Desmond's
Encyclopedia
Desmond's is a British television situation comedy broadcast by Channel 4
from 1989 to 1994. The first series was shot in 1988, with the first episode broadcast in January 1989. The show was made in and set in Peckham
, London, England and featured a predominantly West Indian cast.
Conceived and co-written by Trix Worrell
, and produced by Charlie Hanson
and Humphrey Barclay
, this series starred Norman Beaton
as barber
Desmond Ambrose. Desmond's shop was a gathering place for an assortment of local characters.
, 1976-77), it was the first to be set mainly in the workplace, which provided an insight on black family life different from those seen before on British television. The characters had aspirations (Desmond to return to Guyana, Michael to run his own branch of the bank, Gloria to get a job in fashion, Sean to get to university) and were socially mobile. The vast majority of the crew were also black.
, who went on to work on other shows, including the BBC's all-black sketch show The Real McCoy
, and Worrell himself went on to work in films.
Desmond's came 70th in the 2004 BBC
poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom
. Reruns aired in the USA on BET
in the early-1990s. The show continued to be popular, running on NYCTV
as part of their Caribbean
programming on Sunday nights in the late-1990s. As of January 2007, the network still airs reruns of Desmond's from time to time. From 1997 until late 2000, Paramount Comedy
reran the show. Trouble TV, in the U.K., began showing re-runs of Desmond's in September 2007.
The full series is available to view on 4oD through Youtube. With 71 episodes produced, it remains Channel 4's longest running sitcom in terms of the number of episodes produced.
The first five series are available to watch on Virgin Media
's On Demand
service, provided by Channel 4
On demand.
has begun releasing Desmond's on DVD in Canada. To date they have released the first four series of the show on DVD. Series 1 and 2 were released on March 27, 2007. Series 3 was released on November 3, 2009. On March 2, 2010, VEI released Desmond's- The Collection: Series One to Four, a 7-disc set featuring all episodes from the first four seasons.
in the title role. This ran for two series in 1995 and 1996.
Channel 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...
from 1989 to 1994. The first series was shot in 1988, with the first episode broadcast in January 1989. The show was made in and set in Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, London, England and featured a predominantly West Indian cast.
Conceived and co-written by Trix Worrell
Trix Worrell
Trix Worrell writer, composer and director, was born in St. Lucia in the West Indies in 1960, and came to England at the age of five. As a teenager he worked with the Albany Theatre in South London, where he wrote and directed his first play, School's Out, in 1980...
, and produced by Charlie Hanson
Charlie Hanson
Charlie Hanson is a critically acclaimed British producer and director.Charlie Hanson's work as a producer spans over two decades of television drama and comedy...
and Humphrey Barclay
Humphrey Barclay
Humphrey Barclay is a comedy executive and producer.-Career:His first foray into show business was via Cambridge Footlights revues where he appeared alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, David Hatch, Jonathan Lynn, Jo Kendall and Miriam Margolyes...
, this series starred Norman Beaton
Norman Beaton
Norman Lugard Beaton was a Guyanese actor long resident in the United Kingdom....
as barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
Desmond Ambrose. Desmond's shop was a gathering place for an assortment of local characters.
Notability
While the show was not the first black (or predominantly black) British television situation comedy (The FostersThe Fosters
The Fosters is a British sitcom, produced by London Weekend Television which aired on ITV from 9 April 1976, until 9 July 1977.It was created and developed by Jon Watkins, who adapted the American sitcom, Good Times, developed by Norman Lear, and created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans...
, 1976-77), it was the first to be set mainly in the workplace, which provided an insight on black family life different from those seen before on British television. The characters had aspirations (Desmond to return to Guyana, Michael to run his own branch of the bank, Gloria to get a job in fashion, Sean to get to university) and were socially mobile. The vast majority of the crew were also black.
Characters
Much of the success of the show came from the dynamics and relationships both within the Ambrose family and the other characters in the show who spent time in the shop.The Ambrose family
The Ambroses were the central family that the show was built around.- Desmond Ambrose (Norman BeatonNorman BeatonNorman Lugard Beaton was a Guyanese actor long resident in the United Kingdom....
