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''Little Britain'' is a BBC Radio and Television Sketch Show written by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams . Its title is an amalgamation of the terms ' Little England ' and ' Great Britain '. It made its debut on BBC Radio 4 in 2001 , running for two short series of five and four half-hour episodes respectively. In 2003 , it transferred to television, with an eight-episode series on the BBC's digital-only channel BBC Three . Two more series followed, each of six episodes. The show is currently being rested while its stars perform a series-based tour throughout 2006 . Matt Lucas intends the programme to return for a 2006 Christmas special and a fourth series during 2007. BACKGROUND Most of the TV material was adapted from the radio version, but some new sketches featured recurring characters. Due to its success, the first television series was repeated on the mainstream channel BBC Two . Although reactions to it were mixed, many critics were enthusiastic, and the show was commissioned for another run. The second TV series, featuring several new characters, began on BBC Three October 19 , 2004 . Because of its popularity, the scheduled repeats were "promoted" to BBC One , starting December 3 2004, which guaranteed higher ratings. However, this showing did not feature material from the original run that was deemed too offensive for the BBC One audience. A third series began on Thursday 17 November 2005 on BBC One, and ended six weeks later. After its transmission, it was unclear whether there would be another, as so many sketches were given dramatic twists and "wrapped up" — see individual character articles for examples. Lucas and Walliams are reportedly in talks for a fourth series with the BBC. Furthermore, they admitted in a recent interview they preferred to "kill off" certain characters in order to make way for new ones. Radio 4 began a Rerun of all nine episodes in February 2004. Unusually, this overlapped with a rerun on Digital Radio channel BBC 7 of the first five, which began in mid- March . In June–July 2004, BBC 7 broadcast the remaining four. OVERSEAS The show is aired in the by SubTV , in Norway by NRK , in the United Arab Emirates , India and Malaysia by Star World , in New Zealand by C4 , in Belgium on Canvas TV Station , in Italy by Jimmy and in Austria on ORF1 . STYLE AND CONTENT Superficially it appears to be vulgar, 'lowest denominator' comedy, but embedded within are societal truisms and intelligent humour. It plays heavily on memorable catchphrases that have become ingrained in playgrounds and offices around the UK. The format of the show is a compilation of short sketches featuring familiar characters, linked by narration from Tom Baker (most famous as the Fourth Doctor on '' Doctor Who ''). The voiceovers take a wry look at Britain, with comically absurd statements on the nation's character, such as, "Britain ... We've had running water for over 10 years and we invented the cat" or, "Unlike other countries, Britain has people of two genders: male and female." Such statements are often considered funnier than the sketches themselves, especially in the later series. Although the show has remained consistently popular, it has attracted almost a backlash of antagonism by some for its highly repetitive nature. Many feel that the first series in particular duplicated The League Of Gentlemen too much (The similarity between Marjorie Dawes and Pauline is astonishing). Some critics feel that the quality of the show has rapidly declined since the first series, as much of the more subtle, intellectual humour has been discarded for lowbrow, childish sketches that rely heavily on shock value. Catchphrases The characters' catchphrases such as, "I want that one", "Yeeeeees", "Yeah, but no, but yeah, but...", "Eh eh ehh", "I'm the only gay in the village", "Computer says 'No'", and "I'm a laydee" have entered the public consciousness throughout Britain and overseas. THE CAST
Other cast:
GUEST APPEARANCES Since its debut on television, ''Little Britain'' has featured guest appearances from celebrities and television personalities, the most prominent of these being Anthony Head as the Prime Minister. As themselves
As characters Simon Callow , Christian Coulson , Mark Gatiss , Nigel Havers , Jon Culshaw , Imelda Staunton , David Baddiel , Indira Varma and Jamie Theakston . MAJOR CHARACTERS See Also: Little Britain characters
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