Phoo Action
Encyclopedia
Phoo Action is a BBC Three
60 minute TV pilot, one of six drama pilots that were transmitted in early 2008, and was first broadcast on February 12, 2008 at 21:00 UTC
. Phoo Action is based on the Jamie Hewlett
created strip
'Get The Freebies' which ran in The Face (magazine)
from June 1996 to June 1997. It stars Jaime Winstone as Whitey Action, Carl Weathers
as Police Chief Benjamin 'Ben' Benson and Eddie Shin
as Terry Phoo.
Ratings were reported at 232k (105k down on the slot average, with a proportionately lower audience share),.
A full six-part series was commissioned to begin shooting later in 2008 for broadcast in 2009. However, just before production was due to begin the BBC announced that the series was cancelled.
The show is set from the perspective of the disaffected teenage female protagonist, Whitey Action, who joins together with tough guy kung-fu cop Terry Phoo to form a dubious crime-fighting duo who thwart many mutant miscreants of The Freebies Gang on the streets of London
in 2012.
The screen adaptation was written by Matthew Enriquez Wakeham, Jessica Hynes and Peter Martin, and directed by Euros Lyn
.
Production began in September 2007 at a number of Glasgow
locations. Some scenes were shot inside the main studio at BBC Scotland
's Pacific Quay Studios
.
er Chief of the London
police. When The Queen is killed by a gang of mutants, known as The Freebies, Whitey guesses they are behind the murder while her father's forces focus their attentions on a single 'a mutant
insurgent' suspect. Terry Phoo, a highly trained combat cop from the Hong Kong
JKD police force is called in by Benson's superior, Lord Rothwell, as he is supposedly an expert at fighting mutants. However, his investigative skills leave much to be desired.
The Freebies are castigated by a mysterious group of sinister characters known as the Star Chamber for killing the Queen as they were supposed to mutate her not murder her. The Star Chamber
give the Freebies one last chance, demanding that William is mutated before he is crowned. While at a party in the Freebies nightclub, Whitey sees Princes William and Harry
being led off by the Freebies, and she causes a big scene, preventing them from being captured but getting herself arrested by Terry Phoo. Convincing him that she is a special agent, he takes her to his hotel room, where, while looking for chocolate, she finds a case containing 'the Buddha
's loincloth
that transforms into a pair of hotpants, which she immediately tries on. Phoo is rather shocked by this, especially when she pulls a giant chocolate egg out of them and the legend of a 'Chosen One' who is destined to use their power is revealed. Whitey can pull anything she desires from the pants and Terry decides this means that she is the Chosen One.
Together Phoo and Action save the Princes from the evil plot to mutate them, and the subsequent plot to set the lead mutant, Jimmy Freebie, on the throne. The story ends, however, with William beginning to mutate as he is crowned
, the Star Chamber
seem to have won this battle despite the Freebies bungling and Phoo Action's best efforts.
, writing in 'The Guide' (a weekly listings magazine), placed Phoo Action at number 13 in his list of '50 Must See Shows' of Autumn.
On transmission Phoo Action polarised the UK's TV critics' opinion. The Daily Telegraph
's Michael Deacon hated it, writing - "BBC3 has had a revamp. Judging by Phoo Action, though, the channel remains unwavering in its commitment to diabolical television,". Whereas The Times
' Andrew Billen loved it "to an almost indecent degree". Writing in The Independent
newspaper on Sunday, 17 February 2008 in a review entitled 'Lily Allen and Friends
, BBC3; Phoo Action, BBC3; Skins
, E4; Attila The Hun
, BBC1', Hermione Eyre stated the opinion that 'BBC3 struck gold
with Phoo Action, a cult
comedy in the making'.
. The Freebies vehicle is a GP Mk2 Beach Buggy, copied from the Meyers Manx
and based on a Volkswagen Beetle
. During filming the car was only pushed around as the exhausts were too loud for the sound editor to cope with.
