Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul
Encyclopedia
Harry & Paul is a BAFTA Award-winning 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.
The show reunites the pair, who had success with Harry Enfield's Television Programme
in the 1990s.
The second series of the programme began on BBC One on 5 September 2008. This was the last series from the comedy producer Geoffrey Perkins
who died shortly before the programme's second series began. A third series was commissioned and began 28 September 2010 this time on BBC Two
to where the show has been moved, because of falling ratings.
and copies the YouTube
hit spoof "Slob Evolution", and shows the two main female cast members (Morwenna Banks
and Laura Solon
) being given a pint of lager, before the footage speeds rapidly as the women have make-up removed, hair cut, given cigarettes and hamburgers, followed by noodles and more cigarettes. As the makeup and hair is removed, it is then clear that the two women were in fact Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse.
website also voted it the "Best British TV Sketch Show of 2008" in The Comedy.co.uk Awards.
According to Enfield and Whitehouse, the title sequence is a self-referential joke at the fact that the pair are "a pair of old timers out of touch with the modern world", while, they claim, sketch comedy is a "young man's game".
. The show has got a new producer because the previous producer, Geoffrey Perkins
, died in 2008, "shortly before the second series was broadcast". Series 3 had ran between the 28th September and 2 November 2010 once again for 6 episodes.
foreign secretary Alberto Romulo
complained to the British Embassy about a "Clive the Geordie" sketch in the fourth episode of the second series, in which the character is urged by his "owner" to mate (unsuccessfully) with a neighbour's Filipina maid. An online petition started by the "Philippine Foundation" condemned the sketch as "completely disgraceful, distasteful and a great example of gutter humour... inciting stereotyped racial discrimination, vulgarity and violation of the maid's human rights".
The Embassy issued a statement stressing the BBC's editorial independence of the British government, while a spokesman for Tiger Aspect stated that: "Harry & Paul is a post-watershed comedy sketch series and as such tackles many situations in a comedic way. Set in this context, the sketch is so far beyond the realms of reality as to be absurd - and in no way is intended to demean or upset any viewer."
In the 10 October 2008 letter, BBC
Director General Mark Thompson
formally apologised to Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James's
Edgardo Espiritu: "Please accept my sincere apologies, on behalf of the BBC, for the offence that this programme caused you." Earlier, Chief executive of Harry and Paul producer, Tiger Aspect Productions, a BBC associate, Andrew Zane, stated: "We're sorry to anyone who was in any way offended by the programme. This certainly was not our intention." British ambassador to Manila, Peter Beckingham, made a rejoinder: "Our relationship has never been stronger, and the prospects are excellent."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
show starring Harry Enfield
Harry Enfield
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
and Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, The Fast Show. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders...
. It was first broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 13 April 2007. Prior to broadcast it was trailed as The Harry Enfield Show.
The show reunites the pair, who had success with Harry Enfield's Television Programme
Harry Enfield's Television Programme
Harry Enfield's Television Programme was a British sketch show starring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse...
in the 1990s.
The second series of the programme began on BBC One on 5 September 2008. This was the last series from the comedy producer Geoffrey Perkins
Geoffrey Perkins
Geoffrey Howard Perkins was a comedy producer, writer and performer, and an important figure in British comedy broadcasting. This was recognised in December 2008 when he was awarded with an Outstanding Contribution to Comedy Award...
who died shortly before the programme's second series began. A third series was commissioned and began 28 September 2010 this time on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
to where the show has been moved, because of falling ratings.
First series
The first series opening sequence is a parody of a skin care advertisementEvolution (Dove)
Evolution is an advertising campaign launched by Unilever in 2006 as part of its Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, to promote the newly created Dove Self-Esteem Fund. The centre of the Unilever campaign is a 75-second spot produced by Ogilvy & Mather in Toronto, Canada...
and copies the YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
hit spoof "Slob Evolution", and shows the two main female cast members (Morwenna Banks
Morwenna Banks
Morwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...
and Laura Solon
Laura Solon
Laura Solon is an English comedian, actor, writer, and winner of the 2005 Perrier Comedy Award, only the second woman to win as a solo performer .-Background:...
