Bob and Rose
Encyclopedia
Bob & Rose is a British television
drama, originally screened in six one-hour episodes on the ITV
network in the UK in the autumn of 2001. It was produced for the network by the independent Red Production Company
, and was that company's first prime-time drama for the ITV network.
Bob & Rose was the inspiration for Jules & Mimi, the fictional British television show featured in Sex and the City
.
drama Queer as Folk, another Red Production Company
programme.
Bob was played by stand-up comedian and actor Alan Davies
(no relation to writer Russell), who was at the time best known for his lead role in the BBC
television mystery series Jonathan Creek
. Rose was played by actress Lesley Sharp
, who was nominated for the BAFTA
and Royal Television Society
Best Actress awards for the part. Although critically well-received, Bob & Rose was not a huge success in terms of audience share for ITV, and the final two episodes were relegated from prime-time to later night slots.
The story also follows the attempts of Rose's mother to find a reliable boyfriend, and Bob's campaigning mother who runs a fictional gay support group called "Parents Against Homophobia" (PAH!). The series is a gentle romantic comedy with each episode managing to end at an emotional or comic climax - as when Bob follows Rose down the street after they argue in a pub. He admits that their first heterosexual sex act has confused him but he wants to do it again. Equally confused, Rose turns towards the camera and unromantically says: "Oh b*llocks!" and the credits roll.
The script takes some shrewd looks at emotions and motivations but also contrasts the different atmosphere and attitudes within gay and straight UK night clubs - as in the scene where a straight man cannot get into a straight club wearing trainers but the gays can enter their club wearing skimpy satin sports clothes. One important scene which explains Bob's disenchantment with the gay clubs comes when he is approached by an attractive man who talks only about physical acts. Bob, desperate to be regarded as an individual replies: "I'm a Capricorn".
The series has an up-beat ending which manages to resolve issues for all the main characters - even Holly eventually learns from her mistakes and blossoms into a person in her own right. Bob and Rose find happiness and Carl gets an angelic dream date.
as a key theme. The storyline involves a gay man falling in love with a woman and was loosely based on events in the real life of a friend of Russell Davies. This storyline caused an uproar among some gay rights activists who felt that the series premise made it appear as if being gay was a choice or a phase, which then generated a strong counter-reaction by bisexuals who called the criticism unfair. However the 'Bob' character states categorically in the script that he is not bisexual saying: "I was born gay, I'll die gay and I'll have a gay gravestone". He says that he was attracted to Rose as a person and not as a gender choice. He says he will 'always look at men' but Rose is the only woman for him.
s, was released on DVD on 15 April 2002 in the UK and on 17 February 2004 in the USA. The age certificate for the DVD in the UK is 15. The front cover is a photo of Bob & Rose hugging and smiling, with the series logo
above them.
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
drama, originally screened in six one-hour episodes on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network in the UK in the autumn of 2001. It was produced for the network by the independent Red Production Company
Red Production Company
Red Production Company is a British independent television production company, formed in 1998 by Nicola Shindler, an experienced television producer who had worked on such prestige dramas as Our Friends in the North and Cracker...
, and was that company's first prime-time drama for the ITV network.
Bob & Rose was the inspiration for Jules & Mimi, the fictional British television show featured in Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
.
Production
The series was written by Russell T Davies, who had previously been responsible for the much-discussed Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
drama Queer as Folk, another Red Production Company
Red Production Company
Red Production Company is a British independent television production company, formed in 1998 by Nicola Shindler, an experienced television producer who had worked on such prestige dramas as Our Friends in the North and Cracker...
programme.
Bob was played by stand-up comedian and actor Alan Davies
Alan Davies
Alan Davies is an English comedian, writer and actor best known for starring in the TV mystery series Jonathan Creek and as the permanent panellist on the TV panel show QI.- Early life :...
(no relation to writer Russell), who was at the time best known for his lead role in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television mystery series Jonathan Creek
Jonathan Creek
Jonathan Creek is a British mystery series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. Primarily a crime drama, the show is also peppered with broadly comic touches...
. Rose was played by actress Lesley Sharp
Lesley Sharp
Lesley Sharp is an English stage, film and television actress, particularly well known for her variety of British television roles including Clocking Off, Bob & Rose and afterlife.-Early life:...
, who was nominated for the BAFTA
British Academy Television Awards
The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
and Royal Television Society
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
Best Actress awards for the part. Although critically well-received, Bob & Rose was not a huge success in terms of audience share for ITV, and the final two episodes were relegated from prime-time to later night slots.
