Northern Lights (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Northern Lights is a 2006 comedy-drama
broadcast on ITV
starring Mark Benton
and Robson Green
. It is a spin-off
of the 2004 Christmas special Christmas Lights.
A sequel, City Lights
, was broadcast in 2007. Also a Christmas special, Clash of the Santas, was broadcast in December 2008. It featured Colin and Howie taking a trip to Lithuania
to represent the UK
in a Santa convention. The main problem with this is that miserable Howie is picked as Santa, while true Christmas believer Colin is relegated to the role of cheerleading elf.
The phrase 'one of the lads' was made for Colin. His perfect night would be a kick-about on the football pitch, a pint and a 'craic' with his mates and then going for some nookie with his wife Jackie. Colin would walk over hot coals for his best friend Howard, but he can't help being a little narked at his new-found success at work. He's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder about always being seen as the joker and therefore not taken seriously and so he is fiercely competitive with his mate. Very happily married, he and Jackie have three children, Brooke, Liam and Leyton.
Howard Scott - Mark Benton
Howie is both dependable and loyal - a 'gentle giant' who has always been there to pick up the pieces as Colin storms through life. He and Colin share the same child-like sense of humour and silly sense of competitiveness. Howie sometimes falls under Colin's shadow but he's no pushover and is more than capable of sticking up for himself when needs be. Recently promoted to management at work, he's keen to better himself and provide the luxuries of life for his wife Pauline and baby daughter Victoria.
Jackie Armstrong - Nicola Stephenson
Jackie is fiery, kind and practical. She and Colin are the type of couple you want to be – good friends who also fancy the pants off each other. Jackie is incredibly close to her sister Pauline and they enjoy living next door to each other and combining their family's lives. When Colin and Howie are daggers drawn this can lead to the sisters' diplomatic skills being stretched to extremes, but the girls always stay united despite their husbands' antics.
Pauline Scott - Sian Reeves
Pauline is a little quieter than her sister and has a traditional outlook on life. She is a tower of strength to them all and incredibly protective of her brood; she would fight tooth and nail to defend them against attack. She is torn between enjoying the perks that Howie's salary now allows and being unsettled by the changes it also brings. She gave birth to baby Victoria 18 months ago and as the series starts is on a quest to get her and Howie's sex life back on track.
Eric Foulkes - Keith Clifford
Father to Jackie and Pauline, Eric has recently retired as foreman at Sherpa Freight where his sons-in-law still work and is fondly remembered by staff. He now splits his time between babysitting for the two families and his allotment. Towards the end of the series it comes to light that Eric is more of a dark horse than we thought.
Nigel Cockburn - James Midgley
Colin's nemesis and a prize prat - Cockburn is humourless, ambitious and highly focussed on climbing the career ladder at Sherpa Freight. But will the winning combination of Howie and Colin get in his way?
Len Guthrie - Russell Dixon
Old-school Len is often the voice of reason to counter Cockburn's management style. Respectful of his hard working staff, he is a champion of both Howie and Colin over the course of the series.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
broadcast on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
starring Mark Benton
Mark Benton
Mark Benton is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his roles as Eddie in Early Doors and Howard in Northern Lights.-Life and career:Benton was born in Guisborough, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England....
and Robson Green
Robson Green
Robson Green is an English actor, singer–songwriter and presenter.-Biography:Robson Golightly Green was born in Hexham, Northumberland, and baptised in Bethel Chapel, , and named in Northeast tradition as first son after family surnames: Robson is his grandmother's maiden surname, while Golightly...
. It is a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the 2004 Christmas special Christmas Lights.
A sequel, City Lights
City Lights (ITV series)
City Lights is a British comedy-drama broadcast on ITV starring Robson Green and Mark Benton. The show is a sequel to the 2006 series Northern Lights .-Plot:...
, was broadcast in 2007. Also a Christmas special, Clash of the Santas, was broadcast in December 2008. It featured Colin and Howie taking a trip to Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
to represent the UK
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...
in a Santa convention. The main problem with this is that miserable Howie is picked as Santa, while true Christmas believer Colin is relegated to the role of cheerleading elf.
Cast
Colin Armstrong - Robson GreenThe phrase 'one of the lads' was made for Colin. His perfect night would be a kick-about on the football pitch, a pint and a 'craic' with his mates and then going for some nookie with his wife Jackie. Colin would walk over hot coals for his best friend Howard, but he can't help being a little narked at his new-found success at work. He's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder about always being seen as the joker and therefore not taken seriously and so he is fiercely competitive with his mate. Very happily married, he and Jackie have three children, Brooke, Liam and Leyton.
Howard Scott - Mark Benton
Howie is both dependable and loyal - a 'gentle giant' who has always been there to pick up the pieces as Colin storms through life. He and Colin share the same child-like sense of humour and silly sense of competitiveness. Howie sometimes falls under Colin's shadow but he's no pushover and is more than capable of sticking up for himself when needs be. Recently promoted to management at work, he's keen to better himself and provide the luxuries of life for his wife Pauline and baby daughter Victoria.
Jackie Armstrong - Nicola Stephenson
Jackie is fiery, kind and practical. She and Colin are the type of couple you want to be – good friends who also fancy the pants off each other. Jackie is incredibly close to her sister Pauline and they enjoy living next door to each other and combining their family's lives. When Colin and Howie are daggers drawn this can lead to the sisters' diplomatic skills being stretched to extremes, but the girls always stay united despite their husbands' antics.
Pauline Scott - Sian Reeves
Pauline is a little quieter than her sister and has a traditional outlook on life. She is a tower of strength to them all and incredibly protective of her brood; she would fight tooth and nail to defend them against attack. She is torn between enjoying the perks that Howie's salary now allows and being unsettled by the changes it also brings. She gave birth to baby Victoria 18 months ago and as the series starts is on a quest to get her and Howie's sex life back on track.
Eric Foulkes - Keith Clifford
Father to Jackie and Pauline, Eric has recently retired as foreman at Sherpa Freight where his sons-in-law still work and is fondly remembered by staff. He now splits his time between babysitting for the two families and his allotment. Towards the end of the series it comes to light that Eric is more of a dark horse than we thought.
Nigel Cockburn - James Midgley
Colin's nemesis and a prize prat - Cockburn is humourless, ambitious and highly focussed on climbing the career ladder at Sherpa Freight. But will the winning combination of Howie and Colin get in his way?
Len Guthrie - Russell Dixon
Old-school Len is often the voice of reason to counter Cockburn's management style. Respectful of his hard working staff, he is a champion of both Howie and Colin over the course of the series.
Episodes
| # | Title | |Production code |
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External links
- Northern Lights at The Robson Green Web Site
- Review of Clash of the Santas, Leicester Mercury