Watching is a British television sitcom, produced by Granada Television for the ITV network and broadcast for seven series and four specials between 1987 and 1993.

The series was written by Jim Hitchmough and starred Paul Bown and Emma Wray as mismatched couple Malcolm Stoneway and Brenda Wilson.

[edit] Plot

Watching was set in Merseyside, with Brenda from Liverpool and Malcolm from Meols on the Wirral, the "posh" part of Merseyside on the other side of the River Mersey. The title refers to Brenda and her sister Pamela's hobby of 'people watching', and to Malcolm's hobby of birdwatching, which initially Brenda endures rather than enjoys, but later comes to appreciate.

Quiet biker Malcolm, who lived with his domineering mother (played by Patsy Byrne - Nursie from Blackadder), was accompanied on his birdwatching trips by loud scouser Brenda, who was forced to ride in the sidecar of his Norton motorbike. The series followed their on/off relationship, during which Malcolm married Lucinda (played by Elizabeth Morton).

Brenda and Malcolm married each other in the final episode, "Knotting", broadcast on 4 April 1993.

[edit] Episode List

[edit] Series One

[edit] Series Two

[edit] Series Three

[edit] Series Four

[edit] Series Five

[edit] Series Six

[edit] Series Seven

[edit] Production notes

Watching was originally conceived as a comedy sketch about a shy birdwatcher and a lively girl, written by Hitchmough during a drama workshop at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. He submitted the sketch for the BBC satirical series Not the Nine O'Clock News but it was rejected. Undeterred by this, Hitchmough developed the sketch into a hit stage play and later won a commission from Granada Television to produce a seven-part series for broadcast on Sunday nights at 10:00 pm (a timeslot which was usually reserved for satirical comedy such as Yorkshire TV's The New Statesman and Central TV's Spitting Image). After a successful first series and subsequent Christmas special, Watching was recommissioned and moved to an earlier timeslot of 8:00 pm on Friday nights. Up until the end of its final run (broadcast at 7 pm on Sunday), the series would win audiences of over 17 million viewers.

Originally, the series was produced by David Liddiment (later to become Director of Programming at ITV) and directed by Les Chatfield, a senior director at Granada. Chatfield directed all 56 episodes and took over producing duties from series 3 onwards. Liddiment became the series' executive producer.

Emma Wray sang the theme song, "What Does He See in Me?", which was written by Charles Hart. Incidental music was written and composed by Richie Close.

[edit] Book and Video releases

A novel based around the first series of Watching and written by Jim Hitchmough was published in 1990 by Bantam Books.

A video featuring the first two episodes, "Meeting" and "Wrestling" was released by CastleVision in August 1993.

[edit] DVD Releases

All seven series and four specials have been released on DVD, The complete first series, including the 1987 Christmas special ("Seasoning"), was released on DVD in February 2006, also released was Watching:Series 1-Selected Episodes, which comprised three first season episodes "Meeting", "Outing" and "Hiding". The complete second series was released in March 2008; The complete third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh series including the 1988, 1991 and 1993 Christmas and New Year specials ("Twitching"), ("Slipping") and ("Reverting"), Especially a nine-disc set of the complete series, were released in April, May, July, October and November 2009. All releases are distributed by Network.

[edit] Cast

• Emma Wray - Brenda Wilson
• Paul Bown - Malcolm Stoneway
• Liza Tarbuck - Pamela Wilson
• Patsy Byrne - Mrs Marjorie Stoneway, Malcolm's Mum
• Perry Fenwick - Terry Milton
• Philip Fox - Sydney Clough (series 1 only)
• John Bowler - David Lynch (series 2 on)
• Elizabeth Spriggs - Aunt Peggy (from series 2 on)
• Liz Crowther - Susan Roberts (series 2 and 3 only)
• Ken Jones - Uncle Bernard (series 3)
• Russell Boulter - Chris Cameron (series 4 only)
• Noreen Kershaw - Joyce Wilson, Brenda's Mum (series 5 on)
• Andrew Hilton - Gerald Wilson, Brenda's young brother (series 5 on)
• Elizabeth Morton - Lucinda Davis/Stoneway
• Richard Good- Jonathan MacMillan
• Ally Vuli - Roz, the Nanny
• Al T. Kossy - Harold, landlord of the Grapes
• Dave Dutton - Oswald the cafe owner
• Bill Moores - 'Cedric', regular at the Grapes
• Anita Petrof - 'Mary', regular at the Grapes

Note:'Cedric' and 'Mary' are the names given to the characters by Brenda during her people watching days, Cerdric's 'real' name is unknown, but in series one episode Repenting Brenda reveals that she has talked to her and that 'Mary's' real name is Freida.

