"Acorn Antiques" - l to r Miss Berta (Victoria Wood), Clifford (Duncan Preston), Mrs.Overall (Julie Walters), Miss Babs (Celia Imrie) 

"Acorn Antiques" - l to r Miss Berta (Victoria Wood), Clifford (Duncan Preston), Mrs.Overall (Julie Walters), Miss Babs (Celia Imrie)

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Victoria Wood - As Seen On TV

1985 saw the beginning of a collaboration between Geoff Posner and Victoria Wood that would last over fifteen years and produce some thirty-six programmes and multiple BAFTA awards and nominations. Plus, of course - Acorn Antiques.

Geoff was a Staff Producer at the BBC when the then Head of Entertainment, Jim Moir poked his head round the door, and, in as many words, said - “That Victoria Wood’s good. Do six half hours with her then”.

The result was the first series of “Victoria Wood - As Seen On TV” - a sketch show of seeming simplicity, but limpidly funny, and with a cast that featured some of the actors she would go on to work with year after year - Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie, Susie Blake (the chippy Continuity Announcer) and her previous collaborator in her Granada series of two years previously, “Wood And Walters”, Julie Walters.

As well as songs, sketches and stand-up of an unerringly high quality, the jewel in the crown was the long-running Crossroads spoof, “Acorn Antiques”, a show that had its own fanclub long before the internet made that sort of thing more, well, usual. The format itself was so robust that she was able to stage it as a musical in 2006, but the joy of the early shows were the gently tilting sets, the swaying backdrops, the actors barging into each others’ close-ups and the long long pauses while everyone took their cues from a  - presumably harassed and/or incompetent - Floor Manager behind the camera...

This format ran for two series of 6, plus a Christmas Special, but in the third series, the show became a run of six half-hour sitcom scripts - along the lines of Ronnie Barker’s “Seven Of One”, and later on, Steve Coogan’s “Coogan’s Run”. All her troupe played in one or more of these shows.

She chose to return to the sketch show format for two glorious Xmas Specials - “Victoria Wood’s All Day Breakfast” in 1992 and “Victoria Wood: Live In Your Own Home” in 1994.

Finally, in 1999, as part of that year’s Comic Relief, Geoff directed a 15 minute specially written spoof of Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (a popular detective series at the time, with Patricia Routledge - a Victoria Wood stalwart - as the eponymous heroine). It was called “Wetty Hainthropp Investigates” and plumbed every cosy Sunday afternoon TV cliché in the book - with the help of her usual team.

Oh, and also -
The first series won the Broadcasting Press Award & a BAFTA (Best Light Entertainment Performance)
The second series won a BAFTA (Best Light Entertainment Programme)
The Christmas special won a BAFTA (Best Light Entertainment Programme)

Victoria Wood - As Seen On TV

Series 1

Show 1

First Tx. 11/1/85 BBC Two 21.00-21.35 

Show 2

First Tx. 18/1/85 BBC Two 21.00-21.35 

Show 3

First Tx. 25/1/85 BBC Two 21.00-21.35 

Show 4

First Tx. 1/2/85 BBC Two 21.00-21.35 

Show 5

First Tx. 8/2/85 BBC Two 21.00-21.35 

Show 6

First Tx. 15/2/85 BBC Two 21.00-21.35 

StarringVictoria Wood
 
withJulie Walters
Susie Blake
Celia Imrie
Duncan Preston
Patricia Routledge
Jim Broadbent
 
Written byVictoria Wood
 

Music by Victoria Wood

Produced & directed byGeoff Posner

Series 2

Show 1

First Tx. 10/11/86 BBC Two 21.35-22.05 

Show 2

First Tx. 17/11/86 BBC Two 21.35-22.05

Show 3

First Tx. 24/11/86 BBC Two 21.35-22.05 

Show 4

First Tx. 1/12/86 BBC Two 21.35-22.05 

Show 5

First Tx. 8/12/86 BBC Two 21.35-22.05 

Show 6

First Tx. 15/12/86 BBC Two 21.35-22.05 

Xmas Special

First Tx. 18/12/87 BBC Two 21.00-22.10

StarringVictoria Wood
 
withJulie Walters
Susie Blake
Celia Imrie
Duncan Preston
Patricia Routledge
Jacinta Mulcahy
 
