The Peter Serafinowicz Show

Infobox Television
show_name = The Peter Serafinowicz Show


caption = Series logo
format = Comedy sketch show
runtime = 30 minutes
creator = Peter Serafinowicz James Serafinowicz
executive_producer =
starring = Peter Serafinowicz
country = United Kingdom
language = English
network = BBC Two
num_episodes =
first_run =
first_aired = 4 October, 2007
last_aired = present
website = http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/thepeterserafinowiczshow
imdb_id =
tv_com_id =

"The Peter Serafinowicz Show" is a BBC Two comedy sketch show written by and starring Peter Serafinowicz. The first series started on the 4 October 2007 at 21:30 as part of the newly launched "Thursday Are Funny" brand on BBC2 and Thursdays LOL Comedy on ABC2. On 1 August 2008, American cable network G4 began broadcasting the show as part of their "Duty Free TV" block of international programming.

Format

The show is a mixture of sketches based on parodies of British television, using Peter's and other actors' impressions of notable television personalities. Examples include "Heads or Tails", which is a parody of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", using the same mannerisms as Chris Tarrant.

Background

The show was commissioned after Peter posted O! News, a parody of "E! News", on YouTube, under the name "Immenstrides". [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/09_september/12/serafinowicz.shtml]

Ratings

Recurring characters and sketches

* O! News: A parody of "E! News", featuring apparent programme teasers and celebrity interviews.
* Acting Masterclass: A famous actor gives acting tips to a group of trainees. Actors featured have been Michael Caine, Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Robert De Niro, Ralph Fiennes and Marlon Brando (With the body of Jabba the Hutt).
* Brian Butterfield: A middle-aged businessman who appears in various advertisements for shoddy products and services, including a karaoke bar, dieting, a hotel, a firm of injury lawyers, a private detective service, and a speaking clock service, which usually gives out inaccurate times. This character is somewhat similar to the actor Basil Soper, who appears in real advertisements on British television for the Personal Injury Helpline.
* A Guide to Modern Life: A spoof on British self-help TV programmes of the 1970s. Advice is given on dealing with major life changes ('Let's Get Married', 'Let's Have a Baby'), as well as more unusual acts ('Let's Have an Orgy'). Simon Pegg performs the voiceover on several episodes.
* Buy It Channel: A parody of shopping channels in which unsual problems arise, such as one of the presenters being a vampire, or both presenters trying to rid the studio of an ant infestation.
* Michael-6: A robotic talk show host who attempts to help his troubled guests. Although equipped with technologically advanced systems, such as "gender scanning" and "lie detection", he has a tendency to malfunction at the end of every sketch, causing harm to studio members. His malfunctioning usually includes the secretion of white fluid, similar to that of the robotic lifeforms in "Westworld" or the "Alien" series.
* BBN News: A newsreader attempts to improvise reading the news, only to be buzzed every time he says something incorrect. Thus the sketch becomes a battle to read the entire story correctly. It is possibly based on ITV News, having a similar set and opening theme. The title of the sketch is also a combination of the abbrevations "BBC News" and "ITN".
* Ringo Remembers: A documentary in which Ringo Starr reflects on particular (fictional) points in his career.
*Sinister: A company that makes odd food items. Examples include Internet Ham (a type of ham ordered online) and furniture advertised in the manner of the Marks & Spencer advertisements for food. The slogan of Sinister, "A family company", is the same as that of real company S. C. Johnson & Son.
* Parodies of infomercials. One example, hosted by Lola Llarlagh and Nancy Cholesteroles is for "Gem Mania", a product that allows people to attach gemstones to anything, with a progressively better special offers which ends with the company offering an infinte number of the product.
* A multi-part pop culture parody which runs through the entire episode. In one example, Star Wars character Darth Vader falls for Commander Ada Larkin, a female co-worker wearing a pink version of his armour. The sketches cover his ill-fated attempts to court her.
* Various parodies of sex line advertiesments featuring different types of call workers, such as pirates, cavemen, zombies, drunks and Basil Fawlty impersonators.
* Parodies of adverts for partwork magazines, which give away collectable items with each issue, or parts of items that require assembly once all parts have been collected. Examples of the magazines advertised include elephants, trains, and a magazine giving away rings, wings, Bings (Bing Crosby), mings, stings, kings and tings.
* Detective drama shows have been parodied, inclduing Columbo and a multi-part parody placing Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple together, in which they distract their assistants so they can "have it off" with each other. In the final part, when Poirot learns that he has made Marple pregnant, he runs out of a window.
* A parody of Laurel and Hardy called "Soap and Water", where Stan Laurel repeatedly says the word "fuck", resulting in him and Oliver Hardy being arrested.
* Parodies of game shows such as "The Weakest Link" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?".
* Parodies of reality shows such as "The X Factor" and "Big Brother".
* A parody of the Cillit Bang commercials for a product called Kitchen Gun, which is a firearm that the host 'Derek Bum' uses to blast away at kitchen surfaces and appliances, and Toilet Grenade, a hand grenade covered in white paint that demolishes the toilet bowl to eliminate limescale.

Awards

For his performances in this series, Serafinowicz was awarded the Best Entertainer prize at the 2008 Rose d'Or ceremony. [cite web|title= Rose d'Or Winners 2008|url= http://www.rosedor.com/downloads/RdO_Winners_2008.pdf|publisher= Rose d'Or AG|date= 2008-05-06|accessdate= 2008-05-07|format= PDF]

References

External links

*bbc.co.uk|id=comedy/thepeterserafinowiczshow|title="The Peter Serafinowicz Show"