Hotel (British TV series)

Last updated

Hotel
Genre Documentary
Directed byNeil Grant
StarringEileen Downey
Brian Burchill
Narrated by Andrew Sachs
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes8
Production
Production location Adelphi Hotel
Running time30 minutes
Production companyLion Television
Original release
Network BBC1
Release3 November (1997-11-03) 
22 December 1997 (1997-12-22)

Hotel is a 1997 eight-episode BBC "fly on the wall" production that followed the general day-to-day running of a hotel giving viewers a rare glimpse of life behind the scenes of the Britannia Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool. The series first aired 3 November 1997 on BBC1 with the first episode receiving viewing figures on 11 million. The series was directed by Neil Grant and narrated by Andrew Sachs.

Contents

Employees depicted

Character/ EmployeePositionDescription
Eileen DowneyHotel ManagerKey Character of the show known as the Ferocious Boss
Brian BirchallDeputy ManagerFamous for the quote – "JUST COOK WILL YER"
David SmithHead ChefBecame famous on Mersey FM following his argument with Brian
ChristineSenior Receptionistknown as the pregnant lady with the bump
Robert HallmarkHotel PorterFrequently in trouble for mischief & a professional skiver
Mrs OwensBiscuitsWell-known for selling over 300 cups of tea after the ill-fated 1997 Grand National.
PaulManagerBearded and generally affable mattress arranger
MalSecurityEileen's henchman, responsible for escorting an unruly guest from reception
Martin MouseBlokeOccasional visitor to hotel rooms

Just cook, will yer?

The phrase "Just cook, will yer?" became famous within Liverpool area, following the scenes in an episode when an argument between Deputy manager Brian Birchall and head chef David Smith resulted in the phrase being bellowed by Brian. The outburst became a local catch-phrase and was printed on T-shirts and various merchandise. The phrase also made it into the charts after it was released as a single by Alternative Radio [1]

Criticism

Following the first episode the Britannia Hotel chain owner reported [2] that he felt the hotel had been poorly portrayed and criticised the BBC for screening scenes that showed the hotel staff trying to handle the situation following the Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb threat during the 1997 Grand National.

Related Research Articles

<i>Fawlty Towers</i> British TV sitcom (1975–1979)

Fawlty Towers is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, originally broadcast on BBC Two in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000 and, in 2019, it was named the greatest ever British TV sitcom by a panel of comedy experts compiled by the Radio Times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cleese</span> English comedian and actor (born 1939)

John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report. In the late 1960s, he cofounded Monty Python, the comedy troupe responsible for the sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus. Along with his Python costars Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Graham Chapman, Cleese starred in Monty Python films, which include Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979), and The Meaning of Life (1983).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoke City F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the EFL Championship. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the club changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status. Stoke's home ground is the 30,089 capacity bet365 Stadium. Before it was opened in 1997, the club was based at the Victoria Ground, which was their home ground since 1878. The club's nickname is The Potters, after the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent, and their traditional home kit is a red-and-white vertically striped shirt, white shorts and stockings. Their traditional rivals are Midlands clubs West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, whilst their local rivals are Port Vale with whom they contest the Potteries derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Jacques</span> British childrens fantasy writer (1939–2011)

James Brian Jacques was an English novelist known for his Redwall series of novels and Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series. He also completed two collections of short stories entitled The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns and Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Kay</span> English actor and stand-up comedian (born 1973)

Peter John Kay is an English actor, comedy writer, director and stand-up comedian. He has written, produced, directed and acted in several television and film projects, and has written three books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Stein</span> English chef

Christopher Richard Stein, is an English celebrity chef, restaurateur, writer and television presenter. Along with business partner Jill Stein, he runs the Stein hotel and restaurant business in the UK. The business has a number of renowned restaurants, shops and hotels in Padstow along with other restaurants in Marlborough, Winchester and Barnes. He is also the head chef and a co-owner of the "Rick Stein at Bannisters" restaurants in Mollymook and Port Stephens in Australia, with his second wife, Sarah. He writes cookery books and has presented numerous cookery series for the BBC.

