All the Small Things

A light drama by The BBC chronicling the rivalry between two choirs and the lives of their musical directors. The series lasted from March to May, 2009. A total of 6 episodes in a single season.

Michael Caddick is the director of a church choir; Esther, his wife of twenty years, is lead soprano. The choristers aren't the most talented bunch in the world, but they do make a joyful noise... until new soprano Layla arrives on the scene.

Before long, Layla has sweet-talked Michael into reorganizing the choir as a competitive vehicle for her own talents. The less-talented choristers find themselves sacked from the choir; Esther finds herself jilted by Michael, who sets up home with Layla. Not one to complain about her lot in life, Esther picks herself up and carries on.

With the addition of the jettisoned choristers, a music group formed by Esther as a confidence-builder for her son Kyle, who seems to suffer from Asperger's syndrome soon expands into a new choir, the eponymous All the Small Things. The old choir, now dominated by Layla and the traditionalists from the church council, sees the new choir as an unwanted rival and is determined for them to fail, by whatever means necessary; but all Esther and her friends want to do is to sing and have fun.

Not to be confused with a song by Blink182.

This show provides examples of:


 * Artificial Limbs:
 * Berserk Button: Kyle does not take kindly to people mocking his favourite singer
 * British Brevity: six episodes tell a complete story
 * Dark and Troubled Past: Jake
 * Flat Character: the antagonists are painted with very broad brush-strokes
 * Jerkass: Ethel
 * Literal-Minded: Kyle, because of his Asperger's
 * Manipulative Bastard: Layla
 * May-December Romance: Michael and Layla
 * Mistaken for Gay: Olive
 * Obstructive Zealot: most of the antagonists, Ethel especially
 * Scary Surprise Party
 * The Vicar: Revd. Barticle
 * Tournament Arc
 * Turbulent Priest: Jake
 * Verbal Tic: Thingy... whatsit... Clifford