Little Britain TV Series Three
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The Complete Guide
"There will be a new joke in episode 4" - Matt Lucas
WARNING: This page will contain information from Series Three which could be considered to be "spoilers". Please do not read if you don't want to be spoiled. Alternatively, scroll down if you don't mind!
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Quick Fact Summary
The series was transmitted on BBC One starting 17th November 2005 on Friday nights.
Guest stars
The tabloids speculated, but all these stars who expressed an interest in the show are not actually in it! Nicolas Cage, Kylie Minogue, Nadia from Big Brother, Patsy Kensit, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Robert Vaughn and the real Dennis Waterman. Matt says "We read this sort of thing in the papers just like you!"
However, stars that did make it into the show include: Colin Baker (in an Emily/Flo sketch), Richard & Judy (in a Lou&Andy sketch), Gary Beadle, Rob Brydon (in a Bubbles sketch as her ex-husband), David Baddiel, Ruth Maddoc (in a Daffyd sketch) and Derek Martin from Eastenders (in a Marjorie sketch).
Characters
Old characters returning
- Lou & Andy
- Bubbles
- Emily & Florence
- Marjorie Dawes and the FatFighters
- Maggie/Judy (W.I. vomiting ladies)
- Daffyd
- Linda the university counsellor
- Vicky Pollard
- Sebastian/Michael(PM)
New characters
- Beattie and daughter (new character)
- Letty the "froggie" lady
- A young Thai bride (Ting Tong, played by Matt) brought over to England by Dudley (David).
Characters axed included:
- Ray McCooney
- Doug the drugs counsellor
- Harvey Pincher
- Rachel and Nicola
Production
Writing: The series has been written by Matt and David and the script editor is Richard Herring (replacing Series Two's Rob Brydon).
Production: Location filming started on 18th April 2005. Studio filming took place on 3, 4, 13 and 14th August.
Transmission: The series debuted on BBC One on 17th November 2005 to be repeated a week later on BBC Three.
Writing and casting Series 3
Matt and David announced that they'd got a commission for Series 3 during their publicity tour for the Series 1 merchandise, just before Series 2 was aired. On the Jo Whiley show (19th October 2004) they confirmed that Series 3 would be written and filmed before they start their UK Tour, and that the tour would most likely be October/November 2005.
Teletext reported (28th Oct 2004) the following:
Movie Man Cage falls for Little Britain
Little Britain's David Walliams and Matt Lucas hope to lure Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage into their next series. The Gone in Sixty Seconds star is said to love the controversial sketch show. Walliams said: "We've heard that Nicolas Cage is a fan after being given a DVD. He's been going round Hollywood saying 'I'm a Lady.' We'd love to get such an international star in." David Walliams and Matt Lucas have Hollywood's Nicolas Cage on the wish list of guest stars for the next series of Little Britain.
The deal comes after the second series drew a record audience of 1.8m to BBC3 on its debut. But the show is to be censored when it airs on BBC1.
Little Britain, apparently a favourite of actor Nicolas Cage, will be censored when it airs on BBC1 at Christmas. A man being breast-fed by his mother was among scenes on BBC3. "It's a very different audience on BBC1 and it's up to the team what they keep in," said BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey. Star David Walliams admitted: "Have you seen the new series? It's so disgusting I don't think we'll ever be part of the comedy establishment."
Apparently, Kylie Minogue will be in Series 3! Accoring to Now Magazine (11th November 2004):
Despite starting out as a radio show and initially being screened on BBC3, Little Britain is the beeb's most successful comedy since The office and it's quickly becoming the show all the stars wnat to be seen in. Robbie Williams and Vanessa Feltz have already popped up in the new series and George Michael will star in a special episode for Children in Need next February. Now Kylie Minogue is the latest celeb to offer her services.
The aussie chart topper's never been averse to taking the mickey out of herself - you may recall she's had cameo roles in Men Behaving Badly, Absolutely Fabulous and The Vicar of Dibley - and she recently had a meeting with the Little Britains Matt Lucas and David Walliams. My spies tell me that she'll probably appear in a sketch with Daffyd 'the only gay in th village' playing herself. As Kylie's a huge gay icon, the results should be hilarious.
The Sun also ran the following article (28th Oct):
LITTLE Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams have already agreed to make a third series. The comedy pals thanked Sun readers for helping make their show — in its second series — a hit after they won Most Popular Comedy. Matt, 30, said: “We’ve got to thank Sun readers for all their support, they’ve been brilliant.” David joked it could be their last awards appearance — after a bum-flashing scene in an episode this week. He said: “My buttocks are hanging out. This series is so disgusting.”
At the NFT on 19th November 2004, Matt and David said they are already writing series 3 and have written some more sketches for Linda the University Counsellor.
It seems that Big Brother's Nadia is after a part in Little Britain. This report is from The People:
According to the Metro (25th Nov) Patsy Kensit will be in Series 3. There are no other details at this time.
Ray McCooney will return for Series Three!
According to DigitalSpy (December 24th), no characters will be axed for Series Three.
Little Britain creator Matt Lucas has spoken of his plans for the third series of the show.
Lucas has denied the axing of characters who appeared in the first series but not in the second, including Scottish hotelier Ray McCooney, who will be back next year.
He told The Sun, "We rested some characters for the second series, but we never kill anybody off. We're bringing Ray back for the third series. There will also be some new characters."
Bubbles will be back for Series Three
The Daily Mirror (1st January) reported the following story.
Johnny Depp, the WI ladies, the tour and a film!
In the Metro, Neil Sean wrote:
Johnny Depp has asked to appear in the hit comedy Little Britian as a friend of lady transvestite Emily Howard. "We're looking into it" creator Matt Lucas revealed. "It would be great". And in his morning slot on Heart 106.2, Sean revealed that during a Soho chat with Matt, he revealed that though the WI ladies *would* appear in the live tour, they would now not be featuring in series 3. He also "exclusively" revealed that the boys have secured backing from BBC Films for a big screen outing after completion of series three, to go into production next year.
Dawn French to appear in Series 3.
Apparently, Dawn French will be making an appearance in the third series. Someone at the Daily Express (26th January) spoke to Lenny Henry and he said that Dawn had been offered a minor part in the next series, but he wasn't going to say more about it. There is speculation that it will be in a Fat Fighters sketch. Late in 2004, Matt and David guested on French and Saunders, playing rival comedy writers.
George Clooney asks to be in Series 3
George Clooney was asked to appear in Series 3 of Little Britain, according to contactmusic (2nd Feb 2005):
Hollywood actor GEORGE CLOONEY is the latest celebrity destined to appear on cult British comedy sketch show LITTLE BRITAIN - thanks to his girlfriend LISA SNOWDON. The OCEAN'S TWELVE hunk is an avid fan of the BBC hit starring MATT LUCAS and DAVID WALLIAMS - Snowdon's ex-boyfriend - and asked the sexy model to arrange a cameo appearance for him on the next series. Snowdon relayed Clooney's ambition to Walliams and the Little Britain comedy duo are currently dreaming up ways to involve him.
A BBC source says, "David and Matt were shocked, but they're thinking of a way they can bring George into the show."
Matt and David working hard on Series 3.
The Daily Mirror (23rd Feb) reported that David and Matt were working hard on Series 3.
However, a top wigmaker says Matt and David are worried about having raised expectations for Little Britain series three. Read about it in Ham and High.
Series 3 in crisis?
According to Teletext anyway (page 132, 9th March)...
"Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams have fallen way behind with writing the new series. The production team on the hit sketch show are pulling out their hair as the deadline looms to begin filming. Producer Geoff Posner revealed that the crisis as he picked up [the TRIC] award on the duo's behalf. "They don't deserve this as we're meant to start filming on April 18th, and they've only written one sketch." He said.
Robert Vaughn to guest-star in series 3?
Contact Music reports (14th March):
Veteran screen star ROBERT VAUGHN is the latest celebrity lined up for the next series of cult British comedy sketch show LITTLE BRITAIN.
The 72-year old THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. star will play a transvestite "laydee" alongside the show's creators and stars MATT LUCAS and DAVID WALLIAMS - after meeting the comics at a London party hosted by TV listings magazine the RADIO TIMES.
A source says, "They got on so well that Robert admitted he would like to appear in the next series of Little Britain.
"So don't be surprised if he pops up in a dress."
Daffyd to go straight?
ITV.COM reports (15th March):
Fans of hit comedy Little Britain are in for a shock in the next series - gay Daffyd apparently gets a girlfriend.
Other favourites such as teen tearaway Vicky Pollard will also return for the show's comeback later this year.
Richard Herring to write a sketch
It seems that Richard Herring is doing more than just script-editing Series 3! From his website "warming up" section:
I spent the morning looking round Lincoln. Lincoln Cathedral is on a hillside and is a very imposing spectacle, particularly at night, when it is all lit up and can be seen for miles around. I particularly wanted to go there as I am writing a sketch for Little Britain set in a church (it's a new character and there's every chance it won't be in the series) and I thought it would be cool to work on it in such a sacred place...
I shielded my computer screen from the prying eyes of one of the kids, as my sketch involved a vicar swearing. If any official had stopped and asked me why I was working on a computer in such a holy place I was going to lie and say I was writing some prayers and had come here for inspiration.
Interview with Richard
We've managed to nab an exclusive interview with Richard Herring about script-editing series 3. Read it here.
New character
The Sun (30 April) had a tiny piece about a new character for Little Britain Series 3.There was also a picture of how Matt may look.
Its said:
MATT IS A BT RINGER
"Little Britain star Matt Lucas has revealed a new character - a Maureen Lipman's Beattie. He revealed the comedy mum and a daughter will feature in the third series on BBC1 later this year. Maureen played Beattie in a series of BT ads in the 80s."
Zoo Series 3 special
Zoo magazine (4th May) had a three page article about series 3, name-checking this site!
  