Airline was a British fly on the wall television programme produced by LWT that showcases the daily happenings of passengers, ground workers and flight crew of Britannia Airways and later EasyJet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Germans</span> 6th episode of the 1st series of Fawlty Towers

"The Germans" is the sixth episode of the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. In the episode, while suffering the effects of concussion, Basil Fawlty repeatedly offends some German guests. Despite warning his staff "Don't mention the war", he keeps ignoring his own advice. His insults culminate in a goose-stepping impersonation of Adolf Hitler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Road Fire Station, Manchester</span> Former fire station in Manchester, England

London Road Fire Station is a former fire station in Manchester, England. It was opened in 1906, on a site bounded by London Road, Whitworth Street, Minshull Street South and Fairfield Street. Designed in the Edwardian Baroque style by Woodhouse, Willoughby and Langham in red brick and terracotta, it cost £142,000 to build and was built by J. Gerrard and Sons of Swinton. It has been a Grade II* listed building since 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisabeth Sladen</span> English actress (1946–2011)

Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen was an English actress. She became best known as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series Doctor Who, appearing as a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, and reprising the role many times in subsequent decades, both on Doctor Who and its spin-offs, K-9 and Company (1981) and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011).

In-yer-face theatre is a term used to describe a confrontational style and sensibility of drama that emerged in Great Britain in the 1990s. This term was borrowed by British theatre critic Aleks Sierz as the title of his book, In-Yer-Face Theatre: British Drama Today, first published by Faber and Faber in March 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob's your uncle</span> British phrase

"Bob's your uncle" is a phrase commonly used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries that means "and there it is", or "and there you have it", or "it's done". Typically, someone says it to conclude a set of simple instructions or when a result is reached. The meaning is similar to that of the French expression "et voilà!".

<i>The Lakes</i> (TV series) British TV drama series (1997)

The Lakes is a British television drama series, created and principally written by Jimmy McGovern, first broadcast on BBC1 on 14 September 1997. The series, which was principally filmed in and around Patterdale and The Ullswater Hotel, Glenridding, stars John Simm as Danny Kavanagh, a hotel porter, compulsive gambler, and philanderer who escapes from the dole queues in Liverpool to live in the Lake District. After he meets and marries local girl Emma Quinlan, they move back to Liverpool. However, the consequences of Danny's gambling habit results in Emma moving back to the Lakes. Months later, Danny also returns, and takes up a job looking after a rowing boat concession, and starts to patch up his relationship with Emma.

Brian James Regan is an English actor known for playing Terry Sullivan, one of the lead roles in the Channel 4 soap Brookside, during the 1980s and 1990s. He has also had small parts in other television series. In 1988, he won the Christmas special of Wheel of Fortune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britannia Hotels</span> Budget British hotel group

Britannia Hotels is a British budget hotel group with 63 hotels in Great Britain. The company also owns the Pontins Holiday Parks. Since 2010 Britannia Hotels has been a subject of widespread criticism over the hygiene and maintenance of its locations; consumer group Which? repeatedly found the chain to be the worst in the United Kingdom since October 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fires of Pompeii</span> 2008 Doctor Who episode

"The Fires of Pompeii" is the second episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 12 April 2008. Set shortly before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, this episode depicts alien time traveller the Doctor and his new companion Donna Noble on a trip to Pompeii, where they uncover an alien invasion. Their clashing worldviews present an ethical dilemma for the Doctor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britannia Adelphi Hotel</span> Hotel in Liverpool city centre, England

The Britannia Adelphi Hotel is in Ranelagh Place, Liverpool city centre, Merseyside, England. The present building is the third hotel on the site, and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. The building is owned and managed by Britannia Hotels. It contains 402 en-suite bedrooms, conference and dining facilities, and a gymnasium.

The Hotel is a fly-on-the-wall British television documentary series which ran for four series consisting of 33 episodes. It has been broadcast on Channel 4 since 17 April 2011.

The Power of Three (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2012 Doctor Who episode

"The Power of Three" is the fourth episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who that aired on BBC One and BBC One HD on 22 September 2012. It was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Douglas Mackinnon.

<i>Cilla</i> (2014 TV series) UK TV miniseries

Cilla is a British drama serial about the early career of Cilla Black. It was broadcast in three parts on ITV, and began on 15 September 2014 with Sheridan Smith playing the starring role. Smith was highly praised for her performance.

References

  1. "Liverpool Local History – Adelphi – Just Cook Will Yer!". BBC. 22 April 2002. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  2. "BBC film 'liberties' irk adelphi's owner – 11/13/1997". Caterer Search. 13 November 1997. Retrieved 8 October 2011.