Chance in a Million
Encyclopedia
Chance in a Million was a British
sitcom broadcast between 1984 and 1986, produced by Thames Television
for Channel 4
.
The series was co-written by Andrew Norriss
and Richard Fegen and starred Simon Callow
and Brenda Blethyn
.
The producer
and director
of the series was Michael Mills.
He meets his long-suffering girlfriend, Alison Little, by chance. This happens when Tom Chance goes to the same hotel
on a blind date to meet a girl (who is also called Alison), that Alison Little has arranged to meet her cousin Tom (for the first time since they were young children).
Tom is shy towards Alison. However, Alison has fallen in love with Tom at first sight and she is keen for their friendship to develop into something more intimate.
Tom has a tendency to get into trouble as a result of unlikely coincidences. This leads to Tom being arrested for crimes he did not commit — which happens so often that police Sergeant Gough eventually gives orders for Tom not to be arrested, no matter how suspicious the circumstances.
Tom has an amusing ability to drink an entire pint of beer
in one gulp whilst in the middle of speaking a sentence.
He also has a fascination with Surrey
and England
cricket
er Alec Bedser
, and a cricket bat, which has been autographed by the cricketer, is one of Tom's most treasured possessions.
Series 1 (10 September 1984 – 15 October 1984)
Series 2 (6 January 1986 – 10 February 1986)
Series 3 (27 October 1986 – 1 December 1986)
Speaking about the series following its release on DVD Simon Callow said: "I loved doing it and it's one of the most popular things I ever did. The central character, Tom Chance, was a guy who was plagued by coincidence that was the basic formula of the series. The charming thing about him was that he seemed to belong to another world completely. He spoke in the most extraordinary way, which I think was derived from Mr. Jingle in The Pickwick Papers
- he never used the personal pronouns ... He'd say, "... went to bank ... had problem ... sat down ... couldn't get out ... killed a woman ... very sad...". Brenda Blethyn
, she's absolutely superb in it. Brenda and I and the writers are desperately keen to do a series, 25 years later on ... same couple ... I think it would be wonderful."
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sitcom broadcast between 1984 and 1986, produced by Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
The series was co-written by Andrew Norriss
Andrew Norriss
Andrew Norriss is a British children's author and a writer for television .- Background :Andrew Norriss was born in 1947, was educated at St John’s School, Leatherhead followed by University at Trinity College Dublin 1966-70. PGCE 1973-4. He taught at Stroud School, Romsey and then Peter Symonds...
and Richard Fegen and starred Simon Callow
Simon Callow
Simon Phillip Hugh Callow, CBE is an English actor, writer and theatre director. He is also currently a judge on Popstar to Operastar.-Early years:...
and Brenda Blethyn
Brenda Blethyn
Brenda Anne Blethyn, OBE is an English actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. Blethyn has received two Academy Award nominations, two SAG Award nominations, two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
.
The producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
of the series was Michael Mills.
Plot
The premise of the show is that the main character, Tom Chance, is frequently the victim of unlikely circumstances, although he cares little about this and is, in fact, largely oblivious to much of what happens around him.He meets his long-suffering girlfriend, Alison Little, by chance. This happens when Tom Chance goes to the same hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
on a blind date to meet a girl (who is also called Alison), that Alison Little has arranged to meet her cousin Tom (for the first time since they were young children).
Tom is shy towards Alison. However, Alison has fallen in love with Tom at first sight and she is keen for their friendship to develop into something more intimate.
Tom has a tendency to get into trouble as a result of unlikely coincidences. This leads to Tom being arrested for crimes he did not commit — which happens so often that police Sergeant Gough eventually gives orders for Tom not to be arrested, no matter how suspicious the circumstances.
Tom has an amusing ability to drink an entire pint of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
in one gulp whilst in the middle of speaking a sentence.
He also has a fascination with Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
and England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er Alec Bedser
Alec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
, and a cricket bat, which has been autographed by the cricketer, is one of Tom's most treasured possessions.
Cast
- Simon CallowSimon CallowSimon Phillip Hugh Callow, CBE is an English actor, writer and theatre director. He is also currently a judge on Popstar to Operastar.-Early years:...
as Tom Chance - Brenda BlethynBrenda BlethynBrenda Anne Blethyn, OBE is an English actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. Blethyn has received two Academy Award nominations, two SAG Award nominations, two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
as Alison Little - Ronnie StevensRonnie StevensRonnie Stevens may refer to:* Ronnie Stevens , British actor* Veronica Stevens, American female wrestler, sometimes known as "Ronnie" Stevens...
