Being Eileen

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Being Eileen
Title card (series 1 onwards)
Also known asLapland
GenreComedy drama
Created byMichael Wynne[1]
Written byMichael Wynne[1]
Directed by
Starring
Theme music composerSimon Lacey[2]
Mark Thomas[5]
Opening theme"Eileen"[2]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes7 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Anne Gilchrist[2]
  • Pete Thornton[6]
ProducerRosemary McGowan[2]
Production locationsLapland
Birkenhead
EditorsJamie Pearson[2]
Mark Davies[5]
Running time30 minutes
(Formally 75 minutes, originally intended to be 90 minutes)[2][7]
Production companyBBC
Original release
NetworkBBC One
BBC HD
BBC Two (Sign Zone)[8]
Release24 December 2011 (2011-12-24) –
11 March 2013 (2013-03-11)

Being Eileen is a

comedy-drama which began as a six-part series on 4 February and ended on 11 March 2013.[9][10][11] It began as a one-off Christmas special titled Lapland, broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 24 December 2011.[2] A full series was later announced, with the title Being Eileen, consisting of six 30 minute episodes, due to the success of the single episode, which was viewed by 6.9 million viewers upon its original airing.[12] The series also aired on BBC Two as part of Sign Zone, which features sign language throughout.[8] The series was released on DVD on 1 April 2013.[13]

The series, written by Michael Wynne, features an ensemble cast. Headed by Sue Johnston, who plays Eileen Lewis, the programme focusses on her, the widowed matriarch of a "large, close-knit and dysfunctional Northern family".[6] The single episode focused on the family's visit to Lapland, whilst the series focusses on their life in Birkenhead. Elizabeth Berrington and Stephen Graham (later recast to Dean Andrews) play Eileen's children, whilst William Ash and Julie Graham play their partners. All the cast - Johnston, Berrington, Ash, Julie Graham and Keith Barron- a love interest for Eileen - returned for the series, with the exception of Stephen Graham and Zawe Ashton, who played Jingle Jill.

Production

Stephen Graham plays my son and his wife (Julie Graham) has some killer funny lines. She doesn’t want to be there at all and her kids are very, very naughty. Then there's my daughter and her husband, who's a boring know-it-all who keeps going on about seeing The Northern Lights, plus their two children who are lovely".[14]

It was just a one-off after I had this idea about a family going to Lapland then the BBC said ‘do you think there's any more life in it?’. I’ve really enjoyed doing the series and getting involved in the process of the filming, even down to working with the composer and the woman who did the title sequence. I am a producer as well so I was there on set for a lot of the filming and editing, saying things like ‘have you got another shot of that?’ and ‘that doesn’t work!’. This series is very much inspired by growing up in Birkenhead and my family and friends. I wanted to put a nice family who get on on the telly – they have problems but they like each other.

— Writer and creator Michael Wynne talking about the series, and his inspiration.[16]

On 4 October 2012, the BBC announced that Lapland will have a full series.[6] The series followed the success of that of the Christmas special, which was watched by 6.89 million.[6][12] Lapland is made by BBC In-House Comedy and was filmed in locations at Salford, Manchester, Liverpool, Birkenhead, New Brighton, World Museum and Landican Cemetery.[6][16][17] This series was again written by Wynne and produced by McGowan.[6] Mark Freeland the controller of UK Comedy Production, BBC said, "After its rating success last Christmas, it's exciting that Lapland is coming back as a series. It shows BBC One backs fresh, new, comic writing".[6] Pete Thornton, executive producer added, "Michael Wynne has penned a beautifully nuanced, warm hearted Northern comedy featuring a highly original comic family. With the brilliant Sue Johnston leading a stellar cast, we're thrilled to welcome this hit ensemble back to BBC One".[6] Former EastEnders actress Susan Tully directed some of the series episodes,[4] as did Simon Delaney.[3] All the main cast returned, with the exception of Stephen Graham and Zawe Ashton.[6] On 28 December 2012, a trailer was released showcasing the channel's 2013 programs; Lapland being shown.[18] In 2013, the series was renamed to Being Eileen.[19] Johnston said of the show being made into a series, "To me, it was just a one-off drama at the time, so it was a nice surprise when they suddenly got in touch".[19] The series finished on 11 March 2013.[11] Phil Perez, a guest star in "Ay Carumba", said that there was "talk of another series" after the first, when interviewed in January 2013 although as of 2017 no second series has been produced.[17]

