Catterick (television)

HOME

TheInfoList

Click Here for Items Related To - Catterick (television)

OR:

Catterick (television) on: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Amazon]

''Catterick'', aka ''Vic and Bob in Catterick'', is a

surreal Surreal may refer to: *Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art * "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki * ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze *Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor ...

2004

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

in 6 episodes, written by and starring Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, with

Reece Shearsmith Reeson Wayne "Reece" Shearsmith (born 27 August 1969) is an English actor, writer and comedian. He is best known for being a member of ''The League of Gentlemen'', alongside Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. With Pemberton, he lat ...

Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series '' Little Britain'' (2003–2006, 2020) and '' Come Fly ...

Morwenna Banks Tamsin Morwenna Banks (born 20 September 1961) is a British comedy actress, writer and producer. She appeared in the Channel 4 comedy sketch show '' Absolutely'', and wrote, produced, and appeared in the British ensemble film ''The Announcemen ...

, Tim Healy,

Mark Benton Mark Benton (born 16 November 1965) is an English actor and television presenter known for his roles as Eddie in ''Early Doors'', Howard in '' Northern Lights'' and Martin Pond in '' Barbara''. Benton has also starred in the BBC One school-based ...

and

Charlie Higson Charles Murray Higson (born 3 July 1958) is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer. He has also written and produced for television and is the author of the ''Enemy'' book series, as well as the first five novels in the ''Young Bo ...

. The series was originally broadcast on

BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, curre ...

and later

rerun A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. There are two types of reruns – those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Variations In the United Kingdom, the word ...

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

. Reeves has said that the BBC do not want another series of ''Catterick'', though he may produce a spin-off centring on the DI Fowler character. The series is named after Catterick in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

, a village which gives it name to the nearby

Catterick Garrison Catterick Garrison is a major garrison and military town south of Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world, with a population of around 13,000 in 2017 and covering over 2,400 acres (about 10& ...

, Britain's largest army base. It is about 10 miles away from

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

, where Reeves grew up, and about 20 miles away from

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...

, where Mortimer grew up.

Character histories

Carl Palmer: Played by

Bob Mortimer Robert Renwick Mortimer (born 23 May 1959) is an English comedian, podcast presenter and actor. He is known for his work with Vic Reeves as part of their Vic and Bob comedy double act, and more recently the '' Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing ...

, Carl is an ex-soldier and has returned home from service in Cyprus. He left because his ex-wife Judy was, according to his brother Chris, "having sly love with a midnight creeper." He never makes it clear what went on in Cyprus. He wants to become reacquainted with his long-lost son, Paul, whom he abandoned when he was just four years old. He becomes attracted to Tess, the receptionist at the Mermade Hotel, when he and Chris go there to stay for a few days. In a similar way to Chris Palmer and DI Fowler (see below), Carl may be the same character as the Carl who is Head of Security for ''The Club'' in the sketches from '' Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer'', though his appearance and mannerisms are not precisely the same (as with Chris and Keith Fowler). However, there is no indication that the Chris and Carl in ''The Club'' are brothers. Chris Palmer: Played by

Vic Reeves James Roderick Moir (born 24 January 1959), better known by his stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, artist, surrealist, musician, actor and television presenter, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer as Reeves & Mortimer. ...

, Chris is Carl's younger brother, and has a big woolly beard. He lives alone in their late mum's house, with only a turkey in a box for company. He had a

George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...

poster, but he ripped it in half, much to Carl's disgust. Chris does not get out much and has a habit of staring at people for no apparent reason. He has a one-man show called "Dreams of Parsimony" which involves him playing flute while climbing onto a chair. He also has a boomerang hidden somewhere, which he is desperate to find. His biggest ambition is to own "luxury pets" such as "a soft white poodle, a lobster, a venison and a silkworm." He has always wanted to stay at the Mermade (sic) Hotel, which is why he and Carl end up stealing Tony's car. Just as DI Fowler below, Chris Palmer is ostensibly exactly the same as a character of the same name in ''The Club''. DI Keith Fowler: The intrepid "American Eagle," played by Vic, DI Fowler is the determined police inspector who is finally living his dream of working for the NYPD (North Yorkshire Police Department). Certain things confuse him, however, such as the not-inconsiderable difference between a Volkswagen Golf and a Range Rover. He also mispronounces words such as "Tupperware" and "Lager", much to the confusion of everyone around. He believes the killer of Neil Wheel to be "a loose cannon... a tithead." Along with his permanently baffled partner Webster (

