Walliams & Friend

Last updated

Walliams & Friend
Genre Comedy show
Sketch show
Created by David Walliams
Dawson Bros.
Starring
Mike Wozniak
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1 (and 1 pilot)
No. of episodes7
Production
Running time40 minutes (pilot)
30 minutes (series)
Production company BBC
Original release
Network BBC One
Release24 December 2015 (2015-12-24) –
27 December 2016 (2016-12-27)

Walliams & Friend is a British sketch show, produced by and starring David Walliams. A pilot episode aired on BBC One on 24 December 2015 [1] and a full series of 6 episodes was officially commissioned on 20 May 2016, which first aired on 25 November 2016. [2] BBC announced that Walliams & Friend was cancelled after the first series. [3]

Contents

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
Pilot 24 December 2015 (2015-12-24)
1 625 November 2016 (2016-11-25)27 December 2016 (2016-12-27)

Pilot episode (2015)

Total
no.		Series
no.		TitleDirectorWriterOriginal air dateUK viewers
(overnight/incl catch-up in millions)
1Pilot"Joanna Lumley"Matt LipseyDavid Walliams & Dawson Bros.24 December 2015 (2015-12-24)6.0 [4]

Series 1 (2016)

Total
no.		Series
no.		TitleDirectorWriterOriginal air dateUK viewers
(overnight/incl catch-up in millions)
21"Jack Whitehall" [5] Matt LipseyDavid Walliams & Dawson Bros.25 November 2016 (2016-11-25)5.6
32"Harry Enfield" [6] Matt LipseyDavid Walliams & Dawson Bros.2 December 2016 (2016-12-02)5.1
43"Sheridan Smith" [7] Matt LipseyDavid Walliams & Dawson Bros.9 December 2016 (2016-12-09)5.2
54"Meera Syal" [8] Matt LipseyDavid Walliams & Dawson Bros.16 December 2016 (2016-12-16)4.8

David Walliams is joined by actress, writer and comedian Meera Syal. Together for the first time, these two classic sketch performers introduce us to the sadly disappointing pleasure robots of tomorrow. David and Meera also play a squabbling husband and wife, debates about Justin Bieber's hairstyle, commissions a prime-time TV entertainment show, desperately trying to explain their problematic marriage to their young daughter using her Peppa Pig dolls. Plus a struggling actress auditions for the role of background extra in the evening news and a robber meets his match in the BBC's newest police drama Good Cop, Indian Mum Cop. Absent:- Middle Class Jeremy Kyle

65"Miranda Richardson" [9] Matt LipseyDavid Walliams & Dawson Bros.23 December 2016 (2016-12-23)3.10

David Walliams is joined by actress Miranda Richardson where they promote an advert for Hurt Feelings Direct, chooses a Christmas film to watch together that they don't agree on, introduces viewer Gillian Turner who loves Ant but hates Dec, a man refuses to pay 5p for a carrier bag at a supermarket by stuffing his items on his body, suggests an unlikely blockbuster movie starring Harry Potter & James Bond alongside choosing a new car, with "additional extras". Absent:- Il Prima Donnas.

76"Hugh Bonneville" [10] Matt LipseyDavid Walliams & Dawson Bros.27 December 2016 (2016-12-27)2.3

Reception

The Times described the show as "Exceptionally accomplished, with every sketch sharply observed and superbly performed", [12] while The Independent made similar comparisons: "Worthy of Messrs Barker and Corbett at their best". The Guardian noted that the show "Thrives on charm and silliness and points a way for the sketch show to continue to exist on television". [13] The Sunday People declared "The good old sketch show is back." [14] while The Daily Telegraph said "David Walliams goes back to basics here with a series of comedy sketches that will remind many why they first found him funny.". However, later in the show's run, The Times's Andrew Billen predicted of the sketch genre that "Even Harry Enfield and David Walliams couldn't save the sketch show". [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Enfield</span> English actor, comedian and writer (born 1961)

Henry Richard Enfield is an English comedian, actor, writer and director. He is known in particular for his television work, including Harry Enfield's Television Programme and Harry & Paul, and for the creation and portrayal of comedy characters such as Kevin the Teenager, Loadsamoney, Smashie and Nicey, The Scousers, Tim Nice-But-Dim and Mr "You Don't Want to Do It Like That".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Herring</span> English comedian and writer (born 1967)

Richard Keith Herring is an English stand-up comedian and writer whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring. He is described by The British Theatre Guide as "one of the leading hidden masters of modern British comedy".

<i>Little Britain</i> (TV series) British character-based sketch comedy

Little Britain is a British sketch comedy series that began as a radio show in 2000 and ran as a television series between 2003 and 2006. It was written and performed by David Walliams and Matt Lucas. Financed by the BBC, the radio series was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4, with the initial two television series premiering on BBC Three and the third and final series on BBC One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Vegas</span> English actor, ceramicist and comedian

Michael Joseph Pennington, better known as Johnny Vegas, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. He is known for his thick Lancashire accent, husky voice, angry comedic rants, and use of surreal humour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Walliams</span> English comedian, writer and actor (born 1971)

David Edward Williams, known professionally as David Walliams, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series Little Britain (2003–2006) and Come Fly With Me (2010–2011). From 2012 to 2022, Walliams was a judge on the television talent show competition Britain's Got Talent on ITV. He is also a writer of children's books, having sold more than 37 million copies worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Lucas</span> English actor and comedian (born 1974)

Matthew Richard Lucas is an English actor, comedian, writer and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series Little Britain (2003–2006) and Come Fly with Me (2010–2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Tate</span> British actress, comedian and writer (born 1969)

Catherine Tate is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won numerous awards for her work on the BBC sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show (2004–2007), as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and seven BAFTAs. Tate played Donna Noble in the 2006 Christmas special of the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, and reprised her role for the fourth series in 2008, and the 60th anniversary episodes in 2023.

