dinnerladies
In 1997, Victoria Wood quietly pulled a white catering cap low over her hair and went to work anonymously for a fortnight in a canteen of a factory somewhere in the mysterious North. That experience was one of the links in the chain of her creating “dinnerladies”, a sitcom that ran on BBC One for sixteen episodes, and won numerous awards and accolades. Creating specially written parts, not just for her semi-regular team of “As Seen On TV” cohorts - Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie and Anne Reid; she also created a part for Thelma Barlow, just recently left Coronation Street after 26 years playing Mavis Riley. And she also created a part for Julie Walters as her monstrous mother, Petula.
Shot at BBC Television Centre, directed by Geoff Posner and co-produced by Victoria and Geoff (the show was actually a Pozzitive/Good Fun co-production), the script was recorded on the Friday of each week, then - almost uniquely at the time for a British sitcom - they would watch the rushes Saturday morning and then Victoria would rewrite and retune, while the actors - who hated this procedure with a wry vengeance - would rehearse the new dialogue in time to record the whole show again on the Saturday night. The Americans do this without blinking, but in the UK...
As well as being a sitcom, the show had serial elements, particularly the second series, where storylines such as Tony’s cancer, Bren and Tony’s relationship and Jean’s husband troubles. Also, the timescale of each episode and the date and day on which it was taking place were quite specific in each script, so that storylines arcs were believable. This all contributed to an unexpected profundity that few sitcoms have reached, based as it was on truthful characters with real things happening to them. And then, of course, talking about those things in a uniquely funny way. That helps...
One fo the most extraordinary episodes was the fourth show of the first series - “Moods” - where the regular workers in the canteen were asked to bring their parents along to a tea party. To describe the cast as "stellar” would be an understatement; the readthrough was a living breathing encyclopaedia of the last fifty years of British comedy. As well as the wonderful regulars, there was Dame Thora Hird, Dora Bryan, Elspet Gray, and, playing Stan’s dad - Eric Sykes. You could have heard a pin drop the moment before he said his first line, And you wouldn’t have heard a lorryload of pins dropping afterwards, because the whole room was laughing...
After 16 episodes - in fact, Victoria had written eight scripts for the first series, but discarded two of them as “not being good enough” - hmm - she called it a day, but the show still stands as a triumph of the ensemble blue-collar audience sitcom with heart.
dinnerladies
Series 1
Show 1
"Monday"
First Tx 12/11/98 BBC 1
Another cold early morning; Bren’s happy, Jean’s got bridesmaids’ knickers on her mind, and Norman the breadman has failed to deliver any granary torpedoes. If only the stripper could play the accordion.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
and | |
Petula | Julie Walters |
Additional cast | |
Girl | Julia Booth |
Secretary | Sue Devaney |
Accordionist | Gordon Glenn |
Mr Michael | Christopher Greet |
Lisa | Jane Hazlegrove |
Carly | Katisha Kenyon |
Norman the Bread Man | Andrew Livingston |
Bacon Man | Bernard Wrigley |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 2
"Royals"
First Tx 19/11/98 BBC 1
Stan’s met royalty before, so it’s only a question of choosing the right toupe. Anita is worried about presenting a smooth bustline, and Bren’s desperate to clear the tables.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
and special guest | |
James, the Duke of Danby | Simon Williams |
Additional cast | |
Pamela | Richenda Carey |
Mr. Michael | Christopher Greet |
Male Worker | Steve Huison |
Female Worker | Lesley Nichol |
David | Graham Seed |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 3
"Scandal"
First Tx 26/12/98 BBC 1
Not only is Bren’s mother Petula Gordeno causing mayhem in the factory with her ill considered romance, but Stan can’t get his bins hosed with her caravan in the way.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
and | |
Petula | Julie Walters |
Additional cast | |
Simon | Ashley Barker |
Carmel | Lynda Baron |
Secretary | Sue Devaney |
Clint | Kenny Doughty |
Mr Michael | Christopher Greet |
Shelagh | Lill Roughly |
Hannah | Dolly Wells |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 4
