King Gary
{{Short description|BBC comedy series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| genre = Sitcom
| creator = Tom Davis
James De Frond
| writer = Tom Davis
James De Frond
Steve Stamp
(one episode)
| director = James De Frond
| starring = {{plainlist|
- Tom Davis
- Laura Checkley
- Simon Day
- Camille Coduri
- Romesh Ranganathan
- Miranda Hennessy
- Neil Maskell
- Riley Burgin
- Osi Okerafor
}}
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 2
| num_episodes = 13 + pilot
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Andrew Brereton
- Tom Davis
- James De Fond
- Alex Moody (season 1)
- Ben Caudell (season 2)
}}
| producer = Rupert Majendie (season 1)
Richard Webb (season 2)
| company = Shiny Button Productions
| network = BBC One
| first_aired = {{Start date|2018|12|23|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2021|09|03|df=y}}
}}
King Gary is a British television comedy series made for the BBC co-created and written by Tom Davis and James De Frond. Davis also stars as the eponymous lead character, Gary King, while De Frond directs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/8158/tom-davis-king-gary|title=Interview: Tom Davis On his New BBC Sitcom King Gary|date=December 28, 2019|website=Beyond The Joke}}
The pilot episode was shown on BBC One in the UK in December 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2018/12/23/king-gary-review-souffle-light-suburban-sitcom/amp/|title=King Gary, review: a soufflé-light suburban sitcom|website=www.telegraph.co.uk}} The show was commissioned for a full series which was aired in January 2020, with a Christmas special shown on 23 December 2020 on BBC One.{{Cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/king-gary-bbc1-tom-davis-interview-384015|title=Tom Davis on King Gary: 'This is how the people of Croydon really are'|date=January 10, 2020|website=inews.co.uk}} A second series was commissioned in February 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/5637/king_gary_series_2/|title=King Gary to return for Series 2 - News|first=British Comedy|last=Guide|website=British Comedy Guide|date=10 February 2020 }} The BBC have revealed there are no plans for another series.{{Cite web |title=BBC DECLINE MORE KING GARY |url=https://www.tvzoneuk.com/post/kinggary-axed-bbc1 |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=www.tvzoneuk.com|date=13 April 2022 }}
Plot
Set within a crescent in the outer London suburbs, Gary King is a family man who has taken over his dad’s building firm after he retired.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jan/07/tom-davis-king-gary-murder-in-successville|title=Tom Davis: 'I was on the building site in the week, and in a dress at weekends'|date=January 7, 2020|website=The Guardian}} He must deal with the difficulties of family life, including disputes with his neighbours, his father, and his friends. Additionally, there are often subplots involving the struggles of his partner Terri.
Cast
- Tom Davis as Gary King
- Laura Checkley as Terri King
- Simon Day as Big Gary King
- Camille Coduri as Denise King
- Romesh Ranganathan as Stuart Williams
- Miranda Hennessy as Chloe Ferdinando
- Neil Maskell as Winkle
- Riley Burgin as Teddy King
- Osi Okerafor as Darren Ferdinando{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/king-gary-bbc1-cast/amp/|title=Meet the cast of King Gary on BBC1|website=Radio Times}}
Episodes
{{Series overview
| color0S = FABA32
| linkT0S = Pilot
| link0S = #Pilot (2018)
| start0S = {{Start date|2018|12|23|df=y}}
| color1 = #A60000
| link1 = #Series 1 (2020)
| episodes1 = 6
| start1 = {{Start date|2020|1|10|df=y}}
| end1 = {{End date|2020|2|14|df=y}}
| color1S = 074E7D
| linkT1S = Christmas Special
| link1S = #Christmas Special (2020)
| start1S = {{Start date|2020|12|23|df=y}}
| color2 = #F8F035
| link2 = #Series 2 (2021)
| episodes2 = 6
| start2 = {{Start date|2021|7|30|df=y}}
| end2 = {{End date|2021|9|3|df=y}}
}}
=Pilot (2018)=
{{Episode table |background=#FABA32 |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |viewers= |country=U.K |episodes=
{{Episode list
|Title = Pilot
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|12|23|df=y}}
|Viewers =
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = FABA32
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}}
=Series 1 (2020)=
{{Episode table |background=#A60000 |overall= |season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |viewers= |country=U.K |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = Episode 1
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|1|10|df=y}}
|Viewers =
|ShortSummary =
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = Episode 2
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|1|17|df=y}}
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|ShortSummary =
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Episode 3
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|1|24|df=y}}
|Viewers =
|ShortSummary =
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|EpisodeNumber2 = 4
|Title = Episode 4
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|1|31|df=y}}
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 5
|EpisodeNumber2 = 5
|Title = Episode 5
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|2|7|df=y}}
