Bernadette Davis

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Bernadette Davis is a television screenwriter, who co-wrote the first 2 series of the BBC's sitcom Game On with Andrew Davies. [1] [2] She wrote the third series on her own. She was nominated for a BAFTA award for Game On in 1997. Game On was said to be: "a part of a zeitgeist that came to define a generation" and was a "sitcom that was so of its time, that it took its name from a catchphrase of the decade." [3] She studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Contents

Production

In 1996, Davis co-wrote the mini-TV series Wilderness with Andrew Davies, from the novel by Dennis Danvers. [4] She also wrote an episode of Soldier Soldier in 1997, titled "Line of Departure".

She wrote a 6-episode sitcom series called The Wilsons in 2000, which featured David Bradley and Julian Rhind-Tutt. [5] [6]

In 2012, she wrote the BBC Three sitcom series Some Girls . [7] Series 1 aired in November 2012, [8] [9] [10] and series 2 started airing in September 2013. [11]

Some Girls has been described as: "...a comedy about the kind of girls more usually seen in worrying documentaries about inner city teens. The series centres around a group of 16/17 year old pupils at [a] Comprehensive School in London." [12] Davis herself said about the show: "As far as I know, there aren't any other comedies about girls of this age. The Inbetweeners has shown what a rich area for comedy this age group is - but girls are very different and I thought they should have their own show." [13]

Reception

The Daily Mirror made the first episode of Some Girls "Tuesday's must-see TV" and described the show as "Energetic, irreverent and real". [14] The Stage online said: "the relationship between the quartet of friends is well observed and firmly rooted in recognisable, realistic emotions". [15] Comedian Jimmy Mulville, Managing Director of Hat Trick Productions, says: “This second series of Some Girls confirms Bernadette Davis as one of the funniest writers working today. We're lucky to have her.” [11]

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References

  1. "Game On". comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  2. Cf 'Andrew Davis (Television)' critical appraisal book, by Sarah Cardwell, Manchester University Press, ISBN   978-0719064920, pp198-199 for references to his work with Bernadette Davis.
  3. Interview with Matthew Cottle, , Yorkshire Post
  4. Wilderness review, ,Artists Direct
  5. The Wilsons on Channel 4 website
  6. The Wilsons on British Comedy website [ permanent dead link ]
  7. "Some Girls". comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  8. "BBC - BBC Three - Blog: BBC Three feeding more funny". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  9. "Fresh Meat's Jack Whitehall gets his own BBC3 sitcom". RadioTimes. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  10. Net News Publisher article on Some Girls Archived October 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  11. 1 2 "BBC - Some Girls return to BBC Three for brand new series - Media Centre". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  12. "ATV Today". ATV Today. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  13. Interview with Bernadette Davis about Some Girls on the BBC website
  14. Simon, Jane (6 November 2012). "Strictly Come Dancing star Colin Salmon stars in BBC3's energetic, irreverent and real Some Girls". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  15. Harry Venning. "TV review: Nick Nickleby; Some Girls; The Late Great Eric Sykes - TV & radio - The Stage". The Stage. Retrieved 13 July 2015.