She's also the voice of reason, talking sense into those around her. Was this foreshadowing for her growing affection for Brittas - or did she simply not want to leave her garden? Which voices did you do on Spitting Image? She played Laura superbly and possibly thought that the character had been just about fully explored. Non-comedy TV and film credits may be found here: Julia St. John on IMDb. (Yes, a big explosion.) 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. [26], The show has been credited with having an influence on Alan Partridge and The Office.[27]. All the other cast members are great fun to work with. 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. I would, however, argue the show deserves to be remembered rather more fondly than it seems to be. Find exactly what you're looking for! Despite it being easy to understand what would have caused the writers to do it, its difficult to think of a more diabolical way to end the programme. Making RD was always hard work but always enjoyable. Menu. Why wasn't Julia St John in the last series? Most crucially, however, the writers understand that Brittas has, as Mark Lewisohn put it, an unusual obsession with death and danger. TX: 24th February 1997, This is the story of one of my least favourite endings to a sitcom ever. St Lucie County Planning And Zoning, , Lets forget about the bizarre final episode of Series 4, Collapse of a Small Party, where Timothy gets mixed up in saving a circus from bailiffs. Where are the original Loose Women hosts now? If you had to pick a character you have played and live as them for a month, who would you choose? 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. Well Helen Brittas 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 (. Helen is often helped by her supportive friend Laura Lancing (Julia St John), Brittas' calm, efficient deputy manager. Every character gets their exit, with everyone given a chance of happiness: Laura moving to America to have a family; Carole becoming a governess; Julie marrying into a rich family; Linda accepted into Theological College; Gavin about to become manager of the centre, with Tim cheating his way into being his deputy and Brittas off to Brussels, if he can recover from being dead. It's just to tell him it's fish cakes for supper and I'm pregnant. and City Slacker on her cinematic CV. Gordon Brittas (Chris Barrie) is the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. All of these were just magnificent pieces of kit and to have a job actually spending a day on them is, for me, simply paradise! Helen Brittas finds coping with Gordon increasingly difficult and often turns to medication and affairs with other men to maintain her sanity. Official Sites What happened next is uncertain. Do the members of the Red Dwarf cast get on well off the set? How did your role in Son of Clich come about & what memories do you have working on this show? I would have to say Ace Rimmer was my favourite. Where all is revealed: TIMOTHY: Where am I? The Britass Empire is a show that many people probably remember nostalgically as being good, and Im happy to say that for me personally revisiting the show as a whole confirms its comedy still works. | Chris Barrie played titular character Gordon Brittas, the well-intended but hugely incompetent manager of the fictional Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. : Colin: Michael . Yes, yes, ho fucking ho. Laura is calm and extremely efficient at management, often bringing normality back to the centre after a disaster has escalated. In 2017, Haywood fans saw the actress turn up in period drama Henry IX and comedy series Loaded. : Its not just something pulled out of a hat to provide some kind of shocking twist it makes sense. The generally accepted sequence of events is that writers Richard Fegen and Andrew Norriss intended Series 5 to be the last series, the BBC recommissioned the show due to good viewing figures, Fegen/Norriss werent interested in returning, and so the BBC hired in new writers and told them to get working. This content is imported from YouTube. Helen Brittas Join us in our mission to support and promote British comedy across the decades. General Activities Room. [7] While Gordon himself is a larger than life creation, he is balanced out by his slightly more 'normal' long suffering staff as foil to offset his antics.[8]. Cast confirmed Chris Barrie, Harriet Thorpe, Tim Marriott, Russell Deathridge, Jill Greenacre, Mike Burns, Andre. Jill Greenacre/Linda Perkin . Did you enjoy makingRed Dwarfand playing Rimmer? The fundamental problem with this is obvious, and it doesnt take a great deal of analysis. The Brittas empire. Her television credits include A Touch of Frost, The Brittas Empire, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Lovejoy, Minder, Harry Enfield and Chums, Lewis, and Victoria Wood, appearing in the episode Over To Pam. The fact that it lasted for a whole seven seasons may be the biggest surprise of all. [3], The creators Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen often combined farce with either surreal or dramatic elements in episodes. Completely tactless, totally annoying, and forever coming up with 'half-baked' ideas (and oblivious to all of his aforementioned faults), Brittas frequently upsets his staff, public, and his frazzled wife Helen (Pippa Haywood), often bringing confusion and chaos into their lives. 