Saturday Live is a British television comedy and music show, made by LWT and initially broadcast on Channel 4 from 1985 to 1988, with a brief revival on ITV in 1996. A few one-off editions have also been screened sporadically, including a contribution to the BBC's 1993 Comic Relief telethon. It was based on the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live but otherwise had no direct connection to the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Howard</span> British comedian and presenter

Russell Joseph Howard is an English comedian, television presenter, radio presenter, and actor. He has hosted his own television shows, Russell Howard's Good News and The Russell Howard Hour, and appeared on the topical panel TV show Mock the Week. He won "Best Compère" at the 2006 Chortle Awards and was nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award for his 2006 Aberdeen Festival Fringe show. Howard has cited comedians Lee Evans, Richard Pryor, and Frank Skinner as influences.

<i>Harry & Paul</i> British television series

Harry & Paul is a British sketch comedy show starring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 13 April 2007. Prior to broadcast, it was trailed as The Harry Enfield Show.

Dawson Bros. - strictly speaking two brothers, Steve Dawson and Andrew Dawson, and childhood friend Tim Inman - are a team of British comedy writers who have written on a wide range of award-winning narrative and entertainment shows including That Mitchell and Webb Look, MTV Europe Music Awards, Total Wipeout, The Jonathan Ross Show, Take Me Out, The BRIT Awards, Happy Finish, Skins, The Peter Serafinowicz Show, Derren Brown's Trick or Treat, Balls of Steel, The Friday Night Project, The Royal Variety Performance, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. They regularly contribute centrepiece sketches to Children in Need, Sport Relief and Comic Relief – such as the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sketch for Children in Need 2016 and the Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em sketch starring Michael Crawford for Sport Relief 2016. They also wrote for BBC One's The One Ronnie, notably the Blackberry Sketch.

Jason Lewis is a British actor, writer, and comedian of Trinidadian descent. He is best known for his self-titled sketch comedy show The Jason Lewis Experience, which saw its first installment aired on BBC Three.

Morgana Robinson is an Australian-born British comedian, impressionist, writer and actress. She has appeared in her comedy sketch programme The Morgana Show, Morgana Robinson's The Agency, House of Fools and Very Important People.

The One... is a comedy sketch television series starring Ronnie Corbett, of The Two Ronnies, Lenny Henry of The Lenny Henry Show, Jasper Carrott, comedian and former presenter of ITV game show Golden Balls and Welsh comedian and actor Griff Rhys Jones, also presenter of ITV clip series It'll Be Alright on the Night. It was devised by Matt Lucas, David Walliams and Geoff Posner for Little Britain Productions. Walliams departed the project by the time of the full series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cariad Lloyd</span> British comedian, actress, writer and podcaster

Katie Cariad Lloyd is a British comedian, actress, writer, and podcaster. A member of the improvisational comedy group Austentatious, the host and creator of Griefcast, and an improv teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Carroll (comedian)</span> English comedian and actor

Jack Carroll is an English comedian and actor. He competed in the seventh series of Britain's Got Talent at the age of 14, finishing as the runner-up. As an actor, he appeared in two series of the CBBC series Ministry of Curious Stuff and from 2014 to 2018, he starred in the Sky sitcom Trollied. Carroll, whose cerebral palsy is often a subject of his act, won a Pride of Britain award in 2012. He returned to mainstream media in 2024, taking on a regular role in Coronation Street.

Crackanory is a storytelling television series aimed at adults and inspired by the popular children's series Jackanory. It is broadcast on the UKTV channel Dave. Each episode features tales narrated by contemporary comedians and actors, containing a mix of live-action, original music and animation, all read from the same oversized chair, in a set consistent and reflective of the story. The first series attracted widespread critical acclaim and over half a million viewers to Dave. There are a number of reoccurring themes through the series, with the fictional company Tripec Plastics, the town of Specsham, and "fat Nicola from accounts" being frequently referenced.

Nico Tatarowicz is a British actor and writer, known for The Armstrong & Miller Show (2007), Very Important People (2012), Crackanory (2013), Shooting Stars and Murder in Successville (2015–2017).

Jason Forbes is an English actor, writer, comedian, impressionist, and TV presenter. He is best known for the CITV series Horrible Science; The Mash Report on BBC Two; as PC Peasey in the Professor Branestawm television films on BBC One; and as a member of the award-winning sketch trio 'Daphne'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Parris</span> English comedian (born 1984)

Rachel Sarah Parris is an English comedian, musician, actress and presenter. She hosts the satirical news show Late Night Mash.

References

  1. ↑ Rachel Babbage (12 September 2015). "Joanna Lumley joins David Walliams' new BBC sketch show". Digital Spy.
  2. ↑ Solutions. "BBC orders Walliams & Friend series : News 2016 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "David Walliams: 'I'm going to pull out all the stops on The Nightly Show!'". 21 February 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "BBC - David Walliams returns to BBC One with some familiar faces for new series, Walliams And Friend - Media Centre" . Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 1 - Jack Whitehall - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 2 - Harry Enfield - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 3 - Sheridan Smith - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  8. ↑ "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 4 - Meera Syal - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 5 - Miranda Richardson - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  10. ↑ "Walliams & Friend Series 1 - Hugh Bonneville - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "BBC 2016".
  12. ↑ "Andrew Dawson on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  13. ↑ "Walliams & Friend review – ooh matron, it's Sheridan Smith's turn" . Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25; TV GUIDE. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  15. ↑ "Low ratings, dismal reviews: the show's over" . Retrieved 23 February 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.