Come Fly with Me (2010 TV series)

Last updated

Come Fly with Me
Comeflywithme 2010tv.jpg
Title card
Genre Comedy
Mockumentary
Created by Matt Lucas
David Walliams
Written byMatt Lucas
David Walliams
Kevin Cecil
Andy Riley
Directed by Paul King
StarringMatt Lucas
David Walliams
Narrated by Lindsay Duncan
Composer David Arnold
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producersMark Freeland
Geoff Posner
Producer Adam Tandy
EditorsAnt Boys
Mark Everson
Running time28 minutes
Production companies Little Britain Productions
BBC Productions
Original release
Network BBC One & BBC One HD
Release25 December 2010 (2010-12-25) –
27 January 2011 (2011-01-27)
Related
Little Britain
Airport
Luton Airport
Airline

Come Fly with Me is a British mockumentary television comedy series created by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Narrated by Lindsay Duncan, the series launched on 25 December 2010 on BBC One. A spoof of British documentaries Airport and Airline , the series follows the activity at a major airport and three fictional airlines: low-cost British airline 'FlyLo' (a parody of Easyjet), low-cost Irish airline 'Our Lady Air' (a parody of Ryanair and Aer Lingus), and major British airline 'Great British Air' (a parody of British Airways).

Contents

Lucas and Walliams portray many of the focal airline and airport staff, as well as some passengers, whose comments and experiences are featured in one or more of the series episodes in the style of a "fly on the wall documentary".

Production

In June 2010, it was announced that Little Britain stars Lucas and Walliams had reunited to star in a new comedy series set in an airport, a spoof of British documentaries Airport and Airline . [1] [2] Filming for Come Fly with Me began in early August, with the duo spending two weeks at Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield. [3] [4] A further three weeks were spent shooting at London Stansted Airport, with scenes also being filmed at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Pinewood Studios. [5] A "making of" documentary titled Come Fly on the Wall aired on BBC One on 8 February 2011. [6] On 28 January 2011, BBC announced it had commissioned a second series. [7] [8] Two years later in early January 2013, Walliams confirmed that a second series would not air, after Lucas refused to make a second series and the show was cancelled indefinitely. [9]

Airlines

Characters

Main characters

Additional characters

Episodes

Series 1 (2010–2011)

Series 1 of Come Fly with Me began airing on Christmas Day 2010 to mixed reviews from critics, and gained over 12.47 million viewers. [12] The second episode, which aired on New Year's Day 2011, gained over 8.80 million viewers, [13] while the remaining four episodes averaged around 7 million viewers throughout the rest of the series. [14] [15] [16] [17] The series began airing in the United States on BBC America on 18 June 2011, edited to fit a 30-minute time slot with commercials. [18]

No.Episode titleDirected byOriginal air dateProduction codeUnited Kingdom Viewers (millions)
1"Episode 1"Paul King25 December 2010 (2010-12-25)10112.47

Omar Baba responds to criticism of FlyLo's safety practices while husband-and-wife pilots Simon and Jackie argue about flying together, and Simon's affair. Moses Beacon is tasked with explaining to a first-class passenger that her dog has died in-flight after a heating malfunction in the cargo hold caused it to freeze to death, and later finds himself charged with escorting Hetty Wolf, a 92-year-old German woman who claims she has never flown before. She scams Moses into buying her many luxury items that she says are presents for her grandson in Florida, whom she is going to visit, as well as upgrading her seat to first class. Just as she is boarding the plane, Hetty reveals to Moses that she has actually flown many times, angering Moses.

A man that does not work at the airport is caught 'patting down' the passengers. Ian Foot investigates a case of an elderly gentleman attempting to enter the country using the passport of a 12-year-old girl. Taaj Manzoor describes his duties on an airport buggy, which he sees as a chick magnet.

Melody and Keeley learn that there may be a supervisor's opening. Mickey and Buster attempt to get a photograph of Geri Halliwell but miss her after doing a rendition of Spice Girls songs. Fearghal assists a young mother by putting her three-month old baby in the overhead locker. Precious Little closes The Coffee Hut early after claiming it has run out of coffee, then does her shopping at the airport. Sue and Geoff Stott check in for their flight to Disneyland California, and Sue talks about her love for Disney. Asuka and Nanako try to catch a glimpse of Martin Clunes returning, but he finds out they are waiting for him, and has the plane diverted to RAF Northolt.
2"Episode 2"Paul King1 January 2011 (2011-01-01)1028.80

Omar Baba reveals Flylo's latest schemes: flights to New York for £1 with a big catch, and upright "flat" beds in coach. Moses Beacon attempts to help a nervous passenger, but only worries her more by telling her statistics about plane accidents. Ian Foot detains a woman with a "suspicious" passport, believing Liberia is not an actual country. Taaj Manzoor must diplomatically tell passengers that their flight is delayed when a wing falls off the plane.

