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Budgie (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Budgie was a popular British
television series starring former popstar Adam Faith
which was produced by ITV company London Weekend Television
and broadcast on the ITV
network between 1971 and 1972.
The series was created by Keith Waterhouse
and Willis Hall
. The show was produced by Verity Lambert
, Rex Firkin was the Executive producer.
Plots included:
Eventually all his "friends" desert him and he winds up back in jail, ironically for something he had nothing to do with.
" and staying with his wife for a few days. A chance meeting with his ex-girlfriend, Hazel, who is now living with someone else and Budgie finding out that his wife has been sleeping with a friend of Budgie's, also from the same Open prison force Budgie to move back in with his girlfriend and his son, Howard, who is now 2 years old. Budgie carried on pretty much as he did in the first series, which also started with him being released from the same open prison from a previous sentence. the second series ended with him being beaten up by both his boss and one of his henchmen. This, combined with the fact that Budgie's mother has recently died, his father not wanting him, his girlfriend - Hazel - becoming pregnant by Budgie, and the fact that he wants to leave Hazel for a stripper he has recently slept with who then tells him that she is moving abroad makes Budgie even more depressed and eventually makes him head off into a new life. This is where the series ended and nothing more was heard of Budgie.
petty criminal newly out of prison
, was played by former pop singer Adam Faith and was his first starring role for television. His name in the series was Ronald 'Budgie' Bird, after the budgerigar
birds sometimes kept as pets in England, and generally known in the USA as parakeets.
The series co-starred Iain Cuthbertson
as Charles (Charlie) Endell, a suave and Machiavellian Glaswegian gangster based in London, who employed Budgie, often against his better judgement, or when he was in need of an unsuspecting fall guy
. June Lewis played his silent wife Mrs Endell.
The only other regular member of the cast was Lynn Dalby
as Budgie's girlfriend, Hazel Fletcher, Stella Tanner had a semi regular role as her mother, Mrs Fletcher. Rio Fanning appeared three times as Budgies gullible criminal Irish pal, Grogan. Guest Stars included Georgina Hale
as his wife, Jean and George Tovey as his father, Jack Bird. John Rhys-Davies
(later of Sliders
) has an early semi regular role as a corpulent gangster working for Endell, with the colourful name of Laughing Spam Fritter.
because of industrial action
.
A further series may have been planned for 1973 although this coincided with Adam Faith
being seriously injured in a car crash and announcing his retirement from acting as a result. Despite a full recovery by Faith and his eventual return to acting, a further series was never commissioned.
- based on the characters of the series (but featuring only Adam Faith from the original TV cast) with book by the script writers of the original series - opened at the Cambridge Theatre, London on October 18, 1988 and ran for 3 months.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television series starring former popstar Adam Faith
Adam Faith
Terence "Terry" Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith was a Teen idol English singer, actor and later financial journalist. He was one of the most charted acts of the 1960s. He became the first UK artist to lodge his initial seven hits in the Top 5...
which was produced by ITV company London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
and broadcast 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 between 1971 and 1972.
The series was created by Keith Waterhouse
Keith Waterhouse
Keith Spencer Waterhouse CBE was a novelist, newspaper columnist, and the writer of many television series.-Biography:Keith Waterhouse was born in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
and Willis Hall
Willis Hall
Willis Hall was an English playwright and radio and television writer who drew on his working class roots in Leeds for much of his writings....
. The show was produced by Verity Lambert
Verity Lambert
Verity Ann Lambert, OBE was an English television and film producer. She is best known as the founding producer of the science-fiction series Doctor Who, a programme which has become a part of British popular culture, and for her association with Thames Television...
, Rex Firkin was the Executive producer.
Series plot
Each episode was a complete story, usually depicting Budgie's involvement in some harebrained scheme to make money, usually somewhere on the wrong side of legality. However he was continually the victim of circumstance, or of the sharper, more experienced underworld operators he tried to emulate.Plots included:
- Trying to unload thousands of stolen ballpoint pens he has unwisely bought from one fence, paying too much in the process. He finds that the pens are all stamped with a logo, possibly "Her Majesty's Government", making them unsellable. Apparently these were the classic "trading commodity", the only object being to sell them to another sucker. Charlie offers to take them off Budgie's hands for next to nothing in exchange for a favor or two, and promptly unloads them to another villain.
- Arranging a pornographic film show in a hotel and having assured the "puntersCustomerA customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...
" that the film was "the real Laurel and HardyLaurel and HardyLaurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
, if you know what I mean", making his escape before they find out the film really is a Laurel and Hardy movie. - Accidentally stealing a van load of pornographic magazines from the police and then having to destroy the evidence. The wind blows the pages from the bonfire Budgie and his pal have made and they blow all over a field where a prison wardens versus prisoners rugby match is to be played imminently.
