Little Britain: Difference between revisions

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{{work}}
{{quote| ''"Britain, Britain, Britain. Land of technological achievement. We've had running water for over ten years, an underground tunnel that links us to Peru, and we invented the cat."''}}
 
Cult British [[Sketch Comedy]] show with an array of bizarre characters. Performed by Matt Lucas and David Walliams, with narration by former ''[[Doctor Who]]'' star [[Tom Baker]]. It began life as a radio series, and the TV version ran between 2003 and 2005. There was also a two-part Christmas special in 2006. A US version began broadcasting on HBO and the BBC in 2008, featuring a number of new characters along with familiar faces from the original show.
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* Sebastian, in love with the Prime Minister of England (who is his boss), serenades him in the House of Commons with "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera.
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=== {{tropelist|Features tropes galore, including: ===}}
* [[Adam Westing]]: The Narrator occasionally hints at his true identity: "With nothing to watch but repeats on the telly of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''Medics'' and that episode of ''[[Black AdderBlackadder]] II'' I was on..." The Narrator character is something of an exaggeration of [[Tom Baker]]'s real-life[[Real Life]] eccentric personality (albeit as "an old fascist,", according to the creators).
* [[Actor Allusion]]: The Narrator reminded us once that we weren't watching the real Prime Minister, but "that guy out of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer|Buffy]]''."
* [[Back for Thethe Finale]]: All the students Linda insulted (even ones from deleted scenes) show up in the Series 3 finale.
* [[Adam Westing]]: The Narrator occasionally hints at his true identity: "With nothing to watch but repeats on the telly of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''Medics'' and that episode of ''[[Black Adder]] II'' I was on..." The Narrator character is something of an exaggeration of [[Tom Baker]]'s real-life eccentric personality (albeit as "an old fascist," according to the creators).
* [[Back for The Finale]]: All the students Linda insulted (even ones from deleted scenes) show up in the Series 3 finale.
* [[Bland-Name Product]]: The "vomiting ladies" sketches received complaints from the Women's Institute, who did not want their logo associated with a character portrayed as a right-wing bigot (and her put upon friend). From then on, the characters belonged to the fictional "Women's Association".
* [[Born in Thethe Wrong Century]]: The transvestites attempt to dress and act as Victorian "ladies".
* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: The narrator occasionally does this, the most notable moment being when he encourages upset viewers to write down the names on the credits as they play (even pointing out his own) and make obscene phonecallsphone-calls to them, [[Hilarity Ensues|someone does.]]
* [[British Accents]]
* [[British Brevity]] Three series and a two-part christmasChristmas special, 22 episodes altogether.
* [[British Stuffiness]]
* [[Catch Phrase]]: By the truckload. "Yeah, but, no, but ...", "I am the only gay in the village," "But I'm a lady!", "I want that one," "What a kerfuffle!", "Computer says no", "Look into my eyes ...", "Write the feem toon, sing the feem toon ...", "Bitty", "Margaret? Margaret?"
* [[Camp Gay]]: Dafydd Thomas is a caricature of this.
* [[Catch Phrase]]: By the truckload. "Yeah, but, no, but ...", "I am the only gay in the village,", "But I'm a lady!", "I want that one,", "What a kerfuffle!", "Computer says no", "Look into my eyes ...", "Write the feem toon, sing the feem toon ...", "Bitty", "Margaret? Margaret?"
* [[Christmas Episode]]: Though it showed all the characters in foreign locations, and made no reference to Christmas.
* [[Couch Gag]]: The Narrator's opening and closing spiels are different in every show (and in the third season, many of the opening spiels quote rap lyrics).
* [[Dead Baby Comedy]]
* [[Did Not Do the Research]]: A guide at the aquarium corrects Lou regarding the plural of ''octopus'', saying it's ''octopi'' rather than ''octopuses''. In truth, this is hypercorrectionhyper-correction: ''octopus'' originates from Greek, so if you want to use an "authentic" plural form, it would be ''octopodes''.
** It still functioned as a vagina joke.
* [[Different for Girls]]: Emily/Eddie Howard.
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* [[Flanderization]]
* [[Funny Foreigner]]