The real Dennis Waterman to guest in Series Three
Minder star Dennis Waterman appeared on Richard and Judy. Dennis, 57, is jokingly portrayed as pint sized in Little Britain and was made to look small again when David Walliams sent him a huge glass of wine for his chat with the Channel 4 couple. The real Dennis is set to make a guest appearance in the next series of Little Britain, according to The Sun.
Doctor Who's Billie Piper to guest star in a Vicky Sketch
The following story appeared in the Mail on Sunday (8th May)
Colin Baker to appear in Series Three
According to the Belfast Telegraph, Colin Baker (of Doctor Who fame) is to make a cameo appearance in Little Britain Series 3. He said: "I enjoy doing comedy after drama. It's a bit like a diet. You need variety." Colin is currently touring with 'Dracula', (as Prof. Van Helsing) with another Little Britain actor from Series 2, Hywel Simons.
Tony Head, Richard and Judy guest star in Series 3
Tony Head said on XFM that he will start filming Series 3 in July, hinting at the return of the Sebastian/Prime Minister characters.
In other news, according to DeHavilland, Richard and Judy have also been asked to appear in Series Three. Here's an article from The Sun (24th May)
Gary Beadle from Eastenders to guest star
According to Teletext (1st June), Gary Beadle, who plays scam artist Paul Trueman in Eastenders, will cameo in Series Three. Apparently he's friends with Matt Lucas.
David to play Robbie Williams-alike?
According to Female First (3rd June), David Walliams is taking singing lessons so he can perfect his next impersonation - Robbie Williams. The next series of the comedy smash will feature a new character performing in Robbie's style and will be played by the 33-year-old funnyman Robbie, 31, has become great pals with David and his writing partner Matt Lucas, after appearing with the pair as part of the show's Comic Relief special. But his friendship will not save him from being sent up on the sketch show.
However, according to Walliams vocal coaches, 'Fame Academy' duo David and Carrie Grant, the comedian is struggling and is singing is not yet up to scratch A source said: "David's got a terrible voice. The raw material just isn't very good. He's taken Robbie Williams as the inspiration for the character and approached Carrie and David for two quick lessons. "But he's ended up having five - one every day this week - because his vocals are terrible."
Old characters axed from Series 3
The Daily Mirror reported:
A LITTLE LESS
CALLING all Little Britain fans - three of the characters from the last run have been axed. Harvey, the well-heeled young man who still breast-fed from his mother and even (cringe) his grandmother, will not be back. It's also bye bye to Rachel and Nicola, who called all men "gorgeous" and took pictures of their private parts. Finally Doug, the drug counsellor who wouldn't know skank if he fell over it, has also bitten the dust.
Of course, it's Viv Tudor who says "gorgeous", not Rachel and Nichola. But here's a scan anyway:
Catherine Tate missed out on cameo
Thanks to Jenny who reports:
"Matt and David wanted Catherine Tate to appear in Series 3 too. In an interview she said that she met David and he told her: "Me and Matt wanted to get you to cameo in series 3, but your people said you were unavailable." She then said that she didn't know anything of this and was disappointed!"
Billie Piper is not in Series 3
Billie was interviewed in B magazine this month:
You seem to have so many celeb mates. Do you ever get star struck?
"No, you never really say if your a fan of someone, do you? Our common bond is that were all famous. It's the only reason we're talking to each other. Sometimes i do get star struck and I just cant help but let myself go and spill it all out. When i met the Little Britain boys (Matt Lucas and David Walliams) I just went to pieces because i admired them so much. But you have to try and keep it down."
So what about your next role? We heard you might be starring in Little Britain as Vicky Pollards alter ego?
"Really? Thats interesting how that got out! (Laughs) Thats so funny. That was a conversation that happened but it's really a pipe dream for me. Im good friends with David (Walliams), so its something we spoke about very brieflybut i don't know if that will ever come up. But of course if I would definitley do it if they asked me! I would probably br very nervous because those guys are just geniuses aren't they? But we'll see what happens!"
Writing dispute
According to the Independent, Matt and David were in dispute with Geoff Posner (spelt incorrectly in the article) the writing credits for Series 3 of Little Britain.
The creators of Little Britain have suffered a sense of humour failure in their dealings with the producer of the third series, Geoff Posner. Matt Lucas and David Walliams have been credited as writers of both series one and two of their hit television comedy show, but now find that Posner wants to share the writing credit. "It's not that Geoff Posner is belittling their work, but he wants an 'additional writing' credit at the end of the series" I am told. "Likewise, it's not as though David and Matt don't recognise the contribution that Geoff makes as producer, but they aren't happy that he should also be credited for writing the material." The stand-off continues. However, a BBC spokesman was keen to play down differences when Pandora called yesterday. " I haven't heard about this, so I can only say that it is a matter between David and Matt and Geoff," I am told.
Location filming
Series 3 location filming has begun
Series 3 location filming started on 18th April and set reports are already coming in. David was spotted dressed as Lou, filming in Notting Hill, London. planetxposure.com has some photos.
  
