I keep wanting to call the series underrated, but perhaps that isnt the right word when it ran for seven series throughout much of the 80s in a primetime slot on BBC1. The fact that it lasted for a whole seven seasons may be the biggest surprise of all. After an episode full of the usual: a gypsy curse, a build-up of marsh gas, Noahs sorry, Colins Ark, yet another scene full of dead birds dropping from the sky, and a ludicrous flying goose prop, we fade through to Brittas waking up on a train. : along with actress Julia St John who played Laura. General Activities Room. If you remember, Julie, the canteen was sealed by the police until after the inquest. Its easy to see how Fegen and Norriss might have decided further series really werent such a good idea. The biography section will cover the early parts of my career and yes it was occasionally nerve racking, but (in those days!) Produced and Directed by: David Askey [citation needed], Episodes of the show were shown at the 1992 Visions convention. I enjoy them both, that is why Ihave doneeight series of Red Dwarf plus Back to Earth and have now completed five series of engineering related documentariesand why I have just said yes to doing another series of Massive. Im looking after you. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. The show ran for seven series and 53 episodes including two Christmas specials from 1991 to 1997 on BBC1. find details on thousands of people in BlackBook, Comedy Rewind: Looking back at Sink Or Swim, The making of The Oldest Comedy Club In Britain, First Gig, Worst Gig: Schalk Bezuidenhout, Special - Harry Enfield And Christmas Chums. As not only owner, managing editor and webmaster of the site he is also the owner of Pissed Off Geek sister site Truly Disturbing. Which character would you say you aremost like and why? All Rights Reserved. I can't see him till ten, can I? by Little Mix. Unlike many traditional sitcoms, deaths were quite commonplace in The Brittas Empire. Laura Lancing Laura: Julia St. John. The Brittas empire. Technical Specs, [repeated line, every time Mr. Brittas asks for an explanation], [Brittas thinks Carole is putting on too much weight], [seeing Carole come from behind the desk]. It takes half an hour for the pills to work. "The Brittas Empire" Laura's Leaving (TV Episode 1993) Julia St John as Laura. Great! | The cast of much loved 90s sitcom The Brittas Empire hinted at a potential new series after reuniting Monday afternoon, more than 20-years after the show went off air. . (A wry smile and a wink will get you further than relentless exasperation.). Chris Barrie plays Gordon Brittas. It would probably be best to ask her. Release Dates Artemis And Apollo Relationship, Usually that character is a waste of everybodys time but here, its done right. Carole, could you come here a minute? Find exactly what you're looking for! I do occasionally use mimicry when I present at corporate events so its altogether a dormant muscle!! : Brittas Empire Talk. MOTHER: In your own little bed. : Don't lay too much blame at the door of the new actress, though - the writers just don't give her any opportunities to be funny. Fallback Function Is Not Defined, This ending claims all seven series were part of a dream that Brittas is having on his way to the job interview for manager of the leisure centre. Laura is usually warm and understanding . (Julia St. John), Brittas's calm and efficient deputy. The Brittas Empire: . Do Polyunsaturated Fats Raise Hdl, Probably best known for her role as Julie on The Brittas Empire, Flynn also appeared in a couple of episode of Victoria Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies. Starring Chris Barrie in one of his most memorable roles as Gordon Brittas in many ways he was the original David Brent, just even more annoying. At the beginning I did not consciously seek out only satiricalwork but clearly if mimicry is part of your act, then youll be considered for satirical shows. Brittas: Chris Barrie. | In 2004, Flynn had recurring roles in Channel 5's soap opera Family Affairs and medical drama No Angels. In 1994, The Brittas Empire had a pretty incredible run. His next big role after Brittas was as another titular sitcom character, Gary Prince, in A Prince Among Men (1997-98), which was about an insufferable former football star turned business entrepreneur. At the end of Series 5 Norriss and Fegen killed off Brittas when he was crushed to death by a falling water tank. Not even just the final series. just to think it all started started with an 8 year old and 20p that escalated quickly the brittas empire gordon brittas laura lancing chris barrie julia st john 2 notes May 26th, 2017 Open in app The Grand: The Complete Series; The Brittas Empire . The wonderful cast of "The Brittas Empire" together again for their 30 year reunion. Release Dates [3], The creators Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen often combined farce with either surreal or dramatic elements in episodes. We did the first series upstairs at the Latchemere pub in Battersea. Gordon's obsession with cleanliness and dealing properly with lost property interferes with an elaborate drug deal in the Leisure Centre, making him the target of suspicion and eventually a trial. The Brittas Empire (The Complete Brittas Empire Series One to Seven) is available on DVD in the UK From April 14th. Robert Llewellyn has written several novels, do you see yourself writing anything in the future? Michael Burns, Julia St . : [4], The Brittas Empire was "quietly revolutionary" for featuring two gay male characters, "neither remotely camp yet both very funny", which was a first for a television comedy.