British Comedy Guide

White Teeth

  • TV comedy drama
  • Channel 4
  • 2002
  • 4 episodes (1 series)

The lives of three families are woven together across three decades in multi-cultural Britain. Stars Phil Davis, Om Puri, Robert Bathurst, Naomie Harris and Christopher Simpson

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Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
2002
Channel
Channel 4
Episodes
4 (1 series)
Creator
Zadie Smith
Stars
Phil Davis, Om Puri, Robert Bathurst, Naomie Harris and Christopher Simpson
Writer
Simon Burke
Director
Julian Jarrold
Producers
Nicolas Brown, George Faber, Suzan Harrison and Charles Pattinson
Company

At the centre of this epic multicultural comedy-drama are two unlikely friends: everyman Archie Jones, who makes his every decision on the toss of a coin, and proud Bangladeshi Samad Iqbal. The roots of their bizarre acquaintance lie back in the last days of World War II, and a dark secret the two now share.

While suicidal Archie's second marriage to a beautiful Jamaican girl half his age (Clara) quite literally gives him a new lease on life, as well as a daughter (Irie), Samad's own late-in-life arranged marriage (he had to wait for his bride to be born) produces twin sons whose separate paths confound his every effort to direct them. When these two families cross paths with the obnoxious and self-satisfied Malfen's, the ensuing culture-clash is as hilarious as it is telling.

Based on the award-winning novel by Zadie Smith, and set against London's racial and cultural tapestry, White Teeth revels in the diversity of modern life, flirting with disaster, confounding expectations, and embracing the comedy of daily existence.

Additional details

Production
Studio
Picture
Colour

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