Written byVictoria Wood
 

Music by Victoria Wood

Produced & directed byGeoff Posner

Series 3 - "Victoria Wood"

Show 1

"Mens Sana In Thingummy Doodah"

First Tx. 16/11/89 BBC 1 20.30-21.00

Attempting to be fit and thin means raw broccoli, saunas and trips to the gym. But Victoria thinks there must be more to life

Starring
VictoriaVictoria Wood
 
and
NicolaJulie Walters
Lill SutcliffeLill Roughly
DanaLiza Tarbuck
ConnieMeg Johnson
EnidAnne Reid
Sally AnneGeorgia Allen
JudySelina Cadell
Maintenance ManBrian Burdon
Slimming Video WomanRosalind March
Café OwnerPeter Martin
 
Written byVictoria Wood
 
Directed byKevin Bishop (director)
 
Produced byGeoff Posner

Show 2

"The Library"

First Tx. 23/11/89 BBC 1 20.30-21.00

Sheila comes to the library to play a dating-agency tape on the video machine. Well-meaning Victoria tries to help the path of true love but it all goes badly wrong. 

Starring
VictoriaVictoria Wood
 
and
SheilaAnne Reid
NicolaJulie Walters
MadgeCarol MacReady
JohnRichard Kane
KeithPhilip Lowrie
RichardDavid Henry
TedDanny O’Dea
 
Written byVictoria Wood
 
Produced & directed byGeoff Posner

Show 3

"Over To Pam"

First Tx. 30/11/89 BBC 1 20.30-21.00

Self-centred, snobbish, hypocritical TV host Pam Cunard meets her match when she goes live on the air with a “common” member of the public. 

Starring
VictoriaVictoria Wood
 
and
Pam CunardJulie Walters
Lorraine SpenceKay Adshead
CarolineJulia St John
SaundraMeg Johnson
Jim MottersheadHugh Lloyd
Alma MottersheadMargery Mason
SueLill Roughly
MargeShirley Cain
NeilWilliam Osbourne
Dr Rani NajitwarCharu Bala Chokshi
ServerAlison King
 
Written byVictoria Wicks
 
Directed byKevin Bishop (director)
 
Produced byGeoff Posner

Show 4

"We’d Quite Like To Apologize"

First Tx. 7/12/89 BBC 1 20.30-21.00

While awaiting a delayed take-off, some aeroplane passengers sit in the departure lounge and discuss previous holidays and their hopes for this one 

Starring
VictoriaVictoria Wood
 
with
Joy-AnnJulie Walters
UnaUna Stubbs
John ApplebyPhilip Lowrie
Barbara ApplebyLill Roughly
Cathy WarburtonJane Horrocks
Alan WarburtonRichard Hope
CarolCelia Imrie
GuyTristram Wymark
Check-In AttendantSusie Blake
Woman In Car ParkRosalind March
Woman In LiftValerie Minifie
Man on TravelatorPeter Martin
Spanish WaiterJoe Fraser
Captain LewisDuncan Preston
 
and the voices of
as himselfDavid Jacobs
Rory Bremner
Graham Seed
 
Written byVictoria Wood
 
Directed byKevin Bishop (director)
 
Produced byGeoff Posner

Show 5

"Val De Ree (Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha)"

First Tx. 14/12/89 BBC 1 20.30-21.00

Victoria and Jackie’s walking tour of the moors goes less than smoothly, thanks to an un-erectable tent and the hostile woman who runs the Youth Hostel 

Starring
VictoriaVictoria Wood
 
with
JackieCelia Imrie
SusanJoan Sims
Girl On FarmSian Thomas
MimAvril Angers
JamieMichael Lumsden
DaddyMichael Nightingale
 
Written byVictoria Wood
 
Directed byKevin Bishop (director)
 
Produced byGeoff Posner

Show 6

"Staying In"

First Tx. 21/12/89 BBC 1 20.30-21.00

Shy, TV-obsessed Victoria finds herself at posh Moira’s dinner party. She would have had a better time staying in. 

