23 October 1985(1985-10-23)– 11 December 1986(1986-12-11)
Girls on Top is a British ITVsitcom, broadcast in 1985 and 1986, and made by Witzend for the ITV contractor Central Independent Television. It stars Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ruby Wax and Tracey Ullman, and was written by French, Saunders, and Wax with additional material from Ullman. Despite a poor critical reception, the series was a ratings success.
ITV is a British free-to-air television network with its headquarters in London, it was launched in 1955 as Independent Television under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to BBC Television, that was established in 1932. ITV is also the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990, its legal name has been Channel 3, to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time, namely BBC 1, BBC 2 and Channel 4. In part, the number 3 was assigned because television sets would usually be tuned so that the regional ITV station would be on the third button, with the other stations being allocated to the number within their name.
A sitcom, clipping for situation comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new characters in each sketch, and stand-up comedy, where a comedian tells jokes and stories to an audience. Sitcoms originated in radio, but today are found mostly on television as one of its dominant narrative forms. This form can also include mockumentaries.
ITV Central, previously known as Central Independent Television, Carlton Central and popularly shortened to Central, is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, and was created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited.
The show focused on four female flatmates and their landlady. It was a female version of The Young Ones, two series of which were made in 1982 and 1984. French and Saunders had both appeared in it and, like most of its stars, were members of The Comic Strip group.
The Young Ones is a British sitcom, broadcast in the United Kingdom from 1982 to 1984 in two six-part series. Shown on BBC2, it featured anarchic, offbeat humour which helped bring alternative comedy to British television in the 1980s and made household names of its writers and performers. In 1985, it was shown on MTV, one of the first non-music television shows on the fledgling channel. The show's title relates to the song of the same name, written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett, and sung by Cliff Richard and The Shadows, which was a No. 1 UK hit single.
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents... which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders and Alexei Sayle, with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane, Lanah P and others.
The theme tune was written and performed by Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford from the British band Squeeze (with the cast singing the theme for the first series, and Tilbrook singing for the second).
Glenn Martin Tilbrook is the lead singer and guitarist of the English band Squeeze, a band formed in the mid-1970s who broke through in the new wave era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the melody for Squeeze's songs, while his writing partner, Chris Difford, wrote the lyrics. In addition to his songwriting skills, Tilbrook is respected both as a singer and an accomplished guitarist. He was born in Woolwich, London.
Christopher Henry Difford is an English singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is a founding member and songwriter of the British group Squeeze.
Squeeze are a British rock band that came to prominence in the United Kingdom during the new wave period of the late 1970s, and continued recording successfully in the 1980s and 1990s. They are known in the UK for their hit songs "Cool for Cats", "Up the Junction", "Slap and Tickle", "Another Nail in My Heart", "Pulling Mussels ", "Tempted", "Labelled with Love", "Black Coffee in Bed" and "Hourglass". Though not as commercially successful in the United States, Squeeze had American hits with "Tempted", "Hourglass" and "853-5937", and were considered a part of the Second British Invasion.
Synopsis
The first episode had Amanda struggling to find a flat and managing to procure one (that she cannot afford) from Lady Carlton. The former resident, Candice, convinces Amanda to let her stay until Wednesday because she has nowhere to go. Then, Jennifer, Amanda's childhood friend, arrives unexpectedly with nowhere to go. Eventually, Shelley is recruited to move in because of her hefty trust fund from her rich parents back in the States and because none of the others can afford to cover the rent and deposit.
Each episode centred on the fact that Shelley could order the others around because they relied on her to get the rent paid; usually the show incorporated Candice's latest invented fatal illness, or any other reason to not pay the rent. One episode had Candice convincing everyone she was dating Prince Andrew, while another found her tricking Shelley into starring in a porno movie.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is a member of the British royal family. He is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the time of his birth, he was second in the line of succession to the British throne; as of December 2018 he is seventh in line.
Tracey Ullman left after the initial series owing to her first pregnancy.
Tracey Ullman is an English actress, comedian, singer, dancer, screenwriter, producer, director, author, and businesswoman. She holds dual British and American citizenship.
Characters
Amanda Ripley (Dawn French), a radical feminist who is strait-laced, anti-male and very liberal journalist, and the central character around whom the series was based. Like Shelley, she takes her efforts too far when she has something to prove. Amanda tries to hide her fascination for men and the Royal family to comedic effect, and is always conscious of people's thoughts of her, in particular her colleague Yvonne. All in all, though, she was generally the most level-headed of the group. She has a previous history with Jennifer, which led to Jennifer moving into the flat.
Jennifer Marsh (Jennifer Saunders), a mousy and childlike woman (whom Saunders portrays as having mild learning difficulties) who was Amanda's childhood friend who serves as the whipping post for everyone else. In the first series, she is studying at Madame Laines' Secretarial and Cookery School. By the second series she is more assertive though no less naive, even briefly working as a stock broker.
