Beatrice Bellman
Encyclopedia
Beatrice Bellman, more commonly known as Beattie, was a character from a series of television
advertisements by British Telecom
, famously played by Maureen Lipman
. She was created, originally named Dora, by Richard Phillips, a Jewish advertising copywriter, based on his mother.
The first ad was screened in December 1987.
Beattie was a stereotypical Jewish mother and her adventures largely involved her nagging her family over the telephone, thus promoting communication. This theme would be carried with the "it's good to talk" line used in the following campaign fronted by Bob Hoskins
.
The most frequently quoted Beattie skit gives an idea of the tone of the campaign: Beattie receives news of her grandson Anthony's poor GCSE results, but her pride cannot allow her to accept how poor they are. On finding that he passed pottery
, she observes that "people will always need plates", and then on finding that the other subject he passed was sociology
, she declares "an ology! He gets an ology and he says he's failed. You get an ology, you're a scientist!"
This last sentence lent its name to the scriptbook published in 1989, You Got An Ology?
The name Beattie was a play on "BT", as British Telecom was often called, and was suggested by Lipman herself.
Curiously, there is no overt reference in the screened adverts to Beattie's Jewishness
, although she is one of Britain's best known fictional Jews. She does not appear to be especially frum
; a mid-shot of her refrigerator reveals no visibly kosher contents, and she never mentions anything specifically Jewish. The viewer is left to infer her identity from her (mildly) Yiddish-influenced manner of speaking and the casting of a Jewish actress in Maureen Lipman. Curiously by contrast the script-book is very Jewish, even plugging Rakusen's
margarine
, Tomar. It seems the main "Jewish" humour within it (according to the writer) is that when one Jew telephones another Jew, it is immediately understood on both sides that he or she will come and visit - hence Beattie's appearance in a telephone advertisement.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
advertisements by British Telecom
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
, famously played by Maureen Lipman
Maureen Lipman
Maureen Diane Lipman CBE is a British film, theatre and television actress, columnist and comedienne.-Early life:Lipman was born in Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, the daughter of Maurice Julius Lipman and Zelma Pearlman. Her father was a tailor; he used to have a shop between the...
. She was created, originally named Dora, by Richard Phillips, a Jewish advertising copywriter, based on his mother.
The first ad was screened in December 1987.
Beattie was a stereotypical Jewish mother and her adventures largely involved her nagging her family over the telephone, thus promoting communication. This theme would be carried with the "it's good to talk" line used in the following campaign fronted by Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskins
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St...
.
The most frequently quoted Beattie skit gives an idea of the tone of the campaign: Beattie receives news of her grandson Anthony's poor GCSE results, but her pride cannot allow her to accept how poor they are. On finding that he passed pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, she observes that "people will always need plates", and then on finding that the other subject he passed was sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, she declares "an ology! He gets an ology and he says he's failed. You get an ology, you're a scientist!"
This last sentence lent its name to the scriptbook published in 1989, You Got An Ology?
The name Beattie was a play on "BT", as British Telecom was often called, and was suggested by Lipman herself.
Curiously, there is no overt reference in the screened adverts to Beattie's Jewishness
Who is a Jew?
"Who is a Jew?" is a basic question about Jewish identity and considerations of Jewish self-identification. The question is based in ideas about Jewish personhood which themselves have cultural, religious, genealogical, and personal dimensions...
, although she is one of Britain's best known fictional Jews. She does not appear to be especially frum
Frum
The Yiddish adjective frum , from the German fromm, meaning "devout" or "pious", is a Yiddish word meaning committed to be observant of the 613 commandments, or Jewish commandments, specifically of Orthodox Judaism...
; a mid-shot of her refrigerator reveals no visibly kosher contents, and she never mentions anything specifically Jewish. The viewer is left to infer her identity from her (mildly) Yiddish-influenced manner of speaking and the casting of a Jewish actress in Maureen Lipman. Curiously by contrast the script-book is very Jewish, even plugging Rakusen's
Rakusen's
Rakusen’s is a British kosher food manufacturer established in 1900 in Leeds, where it continues to operate today. Although best-known for its matzo, matzo meal and matzo crackers, it also produces soups, beans, Tomor margarine, and other products....
margarine
Margarine
Margarine , as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter substitutes, typically composed of vegetable oils. In many parts of the world, the market share of margarine and spreads has overtaken that of butter...
, Tomar. It seems the main "Jewish" humour within it (according to the writer) is that when one Jew telephones another Jew, it is immediately understood on both sides that he or she will come and visit - hence Beattie's appearance in a telephone advertisement.
Beattie's Generation
- Beattie, played by Maureen LipmanMaureen LipmanMaureen Diane Lipman CBE is a British film, theatre and television actress, columnist and comedienne.-Early life:Lipman was born in Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, the daughter of Maurice Julius Lipman and Zelma Pearlman. Her father was a tailor; he used to have a shop between the...
