Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps
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| Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Creator(s) | Susan Nickson |
| Starring | Sheridan Smith Kathryn Drysdale Ralf Little Will Mellor Natalie Casey Lee Oakes Hayley Bishop |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original channel | BBC Three |
| Original run | 2001 (Still in prodcuction according to Will Mellor)– |
| No. of episodes | 55 |
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps is a BBC sitcom written by Susan Nickson and set in the English town of Runcorn.
The title was inspired by the 1980 hit "Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps Please" by Splodgenessabounds. The series has arguably stayed fresh through six quickly successive series by constant plot and character developments.
Contents |
[edit] Broadcast
The first series followed the last Christmas Special of The Royle Family, and both shows feature Ralf Little and Sheridan Smith as a couple (although with different names). Likewise, Will Mellor and Natalie Casey were both in Hollyoaks together. A sixth series started broadcasting on 26 February 2006 and finished in May.
BBC Three normally shows repeat episodes, covering all series, on an almost nightly basis. These are often formed with two episodes being showing back-to-back before being repeated each night for a week. UKTV G2 also shows episodes from the earlier series occasionally, along with UKTV Gold. The two channels have recently began broadcasting later episodes with "NEW" next to the channel's on-screen logo. This causes confusion for some people, as they are lead to think that a brand new series of the show is being shown exclusively on a UKTV channel.
[edit] Characters
The programme stars Will Mellor as Gaz Wilkinson, Ralf Little as Jonny Keogh, Sheridan Smith as Janet Keogh, Natalie Casey as Donna Henshaw, and Kathryn Drysdale as Louise Brooks. The nature of the show and its characters is well summarised by the title of the first episode, "Fags, Shags and Kebabs".
[edit] Storyline
Episodes revolve around the sex lives of Janet and her husband Jonny (although they only marry in Series Five), Gaz and his off-on girlfriend Donna, and Janet's ex-student friend Louise. Secondary characters include Donna's late mother Flo (played by Beverley Callard), Gaz's half-brother Munch (played by Lee Oakes), oddball barmaid Kelly (played by Hayley Bishop), Louise's short-term boyfriend David Fish (played by Jonathon Dutton) and Jonny's short-term girlfriend Kate (played by Alison Mac).
[edit] Episode guide
[edit] Series 1 (2001)
| # | Title | Description | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Fags Shags and Kebabs | When Donna tells Janet that she is looking for a boyfriend, Janet asks her boyfriend Jonny to persuade his friend Gaz to go on a blind date with Donna. | February 26, 2001 |
| 1.2 | Spunk | Donna is waiting for Gaz to call her after their date, but eventually goes to see him first. On Gaz's advice, Jonny starts to be meaner to Janet to improve their relationship. Louise finds out that she has put on weight for the first time since she was 14 and starts to go on a diet. | March 5, 2001 |
| 1.3 | Bone With the Wind | Gaz is worried after he finds Donna's toothbrush in his flat. Janet starts various ways to improve her lovelife with Jonny, which only results in Jonny becoming suspicious. After falling for a gay man, Louise decides to make the best of the situation and become a "fag hag". | March 12, 2001 |
| 1.4 | Angry Wangry | Janet attempts to become a student and is invited to read at a poetry meeting. Gaz feels that he isn't attractive to women anymore. | March 19, 2001 |
| 1.5 | Lard | Jonny is worried that he is falling for Louise, but is reassured when he kisses her and decides that she tastes of lard. Donna redecorates Gaz's flat, resulting in an argument between them. Janet tries to become a comedienne. | March 26, 2001 |
| 1.6 | Ugly Babies | Donna and Janet both think that they might be pregnant. Jonny begins to want more to happen in his life. | April 2, 2001 |
[edit] Series 2 (2002)