Cast and characters

The 2013 series cast. (L-R: Connor Dempsey, Georgia Doyle, Adam Scotland, Julie Graham, Sue Johnston, Dean Andrews, Elizabeth Berrington, Ellis Murphy and William Ash)

The ensemble cast, features Johnston as the "ageing mother" and the "widowed matriarch" Eileen.[1][6] Elizabeth Berrington plays Paula, and initially Stephen Graham, later Dean Andrews plays Pete, both of whom play Eileen's children. William Ash plays Paula's husband and Julie Graham plays Pete's wife, both of whom are described as "rather unlovable partners".[1][6] Adam Scotland, Ellis Murphy, Connor Dempsey and Georgia Doyle as Eileen's grandchildren, Jack, Liam, Ethan and Melissa,[20] described as a "mixed bag of young children, some spoilt-rotten, some sugar-sweet".[1][6] Ashton played Jingle Jill, a tourism guide for the single episode, and Keith Barron plays Maurice, a love interest for Eileen.[1][2][6]

The "wit" of the script appealed to Johnston due to her having to bury her father near Christmas, "as did the chance of a lifetime to go to the frozen north", what Johnston called, "the icing on the cake".

Brookside and she's a legend. I’ve always wanted to work with her. For me to work with Sue Johnston is like playing football with Steven Gerrard".[20] Perez agreed, calling her "great to work" and "so friendly", adding "you felt as if you had known her for years".[17] Wynne added, "Sue is brilliant. She is so experienced that she just hits it – the comedy and the pathos. It is exactly what you were thinking and 100 times more".[16] Upon the announcement of the series, it was stated that Stephen Graham's character had been recast to Marchlands star Dean Andrews.[6][21] Johnston said of this, "I was very sad when I heard that Stephen wasn’t going to do it, but then when I met Dean Andrews, all was forgiven. He's lovely".[19] Julie Graham was the first to sign up for the series.[22] Barron who played Maurice was confirmed to return in a guest role.[23] Johnston said of the Berrington's character Paula, "Oh, she's always hysterical. And I think she thinks her mother's going loopy, but she's crazier than her mother. She's just always stressed out, and there's a lot of conflict between her and her brother, who's played by Dean. She's the sort of daughter who wants attention. Obviously, Pete has been the golden boy and there's a bit of tension between Eileen and Paula, as there often is between a mother and daughter, when there's a son involved. So all that adds to the drama".[19] The series focusses on Eileen's "tough" time being apart from her deceased husband Ted.[10] Johnston said that Eileen is trying to "get on with her life" after his death.[24] She said, "In doing so, she meets opposition from the family who think she has gone a bit loopy. They have never seen the fact that she can be strong and independent. She goes to a Rihanna concert with an old friend and becomes a lot more adventurous but her family starts to wonder what is going on".[24]

