Whatever I Want is a six-part British television sketch show, written by and starring Leigh Francis, that first broadcast on ITV on 7 January 2000. Commissioned by Bellyache Productions, and overseen by Gavin Claxton, the series featured early prototypes of the characters of Keith Lemon and Avid Merrion, as well as a human version of The Bear known as Barry Gibson, who had previously appeared as a roving reporter during the early series of Channel 4's Popworld.[1]
| Whatever I Want | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sketch show |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Gavin Claxton |
| Starring | Leigh Francis |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | John Noel |
| Producers |
|
| Cinematography | Rupert Wyatt |
| Editor | Alex Hutchinson |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | Bellyache Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 7 January – 11 February 2000 |
The series broadcast at 11:30pm on Fridays in LWT regions only, and has never been repeated since broadcast, nor released on DVD. Each episode featured a number of celebrity guests, including Davina McCall, who first discovered Francis performing in-role stand-up comedy in a southern comedy club, and encouraged him to pursue a career in television.[citation needed] Reworked versions of Keith Lemon and Avid Merrion would later go on to appear as characters in Francis' Channel 4 sketch show Bo' Selecta!.
Characters edit
- Barry Gibson; a budding television presenter & antique aficionado.
- Avid Merrion; a Transylvanian-celebrity "stalker".
- Keith Lemon; a failed former businessman-of-the-year.
Episodes edit
| No. | Title | Guest(s) | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Davina McCall[2] | 7 January 2000 | |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | [3] | 14 January 2000 | |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | TBA | 21 January 2000 | |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Davina McCall, Claudia Winkleman[4] | 28 January 2000 | |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Claudia Winkleman[5] | 4 February 2000 | |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Mandy Smith, Cleo Rocos, Sarah Cawood, Kate Thornton[6][7] | 11 February 2000 | |
| Keith Lemon enlists the help of Mandy Smith to redecorate an elderly woman's lift. Cleo Rocos helps Keith to give city office manager Brian a taste of the countryside. Avid Merrion stakes out a car park in the hope of bumping into Nicolas Cage. Barry Gibson tries his hand at abstract art, before inviting two close friends, Sarah Cawood and Kate Thornton, round for pizza. | ||||
References edit
- ^ "Whatever I Want - ITV Sketch Show". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Whatever I Want [07/01/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Whatever I Want [14/01/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Whatever I Want [28/01/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Whatever I Want [04/02/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Whatever I Want [11/02/2000]". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Early Keith Lemon & Avid Merrion - 'Whatever I Want' - Leigh Francis Before 'Celebrity Juice'". YouTube. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
