The following characters appear in the comedy sketch series
The Catherine Tate ShowThe Catherine Tate Show is an award-winning British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate who stars in all of the show's sketches, which feature a wide range of characters. The Catherine Tate Show airs on BBC Two and is shown worldwide through the BBC...
on
BBC Two
. Comedian
Catherine TateCatherine Tate, born 12 May 1968 as Catherine Ford, is an English actress, writer and comedienne. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
portrays all of the characters featured most prominently in the show, which she has created with
Derren LittenDerren Litten is a British comedy writer and actor. He is best-known as the co-writer of the award-winning The Catherine Tate Show, for which he wrote and appeared as several different characters in the first two series and the 2005 Christmas Special...
and her team of writers. Other actors who have supporting roles throughout the series include
Mathew HorneMathew 'Mat' Frazer Horne is an English actor and comedian, best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey, The Catherine Tate Show and Horne and Corden.-Early life:...
and
Niky WardleyNiky Wardley is an English actress. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.One of her most well-known parts was in The Catherine Tate Show as Lauren Coopers best friend Lisa Jackson, as well as other parts during the series....
.
Lauren Cooper
Lauren Cooper is a
comprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. The term is commonly used in relation to the United Kingdom, where comprehensive schools were introduced in the late 1940s to the early 1970s. It corresponds broadly to the...
student with a bad attitude who is most widely known for her phrase "Am I bovvered?". Lauren, her best friend Liese Jackson and her love interest Ryan Perkins are known as yobs. Sketches throughout series one see Lauren arguing with authority figures such as train conductors and teachers, as well as Liese and Ryan. Her behaviour in later series becomes increasingly worse and engages in confrontation more frequently. Lauren Cooper's catchphrase "Am I bothered?" had made her one of the most recognisable characters of the show. Lauren also appeared in many charity sketches with many famous celebrities, including
McFlyMcFly are a BRIT Award winning pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band members are: Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd...
,
David TennantDavid Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in the theatre, Tennant is best known for his roles in Doctor Who as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor, in Casanova as the title character, and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
and
Tony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
.
During the 2007 Christmas special on 25 December 2007, Lauren is killed during a
kayakA kayak is a small human-powered boat. It typically has a covered deck, and a cockpit covered by a spraydeck also known as a skirt. The kayak was used by the native Ainu, Aleut and Eskimo hunters in sub-Arctic regions of northeastern Asia, North America and Greenland. It historically was, and...
ing trip, after falling down a
waterfallA waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation :Typically, a river flows over a large step in the rocks that may have been formed by a fault line. As it increases its velocity at the edge of the waterfall, it plucks...
. Her gravestone is inscribed with the message "I Still Ain't Bovvered".
Two other characters also featured prominently in Lauren's sketches include Lauren's love interest, Ryan (Kanye Fiddy Cent) Perkins, played by
Mathew HorneMathew 'Mat' Frazer Horne is an English actor and comedian, best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey, The Catherine Tate Show and Horne and Corden.-Early life:...
. Ryan is a
comprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. The term is commonly used in relation to the United Kingdom, where comprehensive schools were introduced in the late 1940s to the early 1970s. It corresponds broadly to the...
student with Lauren and Liese. He dubs himself as MC Ryan, who
beatboxesBeatboxing is a form of vocal percussion which primarily involves the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and more. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
,
rapsRapping is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes, wordplay, and poetry. Rapping is a primary ingredient in hip hop music, but the phenomenon predates hip hop culture by centuries. Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment...
and spins
decksThe record player, phonograph or gramophone was the most common device for playing recorded sound from the late 1870s until the late 1980s.- Terminology :...
and he also plays
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
. The relationship between Ryan and Lauren is at times unclear, as he is quick to poke fun at Lauren with phrases such as "that is
well bad". He has also made a bet to see whether Lauren would accept his marriage proposal and eventually was about to marry her until he left her at the altar due to her terrible rendition of
Celine DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion , CC, OQ is a Canadian singer, occasional songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur. Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to...
's "
My Heart Will Go On"My Heart Will Go On" is the theme song of the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic. With music by James Horner, lyrics by Will Jennings, and production by Walter Afanasieff, it was recorded by Céline Dion. Originally released in 1997 on Dion's album Let's Talk About Love, it went to number 1 all over the...
", as featured in "Titanic".
The other character is Lauren's best friend, Liese Jackson, played by
Niky WardleyNiky Wardley is an English actress. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.One of her most well-known parts was in The Catherine Tate Show as Lauren Coopers best friend Lisa Jackson, as well as other parts during the series....
. Liese is a
comprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. The term is commonly used in relation to the United Kingdom, where comprehensive schools were introduced in the late 1940s to the early 1970s. It corresponds broadly to the...
student with Lauren and Ryan who displays the typical
chavChav , charve or scally , ned , is a derogatory term applied to certain young people in the United Kingdom. The stereotypical chav is an aggressive teenager or young adult who often engages in anti-social behaviour, such as street drinking, drug abuse and rowdy behaviour...
culture look and mannerisms. She always seems to get stuck in the middle of Lauren's "am I bovvered" rant, even when she's trying to comfort her. However, Liese has her moments of making fun of Lauren, especially when she mispronounces a word (for example Lauren says bing-bing instead of
bling-blingBling-bling is a slang term popularized in hip hop culture, referring to flashy or elaborate jewelry and ornamented accessories that are carried, worn, or installed, such as cell phones or tooth caps...
) or says the wrong name by mistake, to which Liese says "take the shame mate".
Joannie 'Nan' Taylor
The foul-mouthed grandmother is an old
cockneyThe term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
woman who constantly swears at and criticises other people. She is always visited by her well-mannered grandson Jamie (played by
Mathew HorneMathew 'Mat' Frazer Horne is an English actor and comedian, best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey, The Catherine Tate Show and Horne and Corden.-Early life:...
), where the visits usually start off well enough, with the Nan showing how grateful she is that her grandson has come to see her. However, things usually take a turn for the worst after she starts to make unfavourable comments about her neighbours, family, and home help visitors. Nan also appeared on
The Paul O'Grady ShowThe Paul O'Grady Show is a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format is a teatime chat show that consists of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, and occasionally viewer competitions...
and the
Channel 4Channel 4 is a UK public-service television broadcaster which began working on November 2, 1982. Although commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station owned now and operated by the Channel Four Television...
game show
Deal or No DealDeal or No Deal is the United Kingdom version of the Endemol game show, which was first broadcast on Channel 4 on 31 October 2005. Presented by Noel Edmonds, the show is normally broadcast from 16:10 - 17:00 on weekdays.-Format:...
, hosted by
Noel EdmondsNoel Ernest Edmonds, DL is an English television presenter and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show and Noel's House Party...
. The latter sketch was shot especially for Comic Relief 2007.
When she appears on
The Paul O'Grady Show, she is recognised as Joannie Taylor for the very first time as she is referred to as "Nan" by Jamie and as Mrs. Taylor by others. However, when she appears on
Deal or No Deal, she is recognised as "Nan".
Jamie is a
universityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
studentThe word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb studēre, meaning "to direct one's zeal at"; hence a student could be described as "one who directs zeal at a subject"...
and according to Nan, is unemployed. Nan also makes references to the fact that he might be
gayThe term gay was originally used, until well into the mid-20th century, primarily to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; it had also come to acquire some connotations of "immorality" as early as 1637....
, although Jamie has said on many occasions that he has a girlfriend.
