Joe's Pop Shop
Encyclopedia
Joe's Pop Shop was an English comedy that aired on UK Play in 1999. Its central story line revolved around a small record shop run by two inept friends Joe and Ben.
based record shop. Realising that his father is never coming back, Joe enlist the help of his feckless, dishonest best friend Ben.
Joe (played by Joe Mace
) and Ben (played by (Ben Dunn
), through a series of hair-brained schemes manage to run the shop even further into the ground. Further plagued by Joe's sexually aggressive mother and a rogue, latent homosexual Austrian tax collector with an unconvincing afro, Joe's job is made all the harder by the presence of two old ladies who live under the record shop's counter who claim the rights of sitting tenants.
Complicated rights issues and the move by co-star Joe Mace
away from acting and into presenting meant that the second series was never commissioned.
The show was created and written by Joe Mace
and Ben Dunn
and executive produced by Myfanwy Moore, producer of Little Britain
.
Outline
Following the arrest of his father Rodney, Joe takes over his father's ailing Camden TownCamden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
based record shop. Realising that his father is never coming back, Joe enlist the help of his feckless, dishonest best friend Ben.
Joe (played by Joe Mace
Joe Mace
Joe Mace is a British radio and television presenter. Former host of the programme The Album Chart Show on the UK's Channel 4 and the Dream Ticket on BBC 6 Music....
) and Ben (played by (Ben Dunn
Ben Dunn
Ben Dunn is an American comic book artist. Although born in Taiwan, he grew up in Kentucky, Taiwan and San Antonio, Texas. It was in Taiwan that he was first exposed to Japanese manga. In 1984 he founded Antarctic Press, an American comic book company specializing in Manga-style titles...
), through a series of hair-brained schemes manage to run the shop even further into the ground. Further plagued by Joe's sexually aggressive mother and a rogue, latent homosexual Austrian tax collector with an unconvincing afro, Joe's job is made all the harder by the presence of two old ladies who live under the record shop's counter who claim the rights of sitting tenants.
Format
The show ran as 6 half-hour episodes and always featured two music videos contemporary to the time. It also featured a number of scenes shot on outside broadcast, which contributed to its ranking as UK Play's most expensive in-house production.Complicated rights issues and the move by co-star Joe Mace
Joe Mace
Joe Mace is a British radio and television presenter. Former host of the programme The Album Chart Show on the UK's Channel 4 and the Dream Ticket on BBC 6 Music....
away from acting and into presenting meant that the second series was never commissioned.
The show was created and written by Joe Mace
Joe Mace
Joe Mace is a British radio and television presenter. Former host of the programme The Album Chart Show on the UK's Channel 4 and the Dream Ticket on BBC 6 Music....
and Ben Dunn
Ben Dunn
Ben Dunn is an American comic book artist. Although born in Taiwan, he grew up in Kentucky, Taiwan and San Antonio, Texas. It was in Taiwan that he was first exposed to Japanese manga. In 1984 he founded Antarctic Press, an American comic book company specializing in Manga-style titles...
and executive produced by Myfanwy Moore, producer of Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
.