Two Doors Down (TV series)
Two Doors Down is a Scottish television sitcom, produced by BBC Studios that is broadcast across the UK at prime time.[1] It was created by Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp and stars Arabella Weir, Alex Norton, Doon Mackichan, Jonathan Watson and Elaine C. Smith.
Two Doors Down | |
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Genre | Sitcom |
Created by |
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Directed by | Simon Hynd |
Starring | Danelle Nardini
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Country of origin | Scotland |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 4 |
No. of episodes | 26 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
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Production location(s) | Glasgow, United Kingdom |
Camera setup | Single camera |
Running time | 28 minutes |
Production company(s) | BBC Scotland |
Release | |
Original network |
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Original release | Pilot: 31 December 2013 Series: 1 April 2016 – present |
Following a pilot broadcast in 2013, the first series began airing April 2016.[1] A second series began airing on 21 November 2016.[2][3] The show was recommissioned in December 2016 for a third series by BBC Two which aired in early 2018, as well as a Christmas special in December 2017.[4] A fourth series was broadcast between January and February 2019. A fifth series is to commence filming in summer 2020, and set to air in 2021.[5]
Two Doors Down won the Best Comedy award at the 2017 Royal Television Society Scotland Awards.
Premise
Two Doors Down focuses on neighbours living side by side in a typical Glasgow suburb. BBC Scotland describes the characters as "not so happily living together" – the neighbours are constantly visiting uninvited, and overstaying their welcome, at Beth and Eric Baird's house.[6] Beth is often taken advantage of by her neighbours, frequently having to make tea, pour drinks and prepare food, while the remaining characters chat in the living room. Eric and Beth therefore try and avoid their neighbours as much as possible so they can enjoy some peace and quiet in their own home.[6]
The series creator, Simon Carlyle states, "Two Doors Down is about crazy neighbours. We’ve all got them. They seem ok, but when you scratch the surface they’re a bit nuts."[6]
Cast and characters
Main
- Alex Norton as Eric Baird
- Arabella Weir as Beth Baird
- Elaine C. Smith as Christine O'Neal
- Jonathan Watson as Colin Whyte
- Doon Mackichan as Cathy Whyte
- Sharon Rooney as Sophie O'Neal (pilot, series 1–2)
- Kevin Guthrie (pilot) and Jamie Quinn as Ian Baird (series 1–)
- Harki Bhambra as Jaz (series 1–2)
- Kieran Hodgson as Gordon (from 2017 Christmas Special)
- Graeme 'Grado' Stevely as Alan (from series 3)
- Joy McAvoy as Michelle (from series 3)
Guest
- Daniela Nardini as Caroline Stewart (pilot)
- Greg McHugh as Tony Patterson (pilot)
- James Young as Angus Baird (pilot)
- Victoria Balnaves as Joanne (series 1)
- Louise McCarthy as Nurse (series 1)
- Maurice Roëves as Willie Whyte (series 2)
- Rachel Jackson as Waitress (series 3)
- Lisa Bradley as Barmaid (series 3)
- Sophie Leigh Stone as Louise (series 4)
Episodes
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | Network | ||||
Pilot | 31 December 2013 | BBC One Scotland | ||||
1 | 6 | 1 April 2016 | 6 May 2016 | BBC Two | ||
2 | 6 | 21 November 2016 | 19 December 2016 | |||
3 | 6 | 26 December 2017 (special) 29 January 2018 | 5 March 2018 | |||
4 | 6 | 7 January 2019 | 11 February 2019 |
Pilot (2013)
No. overall | No. in series | Episode | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [7] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | – | Pilot | Catherine Morshead | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 31 December 2013 | 3.28 |
Series 1 (2016)
No. overall | No. in series | Episode | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [7] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 1 | Episode 1 | Simon Hynd | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 1 April 2016 | 1.80 |
3 | 2 | Episode 2 | Simon Hynd | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 8 April 2016 | 1.36 |
4 | 3 | Episode 3 | Simon Hynd | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 15 April 2016 | 1.14 |
5 | 4 | Episode 4 | Simon Hynd | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 22 April 2016 | 1.15 |
6 | 5 | Episode 5 | Simon Hynd | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 29 April 2016 | 1.13 |
7 | 6 | Episode 6 | Simon Hynd | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 6 May 2016 | 1.14 |
Series 2 (2016)
No. overall | No. in series | Episode | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [7] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | 1 | Episode 1 | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 21 November 2016 | 1.49 |
9 | 2 | Episode 2 | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 28 November 2016 | 1.58 |
10 | 3 | Episode 3 | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 5 December 2016 | 1.69 |