Bernie
The incompetent
IrishThe Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...
nurseA nurse is a healthcare professional who, in collaboration with other members of a health care team, is responsible for: treatment, safety, and recovery of acutely or chronically ill individuals; health promotion and maintenance within families, communities and populations; and, treatment of...
. Bernie is an unruly, randy woman who bordered on being
sackedTermination of employment is the end of an employee's duration with an employer. Depending on the case, the decision may be made by the employee, the employer, or mutually agreed upon by both.-Voluntary termination:...
in the hospital where she worked in every episode. She frequently makes inappropriate remarks to her patients, flirts with most of the male staff, takes a critically ill patient on a wild night out, and mixes up the records of living patients with those of deceased ones.
In series two, Bernie makes three appearances. In one sketch, she is nearly sacked after being
hypnotisedHypnosis is a mental state or set of attitudes usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a series of preliminary instructions and suggestions. Hypnotic suggestions may be delivered by a hypnotist in the presence of the subject, or may be...
. In the second, she returns to her usual ways, flirting with a man who she didn't know was the lead surgeon. In the third sketch, a lesbian nurse named Arthur flirts with Bernie, eventually kissing her. Upon doing so, Bernie refers to Arthur as a "mad fanny-basher".
In series three, her sisters Brenda and Bridie and brothers Seamus and Paddy, all identical to Bernie and even more over the top in their behaviour, cause havoc when they come over from
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
to visit her during her shift at the hospital. It was also discovered that Bernie shuns medical terms for intimate bodily parts because she confuses them with the names of another sister and brother, Virginia and Clint.
Bernie appeared in a Christmas special in a sketch featuring
George MichaelGeorgios Kyriacos Panayiotou , best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning, English singer-songwriter, who has had a career as frontman of the duo Wham! as well as a soul-influenced, solo pop musician...
.
Paul and Sam
The
EssexEssex is a county in the East of England region of the United Kingdom. The county town of Essex is Chelmsford.-History:In pre-Roman Britain the territories of Suffolk and Essex were home to the Trinovantes tribe, which had grown wealthy through intensive trade with the Roman Empire, contemporary...
couple. They are happily married yet slightly simple, and find everyday situations surprisingly hilarious. Paul (played by
Lee RossLee Ross is an English actor known for roles in Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest, Press Gang, Secrets & Lies, The Catherine Tate Show and as Owen Turner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
) and Sam often excitedly tell each other stories, which they find highly amusing and interesting, but would in fact be just everyday situations (as for example forgetting the keys for the car and only notice that at the car). The stories build up and when completed, Paul and Sam would both produce an exaggerated and completely silent laugh. Tate revealed in an interview that these characters are based on people that she knows, but that they are not aware of this despite enjoying the sketch.
In episode five of series two, audiences were introduced to Sam's parents, who share many of the same characteristics as their daughter.
Paul WhitehousePaul 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...
guest starred as her father and My Heros
Geraldine McNultyGeraldine McNulty is a British stage and television actress.She has played the character of Mrs Raven in My Hero, and had guest appearances in Neverwhere, Gimme Gimme Gimme, The Vicar of Dibley and The Catherine Tate Show...
guest starred as her mum. In the 2005 Christmas special, it was revealed that they have two children who look like them and behave in a similar manner. Paul and Sam made only two appearances in series three, featuring in the last episode and still very excitable over the slightest thing. It is usual for Paul to ask a question to which Sam would reply "I dunno!", again followed by an exaggerated and totally silent laugh.
Paul and Sam appear in the 2007 Christmas Special where three of Sam's friends from work go around to her house. They all display similar behaviour to Paul and Sam, even doing the silent laugh. The three were amazed with hair straighteners and drinks. At the end of the sketch, all five laugh so hard that they wet themselves.
Kate and Ellen
This sketch followed two
officeAn office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty...
workers who sat next to each other. While Ellen (played by
Ella KenionElla Kenion is an English comedy actress, known for her versatility in shows such as The Catherine Tate Show, Five's sketch show, Swinging and most recently in BBC4's Fear of Fanny. She's probably best known for her portrayal Mrs Cakeworthy in The Green Green Grass...
) is usually keen to get on with her work, she is frequently disturbed by Kate (
Catherine TateCatherine Tate, born 12 May 1968 as Catherine Ford, is an English actress, writer and comedienne. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
). Kate continually makes conversation about her lifestyle, inviting her co-worker to "Have a guess!" on such delicate situations as how much
weightAlthough some people prefer the less-ambiguous term body mass, the term body weight is overwhelmingly used in daily English speech and in biological and medical science contexts to describe the mass of an organism's body. Body weight is measured in kilograms throughout the world, although in some...
she had lost, how many miles she could run, and how much money she paid for her holiday. While Ellen is reluctant to go along with the game, she is pressured into making a wild guess, which almost always results in Kate's becoming insulted and consequently offensive. Towards the end of the first series, Ellen occasionally guesses correctly, sometimes surprisingly such as when Kate asks "Do you know how many extras were used in the film
TroyTroy is a 2004 epic/action film concerning the Trojan War. It is loosely based on Homer's Iliad, besides material from Virgil's Aeneid and other sources of the Epic Cycle, but it frequently diverges from myth...
?". This upsets Kate, who reacted in ways such as calling her co-worker a freak, a "scab-faced old trout" and a
lesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
. The name of the office is written on the set as 'Callas and Sait', which has been suggested as a reference to the callousness versus saintliness of the characters, actually refers to the surnames of two members of the production staff on the show.
In series two, Ellen becomes more aware of material that Kate uses for her "Have a guess!" games, and often knew the correct answer before being asked. Unfortunately, this irritates Kate even more than usual, and during the course of this series she poured a drink over Ellen's head, trashed her desk and
spatSpitting or expectoration is the act of forcibly ejecting saliva or other substances from the mouth. It is usually considered rude and a social taboo in many parts of the world. It is possible to transmit infectious diseases in this way....
in her hair. Kate, when saying "I went to the theatre last night," and Ellen replies "The Phantom Of The Opera" correctly, Kate doesn't physically respond, but instead goes up to Ellen's ear and screams the main tune from "The Phantom Of The Opera" at her. Kate and Ellen appeared in series 1 and 2, but not in series 3.
Elaine Figgis
Elaine is a woman who appeared in a
documentaryDocumentary film is a broad category of visual expressions that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and digital productions that can...
following her search for love, mostly corresponding with people around the world via the
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
in search of a man. The unseen interviewer and
narratorA narrator is, within any story , the entity that conveys the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for story-telling of any kind...
is called Tanya. Series one follows her
engagementAn engagement is a promise to marriage, and also the period of time between proposal and marriagewhich may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be affianced, betrothed, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
and eventual marriage to a convicted cannibal and lunatic on
Death RowDeath row is a term that refers to the section of a prison that houses individuals awaiting execution. It is also used to refer to the state of awaiting execution, even in places where a special section of a prison does not exist ....
in the
USThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, who abducted, tortured and murdered eight people, proceeding to eat two of them. Elaine had met Jerry over the Internet but never in person, but notwithstanding having never met him remained positive about his crimes and continued to declare her love for him. Elaine even goes out to
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
to the prison in order to marry him, where the service lasts about five seconds. Elaine states that the wedding ceremony had to be short as they could not gauge the amount of
sedativeA sedative is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement.At higher doses it may result in slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes...
to give him. In another sketch, Elaine lights a candle to represent Jerry's life, to be blown out at the precise time of his execution, eventually realizing that the United States are six hours behind Britain, and that she has made an effort for the wrong time.