[edit] External links

• Watching at the Internet Movie Database
• Watching at TV.com
• Watching at the British Comedy Guide
• Watching - Contains the latest News about this British Comedy Award-winning sitcom
• Watching at British TV Comedy
• Programme Fansite
• wHom - Watching
• Tributes to Watching: Add Yours

Rodney Allan Atkins (born March 28, 1969) is an American country music artist. Signed to Curb Records in 1996, he charted his first single on the Billboard country chart in 1997, but did not release an album until 2003's Honesty, which included the number 4 hit "Honesty (Write Me a List)".

If You're Going Through Hell, his second album, was released in 2006. Its first two singles, "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" and "Watching You", each spent four weeks at the top of the country music chart, and were respectively ranked as the top country songs of 2006 and 2007 according to Billboard Year-End. The album, which has since been certified platinum in the United States, produced two more number 1 singles in "These Are My People" and "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)". It's America (2009) included the number 1 single "It's America" and the top 5 hit "Farmer's Daughter", which was added to a later reissue of the album. Take a Back Road (2011) produced his sixth number 1 in its title track.

Atkins has received six nominations from the Academy of Country Music and two from the Country Music Association, winning Top New Male Vocalist from the former in 2006.

[edit] Biography

Rodney Atkins was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. His biological mother, who was 19 at the time, became pregnant with him after a "traumatic first date".^[2] She hid the pregnancy from her parents and put him up for adoption at the Holston United Methodist Home for Children in Greeneville, Tennessee.^[3] His first adoptive parents, Charles Hutchins and Linda Weems, returned him to the home after he developed a major respiratory infection. Allan and Margaret Atkins, who had lost a newborn about a year prior, inquired after the child, but decided not to proceed due to surgery that Margaret had just undergone. Meanwhile, another couple adopted him, but also returned him soon after when he developed colic. After Margaret Atkins recovered, she proceeded to adopt him.^[3][4] Atkins did not meet his biological mother until 2008,^[2] and has never revealed her identity.^[5]

During his youth, the Atkins family moved frequently, eventually settling in Claiborne County, Tennessee. He attended high school at Powell Valley High in Speedwell, Tennessee. During high school, Atkins played guitar in his spare time at events and festivals. He went to college at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee, where he made friends with songwriters and soon began writing himself.^[6] In the mid-1990s, Atkins moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a recording career. He signed with Curb Records in 1996, the same week that LeAnn Rimes did.^[7][8]

[edit] Musical career

[edit] Rodney Atkins

Atkins's debut single, "In a Heartbeat", spent one week at number 74 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart dated for August 30, 1997.^[9] Its b-side, "God Only Knows", was also released as a single, but did not chart.^[8] He had also planned to release his debut album on September 17 of the same year, but it was never released due to Atkins' dissatisfaction with his material.^[10] He discussed his dissatisfaction while sitting next to Curb Records owner Mike Curb on an airplane; Curb allowed him to switch producers, and Atkins chose Ted Hewitt, with whom he had been working on demos. Hewitt also changed Atkins' style from a cowboy appearance and a vocal style similar to Roy Orbison to a more polished appearance.^[8] Atkins, Hewitt and Max T. Barnes wrote the track "Don't Think I Won't" on Mark Wills' 1998 album Wish You Were Here,^[11] but was otherwise inactive until 2002.^[12]

[edit] Honesty

In mid-2002, Rodney Atkins released his third single, "Sing Along". Both it and its followup, "My Old Man", peaked in the lower regions of the Top 40 on the country chart.^[9] He entered the Top 10 for the first time in late 2003-early 2004 with "Honesty (Write Me a List)", which went on to peak at number 4 on the country charts and 57 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was the title track to his album Honesty, which was released by the end of 2003.^[1] "Someone to Share It With" and "Monkey in the Middle" were also issued as singles, with the former peaking at number 41 on the country charts.^[9] Atkins told the Associated Press that he chose to record "Honesty" because he and producer Ted Hewitt wanted a twelfth song for the album, and co-writer David Kent had recommended it to Hewitt.^[13]

Jeffrey B. Remz of Country Standard Time gave the album a mixed review. He thought that Atkins seemed too similar in sound to labelmate Tim McGraw, but praised some of the songs for having strong melodies.^[14] A more favorable review came from Matt Bjorke of About.com, who called it a "confident debut from a talented newcomer."^[15]