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. Just as the music for Ever Decreasing Circles reflects Martins swirling insanity, the music for Sorry! Helen Brittas To be fair, they make a pretty decent stab at it. Kekaisaran Brittas adalah komedi situasi Inggris yang dibuat dan aslinya ditulis oleh Andrew Norriss dan Richard Fegen. The Managers Office. : Curse of the Mummy But Haywood didn't just do crime shows. | Whether its his strict regime that scares customers away, ordering his staff into doing actions with disastrous consequences or just being simply unlucky everything ends up in chaos. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Harriett Thorpe/Carol Parkinson. Do you plan to use your talent as an impressionist in future projects? I think Carole is expecting a baby, Mr. Brittas. General Activities Room. : [6] Unlocking your potential describes Colin as a habitual 'yes' man, who seeks validation through compliance. The whole show, from the very first episode. Copyright 2023 Pissed Off Geek. Our characters are genuinely in mourning. He also had great hair! Its easy to see how Fegen and Norriss might have decided further series really werent such a good idea. People would have taken the fall down the stairs as just another bit of comic business. Every time we meet there doesnt seem to be enough time to catch up! IMDb's advanced search allows you to run extremely powerful queries over all people and titles in the database. The Brittas Empire (TV Series 1991-1997) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. 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. Do you keep in touch with the Brittas cast? Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Now you stay here. [15] I'm Too Busy to be Stressed described Gordon as a classic example of an over-compensating individual who exhibits a sense of authority to camouflage the inferiority beneath. The clues are there in plain view, yet theres no chance youll work it out before youre told. (The reason for Brittas failing the medical for Brussels is especially amusing: He was dead!) Its also worth noting that the first episode of Series 6 even takes the unresolved plot point of an bomb from the penultimate episode of the previous series, and resolves it in the usual Brittas manner. by Little Mix. The Brittas Empire (The Complete Brittas Empire - Series One to Seven) (DVD) SNUB; The . And that is the story of how Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent wrote one of my least favourite dream sequences of all time. I'll be trying to do at least one picture post Julia St John piccys. No plans for such a show butif the right situation arises, then I will certainly consider it. Em-Con - The wonderful cast of "The Brittas Empire . Union of South Africa, the Blower, Bentley, the 1920s Ford Tri-motor Airliner, the Papplewick pump house, the Caterpillar 789 dump truck, the Ducatti 999, the Foden 6 ton steam wagon, the paddle steamer Waverly the list goes on. 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 . What was you favourite/the most impressive machine to work with on the Massive series? Following Brittas, Julia St John collaborated with Harry Enfield on the comedian's Harry Enfield and Chums as well as his follow-up series, Brand Spanking New Show. Outside the core staff is Councillor Jack Drugett (Stephen Churchett), who is unable to sack Brittas despite numerous attempts. [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. Thanks for this article I couldnt help but be reminded of the legendary finale of Newhart, which did the exact same thing but in a way that the audience absolutely loved. "[17] The character has been described by critics as a popular portrayal of an Aspergers character along with Mr Bean, as they both demonstrate inappropriate social behaviour. The Staff Room. why did julia st john leave the brittas empire. Where are Emmerdale's missing Bartons now? : Curse of the Mummy, the final episode of the first series, is a fairly typical episode in that regard. . Brittas Empire Talk. I have to admit though having watched the show as a whole Im surprised at just how crazy the show went. | Laura Lancing The Brittas Empire. Judy Flynn/Julie Porter. 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. Michael Burns, Julia St . 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. The Staff Room. Laura's Leaving. Her television credits include A Touch of Frost, The Brittas Empire, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Lovejoy, Minder, Harry Enfield and Chums, Lewis, and Victoria Wood, appearing in the episode Over To Pam . The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom created and originally written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen. Release Dates Great! He said he's rather take his chances in the snow. Julia St John /Laura Lancing. In all probability, no. Its a chance to look over the series again and catch up with the cast. Russell Porter/Tim Whistler. The biography section will cover the early parts of my career and yes it was occasionally nerve racking, but (in those days!) TX: 16th April 1981. It seems a long time ago! just to think it all started started with an 8 year old and 20p that escalated quickly the brittas empire gordon brittas laura lancing chris barrie julia st john 2 notes May 26th, 2017 Open in app The Grand: The Complete Series; The Brittas Empire . 