britain that they can be recognised almost instantly: Doctor Who There are many references to the popular science-fiction series: Other CDs Past releases Future releases Books Stage show
Further reading See also Official sites Other related sites | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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