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The Weekenders (UK TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Weekenders is a television pilot
made for Channel 4
starring Vic Reeves
and Bob Mortimer
broadcast on 17 June 1992. Entitled "The Meat Festival", it was a surreal
situation comedy in which two friends, Jim and Bob visit a meat festival taking place in an open field. They are then chased by aliens who want some meat that they have brought to feed their queen.
, and brought back his uncle and aunt as a pair of birds. They go down to the local pub (The Farting Dashboard) and discover in the newspaper that there is a meat festival taking place (at St. Prontaprint-in-Arndale). They decide to visit the festival, which consists of two tables in an open field. Jim buys a "Specialty meat product" from Phil Oakey. However, some other people try to buy the meat off him. Jim and Bob refuse, but the men keep trying to take the meat away from him.
When Jim goes to the pub toilets, he and Bob discover that the men are in fact alien beings with Geordie
accents, who claim they need the meat to feed their queen and keep their race alive. Jim and Bob decide to give them the meat, but the police come and attempt to arrest the aliens for stealing other specialty meat products. Jim, Bob and the aliens fight of the police, run away and are lead to a garden shed
which is in fact the aliens space ship. Jim and Bob realise that they have forgotten the meat. The police then arrive, but instead of arresting the aliens, give the meat that Jim and Bob left behind. The aliens take the meat and give Jim a special wish. He asks for his uncle and aunt to return to their normal forms. The aliens leave the meat and leave the Earth. When Jim and Bob arrive home, Jim discovers the aliens made his wish come true. His uncle and aunt have returned to their normal forms - as foxes.
had finished. Reeves co-wrote the show with Mortimer under his real name, Jim Moir, which is also the name given to his character. The show was produced as a pilot for Channel 4's Bunch of Five season. The season was the channel's version of the BBC's
Comedy Playhouse
, in which new sitcom ideas were tried out. Out of the five pilots that were broadcast, only one, Blue Heaven
was made into a full series.
The show co-starred several comedians and actors who were unknown at the time, but had worked with Reeves and Mortimer previously and would go on to become famous. These include John Thomson (credited as "John Patrick-Thompson"), Simon Day
(credited as "Tommy Cockles") and Paul Whitehouse
. The show also featured a guest appearance from Phil Oakey, the frontman for The Human League
(credited as "Philip Oakey").
in 1993.
The pilot is seen by fans of the show as an experimental move for Reeves and Mortimer, as it allowed them to perform in a new format. However, Reeves and Mortimer would not do another sitcom until 2004, with their series Catterick
.
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
made for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
starring Vic Reeves
Vic Reeves
James Roderick Moir , better known by the stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer . He is known for his surreal and non sequitur sense of humour....
and Bob Mortimer
Bob Mortimer
Robert "Bob" Renwick Mortimer is an English comedian and actor, who is best known for his double act with Vic Reeves...
broadcast on 17 June 1992. Entitled "The Meat Festival", it was a surreal
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
situation comedy in which two friends, Jim and Bob visit a meat festival taking place in an open field. They are then chased by aliens who want some meat that they have brought to feed their queen.
Plot
Bob visits his friend Jim, who has been going through some hard times. For example, his father has be practing with his ouija boardOuija
The Ouija board also known as a spirit/fire key board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9, the words "yes", "no", "hello" and "goodbye", and other symbols and words are sometimes also added to help personalize the board...
, and brought back his uncle and aunt as a pair of birds. They go down to the local pub (The Farting Dashboard) and discover in the newspaper that there is a meat festival taking place (at St. Prontaprint-in-Arndale). They decide to visit the festival, which consists of two tables in an open field. Jim buys a "Specialty meat product" from Phil Oakey. However, some other people try to buy the meat off him. Jim and Bob refuse, but the men keep trying to take the meat away from him.
