Sick of It (TV series)

Last updated

Sick of It
Genre Comedy drama
Created by Karl Pilkington
Richard Yee
Directed byRichard Yee
Starring
Theme music composerJoshua Moshier
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
ProducerJohn Pocock
Production locations West London
Dungeness
Eastbourne
New York City
EditorChris Watson
Running time22 minutes
Production companiesMe+You Productions
Alrite Productions
Original release
Network Sky One
Release27 September 2018 (2018-09-27) 
24 January 2020 (2020-01-24)

Sick of It is a British comedy-drama television series that premiered on Sky One on 27 September 2018. [1] [2] It was created and written by Karl Pilkington and Richard Yee (who also directed the series). [3] Pilkington stars as both lead characters, playing his namesake Karl, and the voice inside his head that takes the form of his Doppelgänger.

Contents

The series is set around Ladbroke Grove in London and follows Karl, a bored taxi driver who has been dumped by his girlfriend Zoe and moves in with his elderly American aunt Norma, and is struggling to get his life back on track. Karl's closest companion is the voice in his head, a sardonic, outspoken alter ego who takes the form of his double – it's the uncensored true version of Karl that says what he really thinks without the risk of offending others. [4] [5] As Karl attempts to move on from the break up and sort out his life, the voice in his head appears periodically to guide, criticise and dispense his unorthodox philosophy of life.

Pilkington and Yee have worked together since 2009 on An Idiot Abroad and The Moaning of Life . Sick of It is the first scripted project they have collaborated on. [6]

The show was renewed for a second series, which premiered in January 2020. In March 2020 in an interview with Lorraine Kelly on Lorraine , Pilkington stated that the second series would likely be the last.

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 627 September 2018 (2018-09-27)11 October 2018 (2018-10-11)
2 610 January 2020 (2020-01-10)24 January 2020 (2020-01-24)

Series 1 (2018)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [7] [8]
11"The Sofa"Richard YeeUnknown27 September 2018 (2018-09-27)1.079m (combined Wed/Thu screening)
Karl and Norma are holding a wake for Uncle Vinnie at his house. There could be no better time for a delivery man to rock up with a new sofa and Karl needs to get shot of the old one fast. When he puts an ad online, he is given the runaround by Neil.
22"The Scream"Richard YeeUnknown27 September 2018 (2018-09-27)710,400 (combined Wed/Thu screening)
Next door's noisy baby is doing Karl's head in, so when he picks up two mums and their crying kids in his taxi the next day, he loses it. This sends him off to counselling for anger management. There, his therapist forces him to confront his issues.
33"Lonely People"Richard YeeUnknown4 October 2018 (2018-10-04)596,000
Karl books a holiday alone as he needs some me-time and decides to escape Auntie Norma for a holiday in the middle of nowhere. However, his hopes of a quiet week are dashed when the nosy locals discover he is on his own.
44"Uncle Vinnie"Richard YeeUnknown4 October 2018 (2018-10-04)496,800
Karl and Norma wind up on a mad journey to Eastbourne after Karl accidentally takes a cherished photo to the charity shop. While Norma basks in her memories, Karl realises that things were not quite what they seemed when he stumbles on a secret.
55"The Kid"Richard YeeUnknown11 October 2018 (2018-10-11)456,500
Karl's big plan to woo Zoe goes out the window when a dad and his son get into his cab. Then, an urgent pick-up derails things even further when he gets stuck in the traffic at the Pride festival.
66"Bunged Up"Richard YeeUnknown11 October 2018 (2018-10-11)428,100
Dating is not going well for a constipated Karl; he has been out the game for a long time and finds himself constantly saying the wrong things. Well, that is until he meets someone who cannot understand what he says.

Series 2 (2020)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [9] UK viewers
(millions)
71"The Biscuit"Richard YeeUnknown10 January 2020 (2020-01-10)N/A
Karl sets out to hire a carer for Norma, although he doesn't think she really needs one.
82"The En-Suite"Richard YeeUnknown10 January 2020 (2020-01-10)N/A
Karl takes a job as a chauffeur in order to pay for a new car and, eventually, a place of his own but his new job prevents him from spending time with Norma.
93"Useless Lump"Richard YeeUnknown17 January 2020 (2020-01-17)N/A
A health scare sends Karl into despair when he realises he may have another forty years to live. Ruby convinces him to go back to Manchester to see an old friend.
104"Love & Laughter"Richard YeeUnknown17 January 2020 (2020-01-17)N/A
Karl just can't seem to laugh anymore, at least, not while he's awake. A night out at a comedy club brings Karl and Ruby closer together.
115"Use By Date"Richard YeeUnknown24 January 2020 (2020-01-24)N/A
Karl starts to realize how much he likes Ruby. The trouble is he doesn't know if she likes him back
126"The End"Richard YeeUnknown24 January 2020 (2020-01-24)N/A
Karl and Ruby take a trip to New York to clear up some family business.

