I was reminded of this the other day, what with the new Twenty Twelve sitcom appearing. Set in a seedy hotel in Birmingham after their failed Olympic bid, I really quite liked it. To this day I have a habit of saying "it's a game man, it's a game" in the style of Tim Healy. No-one ever gets the reference...
Just for that, I'll watch an episode.
Quote: Agnes Guano @ March 14 2011, 10:14 AM GMTI was reminded of this the other day, what with the new Twenty Twelve sitcom appearing. Set in a seedy hotel in Birmingham after their failed Olympic bid, I really quite liked it. To this day I have a habit of saying "it's a game man, it's a game" in the style of Tim Healy. No-one ever gets the reference...
Yeah, wasn't it called the Olypmic? Or something Olympics related? Pictures of Seb Coe etc everywhere?
I'm probably thinking of the wrong thing here, I was about 14/15 when it was on.
The Olympic Hotel, yes. Haven't spotted photos of Coe.
Might not be Coe, I'm sure there pictures of some olympics related people (I think there were suites named after athletes as well).
I'm going to have to investigate, ha.
Yep, such as the Eddie The Eagle Suite. 
Definitely John Sullivan's most underrated series IMO. If it isn't out on DVD it should be.
Watching this again at the moment, and it really is very good. Tim Healy's brilliant, Springer is a wonderfully down-at-heel character.
It's a rather 'silly' series, i.e. not pretending to be that realistic, unlike most of John Sullivan's other shows - but none the worse for that.
I see that the date at the end of Series 2 gives 1999. Given that it didn't go out until June 2000 and then at 10.20pm or so, the Beeb mustn't have been that confident unfortunately.
Yes, a DVD would be wonderful but would all the 'Abba', 'Buck's Fizz' etc. songs be a problem?
Quote: Dene Kernohan @ September 7 2011, 11:05 AM BSTI see that the date at the end of Series 2 gives 1999. Given that it didn't go out until June 2000 and then at 10.20pm or so, the Beeb mustn't have been that confident unfortunately.
Not necessarily! There can be any number of reasons for a show being delayed from its originally-expected slot. Miranda has apparently been delayed because Miranda hasn't come up with enough plots she's happy with, for example.
Quote: Dene Kernohan @ September 7 2011, 11:05 AM BSTYes, a DVD would be wonderful but would all the 'Abba', 'Buck's Fizz' etc. songs be a problem?
Depends on the company releasing it. They're not a barrier per se, and a lot has been done in recent years on copyright issues, but it would cost extra money.
Quote: Aaron @ September 7 2011, 1:01 PM BSTNot necessarily! There can be any number of reasons for a show being delayed from its originally-expected slot. Miranda has apparently been delayed because Miranda hasn't come up with enough plots she's happy with, for example.
Fair enough, certainly there can be any number of reasons for a delay - but in this case the episodes almost certainly must have been recorded and edited in 1999 to have MCMXCIX at the end of all six .
Oh sorry, I mis-read your post! Well, it would certainly appear to have been held back then, yes. But that could still be for any number of reasons, not just that they weren't happy with it. In uhhh, 2009 I think it was, BBC One ended up ordering too much comedy for the autumn-winter schedule, so a couple of series ended up broadcasting in early 2010 instead. Similarly, series are often held for months at a time in order to fill a particular schedule slot that the channel wants it in.
It's hard to know what to think, but I agree it does sort of feel like they wanted to bury it for some reason.
Quote: Aaron @ September 7 2011, 1:26 PM BSTOh sorry, I mis-read your post! Well, it would certainly appear to have been held back then, yes. But that could still be for any number of reasons, not just that they weren't happy with it. In uhhh, 2009 I think it was, BBC One ended up ordering too much comedy for the autumn-winter schedule, so a couple of series ended up broadcasting in early 2010 instead. Similarly, series are often held for months at a time in order to fill a particular schedule slot that the channel wants it in.
It's hard to know what to think, but I agree it does sort of feel like they wanted to bury it for some reason.
That's interesting about the over-commissioning.
Yes, it certainly could have been for other reasons. A shame though 'cos it is really funny, but maybe audiences found the show not that welcoming - the hotel is a dive, intentionally but still, you never know how people are going to take these things!
Found myself thinking of this show today for no real reason. Me and my friends loved this at the time. We would randomly shout "It's a game, man" and thought it was a great night viewing, along with a show set in a car park which I forget now. I wouldn't mind watching it again to see if I still enjoy it as much as I did when I was 13 or so
