(* denotes a script
credit)
GREAT EXPECTATIONS (BBC1) 2023
I played a vicar in this atmospheric adaptation of the novel by Charles Dickens.
THE CAPTURE 2
(BBC 1) 2022
I played a translator in this excellent conspiracy thriller.
THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT
(NETFLIX) 2020
I played Mr Hume, a
Biology teacher giving dietary advice, in this
brilliant adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel.
HOLBY
CITY (BBC1) 2020
I played Gideon
Spinks, a statistically concerned patient, in
this long-running BBC medical drama.
A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL
(BBC) 2018
I played a BBC Radio
journalist, interviewing Hugh Grant as Jeremy
Thorpe, in this brilliant political drama.
STILL STAR-CROSSED (ABC)
2017
I played a cathedral
caretaker in Episode 7 of this American TV
series inspired by Romeo and Juliet.
TABOO (BBC1) 2017
I played a lawyer's
clerk in this thrilling adventure about the East
India Company.
DOCTOR THORNE (ITV1) 2016
I played an election
agent in this sumptuous adaptation of Anthony
Trollope's novel.
BRILLIANTMAN! (SKY ARTS)
2015
I played a man in a cafe pushing a pea around a
plate in Kevin Eldon's wonderful silent comedy.
There's a review of the show here.
MAN DOWN (C4) 2015
I play Maxwell, a very big-eared chap in a
support group, which Greg Davies' character Dan
joins unwillingly.
This was a joy to be a part of - such a
lovely cast and crew and what an excellent
sitcom.
It's on ALL 4 on demand and you
can see a photo on my GALLERY
page.
BADULTS (BBC3) 2014
Pappy's are a brilliant team of writers and
performers and I was super-delighted to be on
their flatshare sitcom.
Then they said I would have to sing. Oh.
I played an actor called Dominic, researching,
and then playing, the role of Matthew in Tom's
Charlie Kaufman-esque recreation of the flat.
The BBC Badults page has some
clips from the show.
Luckily, none of them feature my singing.
Pics here on the GALLERY
page.
THE
IT CROWD (C4) 2013
I turn up as one of Moss's boardgame videoblog
review buddies in the special last ever episode
of this brilliant sitcom (The Internet is
Coming).
I wear a remarkable T-shirt and a horrendous
beard (see my GALLERY
page). It was excellent!
In a previous episode I was a Calendar Geek - I
cavorted with balloons.
And eagle-eyed users of DVD extras might spot me
as a nerd fighting teacher...
ALL 4 on demand has the
final episode (and all the others...)
COUNT ARTHUR STRONG (BBC2)
2013
I was the world's worst police sketch artist in
this excellent show. I didn't do all the
sketches, I have to say. It was great to do a
scene with Ben Willbond (who I worked with on
Talking and Not Talking) and Rory Kinnear, who
is just tremendous.
The BBC Count Arthur Strong
page has plenty of clips from the show.
And there are a couple of photos on my GALLERY page.
LITTLE
HOWARD'S BIG QUESTION (CBBC) 2011
I play the world's most boring man in Howard
Read's fab show for kids and adults. The
episode's Big Question is "How can I be in two
places at once?" and involves custard.
I loved being
in this show - Here's me covered in cake
and here's the BBC Little Howard's Big
Question page
THE DOUBLE LIFE OF SAKI
(BBC4) 2007
I read excerpts of letters
and stories for this wonderful
documentary about the life of Hector
Munro, aka Saki.
The show was broadcast as part of BBC4's
Edwardian Season.
*DOLLBY CITY (CBBC 1)
2007
After meeting a comedy
producer at a sketch show in January 2006
and hearing that Childrens BBC were looking
for new ideas for a set of comedy labs, I
came up with the idea of setting a medical
drama in a toy hospital. Casualty with teddy
bears, basically. And they bought it! It was
filmed in August 2006 with a great cast of
actors and went out in March 2007 as part of
Gina's Laughing Gear.
TOP TEN SCI-FI SHOWS
(Channel 4) 2001
I was a
guest on this Saturday evening slot
filler and very happy I was too.
I got to talk about old programmes
like Tomorrow People and Space 1999
and instead of being told to shut up,
I was broadcast on national TV.
Keep being a geek is the lesson here,
kids.
One day you too could have an opinion
worth listening to!
*THE
GREAT WEB RACE (Pilot for Ideal World TV)
2000
This was a
pilot gameshow for E4. Hosted by Emily
Booth, one of the stars of Bits and
now Horror TV maven, it was a quiz
where all the answers had to be found
by using the World Wide Web.
I had a lot of fun as the 'expert' in
the corner, but unfortunately E4
decided not to buy the idea as a
series.
TIME GENTLEMEN PLEASE (SKY
One) 2000
I used to do
a double act with the fantastic Al
Murray and we've stayed good friends
ever since.
His Pub Landlord character is a work
of genius and this sitcom (co-written
by Rich Herring) was very funny
indeed. I was in an episode called
'Day of the Triv-heads' and I played a
computer nerd called Brian O'Green. I
don't know where they got the name
from.