"Moods"
First Tx 3/12/98 BBC 1
Tony and Bren are really happy, but everyone else is struggling. Pregnancy scares, stray branflakes; can Philippa’s bright idea for a mood lifter really work
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
and | |
Petula | Julie Walters |
Special guests | |
Connie | Dora Bryan |
Enid | Dame Thora Hird |
Jim | Eric Sykes |
Additional cast | |
Woman in Queue | Liz Hume-Dawson |
Secretary | Sue Devaney |
Bev | Jackie Downey |
2nd Secretary | Judy Flynn |
Kirsty | Rachel Gleaves |
Hilary | Elspet Gray |
Veg Man | Anthony Renshaw |
Reena | Shireen Shah |
Violet | Katharine Page |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 5
"Party"
First Tx 10/12/98 BBC 1
The works do has gone all formal and Japanesey. Bren’s got the man, the dress; it was all looking so good till her mother turned up and got stuck into the sake.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
and | |
Petula | Julie Walters |
Additional cast | |
Mr Michael | Christopher Greet |
Tiffany | Ann-Louise Grimshaw |
Mr Tashimoto | Eiji Kusuhara |
Hugo | Adam Leese |
Keith | Peter Lorenzelli |
Babs | Kate Robbins |
Bob | Jack Smethurst |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 6
"Nightshift"
First Tx 17/12/98 BBC 1
Tony’s away and Bren can’t even motivate Twinkle to fetch some brown bread from over there to here. The factory’s losing orders, Dolly and Jean have walked out, and Bren’s left single handed to run the nightshift through the most important night of the year.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
Additional cast | |
Secretary | Sue Devaney |
Mr Michael | Christopher Greet |
Little Man | David Hatton |
Nicola Bodeux | Sue Wallace |
Malcolm | Ozzie Yue |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Casting Arranged By Production Buyer
Stage Manager Jane Cotton
| |
Produced by | Victoria Wood |
Geoff Posner | |
Directed by | Geoff Posner |
Series 2
Show 1
"Catering"
First Tx 25/11/99 BBC 1
April. It’s work experience day. Bren wants to show Sigourney, the work experience girl, a typical day in the canteen, but Derwent, the work experience boy, has jammed a twenty foot ladder right across the cooker, and Glen the breadwoman has had an operation and can’t bob under.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
Additional cast | |
Jane | Sue Devaney |
Sigourney | Joanne Froggatt |
Glenda | Sue Cleaver |
Betty | Helen Cotterill |
Derwent | Liam Fox |
Paul | Kevin Maxwell |
Bert | Colin Edwynn |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 2
"Trouble"
First Tx 2/12/99 BBC 1
June. It’s the first day of summer. Jean’s husband Keith has left her for a Welsh dental hygienist and she’s abusing the customers. Tony’s thinking of asking Bren to go to Marbella with him, but it’s hard to concentrate with Jean yelling. Anita is celebrating the second week of her relationship with Pedr. Petula is back with some interesting news.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
and | |
Petula | Julie Walters |
Additional cast | |
Peggy | Linda Bassett |
Jane | Sue Devaney |
Val | Judy Flynn |
Steve | Steve Huison |
Reg | Kaleem Janjua |
Man | Jonathon Magnanti |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 3
"Holiday"
First Tx 9/12/99 BBC 1
August. Bren is so excited about her holiday with Tony she might even buy some decent clothes. Stan has sad news about his father, and Petula is doing dangerous things with the gas in her caravan. Babs from Urmston is back, and Bren has to learn to toughen up.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
and | |
Petula | Julie Walters |
Additional cast | |
Jane | Sue Devaney |
Norman | Adrian Hood |
Steve | Steve Huison |
Man | Peter Martin |
Babs | Kate Robbins |
Pieman | Graham Turner |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 4
"Fog"
First Tx 16/12/99 BBC 1
November. Bren is having an uncomfortable day. The Blood Donors van has come to the factory, and a prisoner has escaped in the fog on his way to Strangeways. Bren is upset when she sees Tony’s holiday photos.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
Additional cast | |
Glenda | Sue Cleaver |
Barry | Howard Crossley |
Customer | Angela Curran |
Jane | Sue Devaney |
Tom | Mark Drewry |
Mr Michael | Christopher Greet |
Policeman | Nick Malinowski |
Bobbie | Tina Malone |
Woman | Christine Moore |
Customer | Gillian Perry |
Sue | Paul Rider |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 5
"Gamble"
First Tx 23/12/99 BBC 1