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. 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? Secondly, Series 5 was all about sending off the characters to their own happy endings all that had to be cancelled, inevitably rather awkwardly. All seven series were released on DVD in the United Kingdom by Eureka Video, and also in Australia by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. More recently, Flynn provided several voices for iconic kids' TV show Peppa Pig and fairly astonishingly she's played not one, not two, but five separate characters on the long-running hospital soap Doctors over a 10-year period (from 2007 to 2017) appearing on the show roughly once every two years to play someone different. As such, its one of my favourite kinds of television the superficially frothy audience sitcom with a darker undercurrent not too far from the surface. After successfully working together for so long it is difficult not to get on well. Laura Lancing We all know Timothy wont be leaving his mother this time round; destroying the whole setup of the show at the end of the first series isnt especially likely. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top Rated Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets In Theaters Coming Soon Movie News India Movie Spotlight. All Rights Reserved. Filming & Production Technically a deputy manager, he works more efficiently as the centre's caretaker. Timothy goes back up the stairs, and gives his mother her medicine. Also it presents the logic flaw of, if Gordon didnt know about them, why would he Dream them that way? | Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Laura (though she is fully aware of his incompetence) has a grudging admiration for Brittas whom she regards as honest and decent - unlike her former husband (who in one episode . From the Manager. Brittas: Chris Barrie. : The Gressley A4 class Pacific. Carole, could you come here a minute? why did julia st john leave 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. . Timothy goes back up the stairs. 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). 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. The wonderful cast of "The Brittas Empire" together again for their 30 year reunion. Laura Lancing Menu. The old Weights Room. The cast of That '70s Show where are they now? The Brittas empire. Technical Specs, [repeated line, every time Mr. Brittas asks for an explanation], [Brittas thinks Carole is putting on too much weight], [seeing Carole come from behind the desk]. : In 2004, Flynn had recurring roles in Channel 5's soap opera Family Affairs and medical drama No Angels. Where are the cast of Attack the Block now? You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Discover Julia St John's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Outside the centre. No! Did I keep the Austin Maestro used in the Brittas Series? Outside the centre. 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. Tim left the telly industry following Brittas (following a cameo appearance in Doctors), working in theatre before becoming Director of Drama at Eastbourne College. Angelina is a super actress, a very intelligent and decent person and dare I say it, damn gorgeous! For a start, The Brittas Empire always had a very specific voice that is hard to suddenly get other writers to imitate the programme title never sold how unusual the programme really was. The 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. This content is imported from Twitter. . Nice piece :). He is the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. The cast of much loved 90s sitcom The Brittas Empire hinted at a potential new series after reuniting Monday afternoon, more than 20-years after the show went off air. 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 . What was your most/least enjoyable costume in Red Dwarf and why? . . [23] In 2017, Digital Spy wrote, that the show "arguably inspired Ricky Gervais' The Office in the early noughties, which went on to have huge success so it's only natural The Brittas Empire may be in for a reboot". Series five was originally meant to be the final series, and Norriss and Fegen killed . Probably Gordon Brittas he would sort everything out and would never be short of anything to say! Unfortunately, the idea they go for is possibly the worst they could have come up with. Would you like to do more stand up comedy? And who of the cast was the most fun to work with and why? (No disrespect to all Maestro Owners). Thu, Jan 21, 1993 30 mins. She was certainly missed in later series. It would probably be best to ask her. Artemis And Apollo Relationship, Chris Barrie/Gordon Wellesley Brittas (Manager) . Like favourite episodes of Red Dwarf, there were so many favourite machines we have filmed in my documentary work. Barrie returned as Arnold Rimmer in Red Dwarf series 12 last year. General Activities Room. Jill Greenacre/Linda Perkin . Due to the unexplained collapse of his last Leisure Centre during his time in temporary charge, he was given a glowing reference and 'encouraged' to take up a managerial position at Whitbury Newtown Leisure Centre. 