| # | Title | Description | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | On the Blob | Jonny reassures Gaz after Donna tells him that she may be pregnant. Donna finds out that she got her dates mixed up and isn't pregnant. Louise believes that she is a psychic and from her advice, Jonny becomes a mime. | April 15, 2002 |
| 2.2 | Bungle | Jonny wins £1000 on a scratchcard and Janet throws a dinner party to celebrate. Louise has a new boyfriend. | April 22, 2002 |
| 2.3 | Dirty Girls | Janet finds an old love letter from her ex-boyfriend, Andy, making Jonny jealous. Donna is asked to move out by her mother. Louise considers experimenting with homosexuality after she realises that she doesn't fancy her boyfriend. | April 29, 2002 |
| 2.4 | Vomit | Gaz asks Donna to move in with him. Janet meets up with Andy in the pub. Jonny falls ill. Louise buys a puppy. | May 6, 2002 |
| 2.5 | Crusty Curtains | Janet and Jonny argue over Janet's kiss with Andy. Gaz and Donna argue over Gaz being too demanding in their new living arrangements. | May 13, 2002 |
| 2.6 | Mo Mo and Pigsy | Louise attempts to predict the future with astrology. Jonny and Donna go to Andy's house to try and find Janet, while Gaz and Janet look for Donna. The couples reunite in the pub and Jonny proposes to Janet. | May 20, 2002 |
[edit] Series 3 (2003)
| # | Title | Description | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Munch | Janet accepts Jonny's proposal but insists that he buys her a ring, so he tries to find a job. Gaz discovers he has a half brother. Louise goes on a date with Andy | February 23, 2003 |
| 3.2 | Fish | Louise gets a valentine's card and goes to meet the sender. Jonny gets Janet to quit smoking. Gaz and Donna learn new things about each other's living habits. | March 2, 2003 |
| 3.3 | Kangaroo | Jonny asks Janet's father for Janet's hand in marriage. Donna plans a kinky night in with Gaz. Louise tries to be more mature to prolong her relationship with David. | March 9, 2003 |
| 3.4 | Beastiality | After her father's rejection for Janet to marry Jonny, the couple tries to have the wedding on a small budget. The registry office calls them to say that they have a cancellation the next day. Louise is angry after she learns that David once slept with Donna. Munch takes a shine to Donna, which angers Gaz. | March 16, 2003 |
| 3.5 | Hospikal | Jonny blackmails Janet's dad into paying for the wedding after seeing him with Donna's mum. Gaz is in hospital after he tries to avoid Munch. Donna uses this to make up with Louise so that they can both be bridesmaids at the wedding. | March 27, 2003 |
| 3.6 | Dresses, Dresses, Dresses | Janet, Donna and Louise go shopping for wedding dresses after Janet is given money by her dad. Gaz and Jonny steal a barrel from outside the pub and struggle to get it open. | March 30, 2003 |
| 3.7 | Fockin' Mokky Bokka | Gaz and Donna lose sleep to due to noisy neighbours. Jonny has trouble at his new job. Louise becomes scared of ageing and David tries to comfort her. | April 6, 2003 |
| 3.8 | Jammy Dodgers | Jonny and Janet worry that they don't care what each other thinks after they realise that they rarely argue. Louise has sex troubles with David. Gaz insists that Donna goes on more nights out. | April 13, 2003 |
| 3.9 | Dump | Janet writes a list of wedding presents that she wants and Jonny helps Donna find the gifts that Janet wants. Gaz teaches Munch about women. Louise meets David's deaf sister and goes on a visit to Munch's house with her Social Services supervisor. | April 20, 2003 |
| 3.10 | Schluballybub | Janet leaves Jonny because she feels that she doesn't love him anymore. David buys Louise a plant as a test of trust, which upsets her. Gaz accuses Donna over a wart that he finds. Donna and David begin to talk after both having arguments with their partners, which angers Gaz. | April 27, 2003 |
[edit] Musical Special (2003)
| # | Title | Description | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| -.- | When Janet Met Jonny | As Janet leaves Jonny, a musical flashback shows how the two met - and how Donna rejects Gaz's initial advances - before the start of Series 1. | December 21, 2003 |
[edit] Series 4 (2004)
| # | Title | Description | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Corinthian Dies | Jonny misses Janet's note about leaving him as he comforts Gaz after his argument with Donna. Gaz and Donna get back together, while Louise dumps David. | February 15, 2004 |
