According to Bex

Last updated

According to Bex
GenreSitcom
Created byFred Barron
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Fred Barron
  • Sophie Clarke-Jervoise
Producers
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original network BBC One
Original release7 January (2005-01-07) 
25 February 2005 (2005-02-25)

According to Bex (originally titled Everything I Know About Men [1] ) is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One in 2005. Starring Jessica Stevenson (now known as Jessica Hynes), it was written by Katie Douglas, Julia Barron and Fred Barron, who also created My Family and After You've Gone . The American sitcom Courting Alex , starring Jenna Elfman, was originally based on According to Bex. [2]

Contents

Cast

Plot

According to Bex concerns the life of Bex Atwell, a twenty-something single woman who works as a secretary and who lives in London. She is looking for the perfect man and the perfect job, but in both she ends with second best.

Reception

Critical reception to the show was negative, with The Stage calling it "the biggest sitcom disaster of the year". [3] and the British Comedy Guide describing it as "dull and predictable". [4] Despite reports that a second series had been planned, [5] the show was cancelled after the first series due to low ratings. [6] Hynes considered the series so bad that she ended up firing her agent. [7]

Episodes

  1. "Stuck in the Middle With You" (7 January 2005)
  2. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (14 January 2005)
  3. "The Time Warp" (21 January 2005)
  4. "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" (28 January 2005)
  5. "Gimme Shelter" (4 February 2005)
  6. "Private Dancer" (11 February 2005)
  7. "Hanging on the Telephone" (18 February 2005)
  8. "Nothing But Flowers" (25 February 2005)

Related Research Articles

A British sitcom or a Britcom is a situational comedy programme produced for British television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Hynes</span> British actress, writer (born 1972)

Tallulah Jessica Elina Hynes is an English actress, director and writer. Known professionally as Jessica Stevenson until 2007, she was one of the creators, writers and stars of the British sitcom Spaced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sally Phillips</span> English actress and comedian

Sally Elizabeth Phillips is an English actress, comedian, and television presenter. She co-created and was one of the writers of the sketch comedy show Smack the Pony. She is also known for her roles in Jam & Jerusalem as Natasha "Tash" Vine, Miranda as Tilly, I'm Alan Partridge as Sophie, Parents as Jenny Pope, Set the Thames on Fire as Colette in 2015, Zapped as Slasher Morgan, and her guest appearances as the fictional Prime Minister of Finland Minna Häkkinen in the US TV series Veep. Phillips also co-starred in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as Mrs Bennet and in the role of Shazza in all three films of the Bridget Jones franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Mitchell (comedian)</span> British comedian, actor, writer and television personality (born 1974)

David James Stuart Mitchell is a British comedian, actor, writer and television personality. He is part of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, alongside Robert Webb.

<i>Courting Alex</i> American TV series or program

Courting Alex is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from January 23 to March 29, 2006. It was a starring vehicle for Jenna Elfman of Dharma & Greg fame. The series was based on the British sitcom According to Bex.

<i>Outnumbered</i> (British TV series) British TV sitcom

Outnumbered is a British sitcom about the Brockman family, starring Hugh Dennis as the father, Claire Skinner as the mother and their three children played by Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez.

<i>My Family</i> (series 1) Season of television series

The first series of BBC family sitcom My Family originally aired between 19 September and 7 November 2000. The first episode of the series, and the pilot episode, is entitled "The Serpent's Tooth". All eight episodes in the first series are thirty minutes long. The first episode introduces the five main characters that regularly appear in the series: Robert Lindsay, who plays Ben, Zoë Wanamaker, who plays Susan, Kris Marshall, who plays Nick, Daniela Denby-Ashe, who plays Janey, and Gabriel Thomson, who plays Michael. A further regular member of the cast is Brigitte, played by Daisy Donovan, who appears in nearly every episode of the series. The series was produced by Rude Boy Productions, a company that produces comedies created by Fred Barron. The series was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, with a live studio audience.

