Parents (TV series)
| Parents | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by |
Lloyd Woolf Joe Tucker |
| Directed by | Simon Delaney |
| Starring |
Sally Phillips Darren Strange Tom Conti Susie Blake Jadie Rose Hobson Christian Lees |
| Composer(s) | Samuel Karl Bohn |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30mins (inc. adverts) |
| Production company(s) | Objective Productions |
| Distributor | All3Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | Sky 1 |
| Picture format | 16:9 (1080i HDTV) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 6 July – 3 August 2012 |
| External links | |
| Official Website | |
Parents is a British sitcom starring Sally Phillips as Jenny Pope, a woman in her forties who moves, along with her husband and children, to live with her parents in Kettering. The show ran for one series, broadcast on Sky 1 from 6 July to 3 August 2012. On 5 March 2013, Sky confirmed that Parents would not return for a second series.[1]
Cast and characters
| Actor/Actress | Character |
|---|---|
| Sally Phillips | Jenny Pope |
| Darren Strange | Nick Pope |
| Tom Conti | Len Miller |
| Susie Blake | Alma Miller |
| Jadie Rose Hobson | Becky Pope |
| Christian Lees | Sam Pope |
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Ratings[2] | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode One" | Simon Delaney | Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker | 538,000 | 6 July 2012 |
| Fortysomething Jenny asks a favour of Mum and Dad: Can she and her family move in with them? | |||||
| 2 | "Episode Two" | Simon Delaney | Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker | 445,000 | 6 July 2012 |
| Nick tries to work his persuasive powers on Len to get some office space; Jenny has an awkward encounter with an ex. | |||||
| 3 | "Episode Three" | Simon Delaney | Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker | Under 382,000 | 13 July 2012 |
| Alma attempts to cheer Jenny up with a surprise visit from one of her London pals, but the visitors aren't exactly welcomed with open arms. | |||||
| 4 | "Episode Four" | Simon Delaney | Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker | 363,000 | 20 July 2012 |
| Feelings of resentment towards Alma flood back when Jenny stumbles upon her old diary; the first test batch of Nick's energy drink X-Celsior arrives. | |||||
| 5 | "Episode Five" | Simon Delaney | Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker | 260,000 | 27 July 2012 |
| Valentine's Day brings out the best and worst in the Pope-Miller household. Alma is unimpressed with Len, and Jenny is preoccupied by the auction of her house. | |||||
| 6 | "Episode Six" | Simon Delaney | Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker | 257,000 | 3 August 2012 |
| It looks like the Popes could be back on track when Jenny lands a promising job interview. | |||||
DVD Release
The complete series was released on DVD on 29 July 2013 by Channel 4 DVD.[3]
Reception
The show was met with a generally positive critical response, becoming increasingly positive throughout its run. The Independent called it "a broad family comedy, both funny and 'now'".[4] Heat Magazine described the first episode as "good fun"[5] whilst The Telegraph said it "shows some promise and boasts a good cast"[6] and praised the writing, saying "the script is sharp, zeitgeisty, and just the right side of cloying".[7] The Guardian was more critical of episode one, saying it "fails to make the leap from paper to screen"[8] but responded much more positively to subsequent episodes, calling the show "an utter pleasure"[9] and "beautifully written".[10] The Mirror also praised the series calling it "very funny"[11] and saying that "as well as a great cast, Parents also has a great big heart and it’s this that could keep it beating into further series".[12]
References
- ↑ Munn, Patrick (5 March 2013). "Sky1′s Comedy Series 'Parents' Cancelled After One Season". TVWise. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ↑ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
- ↑ "Parents [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ Craig McClean (1 July 2012). "Quirk ethic: Sally Phillips finally lands a lead role after 20 years of playing oddballs". Independent. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- ↑ "Over on Digital: Parents, Sky One, 8.30PM". Heat Magazine. 26 June 2012.
- ↑ Simon Horsford (5 July 2012). "TV Highlights". The Telegraph.
- ↑ Patrick Smith (6 July 2012). "Sally Phillips on Sky1's Parents: 'Please God, let it not be like My Family'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- ↑ David Stubbs (6 July 2012). "TV Highlights 06/07/2012". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- ↑ Julia Raeside (13 July 2012). "TV Highlights 13/7/2012". The Guardian.
- ↑ Julia Raeside (3 August 2012). "TV Highlights 03/08/2012". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- ↑ "Parents tonight is not just very funny but heart-warming too". The Mirror. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- ↑ Jenny Eclair (14 July 2012). "Have I gone soft on sitcoms? Blame the Parents". The Mirror. Retrieved 22 September 2012.