TV festival, 'Roma Fiction Fest', which took place from the 7 – 12 July 2008. Phoo Action writer Mat Wakeham was in Rome to explain the thinking behind his unique pilot.
Phoo Action won the Lloyds TSB
Bafta Scotland award for best television drama, beating Fiona’s Story Directed by Adrian Shergold, Produced by David Boulter by BBC Scotland for BBC ONE.
However, in an official statement regarding the cancellation, BBC3 was said to be looking into whether or not Phoo Action may come back in another form in the future.
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
60 minute TV pilot, one of six drama pilots that were transmitted in early 2008, and was first broadcast on February 12, 2008 at 21:00 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
. Phoo Action is based on the Jamie Hewlett
Jamie Hewlett
Jamie Christopher Hewlett is an English comic book artist and designer. He is known for being the co-creator of the comic Tank Girl and co-creator of the virtual band Gorillaz.-Biography:...
created strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
'Get The Freebies' which ran in The Face (magazine)
The Face (magazine)
The Face was a British music, fashion and culture monthly magazine started in May 1980 by Nick Logan.-1980s:Logan had previously created the teen pop magazine Smash Hits, and had been an editor at the New Musical Express in the 1970s before launching The Face in 1980.The magazine was influential in...
from June 1996 to June 1997. It stars Jaime Winstone as Whitey Action, Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers is an American actor, as well as former professional football player in the United States and Canada. He is best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky series of films...
as Police Chief Benjamin 'Ben' Benson and Eddie Shin
Eddie Shin
Eddie Shin is a Korean-American actor.He was born and raised in Chicago, in the neighborhood of Rogers Park....
as Terry Phoo.
Ratings were reported at 232k (105k down on the slot average, with a proportionately lower audience share),.
A full six-part series was commissioned to begin shooting later in 2008 for broadcast in 2009. However, just before production was due to begin the BBC announced that the series was cancelled.
The show is set from the perspective of the disaffected teenage female protagonist, Whitey Action, who joins together with tough guy kung-fu cop Terry Phoo to form a dubious crime-fighting duo who thwart many mutant miscreants of The Freebies Gang on the streets of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 2012.
The screen adaptation was written by Matthew Enriquez Wakeham, Jessica Hynes and Peter Martin, and directed by Euros Lyn
Euros Lyn
Euros Lyn is a television director. He was born in 1971 and educated at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera and the University of Manchester.To date, he has directed nine episodes of Doctor Who. He won the BAFTA Cymru award for Best Director for "Silence in the Library" and the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic...
.
Production began in September 2007 at a number of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
locations. Some scenes were shot inside the main studio at BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
's Pacific Quay Studios
Pacific Quay Studios
BBC Pacific Quay is BBC Scotland's television and radio studio complex at Pacific Quay, Glasgow, Scotland. Opened by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in August 2007, the studios are home to BBC Scotland's television, radio and online services and the headquarters of the BBC in Scotland.The...
.
Plot
Whitey Action is daughter of Ben Benson, the New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
er Chief of the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
police. When The Queen is killed by a gang of mutants, known as The Freebies, Whitey guesses they are behind the murder while her father's forces focus their attentions on a single 'a mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
insurgent' suspect. Terry Phoo, a highly trained combat cop from the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
JKD police force is called in by Benson's superior, Lord Rothwell, as he is supposedly an expert at fighting mutants. However, his investigative skills leave much to be desired.
The Freebies are castigated by a mysterious group of sinister characters known as the Star Chamber for killing the Queen as they were supposed to mutate her not murder her. The Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
give the Freebies one last chance, demanding that William is mutated before he is crowned. While at a party in the Freebies nightclub, Whitey sees Princes William and Harry
Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
being led off by the Freebies, and she causes a big scene, preventing them from being captured but getting herself arrested by Terry Phoo. Convincing him that she is a special agent, he takes her to his hotel room, where, while looking for chocolate, she finds a case containing 'the Buddha
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
's loincloth
Loincloth
A loincloth is a one-piece male garment, sometimes kept in place by a belt, which covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks.-History and types:Loincloths are being and have been worn:*in societies where no other clothing is needed or wanted...
that transforms into a pair of hotpants, which she immediately tries on. Phoo is rather shocked by this, especially when she pulls a giant chocolate egg out of them and the legend of a 'Chosen One' who is destined to use their power is revealed. Whitey can pull anything she desires from the pants and Terry decides this means that she is the Chosen One.
