The Ritz (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Ritz was a six part BBC
Television series that aired in 1987. It was a Comedy/Drama set in a night club, where three bouncer
s Chike played by Paul Rider, Skodge played by Andrew Dunn
and Kenny played by Andrew Livingstone helped to protect the newly formed Ritz night club from a rival club owner, Mad Mick, played by Richard Ridings
.
; his co-director was Martin Shardlow and was based on John Godber's stage play 'Bouncers'. The series also spurned a one episode spin-off called The Continental.
Andrew Dunn
later starred in Victoria Wood
's Sitcom Dinnerladies
as Canteen Manager Tony, his fellow Ritz bouncers both made one off appearances in the series, Paul Rider as the escaped criminal The Blender in the episode "Fog" and Andrew Livingstone played Norman the agoraphobic breadman in one first series episode "Monday".
Eric has sunk all his redundancy money into buying The Ritz disco, unaware that the previous owners lasted a mere five hours due to intimidation from the rival local disco-owner, Mad Mick and his entourage.
Episode 2: 'Tuesday - Women Free Night: Skodge's Nightmare' (first aired: 1 May 1987)
Cheryl the box office girl arrives and causes quite a stir. Eric is not sure of Skodge's motives and becomes less so during the evening. He discovers that Elaine is Mad Mick's girlfriend.
Episode 3: 'Wednesday - Over Twenty-Five's Night: Chike's Nightmare' (first aired: 8 May 1987)
The Ritz throbs to the hits of yesteryear, with Chike on the door as bouncer, but he has family problems.
Episode 4: 'Thursday - Page Three Night' (first aired: 15 May 1987)
Gorgeous Gary is late, and not so gorgeous when he arrives. Carol wonders if she's on the shelf at 24. Tony, unfulfilled by the role of chef, itches to show his hidden talents. Eric, his brain teeming with ideas, has booked a special attraction.
Episode 5: 'Friday - Fancy Dress Night: Kenny's Nightmare' (first aired: 22 May 1987)
Tonight is fancy dress night down at the Ritz and Kenny is determined to find a woman. Will this be Kenny's night to find romance?
Episode 6: 'Saturday - St Valentine's Day Dance' (first aired: 29 May 1987)
To conclude an action-packed week at the Ritz, a night of hearts and flowers. But the tension mounts. Eric feels certain that Mad Mick's arrival is imminent. But when will he come and what will he do when he arrives?
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Television series that aired in 1987. It was a Comedy/Drama set in a night club, where three bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
s Chike played by Paul Rider, Skodge played by Andrew Dunn
Andrew Dunn (actor)
Andrew Dunn is an English actor, best known for the role of Tony in the BBC sitcom Dinnerladies between 1998 and 2000. He was born in Leeds, but was raised in North Shields, eight miles east of Newcastle upon Tyne, before leaving for London at the age of 20. He trained as a teacher but decided he...
and Kenny played by Andrew Livingstone helped to protect the newly formed Ritz night club from a rival club owner, Mad Mick, played by Richard Ridings
Richard Ridings
Richard Ridings is a British actor and is best known for his portrayal of Allan Ashburn in the ITV television drama Fat Friends, and for playing Bernard Green in the BBC1 comedy-drama Common as Muck. He trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.Ridings was born in...
.
Production
The series was written and co-directed by John GodberJohn Godber
John Harry Godber is an English dramatist, known mainly for his observational comedies. In the 'Plays and Players Yearbook' for 1993 he was calculated as the third most performed playwright in the UK behind William Shakespeare and Alan Ayckbourn. He has a wife and 2 children.-Biography:Godber was...
; his co-director was Martin Shardlow and was based on John Godber's stage play 'Bouncers'. The series also spurned a one episode spin-off called The Continental.
Andrew Dunn
Andrew Dunn (actor)
Andrew Dunn is an English actor, best known for the role of Tony in the BBC sitcom Dinnerladies between 1998 and 2000. He was born in Leeds, but was raised in North Shields, eight miles east of Newcastle upon Tyne, before leaving for London at the age of 20. He trained as a teacher but decided he...
later starred in Victoria Wood
Victoria Wood
Victoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
's Sitcom Dinnerladies
Dinnerladies
Dinnerladies is a British sitcom written, co-produced by and starring Victoria Wood. It ran on BBC One for 16 episodes from 1998 to 2000.-Plot:...
as Canteen Manager Tony, his fellow Ritz bouncers both made one off appearances in the series, Paul Rider as the escaped criminal The Blender in the episode "Fog" and Andrew Livingstone played Norman the agoraphobic breadman in one first series episode "Monday".
Episode guide
Episode 1: 'Monday - Grand Opening Night: Eric's Dream' (first aired: 24 April 1987)Eric has sunk all his redundancy money into buying The Ritz disco, unaware that the previous owners lasted a mere five hours due to intimidation from the rival local disco-owner, Mad Mick and his entourage.
Episode 2: 'Tuesday - Women Free Night: Skodge's Nightmare' (first aired: 1 May 1987)
Cheryl the box office girl arrives and causes quite a stir. Eric is not sure of Skodge's motives and becomes less so during the evening. He discovers that Elaine is Mad Mick's girlfriend.
Episode 3: 'Wednesday - Over Twenty-Five's Night: Chike's Nightmare' (first aired: 8 May 1987)
The Ritz throbs to the hits of yesteryear, with Chike on the door as bouncer, but he has family problems.
Episode 4: 'Thursday - Page Three Night' (first aired: 15 May 1987)
Gorgeous Gary is late, and not so gorgeous when he arrives. Carol wonders if she's on the shelf at 24. Tony, unfulfilled by the role of chef, itches to show his hidden talents. Eric, his brain teeming with ideas, has booked a special attraction.
Episode 5: 'Friday - Fancy Dress Night: Kenny's Nightmare' (first aired: 22 May 1987)
Tonight is fancy dress night down at the Ritz and Kenny is determined to find a woman. Will this be Kenny's night to find romance?
Episode 6: 'Saturday - St Valentine's Day Dance' (first aired: 29 May 1987)
To conclude an action-packed week at the Ritz, a night of hearts and flowers. But the tension mounts. Eric feels certain that Mad Mick's arrival is imminent. But when will he come and what will he do when he arrives?