Hotel Trubble
Encyclopedia
Hotel Trubble is a children's comedy drama made by the BBC
and broadcast on its television channels CBBC
and BBC One
. It stars Dominique Moore
as Sally, the receptionist; Gary Damer as Lenny; Sam Phillips as Jamie, the bellboy; and Tanya Franks
as Dolly and Sheila Bernette as Mrs. Poshington, a guest who never leaves (and who becomes the hotel's cleaner in series two and three). It is a farce
sitcom. A total of 39 episodes have aired on TV between December 2008 and August 2011.. Many guest stars have appeared, including Tom Price
, Josie d'Arby
, Miranda Hart
, Stephen Evans, Steve Furst
, Steve Marsh
, Dan Wright
, Les Dennis
and Phil Cornwell
.
, he does at some parts, have a lack of confidence and panics. He also does embarrassing things when he is in a panic. He is always the first person to yell "Noooooo!" when its time to panic. He was also like Sally, nominated, but for being the best bellboy. He is sensitive, has strong emotions like the time Verity Lumiere kissed him. Jamie is a good character and always means well. He is probably the most normal of the threesome. It is shown on several occasions that he has romantic feelings for Sally – for example in "Super Trubble", he shouts "Don't hurt the woman I love!" after Lionel shoots her with an arrow, only to correct himself moments later. Sally and Jamie are tecnically married after an accident with a mix-up between a fake and real vicar. It's shown that Jamie is very over-enthusiastic about his work, as in one episode it is noted that he never wears anything other than his uniform; it can only be assumed he has a wardrobe somewhere full of identical blue suits.
of the hotel. She can be rather naughty and arrogant at times, but she means well. She makes herself look very glamorous and tries to be cool. In one episode she tells Lenny, "Good is Gossip magazine and bad is orange nail polish
". In one of the episodes she gets nominated for the person with the best shoes. She has a reasonable amount of common sense and thinks she is the best at acting, dancing and being odd-looking. She did though, only get as far as playing the sheep in her Cinderella
play at school. Sally is thoughtless at times and also arrogant, but has a good heart. In one episode, she says to Jamie "You rescued me" and she acts really flirty towards him and then when she answers the phone, she gives him a big smile.
runner, running the London Marathon
30 years ago (in 2009) even though it was established in 1981, the Queen's
cousin, a former actress and a grandmother. In a few episodes, she helps Sally, Lenny and Jamie with solutions to their problems. She has great determination and gets things when she asks for them. Mrs. Poshington seems to be demanding, but kind-hearted and filled with willpower. She loses her entire fortune in series 2 and is allowed to stay at the hotel as long as she is the new cleaner. In "Time Trubble", it is revealed she's had eight husbands; all of which died in suspicious circumstances. Mrs. Poshington is not a great cleaner as it shows in episodes 13 (4011); her video shows her breaking various items.
cat belonging to Mrs. Poshington. She does not seem to realize that he is not real and she pushes it on a wagon
. Mrs Poshington says things like "Sirius doesn't like running, he likes the cycling
trips we go on together". She even asks Sally to look after it for her when she goes out and calls frequently during this period to ask how he is in series 1 and 2. In "Fashion Phonies", Jamie says Sirius will never walk again.
instead of a bell or tone caller. Once, he threatens to fire Sally, Jamie and Lenny if they don't give him a good birthday party. Mrs. Poshington is responsible and is told that she will lose her room if the party isn't good. In one episode the Trubble diamond
is brought in by an impostor
who tries to steal it. He first tries to accuse Sally and then Lenny. Mr. Trubble does not have a particular personality
as he is never shown and is heard only as a shouting, unintelligible voice over the phone, a la the General in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines
.
(don't ask!), and is on the run from the police. Daisy is plotting to smuggle the elephant, which she has named Trunky and has hidden in room 360, back to the jungle where the two of them can start a new life together. (As you do.) She states that Sally found out her secret, thus prompting her to kidnap Sally and post her (literally) to Guatemala
so that she would not be found out. The rest of the characters are unaware of all of this, despite regular elephant noises coming from room 360. In "Fashion Phonies", the characters receive a postcard from Sally in Guatemala saying "DON'T TRUST THE RECEPTIONIST!", but Daisy tells them it's actually Guatemalan for "Ahh, lovely time".
Note: The character of Daisy, played by Susan Wokama, was introduced when Dominique Moore had to leave the show during recording of series 3 to have treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma
. The scripts were thus hastily rewritten so that Sally would not have to appear (though she would still be referred to in dialogue), incorporating the underlying sub-plot of Daisy having kidnapped an elephant and Sally's absence being explained by her having been sent to Guatemala by Daisy.