Richard and Judy sketch
On Richard & Judy's channel 4 afternoon show (31st May) they were discussing comedy, comedians, and how it's changed over the years. They showed a bit of the first series of Little Brititan, and Richard said that he and Judy were filming their bit for the series on Friday 3rd June. He didn't say what was going to happen but he said it was very funny.
In the new Heat, there is a brief mention of Richard &Judy saying that they're going to be in a sketch with Lou and Andy where they play a game (You Say We Pay possibly?).
Lou and Andy sketch (rugby match)
The Sun printed an article on Sunday's Tottenham Skolar's Rudby Club filming:
The Tottenham Journal reported:
Little Britain stars scrum down with Skolars:
A CRUNCH rugby match on Sunday is sure to take a hilarious turn when Little Britain TV stars roll up to film scenes with the London Skolars Rugby squad. David Walliams and Matt Lucas will morph into favourites Andy and Lou to shoot material with the help of the London Skolars.The squad are set to play league heavyweights York City Knights at the New River Sports Centre, White Hart Lane, before the comedy duo join in for the shoot. The nature of the scenes are being kept under wraps until Sunday and all the club know is that wheelchair "bound" Andy and his gullible mate Lou will be there.
Andy Jackson, spokesman for the club, said: "The mind boggles at what will be going on.
"It's a pretty big day for us anyway with the York City Knights match, but I'm sure a little bit of entertainment won't go amiss at the end of it all.
"The guys were happy when they heard that Little Britain asked to come and do some filming.
"It's obviously a pretty massive show so it can only be good for the club.
The Daily Mirror reported (13th June 2005) that David and Matt had be spotted filming on Tottenham High Street as well as in the Rugby grounds. The next day they reported:
LITTLE BRITBUM TV - shirker Andy slips off for rugby, By Reid Sexton
LITTLE Britain layabout Andy shows even more cheek than usual as he gives carer Lou the slip again...to play rugby.
In the show Lou, played by David Walliams, pushes Andy around in a wheelchair unaware he is not really handicapped.
And in these scenes from the new series, Lou takes him to a local sports ground - only for the surly shirker (Matt Lucas) to join a game of rugby when his carer nips off for a few minutes. And it's not just the opposition rearguard that's left exposed when Andy's trousers slip off his backside as he scores a try. He punches the air in delight - and probably relief that Lou hasn't caught him with his pants down.
David, 33, and Matt, 31, are still filming the third series of the BBC1 show and a date for its TV return has not yet been set. However, a BBC insider said: "Fans are in for a treat. This series will be even more hilarious than the first two."
Rob Brydon films a Bubbles sketch
Thanks to Rob Brydon who spoke to Lisa from the site and told her the following information.
Rob's just filmed for Little Britain Series Three. He will be playing Bubbles ex-husband (Roman). He is also playing David's husband in another sketch and should be doing the second night of Studio filming.
Rob also was delighted that Lisa contributed to this site and was quoted as saying "do you know, that has to be one of the most efficiently run websites I've ever seen. I always look at it every day, it's really good". So thank you Rob!
Rob has this comment on Little Britain in his tour programme:
Q - What do you enjoy on television
A - Like the rest of the country, I love Little Britain! I mean, transvestism, teen pregnancies, homosexuality, disability and unethical hypnotists are nothing new, they've been with us since Shakespeare time, the difference is that now they have a second chance to laugh at themselves. Or at least for us to laugh at them. The two men are great and although I don't know the first thing about comedy, I think that the scripts are very well edited
Indian Bride sketch
The Daily Mail (20th June) reported that the third series is going to get a lot more stick for 'political incorrectness' than anything the BBC have broadcast in a while. The example they gave was that one of the new characters is an young Indian bride (Matt) brought over to england by a randy british bloke.
Emily and Florence in Eastbourne
Matt and David were spotted filming an Emily and Florence sketches in Eastborne from 22nd June. Emily has grown a beard! The Brighton Argus printed a photo (23rd June).There was also a report from Eastbourne today, and a photo. Finally, the Sun snapped Florence as Emily's baby (27th June).
  
