Our Friend Victoria - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Age
In the first of this new six-part series celebrating the comedy of Victoria Wood, long-term friend and collaborator Julie Walters looks at Victoria's take on age and the unforgettable characters she created that spanned generations. Classic clips include Chrissie the long-distance swimmer, dinnerladies, Acorn Antiques, Waitress (aka Two Soups) and 14 Again. Julie is joined by Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston, Anne Reid, Maxine Peake, Thelma Barlow and Shobna Gulati, who open up about working with Victoria and creating these iconic scenes. Friends and fans, including Michael Ball, Richard E Grant, Aisling Bea, Ted Robbins, Kate Robbins and Harriet Thorpe, pick out their favourite moments and discuss why she's not just their friend but Our Friend Victoria. With rare behind-the-scenes photos from Victoria's personal archive.
People
Richard E Grant presents the second episode looking at how Victoria was a master at observation and people watching. Classic comedy sketches include Kimberley's friend, Jim Broadbent's fabulous Northern playwright, Susie Blake's unforgettable continuity announcer, Celia Imrie's oh-so-posh Miss Babs from Acorn Antiques and Patricia Routledge's extraordinary monologues as Kitty. All this along with appearances from Julie Walters and Michael Ball as well as rare behind-the-scenes photos from her personal archive.
Sex
Michael Ball presents the third installment, which looks at Victoria's refreshingly candid views on sex and relationships and her unique ability to say what we were all thinking when it came to romance, dating, getting it or not getting it.
Michael guides us through a selection of classic clips including stand-up from the Albert Hall; Victoria's spoof documentary, Mr Right; Italian Restaurant and Family Planning from As Seen On TV; and standout moments from her multi-award winning sitcom, dinnerladies. He is joined by Duncan Preston and Anne Reid who reveal how some of Victoria's most memorable comedy moments were created.
Former cast mates Maxine Peake and Shobna Gulati recall filming the hilarious bedhopping antics of their characters in dinnerladies. Michael rounds off the show by introducing a song from the archives, but not just any song - this is one of Victoria's most famous, The Ballad of Barry and Freda.
Appearance
Maxine Peake guides through a selection of classic comedy that sums up Vic's views on the diet and health industry. There are standout clips from the dinnerladies bemoaning the size of their buttocks, an unforgettable aerobics class called Fattitude, Marjorie and Joan's top tips for a perfect tan, and a bonkers but sublime sketch called The Shoe Shop. Julie Walters and Celia Imrie are on hand to ponder Acorn Antiques' transformation into a health spa, while Duncan Preston reveals the sheer pain he endured when faced with a wrinkly gusset.
TV
The League of Gentlemen (Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith) present this episode, which explores Victoria's take on television. Victoria was a self-confessed TV addict, and she would watch anything and everything - in fact, the worse the programmes were, the more she enjoyed them. She laughed at the sheer nonsense of the TV world before turning it on itself by creating some of the most groundbreaking parodies ever seen. This episode looks at a typical day of TV from Victoria's unique perspective. Classic clips include banal TV presenters Marjorie and Joan and Sally and Martin, Acorn Antiques and Vic's pitch-perfect pastiche of a 1960s episode of Coronation Street. The League of Gentlemen also look at Victoria's pioneering mockumentaries that changed the comedy landscape.
Fame
Daniel Rigby presents the final instalment, looking at Victoria's rise to fame, from performances on That's Life to early sketches from Wood and Walters, before success with As Seen on TV. Classic clips include Kitty, Carl and Gail and Susie Blake's continuity announcer. We also look back at Victoria's fantastic Acorn Antiques, plus the legendary Making of... and the rarely seen Beyond the Marigolds. Contributions come from Julie Walters, Mark Gatiss, Michael Ball and Maxine Peake.
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