) was the main character and the owner of the barbershop named after him. His friends and family would occasionally make reference to his poor barbering skills. Desmond constantly talked about retiring and going back home to Guyana for good, although Shirley was reluctant to go with him. In the spin-off "Porkpie", it was revealed that Desmond had passed away (as Norman Beaton had died the previous year).
- Shirley Ambrose (Carmen MunroeCarmen MunroeCarmen Munroe OBE is a British actress, born in Berbice, Guyana. Since the early 1950s she has been a resident of the UK. She made her West End stage debut in 1962 and has since played an instrumental role in the development of black British theatre and representation on small screen...
) was Desmond's wife and mother of their three children, She was always sorting out the problems. Shirley was the only member of the Ambrose family not to appear in an episode of the spin-off "Porkpie" as it was revealed that she had gone back to live in Guyana for good, in the series.
- Michael Ambrose (Geff FrancisGeff FrancisGeoffrey "Geff" Francis, most known as Geff Francis is a Black British actor who portrayed Lynford, a hoodlum in For Queen and Country...
) was Desmond and Shirley's eldest son, he was an assistant bank manager, that later became a bank manager at the branch where he worked. Unlike the rest of the Ambrose Family, he wasn't introduced until the second episode, when Shirley suggested that Desmond go to the bank and get a loan to do-up the shop.
- Gloria Ambrose (Kim Walker) was the only daughter to Desmond and Shirley. She had dreams of becoming a fashion writer.
- Sean Ambrose (Justin PickettJustin PickettJustin Pickett is an actor best remembered for his role in the Channel 4 situation comedy Desmond's. For six seasons he played the role of Sean Ambrose, the barber's son in the comedy which was set in a Barbers shop of the same name, situated in the heart of Peckham...
) was the youngest child, who frequently rapped and was experienced in computer use, he later went to University.
Other characters
- Augustus Neapolitan Cleveland 'Porkpie' Grant (Ram John HolderRam John HolderRam John Holder is a British actor. He began his performing career as a folk singer in New York. In 1962 he came to London and worked with Pearl Connor's Negro Theatre Workshop initially as a musician, and later as an actor...
), was an old childhood friend of Desmond's who also came from Guyana. He got nicknamed 'Porkpie' because he always wore a pork pie hatPork pie hatA pork pie hat is a type of hat made of felt or straw. It is a type of fedora which has a cylindrical crown and flattish top. This style of crown is called a "telescopic crown", but the hat overall resembles the boater hat. It is short and has an indentation all the way around its top, allowing...
even as a young man back in Guyana. His wife Gwendolyn had left him many years ago because she caught him in bed with her best friend Hyacinth Green, who appeared in the final series. His wife went to live in Canada taking their two young daughters with her. Although Porkpie had two daughters he often talked about his daughter Denise, who appeared in the fifth episode of the third series. There was no mention of his other daughter. Porkpie later had his own spin-offSpin-off (media)In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series, PorkpiePorkpie (TV series)Porkpie was a British sitcom on Channel 4 television starring Ram John Holder as Augustus 'Porkpie' Grant. It was a spinoff from Desmond's...
- Matthew (Gyearbuor AsanteGyearbuor AsanteGyearbuor Asante was a Ghanaian actor best remembered for his role in the Channel 4 situation comedy Desmond's in which he played the role of Gambia mature student Matthew....
) was an eternal student from Gambia. He would often quote "old African sayings"
- Tony (Dominic KeatingDominic KeatingDominic Keating is a British television, film and theatre actor, known for his portrayal as Lt. Malcolm Reed on Star Trek: Enterprise.- Biography :...
) was Desmond's first assistant barber and the third white character to appear in the series.
- Ricky (Dean Gatiss) was Tony's replacement in the final series. Desmond gave him the job as the new barbers assistant because he knew his father and promised him a favour.
- Lee 'The Peckham Prince' Stanley (Robbie GeeRobbie GeeRobbie Gee is a British actor, best known for his Desmond's character "Lee Stanley", and for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper Snatch. He also appeared in the movie Mean Machine playing "Trojan".-Hosting:...