From Eastbourne today:
YEAH, BUT... EASTBOURNE STARS IN CULT TV SHOW
SUNSEEKERS in Eastbourne were treated to a surprise visit by the cast of hit TV show Little Britain on Wednesday.Matt Lucas and David Walliams, who star in the show, were filming for the third series of the award-winning comedy on the seafront in front of eager spectators and fans.
They made time to chat to the public and also signed autograph books.
The pair were rehearsing a sketch featuring transvestite Emily Howard and lady friend Florence on the promenade by the bandstand.
The Herald managed to catch up with the stars and producers of the show.
Geoff Posner, producer of Little Britain, said, 'We could not have been in a much nicer place in the country.
'The characters Emily and Florence live in a Victorian world and the architecture of Eastbourne fits their world completely.
'We never thought it would be such a gorgeous day.'
He said the crew was in Eastbourne for two days and also filmed another sketch featuring Andy, the wheelchair user who is not really disabled, and his carer Lou.
But Mr Posner remained tight-lipped on whether the BBC would be making a fourth series.
Both Matt and David spend five months writing an entire series. It then takes another three months to shoot all the episodes.
Matt told the Herald, 'Eastbourne is just beautiful and exactly where Emily and Florence would live.
'They live in the fictional town of Old Haven.
'We filmed Reeves and Mortimer a few years ago in Eastbourne, which is a lovely and fantastic place.'
Matt added that the pair hope to make a fourth series of Little Britain
From The DAILY STAR (12th June)
Little Britain's Emily "I'm a laydee" has turned into a bearded woman. Things got really hairy for the totally unconvincing transvestite, played by comic David Walliams, 32, during filming of the third series of the cult BBC show.Crowds gathered to watch as Emily, the owner of a guest house in the seaside town of Old haven, visited Eastbourne in Sussex. She was filmed lifting up her trademark white gown in un-ladylike fashion as she walked past a group of workmen on the seafront. But in later scenes filmed at chemists' behind the towns Grand Hotel she mysteriously appeared with co-star Matt Lucas 31 in a white beard and moustache
The Star reported (1st July) on more location filming featuring Emily Howard:
Zoo Magazine (6th June) revealed a lot more detail about the sketches that had been filmed including:
- Florence and Emily on their tandem bike
- Emily with a baby buggy, Florence as the baby
- Florence and Emily with a giant ice cream
- Florence with a brown beard, and a white beard (perhaps upon hearing that ladeeys bleach unsightly facial hair?)
- Florence and Emily on a merry-go-round
- Andy (of Lou & Andy) pushing a woman off a cliff
   