) being given a pint of lager, before the footage speeds rapidly as the women have make-up removed, hair cut, given cigarettes and hamburgers, followed by noodles and more cigarettes. As the makeup and hair is removed, it is then clear that the two women were in fact Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse.
Second series
In the opening sequence of the second series, Enfield and Whitehouse appear as two ageing Soviet-style dictators reviewing a parade. They wave grimly down at the procession, supposedly an example of an ancient and outdated means of politics, whilst lyrics concerning how they are "both incredibly handsome and tall" and "not even beginning to look old" are sung. They also appear picking up three television awards - a National Television Award, a Bafta and a British Comedy Award. Visitors to the British Comedy GuideBritish Comedy Guide
The British Comedy Guide or BCG is a British website covering all forms of British comedy, across all media. At the time of writing, the BCG has published guides to more than 1,200 individual British comedies - primarily TV and radio situation comedy, sketch shows, comedy dramas, satire, variety...
website also voted it the "Best British TV Sketch Show of 2008" in The Comedy.co.uk Awards.
According to Enfield and Whitehouse, the title sequence is a self-referential joke at the fact that the pair are "a pair of old timers out of touch with the modern world", while, they claim, sketch comedy is a "young man's game".
Third series
A third series was confirmed by Paul Whitehouse on the sketch show Horne & CordenHorne & Corden
Horne & Corden was a British sketch show written by Jon Brown, Steve Dawson, Andrew Dawson, Tim Inman and the cast, script edited by Sam Ward, and starring Mathew Horne and James Corden. It aired on BBC television in 2009. The first episode was broadcast on 10 March 2009 on BBC Three...
. The show has got a new producer because the previous producer, Geoffrey Perkins
Geoffrey Perkins
Geoffrey Howard Perkins was a comedy producer, writer and performer, and an important figure in British comedy broadcasting. This was recognised in December 2008 when he was awarded with an Outstanding Contribution to Comedy Award...
, died in 2008, "shortly before the second series was broadcast". Series 3 had ran between the 28th September and 2 November 2010 once again for 6 episodes.
Fourth series
Whilst appearing on "The Alan Titchmarsh Show" on 1 April 2011, Paul Whitehouse confirmed that the show had been recommissioned despite reports suggesting it had been cancelled earlier in the year. The New Series will likely air in 2012 as it has yet to be written and filmed. It may again feature a total of 6 episodes respectively.Recurring characters from series one
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Nelson Mandela | Advertisements featuring Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing... (Enfield) selling various narcotics (such as "Nelson Mandela's Crackabis") and alcohol (such as "Nelson Mandela's Alcopop Alcopop Alcopop is a colloquial term describing certain flavored alcoholic beverages, including:#malt beverages to which various fruit juices or other flavorings have been added... s"). He has also promoted shoplifting with the introduction of "Nelson Mandela's Thieving Coat". He also promotes absinthe Absinthe Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood", together with green anise and sweet fennel... , smack n' crack Crack cocaine Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers... party pack (mixture of smack and crack in a Happy Meal Happy Meal A "Happy Meal" is a meal specifically marketed at children, sold at the fast-food chain McDonald's since June 1979. A toy is typically included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a small box or paper bag with the McDonald's logo.... -type box), ecstasy Methylenedioxymethamphetamine MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants... tablets, "fighting beer" (a drink which causes the consumer to become violent) and a website with "dirty grannies". |
| José Arrogantio | Self-obsessed football manager, a parody of ex-Chelsea F.C. Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... manager José Mourinho José Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football.... (Whitehouse), who defends the actions of player Didier Peskovitch (Enfield), a parody of Didier Drogba Didier Drogba Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team... . Often, he is so busy posing for the camera that he misses Peskovitch's unorthodox tactics such as stabbing another player in the groin with a corner flag or shooting another player with a bazooka Bazooka Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat... . |
| The Leccy Spongers | A parody of Waking the Dead Waking the Dead (TV series) Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series produced by the BBC featuring a fictional Cold Case Unit comprising CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist. A pilot episode aired in September 2000 and there have been a total of nine series... , where four police officers are shown investigating a crime scene, but end up forgetting about the task and instead search for nearby plug sockets in order to recharge their portable electronic devices, such as iPod IPod iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle... s, TomTom TomTom TomTom NV is a Dutch manufacturer of automotive navigation systems, including both stand-alone units and software for personal digital assistants and mobile telephones. It is the leading manufacturer of navigation systems in Europe. TomTom's customer service is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands... s and Game Boy Game Boy The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on... s. Played by all four of the main cast. |
