Ladies of Letters
Encyclopedia
Ladies of Letters is a BBC Radio 4
comedy series starring Patricia Routledge
and Prunella Scales
, based on the series of books of the same name written by Carole Hayman
and Lou Wakefield. Routledge stars as Vera Small and Scales as Irene Spencer, two elderly ladies who share a sometimes rocky relationship conducted by correspondence.
Patricia Routledge originally played Irene (Ruddock) in A Lady of Letters
, a 1988 episode of Alan Bennett
's BBC television series, Talking Heads.
The success of the first series of Ladies of Letters (broadcast in 1997) spawned adaptations of several sequels: Ladies of More Letters (1999); Ladies of Letters.Com (2000); Ladies of Letters Log On (2001); Ladies of Letters Make Mincemeat
(2001 Christmas Special); Ladies of Letters Spring Clean (2004); Ladies of Letters Go Global (2006); Ladies of Letters Say No (2007); Ladies of Letters Go Green (2008); Ladies of Letters Crunch Credit (2009) and Ladies of Letters Go Crackers (2010 - this series features Anne Reid instead of Patricia Routledge as Vera Small, see below).
Each of the 15 minute episodes come as part of BBC Radio 4's long running magazine programme Woman's Hour
. A ten-part television adaptation of the first radio series has been made for ITV3
, which began on 3 February 2009.
Other recurring characters include people we occasionally hear, as well as some we only hear about:
Vera and Irene always strive to outdo each other, whether with their recipes, holiday destinations or who has the best grandchildren. The humour is mostly derived from the lack of insight of the two main protagonists, but there is also a somewhat melancholic theme that lurks just beneath the surface at the way these two women are taken for granted by their respective families. By the end of 2004's Ladies of Letters Spring Clean it is implied that there has been something of a parting of the ways between the women and their kinfolk. Later series tend to heavily use malapropism
s for comic effect.
Ladies of Letters Go Global (broadcast 2nd to 6th January 2006) featured a somewhat bizarre and unlikely world tour undertaken by the two women, in contrast to the more naturalistic tone of previous stories. The BBC issued a CD collection of the first seven series as a special 'biscuit tin' release in October 2006 . A short, newly-written, episode was featured as part of the Woman's Hour 60th Anniversary concert in October 2006.
Ladies of Letters Say No was broadcast from 27th to 31st August 2007 and featured a broadly satirical take on the involvement of the private sector in the NHS
, concentrating on the underhand dealings of the tycoon Alan Trumper. Ladies of Letters Go Green - the ninth series - was broadcast from 10th to 14th March 2008. Series 10 - Ladies of Letters Crunch Credit - was broadcast from 4th to 8th May 2009.
An eleventh radio series Ladies of Letters Go Crackers was broadcast at Christmas 2010 (27-31 December). Patricia Routledge was not available at the time of recording so Anne Reid, who plays Vera on television, stepped into the role.
, which ran from on 3 February 2009. It stars Maureen Lipman
as Irene and Anne Reid
as Vera. All episodes are on the series one DVD, released in July 2009. The second series was aired in two parts; the first airing in April 2010 and the second aired in October 2010.
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
comedy series starring Patricia Routledge
Patricia Routledge
Katherine Patricia Routledge, CBE is an English character comedy actress and singer. She is best known for her role as character Hyacinth Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and Hetty Wainthropp in the British television series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates...
and Prunella Scales
Prunella Scales
Prunella Scales CBE is an English actress, known for her role as Basil Fawlty's long-suffering wife in the British comedy Fawlty Towers and her award-nominated role as Queen Elizabeth II in the British film A Question of Attribution.-Career:Throughout her long career, Scales has usually been cast...
, based on the series of books of the same name written by Carole Hayman
Carole Hayman
Carole Hayman is an English writer, broadcaster and journalist was born in Kent, and attended Leeds University and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School...
and Lou Wakefield. Routledge stars as Vera Small and Scales as Irene Spencer, two elderly ladies who share a sometimes rocky relationship conducted by correspondence.
Patricia Routledge originally played Irene (Ruddock) in A Lady of Letters
A Lady of Letters
A Lady of Letters is a dramatic monologue written by Alan Bennett in 1987 for television, as part of his Talking Heads series for the BBC. The series became very popular, moving onto BBC Radio, international theatre, becoming one of the best-selling audio book releases of all time and included as...
, a 1988 episode of Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett is a British playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with The Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research mediaeval history at the university for several years...
's BBC television series, Talking Heads.
The success of the first series of Ladies of Letters (broadcast in 1997) spawned adaptations of several sequels: Ladies of More Letters (1999); Ladies of Letters.Com (2000); Ladies of Letters Log On (2001); Ladies of Letters Make Mincemeat
Mincemeat
Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices, and sometimes beef suet, beef, or venison. Originally, mincemeat always contained meat. Many modern recipes contain beef suet, though vegetable shortening is sometimes used in its place...
(2001 Christmas Special); Ladies of Letters Spring Clean (2004); Ladies of Letters Go Global (2006); Ladies of Letters Say No (2007); Ladies of Letters Go Green (2008); Ladies of Letters Crunch Credit (2009) and Ladies of Letters Go Crackers (2010 - this series features Anne Reid instead of Patricia Routledge as Vera Small, see below).
