The League Of Gentlemen
- TV sitcom / sketch show
- BBC Two
- 1999 - 2017
- 22 episodes (3 series)
Royston Vasey is an isolated Northern community where dark, perverted and horrifying things happen behind closed doors. Stars Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith and Mark Gatiss.
Character guide
Tubbs
Tubbs owns the Local Shop with her husband and brother, Edward. She is very protective of the 'precious things' in the shop, and very naive about the world.
Edward
Edward owns the Local Shop with his no-tail (wife), Tubbs.
He is very keen that Vasey remains local, and any one from outside the area is likely to find themselves tortured and then killed by Edward.
Pauline
Pauline is the restart officer at the local Job Centre. She doesn't seem at all interested in helping the job seekers (or "dole scum" as she calls them) find actual employment. She has no friends... unless you count her pens.
Mickey
Mickey is a very stupid man who is taking Pauline's restart employment course. He wants to be a fireman, but Pauline thinks he's not even qualified enough to push trolleys around at the local supermarket. Despite all the insults she throws at him, Mickey has a soft spot for Pauline.
Ross
Ross is smart and intelligent and hates the way Pauline is treating those on the Job Centre course. He often argues with her, and asks questions that expose her own ignorance. At first we wonder why he is on the course with the others, but then it becomes apparent.
Benjamin (Series 1-2)
Benjamin is the nephew of local Royston Vasey residents Val and Harvey Denton. He arrives in the town to meet up with his friend, taking up the offer of staying at his relatives' house for the night. Before long though he finds himself staying for much longer than expected, and the house rules he must keep a nightmare to live under.
Uncle Harvey (Series 1-2)
Harvey Denton is toad lover and hygiene freak. Poor Benjamin must go along with his bizarre house rules, and dodge constant euphemistic suggestions about his masturbation habits.
Auntie Val (Series 1-2)
Val is Harvey's adoring wife. She goes along with all the house rules, and helps devise the rhymes for remembering which towel is for which body area part, and such like.
Geoff
Geoff is a local businessman, who works at the same manufacturing company as Mike Harris and Brian Morgan. He likes to think he has a good sense of humour, but in reality constantly has a sense of humour failure. He's a very angry man... and not stable enough to own a gun. Which is a shame, as he does have a gun!
Mike
Mike is a businessman and pub-regular along with Geoff Tipps and Brian Morgan. Mike has been promoted ahead of Geoff... something that Geoff isn't that happy about! During the show, Mike gets married to his wife... or fat plain wife, if you go along with Geoff's description.
Brian
Mild-mannered Brian often finds his life taking a turn for the worse, a problem caused by the fact he knows Geoff.
Charlie Hull
Football-shirt wearing Charlie is the husband of Stella. He hates his wife and they rarely exchange a nice word. In Series 3 he becomes a professional masseuse.
Stella Hull (Series 1-2)
Stella is the bitter wife of Charlie. The only time the pair ever seem to get on is when they talk through someone being a third party.
Les McQueen
Les is a fading Seventies singer. An ex-member of Eurovision hopeful band Crème Brulee, he doesn't seem to quite be able to move on from his glory days, despite the fact he knows that showbusiness is a "shit business".
Mr Chinnery (Series 1-2)
Dr Chinnery is a bungling but well-meaning veterinarian. He can often be heard saying to his clients "I'm afraid I've got some rather upsetting news", having somehow managed to kill yet another of their animals in a bizarre accident.
Herr Lipp (Series 2)
Wolf Lipp is a teacher hailing from Duisberg (in Germany), who comes to Royston Vasey as part of an exchange trip. It soon becomes apparent that he is a bit too interested in young boys.
Lance Longthorne (Series 1 & 3)
Lance is the one-armed owner of the town's joke shop, and is far from funny. Most of the items he sells are too sadistic to ever consider using.
Ollie Plimsolls
Ollie is the founder of Legz Akimbo, the community theatre company who come to Royston Vasey on a number of occassions. He's a bad writer and performer, but doesn't seem to realise that people are watching on with pity rather than praise.
Dave Parkes
Dave is an actor in Legz Akimbo Theatre Company. He just gets on with performing Ollie's terrible plays - a job is a job after all - even though he could probably write something better himself.
Phil Proctor
Phil is also part of Legz Akimbo. When some TV jobs comes calling he soon is ready to leave the group though... something that makes Ollie even more bitter.
Mrs Levinson
Judee Levinson is a glamorous woman who reminds her hired cleaner what a brilliant life she has. We later learn much more about Judee, and realise her connection to Iris is closer than one might expect, and that her life isn't quite as ordered, exciting and wealthy as she's trying to portray.
Iris
Iris is Judee Levinson's common-as-muck housekeeper. She has a super-big family she struggles to keep control over, but seems pretty happy with her life.
Hilary Briss (Series 1-2)
Hilary Briss looks like a respectable butcher at a first glance, but could in fact be described as the demon butcher of Royston Vasey. Just what is the "special stuff" he is selling surreptitiously to select clients?
Sam Chignell (Series 1-2)
Sam is a local councillor and one of those addicted to the "special stuff" that Hilary Briss is selling.
Maurice Evans (Series 1-2)
Maurice Evans is a local magistrate who, despite trying to resist temptation, finds himself trying the "special stuff" that Hilary Briss is offering. Whatever it is, it's soon got Maurice craving more. Maurice starts to cause Hilary problems when he starts introducing more people, including his wife, to what is supposed to be the carefully controlled supply chain.
Reenie (Series 2-3)
Reenie is a charity shop volunteer, who is a bit obsessed with plastic bags.
Vinnie (Series 2-3)
Vinnie works at the local charity shop, who - along with Reenie - has a dislike of "that Meryl"... an un-seen volunteer who comes in on another day and seems to muck everything up for them. From what we can tell though, it's Rennie and Vinne who leave things in a disorganised mess.
Bernice Woodall
Bernice is Vasey's foul-mouthed vicar and agony aunt. She always speaks her mind and isn't afraid to say something even if it's not politically correct. Later, she has somehow managed to become the Mayor of the town.
Murray (Series 2)
Murray works in Royston Vasey's council. At first he's assistant to Larry Vaughn, and later to Bernice Woodall. He often has some good suggestions (like not to swear live on the news), but is essentially a 'yes' man who will agree with his boss.
Pop
Pop is a Greek newsagent and a perverted landlord. He's a nasty piece of work, and regularly breaks personal space boundaries when it comes to dealing with the opposite gender. The fact he's installed hidden camera in his flats so he can watch the residents go to the loo and make love gives you a good idea of his moral compass.
Al (Series 1-2)
Al is the eldest son of pervy entrepreneur Pop. He is sensible and level-headed and knows how to run a successful retail business, but - despite everything - he's still petrified of his dad.
Richie (Series 1)
Richie is the younger son of Pop, and brother to Al. Despite being enthusiastic and having his heart in the right place, he seems to always manage to disappoint his father... resulting in beatings.
Henry (Series 1-2)
Henry is a horror film fan who cannot stand 'Bradley Pitts'.
Ally (Series 1-2)
Ally is the horror film fan who has already "sin" (seen) everything that's out on DVD.
Papa Lazarou (Series 2-3)
Papa Lazarou is a freaky circus ringmaster who 'collects' wives. If spouses start to go missing in your town, it might be that Papa Lazarou has arrived.