| Bono and The Edge | Bono Bono Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his... (Enfield) and The Edge The Edge David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record... (Whitehouse) from U2 U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music... sit in their flat talking about each other's humorous names and catching up with the latest ways in which Bono has been making history. Bono will often shout a question beginning "what in the naaaaaaame of love...?" in a reference to the song "Pride (In the Name of Love) Pride (In the Name of Love) "Pride " is a song by Irish rock band U2. The second track on the band's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, it was released as the album's lead single in September 1984... ". There is usually a joke revolving around what The Edge has under his skullcap (that the real Edge seldom takes off). In one case he is growing cress under it. Both speak with stereotypical Irish Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... accents. |
| Madonna and Guy | Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... (Morwenna Banks) and Guy Ritchie Guy Ritchie Guy Stuart Ritchie is an English screenwriter and film maker who directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes.-Early life:... (Enfield) having a discussion about their day with Ritchie ending most of his sentences with "Don'cha know? Don'cha know? For facks sake.", before getting into a fight at the dinner table ending in Ritchie getting a kick in the groin. The joke of these sketches seems to focus on the awkward balance between the often explicit and, occasionally offensive, nature of the Ritchies' respective works and their apparent desire to enjoy the trappings of an upper-class and highly civilised private life at the same time. |
| Ronald and Pam | Eccentric American tourists from Badiddlyboing, Odawidaho. They invite everyone they meet to visit, and always have their photo albums on them to show. Played by Enfield and Morwenna Banks. |
| The Computer Tycoons | Computer tycoons Bill Gates Bill Gates William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen... (Whitehouse) and Steve Jobs Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc... (Enfield) give each other orgasms by describing their respective technology (while unaware that their trophy wives Trophy wife Trophy wife is an expression used to describe a wife, usually young and attractive, who is regarded as a status symbol for the husband, who is often older and affluent.-History:The term's etymological origins are disputed... are also having affairs). |
| I Saw You Coming | A Notting Hill Notting Hill Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea... antiques shop salesman (Enfield) sells junk to gullible wealthy women (usually portrayed by Sophie Winkleman) for extortionately large quantities of money. In the second series, the salesman also owns a store called 'Modern Wank' claiming to his customers that it is considered retro to mix old items with modern furniture. |
| Posh Scaffolders | Builders (Enfield and Whitehouse) who converse on a range of highbrow subjects such as theatre, only stopping to barrage young women with stereotypical builder sexist and vulgar verbal abuse. |
| Pet Northerner | A posh family delight in showing their friends their pet Geordie Geordie Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants... , Clive (Whitehouse). |
| Jamie and Oliver | Two obese Obesity Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems... teens (Enfield and Whitehouse) who eat large quantities of junk food wherever they go. A dig at celebrity chef Jamie Oliver Jamie Oliver James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools... . |
| Café Polski | A seemingly normal man (Enfield) orders a cappuccino while the women at the counter (Morwenna Banks and Laura Solon) talk to each other in Polish, usually mocking him or fighting each other. The man eventually develops a love for one of the servers (Solon) and often ends up day dreaming or appearing slightly dazed when talking to her. |
| Roman Abramovich Roman Abramovich Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky... |
The chairman of Chelsea FC Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... (Whitehouse) is portrayed as a super-rich man, who thinks he can buy anything and everything he likes, such as a young Chelsea fan, the White House White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical... , without thinking the President President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... will need it, and even Liverpool's Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... wins. |
