- Coming of Age (BBC TV series)
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For other uses, see Coming of Age (disambiguation)
Coming of Age 
Title Card (2010)Genre Situation comedy Created by Tim Dawson Written by Tim Dawson Directed by Ed Bye
Nick Wood
David SantStarring Anabel Barnston
Tony Bignell
Hannah Job
Ceri Phillips
Joe Tracini
Minnie Crowe
Ellen Thomas
Matthew EarleyTheme music composer KateGoes Country of origin United Kingdom Language(s) English No. of series 3 No. of episodes 23 (List of episodes) Production Executive producer(s) Jo Sargent Producer(s) Simon London Editor(s) Richard Halleday
Mark LawrenceRunning time 29 Minutes Broadcast Original channel BBC Three
(Pilot, Series 1- Series 3)
BBC HD
(Series 1 -Series 3 )Picture format 576i (16:9 SDTV)
(Pilot)
1080i (16:9 HDTV)
(Series 1-Series 3)Audio format Stereo
(Pilot)
Dolby Digital 5.1
(Series 1 -Series 3)Original run 21 May 2007 – 8 March 2011 External links Website Coming of Age was a British situation comedy written by Tim Dawson produced in house by BBC Productions and aired on BBC Three. The show took a direct look at five sixth form students, Jas, Ollie, Matt, Chloe and DK, as well as new character Robyn Crisp, who are living in Abingdon. Their lives rotate around the fictional Wooton College, their bedrooms, and as they're always getting thrown out of the local pub, Ollie's garden shed.[1] A pilot was originally aired in 2007, followed by the first series in 2008, a second in 2010, and third beginning in January 2011.[2] The third series ended on 8 March 2011.
On 27 May 2011 it was revealed by BBC Three's Controller Zai Bennett, that the show had been axed along with fellow BBC Three Comedies How Not to Live Your Life and Lunch Monkeys. He explained that "They were good to the channel, but have had their time,".[3]
Contents
Recording
Coming of Age is set in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.[4] Although the show consists of scenes recorded on location and pre-recorded studio scenes, most of the show is recorded in front of a live studio audience at BBC Television Centre, White City, London.[5]
Wooton College external shots filmed at West Herts College Cassio Campus, Langley Road, Watford.
Theme tune
The Coming of Age production joined forces with BBC Introducing (a BBC wide project that supports unsigned, undiscovered and under-the-radar artists and DJs) to find the original theme tune and sound for the show. They held a competition for 6 up-and-coming artists including Kate Goes, to write a theme tune for the show from a written specification. KateGoes won, and worked with experienced composer Richie Webb - whose credits include That Mitchell and Webb Look and Comedy Shuffle.
Cast
Actor Character Duration Series Episodes Tony Bignell Matthew Cobbett (Matt) 2007–11 3 23 Joe Tracini Darren Karrimore (DK) 2007–11 3 23 Hannah Job Jasmine Brown (Jas) 2008–11 3 22 Ceri Phillips Oliver Sinclair (Ollie) 2008–11 3 22 Anabel Barnston Chloe Wheeler 2008–11 3 22 Ellen Thomas Principal Jane Reed 2010–11 3 23 Matthew Earley Mr. Wilberforce De Wilde 2010–11 2 11 Minnie Crowe Robyn Crisp 2011 1 8 Alex Kew Oliver Sinclair (Ollie) 2007 Pilot 1 Amy Yamazaki Jasmine Brown (Jas) 2007 Pilot 1 Dani Harmer Chloe Wheeler 2007 Pilot 1 Episodes
Main article: List of Coming of Age episodesThere have been 23 episodes of Coming of Age broadcast so far. There are number of differences between the pilot and the subsequent series. Most notably, Alex Kew and Amy Yamazaki, who played Ollie and Jas in the pilot, have been replaced by Ceri Phillips and Hannah Job. Also, Dani Harmer originally played Chloe, but was replaced by Anabel Barnston. As well as new sets, the theme tune also changed, from "Steady, As She Goes" by The Raconteurs to a specially written piece by Birmingham band Kate Goes and Richie Webb.
Reception
The show proved enormously popular with its target audience from the beginning, with Series 1 enjoying an average weekly reach of 1.2 million, and each episode appearing in the top 10 requested programmes on BBC iPlayer the day following transmission.[6] Series 2 built on this success, with the first episode premiering to 719, 000 viewers.[7] BBC Three controller Danny Cohen (who commissioned the show) noted: “I'm delighted that Coming Of Age has been such a hit with young viewers. The writer Tim Dawson and the young cast are bright emerging stars for the BBC.” [6]
Despite this, the show often receives a poor reaction from television critics. Writing about the first episode, The Daily Telegraph's Culture magazine was negative: "Crudeness abounds... but neither wit nor charm has tagged along for the ride.".[8] Meanwhile, The Scotsman said simply: "Coming of Age may be the worst BBC Three sitcom yet. It is supposedly aimed at teenagers, but I refuse to believe that even the easiest-to-please teenager is happy to accept something so horribly written, horribly acted and horribly vulgar in lieu of actual humour."[9] However, some have been more willing to acknowledge the sitcom’s appeal, with the British Comedy Guide conceding, “For its fans, it's a heightened reflection of their own experience of teenage years, with brilliantly absurd exchanges and sublime vulgarity to match.
DVD releases
Series 1 was released on DVD 26th October 2009.[10] Since then there have been no further releases and the show has now finished.
DVD releases
Release name UK release date
(region 2)Australian release date
(region 4)North American release date
(region 1)Notes Series 1
Also includes "Pilot"26 October 2009 [11] N/A N/A Despite being filmed in HD
no blu-ray release.Series 2 N/A N/A N/A Despite being filmed in HD
no blu-ray release.Series 3 N/A N/A N/A Despite being filmed in HD
no blu-ray release.References
- ^ "Coming Of Age British Sitcom". http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/coming_of_age. Retrieved 12-01-2010.
- ^ "Exclusive Coming of Age Announcement - brapppp!". http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcthree/2010/04/exclusive-coming-of-age-announ.shtml. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a321889/coming-of-age-how-not-to-live-axed-by-bbc-three.html
- ^ "Abingdon is star of new TV sitcom". news.bbc.co.uk. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/7644278.stm. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ "Coming of Age - BBC 3 This is London". londonisfree.com. http://www.londonisfree.com/2008/02/coming_of_age_bbc_3.html. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Youth sitcom Coming of Age is recommissioned for BBC Three". http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/12_december/04/coming.shtml. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
- ^ "BBC's 'Survivors' returns to 4.5 million". http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s54/survivors/news/a196070/bbcs-survivors-returns-to-45-million.html. Retrieved 15-01-2010.
- ^ Naughton, Pete; Reynolds, Gillian (30 September 2008). "Tuesday's TV & radio choices". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3561459/Tuesdays-TV-and-radio-choices.html. Retrieved 12-01-2010.
- ^ "Last night's TV review: Dawn Porter: Free Lover, Channel 4 - Coming Of Age, BBC3". http://www.scotsman.com/entertainment/Last-night39s-TV-review-Dawn.4543784.jp. Retrieved 12-01-2010.
- ^ "Coming Of Age - Series 1 [DVD"]. Amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Age-DVD-Tony-Bignell/dp/B002KSA41K/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1314043200&sr=1-1. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
- ^ "Coming Of Age - Series 1 [DVD"]. Amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Age-DVD-Tony-Bignell/dp/B002KSA41K/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1314043200&sr=1-1. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
External links
Categories:- BBC television sitcoms
- 2000s British television series
- 2010s British television series
- 2007 British television programme debuts
- 2011 British television programme endings
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