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...
and broadcast on its television channels CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
and BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. It stars Dominique Moore
Dominique Moore
Dominique Moore is a British actress best known for playing Chanel O'Grady in the ITV2 television drama Footballers' Wives: Extra Time.Dominique is a former pupil of Sylvia Young Theatre School. The BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary series Paddington Green followed her as she tried to win a...
as Sally, the receptionist; Gary Damer as Lenny; Sam Phillips as Jamie, the bellboy; and Tanya Franks
Tanya Franks
Tanya Christine Franks is an English-based actress, writer and producer, who is most known for starring roles on television in Family Affairs, The Bill, Pulling and the role of Rainie Cross in EastEnders. Franks is also the founder of Stock-pot Productions, a theatre and media production company...
as Dolly and Sheila Bernette as Mrs. Poshington, a guest who never leaves (and who becomes the hotel's cleaner in series two and three). It is a farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
sitcom. A total of 39 episodes have aired on TV between December 2008 and August 2011.. Many guest stars have appeared, including Tom Price
Tom Price (actor)
Tom Price is a British actor, voice over artist and stand up comedian. He is married to TV producer Beth Morrey, who is most noted for being the creator of hit Channel 4 quiz format Wogan's Perfect Recall.-TV and Film Career:...
, Josie d'Arby
Josie D'Arby
Josie d'Arby is a Welsh actress and television presenter from Newport, Wales.-Biography:d'Arby went to Lliswerry High School in her younger years then went on to attend the Anna Scher Theatre School, and later the London School of Journalism.d'Arby began a presenting career while still a student...
, Miranda Hart
Miranda Hart
Miranda Katharine Hart Dyke , known professionally as Miranda Hart, is an English actress, writer and stand-up comedienne. She writes and stars in the BBC sitcom Miranda...
, Stephen Evans, Steve Furst
Steve Furst
Steven Larry Furst is a comedian, actor and writer. Furst says his father told him that he arrived as an immigrant from Hungary with "nothing but a violin under my arm"...
, Steve Marsh
Steve Marsh (comedian)
Stephen "Steve" Marsh is a British actor and co-host of the CBeebies programme Big Cook, Little Cook and is also co-host of Space Hoppers. Marsh plays the part of the big cook, Ben. He and his Big Cook, Little Cook co-host Dan Wright form a comedy duo under the name of Electric Forecast...
, Dan Wright
Dan Wright (comedian)
Dan Wright is a British comedian and co-host of the CBeebies programme Big Cook, Little Cook. Wright plays the little cook, Small, who rides a magic wooden spoon. He was previously a police officer....
, Les Dennis
Les Dennis
Les Dennis is an English comedian, television presenter and actor best known as the host of Family Fortunes for 15 years.-Early life:...
and Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell is an English comedian, actor, impressionist and writer. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers television and radio series...
.
Jamie
Jamie is the bellboy of Hotel Trubble and probably the one with the most common senseCommon sense
Common sense is defined by Merriam-Webster as, "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts." Thus, "common sense" equates to the knowledge and experience which most people already have, or which the person using the term believes that they do or should have...
, he does at some parts, have a lack of confidence and panics. He also does embarrassing things when he is in a panic. He is always the first person to yell "Noooooo!" when its time to panic. He was also like Sally, nominated, but for being the best bellboy. He is sensitive, has strong emotions like the time Verity Lumiere kissed him. Jamie is a good character and always means well. He is probably the most normal of the threesome. It is shown on several occasions that he has romantic feelings for Sally – for example in "Super Trubble", he shouts "Don't hurt the woman I love!" after Lionel shoots her with an arrow, only to correct himself moments later. Sally and Jamie are tecnically married after an accident with a mix-up between a fake and real vicar. It's shown that Jamie is very over-enthusiastic about his work, as in one episode it is noted that he never wears anything other than his uniform; it can only be assumed he has a wardrobe somewhere full of identical blue suits.
Sally
Sally is the receptionistReceptionist
A receptionist is an employee taking an office/administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business...
of the hotel. She can be rather naughty and arrogant at times, but she means well. She makes herself look very glamorous and tries to be cool. In one episode she tells Lenny, "Good is Gossip magazine and bad is orange nail polish
Nail polish
Nail polish, or nail varnish, is a lacquer applied to human fingernails or toenails to decorate and/or protect the nail plate.-History:...
". In one of the episodes she gets nominated for the person with the best shoes. She has a reasonable amount of common sense and thinks she is the best at acting, dancing and being odd-looking. She did though, only get as far as playing the sheep in her Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
play at school. Sally is thoughtless at times and also arrogant, but has a good heart. In one episode, she says to Jamie "You rescued me" and she acts really flirty towards him and then when she answers the phone, she gives him a big smile.