Melody must enforce FlyLo's new baggage allowances and Keeley acquaints a passenger with the company website. Mickey and Buster receive a tip-off that Queen Elizabeth II is at the airport. Fearghal works with trainee steward Lee Lodge. Tommy has ambitions to be a pilot, and tries to work his way up from the airport burger bar.

Precious Little closes her stall early claiming that there are no paper cups, and spends the day playing the fruit machines with petty cash. Peter and Judith describe their FlyLo Holidays 'cruise from hell'. First Officer Jackie flirts with a member of air-traffic control, annoying Simon. Captain Stirrick is arrested for being drunk. Ben and James detain David Schwimmer for bringing illegal transsexual pornographic DVDs into the United Kingdom, whom he makes up that they are for his Friends co star Matt LeBlanc.
3"Episode 3"Paul King6 January 2011 (2011-01-06)1037.81

Melody deals with a lady whose son is over 24 months old and argues with her about purchasing a ticket for him. Omar Baba creates a new FlyLo advert featuring dwarves following reports regarding a lack of legroom. FlyLo's ground crew member, Taaj Manzoor, shares his favourite films, which include Avatar and its sequels. Ian Foot interviews a French gentleman from Paris who speaks fluent English and inquires about his passport photo. Ian doodles a moustache on him and detains him as it grows. Pilots Simon and Jackie are scheduled for different flights, resulting in Jackie's mother accompanying Simon on his flight to Las Vegas. John and Terry explain their approach to baggage handling. Meanwhile, Precious has acquired long fake orange plastic nails from Terminal 2 that are far too long for her, preventing her from grasping anything, which forces her to close the coffee shop early. She later uses a wheelchair while having her toes done. We also meet Penny, Great British Air's most snobbish stewardess. On the flight to New York, she attempts to eject some passengers whom she considers unworthy of the First-Class cabin.

The police removed them from the plane. Tommy trains a new trainee on how to serve customers, with the assistance of his supervisor. Melody and Kelly dislike their manager, Helen. Fearghal distributes meals on a flight to Rome. Ian road tests his new board game 'Keep Em Out'. Customs Officers Roberts and Stewart attempt to determine what to do with a truly massive drug haul. They sample the substance to ascertain its nature, and deduce that some is cocaine and heroin. Moses tells us about his charity WishWings, but then jets off to Mykonos, stating that he will call the ill child when he is there. Robert and Stewart still consume the drugs. Taaj Manzoor bumps into Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint and tries to show him his film script, Future Cop 2000. Peter and Judith recall another of their 'holidays from hell' that involved no hotel accommodations and Peter experiencing an upset stomach. Precious takes the wheelchair when she has her toes done. Robert and Stewart dance in a drug-fuelled manner and let the passenger leave.

In the end, the police took the first-class couple to Guantanamo Bay for questioning. The man detained in immigration grew a moustache, but Ian denied him entry since he was French.
4"Episode 4"Paul King13 January 2011 (2011-01-13)1047.43

Melody and Keeley manage a large man and end up giving him two separate seats on the plane. Omar Baba goes green by planting a single tree on a roundabout, but insults Daybreak in the process. Fearghal showcases the new celebrity perfumes, e.g. perfumes from Sarah Ferguson, Ashley Cole, Gavin Henson, Mel Gibson. He also takes out a napkin with "business class" when he deals with a business class passenger. Fearghal additionally fills in questionnaires about his service. Moses faces a challenge with a Chinese man, then puts a sign around his neck and sends him out. Tommy tries to ask Melody out on a date but ends up accidentally buying tickets to Prague. The stewardess, Sally Wicks, with whom Simon had an affair, acts as cabin crew on Jackie and Simon's latest flight. Ian Foot dresses up as the type of people who try to enter the country, including disguising himself as a South American man. His staff, Kenneth, identifies him immediately. Micky and Buster recall their interactions with celebrities, including Colonel Gaddafi, Robert Mugabe and Kim Jong-Un.