[edit] If You're Going Through Hell

Having been absent from the country music charts for most of 2004 and 2005, he returned in 2006 with a single entitled "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)", which served as the lead-off to his second released album, If You're Going Through Hell. With this album, Atkins once again changed his musical image. He started wearing baseball caps and performing "songs about his life."^[16] "If You're Going Through Hell" became his first number 1, spending four weeks at the top of the Hot Country Songs charts; it was also the top country hit of 2006 according to Billboard Year-End.^[17]

Following "If You're Going Through Hell" was "Watching You", which Atkins wrote with Steve Dean and Brian Gene White. This song was inspired by Atkins' son, Elijah,^[7] who also stars in its music video.^[18] "Watching You" was also a four-week number 1 hit, and the top country song of 2007 on the Billboard Year-End charts.^[19] "These Are My People" and "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)" also went to number 1, making If You're Going Through Hell the first country album to include four number 1 singles since Tim McGraw's 2001 album Set This Circus Down.^[20] The album's final single was "Invisibly Shaken", which Lee Greenwood previously recorded on his 2003 album Stronger Than Time.^[21] Atkins' version of the song peaked at number 41.^[9] If You're Going Through Hell received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of one million copies, while "If You're Going Through Hell", "Watching You" and "Cleaning This Gun" all received gold certifications for 500,000 music downloads.^[9][22] These songs also made top 40 on the Hot 100 while they were climbing the country charts, while "These Are My People" reached number 42.^[9] Atkins also received the 2006 Academy of Country Music award for Top New Male Vocalist, and "If You're Going Through Hell" was nominated for Song of the Year.^[23] Atkins toured in late 2007-early 2008 as an opening act on Brad Paisley's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour.^[24]

J. Poet of Allmusic gave the album a positive review, praising the "less produced sound" and Atkins' vocals on the singles.^[25] A mixed review came from Country Standard Time, whose Robert Loy criticized Atkins for singing "about what a good ol' boy he is" on several songs, but adding that "it's fairly obvious he's at least as country as anybody else on the charts these days".^[26]

[edit] It's America

Atkins' thirteenth single, "It's America", was released in November 2008. It was the first single from his third album, It's America, released in March 2009. Atkins promoted the album through appearances on Larry King Live and a pre-sale promotion on his website.^[16] On the chart dated May 2, 2009, "It's America" became his fifth number 1 hit. Its followup, "15 Minutes", was released in May 2009 and peaked at number 20 in September. Atkins re-wrote the album's third single, "Chasin' Girls", for his wife to make it more applicable to their life at the time. After executives at Curb saw the lyrics, the re-written version was released as the album's third single,^[27] but did not make top 40. "Farmer's Daughter" followed in early 2010, and after it reached top 5 late in the year, Curb added it to both a re-issue of It's America^[28] and a re-release of If You're Going Through Hell which was sold exclusively at Cracker Barrel restaurants. The latter also included the previously-unreleased song "More Like Your Memory (Always Takes Me Back)".^[29]

It's America received mixed reviews. Todd Sterling of Allmusic and Liz Jungers of Roughstock both criticized it for lacking musical variety.^[28][30] It was more favorably reviewed at Country Standard Time, with critic Jeff Lincoln criticizing the title track as "forced" but saying that otherwise, "Atkins has found his niche of singing about the southern tribe."^[31]

[edit] Take a Back Road

"Take a Back Road", the lead-off single and title track to his fourth album Take a Back Road, was released in April 2011 and became his sixth number 1 late in the year. It also accounted for his highest placement on the Hot 100, at number 23.^[32] The song was co-written by Luke Laird and Rhett Akins, the latter of whom co-wrote "Farmer's Daughter".^[33] "He's Mine" was the album's second single. The song was originally recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus, and Atkins chose to release it because it received positive reactions from fans in concert.^[34] It peaked at number 23 on the country chart in April 2012.

Country Standard Time called Atkins "the type of wholesome country musician that you would enjoy hanging out with on a Sunday afternoon with your wife and kids."^[35] It received a "B" from Entertainment Weekly, whose Mikael Wood wrote that Atkins "makes for a first-rate correspondent from Anytown, USA."^[36] A less favorable review came from Thom Jurek, who said that "There isn't an original melody, lyric, or production element".^[37]

[edit] Family and personal life

He married Tammy Jo McDonald in 1998,^[38] and the two had a son named Elijah.^[39] He also had two stepdaughters, Lindsey and Morgan, from McDonald's previous marriage.^[40]

Atkins was arrested in November 2011 for allegedly trying to smother his wife with a pillow, while his ten year old son watched. He was released on $2,500 bail three hours after the arrest, and was ordered by Williamson County, Tennessee court to take an anger assessment which found no need for any further action.^[41] The altercation was disputed by Atkins' lawyer, who stated that it was purely verbal.^[38] Atkins filed for divorce within twenty-four hours of the alleged assault.^[42] In February 2012, Atkins was cleared of the domestic assault charge.^[41]