New character and Eastenders
The Sun reported on a new character (30th June) being filmed on location in London, and reveal that Matt and David are in talks to cameo in Eastenders at Christmas.
 
Walliams - I've a bo-gey!
GOODNESS nose what’s going on here . . . Little Britain star David Walliams proves he’s the pick of the funnymen as he reveals a sleazy new character for the show.
This one looks a real charmer. David’s latest oddball is a far cry from his “I’m a lay-dee” transvestite character Emily.
The bogeyman sports a tasteless shirt and waistcoat and a nasty comb-over hairdo as he arrives at a block of council flats clutching a bunch of cheap flowers.
David, 33, was spotted filming the third series of the BBC hit yesterday.
Meanwhile The Sun can reveal that he and Little Britain co-star Matt Lucas are in talks to appear in a special Christmas edition of EastEnders. They are set to appear pulling pints behind the bar of the Queen Vic in a guest spot for the one-off.
David has already appeared in one Christmas Day episode of EastEnders. He played Alfie Moon’s dopey pal Ray, who was roped in to be a fake registrar for Kat and Alfie’s wedding.
EastEnders bosses are still in talks about a Christmas variety special. Shane Richie will not be there to host it as he leaves the soap in October.
Comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are also to film in Albert Square — as market stall holders in their own Christmas special
Fat Fighters cameo revealed
Maggie and Judy sketch filmed
Planetxposure had some photos of the filming of a new Maggie and Judy sketch on 29th June.
    
Lou and Andy sketch filmed at RAF Hendon
The Daily Star (July 13th) printed a picture of Matt from the location filming of an Andy & Lou sketch with Andy skydiving into his wheelchair.
The Daily Record also ran a similar story:
PARA ANDY Jul 13 2005
Star's leap in latest sketch from hit show, by Kevin Turner
LITTLE Britain's Andy takes deception to new heights for the latest series of the hit comedy. Matt Lucas's grumpy character, who is supposedly confined to a wheelchair, makes a parachute jump. But his devoted long-suffering carer Lou, played by David Walliams, is the real fall-guy. His pal jumps back into his wheelchair before Lou sees what he has been up to, leaving him oblivious once again to the fact that Andy is more than capable of looking after himself.
In previous shows, Andy has walked, climbed and even dived. A show insider said: 'The skits are getting bigger and the jokes are getting funnier. This one's a classic.' The parachute stunt was filmed earlier this month at RAF Hendon in north London.
Dudley and Ting Tong Macadangdang
The BBC have revealed two more new characters in Little Britain Series 3.
 
Sky reported:
Thai Flavour To Little Britain
Little Britain's latest oddball couple are as outrageous as ever - with a Thai flavour. In yet another un-PC sketch, shy loner Dudley meets his Far East bride over the internet.
David Walliams plays the geeky hubby who trawls the worldwide web for his love - with Matt Lucas playing his oriental catch, Ting Tong Macadangdang. But petrified Dudley refuses to kiss her when she puckers up! They will appear for the first time in the third series of the hit BBC comedy when it airs in the Autumn.
While the Mirror says:
LITTLE BRITS HOPE DUD PROVES HIT By Nicola Methven Tv Editor
THE third series of award-winning comedy Little Britain hits BBC1 in the autumn - and it will feature two new characters in hilarious lonely hearts sketches. David Walliams plays downtrodden Dudley who meets Thai bride Ting Tong Macadangdang - Matt Lucas - after searching for love on the web. But painfully shy Dudley declines when his new girlfriend asks him for a kiss.
There will be several new characters in the show, along with old favourites Daffyd, the only gay in the village, and chav Vicky Pollard.
In one sketch the "laydees" bleach their facial hair - but Emily ends up looking like Santa Claus.
Last night, a spokeswoman for Little Britain refused to reveal more details, saying: "Sorry - computer says no."
Vicky sketch filmed
According to Atomic_Pond on the Lucas & Walliams forum, a Vicky Pollard sketch has been filmed where she has a six-year-old daughter in a matching tracksuit!
Edit - we now know that this was filmed for the "title" sequence of Little Britain Series Three, as this was shown in the studio audience recordings of 3/4 August.
Daffyd photos
The Sun (20th July) printed the first photos of the newly-filmed Daffyd sketches from Series 3
The Star had more photos of Daffyd from the filming of Series 3 on 14th July.
 