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. [Brittas thinks Carole is putting on too much weight] [repeated line, every time Mr. Brittas asks for an explanation] 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. Whohas been yourfavourtite character to play and why? | Why not? [14] The Shakespeare Library lists it as an example of a TV show that has fun with the idea of a man given a little power and authority that goes to his head. From Brittas being kicked out of heaven, his crazed wife chasing one of her ex-lovers through the sports centre, and of course the centre itself almost being destroyed at the end of every season. You thought it was better for morale. Julia St John is an English actress. She is also helped by supportive friend Laura Lancing (Julia St. John), Brittas's calm and efficient deputy. All our investment in the characters over the past seven series was all pointless, because it wasnt real. She also made regular appearances on A Touch of Frost and Casualty. Pippa Haywood as Hellen Brittas the neurotic wife also puts in an interesting performance. This week I set myself a task, and that was to watch the complete series of The Brittas Empire so that I could review it for its re-release on DVD. 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. Her television credits include A Touch of Frost, The Brittas Empire, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Lovejoy, Minder, Harry Enfield and Chums, Lewis, and . Tim is returning to the screen though he's currently filming the drama The Real Thing. Chris Barrie/Gordon Wellesley Brittas (Manager) Tim Marriott/Gavin Featherleigh. Gun Men of the Apocalypse is also superb. She is replaced in series six by the character 'Penny' (Anouschka Menzies). She appears in the first five series and is portrayed by Julia St. John. 2010-2023 John J. Hoare | ISSN 2754-2807, always the biggest strength of Fegen and Norriss. (A wry smile and a wink will get you further than relentless exasperation.). 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. pulls a trick that I doubt anyone would manage to predict, right at the very climax of the episode. I still do what can be termed stand up comedy although it is more of an after dinner speech these days. Release Dates The interesting bit, though, is how he fails. Unfortunately, its this last point which leads to the biggest mistake made in those last two series and here, we drag it back to that final episode: Curse of the Tiger Women.2. Why wasnt Julia St John in the last series? Actress St John went on to work with Harry Enfield on the comedian's Harry Enfield and Chums show, as well as his follow-up series, Brand Spanking New Show. Other Characters. Please feel free to join up and chat on there about JSJ's work, or post icons, news, etc. At this stage, original writers, Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen, were working on a new script. For example, in the first series, the leisure centre prepares for a royal visit, only for the doors to seal, the boiler room to flood and a visitor to become electrocuted. As writing assignments go, it has to be said this was a pretty thankless task. On 6 March 2023, Drama began repeating the series. The actress appeared on Casualty last year, playing Raquel Kovak. I was offered the job by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor after working with them on the Jasper Carrot Show. The Brittas empire. . nothing that a couple of pints ofbitter couldnt calm. Where are Hollyoaks' missing McQueens now? She's also had recurring roles in the likes of Dalziel and Pascoe, Scott & Bailey and Silent Witness. Yeah, I gave him your message about staying, Mr. Brittas. Gordon Brittas : Laura, how's the lorry driver? Julia St John . More info in the British Comedy Guide. But this one is my favourite not only for its unpredictability, but in its sheer construction. And Sorry! I was running out of things to do because I kept getting the sack from various jobs performing was the only thing left to try. She played Laura superbly and possibly thought that the character had been just about fully explored. In other words: everything we see after Timothy falls down the stairs is a dream. Helen, that's fantastic! Other Characters. Im rarely someone who will just decide something in a show didnt happen but I make an exception for this one. According to Barrie, Gordon Brittas is well-meaning but insensitive because he has a lofty dream to make the world a better place, but he doesn't know how to execute it on the small-scale. Im not totally new to presenting work, however no attractive jobs were coming in so I decided that presenting a show dealing with subjects close to my heart was a way forward. : Starring Chris Barrie in one of his most memorable roles as Gordon Brittas in many ways he was the original David Brent, just even more annoying. Hopefully we will have a reunion again soon as it is over 10 years since we finished the last Brittas recording. 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. Gordon Brittas is the manager of Whitbury-Newtown Leisure Centre, and although he has good intentions more of the schemes he comes up with end up going wrong. Saying this though the quality is still there in the comedy, if not the actual production values. Could you give this to my husband? Who knows?? Julia St John /Laura Lancing. , My main problem with how TCotTW ends is the fact it Hetro-norms Tim and Gavin. Michael Burns, Julia St . Recently youve been moving towards presenting rather than acting. Julia St John /Laura Lancing. | Unlike many traditional sitcoms, deaths were quite commonplace in The Brittas Empire.