The single episode featured several guest cast members, such as

Matt Green appeared as "Bride" and "Groom", whilst finally, Mel Oskar appeared as "Receptionist".[25] In the first episode of the series, "Missing", Adam Abbou, Casey-Lee Jolleys and Lewis Pryor all appeared as Tyler, Julie and Edward.[5][27] Imara Rodgers and Emily Forrest played minor parts, and Joan Hempson, Stephen Aintree and Alex Watson played Hilda, Sid and "Fireman".[5] In the second episode, "Homeless", Daniel Hayes appeared as Luke, Pearce Quigley played Dave, Pauline Fleming as Margie and Will Travis as Ken.[28] Rosina Carbone appeared as Miss Igoe, Vicki Gates as Pat, and Ozzie Yue played "Taxi Driver".[3][28][29] Finally, Adam Stevens played Keith, both in "Homeless" and in "Birthday".[28][30] In "Ay Carumba", Phil Perez appeared as Carlos, a zumba teacher.[17] Perez said of his character and how he got the role, "My character has a lot of confidence. I originally auditioned for a much smaller part but was then given one of the lead parts in the third episode. It was a great laugh and the scenes when I am teaching them how to dance are very funny".[17] Along with Perez, Kevin Harvey, Conrad Nelson, Tanya Vital, Ian Munzberger, Debra Redcliffe and Taylor Perry played Mr Brown, "Olympic Coach", Lynda, Carl, Kim and Ben respectively.[4][31] Eileen O'Brien played Rita, Sue Jenkins was Maureen and Susan Twist played Beedie.[31] O'Brien, Jenkins and Twist all reprised their roles in "Birthday".[30] In "Monopoly", Derek Barr, Susan Cormack and Emma Herron appeared as Derek, Barb and Carol, respectively, and Justin Edwards was credited as the voice on Eileen's Spanish tape.[32] In "DIY", Lenny Wood appeared as Gavin, Sue Devaney as Carmel, James Devlin as Rodger, Naveen Riley Mohamed as Trace, Warren Donnelly as "Security Guard", Emily Pennington as Viv and Russ Booth as "Workman".[33] Along with Stevens, O'Brien, Jenkins and Twist reprising their roles in "Birthday" - the final episode of the series - Rachel McGuiness appeared as Angela, and Barron reprised his role from "Lapland" as Maurice.[23][30]

Episodes

Special (2011)

# Title Written by Original air date UK viewers
(million)
-"Lapland"Michael Wynne24 December 2011 (2011-12-24)6.89 [12]
The Lewis family are determined to leave their troubles at home in Birkenhead when they set out for Lapland in search of Santa, huskies, reindeer, and hopefully the mysterious northern lights. However, they soon discover that baggage is not so easily left behind, but also that magic can be found in the most unexpected places. - BBC[2][11]

Series 1 (2013)

# Title Written by Original air date UK viewers
(million)
1"Missing"Michael Wynne4 February 2013 (2013-02-04)2.43[34]
Eileen goes missing and Paula goes into meltdown. Pete tries to treat Mandy, but he gets dragged into searching for their mum, who is not missing after all. - BBC[5]
2"Homeless"Michael Wynne11 February 2013 (2013-02-11)2.55[35]
Eileen takes in a homeless man, while Paula and Ray take in a homeless rabbit.- BBC[28]
3"Ay Carumba"Michael Wynne18 February 2013 (2013-02-18)2.10[37]
Eileen joins a group of other local widows, but will not play by the rules. Paula and Mandy compete over the latest Brazilian fitness craze, and Ethan has a hidden talent that could take him all the way to the Olympics... Or not.- BBC[31][36]
4"Monopoly"Michael Wynne25 February 2013 (2013-02-25)2.12[39]
Eileen decides to spend a quiet afternoon learning Spanish; that is, until she is invaded by the family, with Ray wanting to be a power seller on eBay and Mandy a meat-seller from Eileen's kitchen.- BBC[32][38]
5"DIY"Michael Wynne4 March 2013 (2013-03-04)2.92
A family outing to the local DIY store ends in mayhem. Eileen works her magic on the store manager, and Mandy's dream bathroom remains a dream.- BBC[33][40]
6"Birthday"Michael Wynne11 March 2013 (2013-03-11)2.14[42]
Ray builds a pirate ship for Liam's themed party - but Liam is scared of pirates. Paula hits the bottle, Mandy feels sick and Eileen gets a surprise visitor from Lapland.- BBC[30][41]

Reception

Northern Lights. Johnston said they "take your breath away", adding they were "wonderful".[43]

Both Lapland and Being Eileen have received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Tom Sutcliffe from

Shameless-style drama than gentle festive comedy; but Wynne manages to sugar the pill with a good deal of warm Northern humour".[46] British Comedy Guide called Lapland "unfunny" and "depressing".[48] They said, "The cast were as good as their names and pedigrees suggest, but Christmas spirit? Not likely".[48] They reported that users feedback on Twitter was negative.[48] However, writers from Daily Telegraph and Liverpool Echo disagreed, calling the single episode "popular" and that it "went down well" with audiences,[49][50] but British Comedy Guide and Alison Graham of Radio Times, opined that they were "flabbergasted" and "surprised" that the BBC had ordered a series.[8][48] Shennan of Liverpool Echo wrote a positive review of Being Eileen saying that, "Wynne's words raised plenty of smiles" adding, "There were misunderstandings aplenty amid the many pleasing moments".[47]
However he did complain about the scheduling of the program;

