''No Commitments'' is a radio drama written by

Simon Brett Simon Anthony Lee Brett OBE FRSL (born 28 October 1945 in Worcester Park, Surrey, England) is a British author of detective fiction, a playwright, and a producer-writer for television and radio. As an author, he is best known for his mystery s ...

, originally broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

and now on BBC Radio 4 Extra. It ran for 13 series, starting in 1992. The sitcom portrays the day-to-day lives of three very different sisters. All 13 series are now available as audiobooks.

Main characters

*Anna is the eldest and most level-headed of the three sisters. Having cared for her father for some years, on his death she inherited the family home. Generally happy and contented with life, she suddenly finds herself free to put herself first for once, now she genuinely has ''No Commitments'', despite her sisters' belief that she requires their assistance in managing her personal life. She works as receptionist to Eddie, a misogynistic dentist. *Victoria lives out her rôle as the

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...

housewife A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home—housekeeping, which includes caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; making, buying an ...

Beckenham Beckenham () is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley, in Greater London. Until 1965 it was part of the historic county of Kent. It is located south-east of Charing Cross, situated north of Elmers End and E ...

, a

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

suburb. With her dull long-suffering financial director husband Roger, and their three children, Emily, Harriet and Benjy, she tries to maintain the family's social reputation, at all costs. Emily (who over time grows from a child to a young mother) finds her aunt Anna a more sympathetic confidante than her mother. Of the other children, Harriet features once and Benjy is not heard from at all in the series. *Charlotte is the youngest sister, and longs to be a famous

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. Lacking somewhat in both talent and self-awareness, she stumbles from one small acting rôle to the next, finally finding a small amount of success in a little-known

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

. She seems to progress through serial lovers at about the same rate, often with the expectation that the

casting couch The casting couch is a euphemism for the practice of soliciting sexual favors from a job applicant in exchange for employment in the entertainment industry, primarily acting roles. The practice is illegal in the United States. Predominantly m ...

will lead to the bed, or vice versa. She has one daughter, Gisele, the result of a brief marriage to an Australian actor, who has more success in her parents' profession after a period working for charities in Africa. Like Benjy, Gisele is never heard from directly.

Cast and crew

Regular cast

* Anna –

Rosemary Leach Rosemary Anne Leach (18 December 1935 – 21 October 2017) was a British stage, television and film actress. She won the 1982 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play for ''84, Charing Cross Road'' and was nominated for the BAFTA Award fo ...

* Victoria :

Nicola Pagett Nicola Mary Pagett Scott (15 June 1945 – 3 March 2021), known professionally as Nicola Pagett, was a British actress, known for her role as Elizabeth Bellamy in the 1970s TV drama series '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971–1973), as well as being ...

(series 1–5) :

Angela Thorne Angela Margaret Leslie Thorne (born 25 January 1939) is an English actress of stage, television and film who is best known for her roles in '' To the Manor Born'', as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton's best friend Marjory Frobisher, and as Margaret Thatc ...

(series 6–13) * Charlotte :

Celia Imrie Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author. She was described in 2003 as one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' f ...

(series 1, 3–8, 10, 12) :

Josie Lawrence Josie Lawrence (born Wendy Lawrence; 6 June 1959) is an English actress and comedian. She is best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' and as Manda Best in ...

(series 2) :

Felicity Montagu Felicity Jane Montagu (born 12 September 1960) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Lynn Benfield, the long-suffering assistant of Alan Partridge. Early life Montagu was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, to Lieutenant-Co ...

(series 9, 11, 13) * Roger : Stephen Moore (series 1) :

Roger Lloyd-Pack Roger Anthony Lloyd-Pack (8 February 1944 – 16 January 2014) was an English actor. He is best known for playing Trigger in ''Only Fools and Horses'' from 1981 to 2003, and Owen Newitt in '' The Vicar of Dibley'' from 1994 to 2007. He later st ...

(series 2) :

Jonathan Coy Jonathan Coy (born 24 April 1953, in Hammersmith, London) is a British actor. He has worked since 1975 largely in television, notably as Henry in the long-running legal series '' Rumpole of the Bailey'' and as Bracegirdle in the television ser ...

(series 3, 4, 12, 13) :

Bill Nighy William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Nighy started his career with the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre starting with '' The Illuminatus!'' in 1977. There he ...

(series 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) * Eddie – James Greene * Delia (series 1) –

Maxine Audley Maxine Audley (29 April 1923 – 23 July 1992) was an English theatre and film actress. She made her professional stage debut in July 1940 at the Open Air Theatre. Audley performed with the Old Vic company and the Royal Shakespeare Company many ...

