The Persuasionists is a sitcom broadcast on BBC Two

BBC Two

BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...

 set in the world of advertising starring Iain Lee

Iain Lee

Iain Lee is a British comedian, and a television and radio presenter. His career began when he performed stand-up comedy gigs across venues in London. He subsequently became co-presenter of the comedy current affairs show The 11 O'Clock Show on Channel 4 and RI:SE...

, Simon Farnaby

Simon Farnaby

Simon Alexander Farnaby is an English comedy actor and writer in television, theatre and film.-Early life:Born in Wath-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire, Farnaby trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, National Youth Theatre, and Trinity College, Dublin...

, Adam Buxton

Adam Buxton

Adam Offord Buxton is an English comedian and actor. With Joe Cornish, he forms one half of the duo Adam and Joe. The pair presented Adam and Joe on BBC 6 Music, whilst Buxton also presents his own show on 6 Music on Sundays, called Adam Buxton's Big Mix Tape, currently on hiatus.-Major work:His...

, Jarred Christmas

Jarred Christmas

Jarred Christmas is a comedian from New Zealand who makes his living in the United Kingdom. He does much work with the BBC, and won the Chortle Comedy Award for Best Compere. He is also known for being in Pot Noodle adverts....

 and Daisy Haggard

Daisy Haggard

-Family:The daughter of film director Piers Haggard and his wife Anna Slovsky, she was raised and educated in Dulwich, South London at the James Allen's Girls' School.-Career:...

, and featuring Natalie Gumede

Natalie Gumede

Natalie Gumede is an English actress and former dancer. She is best known for playing China in BBC Three's Ideal who, along with her friend Asia , is one of Moz's regular clients. Her character featured in the pilot episode, and was a regular in the first three seasons...

 (amongst others). It was the sitcom writing debut for Jonathan Thake

Jonathan Thake

Jonathan Thake is a television writer best known for ‘the slag of all snacks’ campaign for Pot Noodle. His first comedy series, The Persuasionists, premiered on Wednesday 13 January 2010 on BBC2.-Biography:...

, best known until then for ‘the slag of all snacks’ campaign for Pot Noodle

Pot Noodle

Pot Noodle is a brand of ramen-style instant noodle snack foods, available in a selection of flavours and varieties. Its dehydrated mixture consists of wide noodles, textured soya pieces, assorted dried vegetables and flavouring powder. The product is prepared by adding boiling water, which softens...

. The Persuasionists premiered on Wednesday 13th January 2010.

Bwark Productions (creators of The Inbetweeners

The Inbetweeners

The Inbetweeners is a British sitcom which aired for three series from 2008 to 2010 on E4. Created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the show follows the life of suburban teenager Will , and three of his friends at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. The Inbetweeners Movie was...

) produced the series, Iain Morris

Iain Morris

Iain Morris is an English writer and comedian. Morris is best known for writing The Inbetweeners with his writing partner Damon Beesley and co-hosting a show on London radio station XFM with stand-up Jimmy Carr...

 and Damon Beesley

Damon Beesley

Damon Beesley is an English writer and television producer, best known for his work on British comedy The Inbetweeners and New Zealand comedy Flight of the Conchords...

 were the executive producers and Tristram Shapeero

Tristram Shapeero

Tristram Shapeero is a British director of television comedies, including Brass Eye, Smack the Pony, Green Wing, Community and Absolutely Fabulous.- Director :...

 directed. Andrew Collins

Andrew Collins (broadcaster)

Andrew Collins is the creator and writer of Radio 4 sitcom Mr Blue Sky. His TV writing work includes EastEnders and the sitcoms Grass and Not Going Out .-Personal life:Collins was a member of the Labour Party between the late 1980s and early 1990s, leaving after Labour's...

 acted as script editor.

Synopsis

The sitcom focuses on the lives of five overpaid and underworked employees at fictional advertising agency HHH&H.

The uncontrollable urge-bag Keaton (Simon Farnaby) peruses the workplace for new conquests – everyone he hasn’t already had. "Billy" (Iain Lee as himself), the intelligent underachiever, indulges in his role as the office menace. Spoilt neurotic Emma (Daisy Haggard) would like to break the glass ceiling, but only if it doesn’t damage her lovely hair. Boss Clive (Jarred Christmas), the most Australian man on the planet, exults in his position as the ridiculous manager. The hopeless, witless and feckless Greg (Adam Buxton) is the eager Account Director desperately aspiring to be as ambitious and amoral as his colleagues.

Over the course of the series viewers witness the five advertising degenerates battle their way through a variety of scenarios, including having to sell a smelly brown ‘cockney cheese’ for disillusioned and aggressive cockney client Jim (Lee Ross). Issues of beauty are tackled in episode two, as Emma becomes the ‘Head of Handsomeness’ and creates the ‘corridor of beauty’, placing the uglier colleagues in the boiler room. Later in the series Keaton, the Head of Global, becomes impotent as he learns that women are “somehow human too”. Keaton and Billy engage on a war of being impractical and battle it out to prove they are not mature and sensible. Emma embraces the new ‘Diet Stuff’ drink a little too enthusiastically and begins protesting against obesity. Billy experiences the frustration of writer’s block and Keaton sets out to steal his colleagues’ happiness.

Reception

The first episode received generally negative critical reviews from the press with critics suggesting that while the cast showed promise, they were let down by a poor script, bad direction and poor characterisations. Some held out hope that future episodes might improve; however, even after further airings, critical response remained negative, with heavy editing and excessive use of canned laughter blamed in part for the show 'not working'.

Half-way through the series, the show was moved to a "graveyard" slot at 11.20pm, due to poor ratings and an online backlash. It was not renewed for a second series.

The Scum Also Rises

The project began in 2007 as a pilot for BBC Three

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...

 called "The Scum Also Rises", which starred Chris Barrie

Chris Barrie

Chris Barrie is a British actor. He first achieved success as a vocal impressionist, notably in the ITV sketch show Spitting Image...

 and Kevin Bishop

Kevin Bishop

Kevin Bishop is an English actor and comedian, best known for his own programme, The Kevin Bishop Show, which he co-writes with Lee Hupfield, and the role of Jim Hawkins in Muppet Treasure Island.-Life and career:...

. A second unbroadcast pilot was produced in 2008. The show had been through many changes by the time that the full series aired in 2010, including an almost complete re-cast.

Sources

• Curtis Brown Literary and Talent Agency http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/tft/client/user1231/
• Taylor Herring PR http://www.taylorherring.com/blog/index.php/tag/jonathan-thake/