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Discography

Studio albums

• Honesty (2003)
• If You're Going Through Hell (2006)
• It's America (2009)
• Take a Back Road (2011)

Number-one singles

• "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)"
• "Watching You"
• "These Are My People"
• "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)"
• "It's America"
• "Take a Back Road"

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Website

Emma Wray (born Gillian Elizabeth Wray, 22 March 1965 in Birkenhead) is an English former actress. She attended the Merseyside Council funded "Glenda Jackson Theatre" whilst still at Birkenhead Park High school, went on to study Theatre Arts at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama from 1983–6, and was given her first leading TV role two months after receiving her BA.

She is best known for starring as 'Brenda Wilson' in the Granada Television sitcom Watching between 1987 and 1993, for which she also sang the theme tune What Does He See In Me? She also played a major role in Yorkshire Television's Stay Lucky with Dennis Waterman, Jan Francis, Ian McNeice, Susan George and Niall Toibin throughout the same period, along with lead roles in many TV series such as Boon and Minder, and TV films including Defrosting the Fridge. After several years away from television, she returned to primetime TV with the lead role in the drama comedy My Wonderful Life with co-stars Philip Glenister and Tony Robinson created by Men Behaving Badly writer Simon Nye, the pilot called True Love aired in 1996 and then ran for another three seasons from 1997 to 1999.

Wray gave up television work in 2001, in order to travel. She has been asked to return to TV work and is currently considering it.

[edit] TV appearances

• Watching as Brenda
• Minder as Tracy
• Boon as Pandora
• Defrosting the Fridge as Minty Goodenough
• Stay Lucky as Pippa
• The Big Game as Julie
• True Love as Donna

[edit] References

This article about an English television actor or actress is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Paul Bown (born 11 October 1957 in Fenton, Staffordshire) is an English actor. He is best known as one of the leading roles of the Granada Television comedy Watching (1987–93). Bown has also appeared in various plays and shows, including an advert for Toffee Crisp in the 1980s and more recently as Philip Reid in BBC's Holby City. Paul also appeared in November 2007 in acclaimed British drama Britz. He also appeared in the first episode of Mr.Bean as "The Student". He was in an episode of New Tricks on 25 August 2008.

He also starred as an AA Patrolman is the BBC television series "The Last Salute" in the late 1990s.

In 2009 he appeared briefly as Mike Bamber, chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club in the Brian Clough bio-pic "The Damned United". In the 2010 Christmas Special of "My Family", he played a grand father of a Mary, a young girl, who Ben met whilst filling in for Father Christmas.

[edit] External links

• Paul Bown at the Internet Movie Database

This article about an English television actor or actress is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Liza Tarbuck ( /ˈliːzə/ LEE-zə; born 21 November 1964 in Liverpool) is an English actress and television and radio presenter, and daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck.^[1]

She trained at the National Youth Theatre and RADA^[1] graduating in 1986 alongside Clive Owen, Rebecca Pidgeon, Serena Harragin and Mark Womack

[edit] Acting

Her first big break came in the late 1980s with a starring role in the long-running Granada Television comedy series Watching, in which she played a character called Pamela, opposite Emma Wray.^[1] Tarbuck then appeared as Angie in the 1988 Falklands War drama Tumbledown, which also starred Colin Firth, Paul Rhys and David Calder.^[1] In 2001, she took the title role in Linda Green, which ran for two series, ending in 2002.^[1]

In more recent times, she has guest starred on the Ricky Gervais comedy Extras, and has appeared in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries as DI Fiona Knight. In 2004, Tarbuck appeared in Series 6 of the long-running BBC One comedy, French & Saunders, as a fictionalized version of herself, where she had the role of Producer for "Saunders & French Productions". In 2005, Tarbuck appeared as Mrs. Jellyby in the BBC One Serial Bleak House.^[1] And in 2006, She appeared in episode six of the sitcom, Saxondale, as a full-figured rock chick.

In 2007, she lent her voice to the animated Doctor Who adventure, The Infinite Quest.^[2] 2007 also saw her starring in the ITV1 comedy drama 'Bonkers'.^[3]

In 2009 Tarbuck starred as Staff Nurse Tina in her first role in a feature film, The Be All and End All, alongside Eugene Byrne, Josh Bolt, Connor McIntyre, Neve McIntosh, Suzanne Collins and Laura Swift.

