Lead Balloon: Difference between revisions

{{work}}

''Lead Balloon'' is a [[Britcom]] on [[The BBC|BBC Two]] starring Jack Dee as Rick Spleen, a successful yet disillusioned stand-up comedian and serial liar. It follows the exploits of hapless Spleen as he searches through life for a crumb of comfort, his habit of pathological lying frequently digging him into holes, alongside his wife, Mel; writing partner Marty; unmotivated daughter, Samantha, and her boyfriend, Ben; local cafe owner Michael, and Eastern European cleaner Magda.

* [[Bolivian Army Ending]]: Series 4 (currently intended to be the last) ends with Rick's career seemingly being ended for good, but all we see is the {{spoiler|photograph of him accidentally punching Clive's wheelchair-bound mother in the face on the front page of a tabloid}}.

* [[Bottle Episode]]: The penultimate episode of the show features a grand total of two characters: Rick and a surprisingly pleasant psychopath called Donald, played brilliantly by Robbie Coltrane. Two journalists turn up [[The Stinger|after the credits]], but it's a two-hander through and through.

* [[Idiosyncratic Wipes]]: Scenes are sometimes punctuated with Rick writing down a one-liner in a notebook.

* [[Real Song Theme Tune]]: A cover of ''One Way Road'' by Paul Weller.

* [[Something Completely Different]]: The penultimate episode, "Blade", is a two-hander between Rick and Donald, a prison convict who has taken him hostage, featuring none of the other cast or other features of the series.

* [[Throw It In]]: In the title sequence, the show title is misspelt "LEAD BALOON", with the second L being written in above the first. This was a genuine mistake by the director.

* [[Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist]]: Rick Spleen.

* [[We Want Our Jerk Back]]: Marty's reaction when a near-death experience (temporarily) turns Rick into "Ghandi-Rick".

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Britcom]]

[[Category:Lead Balloon]]