| Barbican Man | A Geordie man (Enfield) walks into a newsagent accompanied by the song "Tiger Feet Tiger Feet "Tiger Feet" is a popular song by Mud. Written and produced by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, Tiger Feet was the first of Mud's three number one singles in the UK, spending four weeks at the top of the chart from 22 January 1974... " by Mud Mud (band) Mud were an English glam rock band, formed in February 1968, best remembered for their single "Tiger Feet", which was the UK's best-selling single of 1974... and asks the shopkeeper for fictional versions of various day-to-day items. His dialogue always consists of: "How there man, have you got any barbican (somethings), they're like the normal (somethings), but with all the (something) taken out." For example, "Barbican Mars Bars", which are just like normal Mars Bar Mars Bar Mars is a chocolate bar manufactured by Mars, Incorporated. It was first manufactured in Slough, Berkshire in the United Kingdom in 1932 as a sweeter version of the US Milky Way bar which Mars, Inc. produced... s, but with all the chocolate and nougat taken out. It is based on an unsuccessful 1970s product, Barbican lager, which was non-alcoholic, originally advertised by Geordie football manager Lawrie McMenemy Lawrie McMenemy Lawrie McMenemy MBE is a retired English football coach, best known for his spell as manager of Southampton Football Club... . |
| Pik | A series of monologue Monologue In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media... s by a South African ex rugby player who now works in a gym in England. Stories mostly revolves around drinking, fighting and women. The comedy relies on stereotype Stereotype A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings... s, accent Accent (linguistics) In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside , the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language In... s and gormless expressions. |
| The Surgeon Surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage... s |
Work at high speed on patients whilst cracking jokes and telling stories giving themselves more time to follow their other pursuits or attend medical conferences. During internal examinations often ask each other "Who does that remind you of?". "You may feel a little discombobulation." Played by Enfield and Whitehouse |
| Wash Your Hands | Ashley (Whitehouse)'s wife (Banks) is pregnant and paranoid about germs, infections and meningitis Meningitis Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs... . She is spoilt by her father (Enfield) who buys her whatever she wants. In one instance he buys her a special pram Baby transport Baby transport consists of devices for transporting and carrying infants. A "child carrier" or "baby carrier" is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult... which Ashley wheels in from the car Čar Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:... , she claims he has brought germs, bacteria and Dust Mice (meaning to say dust mites House dust mite The house dust mite is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation. Dust mites feed on organic detritus such as flakes of shed human skin and flourish in the stable environment of dwellings. House dust mites are a common cause of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide... ) into the house. After this her father says to Ashley "Wheeled it? You should have carried it, you numpty". Ashley's wife and her father have a hug after he promises to dismantle the house brick by brick. Quotes in this sketch include "'ands, Ashley" "You want me to lose this baby, don't cha?" and "End of the day, Dad, you're the best dad in the world, Dad, end of". |
| The Chocolatier | A man (Whitehouse) able to render women powerless by revealing a large selection of chocolate, for example in a job interview and in a restaurant. |
| Jasper Hazelnut | A thinly-disguised parody of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a British celebrity chef, television personality, journalist, food writer and "real food" campaigner, known for his back-to-basics philosophy... (Enfield). Jasper is a chef so enthusiastic about cooking unusual dishes that he fails to notice that his wife has left him, that his country house is to be demolished to make way for a bypass Bypass (road) A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety.... and that his mother has fallen down the stairs. |
| TV Couple | The husband (Whitehouse) becomes amused while describing in detail the actions of "The Greek Mr Bean" (whose murmurs are audible in the background), including the predictable near future events; essentially stating the obvious. His wife (Banks) laughs and is equally entertained although she does not speak. They have also been shown watching a semi-egotistical rant by Ricky Gervais Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator... , which they question the popularity of. |
| Back Down | A man (Enfield) unable to back down from any argument, usually over the pronunciation of a proper noun. After the other man (Whitehouse) concedes defeat, Can't Back Down calms down and tells the other man's son that he was lucky he didn't assault the boy's father. He then makes a similar mistake, but having learnt his lesson the other man does not try to correct him again. |
| Divorcing Couple | A couple going through a divorce, who begin to connect again whenever they meet up. As the wife (Banks) begins to suggest cancelling the divorce, the husband (Enfield) is distracted by things such as text messaging or trying to watch Big Brother Big Brother (UK) Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four... . His lack of attention leads to an argument, ending with the wife intending to see the divorce through. |
Recurring characters from series two
