From this point on, things get increasingly strange: a taxi magically appears, driven by his friend Frank; Mother and Father race after them in the car (. I can't see him till ten, can I? Even the title sequence at first glance an inappropriate LE neon nightmare is strangely apposite on reflection. Laura Lancing The Demons outfit in Demons and Angels it was a bit tight in many places! Helen Brittas Unfortunately, the idea they go for is possibly the worst they could have come up with. Cast alterations in the series: 'Angie' (Andre Bernard), who appears as a main character in the first series, is replaced by 'Julie' from series two onwards. Laura Lancing Brittas Empire Talk. International TV Schedules(Part 1) General Sitcoms News and Discussion The Brittas Empire - The Complete Series 4 [1994] The Brittas Empire - The Complete Series 2 [1992] The Brittas Empire - The Complete Series 1 [1991] More Titles Starring Julia St John. : At the end of Series 5 Norriss and Fegen killed off Brittas when he was crushed to death by a falling water tank. This series was also released in region 2 on a single disc DVD on 7 January 2008, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A707938220/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=c3b0b47e, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A116978356/AONE?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=4cd46f2f, (book) "Cult TV: The Comedies - The ultimate critical guide", 1998, Jon E. Lewis and Penny Stempel, Amazon.co.uk: The Brittas Empire: Complete BBC Series 1-7 Box Set [1991], "Chris Barrie hints at The Brittas Empire comeback", "The Brittas Empire returns: but what other sitcoms could work in 2015? : Every time we meet there doesnt seem to be enough time to catch up! and the scenes between the two Rimmers were great fun. The emotional beats arent as good, the lines arent as sharp, and the plots arent half as well constructed always the biggest strength of Fegen and Norriss but those last two series perhaps work better than they could have done. Laura Lancing - Julia St. John srie 1-5 Carole Parkinson - Harriet Thorpe Tim Whistler - Russell Porter Gavin Featherly - Tim Marriott Helen Brittas - Pippa Haywood Colin Weatherby - Michael Burns Gordon Brittas - Chris Barrie Linda Perkin - Jill Greenacre Julie Porter - Judy Flynn srie 2-7 Movies. From the very first episode, weve been hearing about Gordons metaphorical dream; the final episode reveals hes been having an actual one. Julie 45 episodes, 1992-1997 Julia St John . The Complete Brittas Empire' Review - Pissed Off Geek This was originally meant to be the end of the show's run. [citation needed], Episodes of the show were shown at the 1992 Visions convention. He then goes back down the stairs, is about to leave with Muriel and Mother calls again. For all that Brittas is an atypical show full of death and danger and the odd maiming, like any sitcom its all about the characters. Haywood has made one-off appearances in a wide range of British crime shows, including Jonathan Creek, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Agatha Christie's Marple, Agatha Christie's Poirot, and Inspector Lewis. Julia St John /Laura Lancing. The Gressley A4 class Pacific. Following her turn as Gordon Brittas' hapless receptionist Carol, Harriet Thorpe stayed in the industry, appearing in boy band sitcom No Sweat immediately after the show ended. Chris Barrie/Gordon Wellesley Brittas (Manager) . (It has to be pointed out here that this is not a frequently asked question, in fact it is possibly the one and only time it will ever be asked!). The Brittas Empire | The Brittas Empire Wiki | Fandom Both characters had similar personality flaws (although Brittas always attempted to be friendly to those around him while Rimmer treated everyone with nothing but contempt) and even some of their history matched; for instance both characters had brief and unsuccessful stints at the Samaritans. The Brittas Empire (TV Series 1991-1997) - Julia St John as Laura - IMDb Watch The Brittas Empire Online | Season 4 (1994) | TV Guide Only way they could do it,IMO,is if they showed Brittas had passed the interview he was on his way to. Difficult to compare the two in terms of actually making them. New International Trailer for Deliver Us From Evil, Console Obsession Framerate and Resolutions, League of Legends Finally Gets the Honour System Update Fans Have Been Calling for, Technology and the Evolution of Entertainment. [13] Critics John Lewis and Penny Stempel noted the series' theme of "an incompetent in charge of others" in the vein of TV humour from Dad's Army to Are You Being Served?, coupled with an element of absurdism. Yes, The Brittas Empire is over two decades old and the team met up just