Shelley DuPont (Ruby Wax), a struggling actress and the British stereotype of a gaudily dressed, rude, loud-mouthed American. The other women only tolerate her and let her live with them due to her hefty trust fund and her agreement to pay the majority of the rent in return.
Candice Valentine (Tracey Ullman), a promiscuous, lazy, manipulative gold-digger. The character is written off in the second series, with Candice leaving a voice mail declaring that she has moved to Oman and was engaged to a prince. She is not heard or spoken about after this episode.
Lady Chloe Carlton (Joan Greenwood), an eccentric elderly romance novelist and the landlady of the women's flat.
NOTE: these episode descriptions are taken from the sleeve of the DVD release, released by Network
Note: The transmission dates reflect those in the London ITV region. Alternative transmissions in other ITV regions are not listed. The first series aired on Wednesdays at 8:30pm while the second series aired on Thursdays at 9pm.
Series 1 (1985)
No. overall
No. in series
Title
Original air date
1
1
"Four-Play"
October23,1985(1985-10-23)
Amanda manages to snag herself a flat in Chelsea but is unable to pay for it herself. She has no other choice but to look for flatmates.
Candice is cultivating her latest illness; Amanda is quoting liberally from her latest publication "Spare Cheeks"; Shelley has failed yet another audition; and Jennifer, well, she's just Jennifer.
3
3
"C.O.D."
November6,1985(1985-11-06)
Candice arrives home with her latest Latin lover, Julio, but just as they're about to get down to the nitty-gritty, they are aware that there is another in their company – the inevitable Jennifer.
It's Shelley's big day. Can her ambition to become the next Glenda Jackson finally be realised at her audition for RADA? However, instead of asking her to do Shakesperean Juliet speech, they want her to improvise... as a fried egg.
5
5
"Ident: Candy Time"
November20,1985(1985-11-20)
Amanda is miffed that Candice is not paying her way with the rent even though she keeps buying expensive clothes. Shelley suggests that Candice could be a prostitute so they all decide to follow her one day.
6
6
"Skankin'"
November27,1985(1985-11-27)
Annoyed at not being asked to help with the street festival, Amanda goes out into the streets of Chelsea to look for needy people. She pounces on two black boys and then phones the festival organiser to say she has found her a reggae band.
7
7
"Hark"
December4,1985(1985-12-04)
Oh horror! Oh Calamity! Oh Jennifer! She who is lacking in almost everything, plumbs new depths when she takes Josephine, Lady Carlton's stuffed black dog, for a walk and promptly loses her in a shop. The girls plan various schemes, including a stuffed coypu, and giving Lady Carlton a message "from heaven" by a teddy bear, which is supposed to be Josephine, transformed into an angel.
Note: This was the final appearance of Tracey Ullman as Candice Valentine.
Series 2 (1986)
No. overall
No. in series
Title
Original air date
8
1
"Mr Fluffy Knows Too Much"
October30,1986(1986-10-30)
Shelley and Amanda stir Jennifer into comforting Candice about her pornographic habits which have corrupted even Lady Carlton. But Candice has left a note saying she's in hospital.
The women at Spare Cheeks are taking classes in electrical repair work which is now being taught by Tom, whose sister can't make it. Amanda, always on the lookout for a man, falls head over heels in love.
Once the subject of an exploratory brain operation (nothing was found), Jennifer suddenly reaches hitherto unknown areas of intelligence when she becomes a financial whizz-kid.
Shelley is determined to be a megastar but, at her glam/glit party, the only invitees who bother to turn up are The Beverley Sisters and the loopy Lady Carlton.
Shelley's mother pays a surprise visit and is expecting her offspring to be a fully-fledged member of the Royal Shakespeare Company by now. She is a touch disappointed to discover that Shelley is with a theatre in education group... playing a tadpole.
Lady Carlton has won a new kitchen in a competition but when her microwave explodes, all the lights go out and Shelley thinks that the world is about to end. She grovels her way into Amanda's makeshift shelter but finds there's no food there so they send Jennifer out to forage.
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedian, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won three BAFTAs, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a People's Choice Award.
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act.
Dawn Roma French is a British actress, writer, comedian and presenter from Holyhead, Wales. She is best known for starring in and writing for the BBC comedy sketch show French and Saunders with comedy partner Jennifer Saunders and for playing the lead role as Geraldine Granger in the BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. French has been nominated for seven BAFTA TV Awards and also won a BAFTA Fellowship with Jennifer Saunders.
Kevin Paul Jackson, credited as Paul Jackson; sometimes as K. Paul Jackson, is a British television director, producer and executive, known for his production roles within the BBC, ITV, and previously, Carlton and Granada. His most famous work includes The Two Ronnies, Monty Python, The Young Ones and Bottom. He was additionally the original producer for the sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf. In 2006, Jackson was named Director of Comedy and Entertainment at ITV.