Publicity and Merchandising
Granada wins Little Britain merchandising contract
The Guardian (16th May) printed the following story by Jane Martinson:
Underwear pronouncing "I'm the only gay in the village" and Vicky Pollard pencil sets are to be launched in shops before Christmas following the appointment of Granada Ventures as licensing agent for the hit comedy Little Britain.
The five-year contract to sell merchandise for the award-winning BBC show is a coup for Granada, which is the consumer products arm of commercial broadcaster ITV. The market for anything from mugs to clothes to ring tones associated with the show is estimated to be worth £50m this year alone.
The show's creators, Matt Lucas and David Walliams, were understood to be keen to appoint an official licensing agent after a flood of unofficial goods appeared for sale in shops over the past six months. As part of its bid, Granada offered to appoint Hamlins solicitors to crack down on such products by handling litigation.
Martin Lowde, ITV's director of licensing, said: "One of the things the creators were worried about was protecting the brand and equity they have." Granada Ventures will police and enforce the Little Britain trademark and copyrights around the world.
Little Britain, which won two Baftas this year, is already successful in Australia and the Benelux. The first official products will be hitting the shelves in July with a full range due in shops from September to coincide with a new series of the show expected to feature new characters to rival Daffyd, the only gay in the village, and transvestite Emily Howard.
Vicky Pollard in Vogue
According to the Daily Express (3rd June) Vicky Pollard is to appear in Vogue. She will appear in next month's issue in a 13-page feature by celebrated style photographer Mario Testino dedicated to the sketch show's characters. The snapper himself - most famous for his portraits of Princess Diana - appears alongside Lucas and David Walliams' rubbish transvestite; and other pages see appearances by wheelchair-bound Andy and his helper Lou, and Dafyyd, the only gay in the village. Marjorie Dawes is seen glowering at supermodel Erin O'Connor as she steps onto the Fatfighter scales.
Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman said: "The notion of pairing the glamour of Mario's photographs with the harsh comedy of Little Britain was irresistible. "Right from the start I was sure we needed to have a model in the pictures to contrast the Little Britain characters and the traditional Vogue world." Walliams said he had to persuade Lucas to take part in Testino's shoot.
Here's a scan of the paper, showing a picture from Vogue:
Vogue photoshoot and South Bank Show special
In the July issue of Vogue is a whopping 12 page article and photoshoot with the Little Britain characters, by celebrated photographer Mario Testino. The article also reveals that Matt and David are currently making a South Bank Show documentary on Little Britain.
       
 
Here's the text
 
Little Britain characters in the press
Little Britain is everywhere and the characters are used frequently in newspapers and magazines, even in advertisments.
Camilla is a fan of Little Britain!
The Daily Mail ran the following story:
The Duchess of Cornwall has been outed as a fan of the TV comedy Little Britain during a flying visit with the Prince of Wales to Llanddewi Brefi. The newlyweds were the only Royals in the Mid Wales village made famous by the massively popular BBC series. On the second day of the Prince's three-day annual summer tour of the Principality the couple spent the afternoon visiting a celebrated local cheesemaker. But it was more a taste for comedy than for cheese that Camilla revealed when she admitted being a fan of the show, which stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Although the character of Daffyd (played by Lucas) - the "only gay in the village" - was conspicuous by his absence, the shadow of Little Britain seemed to loom large in the afternoon sun. "I am a fan. This is the village where it happens although I can't pronounce it," the Duchess said during her tour.
Little Britain praised in BBC Annual Report
BBC chiefs celebrated Little Britain's success in their Annual Report. Little Britain has been hailed as a shining example of what happens when the BBC gets comedy right.
The series has been praised in the corporation's annual report, published on 15th July 2005, for helping make BBC THREE the home of new comedy, and for its success when it transferred to BBC ONE.
And the report added "Home-grown television comedy is one of the most difficult genres to get right. In Little Britain, BBC Three has taken an idea originally launched on BBC Radio and developed it into a cult television show that has now broken through into the mainstream (helped by BBC ONE's commitment to showcase the best of BBC THREE to a terrestrial audience)."
Kylie is a Little Britain fan
According to the Daily Mail, Kylie Minogue has been watching Little Britain recently to cheer her up after recovering from Breast Cancer.
Little Britain's Lou Todd has a new mission - to help Kylie Minogue recover from breast cancer. Long-suffering Lou, who looks after ungrateful malingerer Andy Pipkin, has been providing Kylie with some much-needed laughs, sister Dannii has revealed. The 33-year-old added: "We both love Fatfighter's Marjorie Dawes too. It's true, laughter really is the best medicine."
More information on merchandising
The Scotsman reports that there will be Little Britain "plush" toys out later this year.
Cuddly chav, gay and disabled dolls to hit shelves JOHN INNES
LITTLE Britain character Daffyd is set to become the only gay in the toybox with the launch of a range of dolls based on characters from the top BBC series.
Alongside Daffyd - "the only gay in the village" - will be doll versions of chav schoolgirl Vicky Pollard and duo Andy and Lou, complete with wheelchair. The cuddly stuffed toys, which are aimed at teenagers and young adults rather than younger children, could earn their creators a fortune with £6 million in sales predicted by Christmas.
Writers and stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas allowed their cult characters to be used for a range of merchandise after discovering unlicensed versions were already on sale on the black market.
Now they have signed a five-year deal to bring out the first range of official Little Britain products including the dolls, pencil cases, T-shirts, other clothes and general giftware.
The licensing deal has been signed with Granada Ventures and the toys will be brought out by Character Options, who usually handle toddlers' toys and merchandise for shows such as Scooby Doo and The Simpsons. The dolls will be "plush" figures - stuffed cuddly toys - rather than plastic action figures.
Little Britain to debut on BBC One
According to the BBC, Little Britain, which debuted on BBC Three for two seasons, will begin its third season on BBC One.
BBC release publicity shots from Series 3
Here are two publicity shots of Dudley/Ting Tong and of Emily/Flo
 