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Dragons' Den | Spoof of the BBC television show Dragons' Den Dragons' Den Dragons' Den is a series of reality television programmes featuring entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas in order to secure investment finance from a panel of venture capitalists. The show originated in Japan as "Manē no Tora"... . Four "Dragons" are parodied, Deborah Meaden Deborah Meaden Deborah Meaden is a British business woman who ran a multi-million pound family holiday business, before completing a management buyout... as The Grumpy Woman (Enfield); Theo Paphitis Theo Paphitis Theodorus "Theo" Paphitis is a retail magnate and British entrepreneur of Greek Cypriot origin. He made the majority of his fortune in the retail sector, and is best known to the general public for his appearances on the BBC business programme Dragons' Den and as former chairman of Millwall... is sent up as Theo Profiterole (Whitehouse); Duncan Bannatyne Duncan Bannatyne Duncan Walker Bannatyne, OBE is a Scottish entrepreneur, philanthropist and author. His business interests include hotels, health clubs, spas, media, TV, stage schools, property and transport. He is most famous for his appearance as a business angel on the BBC programme Dragons' Den... turns into Duncan Guillotine (Whitehouse) and Peter Jones Peter Jones (entrepreneur) Peter Jones, CBE is a British entrepreneur and businessman with interests in mobile phones, television, media, leisure, and property. He became a television celebrity through his appearances on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his American television show American Inventor... becomes John Lewis (Enfield); smiling inanely while insulting the contestants, who have submitted a ludicrous idea such as a new month, whose fatal product flaw is often noticed by Duncan after interest from the dragons. All four dragons then renounce the product, insult the inventors and are "out". The sketch also features a parody of Evan Davis (Whitehouse). James Caan James Caan (entrepreneur) James Caan is a British-Pakistani entrepreneur and television personality. Caan has been building and selling businesses since 1985, including Alexander Mann Group, Humana International, and the private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw.Caan initially achieved success in the recruitment industry,... was not featured until series three, possibly due to only becoming a recent member of the real series and as yet having no discernible character traits. Alan Sugar Alan Sugar Alan Michael Sugar, Baron Sugar is a British entrepreneur, media personality and political advisor. From humble origins in the East End of London, Sugar now has an estimated fortune of £770m , and was ranked 89th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2011... and the Dragons once have an insult-slinging match, which soon degenerates into childishness. A special 'Victorian Dragons' Den parody was produced for Red Nose Day 2009 Red Nose Day 2009 Red Nose Day 2009, was a fund raising event organised by Comic Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 13 March 2009 to early the following morning. It was part of the "Do Something Funny For Money" campaign... , featuring the actual Dragons presenting genuine innovations (the toothbrush, the toilet/indoor plumbing and the television set) which are all shot down as being hopeless. The sketch specifically parodies some of the criticisms of Enfield & Whitehouse's portrayal of the Dragons (specifically Whitehouse's portrayal of Theo Paphitis, with his take on Bannatyne breaking the fourth wall to mock it and ultimately the real Paphitis acting like the impersonation). In season 3, Duncan Bannatyne is renamed to Ducan Genocide, Deborah Meaden is still features as the Grumpy Woman, Peter Jones is renamed to Peter 'Nick Clegg' Jones, Theo Paphitis is called Theo Thefoetus and James Caan is featured as James Yes we Caan. |
| The Writer and the Landlady | A sketch in the vein of a film noir Film noir Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s... horror film, it is black and white except for a dead canary. A well-spoken man with a moustache (Whitehouse) enters a small hotel and sits down at the bar before the somewhat disturbed landlady (Enfield), who will address him with "I see you're a writer, sir..." or suchlike, before telling him about a deceased, unwell or mentally ill relative, such as her late father and her sister whom she claims is "a simpleton." He will then explain his profession and proceed to ask her if she has heard of any of his creations, to which she will reply "Perhaps". He names each in turn, whilst she replies with "No", "'Fraid not", "Doesn't ring a bell" or "Not that I recall", before a noise distracts her and she looks away, turning back to find an empty seat before her. Then shown is a clock with its hands at five thirty, and a doll's face, before the lady turns and walks away. In the first occurrence of the character, the Writer was a writer of children's books (for example "No Potatoes For Pat"). In his second appearance he was a confectionery maker, fabricating such items as "fludge". In his appearance in the last episode of Series 2 he was a children's book writer again, this time writing books based on racial slurs, such as "Simon Bags a Jap Japanese people The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries... ", "Roderick Nets a Blackie Black people