Walliams & Friend
Walliams & Friend is a British sketch show, produced by and starring David Walliams, airing on BBC One with a debut pilot special on 24 December 2015.[1] A full-length first series of 6 episodes was commissioned on 20 May 2016, which first aired on 25 November 2016.[2][3]
Walliams & Friend | |
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Genre | Comedy show Sketch show |
Created by | David Walliams Dawson Bros. |
Starring |
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Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 1 (and 1 pilot) |
No. of episodes | 7 |
Production | |
Running time | 40 minutes (pilot) 30 minutes (series) |
Production company(s) | BBC |
Release | |
Original network | BBC One |
Original release | 24 December 2015 – 27 December 2016 |
Production
It was previously called The David Walliams Sketch Show until September 2015.
Filming for the pilot episode for Walliams & Friend began on 19 September 2015 at The London Studios. Further filming took place either later in that same year or sometime in 2016.
Episodes
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
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First aired | Last aired | ||||
Pilot | 24 December 2015 | ||||
1 | 6 | 25 November 2016 | 27 December 2016 |
Pilot episode (2015)
Total no. |
Series no. |
Title | Director | Writer | Original air date | UK viewers (overnight/incl catch-up in millions) | |||
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1 | Pilot | "Joanna Lumley" | Matt Lipsey | David Walliams & Dawson Bros. | 24 December 2015 | 6.0[4] | |||
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Series 1 (2016)
Total no. |
Series no. |
Title | Director | Writer | Original air date | UK viewers (overnight/incl catch-up in millions) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 1 | "Jack Whitehall"[5] | Matt Lipsey | David Walliams & Dawson Bros. | 25 November 2016 | 5.6 | ||
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3 | 2 | "Harry Enfield"[6] | Matt Lipsey | David Walliams & Dawson Bros. | 2 December 2016 | 5.1 | ||
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4 | 3 | "Sheridan Smith"[7] | Matt Lipsey | David Walliams & Dawson Bros. | 9 December 2016 | 5.2 | ||
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5 | 4 | "Meera Syal"[8] | Matt Lipsey | David Walliams & Dawson Bros. | 16 December 2016 | 4.8 | ||
David Walliams is joined by actress, writer and comedian Meera Syal. Together for the first time, these two classic sketch performers introduce us to the sadly disappointing pleasure robots of tomorrow. David and Meera also play a squabbling husband and wife, desperately trying to explain their problematic marriage to their young daughter using her Peppa Pig dolls. Plus a struggling actress auditions for the role of background extra in the evening news and a robber meets his match in the BBC's newest police drama Good Cop, Indian Mum Cop.
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6 | 5 | "Miranda Richardson"[9] | Matt Lipsey | David Walliams & Dawson Bros. | 23 December 2016 | 3.10 | ||
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7 | 6 | "Hugh Bonneville"[10] | Matt Lipsey | David Walliams & Dawson Bros. | 27 December 2016 | 2.3 | ||
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Reception
The Times described the show as "Exceptionally accomplished, with every sketch sharply observed and superbly performed",[12] while the Mail On Sunday said "The sketches are perfectly honed to each week's star producing moments that are worthy of the tradition of The Two Ronnies and Morecambe & Wise". The Independent made similar comparisons "Worthy of Messrs Barker and Corbett at their best". The Guardian noted that the show "Thrives on charm and silliness and points a way for the sketch show to continue to exist on television".[13] The Sunday People declared "The good old sketch show is back."[14] while The Daily Telegraph said "David Walliams goes back to basics here with a series of comedy sketches that will remind many why they first found him funny.". However, later in the show's run, The Times's Andrew Billen predicted of the sketch genre that "Even Harry Enfield and David Walliams couldn't save the sketch show".[15]
References
- Rachel Babbage (12 September 2015). "Joanna Lumley joins David Walliams' new BBC sketch show". Digital Spy.
- Solutions, Powder Blue Internet Business. "BBC orders Walliams & Friend series : News 2016 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
- "David Walliams: 'I'm going to pull out all the stops on The Nightly Show!'". 21 February 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "BBC - David Walliams returns to BBC One with some familiar faces for new series, Walliams And Friend - Media Centre". Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 1 - Jack Whitehall - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 2 - Harry Enfield - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 3 - Sheridan Smith - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 4 - Meera Syal - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "Walliams & Friend Series 1, Episode 5 - Miranda Richardson - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "Walliams & Friend Series 1 - Hugh Bonneville - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- http://ukchristmastv.weebly.com/bbc-2016.html
- "Andrew Dawson on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
- "Walliams & Friend review – ooh matron, it's Sheridan Smith's turn". Retrieved 2017-02-23.
- "FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25; TV GUIDE. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
- "Low ratings, dismal reviews: the show's over". Retrieved 2017-02-23.