Sam's Game (TV series)

Last updated

Sam's Game
Starring Davina McCall
Ed Byrne
Tristan Gemmill
Tameka Empson
Shaun Evans
Ending theme"As Good As It Gets" by Gene
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original network ITV [1]
Original release14 May (2001-05-14) 
18 June 2001 (2001-06-18) [2]

Sam's Game was a short lived sitcom, starring TV presenter Davina McCall and comedian Ed Byrne. [3]

Contents

It also featured some actors from well-known TV dramas: Tameka Empson of EastEnders , Shaun Evans of Endeavour and Tristan Gemmill of Coronation Street .

Cast

Reception

The show debuted poorly in the ratings. [4] The show was widely panned by critics. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davina McCall</span> British television presenter

Davina Lucy Pascale McCall is an English television presenter. She was the presenter of the reality show Big Brother during its run on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2010. She also hosted Channel 4's Streetmate, The Million Pound Drop (2010–2015), Five Minutes to a Fortune (2013), and The Jump (2014–2017), as well as ITV's The Biggest Loser (2011–2012), Long Lost Family (2011–present), and This Time Next Year (2016–2019). McCall was a regular co-presenter of the Comic Relief annual telethons from 2005 to 2015.

<i>Cosby</i> (TV series) American television series

Cosby is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 16, 1996, to April 28, 2000. The program starred Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, who had previously worked together in the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992). Madeline Kahn portrayed their neighborly friend, Pauline, until her death in 1999. The show was adapted from the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave.

<i>Black Books</i> British sitcom

Black Books is a British sitcom created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan, and written by Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley, Linehan and Arthur Mathews. It was broadcast on Channel 4, running for three series from 2000 to 2004. Starring Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig, the series is set in the eponymous London bookshop and follows the lives of its owner Bernard Black (Moran), his assistant Manny Bianco (Bailey) and their friend Fran Katzenjammer (Greig). The series was produced by Big Talk Productions, in association with Channel 4.

<i>Big Brother</i> (British TV series) British version of the Big Brother television series

Big Brother is the British version of the international reality television franchise Big Brother created by producer John de Mol in 1997. Broadcast yearly from 18 July 2000 to 5 November 2018, and due to return on 8 October 2023, the show follows the format of other national editions, in which a group of contestants, known as "housemates", live together in a specially constructed house that is isolated from the outside world. They are continuously monitored by live television cameras and personal audio microphones. Throughout the competition, housemates are "evicted" from the house by public televoting. The last remaining housemate wins the competition and a cash prize. The series takes its name from the oppressive character known by that name in George Orwell's 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

<i>Big Brother</i> (British series 2) Season of television series

Big Brother 2001, also known as Big Brother 2, was the second series of the British reality television series Big Brother. The show followed eleven contestants, known as housemates, who were isolated from the outside world for an extended period of time in a custom built House. Each week, one or more of the housemates were evicted by a public vote. The last remaining housemate, Brian Dowling, was declared the winner, winning a cash prize of £70,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debra Stephenson</span> English actress, comedian and impressionist (born 1972)

Deborah Lee Duffield, known professionally as Debra Stephenson, is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer, best known for her roles as Diane Powell in Playing the Field (1999–2000), Shell Dockley in Bad Girls and as Frankie Baldwin in Coronation Street (2004–2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Williamson</span> English actor, singer, media personality and occasional presenter

Shaun Williamson is an English actor best known as Barry Evans in EastEnders and as a satirical version of himself in the BBC/HBO sitcom Extras, 'Barry off EastEnders'.

<i>Celebrity Big Brother</i> (British TV series) British reality television series

Celebrity Big Brother is a British television reality game show based on the Dutch show Big Brother, created by producer John de Mol in 1997, which aired from 2001 to 2018. The show followed a number of celebrity contestants, known as housemates, who were isolated from the outside world for an extended period of time in a custom built House. Each week, one of the housemates is evicted by a public vote, with the last housemate named the winner. The series takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

<i>Blind Date</i> (British game show) UK game show

Blind Date is a British dating game show first produced by London Weekend Television. An unscreened pilot was made with comic Duncan Norvelle as presenter but it was eventually hosted by Cilla Black, who already hosted the LWT series Surprise Surprise. Blind Date originally ran on Saturday nights from 30 November 1985 to 31 May 2003 on ITV.