Each of the 15 minute episodes come as part of BBC Radio 4's long running magazine programme Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
. A ten-part television adaptation of the first radio series has been made for ITV3
ITV3
ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel was launched on 1 November 2004. ITV3 is the second largest UK multi-channel, second only to ITV2.-History:...
, which began on 3 February 2009.
Plot and principals
Vera and Irene reveal their exploits and adventures to each other in their letters and e-mails, but sometimes their correspondence becomes fractious when one accuses the other of being an alcoholic or engages in too much one-upmanship. Nevertheless, when the chips are down and the going gets tough, each is instantly there for the other, like a charge of the cavalry albeit with a rather sarcastic bugle call.Other recurring characters include people we occasionally hear, as well as some we only hear about:
- Howard Small ("Howie"), Vera's gay son, who runs a sheep farm near the village of Great Shagthorn with his business and personal partner, Anthony Flowers ("Ants"). Howie and Ants have a daughter, "Small-Flowers" currently known as "Flo".
- Karen, Vera's daughter, with whom she has a difficult relationship. Karen's second husband, St. John , is a veterinarian with whom Vera has an excellent relationship. St. John is also revealed to be the biological father of Baby Small-Flowers; They have two children together - Nelson (who has unusually long legs) and Millie (so-named after her premature arrival around the time of the new "Minnellium" [sic])
- Sabrina Small, Karen's daughter from her first marriage;
- Lesley, Irene's daughter, who lives in Australia with her second husband Brian and their two children, Cheryl-Marie (from Lesley's first marriage; 'Cheryl' pronounced "CHAIR-ull") and Bubbles. Brian has noticeably had a hair transplant, and he has a squint that Lesley finds embarrassing;
- Christopher Thoroughgood, Irene's long-lost son, elder half-brother of Lesley, who was born of an "illicit and unwanted infringement" of Irene's maidenhood and, thus, was put up for adoption. Christopher's first wife was Margaret and they had two sons, "Little Christopher" and Tommy. Christopher's second wife is Michaela, who appears, with their baby daughter Sophie-Irene, out of the blue in Ladies of Letters Crunch Credit;
- Youssou, Vera's "adoptive grandson" a former child soldier in an un-named African country and brought back to the UK with her after her 'Global' adventure.
- Beryl "next door", who was Irene's neighbour and has recurrent medical problems with her bottom.
- Nelly Thoroughgood, Christopher's adoptive mother.
Vera and Irene always strive to outdo each other, whether with their recipes, holiday destinations or who has the best grandchildren. The humour is mostly derived from the lack of insight of the two main protagonists, but there is also a somewhat melancholic theme that lurks just beneath the surface at the way these two women are taken for granted by their respective families. By the end of 2004's Ladies of Letters Spring Clean it is implied that there has been something of a parting of the ways between the women and their kinfolk. Later series tend to heavily use malapropism
Malapropism
A malapropism is an act of misusing or the habitual misuse of similar sounding words, especially with humorous results. An example is Yogi Berra's statement: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes," rather than "electoral votes".-Etymology:...
s for comic effect.
Ladies of Letters Go Global (broadcast 2nd to 6th January 2006) featured a somewhat bizarre and unlikely world tour undertaken by the two women, in contrast to the more naturalistic tone of previous stories. The BBC issued a CD collection of the first seven series as a special 'biscuit tin' release in October 2006 . A short, newly-written, episode was featured as part of the Woman's Hour 60th Anniversary concert in October 2006.
Ladies of Letters Say No was broadcast from 27th to 31st August 2007 and featured a broadly satirical take on the involvement of the private sector in the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
, concentrating on the underhand dealings of the tycoon Alan Trumper. Ladies of Letters Go Green - the ninth series - was broadcast from 10th to 14th March 2008. Series 10 - Ladies of Letters Crunch Credit - was broadcast from 4th to 8th May 2009.
An eleventh radio series Ladies of Letters Go Crackers was broadcast at Christmas 2010 (27-31 December). Patricia Routledge was not available at the time of recording so Anne Reid, who plays Vera on television, stepped into the role.
Television series
A ten-part television adaptation of the first radio series was made by Tiger Aspect for ITV3ITV3
ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel was launched on 1 November 2004. ITV3 is the second largest UK multi-channel, second only to ITV2.-History:...
, which ran from on 3 February 2009. It stars 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...
as Irene and Anne Reid
Anne Reid
Anne Reid, MBE is a BAFTA Award-nominated English film and television actress from Newcastle upon Tyne, best known for her roles as Valerie Tatlock in Coronation Street and Jean in dinnerladies....
as Vera. All episodes are on the series one DVD, released in July 2009. The second series was aired in two parts; the first airing in April 2010 and the second aired in October 2010.
Book details
- Ladies of Letters (ISBN 978-1853757303)
- More "Ladies of Letters" (ISBN 0-233-99926-4)
- Ladies of Letters.com (ISBN 0-7515-3189-8)
- Ladies of Letters Log On (ISBN 0-7515-3219-3)
- Ladies of Letters Make Mincemeat (ISBN 0-563-49495-6)
- Ladies of Letters Spring Clean (ISBN 0-563-52300-X)
- Ladies of Letters Go Global (ISBN 0-563-50440-4)
- Ladies of Letters Say No (ISBN 1405-67726-0)
- Ladies of Letters Go Green (ISBN 1405-68746-0)
- Ladies of Letters Crunch Credit (ISBN 1408-40961-5)
- Ladies of Letters Go Crackers (ISBN 1408-46714-3)