The League of Gentlemen (TV series): Difference between revisions

Set in the town of Royston Vasey (or Spent, in the original radio version), the show focuses on the very strange lives of the inhabitants: their warped obsessions, quirks and relationships. Also notable in that almost all characters are played by one of only three actors: Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith, and [[Mark Gatiss]].

 

 

Not to be confused with;

* [[Comic Trio]] - Most of the characters are divided into groups of three, mirroring the actors themselves.

* [[Continuity Nod]] - At the end of Season 2 {{spoiler|Hilary Briss}} escapes to the Caribbean. During Season 3, a newspaper headline can be seen declaring ''"Mysterious Nosebleed Outbreak In Carribean!"''

* [[Cult]] - Solutions, Inc. in the [[Christmas Special]].

* [[A Day in The Limelight]] - Most episodes of Season 3 focus on previously-minor characters.

* [[Dirty Old Man]] - Pop

* [[The Ditz]] - Mickey, who is clearly mentally handicapped.

* [[Dumb Is Good]] - Tubbs is shown to be not entirely responsible for the crimes she commits with Edward, because she is obviously mentally unsound. It's probably genetic.

* [[Easily Forgiven]] - In the stage show, {{spoiler|Tubbs is forgiven by [[God]] and welcomed into the Kingdom of Swansea (long story), but Edward has to go to Hell.}}

'''Mrs. Levinson''': Now, Barbara, people can be very cruel. }}

* [[Grotesque Gallery]] - Because almost all of the characters are played by the same three actors, a variety of prosthetics are used, some of which are profoundly hideous. Of particular note are Edward, Tubbs, Iris, Harvey, Bernice, Mickey, Stella, Vinnie & Reenie, Ally, and Herr Lipp.

** In the original radio series, this trope was played straight, but the writers gave it a more creative spin for the TV version.

* [[He Who Must Not Be Seen]] - "that Merrill." Frequently mentioned by Vinnie and Reenie, but never actually appears.

* [[Kubrick Stare]] - Both Hilary and Papa Lazarou give these a lot.

* [[Lamarck Was Right]] - Mr. Chinnery inherits his ancestor's curse.

{{quote| '''[[The Chew Toy|Mickey:]]''' Pauline... she's worse than ''you''!}}

* [[Laughably Evil]] - All of the villainous characters. It is a comedy, after all.

* [[No Dead Body Poops]]: [[Squick|Then again, considering the nature of the film, it's probably for the best.]]

* [[Not a Mask]] - Papa Lazarou's face. That's his natural skintone.

* [[Only Sane Man]] - Benjamin Denton is the only sane man in the Denton home. Ross is the only sane man at the Job Centre, {{spoiler|although he goes nuts in Season 3.}}

* [[Oop North]]

** Parodied in ''Live at Drury Lane'' with Legz Akimbo's openly exploitative foray into grown-up theatre.

* [[Parental Incest]] - Hinted at with "a son as well as daughters"/"a daughter as well as sons" in series two.

* [[Punny Name]] - Herr Lipp.

* [[Psychotic Smirk]] - Hilary Briss does this from time to time.

* [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old]] - Papa Lazarou.

* [[Suspiciously Specific Denial]] - "We didn't burn him!"

* [[Take Our Word for It]] - We never find out what is in Hilary Briss's "special stuff". His surname [[Meaningful Name|may be a clue...]]

* [[Throw the Dog A Bone]] - The end of Season 3 has, among other things, Geoff Tipps finally able to make people laugh. Similarly, the stage show gives Les McQueen a successful solo career, {{spoiler|but then he gets electrocuted to death by a microphone before he can sing a word.}}

* [[Tomato Surprise]] - {{spoiler|Iris and Mrs. Levinson are actually mother and daughter. The stage show ups the ante by revealing that they're really father and son.}}

* [[Transparent Closet]] - Herr Lip reveals to Justin that "I am a queen." Justin pretends to be astounded out of politeness.

* [[The Twink]] - In Season 2, Herr Lip has a crush on a not-quite-legal schoolboy named Justin Smart. In the [[Christmas Special]], he has a similiar crush on a boy named Matthew Parker.

* [[Write Who You Know]] - The Legz Akimbo theatre troupe are based on the League members' experiences in community theatre, and Pauline is based on an actual restart officer Reece Shearsmith had. Papa Lazarou and Pop are Shearsmith's and Pemberton's respective reinterpretations of Peter Papalazarou, a Greek landlord they once shared, who was always unwilling to speak to Reece and would always demand to talk to Steve, even when he wasn't there, hence Papa Lazarou's eternal quest to speak to Dave.

* [[Tyrant Takes the Helm]] - Cathy Carter-Smith, who is even crueller to the jobseekers than Pauline was.

* [[Unusual Euphemism]] - Harvey Denton has a wide variety of euphemisms for masturbation.

* [[Urine Trouble]] - Tubbs is able to power a van with her urine.

* [[You Are Not Ready]]: Hilary Briss' house special.

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