| 4.2 | Piggy Goes Oink | Louise blames David for taking her missing library book. Janet's dad helps Janet kick Jonny out of Janet's house and Jonny meets up with barmaid Kate. Donna wants to become a student with help from David, but Gaz isn't happy about this. | February 22, 2004 |
| 4.3 | My Delicious Guava | Janet regrets dumping Jonny and starts to miss him. Jonny's first date with Kate doesn't go to plan. Louise tries to move in with Janet. Gaz feels rejected while Donna is working on her first assignment as a student. | February 29, 2004 |
| 4.4 | Cuggles | Janet goes on a blind date. Jonny's relationship with Kate improves. Louise struggles to find a job as she is graduating. Gaz still feels rejected by Donna and sleeps with Janet after her poor date. | March 7, 2004 |
| 4.5 | Purgatory | Janet throws a party because Jonny needs somewhere for him and Kate to have sex. She confesses her love to Jonny here. Gaz feels guilty about sleeping with Janet and Donna feels guilty about rejecting him, so the couple try to do something special. | March 14, 2006 |
| 4.6 | Mate Date | Jonny insists that Kate goes on a "mate date" with Gaz. Donna tells Gaz to split up Jonny and Kate and in return she will act out a sexual fantasy with him. After Gaz makes a move on Kate, she forces Jonny to choose between her and his friends. Meanwhile, Louise becomes the new boss at the bakery. | March 21, 2004 |
| 4.7 | Homeless and Horny | After his break up with Kate, Jonny's dad kicks him out of his house and Janet tries to lure him back home. Louise is sacked from the bakery after becoming power mad. Donna is propositioned by her new tutor, Philip. Gaz becomes impotent. | March 28, 2004 |
| 4.8 | Filthy Brunching | Janet tries to excite Jonny more than Kate did after they get back together. Donna has brunch with her tutor, making Gaz very jealous. While he confronts Philip, his impotency cures itself. Louise gets a government job and changes Jonny's records to make him a criminal. The police track down Jonny with possibly fatal results. | April 4, 2004 |
[edit] Series 5 (2005)
| # | Title | Description | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Death | Donna finds herself becoming horny at her mother's funeral. After being shot by the police, Jonny becomes a local celebrity and he is desperate to make the most out of this. Louise is arrested for being responsible for Jonny's shooting | January 2, 2005 |
| 5.2 | Nobbly Bobbly | Jonny develops agoraphobia after his shooting. Donna inherits her mum's house, under the condition that she must not open the cupboard under the stairs. Louise goes into therapy and decides that she must tell Donna about Gaz and Janet sleeping together. | January 9, 2005 |
| 5.3 | Shrink | Jonny and Janet plan their second wedding attempt and Janet discovers that she's pregnant. Janet and Gaz try to blackmail Louise into not telling their partners that they slept together. Donna decides to spend the money from selling her mum's house to go hiking in Ecuador with Gaz, however, he accidentally tells her about him and Janet sleeping together. | January 16, 2005 |
| 5.4 | Ecuador | Donna leaves Gaz and tries to go to Ecuador on her own, but Gaz takes her passport. Jonny buys a car and gets driving lessons from Gaz. Louise tries to force Jonny into publicly forgiving her for the shooting. | January 23, 2005 |
| 5.5 | Potato People | Janet tries to make up with Donna. Gaz tries to take at advantage of Gaz being single. Jonny gets Louise to help him with his "job" of selling alcohol to teenagers after he is banned from the off-license. | January 30, 2005 |
| 5.6 | Antlers | Jonny's stag night doesn't go to Gaz's plans. Louise makes the most of her possible last night of freedom at Janet's hen night, as her trial for shooting Jonny is the next day. | February 6, 2005 |
| 5.7 | Crab | Jonny and Janet wake up in a truck on their wedding day. Gaz and Donna try to find them and try to ensure that Janet and Jonny's names get on a wedding certificate. | February 13, 2005 |
| 5.8 | Fat | A few months after the wedding, Gaz has put on a lot of weight and must find a way to lose it quickly. Donna has a promotion. Louise is doing community service for having Jonny shot. Jonny gets a job at the pub. | February 20, 2005 |