), he enjoys a night on ecstasy in order to become a "oneness" with the suspect. He gets shot by Tony but survives and regales the nurses in his hospital of how he "blew the lid off Tony Falucci's hydraulics scam!" DI Fowler is fundamentally the same character as Kinky John from ''The Club'' sketches from ''Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer'' – although his profession and name differ, the look (including thick-lensed glasses), the voice and accent, and the demeanour are the same. Roy Oates: Played by Matt Lucas, Roy Oates is the manager of the Mermade Hotel. He is a very bad-tempered man with a strange, indeterminate accent and a ponytail. He has a habit of wearing ridiculous pink boots and constantly puts his feet up on tables and chairs to appear imposing. He is blackmailing the hotel's dogsbody, Mark, with incriminating photos. He has a girlfriend, Tess, who does not really like him very much. He holds one great secret. His penis was chopped off in an incident with the hotel till, and he keeps it in a jar. He hopes to raise enough money to go to Switzerland to have an operation, but the penis gets stolen along with the contents of his safe. Later, he also gets his hand chopped off by a curved blade. Tess: Played by

, Tess is the long-suffering receptionist at the Mermade Hotel. She is also Roy Oates' reluctant girlfriend. She claims that before he had his "accident" he was great fun ("he even introduced me to a barrister,"). She is drawn to Carl, but is not willing to commit. She is addicted to the "gas" from an asthma inhaler, which induces an extremely brief spell of euphoria. She never believes anything anyone says, usually offering a reply along the lines of "You're tickling my turnips" or "You're feeling my fanny." Tony: Played by

, Tony is a dangerous, psychotic armed robber who robs "Neil's Wheels" used car dealership and shoots the owner, Mr Neil Wheel. He is obsessed with keeping his mouth clean, drinking mouthwash and flossing his teeth. His Range Rover car, which contains a briefcase full of the stolen

money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...

, is eventually stolen by Chris and Carl, which provokes Tony to try to track them down and kill them. However, he is dominated by his

mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...

, and he has to placate her before he can go on the rampage. By the end of the series, it turns out that Tony is in fact Carl's long-lost son, Paul Anthony, at which point he is supposed to be dead. Mark: Played by

, Mark is the Mermade Hotel's dogsbody. He is an amiable, mulleted and innocent sort of person. However, his time at the Mermade is miserable. He is a slave to Mr Oates, the hotel manager. After Mark caused an enormous accident at the annual flotilla the previous year, by bathing semi-clad on the rocks and being mistaken for a "sensual woman." Oates captured him on camera and threatens to send the pictures to the press if Mark steps out of line. Mark also runs the Mermade Hotel's jazz-fusion disco night. He eventually helps Chris and Carl escape from the clutches of Tony and leaves the hotel. Dan, Dan The Shellfish Man: Played by Matt Lucas, Dan is a very enthusiastic Cockney shellfish retailer, who specialises in cockles, whelks, winkles and crabsticks. He is, according to Chris, "a nosy git" and helps Carl out in his search for his son. Dan is the only man who knows where Chris' boomerang is. Ian: Played by Tim Healy, Ian is one of the regulars in the

Siberian Khatru "Siberian Khatru" is the third song on the album '' Close to the Edge'' by English progressive rock band Yes. Live versions of the song are included on the albums ''Yessongs'', ''Keys to Ascension'', '' Live at Montreux 2003'' and '' In the Pres ...

pub in

Northallerton Northallerton ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of Mowbray and at the northern end of the Vale of York. It had a population of 16,832 in the 2011 census, an increase ...

. He is very talkative and likes sharing his bizarre stories with anyone within earshot. He very nearly joined a black rock-funk band, "sort of like Osibisa" but decided to stay home and look after his wife, who is freezing cold to the touch and has to be constantly kept warm with electric heaters. Ian finally comes to the realization that his wife has been dead for quite some time, but believes that it could have been the journey to the hospital that truly finished her off. Pat The Barman: Played by

, Pat is the grumpy barman of the Siberian Khatru. He is constantly trying to serve his own brand of van-flattened

Spatchcock Butterflying is a way of preparing meat, fish, or poultry for cooking by cutting it almost in two, but leaving the two parts connected; it is then often boned and flattened. Spatchcocking is a specific method for butterflying poultry that invol ...