Plot
The story follows the life of gay school teacher Bob who is fed-up with the shallowness of dating on the gay club scene in Manchester. A romantic at heart Bob yearns to meet the right person and settle down. After yet another unsuccessful gay date he meets Rose while they are both waiting for a taxi cab. Rose is disenchanted with her down-to-earth boyfriend and is smitten with Bob but she does not initially realise he is gay. Subsequent episodes chart their on-off love affair which is bedeviled by the activities of Bob's best friend Holly. Holly (Jessica Stevenson) is secretly in love with Bob and does everything she can to quietly interfere with Bob's gay relationships because she does not want to lose him. Privately she is lonely and her only social life is through Bob and his gay clubs. When Rose suddenly appears on the scene Holly sees her as a threat, stalks her and may (or may not - the plot leaves the final matter in doubt) conspire with Bob's former boyfriend Carl to split Bob and Rose up. A situation is created which suggests Bob may have had a one-night-stand with Carl and Holly deliberately preys on Rose's insecurities and creates further doubts. Eventually she outright lies to Rose.The story also follows the attempts of Rose's mother to find a reliable boyfriend, and Bob's campaigning mother who runs a fictional gay support group called "Parents Against Homophobia" (PAH!). The series is a gentle romantic comedy with each episode managing to end at an emotional or comic climax - as when Bob follows Rose down the street after they argue in a pub. He admits that their first heterosexual sex act has confused him but he wants to do it again. Equally confused, Rose turns towards the camera and unromantically says: "Oh b*llocks!" and the credits roll.
The script takes some shrewd looks at emotions and motivations but also contrasts the different atmosphere and attitudes within gay and straight UK night clubs - as in the scene where a straight man cannot get into a straight club wearing trainers but the gays can enter their club wearing skimpy satin sports clothes. One important scene which explains Bob's disenchantment with the gay clubs comes when he is approached by an attractive man who talks only about physical acts. Bob, desperate to be regarded as an individual replies: "I'm a Capricorn".
The series has an up-beat ending which manages to resolve issues for all the main characters - even Holly eventually learns from her mistakes and blossoms into a person in her own right. Bob and Rose find happiness and Carl gets an angelic dream date.
Controversy
As with Queer as Folk, Bob & Rose involved homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
as a key theme. The storyline involves a gay man falling in love with a woman and was loosely based on events in the real life of a friend of Russell Davies. This storyline caused an uproar among some gay rights activists who felt that the series premise made it appear as if being gay was a choice or a phase, which then generated a strong counter-reaction by bisexuals who called the criticism unfair. However the 'Bob' character states categorically in the script that he is not bisexual saying: "I was born gay, I'll die gay and I'll have a gay gravestone". He says that he was attracted to Rose as a person and not as a gender choice. He says he will 'always look at men' but Rose is the only woman for him.
Cast
| Character | Actor/Actress |
|---|---|
| Rose Cooper | Lesley Sharp Lesley Sharp Lesley Sharp is an English stage, film and television actress, particularly well known for her variety of British television roles including Clocking Off, Bob & Rose and afterlife.-Early life:... |
| Robert Gossage | Alan Davies Alan Davies Alan Davies is an English comedian, writer and actor best known for starring in the TV mystery series Jonathan Creek and as the permanent panellist on the TV panel show QI.- Early life :... |
| Holly Vance | Jessica Stevenson Jessica Stevenson Jessica Hynes is an English actress and writer. She was known professionally as Jessica Stevenson until 2007.She is possibly best known as one of the creators, writers and stars of the British sitcom Spaced.... |
| Anita Kendrick | Katy Cavanagh Katy Cavanagh Katy Cavanagh in North Shields, North Tyneside and grew up in Bolton, Greater Manchester and educated at Canon Slade School is an English actress, best known for her appearances in Coronation Street in the role of Julie Carp since 2008.... |
| Marina Marquess | Siobhan Finneran Siobhan Finneran Siobhan Finneran is an English television and film actress from Oldham in Lancashire, England.-Career:Siobhan's first major role was as Rita in the 1986 film, Rita, Sue and Bob Too. Since 2007 she has played Janice in ITV's popular comedy drama Benidorm, appearing in all 4 series and both specials... |
| Andy Lewis | Daniel Ryan Daniel Ryan (actor) Daniel Ryan is an English actor and writer.He is known for starring as Darren Alexander in the BBC drama comedy Linda Green, Andrew Gilligan in The Government Inspector, Andy Coulson in Steel River Blues and Kenny Reed in The Whistleblowers... |
| Monica Gossage | Penelope Wilton Penelope Wilton Penelope Alice Wilton, OBE is an English actress.-Life and career:Penelope Alice Wilton was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, to a former actress mother and a businessman father. She is a niece of actors Bill Travers and Linden Travers and a cousin of the actor Richard Morant... |
Episodes
| Ep. | Title | Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | 10 September 2001 | |
| 2 | Episode 2 | 17 September 2001 | |
| 3 | Episode 3 | 24 September 2001 | |
| 4 | Episode 4 | 1 October 2001 | |
| 5 | Episode 5 | 8 October 2001 | |
| 6 | Episode 6 | 15 October 2001 |
DVD release
The entire series, including all 6 episodeEpisode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s, was released on DVD on 15 April 2002 in the UK and on 17 February 2004 in the USA. The age certificate for the DVD in the UK is 15. The front cover is a photo of Bob & Rose hugging and smiling, with the series logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
above them.
External links
- RedProductionCompany.com — Bob & Rose page on the official website