Whatever I Want

Last updated

Whatever I Want
WhateverIWant.jpg
Genre Sketch show
Written by
  • Leigh Francis
  • Richard Preddy
  • Gary Howe
  • Gavin Claxton
Directed byGavin Claxton
Starring Leigh Francis
Composers
  • Claudio Giussani
  • David Blair
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerJohn Noel
Producers
  • Johnny Lowry
  • Gavin Claxton
CinematographyRupert Wyatt
EditorAlex Hutchinson
Running time30 minutes
Production companyBellyache Productions
Original release
Network ITV
Release7 January (2000-01-07) 
11 February 2000 (2000-02-11)

Whatever I Want is a six-part British television sketch show, written by and starring Leigh Francis, that first broadcast on ITV on 7 January 2000. Commissioned by Bellyache Productions, and overseen by Gavin Claxton, the series featured early prototypes of the characters of Keith Lemon and Avid Merrion, as well as a human version of The Bear known as Barry Gibson, who had previously appeared as a roving reporter during the early series of Channel 4's Popworld . [1]

Contents

The series broadcast at 11:30pm on Fridays in LWT regions only, and has never been repeated since broadcast, nor released on DVD. Each episode featured a number of celebrity guests, including Davina McCall, who first discovered Francis performing in-role stand-up comedy in a southern comedy club, and encouraged him to pursue a career in television.[ citation needed ] Reworked versions of Keith Lemon and Avid Merrion would later go on to appear as characters in Francis' Channel 4 sketch show Bo' Selecta! .

Characters

Episodes

No.TitleGuest(s)Original air date
1"Episode 1" Davina McCall [2] 7 January 2000 (2000-01-07)
2"Episode 2" [3] 14 January 2000 (2000-01-14)
3"Episode 3"TBA21 January 2000 (2000-01-21)
4"Episode 4"Davina McCall, Claudia Winkleman [4] 28 January 2000 (2000-01-28)
5"Episode 5"Claudia Winkleman [5] 4 February 2000 (2000-02-04)
6"Episode 6" Mandy Smith, Cleo Rocos, Sarah Cawood, Kate Thornton [6] [7] 11 February 2000 (2000-02-11)
Keith Lemon enlists the help of Mandy Smith to redecorate an elderly woman's lift. Cleo Rocos helps Keith to give city office manager Brian a taste of the countryside. Avid Merrion stakes out a car park in the hope of bumping into Nicolas Cage. Barry Gibson tries his hand at abstract art, before inviting two close friends, Sarah Cawood and Kate Thornton, round for pizza.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Wood</span> British comedian (1953–2016)

Victoria Wood was an English comedian, actress, lyricist, singer, composer, pianist, screenwriter, producer and director. Wood wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over several decades and her live comedy act was interspersed with her own compositions which she performed at the piano. Much of her humour was grounded in everyday life and included references to activities, attitudes and products that are considered to exemplify Britain. She was noted for her skills in observational comedy and in satirising aspects of social class.

<i>Through the Keyhole</i> British comedy panel show (1987–2019)

Through the Keyhole is a British comedy panel game show created by the TV producer Kevin Sim and originally presented by Sir David Frost in the studio and Loyd Grossman on location. The location presenter goes around celebrities' houses and a panel of other celebrities in the studio try to guess who the famous homeowner is.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ant & Dec</span> British television presenting duo

Ant & Dec are a British television presenting duo consisting of Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly from Newcastle upon Tyne. Formed after their meeting as child actors on CBBC's drama Byker Grove, they performed together as pop musicians PJ & Duncan, the names of their characters from the series. For their earliest TV presenting roles they used the aliases Tony & Lan.

<i>Bo Selecta!</i> Television series

Bo' Selecta! is a British television sketch show written and performed by Leigh Francis. It was broadcast on Channel 4 from 2002 until 2009 and lampooned popular culture, becoming known for its often surreal, abstract toilet humour. Season 4 was known as A Bear's Tail while season 5 shifted filming to the United States and was called Bo! In the USA. The show consists of comedy sketches of characters played by Francis, with minor support roles over the years played by Craig Phillips, Caroline Flack, Ozzy Rezat, Patsy Kensit, Karen Hayley, Barunka O'Shaughnessy, Dexter Fletcher, Sean Pertwee, Luis Fernandez-Gil and Robert Stone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuckle Brothers</span> English childrens entertainers

The Chuckle Brothers were an English comedy double act comprising real-life brothers Barry David Elliott and Paul Harman Elliott. They were known for their BBC children's programme ChuckleVision, which aired from 1987 to 2009 and celebrated its twenty-first series with a 2010 stage tour titled An Audience with the Chuckle Brothers. The comedy of the Chuckle Brothers usually derived from slapstick, other visual gags, and wordplay, and their catchphrases included "To me, to you!" and "Oh dear, oh dear!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paddy McGuinness</span> English actor, comedian and television presenter