<i>My Family</i> (series 2) Season of television series

The second series of the BBC family sitcom My Family originally aired between 31 August and 30 November 2001. The second series was commissioned after good ratings from the first series. The opening episode, "All Roads Lead To Ramon", re-introduces the five main characters from the first series, with the addition of Brian, played by Kevin Bishop, who appeared in nearly every episode in the series. All thirteen episodes in series two are thirty minutes in length. The series was produced by Rude Boy Productions, a company that produces comedies created by Fred Barron. The series was filmed at Pinewood Studios in London, in front of a live audience.

<i>Life of Riley</i> (British TV series) British TV series or program

Life of Riley is a British comedy television series, shown on BBC One and BBC HD that aired for three series between 2009 and 2011. The programme stars Caroline Quentin and Neil Dudgeon as a recently married couple, and is set around their dysfunctional family. The show also features the couple's four children, Danny, Katy, Ted, and Rosie. After three series the show was cancelled.

<i>My Family</i> (series 3) Season of television series

The third series of the BBC family sitcom My Family originally aired between 6 September 2002 and 25 December 2002. The series was commissioned following consistently high ratings for the second series. The opening episode of the series, "Absent Vixen, Cheeky Monkey", re-introduces the five main characters, but also writes out the character of Janey, who plays only a recurring role in this series. In Episode 3, Abi Harper, played by Siobhan Hayes, is introduced to replace Janey. All fourteen episodes in the third series are thirty minutes in length, including the Christmas special. The series was once again produced by Rude Boy Productions, a company that produces comedies created by Fred Barron. The series was filmed at Pinewood Studios in London, in front of a live audience.

<i>My Family</i> (series 4) Season of television series

The fourth series of the BBC family sitcom My Family originally aired between 21 March 2003 and 25 December 2003. The series was commissioned following consistently high ratings from the third series. The opening episode of the series, "Fitting Punishment", re-introduces five of the main characters, with the exception of Janey, played by Daniela Denby-Ashe. The episode also introduces a further main character into the fold – Roger Bailey, played by Keiron Self. All fourteen episodes in the fourth series are thirty minutes in length, including the Christmas special. The series was once again produced by Rude Boy Productions, a company that produces comedies created by Fred Barron. The series was filmed at Pinewood Studios in London, in front of a live audience.

<i>My Family</i> (series 5) Season of television series

The fifth series of the BBC family sitcom My Family originally aired between 19 March 2004 and 25 December 2005. The series was commissioned following consistently high ratings for the fourth series. The opening episode of the series, "The Mummy Returns", re-introduces the six main characters from the previous series, as well as Janey, played by Daniela Denby-Ashe, who had not been seen on-screen since December 2002. The fifth series includes four specials: two-hour long Christmas specials, a 30-minute "best-of" special, and an exclusive 5-minute Comic Relief short. All thirteen regular episodes from the fifth series are thirty minutes in length. The series was once again produced by Rude Boy Productions, a company that produces comedies created by Fred Barron. The series was filmed at Pinewood Studios in London, in front of a live audience.

<i>My Family</i> (series 6) Season of television series

The sixth series of the BBC family sitcom My Family originally aired between 10 March 2006 and 25 December 2006. The series was commissioned following consistently high ratings from the previous series. The opening episode, "Bliss For Idiots", re-introduces the six main characters, with the addition of Alfie Butts, played by Rhodri Meilir. All episodes from the sixth series are thirty minutes long, excluding The series was once again produced by Rude Boy Productions, a company that produces comedies created by Fred Barron. The series was filmed at Pinewood Studios in London, in front of a live audience.

<i>My Family</i> (series 8) Season of television series

The eighth series of the BBC family sitcom My Family originally aired between 11 April 2008 and 24 December 2008. The series was commissioned following consistent ratings from the seventh series. The opening episode, "The Parent Trap", re-introduces the seven main characters. All episodes from the eighth series are thirty minutes long, excluding the Christmas special. The series was once again produced by Rude Boy Productions, a company that produces comedies created by Fred Barron. The series was filmed at Pinewood Studios in London, in front of a live audience.

