Moving Wallpaper
Encyclopedia
Moving Wallpaper was a British satirical comedy-drama
television series set in a TV production unit. It ran on ITV
for two series in 2008–2009. The subject of the first series was the production of a soap called Echo Beach
, each episode of which aired directly after the Moving Wallpaper episode about its production. The second series was based around the production of a "zombie show" called Renaissance. Ben Miller confirmed in May 2009 on his Twitter account that no further series will be made.
The title, "Moving Wallpaper", is a disparaging term applied to uninspiring TV shows, or to television in general, referring to the perception that modern television viewers are "mindless absorbers of images", as if staring at wallpaper.
and produced by Kudos
for ITV
. Filming for series one started in July 2007 and the show began airing on ITV
on 10 January 2008, continuing at 9 pm on Fridays thereafter for twelve weekly episodes. The "fictional" soap opera Echo Beach was itself shown immediately afterwards at 9.30 pm.
A six-episode second series of Moving Wallpaper was commissioned and began airing on ITV on 28 February 2009, again in the Friday 9 pm slot. The companion soap Echo Beach was cancelled, however, and the storylines of series two instead revolved around a "zombie show" called Renaissance. Unlike Echo Beach in series one, which was a full broadcast series, Renaissance was a half-hour pilot screened after the conclusion of the second series only on the ITV website, itv.com
.
In Australia
, season one of Moving Wallpaper aired back-to-back with Echo Beach on ABC2
each Friday at 8:30pm from 30 May, 2008. Both programs were later repeated on the higher-rated ABC1
channel a year later from 6 May, 2009 on Wednesday nights. Yet, this time, Echo Beach was separated from its sister program and placed in an early Saturday evening timeslot three days later. Season two premiered on ABC1 each Friday night at 10:15pm from 19 February, 2010.
), trying to hold together an assortment of egotistic and neurotic writers and actors through the vicissitudes of Echo Beach production (series one), while simultaneously fighting off his bitchy boss.
Series one ended with the producer on the verge of learning whether a second series of Echo Beach had been commissioned. Series two picked up from this point with the news that the network had cancelled Echo Beach (mirroring the real-life circumstance). However, a clause in Pope's contract compels the network to allow him to make a pilot for a new show, which largely by accident turns out to be the "zombie show" Renaissance. After rejection by the network, Pope forces a website editor to upload the pilot to the itv.com website (again linking to the real-life circumstance).
* Characters in Renaissance
** Characters in Echo Beach
Viewing figures fell again at the start of series two, with the first episode watched by 2.1 million viewers and the third attracting just 1.39 million, although it was up against Comic Relief
on the BBC
.
Media reviews for Moving Wallpaper were largely positive (though the series one companion show Echo Beach was received less favourably). The Telegraphs reviewer described Moving Wallpaper as "sharply written and cleverly characterised", and a review in The Times called it "joyously and uproariously funny". The Mirror was less enthusiastic, however, saying "Moving Wallpaper remains a laboured in-joke at its own expense", and celebrity website Hecklerspray agreed describing it as being "merely millimetres away from being the epitome of mediocre, easy watch television."
The episode of Moving Wallpaper broadcast on 20 March 2009, in which a transsexual script writer was made the butt of a series of jokes, was described by groups representing transgendered people as transphobic and likely to encourage hate-crime and discrimination against transgendered people. Ofcom, the UK broadcast media watchdog, received 100 complaints over the episode and launched an investigation to see if any broadcasting codes were breached. ITV and the programme were cleared by Ofcom in June 2009..
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
television series set in a TV production unit. It ran on 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...
for two series in 2008–2009. The subject of the first series was the production of a soap called Echo Beach
Echo Beach (soap)
Echo Beach was a short-lived British teen-drama series that aired on ITV in 2008. Set in the fictional Cornish coastal town of Polnarren, it ran for twelve weekly episodes from 10 January to 21 March 2008...
, each episode of which aired directly after the Moving Wallpaper episode about its production. The second series was based around the production of a "zombie show" called Renaissance. Ben Miller confirmed in May 2009 on his Twitter account that no further series will be made.
The title, "Moving Wallpaper", is a disparaging term applied to uninspiring TV shows, or to television in general, referring to the perception that modern television viewers are "mindless absorbers of images", as if staring at wallpaper.
History
The show was created by Tony JordanTony Jordan
Tony Jordan is a British television writer. He was listed as the number 1 television screen writer in the UK by Broadcast magazine and among British Broadcastings Top 20 in The Stage ., He currently resides in Hertfordshire, UK.For many years, he was lead writer and series consultant for BBC One...
and produced by Kudos
Kudos (production company)
Kudos Film and Television is a British independent film and television production company. It has produced television series for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and its productions include Spooks , Hustle, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard and M.I. High...
for 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...
. Filming for series one started in July 2007 and the show began airing on 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...
on 10 January 2008, continuing at 9 pm on Fridays thereafter for twelve weekly episodes. The "fictional" soap opera Echo Beach was itself shown immediately afterwards at 9.30 pm.
A six-episode second series of Moving Wallpaper was commissioned and began airing on ITV on 28 February 2009, again in the Friday 9 pm slot. The companion soap Echo Beach was cancelled, however, and the storylines of series two instead revolved around a "zombie show" called Renaissance. Unlike Echo Beach in series one, which was a full broadcast series, Renaissance was a half-hour pilot screened after the conclusion of the second series only on the ITV website, itv.com
Itv.com
itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
.
