Brassic (TV Series)

''Brassic'' is a British comedy-drama television series which premiered on Sky One on 22 August 2019 and became Sky's most successful comedy in seven years. The series follows the lives of Vinnie O'Neill (Joe Gilgun) and his friends in the fictional town of Hawley. The first series consists of six episodes, which concluded on 19 September 2019, receiving positive reviews. Other primary cast members include Michelle Keegan, Damien Molony, Tom Hanson, Aaron Heffernan, Ryan Sampson, Parth Thakerar and Dominic West.

Before the first episode had even aired, it was announced that ''Brassic'' had been renewed for a second series, which premiered on 7 May 2020. The show was renewed for an expanded third series of eight episodes; which premiered on 6 October 2021 on Sky Max. In August 2021, prior to the airing of the third series, a fourth began filming and premiered on 7 September 2022. In August 2022, the series was renewed for a fifth series, and started filming that month to premiere in 2023.

The title ''Brassic'' is the colloquial pronunciation of ''Boracic'' as in ''Boracic lint'', a medical dressing, the name of which is Cockney rhyming slang for ''skint'' (i.e. ''insolvent'').

Plot

''Brassic'' follows the lives of Vinnie O'Neill and his five friends as they live their lives in the fictional northern English town of Hawley. The working class group commit various crimes to keep money in their pockets, but as they get older some of them start to wonder if there's more to life away from the town.

Cast and characters

Main

* Joe Gilgun as Vincent "Vinnie" O'Neill
:Vinnie is a disturbed man. He struggles with bipolar disorder and is plagued by his miserable childhood. His mother left when he was young and his alcoholic, safe-blower father raised him the best he could. Vinnie blew his first safe when he was seven years old and has been surviving ever since. He lives alone in a shack in the woods on the outskirts of Hawley. The combination of rural solitude and his firm friendship with Dylan and Erin, helps Vinnie cope with life. He is quick-witted and confident with an eccentric intensity. Vinnie is emotionally intelligent and has a great depth of compassion towards others. He regularly visits his general practitioner, Dr. Chris Cox, who doesn't exactly provide him with the help he is looking for.
* Damien Molony as Dylan
:Dylan is Vinnie's best friend and Erin's boyfriend. He is knowledgeable and skillful at poker. He is in love with Erin and has a close relationship with her son, Tyler. Vinnie is like a brother to Dylan and the one person that truly understands him. Dylan passed up a chance to go to university, as he didn't want to abandon his friends, and, to Erin's frustration, he never matured. He occasionally works at Kath's pub but spends most of his time slacking off.
* Michelle Keegan as Erin Croft
:Erin is open-minded, fiery, and attractive. An unhappy childhood led to a wild child phase in her teenage years that left her alone and pregnant at a young age. However, having her son, Tyler, turned out to be a blessing. Determined to give him all the chances she never had, Erin is studying at college so she can get out of town and start a better life. Erin's boyfriend is Dylan, who she loves, but he struggles to offer her the stability she needs or the future she craves for herself and Tyler. Whilst she has a soft spot for Vinnie, she is aware that his presence is holding her back from her long-term plans.
* Tom Hanson as Leslie "Cardi" Tick
:Cardi is the nice guy. The group affectionately calls him "Cardi" (short for cardiac arrest) due to his obesity and unhealthy diet. He is from a big estate family and when his parents kicked him out, he moved into a flat above the kebab shop: heaven. Cardi is insecure and body-conscious and has been bullied about his weight and stuttering. Cardi met the group through Ash who protected him from a gang of mocking teenagers. His role in the group is that of a runner: fetching gear, and dropping things off. He feels most at home in the kebab shop where he is something of a local hero and celebrated winner of every kebab eating contest. Cardi's other passion is for his pet pigeon Nigel.
* Aaron Heffernan as Ashley "Ash" Dennings
:Ash grew up on a traveller site on the outskirts of Hawley. He comes from a proud fighting family and, raised by his strict mother, he can switch to extreme violence in seconds, which makes him handy to have around as the muscle in the gang. While Ash is openly gay to the lads, he chooses to hide his true sexuality from his family. The boys know his problems and Ash and Vinnie have boxed together for years. Ash finds solace in having mates who accept him completely and it is with the lads that he feels most comfortable.
* Parth Thakerar as Jehan "JJ" Jovani
:JJ is from a small Asian family. His older brothers went into medicine and law but JJ takes after his father who is the black sheep in the family. After a failed attempt at college, going to purely impress his mother, JJ set up his own motor workshop in Hawley. To keep the more legitimate side of his business afloat, he relies on Vinnie to bring him dubiously acquired cars. He chops them up and sells them on for parts and spares. JJ is happy to partake in dodgy dealing and his place in the gang is cemented as the fixer and technician of the group.
* Ryan Sampson as Tommo
:Tommo is a loner but very content with his lifestyle. He has no family and he is happiest when he is wanking or shagging. Turning his passion into a business, he makes money holding secret S&M nights for rich local businessmen, barristers, and brigadiers. Tommo is a free spirit: he does what he wants, when he wants, and is the one in the gang who never cares what people think.
* Steve Evets as Farmer Jim
:A farmer who allows Vinnie to grow his cannabis plants in an underground bunker at his farm and joins the gang on some of their hilarious escapades.
* Dominic West as Dr. Chris Coxley
:Vinnie's general practitioner who he ends up developing a close bond with. He does not actually offer Vinnie any constructive advice though the pair agree to help mentor each other, as Dr. Chris also reveals his obsession with knees.
* Anthony Welsh as Jake (series 1–2)
:A classmate of Erin's at college. He shows an interest in her, who reveals she is in a relationship and is a mother. He develops a friendship with her in series 1, which turns into a relationship in series 2, after she splits with Dylan. This ends after his brother Aaron makes sexual advances toward her and subsequently attacks her.
* Ruth Sheen as Kath (series 1)
:Kath is the pub landlady at the local pub that the group goes to. She is very sociable, having known them all for years, and is aware of everyone's issues.
* Ramon Tikaram as Terence McCann (series 2–3; guest series 1)
:A local career criminal and businessman who Vinnie steals from. He threatens to cut Vinnie's penis off if he does not repay him the value of the stolen goods, which results in Vinnie faking his own death. In series 2, McCann decides to forgive Vinnie and gets him to work for him, surprisingly satisfied with Vinnie's fake death and runs from his goons.
* Bronagh Gallagher as Carol Dennings (series 2–present; guest series 1)
:Carol is Ash's sister. She shows an interest in Cardi, which leads to a relationship in series 2 and subsequent engagement.
* Tadhg Murphy as Gary (series 3–present; guest series 1–2)
:The local undertaker who collects unique body parts and has an artificial eye.
* India Mullen as Samantha (series 3)
:A barmaid who becomes close with Vinnie. She is later revealed to be an undercover police officer tasked with bringing Vinnie and his friends to justice.
* Joanna Higson as Sugar (series 4; recurring series 1–3)
:A stripper and friend of Erin, who ends up managing the club with her, known as "The Rat and Cutter".