The water in Precious' coffee stall has mysteriously been cut off, so she has to close the stall early, and decides to go and see Dirty Dancing with her sisters. However, the plumber then fixes the pipe, annoying Precious. The Woods family have their flight booked for next week instead of when they thought. So they will stay at the airport for that time. Penny is delighted when she finds out that Princess Anne will be travelling with Great British Air, but is not so delighted when she meets up with a representative of the Royal Family to discuss her requirements. John and Terry break open a Louis Vuitton suitcase and steal various items, like a laptop, shoes, an iPod, and Chanel perfume. Baba also shows us inside the new FlyLo 'Loveatory'. Peter and Judith's next 'Holiday from Hell' ended with Peter facing a twelve-year minimum prison sentence after smuggling 20kg of cocaine, with a street value of £500,000. Moses asks how Barbara Windsor got her MBE, and says that she does a lot for charity and tries to have him knighted. She tries to get her signature, but finds out that the signature is for a letter to the Queen. She insults Moses. Anne's representative says that she will request that Penny not be on Anne's flight.

In the end, the Wood family missed their flight and still live in the terminal. Mickey and Buster snapped Vladimir Putin playing frisbee with Abby Titmus. Ian Foot shows his various disguises, like Australian, Rastafarian, Russian, Lady Gaga and a Scotsman.
5"Episode 5"Paul King20 January 2011 (2011-01-20)1077.11

Helen talks to Melody after she arrives 2 hours later to work. Taaj reveals to some disgruntled passengers that their plane departed to Athens an hour before. Mickey and Buster go their separate ways when Buster loses his photographic license after he upskirts Judi Dench. They separate, and Mickey calls his friend a "pervert". Fearghal feeds an allergic passenger nuts to allow him to administer a life-saving injection and appear a hero, in an attempt to win the title of Steward of the Year. A pregnant Helen says her farewell to Melody and Keeley, but they show no emotion or reaction. Police dog handler Steve Downes reveals the history of his previous dogs, which usually ended up with them going into rehab with drug addictions.

Battle re-enactors Colin and Gavin are furious with Francoise, a check-in staff member, when they are not allowed to bring their swords to a reenactment of the Battle of Agincourt, but she denies them. baggage handler John believes he has psychic powers. Ian Foot, who has a signature from Jeremy Clarkson, does a spot check on Taaj Manzoor. Taaj tells about his Pakistani heritage, and how he likes BMX and mixed martial arts and likes Chinese food and is friends with Osama Bin Laden on Facebook. He adds his name to a list who threaten Britain's security, alongside Hardeep Singh Kohli, Mark Ramprakash and Konnie Huq. Omar Baba denies verbally sexually harassing Helen, Melody and Taaj, so he calls Keeley to come to the rescue. Peter and Judith talk about their most recent 'holiday from hell', which included being trapped in the Andes after their plane crashed and barbecuing Peter's leg. Moses meets Anna Friel, who came from Los Angeles, and reveals she is bald. George Spires sings opera to frightened users of the toilet. At a press conference, Baba flirts with female reporters, and Keeley defends him. While the reporters take their photos, Baba touches her boobs. Moses could not find her wig and tries to find replacements for her lost wig. Mickey and Buster make up again, and it is revealed that Keeley has been given the role of check in manager. Melody is jealous of the fact that her friend is the manager.

In the end, Colin and Gavin realised the act of futility of what they were doing, Steve tells that his dog has sniffed out a Jaffa cake and a book of Polo, and Moses finds the right wig for Anna.
6"Episode 6"Paul King27 January 2011 (2011-01-27)1067.22

