Chalk (TV series)

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Chalk
Opening title
Genre	Sitcom
Creator(s)	Steven Moffat
Starring	see cast list
Country of origin	UK
No. of episodes	12
Production
Running time	30 mins
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One
Original run	20 February 1997 – 22 October 1997

Chalk was a British comedy written by Steven Moffat set in the fictional comprehensive school of Galfast High. Two seasons were broadcast on BBC1 in 1997.

The farcical stories were stylistically very similar to Fawlty Towers. It was a satire of school targets and league tables, incorporating satirical politically incorrect jokes (where such jokes were the joke).

Because of the very good reaction of the studio audience, a second season was commissioned before the first had aired. However, critics mauled the show (possibly due to all the trumpet blowing before it aired), and the second season did not receive a stable broadcast slot.

The theme music was written by Howard Goodall, and the director was Juliet May. Andre Ptaszynski, as with Joking Apart, was the producer.

[edit] Continuity

The show made many references to Moffat's Press Gang, including:

The neighbouring school is Norbridge High, run by Mr Sullivan.
There is a student called David Jefford (the suicide victim in "Monday-Tuesday")
A student called Donald Cooper (the clown in "The Last Word")
'Wellside School (from Wellside Leisure Centre' from "The Big Hello")
Surname of a character: Talwinning (name of streets in "A Quarter to Midnight" and also in Joking Apart)
Dr Clipstone ("UnXpected")
The scene where Slatt is being given instructions by wire is taken from the unfilmed PG movie "Dead Line."
Jason Wood, the pop star played in Press Gang by Madness frontman Suggs, is mentioned by name but does not appear.
The fictional pornographic video Lesbian Spank Inferno (Dan McGill in the final episode) is later referenced in Coupling episode Inferno, also by Moffat.