The Abbey (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Abbey is a British
television situation comedy
produced by Baby Cow Productions
for ITV
, about dysfunctional celebrities with various vices that seek sanctuary at The Abbey to overcome their problems. It is written by Morwenna Banks
, directed by Johnny Campbell and executive produced by Henry Normal
.
Banks stars as ex-rock star Marianne Hope who opened The Abbey as a retreat offering new age
therapies, after her very public nervous breakdown. Omid Djalili
plays The Abbey's owner Tony. Russell Brand
is a DJ seemingly nonchalant about his crack cocaine
addiction, who even has to resort to sticking a can a whipped cream up his nose to satisfy his addiction. Liz Smith
plays a perverted pensioner with an addiction to sex
. Tamsin Egerton
plays a model with an eating disorder
, who eats toilet roll in order to avoid hunger pangs. Miranda Hart
plays the suicidal wife of a disgraced MP
, obsessed with cleaning, cooking and being lovely to everyone in the most obtuse way! The show also stars Reece Shearsmith
as a 'doctor' and councellor and Marti Pellow
as Marianne Banks estranged husband.
The show was broadcast on 14 February 2007 on ITV
and served as a pilot, with a view to a series if the one-off was popular enough. The episode gained an estimated 2.3 million viewers and somewhat poor reviews.
ITV commissioned a full series of The Abbey for broadcast on ITV2
in 2008. Filming was due to begin in January 2008 but the series was later cancelled.
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 situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
produced by Baby Cow Productions
Baby Cow Productions
Baby Cow Productions Ltd is a UK comedy television production company established in 1999 by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal based in London and Manchester. It has since diversified into radio, animation and film. In 2008, BBC Worldwide bought a 25% stake in the company...
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...
, about dysfunctional celebrities with various vices that seek sanctuary at The Abbey to overcome their problems. It is written by Morwenna Banks
Morwenna Banks
Morwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...
, directed by Johnny Campbell and executive produced by Henry Normal
Henry Normal
Henry Normal is an English comedian, television producer, poet and writer. He is Managing Director of Baby Cow Productions Ltd which he set up with Steve Coogan....
.
Banks stars as ex-rock star Marianne Hope who opened The Abbey as a retreat offering new age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
therapies, after her very public nervous breakdown. Omid Djalili
Omid Djalili
Omid Djalili is a British Iranian stand-up comedian, actor, television producer and writer.-Personal life:Djalili was born in Chelsea, London to Iranian Bahá'í parents and is a Bahá'í himself...
plays The Abbey's owner Tony. Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
is a DJ seemingly nonchalant about his crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
addiction, who even has to resort to sticking a can a whipped cream up his nose to satisfy his addiction. Liz Smith
Liz Smith (actress)
Liz Smith, MBE is a British actress, best-known for her roles in the sitcoms The Vicar of Dibley and The Royle Family. She also appeared in the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.-Early life:...
plays a perverted pensioner with an addiction to sex
Sexual addiction
Sexual addiction is a popular model to explain hypersexuality—sexual urges, behaviors, or thoughts that appear extreme in frequency or feel out of one's control...
. Tamsin Egerton
Tamsin Egerton
Tamsin Egerton is an English actress best known for her roles as Chelsea Parker in the 2007 film St Trinian's, Holly Goodfellow in Keeping Mum and Guinevere in the 2011 TV series Camelot.-Career:...
plays a model with an eating disorder
Eating disorder
Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
, who eats toilet roll in order to avoid hunger pangs. 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...
plays the suicidal wife of a disgraced MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, obsessed with cleaning, cooking and being lovely to everyone in the most obtuse way! The show also stars Reece Shearsmith
Reece Shearsmith
Reeson "Reece" Shearsmith is an English actor and writer. He is most famous for his work as part of The League of Gentlemen along with fellow performers Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and co-writer Jeremy Dyson.-Early life:...
as a 'doctor' and councellor and Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow has been the lead singer of the Scottish pop group Wet Wet Wet since their formation in 1982. He has also recorded solo material.-Early life:...
as Marianne Banks estranged husband.
The show was broadcast on 14 February 2007 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...
and served as a pilot, with a view to a series if the one-off was popular enough. The episode gained an estimated 2.3 million viewers and somewhat poor reviews.
ITV commissioned a full series of The Abbey for broadcast on ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
in 2008. Filming was due to begin in January 2008 but the series was later cancelled.