| Desmond's | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Trix Worrell |
| Starring | Norman Beaton |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. Trix Worrell writer composer and director was born in St Lucia in the West Indies in 1960, and came to England at the age of five Norman Lugard Beaton ( 31 October 1934 – 13 December 1994) was a Guyanese actor Carmen Munroe OBE (March 17 1932 is a British actress born in Berbice, Guyana. Ram John Holder is a British actor of Guyanese origin (born in Guyana in 1934 Gyearbuor Asante ( November 4, 1941 - August 2, 2000) was a Ghanaian actor best remembered for his role in the Channel 4 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 71 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Al Mitchell |
| Producer(s) | Humphrey Barclay |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 70x30 Min
1x60 Min |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel 4 |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original run | January 5, 1989 – 19 December 1994 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Porkpie |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Desmond's was a British television situation comedy broadcast by Channel 4 from 1989 to 1994. Albert Edwin Mitchell (born August 30, 1897) was a professional American football player for the Buffalo Bisons, playing six games Humphrey Barclay (born 24 March 1941 in Dorking, Surrey, England) is a comedy executive and producer Humphrey Barclay (born 24 March 1941 in Dorking, Surrey, England) is a comedy executive and producer Charlie Hanson is a critically acclaimed British television producer and director The multiple-camera setup (aka multiple-camera mode of production is a method of shooting films and television programs Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began The aspect ratio of an Image is its width divided by its height Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Porkpie was a British Sitcom on Channel 4 television starring Ram John Holder as Augustus 'Porkpie' Grant The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began The first series was filmed in 1988, with the first episode broadcast in January 1989. The show was made in and set in Peckham, London, England and featured a predominantly West Indian cast. This article is about the South London town For the villages in Kent see East Peckham and West Peckham. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting
Conceived and co-written by Trix Worrell and produced by Charlie Hanson and Humphrey Barclay[1] this series starred Norman Beaton as barber Desmond Ambrose. Trix Worrell writer composer and director was born in St Lucia in the West Indies in 1960, and came to England at the age of five Charlie Hanson is a critically acclaimed British television producer and director Humphrey Barclay (born 24 March 1941 in Dorking, Surrey, England) is a comedy executive and producer Norman Lugard Beaton ( 31 October 1934 – 13 December 1994) was a Guyanese actor A barber (from the Latin barba, " Beard " is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair give shaves, and trim Desmond's shop was a gathering place for an assortment of local characters.
Contents |
Notability
Whilst the show was not the first Black (or predominately Black) British sitcom it was the first to be set mainly in the workplace [1] which provided a different insight on Black family life than had been seen on British television before [2]. The characters were aspirational (Desmond to return to Guyana, Michael to run his own branch of the bank, Gloria to get a job in fashion, Sean to get to university) and socially mobile [1]. Some of the show's success and notability may well have also come from the fact that the vast majority of the cast and crew were black. [3]
Characters
Much of the success of the show came from the dynamics and relationships both within the Ambrose family and the other characters in the show who spent time in the shop [2].
The Ambrose family
The Ambroses were the central family that the show was built around. Barber Desmond and his wife Shirley (Carmen Munroe), bank manager eldest son Michael (Geff Francis), aspiring fashion writer daughter Gloria (Kim Walker) and student son Sean (Justin Pickett). Carmen Munroe OBE (March 17 1932 is a British actress born in Berbice, Guyana. Geff Francis is a Black British actor who portrayed Lynford a hoodlum in For Queen and Country as well as the title character's son (Michael in the Peckham Justin Pickett is an actor best remembered for his role in the Channel 4 situation comedy Desmond's.
Other characters
- Augustus 'Porkpie' Grant (Ram John Holder, who later had his own spin-off series, Porkpie) was an old childhood friend of Desmond's who also came from Guyana. Ram John Holder is a British actor of Guyanese origin (born in Guyana in 1934 A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new Organization or Entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a Television series based on a pre-existing Porkpie was a British Sitcom on Channel 4 television starring Ram John Holder as Augustus 'Porkpie' Grant
- Matthew (Gyearbuor Asante) was an eternal student from Gambia. Gyearbuor Asante ( November 4, 1941 - August 2, 2000) was a Ghanaian actor best remembered for his role in the Channel 4
- Tony (Dominic Keating) was Desmond's first assistant barber. Dominic Keating (born July 1, 1962) is a British Television, Film and Theatre Actor.
- Ricky (Dean Gatiss) was Tony's replacement in the final series.
- Lee 'The Peckham Prince' Graham (Robbie Gee) was the local wide-boy wheeler-dealer, often trying to sell his wares to the regulars in the shop. Robbie Gee (born 24 March 1970) is a British Actor, best known for his Desmond's character Lee Graham and for appearing
- Louise (Lisa Geoghan) was Gloria's best friend. Lisa Geoghan (born 1 June 1967) is a British actress best known for playing PC/CAD Officer Polly Page in the long-running police drama The Bill
- Mandy (Mathilda Thorpe) was Michael's PA whom he married towards the end of the series. A personal assistant, or personal aide, is someone who assists in daily personal tasks
- Beverley (Joan Ann Maynard) was the local gossip, and often provided a prudish, old-fashioned viewpoint. Joan Ann Maynard is a British actress Her most notable roles are as Avice in 1975 series Within These Walls and as Beverley in classic comedy show
Racism
Worrell was keen to show that racism existed not just between broad ethnic groups, but also within them. [1] While Matthew was the frequent butt of jokes from the West Indian characters, particularly Porkpie and Desmond, he was always keen to point out the strength of African history with his regular interjection "There's an old African saying". [2]
Legacy
The show had a unique method of team writing [1] that raised the profile of some writers, notably playwright Michael J Ellis, who went on to work on other shows, including the BBC's all-black sketch show The Real McCoy, and Worrell himself went on to work in films. The Real McCoy was a very successful BBC Television comedy show which ran from 1991 to 1996 featuring an array of talented black and asian comedy stars
Desmond's came 70th in the 2004 BBC poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom. Britain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC to identify the United Kingdom 's best Situation comedy. Reruns aired in the USA on BET in the early-1990s. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The show continued to be popular, running on NYCTV as part of their Caribbean programming on Sunday nights in the late-1990s. NYC TV - sometimes branded in lowercase text as nyctv - is the brand name of the broadcast service run by NYC Media Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of New York The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting As of January 2007, the network still airs reruns of 'Desmond's' from time to time. Trouble TV, in the U.K., began showing re-runs of Desmond's in September 2007. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located
DVD
The 1st series of Desmond's was released on Region 2 DVD On October 1, 2007[4] and Series 1 and 2 were released in Canada as a 3-disc Region 1 DVD set by VEI Entertainment in March 2007. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [5]
Desmond's Series 2 was released on April 14, 2008[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e Sarita Malik. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Desmond's. Retrieved on 2008-02-27. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation
- ^ a b c Ali Jaafar. Screenonline: Desmond's (1988-94). Retrieved on 2008-02-27. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation
- ^ British Sitcom Guide: Desmond's
- ^ http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3438639/Desmond-s-Series-1/Product.html
- ^ Amazon.ca: Desmonds: The Complete First and Second Series: DVD
- ^ http://www.play.com/Channel4/DVD/DVD/RGNNR/3-/5160215/Desmond_s_Complete_Series_2/Product.html
External links
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic