Phoo Action

Last updated

Phoo Action
Phooaction.jpg
Terry Phoo & Whitey Action
Genre Comedy-drama
Created by Jamie Hewlett
Mat Wakeham
Directed by Euros Lyn
Starring Jaime Winstone
Eddie Shin
Carl Weathers
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languagesEnglish
Cantonese
Release
Original network BBC Three

Phoo Action is a BBC Three 60 minute TV pilot, [1] one of six drama pilots that were transmitted in early 2008, and was first broadcast on 12 February 2008 at 21:00 UTC. [2] Phoo Action is based on the Jamie Hewlett-created comic strip Get the Freebies, which ran in The Face from June 1996 to June 1997. [3] It stars Jaime Winstone as Whitey Action, Carl Weathers as Police Chief Benjamin "Ben" Benson and Eddie Shin as Terry Phoo.

Contents

Audience figures were reported at 232,000, 105,000 fewer than the average for the time slot, with a proportionately lower audience share. [4]

A six-part series was commissioned to begin shooting later in 2008 for broadcast in 2009. [5] However, just before production was due to begin the BBC announced that the series was cancelled. [6]

The show is set from the perspective of the disaffected teenage female protagonist, Whitey Action, who joins together with tough guy kung-fu cop Terry Phoo to form a dubious crime-fighting duo who thwart many mutant miscreants of The Freebies Gang on the streets of London in 2012.

The screen adaptation was written by Matthew Enriquez Wakeham, [7] Jessica Hynes and Peter Martin, [8] and directed by Euros Lyn.

Production began in September 2007 at a number of Glasgow locations. Some scenes were shot inside the main studio at BBC Scotland's Pacific Quay Studios.

Plot

Whitey Action is daughter of Ben Benson, the New Yorker Chief of the London police. When The Queen is killed by a gang of mutants, known as The Freebies, Whitey guesses they are behind the murder while her father's forces focus their attentions on a single 'a mutant insurgent' suspect. Terry Phoo, a highly trained combat cop from the Hong Kong JKD police force is called in by Benson's superior, Lord Rothwell, as he is supposedly an expert at fighting mutants. However, his investigative skills leave much to be desired. [9] [10]

The Freebies are castigated by a mysterious group of sinister characters known as the Star Chamber for killing the Queen as they were supposed to mutate her, not murder her. The Star Chamber give the Freebies one last chance, demanding that William is mutated before he is crowned. While at a party in the Freebies nightclub, Whitey sees Princes William and Harry being led off by the Freebies, and she causes a big scene, preventing them from being captured but getting herself arrested by Terry Phoo. Convincing him that she is a special agent, he takes her to his hotel room, where, while looking for chocolate, she finds a case containing 'the Buddha's loincloth that transforms into a pair of hotpants, which she immediately tries on. Phoo is rather shocked by this, especially when she pulls a giant chocolate egg out of them and the legend of a 'Chosen One' who is destined to use their power is revealed. Whitey can pull anything she desires from the pants and Terry decides this means that she is the Chosen One. [11]

Together Phoo and Action save the Princes from the evil plot to mutate them, and the subsequent plot to set the lead mutant, Jimmy Freebie, on the throne. The story ends, however, with William beginning to mutate as he is crowned, the Star Chamber seem to have won this battle despite the Freebies being eventually arrested for the Queen's murder and Phoo Action's best efforts in preventing the crowning of Freebie. [10] [12] [13]

Reception

On Saturday, 8 September, before principal photography began, John Patterson of The Guardian , writing in 'The Guide' (a weekly listings magazine), placed Phoo Action at number 13 in his list of '50 Must See Shows' of Autumn. [14]

On transmission Phoo Action polarized the UK's TV critics' opinion. [15] The Daily Telegraph's Michael Deacon hated it, writing - "BBC3 has had a revamp. Judging by Phoo Action, though, the channel remains unwavering in its commitment to diabolical television,". Whereas The Times' Andrew Billen loved it "to an almost indecent degree". [16] Writing in The Independent newspaper on Sunday, 17 February 2008 in a review entitled " Lily Allen and Friends , BBC3; Phoo Action, BBC3; Skins , E4; Attila the Hun , BBC1", Hermione Eyre stated the opinion that 'BBC3 struck gold with Phoo Action, a cult comedy in the making'. [17]

Vehicles

The 'Phoo Mobile' is a Napiersport 'SuperStratos' Corse, [18] which is a replica of the Lancia Stratos HF. The Freebies vehicle is a GP Mk2 Beach Buggy, copied from the Meyers Manx and based on a Volkswagen Beetle. During filming the car was only pushed around as the exhausts were too loud for the sound editor to cope with.