Birds of a Feather is a British sitcom originally broadcast on BBC One from 16 October 1989 to 24 December 1998, then revived on ITV from 2 January 2014. Starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, it was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, who also wrote some of the episodes along with many other writers.
The Tracey Ullman Show is an American television variety show starring Tracey Ullman. It debuted on Fox on April 5, 1987 and ran until May 26, 1990. The show was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. The show blended sketch comedy with musical numbers and dance routines, choreographed by Paula Abdul, along with animated shorts. The format was conceived by creator and executive producer James L. Brooks, who was looking to showcase the show's multitalented star. Brooks likened the show to producing three pilots a week. Ullman was the first British woman to be offered her own television sketch show in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Linda Robson is an English actress and presenter, best known for playing Tracey Stubbs in the sitcom Birds of a Feather and her appearances as a weekly panellist on the ITV series Loose Women from 2012.
Difford & Tilbrook are the songwriting team of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, known for their work as the principal writers for the new wave rock band Squeeze. In addition to playing guitar for the band, they are responsible for the group's many hits, including "Cool for Cats", "Up the Junction", "Another Nail in My Heart", "Pulling Mussels ", "Tempted", and "Annie Get Your Gun". They have both written independently outside the band, and together wrote the music for the British sit-com Girls on Top starring Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ruby Wax and Tracey Ullman.
Shelley is a British sitcom made by Thames Television and originally broadcast on ITV from 12 July 1979 to 12 January 1984 and from 11 October 1988 to 1 September 1992. Starred Hywel Bennett as James Shelley, originally 28 years old and a sardonic, perpetually unemployed anti-establishment 'freelance layabout' with a doctoral degree. In the original run, Belinda Sinclair played Shelley's girlfriend Fran, and Josephine Tewson appeared regularly as his landlady, Edna Hawkins. The series was created by Peter Tilbury who also wrote the first three series. The scripts for subsequent episodes were by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, Colin Bostock-Smith, David Frith, Bernard McKenna and Barry Pilton. All 71 episodes were produced and directed by Anthony Parker.
Tracey Takes On... is an American sketch comedy series starring Tracey Ullman. The show ran for four seasons on HBO and was commissioned after the success of the 1993 comedy special Tracey Ullman Takes On New York. Each episode focuses on specific subject in which Ullman and her cast characters comment on or experience through a series of sketches and monologues.
Ruby Romaine is a fictional character portrayed by Tracey Ullman on her show Tracey Takes On.... The character became so popular, that HBO commissioned a pilot for the character which resulted in the one-off special, Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales. Ruby is a self-professed "star maker."
Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy is an interview series shown on BBC Four. In the series, Dawn French interviewed some of the most prolific comedians of the century from Phyllis Diller to Catherine Tate and asked about life, love, family and comedy. The series was shown as three episodes featuring clips from French's various interviews with different comedians, however, from 25 to 30 December 2006 BBC Four showed six full interviews of 20–30 minutes. They are Whoopi Goldberg, Catherine Tate, Kathy Burke, Julie Walters, Victoria Wood and Joan Rivers. This is one of the last interviews done with the late comedian Linda Smith. Each episode ends with a tribute to Linda Smith.
Wanted – A Good Home is the fifth episode of the fifth and final series of the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. It first aired on 5 October 1975 on ITV.
Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales is a 2003 HBO comedy special starring Tracey Ullman, a spin-off from Ullman's sketch comedy series Tracey Takes On....
Tracey Ullman: A Class Act is a sketch-comedy special starring Tracey Ullman, along with Michael Palin playing a variety of original characters. It originally aired on ITV; subsequently HBO in the United States on 23 November 1993.
Tracey Ullman's Show is a British sketch comedy television series starring Tracey Ullman. Tracey Ullman's Show premiered on BBC One on 11 January 2016. The programme marks her first project for the broadcaster in over thirty years, and her first original project for British television in twenty-two years.
Tracey Breaks the News is a British topical comedy series starring Tracey Ullman. The programme premiered on BBC One on 27 October 2017, and following a pilot episode that aired on 23 June.
"Tracey Breaks the News" is a one-off British comedy television special as well as the pilot episode of the series of the same name starring comedian Tracey Ullman, commissioned by the BBC for BBC One. It is thematically inspired by the aftermath 2017 United Kingdom general election, as well as the one year anniversary of the Brexit vote, and was recorded shortly thereafter. The special is a reformatted version of Tracey Ullman's Show. "Tracey Breaks the News" is the second special Ullman has done for British television; her first since 1993's Tracey Ullman: A Class Act, and her fifth overall. The show aired on 23 June.
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