* [[Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?]]: The Sir Norman Fry MP sketches from series 3 involved the aforementioned Fry meeting a group of journalists outside his house and telling them how he [[Blatant Lies|"accidently" fell into other gentleman.]]
* [[Have I Mentioned I Am Gay?]]: Dafydd will have to remind you that he's the only gay in the village.
* [[Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?]]: The Sir Norman Fry MP sketches from seriesSeries 3 involved the aforementioned Fry meeting a group of journalists outside his house and telling them how he [[Blatant Lies|"accidentlyaccidentally" fell into other gentleman.]]
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: Lou and Andy.
* [[Hey, It's That Guy!]]: [[Anthony Head]] appeared in a recurring role as the Prime Minister. In one sketch introduction the narration referred to him as "that guy from [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer|Buffy]]."
* [[Hey, It's That Voice!]]: Narrated by the recognisable voice of Tom Baker.
* [[Hidden Depths]]: Andy makes some very poetic statements off screen.
* [[I Have Brothers]]: Parodied in an Emily sketch.
* [[Lower Class Lout]]: Vicky Pollard plays the chav stereotype for laughs.
* [[May-December Romance]]: Jason and Nan.
* [[My Name Is Not Durwood]]: Type A. Marjorie frequently mangles the names of people in her slimming class - Meera ("Moira", "Mary",) Dave ("Johansen") and Jenny ("Julie"). Andy has occasionally addressed Lou as "Len.".
* [[Narrator]]
* [[Nice Guy]]: Lou, who is arguably the only truly nice character in the show.
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* [[Odd Couple]]: Lou and Andy.
* [[Overly Long Gag]]: Later Mr. Mann sketches would drag on and on with the gap between "Margaret? Margaret?" and "Yes?"
* [[Reality Subtext]]: Matt Lucas is fat and homosexual, both common targets on the show.
* [[Refuge in Vulgarity]]: In spades. In fact, the show would be a lot less funny if the characters were not all played by Lucas and Walliams in makeup.
* [[Running Gag]]: Sometimes criticized as [[Overused Running Gag]].
* [[Selective Obliviousness]]: Daffydd simply ''refuses'' to acknowledge that [[Everyone Is Gay]] in Llandewi Breffi.
* [[Shout-Out]]: Several to classic ''[[Doctor Who]]'' - one character was named Matthew Waterhouse (after the actor who played Adric), Andy once flew into a rage when some bullies called him Davros, and, naturally, there's a reference or two in [[Tom Baker]]'s narration.
** Godzilla and Godzooky, of all things, gets one in seriesSeries 3.
* [[Sound to Screen Adaptation]]
* [[Special Guest]]: Included Peter Kay, Dawn French, Ruth Madoc, Nigel Havers, Kate Moss and Robbie Willaims in roles on the show or in the live stage show. David Soul, Les Mackeown, Mollie Sugden, Elton John, Cat Deeley, Vanessa Feltz, Paul McKenna, George Michael, Ronnie Corbett, Jonathan Ross and Trisha Goddard have all appeared as themselves.
** Rosie O'Donnell, [[Paul Rudd]], [[The Police|Sting]] appear in ''Little Britain USA'' with [[Scrubs|Sarah Chalke]] in a deleted scene.
* [[Stage Mum]]: Sandra Patterson; with her son Ralph being the child she wants to be famous at any length.
* [[Stalker Withwith a Crush]]: Sebastian.
* [[Stealth Pun]]: Dennis Waterman's size-related gimmick may seem inexplicable until the remember the old adage: ''there are no small parts, only small actors'' - Dennis in a nutshell.
* [[Suspiciously Specific Denial]]: "I did not steal your red dress, take it home and wear it while hoovering."
** A large portion of what Vicky Pollard says.
* [[The Unintelligible]]: Inverted in the Fat Fighters sketches. Meera speaks perfect English with an Indian accent, despite Marjorie pretending not to understand her.
{{quote| '''Marjorie''': Do it again?}}
* [[Transvestite]]: Emily Howard and her friend Florence.
* [[The Unintelligible]]: Inverted in the Fat Fighters sketches. Meera speaks perfect English with an Indian accent, despite Marjorie pretending not to understand her.
{{quote| '''Marjorie''': Do it again?}}
* [[Unsatisfiable Customer]]: Mr Mann, whose Pirate Memory Game (suitable for ages four to eight) is too pirate-y.
** When Roy ''does'' have a book on "Medieval English music between the years 1356-1390", Mr Mann has a moment of [[Stunned Silence]], then complains that its ''6 pages too long''. And that he's ''[[Blatant Lies|blind.]]''.
* [[Visual Pun]]
* [[The Voice]]: Margaret.
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* [[Your Size May Vary]]: The Dennis Waterman sketches.
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{{quote| ''"Yes?"''}}
}}
 
{{reflist}}
{{BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy (Programme or Series)}}
[[Category:British Series]]
[[Category:Sketch Comedy]]