In series two, Elaine appears for one episode, and is still using the
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to find potential lovers. Unfortunately, her new boyfriend Mohammed, a spice seller from Luxor Temple in Egypt, ends up
conningA confidence trick or confidence game is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence...
her and taking her savings.
In series three Elaine gives up on finding love on-line. Instead she attempts to have a baby with the aid of a sperm donor, but unfortunately her missed periods turned out to be the start of the
menopauseMenopause is the time in a woman’s life when menstruation ends. It is part of a biological process that begins, for most women, in their mid-fifties. During this time, the ovaries gradually produce lower levels of natural sex hormones—estrogen and progesterone...
(a very early menopause, as her age is quoted in the first series as being 34).
In a special sketch for Comic Relief,
James BondJames Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. The character has also been used in the longest running and most financially successful English language film franchise to date, starting in 1962 with Dr...
actor
Daniel CraigDaniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor and film producer. His early film roles included The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
appeared as himself in a sketch with Elaine Figgis. He is another boyfriend that Elaine meets over the Internet and subsequently moves in with her. Throughout the entire sketch, Elaine is mostly oblivious as to who he was and his famous role as James Bond. She admits that she thought he was lying about being an actor, with the sketch ending in the splitting of their relationship.
The Aga Saga Woman
An upper-middle-class
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
woman who goes into a state of shock in various, seemingly innocuous situations. For example: after receiving a phone call from her husband's European personal assistant, she must tell her children that "Daddy hasn't been able to find any good
brieBrie is a soft cows' cheese named after Brie, the French province in which it originated . It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under crusty white mould; very soft and savoury with a hint of ammonia...
" on his business trip to
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. They fear that they will be mocked at the Parisian picnic at school because they lack the correct
cheeseCheese is a food consisting of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. It is produced by coagulation of the milk protein casein. Typically, the milk is acidified and addition of the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into...
. Another time, she panics at the thought of having to use a
dishwasherA dishwasher is a mechanical device for cleaning dishes and eating utensils. Dishwashers can be found in restaurants and private homes.-How dishwashers work:...
when an egg cleaver falls onto the floor, meaning that Chloe cannot open her egg and it cannot breathe and may discolour. Everyone panics at this and can only suggest that the housekeeper rush to their house on public transport—a taxi—to put the cleaver through the dishwasher. She also dreads the thought of going
supermarketA supermarket, also called a grocery store in some parts of North America, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
-shopping by herself. The title of the sketch is a pun on the stereotype of the pretentious middle classes having an
AgaThe AGA cooker is a stored-heat stove and cooker invented in 1929 by the Nobel Prize-winning Swedish physicist Dr. Gustaf Dalén , who was employed first as the chief engineer of AGA company. The cookers are today manufactured by the Aga Rangemaster Group.AGA is an abbreviation of the company name,...
oven at home. The Aga Saga Woman is called "Mrs Montgomery" in Series Two, later
retconRetroactive continuity is the deliberate changing of previously established facts in a work of serial fiction. The change is informally referred to as a "retcon", and producing a retcon is called "retconning"...
ned in Series Three to "Mrs Taylor-Thomas".
In Series Two, she goes into a state of shocked terror when a
NorthernNorthern England, also known as the North of England, or simply The North is a cultural region or identity of England in the United Kingdom. It is not a government administrative region, but rather an amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the...
nannyA nanny or childminder is a person who looks after the child or children of another family. Childminding differs from nannying in that a nanny goes to the house of the child in order to care for it; childminders look after the child in the childminder's home...
has to look after her children. She does forewarn the children that the agency arranged for a temporary nanny (as Alice was ill), and that she feared that the nanny may come from as far north as
SunderlandSunderland lies at the heart of the City of Sunderland, a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. It is situated at the mouth of the River Wear....
(pronounced by them as sʌndə'land
as opposed to sʌndələnd).
Jill HalfpennyJill Halfpenny is an English actress.Halfpenny is possibly best known for her role as Kate in the British TV drama EastEnders, from 2002-5...
guest-starred as the Northern nanny.
In Series Three, she sends everyone at her children's school
sports daySports days are events staged by many schools in which children participate in competitive sporting activities, often with the aim of winning trophies or prizes. They are usually held in the warmer seasons, either at the beginning or towards the end of the academic year...
into a panic when she finds out the eggs being used in the
egg and spoon raceAn egg and spoon race is a sporting event in which participants must carry an egg on a small spoon and race to the finish line without dropping the egg...
are not
organicOrganic foods are made according to certain production standards. For the vast majority of human history, agriculture can be described as organic; only during the 20th century was a large supply of new synthetic chemicals introduced to the food supply...
. The children and parents immediately run for their 4x4s (all of them identical BMW X5s) and drive off. Another time, she becomes terrified at the prospect of having to use a hire car while her
Land RoverLand Rover is a 4x4, SUV and all-terrain vehicle manufacturer, based in Solihull, West Midlands, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business owned by Tata Motors of India....
is being repaired. She and her children are disturbed when they take a wrong turn and end up driving in
TottenhamTottenham is an urban area of North London, England in the London Borough of Haringey, situated north-east of Charing Cross.-History:There has been a settlement at Tottenham for over a thousand years...
(pronounced by them as "Totting-ham"), where they are traumatised when they see the supermarket
IcelandIceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, owned by the Icelandic retail conglomerate Baugur. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables....
, when they notice that nobody is wearing
broguesBrogues, often known as wingtips in the United States, are low-heeled shoes made of heavy leather, originating in Scotland and Ireland as a coarse, usually untanned leather shoe...
, and when someone cleans their windscreen at the traffic lights, screaming over whether they will 'survive' the incident. On another occasion they evacuate a picnic after her children's friend Fergus accidentally consumes a
gooseberryThe gooseberry Ribes uva-crispa is a species of Ribes, native to Europe, northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia...
and
cinnamonCinnamon is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka, or the spice obtained from the tree's bark...
yoghurtYoghurt or yogurt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of lactose produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yoghurt its texture and its characteristic tang...
that is one day past its sell-by date. She seems to believe that encounters with the lower-middle class or anything less than perfect will prove fatal, and has passed this trait on to her children. This is evident in catchphrases like "Don't look them in the eyes!", "Run for your lives, children--we're all going to die!" and "Please don't kill us, we mean you no harm!"
The Aga Saga Woman's daughter, Chloe Taylor-Thomas, is played by two different actresses in Series One and Two and played by
Jennifer Rae DaykinJennifer Rae Daykin is a British teen actress best known for her role as Lilyana "Lily" Brown in Nanny McPhee.-Films:*Harry as Clara*Nanny McPhee as Lilyana "Lily" Brown-Television:...
in Series Three. Chloe often comes up with good ideas during the Aga Saga Woman's crisis, such as suggesting that Roquefort will go well with some good bread at the Parisian picnic. The Aga Saga Woman's son, Thomas Taylor-Thomas, is played by different actors in all three series. He sometimes seems to be forgetful, as he once suggested bringing Wensleydale cheese, which would have been a grave mistake, to a Parisian picnic. He refers to his mother as "dear heart" and "darling" and often takes a lead role during the Aga Saga Woman's crisis by saying not to panic and "it puts everything into perspective."
Tate has stated that the character was based on a woman who was rude to her on
Kings RoadKing's Road or Kings Road, known popularly as The King's Road or The KR, is a major, well-known street in west London, England...
when she was pregnant.