December. Stan is furious with Philippa for failing to save the fuse bulbs on last year’s Christmas tree lights. The dinnerladies are desperate for Bren and Tony to get it together, mainly because they’ve got a bet on. It’s looking good, when Bren’s past catches up with her.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
Additional cast | |
Jane | Sue Devaney |
Tom | Mark Drewry |
Norman | Adrian Hood |
Girl | Liz Hume-Dawson |
Martin | Brian Stephens |
Pieman | Graham Turner |
Bob | Bernard Wrigley |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 6
"Xmas"
First Tx 24/12/99 BBC 1
Christmas Eve. Bren has blown it with Tony. Anita has gone off and left her inflatable man behind. Petula has hopes of a family Christmas with Bren, but Twinkle and Stan aren’t having it. Bren hands in her notice.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
and | |
Petula | Julie Walters |
Additional cast | |
Jane | Sue Devaney |
Customer | Rachel Gleaves |
Mr Michael | Christopher Greet |
Janice | Janet Tough |
Bob | Bernard Wrigley |
with | The Black Dyke Band |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Shpw 7
"Minnellium"
First Tx 30/12/99 BBC 1
The dinnerladies are catering the firm’s millennium dinner in town at the Old Brewery. The traffic is building, and it’s going to be a race against time to even get there from the canteen. Tony goes out for a fag, and finds something on the fire escape that puts the dinner right out of their minds. Keith drops by to make peace with Jean.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philiipa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
Additional cast | |
Reg | Kaleem Janjua |
Keith | Peter Lorenzelli |
Written | Victoria Wood |
Show 8
"Christine"
First Tx 13/1/00 BBC 1
January. Anita’s replacement is championed by Dolly and loathed by everyone else. The crunch comes when she makes a brew and fails to hand out the correct mugs. Petula’s rackety lifestyle has caught up with her, and a social worker is suggesting Bren has her mother to live with her. An unwelcome proposal for someone who finds it hard to say no.
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
Additional cast | |
Christine | Kay Adshead |
Glenda | Sue Cleaver |
Norman | Adrian Hood |
Mrs Holcombe | Lynn Whitehead |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 9
"Gravy"
First Tx 20/1/00 BBC 1
February. The winds of change are blowing through the canteen. The new self clear system starts today, and Bren can’t stand it, clearing the tables is the best bit. Bren and Tony have plans, but no finance. Could Bren’s head for trivia be put to good use?
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
and | |
Petula | Julie Walters |
Additional cast | |
Ken | David Hatton |
Norman | Adrian Hood |
Brian | Francis Lee |
Betty | Katharine Page |
As himself | Henry Kelly |
Written by | Victoria Wood |
Show 10
"Toast"
First Tx 27/1/00 BBC 1
February 29th. Stan is hoping for a proposal. Bren is being coached for her big TV chance. Dolly is so upset by the new uniforms she may have to go and live in Cheshire. Petula is fading fast, but Tony doesn’t want anything to distract Bren on the most important day since they got together.
Starring Victoria Wood as Bren
Starring | |
Bren | Victoria Wood |
Dolly | Thelma Barlow |
Tony | Andrew Dunn |
Anita | Shobna Gulati |
Philippa | Celia Imrie |
Twinkle | Maxine Peake |
Stan | Duncan Preston |
Jean | Anne Reid |
and | |
Petula | Julie Walters |
Additional cast | |
Glenda | Sue Cleaver |
Jane | Sue Devaney |
Norman | Adrian Hood |
as himself | Henry Kelly |
Casting | |
Produced by | Victoria Wood |
Geoff Posner | |
Directed by | Geoff Posner |
dinnerladies
Have a look at this "Cast & Crew" photo, and score a bacon sarnie for every famous face you can spot.
"dinnerladies" has been turned into a book, an audio cassette, and a DVD, but sadly not a tea towel. Yet.
Both series are available on DVD to "collect" as they say when they mean "buy" - here are some links.
To buy Series 1 on DVD, click here
This may be out of stock - it was issued by the BBC and they can be a bit erratic - but never fear, it was re-released by a company called "Playback", here
And glory be, both series together in one box are alive and well and living here
The audio version has a special linking commentary by Duncan Preston and can be found by clicking here
There's also a great book of the scripts of the first series, with a brilliant behind-the-scenes piece and rehearsal photos and so on...
Take it further ...
YouTube: | Clips playlist |