When Jim goes to the pub toilets, he and Bob discover that the men are in fact alien beings with Geordie
Geordie
Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants...
accents, who claim they need the meat to feed their queen and keep their race alive. Jim and Bob decide to give them the meat, but the police come and attempt to arrest the aliens for stealing other specialty meat products. Jim, Bob and the aliens fight of the police, run away and are lead to a garden shed
Shed
A shed is typically a simple, single-storey structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobbies, or as a workshop....
which is in fact the aliens space ship. Jim and Bob realise that they have forgotten the meat. The police then arrive, but instead of arresting the aliens, give the meat that Jim and Bob left behind. The aliens take the meat and give Jim a special wish. He asks for his uncle and aunt to return to their normal forms. The aliens leave the meat and leave the Earth. When Jim and Bob arrive home, Jim discovers the aliens made his wish come true. His uncle and aunt have returned to their normal forms - as foxes.
Production
The Weekenders was the first television programme created by Reeves and Mortimer after Vic Reeves Big Night OutVic Reeves Big Night Out
Vic Reeves Big Night Out was a cult British comedy stage show and later TV series which ran on Channel 4 for two series in 1990 and 1991, as well as a New Year special...
had finished. Reeves co-wrote the show with Mortimer under his real name, Jim Moir, which is also the name given to his character. The show was produced as a pilot for Channel 4's Bunch of Five season. The season was the channel's version of the BBC's
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...
Comedy Playhouse
Comedy Playhouse
Comedy Playhouse was a long-running British anthology series of one-off unrelated sitcoms that aired for 120 episodes from 1961 to 1975. Many episodes later graduated to their own series, including Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, All Gas and Gaiters, The Liver Birds, Are You Being Served?...
, in which new sitcom ideas were tried out. Out of the five pilots that were broadcast, only one, Blue Heaven
Blue Heaven
Blue Heaven is a British television sitcom that starred Frank Skinner, Conleth Hill and Paula Wilcox. It featured guest stars such as Bill Bailey, Philip Glenister and John Thomson. It first appeared on Channel 4 as a one-off pilot in the series Bunch of Five in 1992, and was followed by one series...
was made into a full series.
The show co-starred several comedians and actors who were unknown at the time, but had worked with Reeves and Mortimer previously and would go on to become famous. These include John Thomson (credited as "John Patrick-Thompson"), Simon Day
Simon Day
Simon Day is a British comedian most famous for his roles in the sketch show The Fast Show, sitcom Grass and a series of comedic adverts for Powergen.-Life and career:...
(credited as "Tommy Cockles") and Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, The Fast Show. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders...
. The show also featured a guest appearance from Phil Oakey, the frontman for The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
(credited as "Philip Oakey").
Reception
Channel 4 have claimed to have liked The Weekenders and said they would have been willing to let Reeves and Mortimer do a full series, in exchange for a third series of Vic Reeves Big Night Out. However, Reeves and Mortimer were not willing to do another series, having performed the show on stage and on television for five years. As neither side was willing to compromise, a series was never given. This rejection is considered to be one of the main factors for Reeves and Mortimer moving to the BBC, where they created their new show, The Smell of Reeves and MortimerThe Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer was a BBC TV sketch show written by and starring double act Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer. Its first series appeared in 1993 following the duo's move to the BBC after parting company with Channel 4...
in 1993.
The pilot is seen by fans of the show as an experimental move for Reeves and Mortimer, as it allowed them to perform in a new format. However, Reeves and Mortimer would not do another sitcom until 2004, with their series Catterick
Catterick (TV series)
Catterick, aka Vic and Bob in Catterick, is a surreal 2004 BBC situation comedy in 6 episodes, written by and starring Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, with Reece Shearsmith, Matt Lucas, Morwenna Banks, Tim Healy, Mark Benton and Charlie Higson. The series was originally broadcast on BBC Three and...
.
Locations
Several scenes were filmed in areas in Manchester. In one scene Strangeways prison can clearly be seen. Refer to the External Links for links to locations.External links
- Filming Location: Jim's House ~01:15
- Filming Location: Street where Jim and Bob get on the bus ~06:04