Recurring

* Jude Riordan as Tyler Croft
:Erin and Vinnie's son, who was conceived after a drunken one-night stand. At the beginning of the first series, he and Vinnie are unaware of his father's identity, which is revealed towards the end of the series. Erin refers to him as "not exactly planned but the best mistake". He is close to Dylan and later has a father-son relationship with Vinnie from series 2.
* Tim Dantay as Vinnie's Dad (series 1–2; guest series 4)
:Vinnie's alcoholic father. He was not the perfect father to Vinnie during his childhood but did the best he could. He considered suicide in series 2 after splitting with his girlfriend Vanessa, devastating Vinnie, who in turn sent him to rehab.
* Claude Scott-Mitchell as Sara (series 2)
:Dylan's girlfriend in series 2. He breaks up with her after he reunites with Erin.
* Oliver Wellington as Aaron (series 2)
:Jake's brother who takes an interest in Erin. He makes sexual advances toward her though she shows no interest in him; he later attacks her, resulting in Vinnie viciously beating him.
* John Weaver as PC Carl Slater (series 3; guest series 1–2)
:A police officer who is Vinnie's arch-enemy since their childhood.

Production

Development

Joseph Gilgun and Danny Brocklehurst devised a new comedy television series for Sky One, entitled ''Brassic'', in which Gilgun would portray the lead role whereas Brocklehurst would write the episodes' stories and scripts. It began broadcasting in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2019, with the first series consisting of six episodes, broadcast on a weekly basis. Prior to the first episode being aired, the programme was automatically recommissioned for a second series, with producers optimistic that it would be critically reviewed in a positive manner. They were correct, with many critics praising the series for its comedic and dramatic tone; the first series ended its run on 19 September.

On 24 April 2020, Sky released the second series' trailer, confirming that it would begin broadcasting on 7 May that year. It was confirmed that it would also broadcast six episodes with all of them becoming available to be streamed through NOW TV from its premiere date, though would officially be broadcast on a weekly basis through Sky. Prior to series 2 commencing its broadcast, Sky recommissioned the series for an expanded third series, consisting of eight episodes; a projected release date was not disclosed.