The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a... " and "Roderick Wins the Empire Medal British Empire Medal The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal , is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown... " and in the third series he ends up writing children's books based on a boy named Peter who spends most of his time digging up potatoes and talking to his papa. This sketch bears a strong resemblance to a scene from Carol Reed's Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed was an English film director best known for Odd Man Out , The Fallen Idol , The Third Man and Oliver!... The Third Man The Third Man The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score... , where Holly Martins, an unemployed pulp fiction Pulp magazine Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long... novelist, lists some of his books to an interlocutor who has never heard of them. It also shares similarities with many of David Lynch's David Lynch David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound... films. |
| Yeah, we can do that | A sketch about Father and Son builders. Two people are discussing what might make their property slightly better, and two builders - father (Whitehouse) and son (Enfield) - appear and offer to do the work, using only "4be2be4be2be" wood. One example has included a couple that mentioned that their commute was quite long, and so the builders built an Underground London Underground The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England... station next to their house. They of course never charge for their impressive labour. In each sketch the father is always shown reading the Racing Post Racing Post The Racing Post is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting newspaper, appearing in print form and online.From 30 May 2011 - 3 July 2011 it had a circulation of 56,507.-History:... and smoking a cigarette. |
| Cultured Fisherman | A man (Whitehouse) who tries to strike up a cultured conversation with his stereotypically working class Working class Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes... fishing friend (Enfield), about a high-brow event or broadcast he'd recently caught. In order not to appear like he actually cares, he plays down his interest, adding phrases such as "...or some sort of shit like that" to his sentences, but gradually lets it slip that he actually enjoyed and appreciated it. |
| Multilingual Manager | A take on how many different English football players are from overseas. The manager (Whitehouse) will walk into the changing room and proceed to give a team talk, before going between each person of different nationality and explaining it to them in a comical approximation of their own language and accent. He even sings to a South African player, makes gestures toward a deaf player (some of which imply he takes cocaine Cocaine Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic... and is lecherous), and speaks Latin to a player in Roman Ancient Rome Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world.... armour. Regional dialects/stereotypes are also used, as when he reaches the English player, he tells him in a cockney Cockney The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End... accent that if a certain person gets past them again, they should break his leg or ankles. On one occasion, the team burst into "We Are the World We Are the World "We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World... ". |
| Movie Originals | Sketches purporting to be clips from the 'original' black-and-white British versions of contemporary films such as The Bourne Identity The Bourne Identity (2002 film) The Bourne Identity is a 2002 American spy film loosely based on Robert Ludlum's novel of the same name. It stars Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, an amnesiac attempting to discover his true identity amidst a clandestine conspiracy within the Central Intelligence Agency . The film also stars Franka... and Basic Instinct Basic Instinct Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone.... . One sketch has the leg-crossing scene from Basic Instinct performed by Margaret Rutherford Margaret Rutherford Dame Margaret Taylor Rutherford DBE was an English character actress, who first came to prominence following World War II in the film adaptations of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest... (Enfield). |
| The Rap DJs | Elderley Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation... DJs Henry Glass and Clarence Sugarman, who host "Rap Sunday". In between songs they discuss things that old people generally talk about. They have a slogan for their show which is "Hip Hop Hooray". In one sketch they have a rap battle with some typical hip hop 'gangstas', only to have their Toyota Yaris Toyota Yaris The Toyota Yaris is a subcompact car produced by Toyota since 1999. Between 1999 and 2005, some markets received the same vehicles under the Toyota Echo name... stall. These sketches were written by Robert Popper Robert Popper Robert Popper is a BAFTA winning comedy producer, writer and actor, best known as co-creator of the mock BBC documentary Look Around You, in which he also plays the part of Jack Morgan... . |