Lenny
Leonard Lemon, better known as Lenny, is the least intelligent of the trio. He does all sorts of embarrassing things like asking people for help when they do not know what he is talking about. However, quite a few times, he has messed up things for Sally and Jamie, like the time when their hotel was to be demolished. Lenny's father worked at the council and when Lenny asked him if there had been a demolition for their hotel, his father said no, it was next door. When Lenny is asked to do something, he often takes the phrase too literally. Lenny, Jamie and Sally put in so much effort on the day of the demolition, and achieved hardly anything. Lenny is a humorous but a silly character at the hotel. At the beginning of every episode, Jamie says that Lenny is "a man of many talents" but they just don't know what his talents are yet.Dolly
Dolly is Mr Trubble's fiancée who first appeared in series two. She is seen as a posh lady and is effectively the manager of the hotel. In her first episode, there was a mix-up in which both Jamie and Sally thought they were the manager. She is constantly looking for new business ideas including a toilet made out of flowers and exclusive parties at the hotel. Dolly is seen as rather unintelligent and is not liked by Mrs. Poshington, Jamie and Sally. She seems to get on best with Lenny as they act in a similar way, though Lenny always has to carry out her orders for her crazy business ventures. In series 3 it is discovered Dolly used to be big in Japan as a singer, performing under the name Yolly Dolly.Mrs. Poshington
Mrs. Poshington is described by Jamie as a "regular pest... I mean, guest" who never leaves. The first thing she does in the morning is comes downstairs with complaints, often with no logical answer such as "Why is there sunlight?" She claims to be a marathonMarathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
runner, running the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
30 years ago (in 2009) even though it was established in 1981, the Queen's
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
cousin, a former actress and a grandmother. In a few episodes, she helps Sally, Lenny and Jamie with solutions to their problems. She has great determination and gets things when she asks for them. Mrs. Poshington seems to be demanding, but kind-hearted and filled with willpower. She loses her entire fortune in series 2 and is allowed to stay at the hotel as long as she is the new cleaner. In "Time Trubble", it is revealed she's had eight husbands; all of which died in suspicious circumstances. Mrs. Poshington is not a great cleaner as it shows in episodes 13 (4011); her video shows her breaking various items.
General Sirius Poshington
General Sirius Poshington is a fake stuffedTaxidermia
Taxidermia is a 2006 Hungarian film directed by György Pálfi. The film focuses on three generations of men from Hungary, beginning with a military orderly during the Second World War, moving on to an aspiring speed-eater during the Cold War, and concluding with a taxidermist during modern times...
cat belonging to Mrs. Poshington. She does not seem to realize that he is not real and she pushes it on a wagon
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
. Mrs Poshington says things like "Sirius doesn't like running, he likes the cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
trips we go on together". She even asks Sally to look after it for her when she goes out and calls frequently during this period to ask how he is in series 1 and 2. In "Fashion Phonies", Jamie says Sirius will never walk again.
Mr. Trubble
Mr. Trubble owns Hotel Trubble and calls very often on a special red phone with a sirenSiren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
instead of a bell or tone caller. Once, he threatens to fire Sally, Jamie and Lenny if they don't give him a good birthday party. Mrs. Poshington is responsible and is told that she will lose her room if the party isn't good. In one episode the Trubble diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
is brought in by an impostor
Impostor
An impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
who tries to steal it. He first tries to accuse Sally and then Lenny. Mr. Trubble does not have a particular personality
Personality type
Personality type refers to the psychological classification of different types of individuals. Personality types are sometimes distinguished from personality traits, with the latter embodying a smaller grouping of behavioral tendencies. Types are sometimes said to involve qualitative differences...
as he is never shown and is heard only as a shouting, unintelligible voice over the phone, a la the General in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines
Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines
Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines is a cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for CBS. Originally the series was broadcast as a Saturday morning cartoon, airing from September 13, 1969 to January 3, 1970...
.
Chef
Like Mr. Trubble, Chef is never seen and is represented only as a shouting unintelligible voice emanating from behind the double doors leading to the kitchen. He would seem to be an extemely hostile individual, as whenever Jamie or Lenny enters the kitchen to speak to him, there is always a lot of shouting before they emerge looking rather frightened.Daisy
Daisy is the new receptionist, first appearing in the series 3 episode "American President". She is an animal rights activist who has kidnapped an elephant from London ZooLondon Zoo
London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
(don't ask!), and is on the run from the police. Daisy is plotting to smuggle the elephant, which she has named Trunky and has hidden in room 360, back to the jungle where the two of them can start a new life together. (As you do.) She states that Sally found out her secret, thus prompting her to kidnap Sally and post her (literally) to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
so that she would not be found out. The rest of the characters are unaware of all of this, despite regular elephant noises coming from room 360. In "Fashion Phonies", the characters receive a postcard from Sally in Guatemala saying "DON'T TRUST THE RECEPTIONIST!", but Daisy tells them it's actually Guatemalan for "Ahh, lovely time".
Note: The character of Daisy, played by Susan Wokama, was introduced when Dominique Moore had to leave the show during recording of series 3 to have treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma, previously known as Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, which is a cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes...
. The scripts were thus hastily rewritten so that Sally would not have to appear (though she would still be referred to in dialogue), incorporating the underlying sub-plot of Daisy having kidnapped an elephant and Sally's absence being explained by her having been sent to Guatemala by Daisy.
Garbo Pang
She is a recent new character, first appearing in the show on the fourth episode where she is mopping the floor of the hotel and cleaning out the toilet. She also appears in an episode where she is kidnapped by an evil witch planning to rule the world and saved by the Hotel Trubble crew.Episodes
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | Season Premiere | Season Finale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | 2008–2009 | 24 December 2008 | 24 February 2009 | |
| 2 | 13 | 2010 | 20 September 2010 | 13 December 2010 | |
| 3 | 13 | 2011 | 15 August 2011 | 31 August 2011 | |
External links
- Hotel Trubble Movie, TV, Episode database
- Hotel Trubble UK TV Guide