this week to have a good natter over the watercooler. The Brittas Empire (TV Series 1991-1997) - IMDb I associate the time with carefree days of the early 80s, we had a lot of fun doing the show, similar to early Red Dwarf days. The Managers Office. It would probably be best to ask her. Putting his centre staff through hell, sending his wife crazy and terrorising the public each episode inevitably ends up in chaos, whether its rodent invasions, explosions or just general chaos. Tim is returning to the screen though he's currently filming the drama The Real Thing. His 'loyal' staff have stories of their own, like . Thu, Jan 21, 1993 30 mins. Helen Brittas ( Pippa Haywood) finds it increasingly difficult to cope with Gordon, and often turns to pills and affairs with other men to maintain her sanity. She was certainly missed in later series. Yes, yes, ho fucking ho. In 2017, Haywood fans saw the actress turn up in period drama Henry IX and comedy series Loaded. Outside the centre. In other words: everything we see after Timothy falls down the stairs is a dream. All Rights Reserved. View all posts by Paul Metcalf , Tags:British Comedy Chris Barrie Harriet Thorpe Julia St. John Michael Burns Pippa Haywood The Britass Empire The Complete Brittas Empire. With some programmes, maybe youd be expecting some kind of twist like this; sometimes it almost feels a surprise when Star Trek goes a bit odd and then it doesnt turn out to be some kind of hallucination. The clues are there in plain view, yet theres no chance youll work it out before youre told. Is there going to be another series of The Brittas Empire? No! [19] British Cultural Identities felt the series successful critiqued contemporary British pretensions. Sadly, St John hasn't acted for a while now her last on-screen appearance was in 2012, in the Bollywood movie Jab Tak Hai Jaan. In 2004 the show came 47th on the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom poll,[2] and all series have been released on DVD both individually as series and as a complete boxset. Did I keep the Austin Maestro used in the Brittas Series? Laura is calm and extremely efficient at management, often bringing normality back to the centre after a disaster has escalated. At the start of the she is quite a normal sane person, but by the final season shes chasing people around the sports centre with an axe, which is one of her more milder moments. You do pity her at times, but she also gets her own back on him by making his life hell through her own insane schemes. The biography section will cover the early parts of my career and yes it was occasionally nerve racking, but (in those days!) Best Neighborhoods In Sherwood Oregon, Unlike many traditional sitcoms, deaths were quite commonplace in The Brittas Empire. Though she is fully aware of his incompetence and the annoyance he causes his colleagues and customers, Laura has a grudging admiration for Brittas, regarding him as honest and decent. The Staff Room. . I keep wanting to call the series underrated, but perhaps that isnt the right word when it ran for seven series throughout much of the 80s in a primetime slot on BBC1. She appears in the first five series and is portrayed by Julia St. John. The fact that it lasted for a whole seven seasons may be the biggest surprise of all. The series peaked at 10 million viewers. Laura Lancing The Eureka releases are now out of print. Laura Lancing : If you remember, Mr. Brittas, you told the ambulance men to come round to the back in future. What made you decide/realise that this was the right career path for you? , Excluding Get Fit With Brittas an strange little 610 minute series with Brittas advocating how to live a healthy lifestyle. Do you plan to embark on a stand-up or any other stage based shows in the future? What was your most/least enjoyable costume in Red Dwarf and why? May 21, 2021. "The Brittas Empire" Laura's Leaving (TV Episode 1993) Julia St John as Laura. Laura is usually warm and understanding, and has peoples' best interests at heart. Julia St. John - British Comedy Guide . She also made regular. Why wasnt Julia St John in the last series? Was this a conscious decision on your part or were they simply the jobs offered to you? From the Manager. And who of the cast was the most fun to work with and why? He said he's rather take his chances in the snow. The Brittas Empire - TheTVDB.com She is also helped by supportive friend Laura Lancing (Julia St. John), Brittas's calm and efficient deputy. Official Sites The Magazine Premium Theme by bavotasan.com. Colin (Michael Burns) for example as the Brittas idolising employee with questionable hygiene is a good sidekick character for Barrie to work off. At the end of Series 5 Norriss and Fegen killed off