Christmas Special in 2006?
In Nuts magazine, Matt announced that the next outing for Little Britain after the tour will be a Christmas special in 2006.
Top Trumps
According to The Sun, there will be a Top Trumps Limited Edition of Little Britain characters in time for Christmas.
THE stars of Little Britain are to be immortalised in packs of cards - after being turned into kids' favourite Top Trumps. Quirky characters like Lou and Andy, Marjorie Dawes, Daffyd and schoolgirl Vicky Pollard will all be included in the hit game, due out in October. Each of the quirky creations, made famous by comics David Walliams and Matt Lucas, will be rated on their strengths in categories like 'cringeworthiness', 'laughometer', 'quotability' and 'Little Britishness'. In the playground game, players have to win cards from their opponents by choosing a category and hoping the card they hold has the highest score.
Carl Cliss, Marketing Director of Winning Moves UK Ltd, the firm behind Top Trumps, said: "Little Britain will be part of our Limited Editions range which only has a few titles produced each year. "They're designed to appeal to young adults, who remember the game fondly and were big fans when kids. "The show is hugely popular among those people so we're sure, as Daffyd would say, it will be 'the only gay-me in the village' this Christmas!"
Little Britain Dolls
Heat magazine did an article on the release of the Little Britian Dolls in September 2005.
  
Preview
BBC Three have a preview video on their site which actually includes a couple of snippits from Little Britain series three. Watch it here. The sketches include Emily/Florence (Emily has a facial hair problem) and a very short clip of Tiny Tong/Dudley.
TRANSMISSION AND PUBLICITY
Episode 1 start date confirmed as 17th November
The start date for series three of Little Britain is now confirmed as Thursday 17th November with a transmission on BBC Three a week later.
Ting Tong Barmy!
Cheers to Robert who's let us know that "Ting Tong" (the name of the new character, played by Matt, who is a Thai bride in Series 3) means "crazy" in Thai!
Episode 1 press pack
A press pack is now up on the BBC Website. Here's what's in it:-
With more awards tucked underneath its laydees’ petticoats than Bubbles has rolls of fat, the time has come once again for Little Britain to open its crowded shores for business. And it’s a busy first day. At Hill Grange Health Spa, Bubbles De Vere receives a shock when she bumps into her ex-husband, Roman DeVere (Rob Brydon) and his new wife, ex-Olympic gymnast Desiree, who are honeymooning at the Spa. But the two new arrivals are not the only ones providing the surprises.
Meanwhile, Dudley is more than a little taken aback when his Thai bride,Ting Tong Macadandang, arrives on his doorstep as her appearance doesn’t quite match the picture in the Thai Brides For You brochure. Mrs Emery’s inability to control her bodily functions in the local supermarket results in a nasty wet patch appearing on
the floor, which her fellow shoppers try to avoid, and politician Sir Norman Fry’s ill-advised trip to King’s Cross ends with a rather awkward press conference.
Elsewhere, Anne fulfils her dream to appear on Stars In Their Eyes; Florence and Emily tackle the very ladylike problem of facial hair; Dafydd’s new career as a rent boy is proving to be a real hit down the local mine; and Vicky shows off her dancing skills on the estate as, along with her gang, she proves once and for all that they are “well the best dancers”.
Old characters being rested
On Parkinson (15th October) Matt and David confirmed that Kenny Craig and Dennis Waterman will not appear in Series 3.
Behind the Scenes
Heat magazine had some pictures of series three, one of which includes David playing Bubbles' new rival Desiree. Nuts did a similar article in their 21st October Issue.
  
Sunday Mirror Interview
Matt and David were interviewed in the Sunday Mirror on 20th November
 
Tom Baker links!
Watch Tom Baker's specially recorded BBC links, broadcast during the night of the premier of Little Britain Series 3, on the tv-ark website.
Episode 1 review
What a great start to series 3. The established characters have some fantastic sketches. Particularly outstanding is Vicky Pollard, squaring up to a rival gang, and Sebastian, finally getting one over on Michael (so to speak) after an "arms to Iran" scandal. Emily suffers from an embarrassing Ladies problem, allowing her and Florence full reign in pantomime dame mode. We loved Anne's TV debute too, which is replicated in the Little Britain Live Tour (but without the guest performance from Cat Deeley).
As far as new characters are concerned, it's a bit of a mixed bag. We adore Sir Norman Fry, the MP who has ridiculously long explanations to explain his sleezy behavioiur. We also thought that Rob Brydon's turn as Bubble's ex-husband Roman DeVere is masterly, particularly the "cockerney" accent.
More disappointing perhaps are Ting Tong the Thai bride - a bit too Hale and Pace for us, and Mrs Emery and her bodily function.
Marjorie and Lou and Andy do the job as the stalwart catch-phrase characters, but there's nothing very original done with them. Although the first view of Marjorie's new look got us chuckling.
Overall, this is a wonderful start to series 3. More please! More!
Publicity for the first episode of Series 3
Radio Times ran an article on the new characters.
    