Derek Faye
Derek, who first appeared in series two, is a man who shows several signs of being
gayHomosexuality is the romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex, situationally or as an enduring disposition. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is considered to lie within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum of human sexuality, and refers to an individual’s...
(combining some mannerisms of famous gay British comedians such as
Kenneth WilliamsKenneth Charles Williams was a British comic actor, star of 26 Carry On films and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne, as well as being a witty raconteur.-Life and career:...
and
Frankie HowerdFrankie Howerd OBE , was a distinctive English comedian and comic actor whose career spanned six decades.-Biography:...
), but seems to be in denial about his sexuality and becomes extremely offended and defensive when people assume he is gay. To his dislike, these occurrences are frequent, owing to the fact he behaves in an extremely effeminate way. His most famous catchphrase is "How
very dare you!", along with the overuse of the word "dear". This can be seen in another catchphrase; when asked about his sexuality he replies "Who, dear? Me, dear? Gay, dear? No, dear!", or when asked for advice replying "Me dear? Advice dear? Yes dear." When offended, Derek states how he and his mother have been doing something relative to the person Derek is insulted by for 25 years. For example, in one sketch with Bonnie Langford, he rants "25 years my Mother and I have been following your career and you come out with this!?" Derek also uses the word "impertinent" to describe the person who has unintentionally offended him. He also frequently says "What
on earth are you insinuating?" when the person he is talking to makes a comment on how they think he is gay. Another well-known catchphrase is "I've never been so insulted!"
In series three, Derek still battles with the problem of everyone he met assuming he is gay. He becomes particularly offended when, while on holiday in
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
with his male companion Leonard Mincing, a taxi driver offers to take them to a
HawaiianThe Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of 19 islands and atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll. Excluding Midway, which is an unincorporated territory of the...
-themed
gay barA gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
called "Homo lulu".
Bonnie LangfordBonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford is an English actress and entertainer. She came to prominence as a child star in the early 1970s then she subsequently became a companion of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's Doctor Who and has appeared on stage in various musicals such as Peter Pan: The...
also appears in one of his sketches, where he ends up giving her one of his infamous rants after she casually mentioned that she had many "gay fans". Derek Faye's silent male companion, Leonard Mincing, is played by Martin Akehurst.
Irene and Vernon
Irene and Vernon (often referred to as Vern) first appeared in series two. They are the owners of a mobile
burger vanA food truck, mobile kitchen is a mobile venue that sells food. Some, including ice cream trucks, sell mostly frozen or prepackaged food; others are more like restaurants-on-wheels...
situated on the side of a
motorwayThe OECD has defined a motorway as:Motorways are identical to freeways as a road type, and comparable to the United States's Interstate Highways as a classification....
. During their sketches they are visited by a regular
customerA customer, also called client, buyer, or purchaser, is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...
called Neville (played by
Brian MurphyBrian Murphy is a British actor.Although a prolific actor in many films and theatre productions for almost half a century, Murphy's most famous role was as the henpecked husband George Roper in the sitcom Man About the House and spin-off George and Mildred.He was called up to do his military...
) whom Irene tries to convince that she and Vernon have been visited by various celebrities. Neville almost always orders a
double cheeseA cheeseburger is a hamburger with cheese. The term itself is a portmanteau of the words "cheese" and "hamburger." The cheese is usually sliced, then added a short time before the hamburger finishes cooking to allow it to melt. Cheeseburgers are often served with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles,...
with no sauce, and keeps a tab with Irene and Verne and always asks if he can "settle up on Friday." When Neville appears, Irene never knows the name of the celebrity in question and always attempts to try and describe them. She once says when trying to describe
MadonnaMadonna is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977, for a career in modern dance...
; "That big blonde woman off the telly." Irene also claims that they were visited by former Soviet premier
Mikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was the second-to-last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until 1991, and the last head of state of the USSR, serving from 1988 until its collapse in 1991...
and
Desmond TutuDesmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. In 1984, Tutu became the second South African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize...
.
In series three, with little change from the last series, Irene tries to convince her regular customer Neville that she and Vern had met
ABBAABBA was a pop music group formed in Sweden in November 1970. The band consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad , Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog. They topped the charts worldwide from 1972 to 1982...
,
Condoleezza RiceCondoleezza Rice is a professor, diplomat, author, and national security expert. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
and even
Henry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.Henry VIII was a significant figure in the history of the English monarchy...
who, according to Irene, did not die over 400 years ago but is renting a
bungalowA bungalow is a type of single-story house that originated in India. The word derives from the Gujarati બંગલો baṅgalo, which in turn derives from the Hindi बंगला baṅglā, meaning "Bengali" and used elliptically for a "house in the Bengal style"...
in
Hemel HempsteadHemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom with a population of 81,143 at the United Kingdom Census 2001 . Developed after World War II as a new town, it has existed as a settlement since the 8th century...
and was seen by her on a bike ride with
Anne of ClevesAnne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
. Vernon, who normally has no lines, was given a speaking part for the first time, when he simply told Irene to "Shut up." She replied "No, you shut up!". She also made this insinuation in series two in the scene where Madonna apparently turned up.
Janice and Ray
A
NorthernNorthern England, also known as the North of England, or simply The North is a cultural region or identity of England in the United Kingdom. It is not a government administrative region, but rather an amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the...
couple who express their disgust at
mealA meal is an instance of eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes specific, prepared food.Meals occur primarily at homes, restaurants, and cafeterias, but may occur anywhere. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day...
s they have been presented with at
restaurantA restaurant prepares and serves food and drink to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s. Their disgust is based on the perceived over-pricing or the exotic nature of the food. They are also shocked at the food being available in Britain, owing to comments such as "This were in
HarrogateHarrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a popular tourist destination; its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens and Betty's tearooms are world famous visitor attractions. The town originated in the 17th century, with High Harrogate and Low Harrogate as two separate...
." After complaining about the
foodFood is any substance, usually composed of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal, including humans, for nutrition or pleasure. Items considered food may be sourced from plants, animals or other categories such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol...
and
pricePrice in economics and business is the result of an exchange and from that trade we assign a numerical monetary value to a good, service or asset. If Alice trades Bob 4 apples for an orange, the price of an orange is 4 apples. Inversely, the price of an apple is 1/4 oranges.Price is only part of...
s, they use their most infamous catchphrase: "The dirty bastards!" or sometimes "The dirty, evil, robbing bastards!" Some of the foods that Janice and Ray express disgust at are; shiitake mushrooms (pronounced by them as "shit ache" mushrooms),
grapeA grape is the non-climacteric fruit, botanically a true berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, and grape seed oil...
s in
brieBrie is a soft cows' cheese named after Brie, the French province in which it originated . It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under crusty white mould; very soft and savoury with a hint of ammonia...
cheese sandwiches, vegetable
tempura, which may be of Portuguese origin, is a popular Japanese dish of deep fried battered meats, seafood, or vegetables.- Batter :A light batter is made of cold water and soft wheat flour. Eggs, baking soda or baking powder, starch, oil, and/or spices may also be added...
and
tentsuyuTentsuyu is Japanese tempura dipping sauce.The recipe for tentsuyu depends on the seasons and on the ingredients for which tentsuyu is being prepared. A general, all-purpose, tentsuyu might consists of three parts dashi, one part mirin, and one part soy sauce...