Keeley helps purchase a ticket for Guernsey for a gentleman and informs that all flights to Guernsey have been suspended due to industrial action. Keeley is the only one who is left at the check-in desk, because she is now the check-in manager, and other FlyLo crew members are on strike. Baba is angry at the industrial action. Taaj handles angry passengers who were furious at the cancelled flights. On a Great British Air flight to Florida, Orlando, Penny settles in for a relaxing flight with no First-Class passengers, but to her irritation, she is made to work in economy and helps out the other passengers. Penny rubs a hot towel on a man's face and leaves it on his head. Tommy has an interview at the British Aviation Centre, and reveals to the interviewer that he has no qualifications and has a fear of flying. Ian Foot interviews (and insults) the Polish Ambassador for the United Kingdom, Mr Dubrowski. Dubrowski makes a complaint against Ian. In special services, wheelchair user Corinne Oliver looks after other wheelchair users and is pushed around by helper Bob. On the flight to Shannon, Fearghal is nominated for the Steward of the Year award, hosted by Dale Winton, and he is ecstatic. Penny gets more agitated at the economy passengers. Precious finally has all the supplies for the coffee hut, but closes early because there are no customers. Moses is collecting for charity, and shows us his charity video for "Flying Without Wings". John goes on strike, supporting his colleagues. Ray and Anne Wilkins, eager bar owners, say that they want to transform their pub and make people stay longer. Tommy gets rejected from the academy since he does not have the required qualifications. Moses collapses after blowing up a balloon. Judith and Peter have another 'Holiday from Hell', and are disgusted to find because of the FlyLo strike, nobody is manning the complaints desk, except Peter goes back to the island of Tobutu where they are kidnapped and practised Voodoo art and Peter impregnated all 17 virgin tribal girls. After the complaint, Ian gets suspended with pay. Ian says he will have soup and will call a British prostitute. Tommy resigns from Happy Burger, walking through the airport in just his underpants after handing the uniform back and tells of his new ambitions to become a spaceman.

Moses reveals that he has to pump balloons with a pump. Taaj is running a rally with his colleagues, but Omar walks in on Taaj's rally. Omar motivates his staff after the strike, but whispers to his assistant to fire all his staff. At the awards ceremony, after winning in a tie, Fearghal gets kicked out of the ceremony and is subsequently fired from Our Lady Air. Ray and Anne chase after people after leaving the bar during their pub quiz.

In the end, in special services, 6 of his staff were placed in a wheelchair. Peter goes on holiday to Tobutu alone, Omar replaces his staff with Vietnamese children, including on the check-in desk

Come Fly on the Wall (2011)

Come Fly on the Wall discussed the making of Come Fly with Me with Walliams and Lucas. The programme featured clips from filming, outtakes and interviews with the show's creators as they developed the series. It featured pre production discussions and rehearsals, and showed the actors filming at some of the United Kingdom's busiest airports. It also showed Walliams and Lucas transforming into their new characters in the make up chair, and bringing them to life in front of the camera.

The programme was broadcast on BBC One on 8 February 2011. [19] [20]

Cancellation

On 28 January 2011, the BBC announced that the show had been commissioned for a second series. The new series was set to air during early 2013. In January 2013, Walliams confirmed that a second series would not air, stating that Lucas did not wish to continue the show. [21] [22]

Home media

DVD/Blu-ray TitleDiscsYearEpisodesRelease dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4 Blu-ray Region B
Complete Series 1 22010–11613 March 2012 [23] 21 November 2011 [24] 24 November 2011 [25] 21 November 2011 [26]
(Region Free)

Digital Editions were released on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes / Apple TV.

Web content

In conjunction with the television episodes, a selection of extra online content was published on the programme website. [27] The extra content, featuring some of the main characters played by Matt Lucas and David Walliams, was presented as spoof versions of real life airline websites, for example an on line check in service for fictional airline FlyLo, with Melody and Keeley. [28] The content was written by Kevin Cecil, who also contributed to the television scripts. Cecil was inspired by his own work on comedy tie-in books over the years. [29]

Reception

Come Fly with Me received mixed reviews, with the Daily Express calling it "the worst sketch show, or sitcom to have ever gone out on a Christmas Day" and expressed concern over its screening on the day, considering the perceived lack of quality. [30] The Daily Mirror , however, claimed it was a resounding success and the claims of racism and lack of humour made by the Express were unfounded and hypocritical. [31] The show was the most watched comedy of 2010, with ten million viewers, [32] but also had thousands of viewer complaints, and criticism for perceived racist content. [33] It was the third most-watched show on Christmas Day in the United Kingdom. [34]

Controversy

In June 2020, Come Fly with Me, alongside Little Britain , was removed from Netflix for its use of blackface, brownface and yellowface; six months prior it had also been removed from BritBox. It had not been available on iPlayer. [35] [36] A spokesperson for the BBC said: "There's a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer, which we regularly review". On its decision to remove the shows, BritBox added: "Times have changed since Little Britain first aired, so it is not currently available on BritBox. Come Fly With Me has not been available on the service for six months". [37] Since then, an edited version of Little Britain has been restored on BBC iPlayer.[ citation needed ]

Ratings

[38]

EpisodeViewers (millions)
112.47
28.80
37.81
47.43
57.11
67.22

International versions

A Dutch version of the show was created, using an almost exact copy of the script and characters (translated to Dutch). It was broadcast on RTL 4 from August 2011.

