Pramface
| Pramface | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Chris Reddy |
| Written by | Chris Reddy |
| Directed by | Daniel Zeff |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Lucy Robinson |
| Production location | Edinburgh |
| Running time |
|
| Production company | BBC/Little Comet[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Three |
| Release | 23 February 2012 – present |
Pramface is a BBC Three television comedy series, starring Scarlett Alice Johnson, Sean Michael Verey, Ben Crompton, Bronagh Gallagher, Anna Chancellor and Angus Deayton. Written by Chris Reddy and produced by BBC/Little Comet,[1] the six-part first series commenced transmission on 23 February 2012. The second series began on 8 January 2013, with the first episode 60 minutes long, as a special, and the remainder of the series consisted of the usual 30 minute episodes. The second series concluded on 19 February 2013. A third series was confirmed on 29 April 2013.
Plot
Best friends Jamie, Mike and Beth finish their GCSE exams and head towards a sixth form party. Meanwhile, 18 year old Laura, encouraged by her best friend Danielle, breaks her parents' curfew and heads to the same party; both Jamie and Laura are determined to have a good time. During the party they meet, drunkenly get intimate and the next morning Jamie writes a note with his phone-number on it to Laura and leaves. A few weeks later, Laura discovers both that she is pregnant, and that Jamie is only 16. Life is about to begin, but not in the way either of them expected.[2] Series 1 follows the life of the two teenagers and their family and friends as they try to get to grips with the impending parenthood and the struggles of pregnancy. Series 2 follows the next stage; caring for the newly born baby Emily.
Cast
- Laura Derbyshire – Scarlett Alice Johnson
- Jamie Prince – Sean Michael Verey
- Mike Fenton – Dylan Edwards
- Beth Mitchell – Yasmin Paige
- Danielle Reeves – Emer Kenny
- Alan Derbyshire – Angus Deayton
- Janet Derbyshire – Anna Chancellor (absent for much of Series 2)
- Keith Prince – Ben Crompton
- Sandra Prince – Bronagh Gallagher
Episodes
Series 1 (2012)
| # | Title | Writer | Director | Original air date | Viewers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Like Narnia But Sexy" | Chris Reddy | Dan Zeff | 23 February 2012 | TBA | |
|
As far as Jamie and his best mate Mike are concerned, their carefree summer is off to a great start. Exams are over and they're on mission to crash the sixth form party and get laid. Across town, 18-year-old Laura, encouraged by her best friend Danielle, breaks her parents' curfew and heads off to the same party, determined to have fun. Life is about to begin, but not in the way either of them expected.[3] | ||||||
| 2 | "Pregnant Rapist" | Chris Reddy | Dan Zeff | 1 March 2012 | TBA | |
|
Laura is in shock, having discovered that Jamie is only 16 years old, and refuses to speak to him. Jamie feels that Laura is not taking him seriously and decides the only way to get her attention is to propose. Meanwhile, Janet and Alan are in counselling, trying to repair their marriage, but their guidance counsellor Jeremy (Karl Theobald) doesn't really seem up to the job.[4] | ||||||
| 3 | "Edinburgh... in Scotland" | Chris Reddy | Dan Zeff | 8 March 2012 | TBA | |
|
Laura is no closer to making a decision on whether to have the baby, but heads off to university anyway. When Jamie finds out she has gone without telling him, he is furious and decides to follow her to Edinburgh... but he's definitely not stalking her. Meanwhile, Beth realises if she wants any chance of getting together with Jamie she's going to have to make her move now.[5] | ||||||
| 4 | "Man of the Moment" | Chris Reddy | Dan Zeff | 15 March 2012 | TBA | |
|
Laura arranges a dinner party that nobody really wants to attend, especially Keith who is suffering after a big night out. Meanwhile, Beth, in an effort to get over Jamie, embarks on a double date. But she needs a wing man and unfortunately Mike is the only person available. At the awkward dinner party, Alan and a tipsy Sandra get on surprisingly well, much to Janet's irritation. However negotiations about the baby don't go well. Jamie and Laura fall out and Janet and Alan wind up having a blazing row. | ||||||
| 5 | "Knocked Up and Homeless" | Chris Reddy | Dan Zeff | 22 March 2012 | TBA | |
|
With three months to go, Laura is still living at Jamie's house and the pressure is starting to show. Keith is sick of being locked out of the bathroom all the time. Jamie is exhausted trying to hold down a job while sleeping on the living room sofa. And, despite the benefits of Laura's obsessive cleaning, even Sandra is starting to wonder when she will actually leave. Meanwhile, Alan and Janet have decided to make a go of their marriage. | ||||||
| 6 | "Aaargh" | Chris Reddy | Dan Zeff | 29 March 2012 | TBA | |
|
At eight and half months, Laura is in the final stages of pregnancy. She's also stuck at home and really bored. With Laura's parents lost in their rekindled love, and best friend Danielle otherwise engaged, Laura gets Jamie to take her on a shopping trip. What could possibly go wrong? Meanwhile Mike has decided to get a professional in to help him lose his virginity. He's raising money for a prostitute by pretending, or so he thinks, to do a fun run. Beth has innocently been helping with the fundraising, but when she discovers where the money is actually going, she's furious. And Keith is taking Sandra on a trip to the Lakes, hoping the beautiful landscape will soften the blow when he breaks the news to her that he's packed in his job. | ||||||
Series 2 (2013)
| # | Title | Writer | Director | Original air date | Viewers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Edge of Hell" | Chris Reddy | Misha Manson-Smith | 8 January 2013[6] | TBA | |
|
Laura and Jamie are struggling to cope with the everyday challenges of raising their baby, so the last thing they need is a big family event. But the Christening is looming and they're nowhere near ready for it. Keith, under pressure from Sandra, is forced to take temping work at the toy shop to help pay for the Christening. But Keith finds it hard to cope when he discovers his new supervisor is his son. Alan is still recovering from his head injury, and Janet wants to go back to work, although she's not mentioning this to Alan. As the visiting relatives arrive, squabble and then criticise, Jamie and Laura are really feeling the pressure - and they haven't even managed to agree on a name yet. | ||||||