Cast

Pilkington stars as the show’s two lead characters and appears in every episode. Sondra James plays his American Auntie Norma. In Series 2 Norma's carer Ruby is played by Marama Corlett who also becomes a love interest for Karl. Sick of It doesn’t have a regular fixed cast and instead features guest appearances each week from actors including Craig Parkinson, Kate Ashfield, Perry Benson, Finn Bennett, Remy Beasley, Mark Silcox, Raad Rawi, David Vujanic, Cokey Falcow, Lou Sanders, Shola Adewusi, Cavan Clerkin, Julia Krynke, and Doug Stanhope.

Reception

Lucy Mangan from The Guardian gave the first two episodes 3 out of 5, observing, "It may not have been pure Pilkington, but perhaps in these melancholy times we couldn’t cope with that simple, shining joy anyway." [10] Morgan Jeffery at RadioTimes.com gave the second series 4 stars out of 5, calling it "a smart, well-observed, touching and, yes, funny reflection on the intricacies and trivialities of modern life, and a step-up from the already formidable first series". [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Herring</span> English comedian and writer (born 1967)

Richard Keith Herring is an English stand-up comedian and writer whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring. He is described by The British Theatre Guide as "one of the leading hidden masters of modern British comedy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Lovett</span> British actor and comedian (born 1946)

Norman Lovett is a British stand-up comedian and actor best known for his portrayal of Holly, the ship's computer in Red Dwarf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Merchant</span> English comedian, actor, director and writer (born 1974)

Stephen James Merchant is an English comedian, actor, director, and writer. He was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series The Office (2001–2003), and co-writer, co-director, and co-star of both Extras (2005–2007) and Life's Too Short (2011–2013) alongside Ricky Gervais. With Gervais and Karl Pilkington, he hosted The Ricky Gervais Show in its radio, podcast, audiobook, and television formats; the radio version won a bronze Sony Award. He also provided the voice of the robotic "Intelligence Dampening Sphere" Wheatley in the 2011 video game Portal 2. Merchant co-developed the Sky One travel documentary series An Idiot Abroad (2010–2012) and co-created Lip Sync Battle (2015–present).

<i>Hugh and I</i> British TV series or programme

Hugh and I is a black-and-white British sitcom that aired from 1962 to 1967. It starred Terry Scott and Hugh Lloyd as two friends who shared lodgings with Terry's mother and was followed by a sequel called Hugh and I Spy. The two actors had previously worked together on stage for many years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Pilkington</span> English comedian and television personality (born 1972)

Karl Pilkington is an English presenter, actor, voice-artist, producer and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Horne</span> British comedian and musician

Alexander James Jeffery Horne is a British comedian. Horne is the creator of BAFTA award-winning TV series Taskmaster, in which he takes the role of assistant to the Taskmaster Greg Davies. He is the host and bandleader of comedic band The Horne Section. Horne hosts the band's eponymous podcast and television series, and has appeared with them on BBC Radio 4, TV channel Dave, and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Mangan</span> English film and stage actor (born 1968)

Stephen James Mangan is an English actor, comedian, presenter and writer. He has played Guy Secretan in Green Wing, Dan Moody in I'm Alan Partridge, Seán Lincoln in Episodes, Bigwig in Watership Down, Postman Pat in Postman Pat: The Movie, Richard Pitt in Hang Ups, Andrew in Bliss (2018), and Nathan Stern in The Split (2018–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Davies</span> Welsh comedian and actor

Gregory Daniel Davies is a Welsh comedian, actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known for his roles as Greg in We Are Klang, Mr Gilbert in The Inbetweeners, Ken Thompson in Cuckoo, the Taskmaster in Taskmaster and Dan Davies in Man Down, and he currently writes and stars as Paul "Wicky" Wickstead in The Cleaner. He has appeared on Mock the Week, Fast and Loose, Live at the Apollo, and Would I Lie to You?.