. - Harry, her long-suffering husband, played by Geoffrey Chiswick. He once knew a girl called Beryl, who his old friend Leslie believes he married.
- Rose, Beattie's sister, an ex-pat who lives in SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. She likes gossip and has, despite the Australian influence, a more noticeably Yiddish accent than Beattie. This is probably not intentional; Maureen Lipman played both characters and presumably attempted to vary the voice for each. - Cyril, Rose's husband, played by Clive SwiftClive SwiftClive Walter Swift is an English character comedy actor and songwriter. He is best known for his role as character Richard Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances. He is less known for his role as character Roy in the British television series The Old Guys...
. He doesn't speak; a characteristic perhaps reminiscent of his character in Keeping Up AppearancesKeeping Up AppearancesKeeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
. - Lionel, Beattie's brother in TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, played by Brian GreeneBrian GreeneBrian Greene is an American theoretical physicist and string theorist. He has been a professor at Columbia University since 1996. Greene has worked on mirror symmetry, relating two different Calabi-Yau manifolds...
. Beattie is worried about him. - Norma, Lionel's wife, played by Sandra Caron.
- Dolly and Gerald, played by Miriam MargolyesMiriam MargolyesMiriam Margolyes, OBE is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence .-Early life:...
and Bernard BresslawBernard BresslawBernard Bresslaw was an English actor. He is best remembered for his comedy work, especially as a member of the Carry On team.-Biography:...
respectively, a nervous couple who drop in on Beattie and Harry unannounced.
Beattie's Son, Daughter, and Their Spouses
- Melvyn, Beattie's son, played by Linal HaftLinal HaftLinal Haft, sometimes known as Lionel Haft, is a British actor.- Biography :Haft made his acting debut in an episode of Homicide as Harry Bruce in 1968. He went on to play his second role later the same year, as Adams in an episode of Contrabandits...
. Melvyn is a successful business executive who possesses a car phoneCar phoneA car phone is a mobile phone device specifically designed for and fitted into an automobile.In the late 1970s and 1980s, the car phone was more popular than the regular mobile phone...
(a prestigious item in the 1980s, in which the adverts are set.) He has a modern air-conditioned and well-catered office, but Beattie fears that he doesn't eat properly and has been known to offer to bring him jumpers and sandwiches of Canadian cheddarCheddar cheeseCheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese, produced in several countries around the world. It has its origins in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset....
. He is often seen avoiding talking to his mother. - Bernice, Melvyn's wife, played by Christina Avery. She is rarely seen but has a speaking part in the Directory Enquiries ad.
- Elaine, played by Caroline QuentinCaroline QuentinCaroline Jones known by her stage name Caroline Quentin, is an English actress. Quentin became known for her television appearances in Men Behaving Badly, playing Dorothy, and playing Maddy Magellan in Jonathan Creek for three years.-Early life:...
, Beattie's daughter. She's reputed to be a beatnikBeatnikBeatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
and is married to Raymond, who is never seen.
Grandchildren
- Anthony, Melvyn and Bernice's eldest son, played by Jacob Krichefski. Anthony is a typical struggling teenager, who has to deal with his failures at GCSE and his struggle over his driving testDriving testA driving test is a procedure designed to test a person's ability to drive a motor vehicle. It exists in various forms worldwide, and is often a requirement to pass the exam to obtain a driver's license...
over the course of the adverts. Anthony is something of a nebbish. - Oliver, Melvyn and Bernice's younger son, played by Alistair Kent. He wears tape over his glasses and looks a little nerdy. He sings to Beattie on her birthday, who declares him as having the "voice of an angel". Maureen Lipman claims to have recruited him from her synagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
. - Natalie, Melvyn and Bernice's daughter, played by Hayley Napper, who does not speak.
- Zara, played by Kate Orton, Elaine's young daughter.
Others
- Mr. Edwin, played by Richard Wilson. He keeps a dress shop, Edwin Modes, and is frustrated by Beattie's insistent stock-checking on every size, colour and style of dress they have.
- Mr. Patel, a newsagentNewsagentA newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
played by Zia MohyeddinZia MohyeddinZia Mohyeddin is a Pakistani actor famed for his voice.He was born in Faisalabad, , British India in a Urdu Speaking Family. He passed his early life in Karachi. He was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London from 1953-1956...
. He advertises phonecards and sympathises with Beattie's plight - "children. You work your fingers to the bone... they never write... they never phone... they never fax." Despite his surname being most common amongst HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s, and being rather rare amongst Jews, he has a rather Yiddish inflection. This may be for humorous purposes, comparable to Goodness Gracious Me's sketch about conversion to Judaism.