Cultural references in Green Wing

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The television series Green Wing has often referred to films, television programs, plays, songs and books in the show.

1 Film References
2 Musical References
3 Television References
4 Book References
5 Theatre References
6 Famous People

[edit] Film References

In "Housewarming Party", Karen mentions the film Educating Rita when talking about her poem.
In "Slave Auction", Caroline pretends to be Princess Leia from Star Wars
The beginning of "Emergency" is based on the film Saturday Night Fever, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is referenced midway, whilst the end of the episode is based on The Italian Job. The same reference is used to end series 2.
Tamsin Greig and Julian Rhind-Tutt both played minor parts in 2002 film Miranda, which was broadcast by Channel 4 following the last episode of a Green Wing series 1 re-run, on the night before series 2 started.
In series 2, episode 1, Guy refers to the film Pirates of the Caribbean when telling his version of how he escaped from the ambulance. He also mentions the film Twins to Martin when talking about which one has the better genes.
In series 2, episode 6, Jake (Darren Boyd) references the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind when Caroline (Tamsin Greig) asks him to wipe Caroline's memories of Mac (Julian Rhind-Tutt).
In series 2, episode 6, Guy tells Mac to think of Caroline like Lassie.
The "Ventriloquist's Dummy", sequence in series 2, episode 7, is based on the episode The Ventriloquist's Dummy in the 1945 horror film, Dead of Night.
In series 2, episode 7, Boyce mentions the Hi-Ho song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Alan.
The station scene in series 2, episode 8, where Guy emerges through the steam, is taken from Brief Encounter, as is Caroline's line "It's very easy to lie when you know you are trusted implicitly. So easy, and so very degrading".

[edit] Musical References

In "Lodgers", Guy sings "All That She Wants" by Ace of Base when he mocks Mac about Holly being pregnant.
In "Joanna's Birthday", Alan sings "Close to You" by The Carpenters over the telephone to Joanna.
The song "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" by Kylie Minogue is mentioned twice in the first series. In "Rumours," Sue 'la-la's it to Guy, trying to make him feel bad about their one night of passion. It is also is one of the songs played in "Housewarming Party."
In "Tangled Webs", Guy sings along to "We Are the Champions" by Queen and "Your Song" by Elton John. In the same episode, Alan sings "All by Myself" by Shirley Bassey to Joanna.
At the beginning of "Slave Auction", Boyce is singing "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell.
In "Emergency", Sue is listening to and sings "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry.
Mac is big fan of The Kinks. In the second episode of series 2 Caroline sings "You Really Got Me" to try and attract him and make him remember their relationship, whilst episode 8 of season 2 begins with her alarm clock playing "Tired of Waiting".
Holly's nickname for Mac is "Paul" (as in Paul McCartney) and Mac's nickname for Holly is "John" (as in John Lennon).
In series 2, episode 1, Guy sings "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" by Gary Glitter.
In series 2, episode 1, there is a dream sequence where Mac and Alan Statham are portraying the Mael brothers, performing "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" by Sparks. Later, he dreams he is all five members of Take That singing "Back for Good".
In series 2, episode 2, Rachel listens to Travis on her iPod (which Joanna later destroys by putting it in a glass of water).
In series 2, episode 8, Sue sings "The Circle of Life" by Elton John, from the film The Lion King as she gives birth to Simba.
In series 2, episode 8, Martin mentions "The Sunnyside of the Street" by The Pogues whilst Joanna is on the run.
There is a deleted scene, probably from the episode "Housewarming Party", where Mac has written on an application form that he is a fan of opera (he thought he would put something down that would make him sound more like a consultant), at which point, Sue starts to sing from Carmen.

