The Green Green Grass
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Green Green Grass | |
|---|---|
 The Cast of The Green Green Grass |
|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Creator(s) | John Sullivan |
| Starring | John Challis Sue Holderness Jack Doolan David Ross Peter Hepplethwaite Ivan Kaye Alan David Karen Paullada Ella Kenion |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 15 to date |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Gareth Gwenlan |
| Running time | 1x45 minutes 14x30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC |
| Original run | 9 September 2005 – |
| Links | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Green Green Grass is a British sitcom created and initially written by John Sullivan, and a spin-off of Only Fools and Horses. It first aired in 2005 and two series have so far been shown. A third series is currently being developed, and filming will start in early Summer 2007.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Background
The series is a spin-off from the long-running sitcom Only Fools And Horses and focuses upon two of the supporting characters from that series, Boycie and Marlene, as they move from London to the countryside. The series notably expands on the characters, giving them greater depth and - particularly in the case of Boycie - more warmth and humanity than they displayed in Only Fools and Horses. Sullivan had considered a spin-off about Boycie and Marlene as far back as the mid-late 1980s, but it was almost two decades before it was decided to go ahead with the project. The confirmation that the 2003 Only Fools... Christmas special would be the last was much of the reason for Sullivan moving on to the new project.
The series was the first programme to be made by Sullivan's company Shazam Productions, and it is shot in High-Definition format, and as a result is simulcast on BBC HD.
Boycie and Marlene have always been a warring couple, and every time they appeared together in Only Fools and Horses they were engaged in a game of snide one-upmanship. This was toned down considerably for The Green Green Grass, so the characters were more like an "ordinary" couple who sparred occasionally, but obviously felt deep affection for one another.
The only regular cast member of Only Fools and Horses to make a guest appearance was Denzil, who appeared in the first episode. Boycie has made veiled references to Del Boy and Uncle Albert on several occasions without actually using their names.
The writer, John Sullivan made it clear from the beginning that no other Only Fools and Horses characters would appear in the show; as he put it, if one character appears, viewers would expect the rest to follow, damaging the new show's ability to stand alone. However, Roy Heather appeared in a brief cameo in the 2005 Christmas Special reprising his irregular Only Fools character Sid, as have Roy Marsden and Christopher Ryan as the Driscoll Brothers in a number of episodes. John Sullivan indicated in February 2007, to the Only Fools and Horses Appreciation Society, that "some old faces may be seen over the next couple of series".
Unlike Only Fools and Horses, which was written exclusively by John Sullivan, the second series of The Green Green Grass had episodes written by Sullivan himself, along with Derren Litten, James Windett, Paul Alexander and John Sullivan's son, Jim Sullivan. Through his production company, Shazam Productions, Sullivan also intends to extend this assistance in later series to include additional actors, directors and technicians alongside co-writers.
[edit] Cast
- John Challis - Aubrey Terrence Boyce (Boycie)
- Sue Holderness - Marlene Boyce
- Jack Doolan - Tyler Boyce
- David Ross - Elgin Sparrowhawk
- Peter Hepplethwaite - Jed
- Ivan Kaye - Bryan
- Alan David - Llewellyn
- Karen Paullada - Rhian
- Ella Kenion - Mrs. Cakeworthy
- Lisa Diveney - Beth
[edit] Plot
In the series, Boycie is on the run from infamous London villains the Driscoll Brothers, and his only hope of living to old age is to escape before they catch up with him. So overnight he moves with his reluctant wife Marlene and dim witted teenage son Tyler to a secluded farm in Shropshire, where he hopes they'll be safe.
Most of the storylines revolve around Boycie's attempts to make it as a successful gentleman farmer. His household staff of "country bumpkins" are secretly trying to avail themselves of Boycie's fortune. Elgin is the farm manager, Bryan is the herdsman, Jed is the ploughman, Mrs Cakeworthy is the lazy housekeeper, and fiercly Welsh Llewellyn is the neighbouring farmer. For instance, they persuaded him to pay wildly over the odds for a prize bull, which turned out to be gay - a joke which ran through several episodes, almost becoming the focal point of the first series.
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Series One (2005)
- Keep On Running (9 Sep 05)
- A Rocky Start (16 Sep 05)
- The Country Wife (23 Sep 05)
- Hay Fever (30 Sep 05)
- Pillow Talk (7 Oct 05)
- Sex And The Country (14 Oct 05)
[edit] Christmas Special (2005)
- One Flew Over The Cuckoo Clock (25 Dec 05)
[edit] Series Two (2006)
- Testing Times (15 Sep 06)
- Here's to You Mrs Boyce (22 Sep 06)
- Bothered and Bewildered (29 Sep 06)
- Mother Earth (6 Oct 06)
- Schoolboy French (13 Oct 06)
- More Questions than Answers (20 Oct 06)
- Brothers and Sisters (27 Oct 06)
[edit] Christmas Special (2006)
- From Here to Paternity (25 Dec 06) (45mins)
[edit] DVD releases
The first series of The Green Green Grass, including the 2005 Christmas Special, was released in Region 2 (UK) as a 2-disc set by 2 Entertain Video on 23 October 2006.