| I Saw You Coming | The Notting Hill Notting Hill Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea... antiques shop salesman (Enfield) returns from series 1, but has now opened some new shops selling overpriced items - 'Modern Wank', 'Le Grocer' and 'Blondes of a certain age'. The music at the start of the clip is 'Got To Get Away' by John Holt John Holt -People:* John Holt , English author* John Holt , trader and businessman* John Holt , West Indian cricketer* John Holt , American teacher and author... . |
| Nelson Mandela | Nelson Mandela returns, this time taking former world leaders like Fidel Castro Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011... or Margaret Thatcher Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990... for a walk in their wheelchair. It usually portrays Nelson Mandela dumping them off a cliff for some reason (to get Castro's iPhone IPhone The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007... or to shut up Margaret Thatcher). He also steals bikes and composes copyright infringing music. |
| Returning characters | Some characters return from Season 1, while keeping the same formula. These includes Charles and Sheridan, the posh scaffolders (who get upset and stop the insulting when a woman tells them how it hurt her feelings), Pam and Ronald, Clive the Geordie (who engages in the Henley Annual Northerner Show, and has a controversial sketch involving a Filipino Filipino people The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines .... maid), the Polish Cafe Servers (Simon, the customer, finally gets a date with Magda, but it is then revealed that she has a very attractive sister, who Simon seems instantly besotted with), Pik the South African, the Chocolatier and a couple watching television. |
Recurring characters from series three
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Dragons' Den | Spoof of the BBC television show Dragons' Den Dragons' Den Dragons' Den is a series of reality television programmes featuring entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas in order to secure investment finance from a panel of venture capitalists. The show originated in Japan as "Manē no Tora"... . Five "Dragons" are parodied, Deborah Meaden Deborah Meaden Deborah Meaden is a British business woman who ran a multi-million pound family holiday business, before completing a management buyout... as The Grumpy Woman (Enfield); Theo Paphitis Theo Paphitis Theodorus "Theo" Paphitis is a retail magnate and British entrepreneur of Greek Cypriot origin. He made the majority of his fortune in the retail sector, and is best known to the general public for his appearances on the BBC business programme Dragons' Den and as former chairman of Millwall... as Theo Thefoetus (Whitehouse); Duncan Bannatyne Duncan Bannatyne Duncan Walker Bannatyne, OBE is a Scottish entrepreneur, philanthropist and author. His business interests include hotels, health clubs, spas, media, TV, stage schools, property and transport. He is most famous for his appearance as a business angel on the BBC programme Dragons' Den... turns into Ducan Genocide (Whitehouse); James Caan James Caan (entrepreneur) James Caan is a British-Pakistani entrepreneur and television personality. Caan has been building and selling businesses since 1985, including Alexander Mann Group, Humana International, and the private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw.Caan initially achieved success in the recruitment industry,... as James Yes We Caan and Peter Jones Peter Jones (entrepreneur) Peter Jones, CBE is a British entrepreneur and businessman with interests in mobile phones, television, media, leisure, and property. He became a television celebrity through his appearances on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his American television show American Inventor... becomes Peter 'Nick Clegg' Jones (Enfield). The sketch also features a parody of Evan Davis (Whitehouse). |
| I Saw You Coming | The Notting Hill Notting Hill Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea... antiques shop salesman (Enfield) returns from series 2. |
| Is He A Queer | Two elderly, upper class London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... ers who constantly question the sexuality of various figures in British culture , most of them raised by articles in the newspaper. Whilst they have a predilection for believing the people they discuss are homosexual they often ask their gay acquaintance "Bunny" for an opinion that helps determine their choice. Their conclusions are, invariably, completely wrong. |
| Mr Psycho Bean | A cross between Mr Bean and Norman Bates (from Psycho), his methods of getting what he wants or getting around problems involve killing one or more people in his way. |
| The Benefits | Three generations of a family living on benefits who are noisy, rude and disruptive wherever they go, wanting to buy lotto tickets and other things from places that don't sell them. |
| Parking Pataweyo | A parody of Postman Pat Postman Pat Postman Pat is a British stop-motion animated children's television series first produced by Woodland Animations. It is aimed at pre-school children, and concerns the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman in the fictional village of Greendale .Postman Pat's first 13-episode season was screened on... , involving a stereotypical Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three... an traffic warden who is quick to issue parking tickets to anyone who illegally parks for more than a few seconds. |
