Spoons (TV series)

Last updated

Spoons
Genre Sketch comedy
Created by Charlie Brooker
Ben Caudell
Peter Holmes
and Neil Webster
Starring Rob Rouse
Kevin Bishop
Josie d'Arby
Tom Goodman-Hill
Rosie Cavaliero
Simon Farnaby
Elizabeth Bower
and Kerry Godliman
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original network Channel 4
Original release30 September (2005-09-30) –
4 November 2005 (2005-11-04)

Spoons is a British comedy sketch television show, first broadcast on Channel 4 from September to November 2005. It focuses on characters in their twenties and thirties, and stars an ensemble cast of British actors. It lasted one series of six episodes.

Contents

Premise and characters

Channel 4 described the show as follows:

Amid a tangled web of fragile relationships and crippling insecurity, a colourful cast of spot-on characters muddle their way through life's overrated 'middle bit', traversing the familiar pitfalls of babies, marriage and just getting dumped. [1]

The majority of sketches featured recurring characters and catchphrases, including:

Production, broadcast and reception

Produced by Zeppotron, Spoons was announced in July 2005 and was filmed in the summer that year, with some scenes shot at the BBC Television Centre. [2] Broadcast between September and November 2005, it received mixed reviews. The New York Times described it as having a "tight thematic focus" which "captured the moments – awkward, destructive and banal – of young dating and married life". [3] However, Sam Leith of The Daily Telegraph was less positive. He compared it to a similar comedy sketch show entitled Swinging, writing of both: "They've nothing new to say about the actual experience of serial monogamy and single life, instead peddling - more or less amusingly - the noughties equivalent of mother-in-law jokes. They are, truth be told, about as edgy as Ovaltine." [4]

According to BARB, the first two episodes of the series received 1.64 million and 1.86 million viewers respectively, both appearing Channel 4's top 30 programmes of those weeks. However, the final four episodes did not appear in the top 30 programmes. [5]

After six episodes were broadcast, the show was not renewed for a second series, reportedly due to "low ratings". [3]

The complete series featuring all six episodes was released on DVD in the UK on 20 August 2007. [6]

In Germany, TV network ProSieben adapted a German-language version of Spoons. Filmed in 2006, it broadcast eight episodes beginning in March 2008. [7] [8]

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References

  1. ↑ "Spoons - Series 1 - Channel 4". Channel4.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  2. ↑ Deans, Jason (29 July 2005). "Channel 4 serves up sketch show with Spoons". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  3. 1 2 Murray, Scott (27 April 2009). "Joy of Six: TV shows cancelled too soon". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  4. ↑ Leith, Sam (12 October 2005). "As edgy as Ovaltine". The Daily Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "Weekly top 30 programmes | BARB (see relevant weeks)". barb.co.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  6. ↑ "Spoons: Series 1 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk . Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  7. ↑ Müller, Mario (6 February 2008). "ProSieben startet neue Sketch-Comedy 'Spoons'". TV Wunschliste (in German). Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  8. ↑ KG, imfernsehen GmbH & Co, Spoons (in German), retrieved 18 December 2019
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