(described as "
batteredBatter is a liquid mixture, usually based on one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or beer. Egg is a common component. Often a leavening agent is included to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks, or the mixture may be naturally fermented for this purpose as well as to...
veg" with "spicy jam"),
gazpachoGazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalusia. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal and parts of Latin America. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its refreshing...
and
escargotsEscargot is a dish of cooked land snails, usually served as an appetizer. The word is also sometimes applied to the living snails of those species which are commonly eaten.Escargot, , is the French word for snail...
. Another signature characteristic of Janice and Ray's story telling, is the rearranging of the order of their complaint (with pauses). For example in the gazpacho sketch, they say that the "cold tomato soup" is "tomato...soup...cold", "soup...tomato...cold" and "cold...soup..tomato".
In series three, Ray was no longer played by
Derren LittenDerren Litten is a British comedy writer and actor. He is best-known as the co-writer of the award-winning The Catherine Tate Show, for which he wrote and appeared as several different characters in the first two series and the 2005 Christmas Special...
(who did not work on this series) but continued to use the same phrases: "Famous last words", "Listen to this". Their catchphrases become slightly modified to fit the situation, for example "The dirty, evil, raw fish-guzzling bastards!" when complaining about being offered
sushiIn Japanese cuisine, ' is vinegar rice, usually topped with other ingredients, such as fish. In spelling sushi its first letter s is replaced with z when a prefix is attached, as in nigirizushi, due to consonant mutation called rendaku in Japanese.Sliced raw fish alone is called sashimi, as...
in Nagasaki, or "The dirty, evil, lactose intolerant bastards!" after telling the story of being served coffee with
rice milkRice milk is a kind of grain milk processed from rice. It is mostly made from brown rice and commonly unsweetened. The sweetness in most rice milk varieties is generated by a natural enzymatic process, cleaving the carbohydrates into sugars, especially glucose, similar to the Japanese Amazake...
for £1.50 each at Janice's sister's house.
Geordie Georgie
A frequent petitioner, who constantly tries to get her co-worker, Martin, to sponsor her charities with facts such as "Every 38 minutes ..." then follows her statements up with "If you don't believe me then log on to the website ...". The scenes for this sketch follow the same pattern. Georgie comes into the office and starts singing happily, with Martin joining in, and then she asks Martin how his weekend went. Martin then talks about his daughter Michaela which would prompt Georgie to feel concerned about her but then begin to talk abusively about her. Georgie then requests to borrow something on Martin's desk, for example "can I borrow your nice lime green highlighter?" She then describes her latest fund-raising effort and asks him to sponsor her. He always offers a modest donation then makes at least one small increase, but after several futile attempts to get him to donate yet more money, she says "Let's say no more about it because I wouldn't want it to come between us pet." then attacks him in a manner that has something to do with the cause she was championing (for example, she sprays him all over with cleaning fluid after he refuses to pay out as much as she had liked for sufferers of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).
She also tries to raise money for victims of
sexual harassmentSexual harassment is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment may be illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
,
domestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse or intimate partner violence , can be broadly defined a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends or cohabitation...
,
alcoholismAlcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism is any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, despite health problems and negative social consequences...
and sex addiction as well as for
dwarvesDwarfism is a medical disorder, the term being used to describe a person of short stature. It is sometimes defined as a person with an adult height under 4 feet 10 inches...
and for
AfricansThe term African people refers to people who live in Africa, or people who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa. This includes members of the "African diaspora" resulting from the Atlantic Slave Trade such as Black British, Afro-Latin Americans, African Americans,...
addicted to
online gambling-Online poker:Online poker tables commonly offer Texas hold 'em, Omaha, Seven-card stud, razz, HORSE and other game types in both tournament and ring game structures...
, but claims she "couldn't be less interested" when Martin asked her to donate to a fundraiser of his own. She also made an appearance in a sketch made for Comic Relief. During the sketch, Martin still offers a modest amount of money for Georgie's charity, but upon
Lenny HenryLenworth George "Lenny" Henry CBE is an English actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
raising money for Comic Relief, he promptly writes a more generous cheque for £150. This prompts Georgie to shred it in the shredder that she had previously borrowed from Martin, before head butting Lenny Henry and saying "That'll give you a red nose". In the 2007 Christmas special, Georgie tries to raise money for those addicted to
doggingDogging is a British euphemism for engaging in sexual acts in a semi-public place and then watching others doing so. Frequently, there are more than two participants; both group sex and gang banging can be included. As observation is encouraged, voyeurism and exhibitionism are closely associated...
. This is the only episode in which she does not attack Martin, but to Geordie's surprise Martin himself, wearing a garter belt and
tightsTights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....
, leaves to go dogging. At the beginning of this sketch, Georgie asks Martin if she can borrow something off his desk, but he replies that the object she asks for is in use, but she goes on tell tell him about her latest cause anyway (the objects Georgie asks to borrow are ones she borrowed in previous sketches).
Martin, Geordie's target for fundraising money, is played by
Richard LumsdenRichard Lumsden is a British actor, writer, composer and musician. He played Nathan in Channel 4’s controversial drama Sugar Rush and on radio he plays Ray in Clare in the Community.-Career:...
.
Tate stated on
This MorningThis Morning is a British daytime television programme created by Granada Television and broadcast on ITV. It first aired from Granada's Albert Dock Studios in Liverpool on 3 October 1988. It features celebrity guests, entertainment, advice on health and well-being, competitions, cookery and more...
that Georgie was her favourite new character. Tate said that she wanted to do a
GeordieGeordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of England, or the name of the dialect of English spoken by these people. Depending on who is using the term, the catchment area for Geordie can be used for some parts of the north east of England, or as small as the city of...
character and that Georgie was based on a letter she received from a woman in
NewcastleNewcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England...
about donating money.
Information Woman
The information woman works at a help desk in a
shopping centreA shopping mall, shopping centre or shopping center is a building or multiple buildings consisting of a complex of shops representing leading merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a convenient parking area – a modern,...
. When shoppers ask for her assistance, she would misunderstand them or mistakenly believe that they were trying to engage in friendly conversation with her. An example is when someone approaches her at the information desk and says "Excuse me, I've lost my mother." to which she responds "Oh I'm so sorry to hear that." believing the mother to be deceased rather than just lost. She only appeared in one episode of series 1.
Bunty Carmichael
Bunty is a woman who insists on being allowed to perform in a children's majorette team, as there is no upper age limit. Her sketches involve her going to a pub and meeting the head of the Doncaster Spinners, Geoff, played by
Derren LittenDerren Litten is a British comedy writer and actor. He is best-known as the co-writer of the award-winning The Catherine Tate Show, for which he wrote and appeared as several different characters in the first two series and the 2005 Christmas Special...
, who tries to convince Bunty of her inappropriate behaviour (to Bunty's disgust, saying about the nine-year-old girl who had replaced her on the team "Does she know she'll be on the majorette scrap heap when she's thirty?"). Bunty's obsession with the team eventually results in Geoff contacting the police and obtaining a
restraining orderAn injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order, whereby a party is required to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. The party that fails to adhere to the injunction faces civil or criminal penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions for failing to follow the...
. A running gag in this sketch is that, when Bunty leaves the pub, she plays a song on the
jukeboxA jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that can play specially selected songs from self-contained media. The traditional jukebox is rather large with a rounded top and has colored lighting on the front of the machine on its vertical sides...
which reflects her current feelings. In one sketch, after being rejected by Geoff, she plays
All By Myself"All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse borrows very heavily from the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18, which Carmen believed was in the public domain...
by
Eric CarmenEric Carmen is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored with numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself" "Hungry...
.