References

  1. ↑ "New show for David Walliams and Matt Lucas". BBC News. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "David Walliams and Matt Lucas reunite for new BBC show set in an airport". The Telegraph. 29 May 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  3. ↑ "Filming begins at Doncaster-Sheffield". Robin Hood Airport Guide. 17 September 2010. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  4. ↑ "Comedy duo fly in to film new series". The Star. 24 December 2010. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  5. ↑ "More than 10 million people watch comedy Come Fly with Me". This Is Total Essex. 7 January 2011. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  6. ↑ "Come Fly on the Wall". BBC Online . Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  7. ↑ Aird, Jon (29 January 2011). "Come Fly With Me - Again!". BBC Online . Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  8. ↑ Wolf, Ian (29 January 2011). "Come Fly with Me gets a second series". British Comedy Guide . Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "David Walliams: Matt Lucas 'vetoed' Come Fly With Me sequel". BBC News. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "Come Fly With Me: fasten your seatbelts" The Daily Telegraph, 20 December 2010 Walliams cocks a blatant snook at easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou through his flamboyantly asinine, money-raking turn as low-budget airline boss Omar Baba of FlyLo.
  11. ↑ "Come Fly With Me: fasten your seatbelts" The Daily Telegraph, 20 December 2010
  12. ↑ "Doctor Who viewers go time travelling: 'Astronaut' episode is the most recorded TV show of all time". kantarmediauk.com. 19 May 2011. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "UK TV Ratings 2 January 2011". tv-ratings.free-satellite-tv.co.uk. 2 January 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  14. ↑ "UK TV Ratings 9 Jan 2011". tv-ratings.free-satellite-tv.co.uk. 9 January 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  15. ↑ "UK TV Ratings 16 Jan 2011". tv-ratings.free-satellite-tv.co.uk. 16 January 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  16. ↑ "UK TV Ratings 23 Jan 2011". tv-ratings.free-satellite-tv.co.uk. 23 January 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  17. ↑ "UK TV Ratings 30 Jan 2011". tv-ratings.free-satellite-tv.co.uk. 30 January 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  18. ↑ "Come Fly With Me BBC America". press.bbcamerica.com. 18 June 2011. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  19. ↑ "Come Fly on the Wall BBC". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  20. ↑ "Special - Come Fly on the Wall". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  21. ↑ Moodie, Clemmie (3 January 2013). "David Walliams "disappointed" Matt Lucas doesn't want a second Come Fly With Me series". Mirror . Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  22. ↑ "David Walliams: Matt Lucas 'vetoed' Come Fly With Me sequel". BBC. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  23. ↑ "Come Fly with Me - season one [DVD]". Amazon. n.d. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  24. ↑ "Come Fly with Me - Series 1 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. n.d. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  25. ↑ "ABC Shop: Come Fly With Me DVD". ABC Shop Online. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  26. ↑ "Come Fly with Me - Series 1 [Blu-ray][Region Free]". Amazon.co.uk. n.d. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  27. ↑ Online Extras Retrieved on 10 January 2011.
  28. ↑ "FlyLo Online Check-in". BBC. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  29. ↑ Come Fly with Me 'online book' Retrieved on 10 January 2011.
  30. ↑ Epstein, Robert (26 December 2010). "Come Fly with Me, BBC1, Christmas Day Poirot, ITV1, Christmas Day". The Independent. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  31. ↑ O'Sullivan, Kevin (2 January 2011). "Watch Come Fly With Me fly up the charts". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  32. ↑ "Come Fly with Me most watched comedy of 2010". The British Comedy Guide. 26 December 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  33. ↑ "Lucas and Walliams comedy prompts thousands of viewer complaints". AOL Television. 29 December 2010. Archived from the original on 1 January 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  34. ↑ "EastEnders wins Christmas Day viewing figures battle". BBC News. 26 December 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  35. ↑ "Little Britain pulled from iPlayer and Netflix because 'times have changed'". BBC News . 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  36. ↑ Moses, Toby (9 June 2020). "Little Britain removed from BBC iPlayer, Netflix and BritBox due to use of blackface". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  37. ↑ "Little Britain removed from Netflix and iPlayer amid blackface controversy". The Manc. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  38. ↑ Consolidated viewing figures retrieved from BARB database on 9 February 2011
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.