[edit] Presenting

After a seven year break from television, she presented the fashion programme She's Gotta Have It in 1998.^[1] Her exuberance, humour and presenting skills landed her a presenting job on The Big Breakfast where she forged a successful partnership with Johnny Vaughan.^[1] In 2001, she teamed up with her father for a celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.^[1] She has hosted one of the Sky One episodes of Blockbusters and has been a guest presenter on Have I Got News For You. In 2003, Tarbuck hosted Channel 4's Emmy Award winning panel-discussion/gameshow Without Prejudice?.^[1]

Tarbuck has also hosted a late-night edition of Win, Lose or Draw, and has also presented Britain's Top Dog, as well as narrating the last series of the British documentary Airport in 2005.

She has also presented a one-off quiz for Five called I Blame The Spice Girls to celebrate Five's tenth birthday. She has also been one celebrity to appear in a series of adverts for the UK supermarket Asda.

During September 2007 she co-presented the weekday afternoon show on BBC Radio 2 with Mark Radcliffe, whilst Steve Wright was on leave. In December 2007 (and again in January and March 2008), she once more hosted the show, this time as a solo presenter. In July 2008 she once again co-presented with Radcliffe. In December 2008 and January 2009 she presented the Saturday morning slot on BBC Radio Two with Martin Freeman. For a week in March 2009 Liza stood in for Sarah Kennedy's popular Dawn Patrol show.In August 2009, she stood in for Jonathan Ross on his Saturday morning show on Radio 2, alongside her on the show was Huey Morgan of Fun Lovin' Criminals.The pair presented the show again in November 2009.

She makes occasional appearances on the BBC Radio 4 show Just a Minute, and signed a deal with Sky One to present a show called Pet Nation alongside Fun Loving Criminals Frontman Huey Morgan in 2010.

She has also narrated the Channel 4 dieting show Supersize vs Superskinny since 2008.

In July/August 2010, Liza stood in for Simon Mayo on his BBC Radio 2 Drivetime Show for three weeks. She stood in for him again from April 18-22 in 2011, from August 1-19 in 2011 and February 14-18 in 2012.

In March 2012 the BBC announced that Tarbuck would start presenting her new Saturday night show on BBC Radio 2 from 12 May 2012. It will be on between 6-8pm, and replaces the programme presented by Alan Carr and Melanie Sykes after Carr announced his decision to leave the network.^[4][5]

[edit] Film and television appearances

• Skins...Anita Hardbeck (1 episode, 2012)
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel...Head Nurse Karen
• Mount Pleasant...Kate (8 episodes 2011)
• The Boat That Guy Built Narrated by (2011)
• Liza & Huey's Pet Nation
• The Be All and End All (2009) .... Tina
• Queens of British Pop... Narrated by (2 episodes, 2009)
• The Paul O'Grady Show... Herself (1 episode, 2007)
• 8 Out of 10 Cats... Herself (3 episodes, 2005, 2007, 2011)
• Britain's Top Dog with Liza Tarbuck...Host...(7 episodes,2006)
• QI... Herself (2 episodes, 2006, 2010)
• Bonkers... Helen Barker (6 episodes, 2007)
• Extras... Rita (4 episodes, 2006–2007)
• Airport... Narrator (5 episodes, 2005)
• French and Saunders... Herself (5 episodes, 2004)
• Win, Lose or Draw Late... Presenter (16 episodes, 2004)
• Friday Night with Jonathan Ross... Herself (1 episode, 2004)
• Without Prejudice?... Herself-Presenter(5 episodes, 2003–2004)
• Hound of the Baskervilles, TheThe Hound of the Baskervilles... Mrs Barrymore (2002)
• V Graham Norton... Herself (1 episode, 2002)
• Linda Green... Linda Green (20 episodes, 2001–2002)
• Parkinson... Herself (1 episode, 2001)
• Time Team... Herself... (2 episodes, 2000–2001)
• The League of Gentlemen...Donna (1 episode - Christmas Special, 2000)
• Room 101... Herself (1 episode, 2001)
• Have I Got News for You... Herself... (3 episodes, 2000–2006)
• Blockbusters (1983) TV series...Host(unknown episodes, 2000)
• The Big Breakfast... Herself-Presenter (3 episodes, 1999–2000)
• Blankety Blank... Herself (1 episode, 1998)
• Chimera (1991) TV mini-series... Girl on Coach
• Victoria Wood 'Mens Sana In Thingummydoodah'...Dana (1 Episode, 1989)
• Tumbledown (1988) (TV)... Angie
• Watching... Pamela Lynch... (53 episodes, 1987–1993)

[edit] References

http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/liza-huey’s-pet-nation-for-sky-one/

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Liza Tarbuck

• Liza Tarbuck at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography from BBC Drama

The Be All and End All http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1220873/