The Book Group
Encyclopedia
The Book Group is a comedy drama that aired on Channel 4
in the United Kingdom between 2002 and 2003, and ran for two series. It was written and directed by the American-born Glasgow resident Annie Griffin
, who also wrote and directed Festival. It was the winner of two BAFTA Scotland awards.
In January 2006, it was announced that screenwriter Andrew Davies
would make a feature film adaptation of The Book Group for Film 4
, but the project was never started.
), who, at the start of the series, had recently arrived in Glasgow
. She starts up a book club to try to find friends with similar interests. Those whom she encounters are not what she expected; her new group consists of a drug-addled, egotistical postgraduate student (and subsequently his neurotic and ever worrying brother), an easy-going disabled man who aims to be a writer, three discontented footballers' wives, and a straggler who hides his homosexuality with an obsession for football. All of the members are brought together not so much by the books that they read (if they read the book at all), but by their all having ambitions to better their lives and their general contempt for so many others around them.
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...
in the United Kingdom between 2002 and 2003, and ran for two series. It was written and directed by the American-born Glasgow resident Annie Griffin
Annie Griffin
Annie Griffin is an American writer and director.Griffin relocated to the UK in 1981. In the early 1990s she worked creating animated idents for MTV. In 1993 she worked as an actress on the Oscar nominated short animated film The Village...
, who also wrote and directed Festival. It was the winner of two BAFTA Scotland awards.
In January 2006, it was announced that screenwriter Andrew Davies
Andrew Davies (writer)
Andrew Wynford Davies is a British author and screenwriter. He was made a Fellow of BAFTA in 2002.-Education and early career:...
would make a feature film adaptation of The Book Group for Film 4
Film4 Productions
Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel 4. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The company's first production was Walter, directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982.- History :Before 1998, the...
, but the project was never started.
Plot
The Book Group revolved around the life of Clare Pettengill (Anne DudekAnne Dudek
Anne Louise Dudek is an American actress, known for her role as Dr. Amber Volakis on the television show House and her leading role on UK television series The Book Group as well as playing Francine Hanson in the series Mad Men...
), who, at the start of the series, had recently arrived in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. She starts up a book club to try to find friends with similar interests. Those whom she encounters are not what she expected; her new group consists of a drug-addled, egotistical postgraduate student (and subsequently his neurotic and ever worrying brother), an easy-going disabled man who aims to be a writer, three discontented footballers' wives, and a straggler who hides his homosexuality with an obsession for football. All of the members are brought together not so much by the books that they read (if they read the book at all), but by their all having ambitions to better their lives and their general contempt for so many others around them.
Cast
- Anne DudekAnne DudekAnne Louise Dudek is an American actress, known for her role as Dr. Amber Volakis on the television show House and her leading role on UK television series The Book Group as well as playing Francine Hanson in the series Mad Men...
as Clare Pettengill - Rory McCannRory McCannRory McCann is a Scottish film and television actor.-Career:McCann's first acting work came in an advert for Scott's Porage Oats dressed in a vest and kilt. He was next seen in the 2002 television comedy-drama The Book Group playing a disabled personal trainer, for which he won a Scottish BAFTA...
as Kenny McLeod - Derek RiddellDerek RiddellDerek Riddell is a Scottish television actor.He was born in Glasgow, the son of actress Hope Ross and former St Mirren footballer Ian Riddell...
as Rab - Michelle GomezMichelle GomezMichelle Gomez is a Scottish actress best known for her comedy roles in Green Wing and The Book Group.-Early life:Her father, originally from Montserrat, was a photographer, while her mother ran a modeling agency...
as Janice McCann - James LanceJames LanceJames 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...
as Barney Glendenning / Lachlan Glendenning - Saskia Mulder Saskia MulderSaskia Mulder is a Dutch film and television actress. She is the younger sister of supermodel Karen Mulder.-Career:...
as Fist de Grooke - Bonnie Engstrom as Dirka Nilssen
- Gotti Sigurdarson as Lars Nilssen
- Des HamiltonDes HamiltonDerrick Vivian "Des" Hamilton is an English retired professional footballer. He was a midfielder, who played most notably for Bradford City which counted for nearly half his career appearances and in the Premier League with Newcastle United...
as Jackie McCann - Jack McElhoneJack McElhoneJack McElhone is a Scottish actor. He is famous for his role as Frankie in the 2004 film Dear Frankie, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award. He also had roles in Young Adam, The Book Group, Stacked and Nowhere Boy....
as Wee Jackie McCann - Karen KilgariffKaren KilgariffKaren Kilgariff is an actress and writer best known for her work on the late 1990s sketch comedy television program Mr. Show and the Glasgow-set situation comedy The Book Group. She was the head writer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show and occasionally appears on screen in sketches and other segments...
as Jean Pettengill (Series 2) - Kerry McGregorKerry McGregorKerry McGregor is a Scottish singer-songwriter and actress from West Lothian.-Career:McGregor began her career performing with bands including Nexus and QFX. In 1997, McGregor participated in The Great British Song Contest, the UK selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Yodel in...
as Carol Ann (Series 2) - Henry Ian CusickHenry Ian CusickHenry Ian Cusick is a Scottish-Peruvian actor of stage, television, and film. He is well-known for his role as Desmond Hume on the United States television series Lost, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination....
as Miles Longmuir (Series 2)
Crew
- Writer: Annie GriffinAnnie GriffinAnnie Griffin is an American writer and director.Griffin relocated to the UK in 1981. In the early 1990s she worked creating animated idents for MTV. In 1993 she worked as an actress on the Oscar nominated short animated film The Village...
- Director: Annie GriffinAnnie GriffinAnnie Griffin is an American writer and director.Griffin relocated to the UK in 1981. In the early 1990s she worked creating animated idents for MTV. In 1993 she worked as an actress on the Oscar nominated short animated film The Village...
- Producers: Anita Overland (series one), Derrin SchlesingerDerrin SchlesingerDerrin Schlesinger is a producer, known for producing The IT Crowd, Nathan Barley, The Book Group and Fur TV. In 2007 she was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for The IT Crowd which was nominated for the Situation Comedy Award....
(season two)
Season one
- "On The Road"
- "The Alchemist"
- "Magical Realism"
- "Bedtime Stories"
- "Dark Alley"
- "A Little More Living"
Season two
- "Sueños"
- "Hunger"
- "You Must Change Your Life"
- "Drowning"
- "Research"
- "A'salaam Insha'lah"