Heat also did a similar article
   
Plus a couple of spots about David
 
Zoo also did a similar article
   
Whereas Nuts did an article on the Radio Series Boxset Tin
Lou and Andy switch on Christmas Lights
There were photos of Matt and David in the Mirror and Sun, switching on the lights of Stella McCartney's shop in London.
Episode 2 review
Not quite packing the punch of episode 1, episode 2 nevertheless includes some marvellous moments. For the established characters, it's a joy to see Andy playing a well know TV phone in quiz, even after the quiz has ended! Vicky gets a lovely line, said to her six toddler daughters. Mr Mann and Roy are a joy to watch from start to finish, including Margaret's calling out for her husband. The comic timing of these sketches, and in the Live Tour, is exquisite.
We always look forward to the Sebastian sketches, and this week's easily lives up to our expectations! We get to hear David singing, rather better than he in the past, causing us to speculate that the singing lessons have paid off!
Although we're not usually fans of Judy and Maggie, there's a nice twist through setting this sketch in hospital that made us chuckle.
The main characters continue with crowd-pleasing catchphrases - Bubbles has another romp with Desiree, much the delight of her ex, Linda insults a student, Marjorie gets a boyfriend and insults her class, Daffy gets a "beard". All of this is amusing, but not that original.
The new characters let the show down a little. There's a twist for Dudley and Ting Tong's relationship, but it seems strange that this enstallment wasn't left till episode 6. New character Leonard, who works in an old people's home, feels a little as if he could be in any other sketch show.
More promising perhaps are Pat and Don, customers of an Indian Restaurant. The sketch is basically an excuse for Matt to go off on one of his Shotting-Stars-esq flights of fancy, quoting all sorts of 70s/80s catch phrases.
Episode 3 ratings
The ratings for Little Britain have dropped again. Thursday's (Episode 3) were down to 6.8 million. Read more in the Daily Mirror. Here are some scans from the Mirror.
 
Episode 3 review
We're continuing to enjoy the injection of randomness into series 3, in the guise of sketches such as Pat and Don (with his trip down memory lane of catchphrases) and the Orville sketch. However, there's a not a lot of originality in the established characters this week. We did like the Sebastian sketch (part of which is re-created in the Little Britain Live Tour), especially when he does the mad laughter. We love Andy's plastic surgery - "I wan' tits!" However, we felt a little let down but the usual stalwarts such as Vicky and Anne, who seemed to be replaying the same joke once again.
Matt and David on Richard and Judy
Read all about it and see screenshots here.
Episode 4 review
Some extraordinary moments in Episode 4 this week. The Florence and Emily sketch had us in hysterics at the end, as did Carol Beer's warmup routine. Finally there's a new character that we like! Sid Pegg's mad presentation on Gypsy's was vintage Lucas and Walliams (Findus crispy pancakes go!). And really does stand up to repeat viewing, and somehow we'd like to see him come up against Papa Lazarou from the League of Gentlemen.
It's a welcome return for Mr Mann and Roy this week. We particularly liked when they get bored of waiting for Margaret's answer, and Mr Mann's knowing smile at the end of the sketch.
We know some people will love Tony Head's facial hair, but we agree with Sebastian and aren't too keen. But it's always great to see David's "hair acting" in these sketches and we like that Sebastian is very much less of a wimp in this series.
There were some "laugh at the repeated joke" sketches this week (Ting Tong, Bubbles, Mrs Emery and Lou and Andy are all getting rather too predictable!) but it's nice to see that the Judy and Maggie sketches have managed to avoid this by using toy animals, of all things, still keeping the sketches fresh.
Episode 5 review
What can we say about the Sebastian sketch this week? Except - wonderful! We're glad they used the alternative ending (two were originally filmed, Matt and David picked the one that got the most gasps/laughs from the audience!)
Highlights of this week for us were the ridiculously random "horse" IT expert. He certainly seems more knowledgable than most - for a horse. We're still loving Sid Pegg's odd turn of phrase, and it was great to finally see an appearance of one of David's friends in a Mr Mann sketch. Norman Fry continues to be a quotable delight and it's good to see even his wife is getting fed up with his stories.
The cartoon favourites (Marjorie, Daffyd, Vicky, Lou & Andy) all went through their paces adequately enough, but feels to us as if they are being wheeled out simply to reinforce their catch phrases. However, we liked Flo in that nappy!
Pet Shop Boys video
Matt and David apparently announced that Lou and Andy will appear in the video of a single from the
forthcoming Pet Shop Boys album Fundamental. Read more on Digital Spy.
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