| 5.9 | Stot or Pronk | Donna wants to get surgery after she becomes envious of Gaz getting back into shape. Louise prepares a heavily pregnant Janet for entering the pub quiz. Jonny, feeling worried about the baby, persuades Gaz to help Janet with the ante-natal classes. | February 27, 2005 |
| 5.10 | Who's the Daddy? | Janet goes into labour. Gaz and Donna fail to become friends again and Gaz is hit by the ambulance that comes to take Janet to the hospital and he tells Jonny about him sleeping with Janet. Louise wheels Janet to the hospital where she gives birth to a boy who they name Corinthian McVittie Keogh. Jonny confronts Janet about the truth and Gaz and Donna make up in hospital. | March 6, 2005 |
| 5.11 | Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba | Janet becomes a baby bore and Jonny tries to regain her attention. Now that Gaz is back with Donna and Janet has a baby, Louise feels ignored and tries to get one of Kelly's men for herself. Donna is unhappy about her and Gaz babysitting Corinthian. | March 13, 2005 |
| 5.12 | God | Louise becomes religious. Jonny tries to make Corinthian more exciting, Janet suggests getting him christened and making Donna and Gaz godparents. Gaz takes Donna's mum's HRT tablets to try and become more sensitive. | March 20, 2005 |
| 5.13 | Love 83199 | Janet suffers post-natal depression. Jonny finds his dream job at a biscuit factory. Louise becomes romantic with her mobile phone. Donna and Gaz find a house to make an offer for, but Gaz doesn't want to leave the flat behind because of a sheep that he his scared of near the house. | March 27, 2005 |
| 5.14 | Near, Far | Janet is offered a job singing on a cruise ship. Louise is in a relationship with stylist Mick. Jonny has his interview for the job at the biscuit factory. Gaz stands up to the sheep and him and Donna are going to move into the house. Just as everyone seems ready to move on, all of their futures fall apart, except Janet. | April 3, 2005 |
[edit] Series 6 (2006)
| # | Title | Description | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | Speedycruise! | Jonny doesn't want Janet to leave her family behind to work on the cruise ship. Gaz is unemployed after his dad sells the garage. He tries to convince Donna to buy the garage with the money from selling her mum's house, but she wants to buy a mobile library (wanting to call it the 'Donnabulibrary'). Louise's mum is taken into hospital with kidney failure and tells Louise that she is adopted. | 26 February 2006 |
| 6.2 | Goblins | Janet makes money by making toy goblins. Jonny campaigns for baby changing facilities in the pub. Donna is convinced that her sexist employers are preventing her from getting promoted because she is a woman and she is sacked after she tries to prove that she can drive a van. Louise is given a letter from her real parents, but she physically can not open it. | March 5, 2006 |
| 6.3 | Mummy Cupboard | Janet pawns her wedding ring and tries to make money by working on a sex chat line. Jonny decides that Corinthian should not be exposed to his bad influences. Louise meets her mother. Gaz wants to propose to Donna, but he can't as she is acting like a male so that they can get more work done at the garage together. | March 12, 2006 |
| 6.4 | Cauliflower | Gaz refuses to accept Donna's refusal to his wedding proposal. Louise meets her father, a gay alcoholic who begins to fancy Jonny. Janet starts shoplifting after she accidentally steals some clothes from a shop. When Donna finally accepts Gaz's proposal, he tries to give her a dream wedding, to her horror. | March 19, 2006 |
| 6.5 | Drunk | Louise struggles with alcoholism. Jonny decides to become more macho. Donna refuses to have Gaz's baby, so he decides to reclaim Corinthian. | March 26, 2006 |
| 6.6 | Croppity Crops | Johnny becomes a farmer. After her alcoholism, Louise decides that she needs a family and tries to join Janet and Jonny's. Janet lives in fear after Gaz's attempt to take Corinthian. Donna introduces Gaz to tantric sex, but after they fail, Gaz starts to donate to a sperm bank. | April 2, 2006 |