Casting

After Gilgun was announced as the series lead, Michelle Keegan, Damien Molony, Tom Hanson, Aaron Heffernan, Ryan Sampson and Parth Thakerar joined the cast in fellow main character roles. The characters include Vincent "Vinnie" O'Neill (Gilgun), Erin Croft (Keegan), Dylan (Molony), "Cardi" (Hanson), Ash (Heffernan), Tommo (Sampson) and JJ (Thakerar), whereas Dominic West and Bronagh Gallagher also portrayed assisting roles throughout the series, starring as Doctor Chris Cox and Carol, respectively.

For series 2, Claude Scott-Mitchell joined the cast in the role of Sara, a new romance for Maloney's character. All series 1 cast members reprised their roles, with ''Cold Feet'' star John Thomson and Bill Paterson also joining the cast as newcomers. West also reprised his role, now portraying a more regular character.

Filming

The programme is set in the fictional town of Hawley, which is inspired by Gilgun's experience of growing up in Chorley. Regarding the setting, location manager Jonathan Davies stated, "We were given the scripts and a few of us had a meeting with Joe ilgunto talk through the feel and look of the show and to talk about which direction to go in. It's a very collaborative process to build a world that fits with the story and script. People want to feel like they're being transported into that real world of ''Brassic''."

The first two series of ''Brassic'' were filmed in the Lancashire town of Bacup. Filming of the first series began in September 2018, with a fan tweeting, "As if Michelle Keegan is filming in Bacup, love her". The filming location surprised locals, as not many were informed about the programme filming there and who the cast members were, with one local stating, "There were quite a few people including myself watching and it was causing a few traffic problems as people kept stopping. Michelle Keegan was there surrounded by security guards and there was a Mercedes van ready to take her away when she was done". Further filming locations included some scenes being filmed in Bolton, the Crows Nest pub scenes are filmed in The Star and Garter public house near Manchester Piccadilly station whereas the inaugural episode's notable car-chase opening scene was shot in West Yorkshire. Yacht journey was filmed at the sea near Llandudno.

On the day of the programme's premiere, Gilgun revealed that filming for the second series had already begun prior to the first series airing, with them supposedly having a previously confidential agreement with Sky weeks before. Filming continued through the entire autumn of 2019, with all previous filming locations from series 1 continuing, and locations also expanding across the North West of England.

Gilgun revealed in an interview that the cast and crew had caused controversy during filming, when they were "kicked out" of a circus after a single day of filming, which resulted in the crew having to film the remaining scenes in a car park; Gilgun later stated that the circus were unaware of the amount of cast and crew that the production team were going to bring.

Marketing

The first series' trailer was released by Sky One on 13 August 2019, which included minor clips containing comedic scenes from a variety of episodes and confirmed its release date of 22 August; this trailer was continuously shown on all Sky platforms in the days prior to its premiere.

On 24 April 2020, Sky began to screen the second series' trailer, once again briefly showing clips for the new series and confirming its premiere date of 7 May.

Release

Broadcast

''Brassic'' made its television debut in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2019; all episodes were available to be streamed on demand from the premiere date though was broadcast on a weekly basis by Sky One.

Internationally, the programme has been aired in France, from 16 September; Spain, from 24 September through internet streaming; Germany, from 1 January 2020 through internet streaming; Australia from 25 February 2020, Canada, Russia and the United States. In Russia, it is titled as ''Голяк''.

A third series began filming in late 2020 in and around Manchester.

Home media

All episodes are available to be viewed through the Sky Go and Amazon Video apps. The entire boxset is also available on NOW TV and Virgin Media in the United Kingdom. On 31 July 2020 all episodes became available in the U.S. via Hulu.

On 27 August 2019, it was announced that the complete first series would release to DVD on 30 September.

Reception

Critical response

Lucy Mangan of ''The Guardian'', reviewing the series, gave it four out of five stars, saying: "It is a hilarious, warm, brutal melange that works because it has heart without sentimentality and authenticity without strain."

Creator and lead actor Joseph Gilgun has been praised for his performance as Vinnie O'Neill, with review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes commenting, "Joseph Gilgun is wonderfully expressive as Vinnie, his volatile features continually scrunching together and apart like the top of a drawstring bag."

Accolades

See also

*Television in the United Kingdom

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Brassic
2019 British television series debuts
2010s British sitcoms
2020s British sitcoms
Bipolar disorder in fiction
English-language television shows
Sky UK original programming
Television shows set in England