Awards

The pilot was scheduled as part of the 'Best Pilots' section, at the second annual Rome TV festival, 'Roma Fiction Fest', which took place from the 7 – 12 July 2008. Phoo Action writer Mat Wakeham was in Rome to explain the thinking behind his unique pilot. [19]

Phoo Action won the Lloyds TSB Bafta Scotland award for best television drama, beating Fiona's Story Directed by Adrian Shergold, Produced by David Boulter by BBC Scotland for BBC ONE. [20] [21]

Cancellation

On 14 November 2008 BBC Scotland notified BECTU of the decision to cancel production of Phoo Action. BECTU Scottish Organiser, Paul McManus was quoted as saying, "Naturally everyone at BBC Scotland and at BECTU are disappointed that the commission has been withdrawn. [22] This was in marked contrast to the BBC's statement released 14 February 2008, which read "We really believe in the originality and boldness of Phoo Action... It's fantastic news that the work of Jamie Hewlett and the rest of the crew will be back on the channel." [23] The cost of cutting the show, which was due to start filming in Dumbarton late November 2008, is reported to be approximately £500,000 in contract payments. [24]

However, in an official statement regarding the cancellation, BBC3 was said to be looking into whether or not Phoo Action may come back in another form in the future. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tank Girl</span> British comic book

Tank Girl is a British comic book character created by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, and first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine Deadline. After a period of intense popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tank Girl inspired a 1995 feature film. After a long hiatus, the character returned to comics in 2007 and has appeared regularly in the years since.

Cold Feet is a British comedy-drama television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV network. The series was created and principally written by Mike Bullen as a follow-up to his 1997 Comedy Premiere special of the same name. The series follows three couples experiencing the ups-and-downs of romance, originally Adam Williams and Rachel Bradley, Pete and Jenny Gifford and Karen and David Marsden. As the original series progressed, the Giffords divorced and Pete married Jo Ellison, whilst Karen and David also separated, forming relationships with Mark Cubitt and Robyn Duff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Hewlett</span> English artist

Jamie Christopher Hewlett is an English comic book creator, illustrator, music video director, and songwriter. He is the co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl with Alan Martin and co-creator of the virtual band Gorillaz, alongside Blur frontman Damon Albarn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Picturehouse Cinemas</span> Cinema chain in the United Kingdom

Picturehouse Cinemas is a network of cinemas in the United Kingdom, operated by Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd and owned by Cineworld. The company runs its own film distribution arm, Picturehouse Entertainment, which has released acclaimed films such as David Lowery's A Ghost Story, Sally Potter's The Party and Francis Lee's God's Own Country, Custody, Capernaum and The Wife. A previous iteration of this distribution arm, which focused largely on alternative content, was sold in 2017 to Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire and rebranded as Trafalgar Releasing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indira Varma</span> British actress and narrator

Indira Anne Varma is a British actress and narrator. Her film debut and first major role was in Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. She has gone on to appear in the television series The Canterbury Tales, Rome, Luther, Human Target, and Game of Thrones. In September 2016 she began starring in the ITV/Netflix series Paranoid as DS Nina Suresh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Capaldi</span> Scottish actor

Peter Dougan Capaldi is a Scottish actor and director. He portrayed the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who (2013–2017) and Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It (2005–2012), for which he received four British Academy Television Award nominations, winning Best Male Comedy Performance in 2010. When he reprised the role of Tucker in the feature film In the Loop, Capaldi was honoured with several film critic award nominations for Best Supporting Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaime Winstone</span> English actress (born 1985)

Jaime Margaret Winstone is an English actress, best known for her roles in Kidulthood, Dead Set, After Hours and her portrayal of Barbara Windsor in Babs.

Penny Downie is an Australian actress known for her stage and television appearances in the United Kingdom.

Sanjeev Singh Kohli is a British actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as shopkeeper Navid Harrid in the BBC sitcom Still Game, Ramesh Majhu in the radio sitcom Fags, Mags and Bags (2007–present), and A.J. Jandhu in the BBC Scotland soap opera River City (2015–present). Since 2019, Kohli has hosted his own television talk show Sanjeev Kohli's Big Talk, on the BBC Scotland channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermione Cockburn</span> British television and radio presenter

Hermione Anne Phoebe Cockburn is a British television and radio presenter specialising in scientific and educational programmes. She is currently Scientific Director at Our Dynamic Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Punch</span> British actress (born 1977)

Lucy Punch is a British actress. She has appeared in the films Ella Enchanted (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Dinner for Schmucks, and Into the Woods (2014). She is also known for her role as Amy in Bad Teacher (2011), Amanda in the BBC series Motherland and Esmé Squalor in the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events.