Botox Babe/Boob Job Babe
This sketch features an actress who does a perfectly normal acting scene one day, but on the following day when it comes to do the same shot, has changed her appearance drastically. In series one she appears with massive lips, obviously having had injections of
collagenCollagen is the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content. It is naturally found exclusively in metazoa, including sponges. In muscle tissue it serves as a major component of endomysium...
. In series two she appears a second day with enhanced breasts. Nobody is concerned about the continuity of the shots apart from the other actor (played by
Michael BrandonMichael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman...
). Boob Job Babe appeared in series 2.
Not drunk enough woman
Claire, who makes only one appearance in series one, is a woman whose boyfriend (played by
Bruce MacKinnonBruce Mackinnon is an actor who has appeared in various television programmes.Mackinnon was born in Esher, Surrey and was educated at Eton College, before studying drama at The University of Manchester...
) tries to get her to invite him indoors after a date, but she insists she "just isn't drunk enough". Despite his efforts to remedy the situation (even suggesting she have alcohol fed into her body intravenously) she tells him that even though she is so drunk she can hardly stand, is dying of alcohol-related liver damage and went to
OktoberfestOktoberfest is a 18-day festival held each year in Munich, Germany, running from late September to early October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year, and is an important part of Bavarian culture...
where she was arrested for drunken behaviour (twice), she still cannot get drunk enough to find him attractive.
Frightened Woman
Margaret is a woman who screams with terror at quiet, everyday noises. Some things that Margaret screams at are her own hiccups, a birthday card, telephone, crunching, a
post-it noteA Post-it note is a piece of stationery with a re-adherable strip of adhesive on the back, designed for temporarily attaching notes to documents and to other surfaces: walls, desks, computer displays, and so forth. While now available in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes, Post-it Brand...
and
Christmas treeThe Christmas tree is a decorated artificial or living tree, a popular tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. Normally an evergreen coniferous tree that is brought into a home or used in the open, a Christmas tree is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during...
lights. Her husband Michael sometimes repeatedly warns Margaret of something which may cause her to scream, but after she is adamant she is fine, she would scream anyway. Her final sketch in the Christmas special in 2005 reveals that her apparent real hair is in fact a wig, showing her to be completely bald. Differing from all other sketches, it is Michael who screams and not Margaret. Tate later revealed that she based this character on her mother.
The Enigmatic Cop
Amanda is a
detectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators...
who comes up with bizarre theories at
crime sceneA crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by trained law enforcement personnel, crime scene investigators or in rare circumstances, forensic scientists....
s, to the surprise and frustration of her assistant, Whittaker, who is portrayed by Jonathan McGuinnes. She once concluded that the world is a figment of someone's imagination and once asked for Whittaker to shoot her so that she can confirm that a bullet to the heart is enough to kill. When Whittaker refuses to shoot her, she becomes disappointed as she thought Whittaker had been "making progress". The sketch often ends with her singing an irrelevant song, such as
Brass in Pocket"Brass in Pocket" is a single by The Pretenders. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas.-Release:...
by the
PretendersPretenders may refer to:* The Pretenders, a rock band**Pretenders , the 1980 debut album by the group* Pretenders , a 1972 British television series...
, and sternly saying "Whittaker!" so that he'll sing along with her.
New Parents
Karen and Ben (played by Jonathan McGuinnes) are the new parents who will do anything to stop their newborn baby from waking up, including refusing to leave their car to attend a birthday dinner, going to the extreme of eating their meal in the car. They frequently argue, but immediately switch to happy
singingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist...
if their child starts to cry.
In only one scene in series 2, Karen is shown holding a baby (who is not the same baby that appeared in series 1) using toy blocks with letters on them to tell the baby words beginning with the letter on the block she holds up. However, she uses most letters to explain not only a word, but a reason beginning with that letter stating that she is so tired. One of them is ""I" is for "
IglooAn igloo , or snowhouse, is a type of shelter built out of snow, originally built by the Inuit...
". That's where the
eskimoEskimos or Esquimaux are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska and Canada, and all of Greenland....
s live. And also for "I need to sleep so bad, I could vomit". At the end of the scene, Karen falls asleep with the baby in her arms.
Valley Girl
Valley GirlValley Girl is a term originally referring to affluent upper-middle class girls living in the bedroom community neighborhoods of San Fernando Valley....
is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teenage girl who starts every sentence with the words "and I'm like...", and "and he's like". She appears three times in episode three of series one.
Drunk estate agent
The drunk
estate agentAn estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting or management of homes, land and other buildings, in the United Kingdom. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a letting agent. Estate Agents are mainly engaged in the marketing of property available for sale...
makes only one appearance. She arrives at a property, drunk and offends both the owner and prospective buyers, accusing one man of being homosexual; "You know what they say about a man who likes a bit of
chromeChrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:The component will generally go...
in his kitchen, he likes a bit of cock up his arse" on account of the prospective buyer's liking for chrome, lack of children,
Cherokee JeepJeep Cherokee may refer to:* Jeep Cherokee * Jeep Cherokee * Jeep Grand Cherokee , , and * Jeep Liberty, a.k.a. Jeep Cherokee...
and cheap aftershave before she passes out. She also rubs salt into the wounds of the owner with regard to the details of her split with her husband.
Backhander Woman
An at-first peaceful sounding woman who suddenly switches voice tone and personality when she advises complete strangers to violently attack people who are irritating or confusing them with "one swift backhander" to teach them a lesson. This includes a windscreen washer, a vegetarian restaurant worker and a
mimeA mime most frequently refers to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech...
. She then switches back to complete politeness.
Last-Hit Woman
Sandra Graham is a professional businesswoman who starts a game of 'last hit' at her office, and goes to great extremes to ensure that she has the last hit. When her colleague Anthony (played by
Bruce MackinnonBruce Mackinnon is an actor who has appeared in various television programmes.Mackinnon was born in Esher, Surrey and was educated at Eton College, before studying drama at The University of Manchester...
) is involved in a car accident as a result of the game, she is more interested in whether she has the last hit or not. Anthony later dies of his injuries and when at the funeral, Sandra receives a message from his wife saying "last hit", which prompts Sandra to run to his grave screaming "last hit", as it meant that Anthony had the last hit and she had lost the game.
Lady Clown
Jill, a trainee clown who constantly uses her circus skills to talk about and convey a horrific car accident that she claims to have been involved in. She complains of
whiplashWhiplash and whiplash-associated disorders represent a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck....
, paints a child's face to look like a crash victim, says that her trick
flowerA flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds...
reminds her of the flowers tied to a tree where the person died and claims that silver confetti reminds her of a shattered windscreen. She also uses a
balloonA balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a type of gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were sometimes made of dried animal bladders...
to make a
nooseA noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot slides to make the loop collapsible.Knots used for making nooses include the running bowline, the tarbuck knot, and the slip knot...
while the other clowns make the traditional animals.
Ally
Ally is an extremely tactless woman, who despite meaning no harm, always manages to unintentionally offend people in one way or another, after being introduced to them at
partiesA party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, and recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
. After she offends the person, she becomes embarrassed and tries to look for an escape from the conversation as quickly as possible, sometimes faking that someone had just spoken to her, or sometimes she spontaneously starts singing and then quickly escapes. During one sketch, Ally thinks that a birth mark on someone's head is a mark left by their hat, and when a deaf person was communicating via
sign languageA sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
to speak to his translator, Ally exclaimed "Film!", thinking that they were playing a game of
charadesCharades or charade is a word guessing game. In the form most played today, it is an acting game in which one player acts out a word or phrase, often by pantomiming similar-sounding words, and the other players guess the word or phrase. The idea is to use physical rather than verbal language to...
