''Weak at the Top'' is a
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 ...
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' ...
in 2005 and 2006. It revolves around a businessman anti-hero, John Weak (
Alexander Armstrong
Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong (born 2 March 1970) is an English actor, comedian, radio personality, television presenter and singer. He is the host of the BBC One game show ''Pointless'', as well as the morning show on Classic FM.
He is ...
), whose main attributes are summed up in the words "randy, sexist, and drunk". Weak is the Marketing Director of Smokehouse plc, a global corporation which turns "food you wouldn't give to your dog" into snacks and other packaged and processed items. Smokehouse's actual products are irrelevant to John Weak, whose objects in life are to have the best car, bed the hottest women, and be top dog.
John Weak's main problem is satisfying Smokehouse
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
Sir Marcus Rigsby (
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
Whitehe ...
), who is liable to demand adoption of the latest management fad "by Friday, John!". Thick-skinned personal assistant Hayley (
Clare Perkins
Clare Perkins (born 18 August 1965) is an English actress who is known for her roles as Denise Boulter in ''Family Affairs'' and Ava Hartman in '' EastEnders''.
Career
Perkins' first role was as Opal in the 1991 TV film 'Hallelujah Anyhow' in ...
) fences with her boss John constantly. When the squeeze is really on, John turns to his "Director of Long Lunches and Work Avoidance", Bill Peters (
Ron Cook
Ronald G. Cook (born 1948) is an English actor. He has been active in film, television and theatre since the 1970s.
Early and personal life
Cook was born in 1948 in South Shields, County Durham, England, the son of a school cook and a car wo ...
), who can be counted on to rescue the situation with a brilliant scheme, usually after he is well into the second bottle of
claret
Bordeaux wine ( oc, vin de Bordèu, french: vin de Bordeaux) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the ...
.
The script is written by
Guy Browning
Guy Browning (born 1964 in Chipping Norton) is a humourist, after-dinner speaker and film director. He wrote the ''How To...'' column in ''The Guardian'' from 1999–2009. Before that he wrote about office politics and social climbing.
Early lif ...
who also writes books about management and business. He based the programme on his book of the same name.
"Smokehouse" is the name of Browning's own marketing company.
List of episodes
Series 1
# Gold Card
# Smoked Meat
# Knowing Your Unions
# Trout Farm
Series 2
# Conference
# Booty
# Values
# Otters
References
BBC Radio 4 programmes
{{BBC-radio-stub