No Commitments
Encyclopedia
No Commitments is a comedy radio drama written by Simon Brett
,
broadcast on BBC Radio 4
. It portrays the day-to-day
lives of three very different sisters.
Simon Brett
Simon Brett is a prolific writer of whodunnits. The son of a chartered surveyor, he was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first-class honours degree in English...
,
broadcast on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. It portrays the day-to-day
lives of three very different sisters.
Main characters
- Anna is the eldest and most level-headed of the three sisters. Having cared for her father for some years, on his death she inherited the family homeHomeA home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
. Generally happy and contented with life, she suddenly finds herself free to put herself first for once, now she genuinely has No Commitments, despite her sisters' belief that she requires their assistance in managing her personal life. She works as receptionist to Eddie, a dentistDentistA dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
.
- Victoria lives out her rôle as the middle classMiddle classThe middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
housewifeHousewifeHousewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
in BeckenhamBeckenhamBeckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
, a LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suburbSuburbThe word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
. With her long-suffering financial director husband Roger, and their three children, Emily, Harriet and Benjy, she tries to maintain the family's social reputation, at all costs. Emily (who over time grows from a child to a young mother) finds her aunt Anna a more sympathetic confidante than her mother.
- Charlotte is the youngest sister, and longs to be a famous actress. Lacking somewhat in both talent and self-awareness, she stumbles from one small acting rôle to the next, finally finding a small amount of success in a hardly-known televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
. She seems to progress through serial lovers at about the same rate, often with the expectation that the casting couchCasting couchThe casting couch, casting couch syndrome or casting couch mentality is a term which involves the trading of sexual favors by an aspirant, apprentice employee, or subordinate to a superior, in return for entry into an occupation, or for other career advancement within an organization...
will lead to the bed, or vice versa. She has one daughter, Gisele, the result of a brief marriage to an Australian actor, who has more success in her parents' profession.
Regular Cast
- Anna - Rosemary LeachRosemary LeachRosemary Leach is a British stage, television and film actress.She was born at Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Her parents were teachers related to Edmund Leach. She attended grammar school and RADA...
- Victoria
- Nicola PagettNicola PagettNicola Pagett is an English actress. She is best-known for her role as Elizabeth Bellamy in the 1970s TV drama series Upstairs, Downstairs.-Early life:She was educated at St...
(series 1-5) - Angela ThorneAngela ThorneAngela Thorne is an English actress who is best known for her roles in To the Manor Born and Anyone for Denis?-Early life:Angela Thorne was born in Karachi, British India, , in 1939...
(series 6-13)- Charlotte
- Celia ImrieCelia ImrieCelia Diana Savile Imrie is an English actress. In a career starting in the early 1970s, Imrie has played Marianne Bellshade in Bergerac, Philippa Moorcroft in Dinnerladies, Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques, Diana Neal in After You've Gone and Gloria Millington in Kingdom...
(series 1, 3-6, 10, 12) - Josie LawrenceJosie LawrenceJosie Lawrence is a British comedienne and actress best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series Whose Line Is It Anyway? and more recently her role as Manda Best in EastEnders....
(series 2) - Felicity MontaguFelicity MontaguFelicity Montagu is an English actress, known for her performances in radio and television comedy series and films.Educated at Loughborough University and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, Felicity Montagu has played the foil to a series of prominent comedy characters.-Television:Montagu...
(series 11, 13)- Roger
- Stephen MooreStephen Moore (actor)Stephen Moore is an English actor, known for his work on British television since the 1980s. He is known for his appearances in Rock Follies and other TV series such as The Last Place on Earth, the children's series The Queen's Nose and the drama Mersey Beat and the British TV comedy series Solo,...
(series 1) - Roger Lloyd-Pack (series 2)
- Jonathan CoyJonathan CoyJonathan Coy is a British actor born in Hammersmith, London on 24 April 1953. He has worked since 1975 largely in television, notably as Henry in the long running legal series Rumpole and as Bracegirdle in the television series Hornblower, adapted from the books by C. S. Forester...
(series 3, 4, 12, 13) - Bill NighyBill NighyWilliam Francis "Bill" Nighy is an English actor and comedian. He worked in theatre and television before his first cinema role in 1981, and made his name in television with The Men's Room in 1991, in which he played the womanizer Prof...
(series 5, 6, 10, 11)- Eddie - James Greene
- Delia (series 1) - Maxine AudleyMaxine AudleyMaxine Audley was an English theatre and film actress. She made her professional stage debut in July 1940 at the Open Air Theatre. Throughout her career, Audley performed with both the Old Vic company and the Royal Shakespeare Company multiple times...
- Emily
- Lisa Coleman (series 2-4, 6, 10-13)
- Natalie WalterNatalie WalterNatalie Walter is a British actress who is best known for her film, theatre and television roles. She was born in Woking, Surrey in 1974. Her father is David Walter, the former BBC and ITN journalist. She studied at London's prestigious Drama Centre, where one of her classmates was the comedian...