Patrick Joseph McGuinness is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television presenter. He rose to fame with the help of fellow comedian Peter Kay, who invited him to appear on the television comedy series That Peter Kay Thing (2000), and the sitcoms Phoenix Nights (2000–2001) and Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere (2004). McGuinness went onto present various televisions shows, including Take Me Out (2010–2019), 71 Degrees North (2011), Paddy's TV Guide (2013), Top Gear (2019–2022), I Can See Your Voice (2021–2022), and Question of Sport (2021–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Francis</span> English actor and comedian (born 1973)

Leigh Izaak Francis, who is often known by the name of a character he plays, Keith Lemon, is an English television presenter, actor, writer, and comedian. He is best known for creating and starring in Channel 4's sketch comedy show Bo' Selecta! (2002–2009) and presenting the ITV shows Celebrity Juice (2008–2022) and Through the Keyhole (2013–2019). His other comedy shows include Lemon La Vida Loca (2012–2013), The Keith Lemon Sketch Show (2015–2016), and The Keith & Paddy Picture Show (2017–2018).

Popworld is a British television programme that was broadcast on Channel 4 as part of the T4 strand, featuring pop news, trivia, gossip, interviews and music videos, as well as musical performances from contemporary artists.

Talkback is a British television production company established in 1981 by comedy duo Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones.

The Benny Hill Show is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired on the BBC and ITV between 15 January 1955 and 1 May 1989. The show consisted mainly of sketches typified by slapstick, mime, parody, and double entendre.

The Bear is a fictional character who originated in the British adult sketch comedy, Bo' Selecta!. Played by Leigh Francis, he is a rude teddy bear who is a social outcast and engages in cursing and womanising. He likes berries and always wears black glasses. He had a sidekick, a squirrel named Steven, whom he had a love-hate relationship with.

<i>Celebrity Juice</i> British television comedy panel game

Celebrity Juice was a British television comedy panel game broadcast on ITV2 between 24 September 2008 and 15 December 2022. The show was written and presented by Leigh Francis in the role of his alter ego Keith Lemon. The format for the series was first suggested in 2007, after the final series of Francis’s Channel 4 sketch show Bo' Selecta!. ITV approached him to create a show featuring Lemon, and after the success of the five-part series Keith Lemon's Very Brilliant World Tour, the channel commissioned Celebrity Juice. The original premise of the show was to see which team knows most about the week's tabloid news stories, although later series focus more on the comedy factor of the participating celebrity guests and games involving them, rather than discussing the week's news.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Atack</span> English actress and comedian

Emily Jane Atack is an English actress, comedian, and television personality. She is best known for playing Charlotte Hinchcliffe on the E4 comedy series The Inbetweeners (2008–2010), and for her roles in Keith Lemon shows, such as Lemon La Vida Loca, The Keith Lemon Sketch Show, and The Keith & Paddy Picture Show.

<i>Keith Lemons LemonAid</i> Television series

Keith Lemon's LemonAid is a British television entertainment series hosted by comedian Leigh Francis as his character Keith Lemon. It aired on ITV from 7 April to 19 May 2012. Each week, with the help of a celebrity guest, Lemon makes people's dreams come true. He calls himself "The Dream-Meckah!".

<i>Keith Lemon: The Film</i> 2012 British film

Keith Lemon: The Film is a 2012 British comedy film written and directed by Paul Angunawela, and co-written by and starring Leigh Francis as television personality Keith Lemon. The film co-stars Verne Troyer as his guardian angel, Archimedes, Kevin Bishop as his best friend, Dougie, Laura Aikman as Keith's girlfriend Rosie and Kelly Brook as herself. The film also features a selection of celebrity cameos, including appearances by David Hasselhoff, Ronan Keating, Gary Barlow, Peter Andre, Fearne Cotton, Emma Bunton and Jedward, amongst others.

<i>Harry Hill</i> (TV series) Television series

Harry Hill, later titled The All-New Harry Hill Show and also referred to as The Harry Hill Show, is a British stand-up comedy sketch show, starring comedian Harry Hill, that ran for four series from 1997 to 2003, on both Channel 4 and ITV.

<i>The Keith Lemon Sketch Show</i> Television series

The Keith Lemon Sketch Show is a British television impressions/character sketch show that aired on ITV2 from 5 February 2015 until 10 March 2016. It stars Leigh Francis' character Keith Lemon portraying several celebrities.

<i>The Keith & Paddy Picture Show</i> British ITV comedy parody series 2017–18

The Keith and Paddy Picture Show is a British comedy parody series, written by and starring Leigh Francis and Paddy McGuinness, first broadcast on ITV on 6 May 2017. The series is billed as a "comedic tribute" to some of Lemon and McGuinness' favourite films. Each week they attempt to recreate an iconic film, with the help of a celebrity cast.

References

  1. "Whatever I Want - ITV Sketch Show". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  2. "Whatever I Want [07/01/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  3. "Whatever I Want [14/01/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  4. "Whatever I Want [28/01/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  5. "Whatever I Want [04/02/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  6. "Whatever I Want [11/02/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  7. "Early Keith Lemon & Avid Merrion - 'Whatever I Want' - Leigh Francis Before 'Celebrity Juice'". YouTube. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2019.