* Emily : Lisa Coleman (series 2–4, 6–13) :

Natalie Walter Natalie Walter (born 24 December 1979) is a British actress and writer who is best known for her film, theatre and television roles. During her career, Walter has worked with film and theatre directors including Peter Hall (director), Peter Hall ...

(series 5) * Nick – Kieran Hill (series 10–13)

Production

*Music – Elizabeth Parker of the

BBC Radiophonic Workshop The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was one of the sound effects units of the BBC, created in 1958 to produce incidental sounds and new music for radio and, later, television. The unit is known for its experimental and pioneering work in electroni ...

*Producer : Paul Schlesinger (series 1, 2) : Anne Jobson (series 3, 4) : Maria Esposito (series 5, 6) :

(series 10–13)

Episode list

{, class="wikitable" !Series!!Episode!!Title!!First broadcast!!Additional cast , - , rowspan="6", 1, , 1, , ''Sisters Of Mercy'', , 9 January 1992, , , - , 2, , ''Empty Vessels'', , 16 January 1992, , Patrick –

Andrew Wincott Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...

, - , 3, , ''A Nice Civilized Evening'', , 23 January 1992, , Dr Fenton –

Benjamin Whitrow Benjamin John Whitrow (17 February 1937 – 28 September 2017) was an English actor. He was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his role as Mr Bennet in the 1995 BBC version of ''Pride and Prejudice'', and voiced the role of Fo ...

, Melvyn – Ronald Herdman, The Two Hilarys – Mark Straker, Theresa Streatfeild , - , 4, , ''Cracks In The Varnish'', , 30 January 1992, , Malcolm –

Robert Bathurst Robert Guy Bathurst (born 22 February 1957) is an English actor. Bathurst was born in The Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1957, where his father was working as a management consultant. In 1959 his family moved to Ballybrack, Dublin, Ireland and Bath ...

, Dr Radford –

Peter Penry-Jones Peter David Penry Jones (20 May 1938 – 11 March 2009) was a Welsh actor, born in Cardiff. Career Jones's television credits include: ''Colditz'', '' The Professionals'', '' To the Manor Born “Connections in High Places”,'' '' Bergerac'', ' ...

, Georgio –

Nicholas Murchie Lucy Jane Robinson (born 1966) is a British actress working mostly in television. Her television roles include Louisa Hurst in ''Pride and Prejudice'' (1995), Robyn Duff in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth series of ''Cold Feet' ...

, - , 5, , ''Old Embers'', , 6 February 1992, , Guy – David Swift, Wilson – Neil Roberts , - , 6, , ''A Complete Break'', , 13 February 1992, , Patrick –

, Mrs Motson – Alison Reid , - , rowspan="6", 2, , 1, , ''Frail Memorials'', , 29 July 1993, , Judy – Theresa Gallagher, John Lassiter – Dominic Letts, Jeremy – Ronald Herdman , - , 2, , ''Bright Lights'', , 5 August 1993, , Jeremy – Ronald Herdman, Georgio – Dominic Letts , - , 3, , ''The Big Break'', , 12 August 1993, , Dan –

, Terry – Theresa Gallagher , - , 4, , ''Bed And Breakfast'', , 19 August 1993, , Lady Dunn – Jilly Mears, Gareth – William Osborne, Sir James – Philip Anthony , - , 5, , ''Affair Exchange'', , 26 August 1993, , Tim –

Simon Treves Frederick Simon Treves (born 19 June 1957) is an English actor, director and writer, best known for playing Harold 'Stinker' Pinker in three series of ITV's ''Jeeves and Wooster''. In 2018 he played Aleister Crowley in the short film ''Boca ...

, Georgio – David Thorpe , - , 6, , ''Twice Bitten'', , 2 September 1993, , Gordon – John Baddeley , - , rowspan="6", 3, , 1, , ''Time Shift'', , 24 November 1994, , Will – David Antrobus, Georgio – Michael Tudor-Barnes , - , 2, , ''Material Values'', , 1 December 1994, , , - , 3, , ''Talking Shop'', , 8 December 1994, , Lallie –

Rachel Atkins Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...