THE light, inoffensive, not-at-all-in-your-face comedy Being Eileen is the sort of sitcom I could easily imagine slipping through the Beeb's fingers. But after investing in, holding onto and nurturing Birkenhead writer Michael Wynne's follow-up to one-off Christmas 2011 outing Lapland, you’d think the powers-that-be would see things through to the end. The end being the all-important issue of scheduling, which can help make or break a new programme. Being Eileen is the definition of family viewing – a pleasant, largely enjoyable, easy on the eyes and ears, mildly diverting half-hour in the company of a grandmother, her children and their children. That's right – exactly the sort of thing you would expect to see warming up the BBC's evening audience at, say, 8pm or 8.30pm. So I wonder if anyone can explain to me – and many others – why it's being thrown away after the national and local news at 10.35pm. Did the BBC decision-makers involved suddenly lose confidence in it and decide to quietly bury it – or have they just lost their marbles?[47]

— Paddy Shennan, Liverpool Echo

Writers from Daily Telegraph and Liverpool Echo included Being Eileen in its television highlights of the week commencing 4 February 2013,

Sunday Express said of the show, "Amazingly, there was cause for optimism during a BBC1 sitcom", adding that he "laughed involuntarily" throughout, adding that the show should have been called Come On, Eileen, a reference shared by The Guardian's John Plunkett.[59][60]