Eventually all his "friends" desert him and he winds up back in jail, ironically for something he had nothing to do with.
Series two
Series two begins with Budgie being released from the "open nickOpen prison
An open prison is an informal description applied to any penal establishment in which the prisoners are trusted to serve their sentences with minimal supervision and perimeter security and so do not need to be locked up in prison cells...
" and staying with his wife for a few days. A chance meeting with his ex-girlfriend, Hazel, who is now living with someone else and Budgie finding out that his wife has been sleeping with a friend of Budgie's, also from the same Open prison force Budgie to move back in with his girlfriend and his son, Howard, who is now 2 years old. Budgie carried on pretty much as he did in the first series, which also started with him being released from the same open prison from a previous sentence. the second series ended with him being beaten up by both his boss and one of his henchmen. This, combined with the fact that Budgie's mother has recently died, his father not wanting him, his girlfriend - Hazel - becoming pregnant by Budgie, and the fact that he wants to leave Hazel for a stripper he has recently slept with who then tells him that she is moving abroad makes Budgie even more depressed and eventually makes him head off into a new life. This is where the series ended and nothing more was heard of Budgie.
Cast
The title role, a chirpy cockneyCockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
petty criminal newly out of prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, was played by former pop singer Adam Faith and was his first starring role for television. His name in the series was Ronald 'Budgie' Bird, after the budgerigar
Budgerigar
The Budgerigar , also known as Common Pet Parakeet or Shell Parakeet informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot, and the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus...
birds sometimes kept as pets in England, and generally known in the USA as parakeets.
The series co-starred Iain Cuthbertson
Iain Cuthbertson
Iain Cuthbertson was a Scottish character actor. At 6' 4", he was known for his tall imposing build and also his distinctive "gravelly" heavily accented voice.-Early life:...
as Charles (Charlie) Endell, a suave and Machiavellian Glaswegian gangster based in London, who employed Budgie, often against his better judgement, or when he was in need of an unsuspecting fall guy
Fall guy
A fall guy is a person used as a scapegoat to take the blame for someone else's actions, or someone at the butt of jokes. One placed in the position of fall guy is often referred to as "taking the fall". In the film industry, a fall guy is a form of stock character.-Origin:The origin of "fall guy"...
. June Lewis played his silent wife Mrs Endell.
The only other regular member of the cast was Lynn Dalby
Lynn Dalby
Lynn Dalby is an English actress.She is most notable for her role as Ruth Merrick Sugden in the soap opera Emmerdale Farm in 1972. Dalby starred as "Hazel" in the 1970s series Budgie, which starred Adam Faith, of which 26 episodes were made in 1970 and 1971. She trained at the Corona Acting School...
as Budgie's girlfriend, Hazel Fletcher, Stella Tanner had a semi regular role as her mother, Mrs Fletcher. Rio Fanning appeared three times as Budgies gullible criminal Irish pal, Grogan. Guest Stars included Georgina Hale
Georgina Hale
Georgina Hale is an award-winning English actress notable for many stage, film and television appearances; often in the works of director Ken Russell and writer Simon Gray...
as his wife, Jean and George Tovey as his father, Jack Bird. John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies is a Welsh actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
(later of Sliders
Sliders
Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
) has an early semi regular role as a corpulent gangster working for Endell, with the colourful name of Laughing Spam Fritter.
Production
Two series, each of 13 episodes, were made. Although colour equipment had been introduced two years earlier the first four episodes were made in monochromeMonochrome
Monochrome describes paintings, drawings, design, or photographs in one color or shades of one color. A monochromatic object or image has colors in shades of limited colors or hues. Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale or black-and-white...
because of industrial action
Colour Strike
The Colour Strike was an industrial action by technicians at all ITV companies from 13 November 1970 to 8 February 1971 who, due to a pay dispute with their management, refused to work with colour television equipment.At that time ITV had recently switched to...
.
A further series may have been planned for 1973 although this coincided with Adam Faith
Adam Faith
Terence "Terry" Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith was a Teen idol English singer, actor and later financial journalist. He was one of the most charted acts of the 1960s. He became the first UK artist to lodge his initial seven hits in the Top 5...
being seriously injured in a car crash and announcing his retirement from acting as a result. Despite a full recovery by Faith and his eventual return to acting, a further series was never commissioned.
Musical version
A musicalMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
- based on the characters of the series (but featuring only Adam Faith from the original TV cast) with book by the script writers of the original series - opened at the Cambridge Theatre, London on October 18, 1988 and ran for 3 months.