, - , 4, , ''An Ill Wind'', , 15 December 1994, , , - , 5, , ''Seasonal Adjustment'', , 22 December 1994, , Tibor – Jonathan Keeble , - , 6, , ''A Man Who Cares'', , 29 December 1994, , Pete – Derek Waring, Derek – Ian Masters , - , rowspan="6", 4, , 1, , ''A Nip In The Air'', , 24 July 1996, , Burton – Kim Wall , - , 2, , ''Educated Guesswork'', , 31 July 1996, , , - , 3, , ''Faith, Hope And Very Little Charity'', , 7 August 1996, , , - , 4, , ''One Gets Better'', , 14 August 1996, , Harriet –

Kelda Holmes Kelda Louisa Holmes (born 1971 in Westminster, England) is an English actress best known for playing Sarah Jackson in the Children's ITV television programme ''Press Gang''. Towards the end of series 4, Holmes's character wished to leave the ...

, - , 5, , ''Not A Leg To Stand On'', , 21 August 1996, , , - , 6, , ''Two At A Time'', , 28 August 1996, , Martin –

Geoffrey Whitehead Geoffrey Whitehead (born 1 October 1939) is an English actor. He has appeared in a range of television, film and radio roles. In the theatre, he has played at Shakespeare's Globe, St Martin's Theatre and the Bristol Old Vic. Early life Whiteh ...

, Jason – Joshua Towb , - , rowspan="6", 5, , 1, , ''Family Business'', , 9 July 1998, , , - , 2, , ''Who You Know'', , 16 July 1998, , , - , 3, , ''Charity Begins At Home'', , 23 July 1998, , Imelda –

Buffy Davis Buffy is a pet form of the female given name Elizabeth. Buffy or Buffie may also refer to: People Given name * Buffie Carruth (born 1977), American model and fitness instructor * Buffy Tyler (born 1978), Playboy playmate * Buffy Wicks (born 1 ...

, Des Kitchin –

Dave Lamb David Alexander Lamb (born 17 January 1969) is an English actor, comedian, narrator and presenter. He is best known for his narration work on '' Come Dine with Me'' as well as appearances in British television and radio programmes, especially co ...

, - , 4, , ''Surprise Surprise'', , 30 July 1998, , , - , 5, , ''Running In The Family'', , 6 August 1998, , Nigel –

Jon Glover Jonathan Philip Glover (born 26 December 1952) is an English actor. He has appeared in various television programmes including '' Play School'', '' Survivors'', the Management consultant in '' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'', '' Casual ...

, - , 6, , ''Rallying Round'', , 13 August 1998, , Stuart –

Edward de Souza Edward James de Souza (born 4 September 1932) is a British character actor and graduate of RADA, who is of Portuguese-Indian and English descent. Early life De Souza was the only child of Annie Adeline Swift (née Calvert) and Edward Valentine De ...

, - , rowspan="6", 6, , 1, , ''Make My Day'', , 14 July 1999, , Stuart –

, Rupert –

Christian Rodska Christian Rodska (born Christian Rodskjaer; 5 September 1945) is an English actor who has appeared in many television and radio series and narrated a number of audiobooks, including Sir Winston Churchill's Nobel Prize winning ''The Second World W ...

, - , 2, , ''Excess Baggage'', , 21 July 1999, , Stuart –

, Claudia –

Joanna Monro Joanna Monro (born 1956) is a British actress and former television presenter who, in the 1980s, appeared on the BBC show '' That's Life!'' with Esther Rantzen. In 1974 she appeared in the '' Doctor Who'' story ''Planet of the Spiders'', followed ...