[5]. (No disrespect to all Maestro Owners). . Future episodes see more traditional dream sequences; Perchance to Dream in Series 2 is stuffed with meaningful dreams involving Timothy at school, and The Big Sleep which ends the third series5 involves an elaborate daydream involving a full military funeral, a mysterious lover in black, and a huge tombstone statue of Timothy himself. You do pity her at times, but she also gets her own back on him by making his life hell through her own insane schemes. Mike Burns/Colin Weatherby . Curse of the Dream Sequence - Dirty Feed The Brittas Empire | The Brittas Empire Wiki | Fandom Forces TV aired the series from 9 September 2021 until the channel shut down. The Managers Office. Sorry! The Brittas Empire: Curse of the Tiger Women But what are the cast actually up to now? [repeated line, every time Mr. Brittas asks for an explanation] round and round, never-ending reflects how trapped Timothy is something the repetitious title sequence reinforces. According to Barrie, Gordon Brittas is well-meaning but insensitive because he has a lofty dream to make the world a better place, but he doesn't know how to execute it on the small-scale. Tim left the telly industry following Brittas (following a cameo appearance in Doctors), working in theatre before becoming Director of Drama at Eastbourne College. To be fair, they make a pretty decent stab at it. The Britass Empire is a show that many people probably remember nostalgically as being good, and Im happy to say that for me personally revisiting the show as a whole confirms its comedy still works. No plans for such a show butif the right situation arises, then I will certainly consider it. Yes, of course. Where am I? Julia St John was born on 4 January, 1960 in England, United Kingdom, is an Actress. The Brittas Empire (The Complete Brittas Empire - Series One to Seven) (DVD) SNUB; The . The series peaked at 10 million viewers. Helen is often helped by her supportive friend Laura Lancing (Julia St John), Brittas' calm, efficient deputy manager. She was last seen starring in the short film Beached Whale, about a widow who travels to scatter her husband's ashes, which was screened last year. Laura Lancing | The Brittas Empire Wiki | Fandom Very difficult to choose one episode from over eight series I have to say. We hit the (metaphorical) treadmill to find out Chris had already starred in Red Dwarf before Brittas, and continued to appear as Arnold Rimmer long after Gordon packed away his gym kit. So far it seems to be working! Why wasnt Julia St John in the last series? Chris Barrie/Gordon Wellesley Brittas (Manager) Tim Marriott/Gavin Featherleigh. The Brittas Empire - Series 1 View episodes. Do you plan to embark on a stand-up or any other stage based shows in the future? What was your most/least enjoyable costume in Red Dwarf and why? Both characters had similar personality flaws (although Brittas always attempted to be friendly to those around him while Rimmer treated everyone with nothing but contempt) and even some of their history matched; for instance both characters had brief and unsuccessful stints at the Samaritans. She also made regular. The Complete Brittas Empire' Review - Pissed Off Geek You thought it was better for morale. The cast of That '70s Show where are they now? It's been 21 years since Chris Barrie's cross between Basil Fawlty and Alan Partridge made life miserable for the visitors to the Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. The fundamental problem with this is obvious, and it doesnt take a great deal of analysis. No! You thought it was better for morale. Timothy starts the episode trapped, Timothy gets a chance of happiness, Timothys mother ruins it, Timothy ends the episode still trapped. In an extraordinary sequence, Brittas gets squashed by a falling water tank (in some of the best effects work the series ever did), whilst saving Caroles life. The 62-year-old also made regular. It would probably be best to ask her. The Magazine Premium Theme by bavotasan.com. The Brittas Empire - TheTVDB.com I would have to say Ace Rimmer was my favourite. Thats not to say that a lot of episodes dont share a formula3. Yeah, I gave him your message about staying, Mr. Brittas. Even the title sequence at first glance an inappropriate LE neon nightmare is strangely apposite on reflection. Laura Lancing - Julia St. John srie 1-5 Carole Parkinson - Harriet Thorpe Tim Whistler - Russell Porter Gavin Featherly - Tim Marriott Helen Brittas - Pippa Haywood Colin Weatherby - Michael Burns Gordon Brittas - Chris Barrie Linda Perkin - Jill Greenacre Julie Porter - Judy Flynn srie 2-7 Movies. More recently, Flynn provided several voices for iconic kids' TV show Peppa Pig and fairly astonishingly she's played not one, not two, but five separate characters on the long-running hospital soap Doctors over a 10-year period (from 2007 to 2017) appearing on the show roughly once every two years to play someone different. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. And that is the story of how Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent wrote one of my favourite dream sequences of all time. Pippa followed Brittas with a long and varied career, which includes recurring roles in some of the best telly series ever. You fell right down and broke your crown. : From the Manager. The Brittas empire. The Brittas Empire; The Brittas Empire - Series 4 - Complete [1994] More Titles Starring Russell Porter. Judy Flynn/Julie Porter. Best of the Britcoms noted the series has been hailed as "the Fawlty Towers of the 1990s" due to its "fast-paced, outrageous [comedy] full of inventive gags". When it comes to the quality of The Brittas Empire it is fair to say that the comedy situations do start at a high quality, then tend to lose their effect as the series goes on. The Brittas Empire - Series 2 [Single Disc] The Brittas Empire - The Complete Series 3 [1993] More Titles Starring Julia St John. Cast confirmed Chris Barrie, Harriet Thorpe, Tim Marriott, Russell Deathridge, Jill Greenacre, Mike Burns, Andre. Chris Barrie/Gordon Wellesley Brittas (Manager) . Completely tactless, totally annoying, and forever coming up with 'half-baked' ideas (and oblivious to all of his aforementioned faults), Brittas frequently upsets his staff, public, and his frazzled wife Helen (Pippa Haywood), often bringing confusion and chaos into their lives. Laura Lancing Julia St. John - British Comedy Guide Judy Flynn/Julie Porter. Examples include High Noon, where the leisure centre is blown up on a sitcom budget (and largely convincingly, to boot); the audacious The Last Day, where they kill Brittas off, send him to heaven, and then resurrect him during his burial; and Not A Good Day, where they chain Sebastian Coe to a railing and watch him suffer for half an hour. why did julia st john leave the brittas empire When you are riding your motorcycle and shooting a pistol using your throttle hand, how is the bike still moving? If you had to pick a character you have played and live as them for a month, who would you choose? Well Helen Brittas Helen, that's fantastic! Written by: Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent She's also the voice of reason, talking sense into those around her. is the tragic tale of Timothy Lumsden, trapped in the family home, practically married to his mother all wrapped up in the guise of BBC light entertainment. Early morning, and Muriel and Timothy leave the house to catch their train. At this stage, original writers, Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen, were working on a new script. Where to Watch Episode 8 High Noon Mon, Mar 7, 1994 30 mins After getting fired, Brittas pays a visit to Whitbury and finds that business is brisk, but the staff is. Is there going to be another series of The Brittas Empire? Laura Lancing General Activities Room. International TV Schedules(Part 1) General Sitcoms News and Discussion The Brittas Empire - The Complete Series 4 [1994] The Brittas Empire - The Complete Series 2 [1992] The Brittas Empire - The Complete Series 1 [1991] More Titles Starring Julia St John. MOTHER: Yes. Its not just something pulled out of a hat to provide some kind of shocking twist it makes sense. Do you keep in touch with the Brittas cast? Laura Farrell (ne Lancing) is the Deputy Manager Dry of Whitbury Leisure Centre. The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom created and originally written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen. The Brittas Empire was broadcast for fifty-two episodes between 1991 and 1997, spanning seven series and two Christmas Specials, along with one short episode for Children in Need.Series one, two and three in 1993, and series four and five both aired in 1994. Stuart, Florida Newspaper Obituaries, Prior to these DVD releases, the BBC brought episodes to VHS in the 1990s. Did I keep the Austin Maestro used in the Brittas Series? In 1981, when it was suggested that I do it professionally, I began working up a few voices of famous people, starting with the late Kenneth Williams. Cast alterations in the series: 'Angie' (Andre Bernard), who appears as a main character in the first series, is replaced by 'Julie' from series two onwards. After series 5 they left, along with actress Julia St John who played deputy manager Laura. Written by: Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent Barrie described the humour as "straightfoward, slapstick, very accessible characters, larger-than-life abnormal things happening in a very normal situation". Due to the unexplained collapse of his last Leisure Centre during his time in temporary charge, he was given a glowing reference and 'encouraged' to take up a managerial position at Whitbury Newtown Leisure Centre. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The Gressley A4 class Pacific. I have to admit though having watched the show as a whole Im surprised at just how crazy the show went. He has had some great story lines, scenes and dialogue. DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. Laura 36 episodes, 1991-1994 Stephen Churchett . Watch The Brittas Empire Online | Season 3 (1993) | TV Guide Where are the original Loose Women hosts now? The show ran for seven series and 52 episodes including two Christmas specials from 1991 to 1997 on BBC1. Do the members of the Red Dwarf cast get on well off the set? Now you stay here. why did julia st john leave the brittas empire. It is an ending that is not well regarded by many critics and viewers and is viewed as a poor ending for such a well loved and popular show. The clues are there in plain view, yet theres no chance youll work it out before youre told. Laura Lancing [4] At the same time Barrie was playing Brittas, he was also playing his other well-known role of Arnold Rimmer in Red Dwarf. Angelina is a super actress, a very intelligent and decent person and dare I say it, damn gorgeous! There are some quality issues in the production, especially in later seasons but this does not get in the way of the stories that still hold up and are at times laugh out loud funny. In all probability, no. Gordon Brittas (Chris Barrie) is the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. For some reason. It is through well written character like these that kept The Brittas Empire going for so long, you spend half of the time watching feeling sorry for the characters, and the other half realising they are just as bad as Brittas himself. Chris Barrie in The Brittas Empire (1991) Chris Barrie in The Brittas Empire (1991) Chris Barrie, Pippa Haywood, and Julia St John in The Brittas Empire (1991) Chris . Not just that final episode. The interesting bit, though, is how he fails. The Managers Office. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top Rated Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office . : But Haywood didn't just do crime shows. You slipped on the stairs. Technically a deputy manager, he works more efficiently as the centre's caretaker. Yes, I do enjoy it. All seven series were released on DVD in the United Kingdom by Eureka Video, and also in Australia by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. : Curse of the Mummy His 'loyal' staff have stories of their own, like . Helen Brittas 51 episodes, 1991-1997 Jill Greenacre.Linda 50 episodes, 1991-1997 Judy Flynn . Robert deserves a medal! Official Sites Gordon Brittas : Laura, how's the lorry driver? Of course they are all great roles but I have always though that Kryten would be the most suitable for me. Unfortunately, the idea they go for is possibly the worst they could have come up with. Have started a JSJ LJ community It will act as a companion to the JSJ Online website - which is in the throws of a re-design and new content waiting to be added! In a mainstream BBC family sitcom in 1982, however, I cant imagine anyone would have figured out what was going on before the revelation they may have figured out at some point that this was a dream, but they wouldnt have figured out exactly when or how it started. I do remember someone suggesting that we should all meet up on a cruise ship sometime in 2010 ish with Brittas as the Entertainments Officer. We know he is a disaster, but Chris Barrie manages to keep the character likable man even if we end up groaning at some of the stuff that he does. What made you decide/realise that this was the right career path for you? In Stoke Me a Clipper you returned as Ace Rimmer. Yes, The Brittas Empire is over two decades old and the team met up just this week to have a good natter over the watercooler. Ah ha, you clearly havent noticed the special foot throttle inboard of the brake pedal (operated by the inner right heel) which, in such eventualities, overrides the hand throttle. But to figure out what went wrong, we need to skip backwards three years. [seeing Carole come from behind the desk] Menu. [14] The Shakespeare Library lists it as an example of a TV show that has fun with the idea of a man given a little power and authority that goes to his head. The Grand: The Complete Series; The Brittas Empire - Series 2 [Single Disc] The Grand [1997] More Titles Starring Harriet Thorpe. Worst of all, we come back to that final episode of Series 5. , Lets forget about the bizarre final episode of Series 4, Collapse of a Small Party, where Timothy gets mixed up in saving a circus from bailiffs. After successfully working together for so long it is difficult not to get on well. [7] While Gordon himself is a larger than life creation, he is balanced out by his slightly more 'normal' long suffering staff as foil to offset his antics.[8]. From this point on, things get increasingly strange: a taxi magically appears, driven by his friend Frank; Mother and Father race after them in the car (. Thanks for this article I couldnt help but be reminded of the legendary finale of Newhart, which did the exact same thing but in a way that the audience absolutely loved.