| The Silver-Haired Beatles | An imagining of The Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr... as they would be now, had they never died, taken drugs, or been in any real controversy. They are still immensely successful, producing new music seemingly at will (which causes everyone who hears it to love The Beatles) but often run into some sort of mischief. The sketches are written in the style of Alun Owen Alun Owen Alun Owen was a British screenwriter, predominantly active in television, but best remembered by a wider audience for writing the screenplay of The Beatles' debut feature film A Hard Day's Night .... 's screenplay for A Hard Day's Night A Hard Day's Night (film) A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists... and the Beatles' own 1960s press conferences. John Henshaw John Henshaw John Henshaw is a British actor, best-known for his roles as Ken the landlord in Early Doors, Wilf Bradshaw in Born and Bred and PC Roy Bramwell in The Cops. He is often associated with playing "hard men"... plays their manager, Lewis Macleod Lewis MacLeod Euan Lewis MacLeod is a prolific Scottish character actor, who can be heard as the voice of a huge number of television commercials, movie trailers and cartoons in his native UK. He voices characters such as Sebulba from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Postman Pat... plays Paul McCartney Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100... , Kevin Eldon doubles as Ringo Starr Ringo Starr Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in... and George Martin George Martin Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums... , and Philip Pope Philip Pope Philip R. J. Pope is a British composer and actor. He was educated at Downside School and New College, Oxford.-Performer:He appeared in the Oxford Revue in Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1978 and 1979, both with Angus Deayton... provides the music and singing voices. |
| Radio 4 | A producer & a presenter make programmes for Radio 4 about seemingly uninteresting subjects, and then compound the situation by speaking, not profoundly, but banally, about the already unpromising subject matter. They are however, such is the esteem for the station, able to stop things such as a burglary, and trespass on private property, even quieten rowdy children, when they mention that they are working for Radio 4. Then everybody asks when the show is, only to resume what was happening before the pair showed up, as if nothing happened. |
| Returning characters | Some characters return from Season 2 including the Polish Cafe Servers, The Consultant surgeons, Charles and Sheridan, The Chocolatier, and in the last episode Pam and Ronald. |
Filipina maid controversy
PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
foreign secretary Alberto Romulo
Alberto Romulo
Alberto Gatmaitan Rómulo is a politician in the Philippines. He served as Foreign Secretary before and during the beginning of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III....
complained to the British Embassy about a "Clive the Geordie" sketch in the fourth episode of the second series, in which the character is urged by his "owner" to mate (unsuccessfully) with a neighbour's Filipina maid. An online petition started by the "Philippine Foundation" condemned the sketch as "completely disgraceful, distasteful and a great example of gutter humour... inciting stereotyped racial discrimination, vulgarity and violation of the maid's human rights".
The Embassy issued a statement stressing the BBC's editorial independence of the British government, while a spokesman for Tiger Aspect stated that: "Harry & Paul is a post-watershed comedy sketch series and as such tackles many situations in a comedic way. Set in this context, the sketch is so far beyond the realms of reality as to be absurd - and in no way is intended to demean or upset any viewer."
In the 10 October 2008 letter, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Director General Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson
Mark John Thompson is Director-General of the BBC, a post he has held since 2004, and a former chief executive of Channel 4...
formally apologised to Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James's
Court of St. James's
The Court of St James's is the royal court of the United Kingdom. It previously had the same function in the Kingdom of England and in the Kingdom of Great Britain .-Overview:...
Edgardo Espiritu: "Please accept my sincere apologies, on behalf of the BBC, for the offence that this programme caused you." Earlier, Chief executive of Harry and Paul producer, Tiger Aspect Productions, a BBC associate, Andrew Zane, stated: "We're sorry to anyone who was in any way offended by the programme. This certainly was not our intention." British ambassador to Manila, Peter Beckingham, made a rejoinder: "Our relationship has never been stronger, and the prospects are excellent."
DVD release
The first series was released on DVD by 2entertain on 26 November 2007. No extras were included and music edits are noted on the packaging. The second series was released on DVD on 27 October 2008. Both DVDs offer English subtitles for the hard of hearing.International broadcasters
- Super Channel - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- ABC TV - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- HBO Poland - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
- TV ONE - New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...