) was the local wide-boy wheeler-dealer, often trying to sell his wares to the regulars in the shop. He was like a son to Desmond and Shirley as they looked after him while he was in care and they knew his mother. Lee's mother revealed the identity of his father in the fourth episode of the fourth series. She visited the barber shop to find Lee on the day he went to Liverpool to find her. On Lee's return to Peckham, he was reunited with his mother after 28 years.
- Louise Dixon (Lisa GeoghanLisa GeoghanLisa Geoghan is a British actress best known for playing PC/CAD Officer Polly Page in the long-running police drama The Bill. She also appeared in Tucker's Luck, Big Deal and Desmond's.-External links:...
) was Gloria's best friend in the first four series and also the first white character to appear in the series.
- Amanda "Mandy" Mosgrove (Mathilda Thorpe) was Michael's PAPersonal assistantA personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
. In episode twelve of the forth series, Michael proposed to her and she accepted. She was due to marry Michael towards the end of the series. There was no episode of them getting married as the series had finished during the planning stages of the wedding. In the spin-offSpin-off (media)In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series, PorkpiePorkpie (TV series)Porkpie was a British sitcom on Channel 4 television starring Ram John Holder as Augustus 'Porkpie' Grant. It was a spinoff from Desmond's...
it was revealed that Mandy had married Michael because her surname became Ambrose.
- Beverley Mcintosh (Joan Ann MaynardJoan Ann MaynardJoan Ann Maynard is a British actress. Her most notable roles are as Avice in 1975 series Within These Walls and as Beverley in classic comedy show Desmond's which ran from 1989 to 1994....
) was a good friend of Shirley's and Michael's god mother. She was the local gossip, and often provided a prudish, old-fashioned viewpoint. She often spoke about her ailments and the medication she had to take as well as having to prepare her husbands Red mulletRed mulletThe red mullets or surmullets are two species of goatfish, Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus, found in the Mediterranean Sea, east North Atlantic Ocean, and the Black Sea. Both "red mullet" and "surmullet" can also refer to the Mullidae in general.Though they can easily be distinguished—M...
. She always wore a hat that resembled a Tea cosyTea cosyA tea cosy is a cover for a teapot, traditionally made of cloth or wool, which is used to insulate the tea, keeping it warm while it brews. Cloth tea cosies often have padded inserts, which can be removed and washed separately.Tea cosies are often available in matching sets with other items such...
- Aunt "Susu" Doreen (Mona HammondMona HammondMona Hammond OBE is a Chinese Jamaican actress and co-founder of the Talawa Theatre Company. Born in Jamaica, Hammond emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1959, where she has remained ever since. Hammond has had a long and distinguished stage career...
), Shirley's ignorant sister, Porkpie's dream girl and later fiancé. She preferred to be called "Susu", instead of her birth name, Doreen, but the family, in particularly Shirley would call her Doreen, whenever she was angry with her. In the forth series, Susu got deported back to Jamaica, however she was still engaged to Porkpie. In the final series of the spin-off show Porkpie, Susu had turned up out of the blue from Jamaica, after finding out about Porkpie's Lottery win in the West Indian Times newspaper. She claimed to have married an English man back in the Caribbean so that she could get a passport to go to England to marry Porkpie. Porkpie later found out that she had run away with all her current husbands savings, sold his electric wheelchair and stole his passport so that he couldn't go after her and that she only came to England to marry him and claim half of his fortune.
- Vince (Count Prince MillerCount Prince MillerCount Prince Miller is a Jamaican-born, British-based actor and musician.-Biography:...
) was another assistant in the shop in the final series. He was also the drummer in the Georgetown Dreamers.
- Burt (Sol RayeSol RayeNeville Marshall-Corbin was a Guyanese cabaret singer, composer and recording artist who moved to England in the 1960s and originally studied acting, performing with the English Stage Company. He was born in Christianburg, Guyana....
) was a member of The Georgetown Dreamers, a band that Desmond, Porkpie and Vince played in.
- Andrew "Spider" Webb (Robert McKewley) was Sean's best friend and had an open crush on Gloria. He was into raggaRagga-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
music and was an entrepreneur. Although he was Sean's best friend, Sean's family members seemed to disapprove of him and sometimes thought he was a bad influence.
