Nightingales

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For the bird, see nightingale.

Not to be confused with the 1989 American series about student nurses

Nightingales
Format	Comedy
Created by	Paul Makin
Starring	Robert Lindsay David Threlfall James Ellis
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	13
Production
Running time	25 Minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Channel 4
Picture format	4:3
Original run	27th Feb 1990 – 10th Feb 1993
External links
IMDb profile

Nightingales is a British situation comedy set around the antics of three security guards working the night shift. It was produced by Alomo Productions for Channel 4 in the early 1990s. As a sitcom about extracting comedy from 'nothing' it could arguably be considered a relative of such programmes as Seinfeld and The Royle Family. The series can also be considered as a very early example of the current strain of "dark" British situation comedy.

Nightingales revolved around the jobs of three bored nightwatchmen working in a deserted office block, the location of which is never revealed, although exterior shots are of a building located on Paradise Circus in Birmingham City Centre.

A typical episode involved both very naturalistic dialogue - and the kind of claustrophobic studio-setting that prevailed in shows such as Steptoe and Son - combined with the surreal (the episode 'Terence in the Midst' features a non-speaking gorilla who manages to bag the Heathrow job Carter has been craving for example).

Nightingales ran for two series or seasons totalling 13 episodes in 1990 and 1993. The long delay was prompted by Channel 4 executive Seamus Cassidy who was not happy with the proposed scripts for the second season and it was three years before the follow-up series was given the go-ahead. The theme tune was a version of the song "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" sung by Lindsay. Nightingales was written by Paul Makin, who went on to write the more conventional comedies like Goodnight Sweetheart. A US remake (titled "In Security") was piloted but never commissioned.

1 Characters
2 Episode Guide
- 2.1 Series One
- 2.2 Series Two
3 External links

[edit] Characters

Carter (Robert Lindsay), a pseudo-intellectual whose aspirations were invariably frustrated.
"Ding Dong" Bell (David Threlfall), a moronic thug who is somewhat in awe of Carter.
Sarge (James Ellis), an impossibly optimistic veteran watchman (who is occasionally used to parody the naive optimism of Dixon of Dock Green.
Smith : A fourth character who was dead throughout the first series, the other characters kept his body in the building so that they could claim his salary.

Guest characters included Eric the Werewolf (Ian Sears); an additional security guard who was a gorilla; and Mary the Christmas Allegory, who gave birth to consumer electronics.

[edit] Episode Guide

[edit] Series One

Episode	Title	Synopsis
1	Moonlight Becomes You	The new lad gets a touch of lycanthropy. Problems with the inspector
2	Takeaway	Carter & Bell take the guise of Shakespearian villains to do away with Piper.
3	Kiss and Make up	Carter wins a date with a glamorous model.
4	Opening Night	Sarge needs surgery. Swan may be a werewolf, but he's also a medical student.
5	Scrutiny on the Bounty	They're under suspicion, and under surveillance.
6	Terence in the Midst	Security is so easy even a monkey can do it.

[edit] Series Two

Episode	Title	Synopsis
1	Silent Night	Christmas Episode. Mary arrives and she is pregnant, but she assures them she's not an allegory.
2	Trouble in Mind	A psychiatrist delves into the murky waters of Bell's mind.
3	Crime and Punishment	A burglar is apprehended, who produces incontrovertible evidence that he is the illegitimate son of all three men.
4	All at Sea	The gang have a new inspector, but he's not all they'd hoped he would be! Mutiny is on the cards! He's off his (hand gestures suggesting wheel movement) trolley!
5	Reach for the Sky	Carter and Bell compete for the title "Security Guard of the Year".
6	King Lear II	Once again things take a Shakespearean turn as Carter and Bell plot to replace Sarge.
7	Someone To Watch Over Me	A new CCTV system seems to spell the end for our protagonists.