| 2 | "Stay at Home Losers" | Chris Reddy | Misha Manson-Smith | 15 January 2013[7] | TBA | |
|
Beth is confused when she finds herself attracted to a posh boy with views politically opposed to her own. In the absence of real girl friends, she is forced to turn to Jamie and Mike for guidance. Laura is attempting to widen her circle of friends, but she finds it hard to find a peer group - the pramface mums in the park are more interested in nicking her phone, and the competitive yummy mummies just want to patronise and score points off her. Meanwhile, a lonely Alan employs Keith, to be his driver. | ||||||
| 3 | "Supermum and Hardguy2000" | Tom Edge | Misha Manson-Smith | 22 January 2013[8] | TBA | |
|
Laura has a work placement so, with Janet out at work and Alan too clumsy to be safely left with a baby, she takes up Jamie's offer to babysit. When Jamie finds out he has an exam on the same day but doesn't want to let Laura think he's shirking his responsibility, he is forced to leave Emily with his last resort babysitters, Mike and Beth. Sandra, sick of Keith's increasing employment torpor, pushes him into getting a job. | ||||||
| 4 | "Just Two People with a Kid" | Dan Gaster Colin Swash | Ben Gosling Fuller | 29 January 2013[9] | 684,000 | |
|
Jamie is turning 18 and Mike has taken over organising the party. His main mission is to source some high-quality, mind-altering substances. Mike decides to go organic and get hold of some mushrooms. Beth comes on the hunt and steers him towards a harmless non-psychedelic type. Meanwhile, Keith has been forced to take a new-age influenced 'back to work' course. He goes on an accelerated journey of self-discovery. He's getting fitter, and closer to the eternal truths of the universe but he's no closer to getting a job. | ||||||
| 5 | "If You Cry, I'll Cry" | Chris Reddy | Ben Gosling Fuller | 5 February 2013[10] | 680,000 | |
|
When Laura learns that Jamie has a date, she goes out of her way to get one herself. She wants to show him that if he's over her, she can move on too. She arranges an internet date with Marcus, a proper, grown-up man with a flat and a job. But, on Danielle's advice, she chooses not to tell him about being a mother for the time being. Mike is on a body-transforming course combining high-strength Russian muscle steroids with a kettlebell workout. But the side effects are taking their toll on his waistline and his emotional state. Keith is approached by a model agent offering work for Emily. He and Sandra enter the world of baby modelling, but soon find out it's more competitive, catty and aggressive than they imagined. | ||||||
| 6 | "Grumpy and Target Boy" | Chris Reddy | Ben Gosling Fuller | 12 February 2013[11] | 774,000 | |
|
Danielle encourages Laura to come to a university ball in Edinburgh. But when she arrives Danielle introduces her to her new friend, Francesca, who seems intent on undermining Laura so she can have Danielle to herself. Jamie is depressed - convinced he's blown it with Laura, failing at school and miserable in his job. Mike is so worried about his mate that, when Jamie goes missing, Mike thinks he may be about to kill himself. Keith, too, is at a low ebb in his self-esteem. He even suspects Sandra of cheating with her boss and decides to confront him man to man. | ||||||
| 7 | "Optimum Conditions" | Chris Reddy | Ben Gosling Fuller | 19 February 2013[12] | TBA | |
|
The future is still uncertain for Jamie and Laura, who are now officially a couple, but Jamie is concerned that Laura's not really into him as she won't 'go public' with the news and tell her parents. Mike is throwing a party to celebrate the end of exams, but finds himself instead drinking away his sorrows with Beth, who is at an all time low and is questioning her status as the 'smart one' after discovering she got a B in one of her exams. Alan and Janet hit the rocks when she is too busy with work to turn up to a counselling session, and he later ends their marriage after Janet reveals she is going on a six month work placement to New York. | ||||||
Series 3 (2014)
The series was recomissioned by Zai Bennett, Controller of BBC Three, and Shane Allen, Controller of Comedy Commissioning in April 2013. [13] and BBC Three Blog.
Online
In addition to episode preview clips and character information on the BBC website,[14] the writer and stars wrote blog posts about making the show for the BBC TV Blog[15] and BBC Three Blog.[16] An official Facebook page[17] was set up for fans, and one of the main characters, Mike Fenton, was given his own Twitter account [18] where he commented in-character on the events of the episodes, but also other things going on in the real world at the time.
Both seasons of the show have been picked up in the United States by Hulu.
References
- ^ a b "Pramface". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ "Pramface". BBC Media. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/pramface/episodes/1/1/
- ^ http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/pramface/episodes/1/2/
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01d21y1
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00vg45v
- ^ http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/pramface/episodes/2/2/
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q6n93
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q6n93
- ^ http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/pramface/episodes/2/5
- ^ http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/pramface/episodes/2/6
- ^ http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/pramface/episodes/2/7
- ^ "BBC TV Blog – Pramface: Rec". BBC Media. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "Pramface Website". BBC Media. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "BBC TV Blog – Pramface: Playing the pregnant teenager". BBC Media. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "BBC Three Blog – Meet the Characters on Twitter". BBC Media. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "Pramface on Facebook". BBC Media. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "PramfaceMike on Twitter". BBC Media. Retrieved 28 February 2012.