Minor characters

Derek (Fanny Fresh Man): Played by Bob, this scraggly haired vagrant is run over by a cross-eyed woman and is strangely attracted to her "Fanny Fresh," which is "prat spray." He is also addicted to "gas" from asthma inhalers. He also seems to have commandeered the local "Pick Your Own" fruit reserve. He is not an American actor. He also spontaneously bursts in on Tess' forest cabin, on his endless quest for "Fanny Fresh!". Derek seems to be another refugee from '' Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer'', originally appearing as Tom Fun's dolorous side-kick in the 'Fun Fun Fun' sketches. In ''Catterick'', his appearance is identical to the earlier incarnation, but his voice and general behaviour are altogether more manic. Sergeant Minge-Munchington: (

Steve Furst Steven Jonathan Furst (born 3 September 1967) is a British comedian, actor and writer. He appeared in the Orange mobile phone cinema adverts in the UK (with Brennan Brown), playing the role of Eliot, a spoof studio executive, and has appeared ...

) one of DI Fowler's hapless officers. Tony's Mum: Tony's mum ( Julie T. Wallace) is very concerned about her son's behaviour, but is more than willing to give him what for if he steps out of line. Glen: ( Frank Jarvis) Another one of the regulars at the Siberian Khatru, Glen never says a word, remains in his wheelchair, and always has a look of shock and awe on his face. He does get excited, however, at the prospect of crabsticks.

Songs

The varied soundtrack featured original music, with

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...

on guitar, and was idiosyncratic in its use of popular music. As well as using songs to punctuate important moments in the plot, or to add surreality – such as the use of "Kinky Boots" by

Patrick Macnee Daniel Patrick Macnee (6 February 1922 – 25 June 2015) was a British film and television actor. After serving in the Royal Navy during World War II, he began his acting career in Canada. Despite having some small film roles, Macnee spent much ...

and

Honor Blackman Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in '' The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 58. (1962� ...

for many of Roy Oates' entrances – once an episode, characters would begin spontaneously lip-synching to songs. These were: *"Working on It" by

Chris Rea Christopher Anton Rea ( ; born 4 March 1951) is an English rock and blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, fie ...

(lip-synched by Mark) *"Satan Rejected My Soul" by

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

(Tony) *"The Sire of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song)" by

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

(Tess) *"Miss You" by

Flanagan and Allen Flanagan and Allen were a British singing and comedy double act most active during the 1930s and 1940s. Its members were Bud Flanagan (1896 – 1968, born Chaim Weintrop) and Chesney Allen (1894–1982). They were first paired in a Florrie For ...

(DI Fowler) *"Hot on the Heels of Heartbreak" by

The Beautiful South The Beautiful South were an English pop rock group formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, two former members of the Hull group The Housemartins, both of whom performed lead and backing vocals. Other members throughout the band's exi ...

(Tess and Carl) *"Only My Soul" by Free (Chris and Cast) The theme tune from Reeves and Mortimer's short-lived

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

gameshow, ''Families at War'', can be heard playing at Mark's disco featured in the second episode of the series.

Hidden prog-rock references

Carl Palmer Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer (born 20 March 1950) is an English drummer best known as founding member and the last surviving member of the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He was also a founding member of progressive rock s ...

, Bob Mortimer's main character is (probably) named after the

Emerson, Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percus ...

drummer *In the opening episode, an elderly man graffitis a bus window with the name

Ginger Baker Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and Music of Africa, Africa ...

(

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

drummer) *The pub, run by Charlie Higson's character, called

, is named after a song by the band Yes *Another

prog-rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

link is the use in Episode 1 of part of a song introduction by the US retro-prog rock band Spock's Beard from their album ''

Snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

''. *Chris Palmer's physical appearance closely resembles

Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder of the rock music, rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, h ...

The Move The Move were a British rock band of the late 1960s and the early 1970s. They scored nine top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any real success in the United States. For most of their caree ...

and

Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical a ...

. *The character Mark wears a City Boy t-shirt in one episode,a minor UK prog band. The British Prog-rock group

Crippled Black Phoenix Crippled Black Phoenix are an English dark rock band, founded by Justin Greaves in 2004. Several musicians have contributed to Crippled Black Phoenix's albums and played with them during their live shows. History In 2004, Justin Greaves, previou ...

sampled Reeve's character DI Fowler in the song "Laying Traps" on the 2012 album ''(Mankind) The Crafty Ape''.

References

External links

* * {{Vic and Bob 2004 British television series debuts 2004 British television series endings 2000s British sitcoms BBC television sitcoms Television shows set in Yorkshire English-language television shows