<i>Mutant Chronicles</i> (film) 2008 British film

Mutant Chronicles is a 2008 British-American science fiction action-horror film, loosely based on the role-playing game of the same name. The film was directed by Simon Hunter, and stars Thomas Jane and Ron Perlman.

Betty Kathleen Willingale was a British television producer and script editor, best known for her work on BBC Television adaptations of classic literature in the 1970s and 1980s.

<i>Being Human</i> (British TV series) British supernatural drama television series

Being Human is a British supernatural comedy-drama television series created and written by Toby Whithouse and broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama. The pilot episode starred Andrea Riseborough as Annie Sawyer, Russell Tovey as George Sands, and Guy Flanagan as John Mitchell – all of whom are sharing accommodation and attempting as well as they can to live a "normal" life and blend in with the ordinary humans around them, striving to fit in more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noma Dumezweni</span> British actress

Noma Dumezweni is a South African-British actress. In 2006, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for her performance as Ruth Younger in A Raisin in the Sun at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. In 2017, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Hermione Granger in the original West End run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; she reprised the role for the show's original Broadway run and, in 2018, was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

<i>The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency</i> (TV series) Television series

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a television comedy-drama series, produced by the BBC in conjunction with HBO, and based on the novels of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. The novels focus on the story of a detective agency opened by Mma Ramotswe and her courtship with the mechanic Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni. The series was filmed on location in Botswana and was seen as one of the first major film or television productions to be undertaken in Botswana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen Gillan</span> Scottish actress (born 1987)

Karen Sheila Gillan is a Scottish actress and filmmaker. She gained recognition for her work in British film and television, particularly for playing Amy Pond, a primary companion to the Eleventh Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who (2010–2013), for which she received several awards and nominations. Her early film roles include Ally in the thriller film Outcast (2010) and Jane Lockhart in the romantic comedy film Not Another Happy Ending (2013). She also worked on the stage while in Britain, appearing in John Osborne's play Inadmissible Evidence (2011).

"New Allegiances" is the series seven premiere and 57th episode of the British espionage television series Spooks. It was originally broadcast on BBC One on 27 October 2008. The episode was written by Neil Cross, with additional writing by Ben Richards, and directed by Colm McCarthy. The episode is considered the first of a two-part story, which concludes with following episode "Split Loyalties".

The pilot episode of the BBC fantasy television show Being Human aired on BBC Three on 18 February 2008.

<i>The Gifted</i> (American TV series) 2017 American superhero television series

The Gifted is an American superhero television series created for Fox by Matt Nix, based on Marvel Comics' X-Men properties, set in an alternate timeline to the X-Men film series where the X-Men have disappeared. The show is produced by 20th Century Fox Television in association with Marvel Television, with Nix serving as showrunner.

References

  1. BBC Press office
  2. BBC Press Release
  3. 1st Episode of Get the Freebies. The Face. 07/97
  4. BBC3 relaunch brought down to Earth; MediaGuardian.co.uk, 13 February 2008
  5. Daily Record report 14 February 2008
  6. "Gareth McLean: Laura Mackie is getting ITV drama back on track". TheGuardian.com . 17 November 2008.
  7. Mat Wakeham'sIMDB page
  8. Peter Martin's IMDB page
  9. Double Viking - Real Men Love Phoo Action
  10. 1 2 Inside Track Image of the week: Phoo Action!C J Hubbard
  11. Richard Vine The Observer 13 February 2008 'One-shot wonders'
  12. Timesonline Last Night's TV Andrew Billen
  13. Den of the Geek Phoo Action review Rob Mclaughlin
  14. The Guardian Guide 50 Must-See Shows
  15. guardian.co.uk - Leigh Holmwood. 'BBC3 relaunch: How was it for you?'
  16. From The Times 13 February 2008 "Phoo Action; Horizon; Mistresses"
  17. The Independent radio and TV Reviews Hermione Eyre Sunday, 17 February 2008
  18. Napiersport news page: "The Car Is The Star"
  19. Roma Fiction Fest BBC Press Office Release
  20. "British Academy Scotland Awards: Winners in 2008". 9 November 2008.
  21. Daily Express Monday 10 November 2008
  22. www.bectu.org.uk BBC cancels "Phoo Action"
  23. Digital Spy announces Phoo Action Green Light
  24. Scotland Sunday Mail 16 Nov 2008 'Kung Fu Chopped'
  25. io9.com - British Television Pities, Cancels The Phoo