Bellamy's People
- TV sketch show
- BBC Two
- 2010
- 8 episodes (1 series)
TV version of the Radio 4 phone-in satire show Down The Line. Clueless DJ Gary Bellamy is let out of the studio to meet people face-to-face. Stars Rhys Thomas, Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Lucy Montgomery, Amelia Bullmore and more.
Press clippings Page 5
Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson have reunited for a new comedy about life in modern Britain - and this is one TV comeback I'm delighted to see.
Self-regarding Gary Bellamy (Star Stories' Rhys Thomas) is an award-winning journalist with an award-winning radio show. Now he's been released from his cosy studio and given a TV series in which he'll travel across the country to meet his listeners and find out what makes them tick.
Although headed by stalwarts of The Fast Show, the humour is more in the vein of People Like Us, that genius series featuring the now disgraced Chris Langham. It spoofs genuine "celebrity meets the public" shows brilliantly, using ridiculous links such as: "Cirencester in Gloucestershire couldn't be more different from Harlesden".
The characters Gary meets are wonderfully eccentric, with some lovely performances by the likes of Simon Day, Lucy Montgomery and Felix Dexter. And, of course Charlie and Paul - although I can't help but watch Paul's performances and be reminded of his recent spate of insurance ads.
Characters range from a 23-stone man who lives in his bed to a deluded community leader who can't quite tell Gary what a community leader does. There's the screechy Trisha Webb, who runs Gary's 'Bellamy's Babes' fan club, and lovely old boy Humphrey Milner, a self-confessed silver surfer. But my favourites are a pair of posh old biddies, who made me laugh so suddenly and hard I almost snorted tea out of my nose.
Jane Simon, The Mirror, 21st January 2010Making Bellamy's People - Ian Craig-Oldman
A fictional blog entry about Ian Craig-Oldman.
Ben Mycroft, BBC Comedy, 21st January 2010Bellamy's People Review: Comedy For The People
Few of its characters are particularly memorable and it doesn't have the zip and zing of Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson's previous work.
Jez Sands, On The Box, 21st January 2010Interview: Rhys Thomas - Nobody's fool
As his hit radio comedy makes the jump to TV, Rhys Thomas tells Jay Richardson about his quiet yet stellar rise.
Jay Richardson, The Scotsman, 20th January 2010Bellamy's People at large in little Britain
The creators of The Fast Show have taken their spoof radio phone-in into the wider world.
Bruce Dessau, The Times, 19th January 2010Charlie Higson on Bellamy's People
Comedian Charlie Higson talks to Benji Wilson about his satirical new comedy series which he created with Fast Show colleague Paul Whitehouse.
Benji Wilson, The Telegraph, 19th January 2010Gary Bellamy meets Ian Craig-Oldman
Hello. GB here again, only a few days to go until Bellamy's People is launched into the world!
Gary Bellamy (Rhys Thomas), BBC Comedy, 19th January 2010Paul Whitehouse on new comedy show 'Bellamy's People'
Comedians Paul Whitehouse and Rhys Thomas discuss their new fake reality TV show, Bellamy's People.
They explain how they adapted it from its original version on Radio 4, a spoof phone-in show called Down The Line.
BBC News, 18th January 2010Making Bellam's People: Holly in The Garden
We didn't really know what to expect of 'The Garden'. Ian Knowles is very secretive, and they don't normally allow outsiders in.
Ben Mycroft, BBC Comedy, 16th January 2010Bellamy's People: The celebrity road trip gets skewered
Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson have adapted their hugely popular radio satire about a spoof phone-in for the small screen. The character-comedy masters tell James Rampton how they did it.
James Rampton, The Independent, 15th January 2010