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 6
|EpisodeNumber2 = 6
|Title = Episode 6
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|2|14|df=y}}
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=Christmas Special (2020)=
{{Episode table |background=#074E7D |overall= |season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |viewers= |country=U.K |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 7
|EpisodeNumber2 = –
|Title = Christmas Special 2020
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|12|23|df=y}}
|Viewers =
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 074E7D
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}}
=Series 2 (2021)=
{{Episode table |background=#F8F035 |overall= |season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |airdateR={{cite web |title=King Gary – Listings |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07w7686/episodes/player |website=BBC One |access-date=30 July 2021}} |viewers= |country=U.K |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 8
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = Episode 1
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|7|30|df=y}}
|Viewers =
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 9
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = Episode 2
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|8|6|df=y}}
|Viewers =
|ShortSummary =
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 10
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Episode 3
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|8|13|df=y}}
|Viewers =
|ShortSummary =
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 11
|EpisodeNumber2 = 4
|Title = Episode 4
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Steve Stamp
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|8|20|df=y}}
|Viewers =
|ShortSummary =
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 12
|EpisodeNumber2 = 5
|Title = Episode 5
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|8|27|df=y}}
|Viewers =
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{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 13
|EpisodeNumber2 = 6
|Title = Episode 6
|DirectedBy = James De Frond
|WrittenBy = Tom Davis & James De Frond
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|9|3|df=y}}
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Production
Davis and De Frond had known each other from school and previously worked together on Murder in Successville. They tried to ensure all cast members were personally familiar with the suburban area on the outer London boroughs where the series is set, with Butterchurn Crescent’s location being Oak Lodge Avenue in Chigwell.{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/king-gary-christmas-special-release-date/amp/|title=When is King Gary Christmas special release date? Cast, plot and trailer|website=Radio Times}}
Reception
Shane Allen, director of BBC Comedy said “With King Gary we also get a big daft southern comedy voice in Tom Davis at the centre of a very exciting cast.”{{Cite web|date=22 August 2018|title=Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content announces two new comedies for BBC One|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/comedy-edinburgh|access-date=2021-04-13|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} The Daily Telegraph praised how “Davis and James De Frond have written about the working class world they know...Everything from the decor to the language feels right. They throw in a few good lines, too” but overall felt it compares less well with previous BBC sitcoms such as Gavin and Stacey that covered some of the same cultural ground.{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/king-gary-christmas-special-review-sitcom-struggles-keep-essex/amp/|title=King Gary Christmas Special, review: a sitcom that struggles to keep up with its Essex neighbours|website=www.telegraph.co.uk}} The Independent praised “a decent supply of zingers” in the script.{{Cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/king-gary-bbc1-review-tom-davis-238117|title=King Gary: Every Essex stereotype in the book, but a few laughs too|date=December 23, 2018|website=inews.co.uk}} The Times suspected the viewer would “either love or hate King Gary. It offers unsubtle Essex geezerish humour and barbecue was pronounced “BBQ” to an irritating degree. But I am quite unsubtle and have a puerile sense of humour and it made me smile, especially when I saw that Romesh Ranganathan was in it...
Yes, it’s a bit crude and one-note and could wear thin after 30 minutes, but it was cheerful nonsense and we need more of that.”{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/tv-review-watership-down-king-gary-zbx0x50cs|title=TV review: Watership Down; King Gary|first=Carol|last=Midgley|date=20 October 2023 |via=www.thetimes.co.uk}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{BBC programme}}
- {{IMDb title|9548664}}
- {{Epguides|KingGary}}
- {{British Comedy Guide|tv|king_gary}}
Category:2018 British television series debuts
Category:2021 British television series endings
Category:2010s British sitcoms
Category:2020s British sitcoms
Category:Television series by Banijay
Category:Television shows set in London