Satellite City (sitcom)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Satellite City was a British sitcom which started out originally as a radio show on Radio Wales in 1994 and then evolved into a tv version made by BBC Wales and first broadcast in 1996.
The setting was an imaginary small town in the South Wales valleys. The plot centred on the arrival of Randy (Michael Neill), an American visitor, who was taken in by the Price family (but had to share a bed with pensioner Idris, played by Islwyn Morris}. Randy soon formed a relationship with local girl Mandy (Shelley Miranda Barrett). The other main characters were Idris's son, Gwynne (played by Boyd Clack, who also co-wrote the series), Gwynne's wife Moira (Ri Richards), and barman Dai (Rhodri Hugh). In the final episode Randy moved into his own house with Mandy. There are continual references to Idris's ferret (his beloved pet), but it is never seen on screen.
The reason for the title is explained in the first episode. The location is notable for the higher than usual number of satellite dishes in the area - hence Satellite City (indicating a working-class area).
In 1999 the series won a BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Light Entertainment.
Eighteen 30-minute episodes and a 1hour special were made in all.
It is no longer shown on BBC Wales' terrestrial channels, and was never broadcast outside Wales, but is occasionally repeated on the digital channel BBC 2W which is available on BskyB.