DVD release

Being Eileen was released on a one-disk DVD set on 1 April 2013, announced by the BBC.[13] The series has been rated by the British Board of Film Classification between Universal (U) and Parental Guidance (PG).[61]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cavendish, Dominic (23 December 2011). "Lapland, BBC One, preview". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Catherine Morshead (director), Rosemary McGowan (producer) (24 December 2011). "Lapland (24 December 2011)". Lapland. BBC. BBC One.
  3. ^ a b c "Ozzie Yue". Sainou. Retrieved 21 December 2012. Taxi Driver, LAPLAND, BBC TV, Simon Delaney
  4. ^ a b c "Eileen O'Brien". Jane Holloway. Archived from the original on 15 August 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2012. Eileen has just completed work on a new comedy series Lapland for BBC, directed by Susan Tully.
  5. ^ a b c d e Michael Wynne (writer) (4 February 2013). "Missing (4 February 2013)". Being Eileen. BBC. BBC One.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "BBC One commissions new six part comedy series, Lapland". BBC. BBC Online. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Sue Johnston comedy Lapland gets full series". The British Comedy Guide. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Graham, Alison (11 February 2013). "Being Eileen Series 1 - 1. Missing". Radio Times. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  9. ^ "Being Eileen". BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  10. ^
    Trinity Mirror. 23 October 2012. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help
    )
  11. ^ a b c "Lapland Series 1 (2013)". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  12. ^
    BARB
    . Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  13. ^ a b "Being Eileen (DVD)". BBC. BBC Online. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  14. ^ a b Collins, David (6 December 2011). "Sue Johnston: 'Reindeer tastes like filet steak!'". TV Guide. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  15. ^ Jones, Paul (10 October 2011). "BBC Christmas comedy Lapland begins shooting". Radio Times. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  16. ^ a b c Hughes, Lorna (13 February 2013). "Birkenhead-born writer Michael Wynne on returning to his roots for new TV comedy Being Eileen". Heswall News. Wirral News Group. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  17. ^ a b c d e Miles, Tina (24 January 2013). "Mersey actor goes from Liverpool to Lapland with Sue Johnston". Liverpool Echo. Wirral News Group. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  18. ^ Rowley, Alison (28 December 2012). "BBC One 2013 trailer: 'Doctor Who', 'Miranda', 'Luther', more - watch". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  19. ^ a b c d Collins, David (29 January 2013). "Sue Johnston: Being Eileen". TV Guide. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  20. ^
    Trinity Mirror
    . Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  21. ^ Munn, Patrick (4 October 2012). "It's Official: BBC One Orders 'Lapland' Comedy Series Based On 2011 Christmas Special". TV Wise. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  22. ^ Munn, Patrick (13 September 2012). "TV BBC One Orders Follow Up To Christmas Comedy 'Lapland', Stephen Graham's Role Recast". TV Wise. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  23. ^ a b Munn, Patrick (31 October 2012). "TV Castings: Sydney Rae White Joins Sky1′s 'Starlings', Keith Barron To Reprise Role On BBC One's 'Lapland'". TV Wise. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  24. ^
    Trinity Mirror
    . Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  25. ^ a b c d e "Lapland - Christmas Special". The British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  26. ^ "CASPAR PHILLIPSON". HMC. Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  27. ^ "ADAM ABBOU: Spotlight Children". Spotlight. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  28. ^ a b c d Michael Wynne (writer) (11 February 2013). "Homeless (11 February 2013)". Being Eileen. BBC. BBC One.
  29. ^ "Ozzie Yue: Lapland". Sainou. November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012. Ozzie Yue films the BBC comedy series Lapland, a heartwarming comedy starring Sue Johnston (The Royle Family, Coronation Street) which follows the lives of the Lewis family from Birkenhead, Merseyside.
  30. ^ a b c d Michael Wynne (writer) (11 March 2013). "Birthday (11 March 2013)". Being Eileen. BBC. BBC One.
  31. ^ a b c Michael Wynne (writer) (18 February 2013). "Ay Carumba (18 February 2013)". Being Eileen. BBC. BBC One.
  32. ^ a b Michael Wynne (writer) (25 February 2013). "Monopoly (25 February 2013)". Being Eileen. BBC. BBC One.
  33. ^ a b Michael Wynne (writer) (4 March 2013). "DIY (4 March 2013)". Being Eileen. BBC. BBC One.
  34. ^ Millar, Paul (5 February 2013). "Channel 4 wins 3.3m viewers for Richard III documentary". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  35. ^ "Episode 1.2 - Homeless". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  36. ^ "Being Eileen (3/6)". BBC. BBC Online. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  37. ^ "Episode 1.3 - Ay Carumba". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  38. ^ "Being Eileen (4/6)". BBC. BBC Online. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  39. ^ "Episode 1.4 - Monopoly". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  40. ^ "Being Eileen (5/6)". BBC. BBC Online. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  41. ^ "Being Eileen (6/6)". BBC. BBC Online. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  42. ^ "Episode 1.6 - Birthday". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  43. ^ Collins, David (6 December 2011). "Sue Johnston - Lapland". TV Guide. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  44. ^ Sutcliffe, Tom (26 December 2011). "Christmas Eve viewing: Outnumbered, BBC1 Lapland, BBC1". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  45. ^ Gilbert, Gerard (23 December 2011). "The pick of Christmas television: How to make the most of your holiday viewing". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  46. ^ a b c d Naughton, Pete (18 December 2011). "Today's TV highlights". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 July 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  47. ^
    Trinity Mirror
    . Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  48. ^ a b c d "Being Eileen: our review". The British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  49. ^ a b "Today's TV highlights". The Daily Telegraph. 4 February 2013. Archived from the original on 1 July 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  50. ^
    Trinity Mirror
    . Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  51. ^ These critics include:
  52. ^ Doran, Sarah (4 February 2013). "Being Eileen TV Review". entertainment.ie. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  53. Raidió Teilifís Éireann
    . Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  54. ^ a b c d Michaels, Adrian (5 February 2013). "Being Eileen, BBC One, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  55. ^ Hogan, Michael (15 February 2013). "Being Eileen - In The Press". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  56. Trinity Mirror
    . Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  57. ^ Sutcliffe, Tom (5 February 2013). "TV review - Dancing on the Edge, BBC2; Being Eileen, BBC1". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  58. ^ Lawson, Mark; Dunkley, Chris (4 February 2013). "Terry and Bill Jones, Chiwetel Ejiofor, I Give It a Year". BBC Radio 4. BBC. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  59. Express Newspapers
    . Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  60. ^ Plunkett, John (5 February 2013). "Richard III documentary proves a king-size hit for Channel 4". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  61. ^ "Search for releases- Being Eileen". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 28 February 2013.

External links

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