(series 5)- Nick - Kieran Hill (series 10-13)
Production
- Music - Elizabeth Parker of the BBC Radiophonic WorkshopBBC Radiophonic WorkshopThe BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effects units of the BBC, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio, and was closed in March 1998, although much of its traditional work had already been outsourced by 1995. It was based in the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in Delaware...
- Producer
- Paul Schlesinger (series 1, 2)
- Anne Jobson (series 3, 4)
- Maria Esposito (series 5, 6)
- Simon BrettSimon BrettSimon Brett is a prolific writer of whodunnits. The son of a chartered surveyor, he was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first-class honours degree in English...
(series 10-13)
Episode list
| Series | Episode | Title | First broadcast | Additional cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Sisters Of Mercy | 9 January 1992 | |
| 2 | Empty Vessels | 16 January 1992 | Patrick - Andrew Wincott | |
| 3 | A Nice Civilized Evening | 23 January 1992 | Dr Fenton - Benjamin Whitrow Benjamin Whitrow Benjamin "Ben" Whitrow is a British actor. He attended the Dragon School, Tonbridge School, and RADA. Whitrow was also part of the King's Dragoon Guards from 1956 to 1958. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1981... , Melvyn - Ronald Herdman, The Two Hilarys - Mark Straker, Theresa Streatfeild |
|
| 4 | Cracks In The Varnish | 30 January 1992 | Malcolm - Robert Bathurst Robert Bathurst Robert Guy Bathurst is an English actor. Bathurst was born in the Gold Coast in 1957, where his father was working as a management consultant. His family moved to Dublin, Ireland, in 1959 and Bathurst was enrolled at an Anglican boarding school... , Dr Radford - Peter Penry-Jones Peter Penry-Jones Peter David Penry-Jones was a Welsh actor.-Career:His television credits include: Colditz, The Professionals, To the Manor Born, Bergerac, Howards' Way, Kavanagh QC and Midsomer Murders... , Georgio - Nicholas Murchie |
|
| 5 | Old Embers | 6 February 1992 | Guy - David Swift, Wilson - Neil Roberts Neil Roberts (actor) Neil Roberts is an English actor, known for portraying Rex Buckland in Charmed, Gavin Arnold in Family Affairs and Richard in Life Bites.-Background:... |
|
| 6 | A Complete Break | 13 February 1992 | Patrick - Nicholas Murchie, Mrs Motson - Alison Reid | |
| 2 | 1 | Frail Memorials | 29 July 1993 | Judy - Theresa Gallagher, John Lassiter - Dominic Letts, Jeremy - Ronald Herdman |
| 2 | Bright Lights | 5 August 1993 | Jeremy - Ronald Herdman, Georgio - Dominic Letts | |
| 3 | The Big Break | 12 August 1993 | Dan - Andrew Wincott, Terry - Theresa Gallagher | |
| 4 | Bed And Breakfast | 19 August 1993 | Lady Dunn - Jilly Mears, Gareth - William Osborne William Osborne William Osborne may refer to*William Osborne , National League umpire in 1876.*William H. Osborne, a Chief Executive Officer*William G. Osborne, the respondent in District Attorney's Office v. Osborne, a U.S... , Sir James - Philip Anthony |
|
| 5 | Affair Exchange | 26 August 1993 | Tim - Simon Treves Simon Treves Frederick Simon Treves, known as Simon Treves, is an English actor, director and writer probably best known for playing Harold 'Stinker' Pinker in three series of ITV's Jeeves and Wooster.-Biography:... , Georgio - David Thorpe |
|
| 6 | Twice Bitten | 2 September 1993 | Gordon - John Baddeley John Baddeley (actor) Edward John Baddeley is a British actor. Apart from his work in the theatre in the provinces and the West End, he is also notable for his work with the BBC and as voice-over artist... |
|
| 3 | 1 | Time Shift | 24 November 1994 | Will - David Antrobus, Georgio - Michael Tudor-Barnes |
| 2 | Material Values | 1 December 1994 | ||
| 3 | Talking Shop | 8 December 1994 | Lallie - Rachel Atkins | |
| 4 | An Ill Wind | 15 December 1994 | ||
| 5 | Seasonal Adjustment | 22 December 1994 | Tibor - Jonathan Keeble | |
| 6 | A Man Who Cares | 29 December 1994 | Pete - Derek Waring Derek Waring Derek Waring was an English actor who is best remembered for playing Detective Inspector Goss in Z-Cars from 1969 to 1973... , Derek - Ian Masters |
|
| 4 | 1 | A Nip In The Air | 24 July 1996 | Burton - Kim Wall Kim Wall Kim Wall is an American Actress. She is probably best known for starring in the 1988 sequel Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland.-Career:... |
| 2 | Educated Guesswork | 31 July 1996 | ||
| 3 | Faith, Hope And Very Little Charity | 7 August 1996 | ||
| 4 | One Gets Better | 14 August 1996 | Harriet - Kelda Holmes Kelda Holmes Kelda Holmes is an English actress best known for playing Sarah Jackson in the Children's ITV television programme Press Gang.... |
|
| 5 | Not A Leg To Stand On | 21 August 1996 | ||
| 6 | Two At A Time | 28 August 1996 | Martin - Geoffrey Whitehead Geoffrey Whitehead Geoffrey Whitehead is an English actor. He has appeared in a huge range of television, film and radio roles. In the theatre, he has played at the Shakespeare Globe, St... , Jason - Joshua Towb |
|
| 5 | 1 | Family Business | 9 July 1998 | |
| 2 | Who You Know | 16 July 1998 | ||
| 3 | Charity Begins At Home | 23 July 1998 | Imelda - Buffy Davis, Des Kitchin - 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... |
|
| 4 | Surprise Surprise | 30 July 1998 | ||
| 5 | Running In The Family | 6 August 1998 | Nigel - Jon Glover Jon Glover Jon Glover is a British actor. He has appeared in various television programmes including Play School, Survivors, the Management consultant in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Casualty, Bodger and Badger and Peak Practice.... |
|
| 6 | Rallying Round | 13 August 1998 | Stuart - Edward de Souza Edward de Souza Edward James de Souza is a British character actor and graduate of RADA with ethnic Portuguese Indian and English origins.-Early life:... |
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| 6 | 1 | Make My Day | 14 July 1999 | Stuart - Edward de Souza Edward de Souza Edward James de Souza is a British character actor and graduate of RADA with ethnic Portuguese Indian and English origins.-Early life:... , Rupert - Christian Rodska Christian Rodska Christian Rodska is an English actor who has appeared in many television and radio series and narrated a number of audiobooks... |
| 2 | Excess Baggage | 21 July 1999 | Stuart - Edward de Souza Edward de Souza Edward James de Souza is a British character actor and graduate of RADA with ethnic Portuguese Indian and English origins.-Early life:... , Claudia - Joanna Monro Joanna Monro Joanna Monro is a British actress and former TV presenter who, in the 1980s, appeared on the BBC show That's Life! with Esther Rantzen.... |
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| 3 | Making It Better | 28 July 1999 | Mark - Will Ing | |
| 4 | Retiring Types | 4 August 1999 | ||
| 5 | Spreading Wings | 11 August 1999 | the secretary - Jane Gibson, the waiter - Alan Cowan | |
| 6 | Growing Away | 18 August 1999 | ||
| 7 | 1 | Supporting Parts | 31 January 2001 | |
| 2 | A Family Lunch | 7 February 2001 | ||
| 3 | Soft Soap | 14 February 2001 | ||
| 4 | Reflected Glory | 21 February 2001 | ||
| 5 | The Wedding Party | 28 February 2001 | ||
| 6 | Soap Bubbles | 7 March 2001 | ||
| 8 | 1 | Fresh Starts | 2 January 2002 | |
| 2 | New Age Differences | 9 January 2002 | ||
| 3 | My Turn Now | 16 January 2002 | ||
| 4 | Wanderlust | 23 January 2002 | ||
| 5 | Impossibly High Standards | 30 January 2002 | ||
| 6 | All Roads Lead To Rome | 6 February 2002 | ||
| 9 | 1 | Ill Of The Dead | 1 January 2003 | |
| 2 | Changing Lives | 8 January 2003 | ||
| 3 | Imaginary Friends | 15 January 2003 | ||
| 4 | Meeting The Family | 22 January 2003 | ||
| 5 | Houseroom | 29 January 2003 | ||
| 6 | Coming Clean | 5 February 2003 | ||
| 10 | 1 | The Real World | 28 January 2004 | |
| 2 | Rules Of Engagement | 4 February 2004 | Mrs Pinchbeck - Sheila Mitchell, the vicar - Richard Syms | |
| 3 | Time With The Family | 11 February 2004 | Brian - James Vaughan, Kathryn - Bridget McConnel | |
| 4 | A Bride Too Far | 18 February 2004 | ||
| 5 | A Marriage Of Inconvenience | 25 February 2004 | ||
| 6 | The Ring Cycle | 3 March 2004 | ||
| 11 | 1 | Accentuate The Positive | 19 January 2005 | |
| 2 | Foreign Affairs | 26 January 2005 | ||
| 3 | A Life More Ordinary | 2 February 2005 | Derek - Roland Davies | |
| 4 | Hard Times | 9 February 2005 | Lydia Grucock - Richenda Carey Richenda Carey Richenda Carey is an English theatre, television and film actress, who is mostly known for her roles in Monarch of the Glen, Jeeves and Wooster, Crush and most recently, Separate Lies and Criminal Justice... , George - Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his portrayal of Superintendent Mullet in the ITV television series A Touch of Frost produced by Yorkshire Television in the United Kingdom, in which he acted as the superior of the main character Detective Inspector William "Jack" Frost,... |
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| 5 | Taking Chances | 16 February 2005 | Melissa - Judy Flynn Judy Flynn Judy Flynn is a British actress most notably known for her role as Julie in the sit-com The Brittas Empire.-Filmography:*Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom as Mrs... |
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| 6 | Ill Winds | 23 February 2005 | Melissa - Judy Flynn Judy Flynn Judy Flynn is a British actress most notably known for her role as Julie in the sit-com The Brittas Empire.-Filmography:*Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom as Mrs... |