[edit] Television References

This show is the second time that Oliver Chris and Sally Bretton have played characters who sleep together. They previously played lovers in The Office series 1.
Sarah Alexander and Karl Theobald are the only members of the regular cast to have worked with Victoria Pile previously, both working on Smack the Pony, Alexander as an actor and Theobald as a writer. Guests who have worked with Pile in the past have so far included Sally Phillips (Holly Hawkes) and Darren Boyd (Jake).
Tamsin Greig (Caroline) and Paterson Joseph (Lyndon) both had roles in the 1996 TV series Neverwhere, written by Neil Gaiman. They played Lamia and the Marquis de Carabas respectively.
In "Tangled Webs", Caroline (Tamsin Greig) moulds the bubbles in her bath into breasts, and calls them Pinky and Perky, after a 1960's children's puppet show.
In "Emergency", Mac refers to This is Your Life when Caroline challenges Emmy.
The end of series 2, episode 6, where Guy beats on Caroline's front door and shouts "Wilma!" is based directly on the end sequence of The Flintstones.
The scene in series 2, episode 7, where Sue Michelle Gomez saws a hole in a table from below is probably inspired by famous cartoons.
Sally Phillips and Oliver Chris appeared together in the BBC Comedy/Drama Rescue Me and were also both in the 2004 film, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Phillips also appeared alongside Sarah Alexander in the Channel 4 comedy Smack the Pony.
Darren Boyd (Jake) made a guest appearance alongside Tamsin Greig (Caroline) in the first ever episode of Love Soup.

[edit] Book References

In "Lodgers", Martin says he wants a motorbike helmet made out of Adamantium, the fictional metal from X-Men that Wolverine's skeleton is made from.
The dream scene in series 2, episode 1 where Guy (Stephen Mangan) and Mac (Julian Rhind-Tutt) fight in front of a fireplace half-naked, is taken from the novel and film Women in Love.
In series 2, episode 3, Martin refers to Miss Marple when he and Guy talk about who the priest was that Guy gave the tape to (it being Martin).
In a deleted scene from series 2, episode 6, Caroline says her favorite book is Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.

[edit] Theatre References

In a deleted scene from series 2, episode 1, Guy menitons Beyond the Fringe when talking Martin, whilst he is trying to say something whilst visiting Mac.
In series 2, episode 3, Sue shouts "A handbaaggg!" twice, quoting Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, and pulls a large lamp out of said carpet bag, à la Mary Poppins.
During Alan (Mark Heap) and Joanna's (Pippa Haywood) run from the law, Alan quotes the "Blow wind and crack your cheeks" speech from King Lear.

[edit] Famous People

In "Rumours", in the end restaurant scene where Joanna and Alan are dancing, Joanna performs a ballet style dance and says, "It's Darcy Bussell!"
Guy does impersonations of Jimmy Savile in "Joanna's Birthday" and Paul Daniels during the "Geordie operation" scene in "Tangled Webs".
In "Housewarming Party," Guy mentions Phil Collins to Martin he asks him what he first comes to his head when he thinks of Switzerland.
In "Housewarming Party," Guy says that Martin, when wearing his spiky shirt looks like, "The love child of Wayne Sleep and Godzilla." In series 2, episode 7, Martin claims that Wayne Sleep was the best person he was compared to (the worst one being Dustin Hoffman).
In "Tests", Martin mentions during his dream in the beginning of the episode that he thought that whilst he was dancing, one of the judges might turn into Michaela Strachan and kiss him.
In one deleted scene in series 1, Caroline, Guy and Mac see the face of Winston Churchill in a body that they are operating on.
In series 2, episode 5, it is discovered that Mac collects Evil Knievel memorabilia.
In series 2, episode 5, Karen sniffs a picture of the footballer Wayne Rooney, which she later regrets.
In the comparisons game in series 2, episode 7, Boyce says his best is Jude Law and the worst was Brigitte Nielsen. Rachel claims her best was Angelina Jolie and the worst was Miss Piggy.
In a deleted scene in series 2, where Guy and Mac are discussing timing, Mac mentions Bob Hope and Eric Morecambe.