Jon Joel Richardson is an English comedian. He is known for his appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and his work as co-host with Russell Howard on BBC Radio 6 Music. He presented Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier, and also features with his wife Lucy Beaumont in the TV show Meet the Richardsons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Ramsey (comedian)</span> English actor and comedian

Christopher Ramsey is an English actor, comedian and presenter. After appearing in Hebburn as Jack (2012–2013), Ramsey began presenting series including I'm A Celebrity: Extra Camp (2016), Virtually Famous (2016–2017) and Stand Up Central (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Kay (writer)</span> British comedy writer, author, youtuber, comedian and former doctor (born 1980)

Adam Richard Kay is a British TV writer, author, comedian and former doctor. He is best known as author of the number-one bestselling book This Is Going to Hurt (2017). His television writing credits include This is Going to Hurt, Crims, Mrs. Brown's Boys and Mitchell and Webb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Ridley (comedian)</span> English stand-up comedian

Lee Ridley, better known by his stage name the Lost Voice Guy, is an English stand-up comedian. Disabled since early life, and unable to speak, in June 2018 he won the 12th series of Britain's Got Talent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Hartley</span> British actress (born 1972)

Joanne Victoria Hartley is an English actress born in Oldham, Lancashire who has appeared in the films This Is England, The Young Victoria, Eddie the Eagle, Slaughterhouse Rulez and Torvill & Dean and in British television series This Is England '86, Not Safe For Work, After Life, Bliss, In My Skin, Sweetheart (2021), and Bank of Dave (2023).

<i>GameFace</i> British TV series or programme

GameFace is a British sitcom created by, written by and starring Roisin Conaty. The pilot aired on Channel 4 on 23 April 2014. The first series began on E4 on 12 October 2017 and ended with the second series on Channel 4 on 14 August 2019. The show followed Marcella's (Conaty) life as she takes life coaching and attempts to find acting work.

Jamie Demetriou is an English comedian, actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Bus Rodent in Fleabag and for creating, co-writing, and starring in Stath Lets Flats. For the latter, he won Best Male Actor in a Comedy, Best Writer of a Comedy, and Best Scripted Comedy at the 2020 BAFTA Awards.

<i>Porters</i> (TV series) British television series

Porters is a British television sitcom that aired on Dave from 20 September 2017 through 2019. The series is set in the fictional St. Etheldreda's hospital, and was created by former medic Dan Sefton. The series stars Edward Easton, Susan Wokoma, Claudia Jessie, Rutger Hauer and Daniel Mays. The first series of three episodes began on 20 September 2017. A second series of six episodes began airing on 14 March 2019.

Jerk is a British black comedy television series starring and co-written by Tim Renkow. It centres around Tim, a man with cerebral palsy who tries to use his condition to his advantage. The character of Tim is based upon Renkow, who also has cerebral palsy. The series built upon a 2016 BBC production, A Brief History of Tim.

<i>Almas Not Normal</i> Television series

Alma's Not Normal is a British sitcom first broadcast as a pilot episode on BBC Two in April 2020. The series follows the eponymous Alma, from Bolton, as she tries to give her life meaning and the "fabulous" outcome she has always dreamed of, while coping with the strained relationships of her family that saw her spend time in care, something else which she is trying to reconcile. The series is written by and stars Sophie Willan, and is inspired by her own experiences of the care system.

Bloods is a British television sitcom created by Samson Kayo and Nathan Bryon that premiered on 5 May 2021 on Sky Comedy. The series stars Kayo and Jane Horrocks as South London paramedics, as they deal with emergency medical calls.

<i>Such Brave Girls</i> British Television series

Such Brave Girls is a British sitcom about a dysfunctional single-parent family created by Kat Sadler for BBC Three. It stars Sadler, with Louise Brealey and Lizzie Davidson. It is directed by Simon Bird and produced by A24 with Various Artists Ltd.

References

  1. "Sky Corporate". Sky. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  2. "Karl Pilkington to write and star in new comedy series Sick of It". Metro. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  3. "Karl Pilkington's 'Sick of It' Goes Global". www.theairwaves.org.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  4. "Karl Pilkington is finally getting his own sitcom". ShortList. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  5. Solutions, Powder Blue Internet Business. "Karl Pilkington to star in his own sitcom : News 2017 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2018.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  6. "Karl Pilkington is coming back with a brand new comedy show". The Independent. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  7. "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  8. "Four Screen Dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  9. "Sick of It – Listings". Next Episode. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  10. Mangan, Lucy (27 September 2018). "Sick of It review – Karl Pilkington's new comedy is more melancholy meditation than shaggy dog stories". theguardian.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020.
  11. "Sick of It season 2 review: Karl Pilkington's superb series finds the profound in the mundane".