- Bernie (Rhashan StoneRhashan StoneRhashan Stone is a British-American actor, comedian, musician, composer, singer and playwright. He is best known for appearing in many BBC television comedy shows such as Desmond's and Mutual Friends. As well as his numerous television appearances, Rhashan is also an accomplished stage actor...
) was the first friend that Sean made at university on his first day. He was openly gay.
- Ronni (Teohna Williams) was Gloria's best friend in series 5 and 6.
- Alex (Chris Tummings) was Gloria's boyfriend. He was a strict vegetarian and an artist. They Gloria and Alex moved in together towards the end of the series
- Neville "Nev" James (Treva EtienneTreva EtienneTreva Etienne is an English actor. He played a Somali militiaman in the film Black Hawk Down and appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . He also appeared in three series of London's Burning as fireman Tony Sanderson.- External links :...
) was a friend of the family who was a Police Constable that later became a Detective Constable CIDCID-Criminal investigation:* Criminal Investigation Department, the branch of British police forces and many other Commonwealth police forces to which plain clothes detectives belong...
. He also went to school with Lee and Michael as a child.
- Lewis (Lewis St. Juste) was very often in the background, using the pay-phone in the barber shop. He has had a line or two in a few episodes. He first spoke in the third episode of the second series, when Shirley asked him what his name was. He used the phone so often that Lee once referred to him as E.T.
Prejudice
Worrell was keen to show that prejudice existed not just between broad ethnic groups, but also within them. While Matthew was the frequent butt of jokes from the West Indian characters, particularly Porkpie and Desmond, he was always keen to point out the strength of African history with his regular interjection "There's an old African saying".Legacy
The show had a unique method of team writing that raised the profile of some writers, notably playwright Michael J EllisMichael J Ellis
Michael J Ellis also known as Michael Ellis is a British playwright noted for a series of stage works produced at a time when the representation of black and ethnic minority experience on the British stage was expanding and exploring new ground...
, who went on to work on other shows, including the BBC's all-black sketch show The Real McCoy
The Real McCoy (TV series)
The Real McCoy was a BBC Television comedy show which ran from 1991 to 1996, featuring an array of black and Asian comedy stars performing material aimed at an across-the-board black audience....
, and Worrell himself went on to work in films.
Desmond's came 70th in the 2004 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...
poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
. Reruns aired in the USA on BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
in the early-1990s. The show continued to be popular, running on NYCTV
NYCTV
NYC TV is a group of Government-access television broadcast and cable TV channels operated by NYC Media Group, a division of the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications...
as part of their Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
programming on Sunday nights in the late-1990s. As of January 2007, the network still airs reruns of Desmond's from time to time. From 1997 until late 2000, Paramount Comedy
Paramount Comedy
Paramount Comedy is a 24-hour Spanish cable television and satellite television comedy channel available in Spain. It is owned by MTV Networks Europe and Viacom. In other parts of the world, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy, the channel is known as Comedy Central...
reran the show. Trouble TV, in the U.K., began showing re-runs of Desmond's in September 2007.
The full series is available to view on 4oD through Youtube. With 71 episodes produced, it remains Channel 4's longest running sitcom in terms of the number of episodes produced.
Region 2
Channel 4 DVD has released the first two series on DVD in the UK. Series One was released on October 1, 2007. Series Two was released on April 14, 2008.The first five series are available to watch on Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
's On Demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
service, provided by Channel 4
Channel 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...
On demand.
Region 1
Visual EntertainmentVisual Entertainment
Visual Entertainment Inc. is a home video/television distribution company that is based in Toronto, Ontario Canada. It is an independent label but has managed to release quite a few well-known TV series on DVD.-Children:* The Big Adventure Series...
has begun releasing Desmond's on DVD in Canada. To date they have released the first four series of the show on DVD. Series 1 and 2 were released on March 27, 2007. Series 3 was released on November 3, 2009. On March 2, 2010, VEI released Desmond's- The Collection: Series One to Four, a 7-disc set featuring all episodes from the first four seasons.
Follow-up
Following the death of Norman Beaton in 1994, a spin-off series was made with PorkpiePorkpie (TV series)
Porkpie was a British sitcom on Channel 4 television starring Ram John Holder as Augustus 'Porkpie' Grant. It was a spinoff from Desmond's...
in the title role. This ran for two series in 1995 and 1996.