11 | 4 | Episode 4 | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 12 December 2016 | 1.16 |
12 | 5 | Episode 5 | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 19 December 2016 | 1.00 |
13 | 6 | Episode 6 | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 19 December 2016 | 0.90 |
Series 3 (2018)
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [7] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 | – | "Christmas Special" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 26 December 2017 | 1.04 |
15 | 1 | "Burns Supper" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 29 January 2018 | 2.11 |
16 | 2 | "Eric's Colon" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 5 February 2018 | 1.50 |
17 | 3 | "Break In" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 12 February 2018 | 1.69 |
18 | 4 | "Fish Friday" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 19 February 2018 | 1.63 |
19 | 5 | "Party Pieces" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 26 February 2018 | 1.72 |
20 | 6 | "Alan and Michelle" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 5 March 2018 | 1.81 |
Series 4 (2019)
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [8] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
21 | 1 | "Anniversary" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 7 January 2019 | 1.75 |
22 | 2 | "Willie's Wake" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 14 January 2019 | 1.63 |
23 | 3 | "Hospital" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 21 January 2019 | 1.64 |
24 | 4 | "Graham & Sandra" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 28 January 2019 | N/A (<1.63)[lower-alpha 1] |
25 | 5 | "Overnight" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 4 February 2019 | 1.63 |
26 | 6 | "Housewarming" | Sasha Ransome | Simon Carlyle & Gregor Sharp | 11 February 2019 | 1.74 |
Production
The pilot episode was shown on 31 December 2013. It was shot with all the crew and cast in a cramped, medium-sized living room.[1] After the pilot was deemed successful, filming was moved to purpose-built sets in Dumbarton.[1] Exterior scenes are filmed in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire. Series four was filmed in Avonbrae Crescent, Hamilton.
Critical reception
Two Doors Down has received mixed reviews. Writing for The Guardian, Ben Arnold said the pilot for the series was "a mundane set-up, not helped by a woeful lack of laughs."[9] Writing again for The Guardian at the beginning of the second series, Arnold called the series "woeful".[10] The Arts Desk wrote that the series "owes an awful lot to both Abigail’s Party and The Royle Family, as well as socially awkward characters from any number of sketch shows, with equally broadly defined characters – only without the bits that make you laugh out loud."[11] Writing for RadioTimes, David Butcher said "Sometimes Two Doors Down is so uneventful it almost vanishes" but called it a "nicely sour-edged sitcom".[12] Conversely, writing for The Guardian, Zoe Williams said "this endearing ensemble BBC Comedy about a sort of Scottish neighbours has something-for-everyone humour."[13] Euan Ferguson wrote in The Observer in December 2016 "BBC Two's Two Doors Down has it all. Wit, delight, long awkward silences, burps, bacon-farts."[14]
Notes
- Not reported in the weekly top 15 programmes for four-screen viewer ratings.
References
- Spowart, Nan (28 March 2016). "Hit comedy Two Doors Down is back after winning fans on both sides of the Border". www.thenational.scot. The National. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
- "BBC Two 'plans second series for Two Doors Down' after ratings success". Express. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- "Two Doors Down". Facebook. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- Guide, British Comedy (19 October 2017). "Two Doors Down to return with cast changes". Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- Rudden, Liam (20 February 2020). "Rab C Nesbitt and Two Doors Down star Elaine C Smith recalls her days teaching drama in Edinburgh ahead of new play at the Lyceum". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- "BBC Scotland – Why Two Doors Down is Britain's best-kept sitcom secret". BBC. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- "Weekly top 30 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
- "Friday's best TV: Easter 1916: The Enemy Files, Billy Connolly's Tracks Across America and Boomers". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- "Monday's best TV: The Last Miners; Back in Time for Brixton; Our Guy in China". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- "Two Doors Down, BBC Two". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- "Two Doors Down Series 2-Episode 2". RadioTimes. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- "Doon Mackichan: 'We were sexy, funny women – perhaps that was a bit much' | Television & radio". The Guardian. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
- "https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/two_doors_down/press/
External links
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