| 6.7 | Finger Sniffing | Janet and Donna compete for a job managing the pub. Louise buys a car with the inheritance from her mum, before she is about to die. Jonny realises that Gaz is the father of Corinthian and gives him to Gaz, until Gaz reveals that Corinthian can't be his due to his low sperm count. | April 9, 2006 |
| 6.8 | War, Hurrgh! | After getting the manager's job, Janet turns the pub into a war theme pub. To get back at Janet, Donna poses as a health inspector to try to close the pub. Louise becomes a prostitute to pay off her debt after her mother lives. Jonny buys Gaz a puppy to nurture, to help him with his desire to have children. After he accidentally kills the puppy, Gaz tries to adopt. | April 16, 2006 |
| 6.9 | Closing Time | The brewery closes the pub due to health reasons, but Kelly and Janet try to prevent this. Louise is pregnant and tries to find out who may be the father. Gaz volunteers for him and Donna to look after Donna's 16-year-old brother. Jonny fears for his sexuality. | April 23, 2006 |
| 6.10 SPECIAL | When Janet Killed Jonny | A horror themed episode. The group break into the pub, despite a curse being on the pub. See below for more information. | April 30, 2006 |
[edit] Episode 10, Series 6 - "When Janet Killed Jonny" - The Horror Special
Series 6's horror special takes place mainly in the closed-down pub, The Archer. Jonny, Janet, Gaz, Donna and Louise decide to re-visit the pub in an attempt to drink any remaining stock. However, they find out from a newspaper report that the pub is cursed and therefore Janet and Gaz are very uneasy about going. When they get there though, they find that the curse is real - every character apart from Janet is violently 'killed' on-screen (although they all appear as 'living dead' later). For example, we see Louise hack her own leg off with a saw and smash herself in the head with a hammer - (she later saws her head off). In addition, Gaz is forced to have sex with the lower half of Donna who is guillotined into two parts at the midsection due to a falling skylight in the men's toilets.
Kelly, the Archer's barmaid, is trapped into a never-before-seen trap-door below the pub, being suffocated with an empty crisp packet. Jonny, who is led here by a Jammie Dodger biscuit, sees Kelly and is the last to feel the brunt of the curse with a giant Jammie Dodger.
Janet manages to escape from the pub during the final moments but is dragged back in by the other, 'living dead', characters.
After the show's credits, as an epilogue, Janet awakes from a dream which the audience is led to believe was about the preceding events. However, after she tells Jonny of her traumatic dream, his head turns back into a Jammie Dodger.
It is believed by fans that the events of this episode do not fit into the show's canon, and will most likely turn out to be a real dream. On the DVD commentary the creators also say that they wanted to make this a special episode, like the musical episode, but were not allowed by the BBC. They therefore decided to make the horror-episode as part of the regular series, although outside of the general storyline of the series.
Running without an audience laughter track, this is seen as the most shocking and dark episode of Two Pints to date. Although the episode is obviously portrayed with humour, (for example, when Jonny and Janet realise Louise's death, Jonny asks "How much did we like her anyway?") this humour is extremely dark and unfitting for the preceding nine episodes of the series (hence its "Special" tag).
Another reason for the lack of a laughter track, is that most special effects involved editing and chroma-key, meaning the audience would not be able to see what the finished product should have looked like.
[edit] DVD
Series one to six are available on DVD. Series Six was released 4th September 2006. [1] [2] Before, there was a conflict with the release dates (Play.com stated 4th September and Amazon.co.uk stated 11th September). All six series was released as one DVD box set on 16th October 2006 [3] [4]
For several weeks, Amazon.co.uk stated that the sixth series will also be available as a DVD double pack with series 5 on 16th October 2006. However, as of 16th October 2006, this DVD set is stated as "unavailable" [5] and as of this date, no other UK supplies have show any page for this product so it could be an error by Amazon.