Starring
VictoriaVictoria Wood
 
with
MoiraPatricia Hodge
HilaryPhyllis Calvert
GeraldRoger Brierley
DulcieLill Roughly
JuliaCelia Imrie
Alan HammondJim Broadbent
JaneDeborah Grant
CharlesJohn Nettleton
JimBryan Burdon
JudithSusie Blake
KevinRichard Lintern
AilsaDawn Archibald
DorisSusan Leong
andPeter Goodwright
 
Written byVictoria Wood
 

Musical Director
David Firman

Casting
Rebecca Howard

Costume
Anna Stubley

Make Up
Christine Baker

Visual Effects
Perry Brahan

Props Buyer
Nick Barnett
Sara Richardson

Graphic Designer
Iain MacDonald

Lighting
Graham Rimmington
Mike Manning

Editor
Mark Lawrence

Vision Mixer
Hilary West

Sound
Keith Mayes
John Mooney
Laurie Taylor

Designer
Andrew Howe-Davies
Steve Sharratt

Production Assistant
Val Wilson

Production Manager
Peter Laskie
Olivia Hill

 
Produced & directed byGeoff Posner

Xmas Special

"Victoria Wood’s All Day Breakfast"

StarringVictoria Wood
 
withJulie Walters
Susie Blake
Celia Imrie
Duncan Preston
Lill Roughly
Alan Rickman
Geraldine Alexander
Shirley Cain
Richard Lintern
Philip Lowrie
William Osbourne
Sara Powell
Nicholas Pritchard
Gillian Tompkins
 
Written byVictoria Wood
 

Music by Victoria Wood

Musical Director
David Firman

Costume

Anna Stubley

Make Up
Christine Baker

Visual Effects
Andy McVean

Props Buyer
Bobby Warans

Floor Manager
Terry Pettigrew

Editor
Mark Lawrence

Vision Mixer
Heather Gilder

Sound
Laurie Taylor
Simon Wilson

Lighting
Geoff Beach

Camera Supervisor
Gerry Tivers

Designer
Andrew Howe-Davies
Steve Sharratt

Production Assistant
Val Wilson

Production Manager
Peter Laskie
Olivia Hill

 
Produced & directed byGeoff Posner

Xmas Special

"Victoria Wood: Live In Your Own Home"

First Tx. 25/12/94 BBC 1 21.40-22.30

Starring
Victoria Wood
 
with
as themselves (in audience)Julie Walters
Duncan Preston
 
Written byVictoria Wood
 

Original Music by Victoria Wood

Musical Director
David Firman

Costume

Anna Stubley

Make Up
Christine Baker

Graphics
Andrew Smee

Props Buyer
Bobby Warans

Editor
Mark Lawrence

Vision Mixer
Heather Gilder

Sound
Scott Talbot

Camera Supervisor

Gerry Tivers

Production Assistant
Val Wilson

Designer
Harry Banks

Production Manager
Peter Laskie

 
Produced & directed byGeoff Posner

"Wetty Hainthropp Investigates"

A Comic Relief special

First Tx. 12/3/99 BBC 1 21.45-22.00

Starring
Wetty HainthroppVictoria Wood
 
with
AgnesJulie Walters
Sopwith Heckman-WhiteDuncan Preston
Carol SingerHarriet Thorpe
Nightclub OwnerCelia Imrie
RegDavid Bamber
Police InspectorJoe McGann
Adam TitchmarshAlan Titchmarsh
Sandwich-Board ManGary Wilmot
Café AssistantShobna Gulati
as themselvesMatthew Kelly
Judith Chalmers
 

and cast members of Coronation Street

 
Written byVictoria Wood
 
Directed byGeoff Posner

Victoria Wood - As Seen On TV

There are quite a few fansites out there; this one looks quite nice

What's also completely nice is that pretty much everything Victoria Wood has done is still available to buy; here are just a few links to various items -

- buy the DVD of "Victoria Wood As Seen on TV" here

At one point, the BBC issued a DVD of Acorn Antiques episodes - you could buy it by clicking here

The series of sitcoms (or half-hour plays) was released by the BBC under the title of "Victoria Wood Presents..." - here

 


Other shows in GEOFF & DAVID ...