<i>My Family</i> (series 10) 10th series of a BBC TV show

The tenth series of the BBC family sitcom My Family originally aired between 9 July 2010, and 27 August 2010, with a Christmas special that went to air on 24 December 2010. The series was commissioned following consistent ratings from the previous series. The opening episode, "Wheelie Ben", re-introduces the six main characters, with the addition of regular appearances from Kenzo Harper, played by Tayler Marshall. However, the character of Roger Bailey only made an appearance in the series finale. All episodes from the tenth series are thirty minutes in length, with the exception of the Christmas Special. The series was once again produced by Rude Boy Productions, a company that produces comedies created by Fred Barron. Unlike previous series of the show, which were filmed on a yearly basis, both Series 10 and 11 were filmed back-to-back. For the first time in the show's history, two episodes of the series remained unaired for some time. At the time of release, the DVD of the series contained two episodes that had yet to be broadcast on television. On 17 June 2011, one of these two episodes were aired, and the remaining one aired on 22 July 2011. The series averaged 4.55 million per episode; however, they managed to get over 6.00 million viewers for the Christmas Special.

<i>Twenty Twelve</i> British TV series or program

Twenty Twelve is a BBC television comedy series written and directed by John Morton. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes and Amelia Bullmore, the programme is a spoof on-location mockumentary following the organisation of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. It was first broadcast on UK television station BBC Four in March 2011 to coincide with the 500-day countdown to the opening ceremony.

Jessica Amy Knappett is an English comedian, actress, and writer. She is best known as the creator, writer, executive producer, and star of the E4 sitcom Drifters, as well as her role as Lisa in The Inbetweeners Movie and various panel show appearances.

<i>Up the Women</i> British TV sitcom (BBC Four, 2013–15)

Up the Women is a BBC television sitcom created, written by and starring Jessica Hynes. It was first broadcast on BBC Four on 30 May 2013. The sitcom is about a group of women in 1910 who form a Women's Suffrage movement. Hynes originally planned to write a comedy film about a suffragette plot to assassinate H. H. Asquith, but after realising the plot had turned quite dark, she decided to write a sitcom instead. Christine Gernon directed the three-part series, which became the last sitcom to be filmed before a live audience at BBC Television Centre and the first to be commissioned for BBC Four. A second series was commissioned in June 2013 and aired on BBC Two from 21 January 2015. Up the Women was not renewed for a third series.

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

Mum is a British sitcom written by Stefan Golaszewski centred on recently widowed, suburban 59-year-old Cathy and her family, following her husband's death. Each episode is named after a calendar month in the year, except series three which is set over just one week. The series features Cathy's supportive lifelong friend Michael, and her family: son Jason and his girlfriend Kelly, Cathy's brother Derek and his new partner Pauline, and Cathy's in-laws.

There She Goes is a British comedy-drama television series created and written by Shaun Pye, and based on his own experiences with his daughter who was born with a chromosomal disorder. The show follows the life of learning-disabled Rosie Yates, along with her parents Emily and Simon, and her older brother Ben. Both series are set in Rosie's present, but the writing features frequent analepses back to her infancy and pre-school life, when her parents were gradually learning of Rosie's disability.

References

  1. "My Family creator Fred Barron gets new BBC ONE series". BBC press office. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  2. "THE FUTON'S FIRST LOOK: "COURTING ALEX" (CBS, ORIGINAL PILOT)". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  3. "Doctor in the house – TV Highlights 2005". The Stage website. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  4. "According to Bex". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  5. "GOSH AND BEX". The Mirror website. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  6. Plunkett, John (31 January 2005). "BBC1 comedy slips to ratings low". The Guardian website. London. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  7. McLean, Gareth (25 May 2007). "'I went mainstream. It really wasn't me'". The Guardian website. London. Retrieved 14 February 2016.