Preview: Little Britain USA
Gay comedian Matt Lucas and David Walliams’ multi-award-winning comic creation, Little Britain, is returning to television this Friday with a brand new series, Little Britain USA.
Filmed entirely in the States, the series features familiar Little Britain characters in new sketches, as well as brand-new characters, all performed by Lucas and Walliams.
Returning favourites include Dafydd Thomas, the self-proclaimed “only gay in the village”; Emily Howard, an awkward and obvious transvestite in denial; Lou and his seemingly wheelchair-bound best friend Andy; Marjorie Dawes, the insensitive leader of a chapter of the weight-loss support group Fatfighters; Vicky Pollard, a motor-mouthed teenage delinquent with a terrible attitude and Harvey, a young adult who still craves his mother’s “bitty”.
Among the new characters on the show are Bing Gordyn, the eighth astronaut to go to the moon; Phyllis, who is powerless to ignore suggestions from the manipulative and dangerous Mr Doggy, her King Charles spaniel; Mark and Tom, hyper-masculine gym buddies who will do anything for each other; Mildred, who shares wildly inappropriate secrets from her shocking past with her grandson Connor; Ellie-Grace, a frilly little girl with the mouth of a truck driver; and Sandra and George, who have been married for 40 “glorious” years.
The series will feature several cameo performances, including Geraldine James, Rosie O’Donnell, Paul Rudd and Sting.
Simon Fuller, Executive Producer, says: “Little Britain USA is a show we made for HBO, however we always had in mind our British audience and hope everyone enjoys the new characters as much as they do the familiar ones.
“Matt Lucas and David Walliams are two of Britain’s most talented comedy writers and performers and I am happy to continue Little Britain’s special relationship with the BBC.
“I am proud at the same time to introduce them to an American audience. The anticipation for the new shows has been quite remarkable.”
Matt Lucas and David Walliams met at the National Youth Theatre in 1990, where they became immediate friends and collaborators, writing and appearing in a number of TV and radio projects.
In 2001, they launched the Little Britain sketch comedy radio series for BBC Radio 4, which was renewed for a second season on Radio 4 before becoming a TV pilot for both BBC Two and BBC Three in February 2003.
In 2004, they picked up a three British Comedy Awards, a National Television Award and a BAFTA for the first TV season and won two BAFTAs, a South Bank Show Award, a Broadcast Award, two Rose D’or Awards at Montreux and two RTS nominations for the second season. Little Britain has also been the recipient of two International Emmys.
Little Britain USA is written by Matt Lucas and David Walliams and was shot on location and in studio in Wilmington, North Carolina and Los Angeles.