In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, season one of Moving Wallpaper aired back-to-back with Echo Beach on ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
each Friday at 8:30pm from 30 May, 2008. Both programs were later repeated on the higher-rated ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
channel a year later from 6 May, 2009 on Wednesday nights. Yet, this time, Echo Beach was separated from its sister program and placed in an early Saturday evening timeslot three days later. Season two premiered on ABC1 each Friday night at 10:15pm from 19 February, 2010.
Premise
Moving Wallpaper storylines revolve around a crazed producer, Jonathan Pope (played by Ben MillerBen Miller
Bennet Evan "Ben" Miller is an English comedian, actor and director. He is perhaps best known as one half of comedy double act Armstrong and Miller, along with Alexander Armstrong. Together the pair wrote and starred in Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, and the more recent BBC television...
), trying to hold together an assortment of egotistic and neurotic writers and actors through the vicissitudes of Echo Beach production (series one), while simultaneously fighting off his bitchy boss.
Series one ended with the producer on the verge of learning whether a second series of Echo Beach had been commissioned. Series two picked up from this point with the news that the network had cancelled Echo Beach (mirroring the real-life circumstance). However, a clause in Pope's contract compels the network to allow him to make a pilot for a new show, which largely by accident turns out to be the "zombie show" Renaissance. After rejection by the network, Pope forces a website editor to upload the pilot to the itv.com website (again linking to the real-life circumstance).
Cast
| Actor | Character | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Miller Ben Miller Bennet Evan "Ben" Miller is an English comedian, actor and director. He is perhaps best known as one half of comedy double act Armstrong and Miller, along with Alexander Armstrong. Together the pair wrote and starred in Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, and the more recent BBC television... |
Jonathan Pope (producer) | 1–2 |
| Sinead Keenan Sinead Keenan Sinead Keenan is an Irish actress with a vast variety of television, film and stage credits. Keenan is best known for playing the role of werewolf Nina Pickering on BBC Three's supernatural drama Being Human, which began airing in 2009. Keenan has been a regular cast member since Series 3 began... |
Kelly Hawkins (PA) | 1–2 |
| Lucy Liemann Lucy Liemann Lucy Liemann is a British actress. Liemann was born in Middlesex, UK. After graduation she was spotted at a supermarket by a voice scout who urged her to become a voice artist. Liemann then went on to study acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts... |
Samantha Phillips (script editor) | 1–2 |
| Elizabeth Berrington | Mel Debrou (cast liaison) | 1–2 |
| James Lance James Lance James Lance is a British actor who is best known for his appearances in a number of British comedy series. James Lance attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School... |
Tom Warren (script writer) | 1–2 |
| Dave Lamb Dave Lamb Dave Lamb is a British actor and voice-over artist best known for his work on Come Dine with Me as well as appearances in British television and radio programmes, especially comedy programmes. He also currently presents the CBBC game show Horrible Histories: Gory Games.- Early work :Lamb's first... |
Carl Morris (script writer) | 1–2 |
| Raquel Cassidy Raquel Cassidy Raquel Josephine Dominic Cassidy is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her television roles as Susan Gately in Teachers , the Home Office Junior Minister Jo Porter in Party Animals, and Mel in Lead Balloon, as well as her various stage works.-Filmography:-Selected... |
Nancy Weeks (TV boss) | 1–2 |
| Sarah Hadland Sarah Hadland Sarah Hadland is an English actress who has a career spanning theatre, film, and television and as a voice-over artist.-Early life and education:... |
Gillian McGovern (script writer) | 1–2 |
| Alan Dale Alan Dale Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New... |
Himself playing John* | 2 |
| Kelly Brook Kelly Brook Kelly Brook is an English model, actress, entrepreneur, television presenter and Playboy model.-Early life:... |
Herself playing Sam* | 2 |
| Susie Amy Susie Amy Susie Amy is an English model and actress most famous for her role as Chardonnay Lane-Pascoe in the first two series of Footballers' Wives.-Biography:... |
Herself playing Angela** | 1 |
| Martine McCutcheon Martine McCutcheon Martine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK... |
Herself playing Susan** | 1 |
| Jason Donovan Jason Donovan Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989... |
Himself playing Daniel** | 1 |
| Hugo Speer Hugo Speer Hugo Speer is an English actor.He was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and educated at Harrogate Grammar School. He studied acting at The Arts Educational School.... |
Himself playing Mark** | 1 |
Reception
The first episode of series one of Moving Wallpaper attracted 5 million viewers on average with a 21% audience share, easily winning the timeslot. After that, the ratings dropped — halving to about 2.5 million towards the end of February.Viewing figures fell again at the start of series two, with the first episode watched by 2.1 million viewers and the third attracting just 1.39 million, although it was up against Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
on 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...
.
Media reviews for Moving Wallpaper were largely positive (though the series one companion show Echo Beach was received less favourably). The Telegraphs reviewer described Moving Wallpaper as "sharply written and cleverly characterised", and a review in The Times called it "joyously and uproariously funny". The Mirror was less enthusiastic, however, saying "Moving Wallpaper remains a laboured in-joke at its own expense", and celebrity website Hecklerspray agreed describing it as being "merely millimetres away from being the epitome of mediocre, easy watch television."
The episode of Moving Wallpaper broadcast on 20 March 2009, in which a transsexual script writer was made the butt of a series of jokes, was described by groups representing transgendered people as transphobic and likely to encourage hate-crime and discrimination against transgendered people. Ofcom, the UK broadcast media watchdog, received 100 complaints over the episode and launched an investigation to see if any broadcasting codes were breached. ITV and the programme were cleared by Ofcom in June 2009..