. She also thought that an
afroAn afro, sometimes shortened to "fro", is a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo, cloud or ball.- History :...
was someone's hat and that somebody's girlfriend was their mother. Also, when a visitor with a cleft palate announces to Ally that she is in a silly mood, Ally replies back imitating a cleft palate, and thinking a stray hair on someone's face was actually an attached one. Ally appeared in three episodes in series 2, twice in each episode. She also appeared in the Christmas special that year but did not appear in series 3. In an interview, Tate said that this character was partly based on herself.
Moo Shepherd
A
BrummieBrummie is a colloquial term for the inhabitants, accent and dialect of Birmingham, England, as well as being a general adjective used to denote a connection with the city, locally called Brum...
dog trainerDog training: the process of teaching a dog to perform certain actions in response to certain commands which the dog is trained to understand. It is a general term which does not, by itself, describe what or how the dog is taught....
who resorts to strange and desperate methods to achieve
success in training dogs. In one sketch, Moo tortures her own dog when she sent an electric pulse through her body in order to make her behave using a
shock collarThe term shock collar is growing in use to describe a family of electronic training collars . The collar produces an static pulse stimulation at varying degrees of intensity and duration to the dog via a small transmitter incorporated into a dog collar...
. Unfortunately, her dog, Lady Penelope ended up ignoring Moo at an important
contestConformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard...
, resulting in their performance being dubbed as rubbish. Moo was also seen holding a dog training class, where the class attendants were not allowed to bring their dogs and had to imagine that their dogs were attached to their leads.
DI Angie Barker
A policewoman who is a
single motherA single parent is a parent who cares for one or more children without the assistance of another parent in the home. "Single parenthood" may vary according to the local laws of different nations or regions....
and brings her children with her to an unpleasant crime scene. Whilst at the crime scene, her children play with a dead body, on which they paint
catThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felines and felids, is a small carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
whiskers and poke it with sticks. This barely fazes DI Angie Barker, who casually orders someone to put the body back to its previous state.
Victoria Russel
Victoria Russell is a drunk bride who insults her new husband and his family in a memorable wedding
speechPublic speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners....
. During her speech she blatantly embarrasses her husband John, and even admits to having several affairs, in front of him and all their guests. At one point in a sketch, she forgets her husband's name and just referred to John as "him". Then, to end her long and drunken speech, she says: "And finally propose a toast, to me, and all who sail in me." She appeared several times in the fourth episode of the second series. At the end of the sketches, Victoria was seen intoxicated and passed out, alone in the dark ball room.
Sandra Kemp
A woman who lives in a world where "
gingersRed hair varies from a deep orange-red through burnt orange to bright copper. It is characterized by high levels of the reddish pigment pheomelanin and relatively low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. People with red hair are often referred to as redheads.Approximately 1% to 2% of the human...
" are ostracised from society and is sent to "Russet Lodge"; a refuge for redheads, under police protection. She appears several times in one episode of series two, then in the next series she returns with her campaign group "Gingers For Justice" taking a stand against the public, who eventually decide that gingers are allowed back in to civilisation. The series three sketches guest starred
Patsy PalmerPatsy Palmer is an English actress and television personality. Palmer made an early television appearance on the children's drama show Grange Hill, but is best-known for playing Bianca Jackson in the popular British television soap opera EastEnders...
, where Palmer dressed as a
batteryAn electrical battery is a combination of one or more electrochemical cells, used to convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first Voltaic pile in 1800 by Alessandro Volta, the battery has become a common power source for many household and industrial...
(copper top) and protested with the other "gingers", who were themselves dressed as carrots and ginger biscuits. After the protest, it is revealed that a film is to be made of the "gingers" where
Bonnie LangfordBonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford is an English actress and entertainer. She came to prominence as a child star in the early 1970s then she subsequently became a companion of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's Doctor Who and has appeared on stage in various musicals such as Peter Pan: The...
will play Sandra.
Sheila Carter
An uptight, snobbish
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
woman who thoroughly disapproves of the behaviour of everybody around her, before
fartingFlatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The mixture of gases is known as flatus, fart, or simply gas, and is expelled from the rectum in a process colloquially referred to as "passing gas" or...
loudly and unashamedly. She does this in a funeral car, a taxi, and at the cinema. She also appeared in a scene whilst in confession at Church, however she did not disapprove of the behaviour of anybody, and was told by the Priest to take her time as she appeared to be slightly nervous about confession. The Priest told her "Whatever it is inside of you, just let it go", referring to her to confess her sins with no problem, however she took this the wrong way and farted.
Sheila appeared four times in series two. She was shown in the intro to every episode in series 3, however she did not appear in this series.
Amanda and BBJ's
Amanda is a perky waitress at the fictional BBJ's restaurant. She greets customers with "I'm Amanda, but my friends call me Zebedee!" in an overly chirpy voice. After annoying diners with her loud and childish behaviour, she jumps into structured dance routines with her fellow workers after she takes each order. During one sketch, she pulls out a
wooden spoonA wooden spoon is a spoon made from wood, commonly used in food preparation. The wooden spoon is also sometimes used in soap making and discipline.-History:...
puppet dressed like an Italian chef to speak to the diners, who only want to order a
pizzaPizza is a world-popular dish of Italian origin, made with an oven-baked, flat, generally round bread that is often covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based sauce and cheese. Other toppings are added according to region, culture, or personal preference.Originating in a part of Italian cuisine, the...
. The diners can only look on in horror as the two employees both started dancing to a song after they had tried to place their meal order. Her ridiculous behaviour always causes the diners to run off. Her usual catchphrase was: "I'm a fiery Taurean with my moon in Uranus - careful, I'll do the jokes." The restaurant is an obvious parody of the American restaurant chain T.G.I. Friday’s, especially with the American flag featured in the decor and Amanda's uniform. Amanda was a regular character in series 2 and appeared in four episodes.
Trudy and Ivan
Trudy and Ivan (played by
Hugh SachsHugh Sachs is an English actor, best known for his performance in Benidorm and The Catherine Tate Show.His film credits include: The Libertine, Like Minds, Love Honour and Obey , Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Amazing Grace-External links:...
) are the owners of an extremely successful wig
emporiumEmporium is a term used for a store selling a wide variety of goods, and for marketplaces or trading centres in ancient cities...
which many well-known celebrities use. When they invite a production crew into their workplace to make a documentary about them, they struggle to keep the names of their clients a secret, due to comments such as "If that jiffy bag doesn't get to
Wembley ArenaWembley Arena is an indoor arena in Wembley, London, UK. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium. It was built for the 1934 Empire Games by Sir Arthur Elvin, and originally housed a swimming pool, as reflected by its former name, the Empire Pool. The pool itself was last used for the 1948 Summer...
by 7 o' clock, it'll be the first time "
Candle In The Wind"Candle in the Wind" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honor of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier....
" has been sung in crash helmets!" There were also signs and double entendres which pointed towards Ivan being gay. Their secretary, Carole-Anne, was played by
Una StubbsUna Stubbs is an English actress and former dancer.-Film and television:Una Stubbs was one of The Dougie Squires Dancers on the British TV music show Cool for Cats in 1956....
who finds it a struggle to keep the identities of the celebrities a secret. Her inadvertent naming of
Judi DenchDame Judith Olivia Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English actress.Originally trained as a set designer, Dench began her acting career in the mid 1950s in amateur productions, and made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company...
as a customer pales in comparison to other examples, such as how she named a large number of celebrity customers, not realising that the camera was rolling at the time.