(series 1), Hugh Walters (series 2 & 3) as "Mr. Little" - Deddie DaviesDeddie DaviesDeddie Davies is a Welsh character actress.She is most familiar to television viewers for comedy roles in a host of series, including The Rag Trade, That's My Boy and Chance in a Million. She usually appears in meek, spinsterish roles...
as "Mrs. Little" - Bill PertweeBill PertweeWilliam Desmond Anthony Pertwee MBE is a British comedy actor. He is best known for playing the part of antagonist ARP Warden Hodges in the popular sitcom Dad's Army.-Early and personal life:...
as "Sergeant Gough" - Angus MacKay as "Mr. Wingent
- Rosemary SmithRosemary SmithRosemary Smith is a rally driver from Dublin, Ireland.Smith initially trained as a dress designer.Smith entered her first rally as a navigator. After deciding that navigating was not to her liking she switched to driving...
as "Janet" — (series 3) - Geraldine Gardner aka Trudi Van Doorn as "Barbara" — (series 2 & 3)
Episodes
There were three series, each of six episodes, as follows:Series 1 (10 September 1984 – 15 October 1984)
- "Plumstones" (10 September 1984) — Various unfortunate coincidences bring about Tom Chance's arrest.
- "Honour Thy Father And Thy Mother" (17 September 1984) — Tom is mistaken for a crooked car dealer.
- "Flowing With The Tide" (24 September 1984) — The bank fails to pay Tom's bills.
- "The Birthday Party" (1 October 1984) — Tom's party for Alison is a disaster.
- "Man Of Iron" (8 October 1984) — Tom's bad luck affects Alison's visiting cousin.
- "Stuff Of Dreams" (15 October 1984) — Reporters expect to find a crime boss at Tom's.
Series 2 (6 January 1986 – 10 February 1986)
- "The Taxman Cometh" (6 January 1986) — Tom is sent a tax demand by an inspector who believes Tom has debauched his daughter.
- "For Whom The Bell Tolls" (13 January 1986) —
- "The Lost Weekend" (20 January 1986) — Tom tangles with drug traffickers on the way to visit Alison's parents.
- "And What Shall We Do For A Ring?" (27 January 1986) —
- "Winning Streak" (3 February 1986) — Tom suddenly begins to win things.
- "Naming The Day" (10 February 1986) — Tom visits the paper to correct the reports of his engagement… and death.
Series 3 (27 October 1986 – 1 December 1986)
- "Goodbye Mr Henstridge" (27 October 1986) — Tom and Alison go to Mr Henstridge's funeral.
- "Guess Who's Not Coming For Dinner" (3 November 1986) —
- "The Blessing" (10 November 1986) —
- "The Once And Future Chance" (17 November 1986) —
- "Pre-Matrimonial Tensions" (24 November 1986) —
- "The Wedding" (1 December 1986) —
Speaking about the series following its release on DVD Simon Callow said: "I loved doing it and it's one of the most popular things I ever did. The central character, Tom Chance, was a guy who was plagued by coincidence that was the basic formula of the series. The charming thing about him was that he seemed to belong to another world completely. He spoke in the most extraordinary way, which I think was derived from Mr. Jingle in The Pickwick Papers
The Pickwick Papers
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club is the first novel by Charles Dickens. After the publication, the widow of the illustrator Robert Seymour claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's; however, in his preface to the 1867 edition, Dickens strenuously denied any...
- he never used the personal pronouns ... He'd say, "... went to bank ... had problem ... sat down ... couldn't get out ... killed a woman ... very sad...". Brenda Blethyn
Brenda Blethyn
Brenda Anne Blethyn, OBE is an English actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. Blethyn has received two Academy Award nominations, two SAG Award nominations, two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
, she's absolutely superb in it. Brenda and I and the writers are desperately keen to do a series, 25 years later on ... same couple ... I think it would be wonderful."
DVD releases
A DVD release of the first series of Chance in a Million was released on 1 March 2010, with the second series released on 5 July 2010 and the third & final series as well as a 3-Disc set of the complete series released on 4 October 2010, all from Revelation FilmsRevelation Films
Revelation Films is a British distributor of entertainment programmes on DVD.It was perhaps most well known as the company through which as of November 2006, the American anime company FUNimation Entertainment has launched its titles in the United Kingdom on region 2 DVD...
.
| DVD | Release date |
|---|---|
| The Complete Series 1 | 1 March 2010 |
| The Complete Series 2 | 5 July 2010 |
| The Complete Series 3 | 4 October 2010 |
| The Complete Series 1 to 3 Box Set | 4 October 2010 |
External links
- Chance in a Million — BBC Comedy Guide
- Chance in a Million — Revelation FilmsRevelation FilmsRevelation Films is a British distributor of entertainment programmes on DVD.It was perhaps most well known as the company through which as of November 2006, the American anime company FUNimation Entertainment has launched its titles in the United Kingdom on region 2 DVD...
- Chance in a Million — Summary and Cast — British TV Comedy
- Chance in a Million — Episode List — British TV Comedy
- Chance in a Million — Television Heaven
- Chance in a Million — TV.com