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| 12 | 1 | Settling Down | 26 April 2006 | French voice - Marianne Borgo |
| 2 | Darling Daughters | 3 May 2006 | Jeff - Stephen Thorne Stephen Thorne Stephen Thorne is a British actor of radio, film, stage and television.He trained at the and after a time in weekly rep. he played several seasons with the Old Vic Company and the RSC in Stratford and London including a tour to Russia... |
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| 3 | Misalliances | 10 May 2006 | Paddy - Bill Wallace | |
| 4 | Upstaging | 17 May 2006 | Brian - James Vaughan, Kathryn - Bridget McConnel | |
| 5 | Soft Soap | 24 May 2006 | Jeff - Stephen Thorne Stephen Thorne Stephen Thorne is a British actor of radio, film, stage and television.He trained at the and after a time in weekly rep. he played several seasons with the Old Vic Company and the RSC in Stratford and London including a tour to Russia... , Mr Darnley - Colin Starkey, George - Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his portrayal of Superintendent Mullet in the ITV television series A Touch of Frost produced by Yorkshire Television in the United Kingdom, in which he acted as the superior of the main character Detective Inspector William "Jack" Frost,... , Felicity Titterill - Susan Jameson Susan Jameson Susan Jameson is an English actress who is best known for her television work.Jameson was born in Barnt Green, Worcestershire, England, UK. She is married to actor James Bolam with whom she has a daughter, Lucy... |
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| 6 | Game, Set And Match | 31 May 2006 | French voice - Marianne Borgo | |
| 13 | 1 | Age Differences | 11 April 2007 | Max - Jon Glover Jon Glover Jon Glover is a British actor. He has appeared in various television programmes including Play School, Survivors, the Management consultant in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Casualty, Bodger and Badger and Peak Practice.... |
| 2 | Old School | 18 April 2007 | George - Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his portrayal of Superintendent Mullet in the ITV television series A Touch of Frost produced by Yorkshire Television in the United Kingdom, in which he acted as the superior of the main character Detective Inspector William "Jack" Frost,... , Stranks, PW - Chris Emmett Chris Emmett Chris Emmett is a British actor and comedian best known for his work in the late 1970s on the BBC Radio 4 comedy The Burkiss Way. He was a regular on various series starring Roy Hudd, including The News Huddlines, The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, Huddwinks and Crowned Hudds... |
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| 3 | Model Behaviour | 25 April 2007 | George - Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his portrayal of Superintendent Mullet in the ITV television series A Touch of Frost produced by Yorkshire Television in the United Kingdom, in which he acted as the superior of the main character Detective Inspector William "Jack" Frost,... , Felicity - Susan Jameson Susan Jameson Susan Jameson is an English actress who is best known for her television work.Jameson was born in Barnt Green, Worcestershire, England, UK. She is married to actor James Bolam with whom she has a daughter, Lucy... , Moira - Joanna Munro |
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| 4 | A Voice from the Past | 2 May 2007 | Brian - James Vaughan, Kathryn - Bridget McConnell, Patrick - Michael Simkins Michael Simkins Michael Simkins is an English actor.-Life and career:Simkins was born in Brighton, Sussex. He attended Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School and while still at school performed works by Gilbert and Sullivan in a group called the Wandering Minstrels, which he co-founded in Brighton in the... |
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| 5 | Blue Rabbits | 9 May 2007 | Patrick - Michael Simkins Michael Simkins Michael Simkins is an English actor.-Life and career:Simkins was born in Brighton, Sussex. He attended Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School and while still at school performed works by Gilbert and Sullivan in a group called the Wandering Minstrels, which he co-founded in Brighton in the... |
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| 6 | New Beginnings | 16 May 2007 | George - Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander Bruce Alexander is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his portrayal of Superintendent Mullet in the ITV television series A Touch of Frost produced by Yorkshire Television in the United Kingdom, in which he acted as the superior of the main character Detective Inspector William "Jack" Frost,... |
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