Together Phoo and Action save the Princes from the evil plot to mutate them, and the subsequent plot to set the lead mutant, Jimmy Freebie, on the throne. The story ends, however, with William beginning to mutate as he is crowned
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
, the Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
seem to have won this battle despite the Freebies bungling and Phoo Action's best efforts.
Reception
On Saturday 8 September, before principal photography began, John Patterson of The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, writing in 'The Guide' (a weekly listings magazine), placed Phoo Action at number 13 in his list of '50 Must See Shows' of Autumn.
On transmission Phoo Action polarised the UK's TV critics' opinion. The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
's Michael Deacon hated it, writing - "BBC3 has had a revamp. Judging by Phoo Action, though, the channel remains unwavering in its commitment to diabolical television,". Whereas The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
' Andrew Billen loved it "to an almost indecent degree". Writing in The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
newspaper on Sunday, 17 February 2008 in a review entitled 'Lily Allen and Friends
Lily Allen and Friends
Lily Allen and Friends is a British TV talk show presented by Lily Allen. The programme is produced by Princess Productions for BBC Three. It was first shown on 12 February 2008. The audience consists entirely of Lily's online friends, who sign up via the programme's website...
, BBC3; Phoo Action, BBC3; Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
, E4; Attila The Hun
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
, BBC1', Hermione Eyre stated the opinion that 'BBC3 struck gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
with Phoo Action, a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
comedy in the making'.
Vehicles
The 'Phoo Mobile' is a Napiersport 'SuperStratos' Corse, which is a replica of the Lancia Stratos HFLancia Stratos HF
The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...
. The Freebies vehicle is a GP Mk2 Beach Buggy, copied from the Meyers Manx
Meyers Manx
The Meyers Manx dune buggy was designed by Californian engineer, artist, boat builder and surfer Bruce Meyers. It was produced by his company between 1964 and 1971.The car featured a fiberglass bodyshell coupled with the Volkswagen Beetle frame and engine...
and based on a Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
. During filming the car was only pushed around as the exhausts were too loud for the sound editor to cope with.
Awards
The pilot was scheduled as part of the 'Best Pilots' section, at the second annual RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
TV festival, 'Roma Fiction Fest', which took place from the 7 – 12 July 2008. Phoo Action writer Mat Wakeham was in Rome to explain the thinking behind his unique pilot.
Phoo Action won the Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
Bafta Scotland award for best television drama, beating Fiona’s Story Directed by Adrian Shergold, Produced by David Boulter by BBC Scotland for BBC ONE.
Cancellation
On 14 November 2008 BBC Scotland notified BECTU of the decision to cancel production of “Phoo Action”. BECTU Scottish Organiser, Paul McManus was quoted as saying, “Naturally everyone at BBC Scotland and at BECTU are disappointed that the commission has been withdrawn. This was in marked contrast to the BBC's statement released 14 February 2008, which read "We really believe in the originality and boldness of Phoo Action,"... "It's fantastic news that the work of Jamie Hewlett and the rest of the crew will be back on the channel." The cost of cutting the show, which was due to start filming in Dumbarton late November 2008, is reported to be approximately £500,000 in contract payments.However, in an official statement regarding the cancellation, BBC3 was said to be looking into whether or not Phoo Action may come back in another form in the future.
External links
- willfield.tv Art Diector and Designer - Production designer for Phoo Action
- SFX Magazine News Piece - Press clipping on official GorillazGorillazGorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
fan site. - BBC3 Press Pack - Interviews with the creators and the stars of Phoo Action.
- Napiersport SuperStratos Corse