Crap Croupier
The sketch features a
croupierA croupier or dealer is a casino employee who takes and pays out bets or otherwise assists at a gambling table. In American usage, dealer may imply a card game, but this is not always the case. For example it is common to refer to a craps dealer.- Tipping :In general, croupiers work only for their...
who is extremely unprofessional in her job. One sketch sees a man gamble a lot of money on red, and she announces the ball had landed on red. However, she then casually announces, whilst the group is celebrating their victory, that it had in fact landed on black and not red, as the colours "sort of merge" while the wheel is spinning. She also takes the ball away from the
rouletteRoulette is a casino and gambling game named after a French diminutive for "little wheel". In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a number, a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
wheel when the noise starts to annoy her. Another time the ball actually flies off the roulette board and she says "It would have probably been red". In the Christmas special 2005 sketch, after watching the wheel spinning, she faints. She is named as Hayley in the script book.
John Reilly's Mum
A gritty, hard-faced Northern Irish woman who, to the amazement of her son John, played by
Kevin TrainorKevin Trainor is an Irish actor. He grew up in Kilkeel, County Down and attended St Colman's College in Newry before going up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he read English...
, is delighted for him and herself when he comes out as gay. Even though he does not want to be treated any differently, she obsesses over his sexuality, inviting him to give her fashion advice, look at pictures of men in magazines while he was trying to watch football, visit one of her friends, and go on a gay parade — much to his embarrassment. The phrase she frequently uses is "Have you heard about our John? He's a gay man now".
This character has been referred to as the "Ulster Mum" or the "Northern Irish woman", however when Tate appeared on
Friday Night with Jonathan RossFriday Night with Jonathan Ross is a comical chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It is on the British terrestrial TV channel BBC One and is broadcast at 10.35pm on Friday nights. It was first shown on 2 November 2001 and is in it's seventeenth series...
one week before series three was aired, she told Ross that this character was called John Reilly's Mum after he tried to guess an Irish name for her calling her "Mrs O'Reilly". She is also addressed as Mrs Leary in the 2007 Christmas special where she is still obsessing over her sons homosexuality, even informing a couple of his friends by putting "Have you heard about our John? He's a gay man now" up in lights, and she leaves her son mortified when she gives him a chocolate penis for a Christmas present. When his grandmother questions this and learns the truth, she gives John some money for a rent boy.
The actor who played John's father in series 3 was changed for the 2007 Christmas Show, however he did play the role of the priest in the church scene.
Colin MorganColin Morgan is an actor from Armagh, Northern Ireland, best known for playing the title character in the BBC TV series Merlin...
also replaced Trainor as John in the Christmas Show. Mrs O' Reilly was referred to as Mrs Leary here too.
Ma Willow - Life at Ma's
A parody of
Life on MarsLife on Mars is a British science fiction/police procedural drama television series. It was first broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007, lasting for two series in total....
which features Tate as Ma Willow, the overbearing owner of the boarding house "Ma's" during the 1950s, who takes in time-travelling policeman, Sam Speed, after he is hit by a car. The policeman is played by Tom Ellis. Unfortunately, he often breaks the conventions of that time period (such as being a non-smoking, politically-correct vegetarian).
Life on Mars star
Philip GlenisterPhilip Haywood Glenister is a British actor, best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.-Early life:...
made a guest appearance in this sketch for the 2007 Christmas special.
Helen Marsh
A woman who claims "I can do that!" when her friends and colleagues are in search of people with specific skills. For instance, in one episode, her colleague needs someone to practise
tennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
with, and Helen happily accepts to assist her, implying that she can play tennis brilliantly. However, she is abysmal at tennis and hits the balls way out of the court into a group of trees. In another sketch, she claims she can speak seven languages for a conference, and proceeds to "translate" into nonsensical sounds that were based on linguistic stereotypes. Three more examples included the themes of
drummingDrumming may refer to:* the act of playing the drums or other percussion instruments**Drummer a musician who plays a drum, drum kit or drums* Drumming, a musical composition written by Steve Reich in 1971 for percussion ensemble...
,
curlingCurling is a team game with similarities to bowls and shuffleboard, played by two teams of four players each on a rectangular sheet of carefully prepared ice. Teams take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones down the ice towards the target...
, and salsa dancing.
Jools HollandJulian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, songwriter, composer, and television presenter...
appeared in one of her sketches.
Laura Powers
A bungling spy who is called in to assist the American government with a top secret mission involving terrorists (in a direct parody of thriller series
2424 is an American serial action/drama television series. Broadcast by Fox in the United States and syndicated worldwide, the show first aired on November 6, 2001, with an initial 13 episodes...
), but is so inept at trying to use a computer keyboard that she causes a communications failure which blows the entire exercise (literally, as the terrorists blow up their hostages). It appears that she knew nothing of computers or her job.
Snack Food Woman
A woman who whilst out and about with different people, frequently excuses herself to go and buy a bag of snacks, including
Nik NaksNik Naks are a type of extruded corn snack manufactured by the Golden Wonder company in the United Kingdom, following the successful take over of Sooner Snacks in 1987. The brand was purchased by United Biscuits in 2006...
,
Monster MunchMonster Munch is a corn snack available in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and France which is produced by Walkers.Although the snack is largely aimed at children, the snack is enjoyed widely by people of all ages...
and
Mini CheddarsCheddars are a brand of baked Cheddar cheese-flavoured British-style savoury biscuit, made by McVitie's as an alternative to other snack foods such as fried potato crisps. They were originally manufactured and sold by Crawfords.- Mini Cheddars :...
, only to return and find that some horrible disaster had happened while she was away (including her boyfriend being killed in a building collapse and a pair of friends: one who died in a drive-by shooting, the other in a
shark attackA shark attack is an attack on human by a shark. Every year, a number of people are attacked by sharks, although death is quite unusual. Despite the relative rarity of shark attacks, the fear of sharks is a common phenomenon, having been fueled by the occasional instances of attacks, such as the...
) before surveying the scene with mild surprise whilst munching on her snack.
Frankie Howerd Impressionist
An actress who, when she comes to a critical point in the scene she is acting, produces a
Frankie HowerdFrankie Howerd OBE , was a distinctive English comedian and comic actor whose career spanned six decades.-Biography:...
impression. However, she claims that she does not realise she is doing this very obvious impression, even though she actually says words and moved physically to sound and look like Frankie Howerd. She acts almost totally oblivious to what she is doing, although she does acknowledge that she employs some Howerd characteristics in her acting. She is also seen in labour, and the impression "came out" in this sketch too.
Martin Webb
This character was portrayed by
Derren LittenDerren Litten is a British comedy writer and actor. He is best-known as the co-writer of the award-winning The Catherine Tate Show, for which he wrote and appeared as several different characters in the first two series and the 2005 Christmas Special...
in the only sketch of the entire show that did not feature Catherine Tate. In the series one sketch, Martin appears on a train talking to a series of people on his mobile about how drunk he was the previous night, and how he had "copped off." As he converses, the people around him become increasingly annoyed.
Source
- Am I Bovvered?: The Catherine Tate Show Scripts, Fourth Estate
Fourth Estate is a term referring to the press. The term goes back at least to Thomas Carlyle in the first half of the 19th century. Thomas Macaulay used it in 1828....
(2 October 2006) (ISBN 0-0072-4218-2)