, - , 3, , ''Making It Better'', , 28 July 1999, , Mark – Will Ing , - , 4, , ''Retiring Types'', , 4 August 1999, , , - , 5, , ''Spreading Wings'', , 11 August 1999, , the secretary – Jane Gibson, the waiter – Alan Cowan , - , 6, , ''Growing Away'', , 18 August 1999, , , - , rowspan="6", 7, , 1, , ''Supporting Parts'', , 31 January 2001, , , - , 2, , ''A Family Lunch'', , 7 February 2001, , , - , 3, , ''Soft Soap'', , 14 February 2001, , , - , 4, , ''Reflected Glory'', , 21 February 2001, , , - , 5, , ''The Wedding Party'', , 28 February 2001, , , - , 6, , ''Soap Bubbles'', , 7 March 2001, , , - , rowspan="6", 8, , 1, , ''Fresh Starts'', , 2 January 2002, , , - , 2, , ''New Age Differences'', , 9 January 2002, , , - , 3, , ''My Turn Now'', , 16 January 2002, , , - , 4, , ''Wanderlust'', , 23 January 2002, , , - , 5, , ''Impossibly High Standards'', , 30 January 2002, , , - , 6, , ''All Roads Lead To Rome'', , 6 February 2002, , , - , rowspan="6", 9, , 1, , ''Ill Of The Dead'', , 1 January 2003, , , - , 2, , ''Changing Lives'', , 8 January 2003, , , - , 3, , ''Imaginary Friends'', , 15 January 2003, , , - , 4, , ''Meeting The Family'', , 22 January 2003, , , - , 5, , ''Houseroom'', , 29 January 2003, , , - , 6, , ''Coming Clean'', , 5 February 2003, , , - , rowspan="6", 10, , 1, , ''The Real World'', , 28 January 2004, , , - , 2, , ''Rules Of Engagement'', , 4 February 2004, , Mrs Pinchbeck – Sheila Mitchell, the vicar – Richard Syms , - , 3, , ''Time With The Family'', , 11 February 2004, , Brian – James Vaughan, Kathryn – Bridget McConnel , - , 4, , ''A Bride Too Far'', , 18 February 2004, , , - , 5, , ''A Marriage Of Inconvenience'', , 25 February 2004, , , - , 6, , ''The Ring Cycle'', , 3 March 2004, , , - , rowspan="6", 11, , 1, , ''Accentuate The Positive'', , 19 January 2005, , , - , 2, , ''Foreign Affairs'', , 26 January 2005, , , - , 3, , ''A Life More Ordinary'', , 2 February 2005, , Derek – Roland Davies , - , 4, , ''Hard Times'', , 9 February 2005, , Lydia Grucock –

Richenda Carey Richenda Carey (born 9 April 1948 in Bitton, Gloucestershire) is a British actress who is mostly known for her roles in '' Monarch of the Glen'', ''Jeeves and Wooster'', Darling Buds of May, '' Crush'' and more recently, ''Separate Lies'' and ' ...

, George – Bruce Alexander , - , 5, , ''Taking Chances'', , 16 February 2005, , Melissa –

Judy Flynn Judy Flynn is a British actress. She is known for her roles as seamstress Madge Howell in the BBC drama ''The House of Eliott'' (1991–94), and as the secretary Julie in the BBC sitcom '' The Brittas Empire'' (1992–97). Her other television ...

, - , 6, , ''Ill Winds'', , 23 February 2005, , Melissa –

, - , rowspan="6", 12, , 1, , ''Settling Down'', , 26 April 2006, , French voice – Marianne Borgo , - , 2, , ''Darling Daughters'', , 3 May 2006, , Jeff –

Stephen Thorne Stephen John Thorne (2 March 1935 – 26 May 2019) was a British actor of radio, film, stage, and television. He was best known for his regular BBC Radio 4 work and audiobook recordings, and for his portrayals of several ''Doctor Who'' villains ...

, - , 3, , ''Misalliances'', , 10 May 2006, , Paddy – Bill Wallace , - , 4, , ''Upstaging'', , 17 May 2006, , Brian – James Vaughan, Kathryn – Bridget McConnel , - , 5, , ''Soft Soap'', , 24 May 2006, , Jeff –

, Mr Darnley – Colin Starkey, George – Bruce Alexander, Felicity Titterill – Susan Jameson , - , 6, , ''Game, Set And Match'', , 31 May 2006, , French voice – Marianne Borgo , - , rowspan="6", 13, , 1, , ''Age Differences'', , 11 April 2007, , Max –

, - , 2, , ''Old School'', , 18 April 2007, , George – Bruce Alexander, Stranks, PW –

Chris Emmett Christopher Roderick Emmett (born 13 December 1938 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire) is a British actor and comedian best known for his work in the late 1970s on the BBC Radio 4 comedies ''The Burkiss Way'' and '' Alison and Maud''. He was a regular o ...

, - , 3, , ''Model Behaviour'', , 25 April 2007, , George – Bruce Alexander, Felicity – Susan Jameson, Moira –

, - , 4, , ''A Voice from the Past'', , 2 May 2007, , Brian – James Vaughan, Kathryn –

Bridget McConnell Bridget Mary McConnell, Baroness McConnell of Glenscorrodale, (born 28 May 1958) is a Scottish cultural administrator and current Chief Executive Officer oGlasgow Life the charity responsible for delivering culture and sport in Glasgow. McConnel ...

, Patrick – Michael Simkins , - , 5, , ''Blue Rabbits'', , 9 May 2007, , Patrick – Michael Simkins , - , 6, , ''New Beginnings'', , 16 May 2007, , George – Bruce Alexander , -

External links

BBC Radio 4 websiteepguides.com
BBC Radio 4 programmes BBC Radio comedy programmes 1992 radio programme debuts