Office Gossip
Office Gossip is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One in 2001. Starring Pauline Quirke, it was written by Paul Mayhew-Archer, who co-wrote The Vicar of Dibley, and George Pritchett.
| Office Gossip | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Paul Mayhew-Archer |
| Starring | Pauline Quirke Robert Daws Neil Stuke Pippa Haywood Daniela Denby-Ashe |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Sophie Clarke-Jervoise |
| Producer | Matthew Francis |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 2 February – 9 March 2001 |
Recently, it has been aired in the United States on various PBS stations as part of 'One Season Wonders.[1]
Cast
- Pauline Quirke - Jo Thomas
- Robert Daws - Rod Battle
- Neil Stuke - Simon
- Pippa Haywood - Maxine Wells
- Daniela Denby-Ashe - Cheryl Potts
- Charlotte Francis - Sam Thomas
Plot
Set in the office Tippins Toy Ltd, Office Gossip concentrates on the love lives of Jo Thomas and Simon, who sit opposite each other. Jo is a single mother, her daughter is eleven-year-old Sam, and is the hardworking PA to Rod Battle. Battle, a workaholic whose wife is on the verge of leaving him, confides in Jo and she clearly harbours feelings for him. Meanwhile, Simon is having an affair with his boss, Maxine, a married woman. Both of these relationships, especially Jo and Rod's, become the subject of gossip in the office, often led by Cheryl.
Episodes
| Title | Air date | Overview |
|---|---|---|
| "Too Close for Comfort" | 2 February | Jo learns that Rod's wife has left him, and he invites himself round to dinner, and when Cheryl spots him leaving Jo's office she soon starts the gossip. Also, Maxine tries to make sure her husband doesn't discover her affair with Simon. |
| "Old Bangers" | 9 February | Cheryl finds more reason to gossip when she spots Jo getting out of Rod's car, and Simon's strenuous denials of an affair land him in trouble with Maxine. |
| "Work Experience" | 16 February | The school that Jo's daughter Sam attends has been flooded, so Jo has to bring her to work, which annoys child-hating Maxine. Cheryl thinks that Jo is pregnant by Simon. The staff are trying to figure out why the splatter-gun toy is not selling, and Sam eventually solves the riddle, and exacts revenge on Maxine when the latter takes credit for it. |
| "Moving On" | 23 February | Rod meets a company lawyer who has a personal hygiene problem and when Simon decides to look for another job, Jo wonders whether Rod really appreciates her work. |
| "The Violin Lesson" | 2 March | When Rod is introduced to some European clients, he has to stop saying his opinions about the French, and Jo is annoyed when Rod gives Sam a violin. |
| "Lucky in Love" | 9 March | Jo joins a dating agency, and Rod plucks up the courage to leave his wife. Simon and Maxine have an argument. |
Title song
The title song was sung by Daniela Denby-Ashe and Jenna Russell.
Reception
Office Gossip, despite having a good cast and prime time slot of Friday at 9pm on BBC One, did not receive positive reviews and was pulled after only one series. The first episode received 6.6 million viewers, but by the sixth episode only 4.4 million people tuned in.
References
- Mark Lewisohn, "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2003
- British TV Comedy Guide for Office Gossip
- BBC Programs Office Gossip page