It was great fun to film and the whole
cast on the show were brilliant.
*SKY
ROCKET (SKY One) 2000
This was Sky
One's interactive Saturday night
strand to link all their animated
shows. I wrote and performed a series
of short segments about the truth
behind science fiction ideas and what
would happen if they were for real.
They were very stylishly shot and the
whole Sky Rocket thing looked
excellent.
*CONSUMO! (Pilot for
Ginger TV) 1998
*CONSUMO! (Pilot for Yorkshire TV) 1999
The
Special Projects team (Dave Green, Danny
O'Brien and I) wrote and presented two pilots
of this brilliant idea.
A mix of broken comedy about shopping and
products and semi-serious investigations into
how and why we consume what we do, at the time
it was the best concept I've ever been
involved in.
We
first developed it at Ginger TV and shot
a version where I co-hosted with the
brilliant and funny Sara Cox.
Producer Gill Wilson then took the show
to Yorkshire TV to make another pilot
which we shot in Leeds.
Emma Kennedy co-hosted this time and was
also delightful.
*COMEDY NATION (BBC2) 1997
I appeared
in a few sketches for this (not quite
as low budget as Planet Mirth, but
nearly) late night BBC2 show.
I wrote a few too. One about truant
policemen who hang around in parks and
hate solving crime because it's
boooring.
One about people swapping shirts like
footballers at the end of games in
inappropriate situations.
Lots of good things came out of this
show.
*PLANET
MIRTH (ITV) 1997
A
co-production with the Sci-Fi Channel,
this was just about the lowest budget
sci-fi themed comedy sketch show of
all time.
The economic considerations, the time
restraints and the shooting and
writing constraints meant it was never
going to be Star Wars, but there are
lots of little things in the show I
like.
I did a series of sketches as a
teacher explaining the truth about
science fiction to his class and they
were good fun.
Also a writer with terrible movie
ideas who just keeps on pitching them.
Emma Kennedy has gone onto marvellous
things and Rudy Lickwood and Milton
Jones are both brilliant stand-ups.
CITY CENTRAL (BBC1) 1997
I played a
vegetarian protester in one episode of
this cop drama. They often had bizarre
subplots and mine was pretty good.
For some reason I was dressed as 'Wally'
from 'Where's Wally?' (Waldo, in the
States) and this became a running gag. I
handcuffed myself to a meat counter but
gave the police the keys to my cuffs.
What a fool. It was great fun to do and
the cast and crew were just lovely.
MEN BEHAVING BADLY (BBC1)
1996
In an
episode called 'Cowardice' I played a
Fightogram man. I'm only in the one
scene right at the end, but still.
I had big mutton chops at the time as
I'd just been filming a Vodafone
commercial with Kyle MacLachlan in
Wales where I was a scary shepherd.
*OFF LIMITS
(C4) 1995
I wrote and acted
in a schools show for Channel 4 about
work experience called 'When Roger Met
Karen.'
Luisa Bradshaw from 'This Life' was in
it too and she was great.
The programme looks fantastic
(directed by the awesome Audrey Cooke)
and a lot of the gags came over very
well indeed.
FIST OF FUN (BBC2) 1994-95
I did quite
a few sketches for Lee and Herring's
brilliant series.
In the pilot (I was in a lot of pilots
for great comedy shows) I was a mad
man in the audience talking about my
imaginary friend.
We did this again in the run of the
show.
I was an Urban Man, running around in
my pants in the cold.
I was in the Boy who Cried Wolf
sketch.
They are brilliant comedians and
lovely men and the actor Kevin Eldon
and Peter Baynham are likewisely
marvellous.
DVDs of Series 1 and Series 2 are now
available from the wonderful folk at Go
Faster Stripe!
THE FRIDAY NIGHT ARMISTICE
(BBC2) 1995
I appeared
in a couple of items for this show
which also went out as THE SATURDAY
NIGHT ARMISTICE depending on the night
of the week they broadcast it.
In the unbroadcast pilot episode I sat
at one side of the stage and judged
things as either good or bad, right or
wrong, or whatever, by flicking
through a rolodex of all information.
Eventually the item was run during the
series except this time I was in a
tennis umpire's chair high above the
studio, calling the other contributors
on whether their gags were in or out.
In a later series I played a Tory MP,
locked in a tank into which were
placed single mothers, refugees, the
homeless etc to see how upset they
would make me.
KNOWING
ME, KNOWING YOU WITH ALAN PARTRIDGE (BBC2)
1994
In the
episode where Alan takes the show to
Paris, I am a member of Cirque des
Clunes. This involved a tricky bit of
lurid and unpleasant mime,
choreographed by Dave Schneider, and
then some upstaging of Alan as he
tried to do his link.
We also did a version of this for the
non-broadcast pilot show.
WATCH ON EWETOOB.
THE SILENT TWINS 2022
I played a psychiatric doctor in this beautiful and poignant film
THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM 2016
I played a cab driver
in this adaptation of Peter Ackroyd's novel
A MONSTER CALLS 2016