Judith Jacob is a British actress best known for her role as the health visitor Carmel Roberts in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role she played from 1986 to 1989. During her period in Albert Square, her character suffered from severe marital abuse and her husband's attempted murder and eventual separation. She was a founding member of BiBi Crew, Britain's first comedy troupe made up entirely of Black actresses, founded in 1991. She also launched at the Hackney Empire the live talk show Judith Jacob Yabba Yabbas With Friends.

Tristan John Gemmill is a British actor, most notable for his roles as Dr Adam Trueman on Casualty, and Robert Preston in Coronation Street. He was educated at Holmewood House School, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, up to the age of 13. He then won an Academic Scholarship to Tonbridge School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tameka Empson</span> English actress, comedian (b. 1977)

Tameka Lydia Empson is an English actress and comedian. She appeared as one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non-Blondes. In 2009, she began portraying the role of Kim Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Life's Too Short is a British mockumentary sitcom, created and written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and starring Warwick Davis, about "the life of a showbiz dwarf." Davis plays a fictionalised version of himself, and both Gervais and Merchant appear in supporting roles as themselves. The show began airing on BBC Two on 10 November 2011. Premium cable channel HBO, which co-produced the series with the BBC, has the US rights and aired the series from 19 February 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Fox</span> Fictional character from EastEnders

Kim Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tameka Empson. She is the half-sister of Denise Fox, and aunt to Chelsea Fox and Libby Fox. She first appeared as a guest character on 24 November 2009, and was reintroduced in 2010 as a regular character after piquing the interest of new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood. Empson took maternity leave in October 2013 and after appearing several times during her break via webcam, Kim returned to Albert Square on 30 December 2014. It was announced on 16 July 2019 that Empson would be taking a break from the show but will return at some point in the future. She departed on 23 July 2019. Kim made a special appearance via webcam on 25 December 2019. Empson returned following her maternity break in the episode broadcast on 16 November 2020.

<i>Beautiful People</i> (British TV series) British TV series or programme

Beautiful People is a British comedy drama television series based on the memoirs of Barneys creative director Simon Doonan. The series takes place in Reading, Berkshire, in 1997, where thirteen-year-old Simon Doonan and his best friend Kylie dream of escaping their dreary suburban surroundings and moving to cosmopolitan London "to live amongst the beautiful people". The first episode aired on BBC Two on 2 October 2008 and recorded overnight ratings of 1.5 million viewers and positive critical reaction. Episodes are self-contained, but do follow a loose story arc throughout the course of each series. The second and final series finished airing on 18 December 2009.

<i>Lets Sing and Dance</i> British television programme

Let's Sing and Dance, formerly known as Let's Dance, is a British television programme shown on BBC One, featuring celebrities performing famous dance routines to raise money for the charities Comic Relief and Sport Relief. The programme was presented by Steve Jones and Alex Jones, who replaced previous host Claudia Winkleman in 2011. In the first series, Anton du Beke was a regular judge, appearing alongside two guest panellists, but in the second series onwards, three guest judges were on the panel each week.

The Biggest Loser is a British reality television show that began airing on Sky Living from 2005 to 2006, before moving to ITV in 2009 and finished in 2012. Most recently hosted by Davina McCall, the show is a spin-off of the American reality television show of the same name.

The twenty-fourth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 12 September 2009, and concluded on 21 August 2010. Events of the series included a crossover with sister show Holby City.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its thirteenth series on BBC One with a launch show on 5 September 2015, and the live shows beginning on 25 September 2015. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned to present the launch show and the live shows while Zoe Ball returned to present Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two. Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli all returned as judges.

References

  1. "TV ratings: May 14". the Guardian. 15 May 2001.
  2. "BBC - Comedy Guide - Sam's Game". Archived from the original on 14 November 2004. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  3. Hall, Julian (2 August 2004). "Ed Byrne: Me Again, Riverside Studios, London". Independent. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  4. "Sam's Game loses out to Clocking Off". Digital Spy . 16 May 2001.
  5. "11 of the worst sitcoms of all time - including 'classics' from Amanda Holden and Davina McCall". Digital Spy . 29 December 2016.
  6. Westbrook, Caroline (25 April 2013). "10 sitcoms even worse than The Wright Way".