Brittas when he was crushed to death by a falling water tank. Find out where to watch The Brittas Empire from Season 3 at TV Guide The show ran for seven series and 52 episodes - including two Christmas specials - from 1991 to 1997 on BBC1. But to figure out what went wrong, we need to skip backwards three years. : : Chris Barrie plays Gordon Brittas. However bizarre the situation, like an ostrich on the loose in the sports centre or an attack of Roman centurions do have roots in something that he has done. In 1981, when it was suggested that I do it professionally, I began working up a few voices of famous people, starting with the late Kenneth Williams. Its easy to see how Fegen and Norriss might have decided further series really werent such a good idea. This content is imported from Twitter. Thirdly, Julia St. John had decided to leave the series and its difficult to overstate exactly how crucial a character Laura was. Julia St John was born on 4 January, 1960 in England, United Kingdom, is an Actress. The Brittas Empire: The Complete Series 1-7 : Chris Barrie, Philippa Haywood, Julia St John, Harriet Thorpe, Judy Flynn, Tim Marriott, Russell Porter, Jill Greenacre . Julian Fellowes Investigates: A Most Mysterious Murder, "Jefferson's Garden Theatre Watford Palace Theatre", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Julia_St_John&oldid=1148499078, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 April 2023, at 14:59. [4], The Brittas Empire was "quietly revolutionary" for featuring two gay male characters, "neither remotely camp yet both very funny", which was a first for a television comedy.[5]. As writing assignments go, it has to be said this was a pretty thankless task. News . The last series was a shocker, the episode where he was squashed and came back bionic was a real "Jump the shark" moment, so best left where it was . . Judy Flynn/Julie Porter. Colin: Michael . | Not just that final episode. These writers were: Paul Smith (who also wrote the series seven episode "Malcolm ex" for Andrew Marshall's 2point4 Children), Terry Kyan, Tony Millan, Mike Walling, Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent. Paul can often be found on Twitter talking about his favourite movies, games, technology and books when he is not reviewing them and adding news to Pissed Off Geek. Laura Farrell (ne Lancing) is the Deputy Manager Dry of Whitbury Leisure Centre. I would have to say Ace Rimmer was my favourite. Gordon Brittas The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom created and originally written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen. Sure, the Laura replacement Penny is dreadful (and dropped for the final series), and the back-tracking on the fates of the characters is inevitably disappointing (with Caroles being the worst) but at least they bother to try, rather than just ignoring everybodys fates and resetting things back to normal with no explanation. why did julia st john leave the brittas empire I spoke to one of the forensic scientist, Gavin. The whole show, from the very first episode. So the last two series, whilst still produced by Mike Stephens (who had been there from the very beginning), were by other writers: Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent, Tony Millan and Mike Walling, Terry Kyan, and Paul Smith. In all probability, no. Im looking after you. The Brittas empire. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. She also returned to her comedy roots in the likes of The Wrong Door, Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge and Green Wing, all of which would appeal to Brittas fans. Laura: Julia St. John. Nice piece :). Other Characters. [4] The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction wrote that the series saw Barrie achieve more mainstream success. So far it seems to be working! Laura Lancing The 13 record books at the end of this series contain predominantly publishing and statistical information on street and smith weeklies and books-in-series publications between 1864 and 1936 (the date range indicated for each record book is approximate). They get out the front door and Mother calls. Mike Burns/Colin Weatherby . He is the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. All until the burial where we hear a knocking from the coffin, as Brittas awakes. What was you favourite/the most impressive machine to work with on the Massive series? Gordon's obsession with cleanliness and dealing properly with lost property interferes with an elaborate drug deal in the Leisure Centre, making him the target of suspicion and eventually a trial. Sorry! The Grand: The Complete Series; The Brittas Empire - Series 2 [Single Disc] The Grand [1997] More Titles Starring Harriet Thorpe.