Green Wing (series 1)

infobox tvseason
season_name = Green Wing: Series 1
headercolour = 6ef7a7
show_name = Green Wing


caption = "Green Wing" Series 1 DVD
dvd_release_date = 3 April 2006
dvd_format = Boxset
country = United Kingdom
network = Channel 4
first_aired = 3 September 2004
last_aired =
29 October 2004
num_episodes = 9
next_series = 2|

The following is a list of episodes from the first series of "Green Wing". "Green Wing" is a surreal medical sitcom starring Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt. All the episodes were written by a team of eight writers working on every episode together. The writers are Victoria Pile (who is also the producer), Robert Harley, Gary Howe, Stuart Kenworthy, Oriane Messina, Richard Preddy, Fay Rusling and James Henry. The series was directed by Tristram Shapeero and Dominic Brigstocke. [cite web|url=http://www.sitcom.co.uk/green_wing/|title=Green Wing: Overview|publisher=British Sitcom Guide|accessdate=2008-03-05] The first series consisted of nine episodes broadcast between 3 September and 29 October 2004 on Channel 4. A DVD of the series was released on 3 April 2006. [cite web|url=http://www.digitallard.com/archive/2714/|title=Release News - The Green Wing Cast Signing Event|publisher=Digital Lard|date=2006-04-07|accessdate=2008-01-15] The scripts of the first series entitled "Green Wing: The Complete First Series Scripts" were released in paperback on 22 October 2006. [cite web|url=http://www.julianrhind-tutt.co.uk/newsarchive.htm|title=News Archive|publisher=Julian Rhind-Tutt.co.uk|accessdate-2008-01-15] The first series was received well by both critics and fans.cite web|url=http://www.sitcom.co.uk/green_wing/poll.php|title=The Green Wing Poll|publisher=British Sitcom Guide|accessdate=2008-01-15] cite news|last=Gill|first=A. A.|authorlink=A. A. Gill|title=Television: AA Gill: Doctor! It's a sickly shade of green|language=English|publisher=The Sunday Times|date=2006-04-02|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article698742.ece|accessdate=2007-12-09] The series also won several awards including a BAFTA,cite web|title=Television Nominations 2004|publisher=BAFTA |url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/television/nominations/?year=2004|accessdate=2008-03-05] two Royal Television Society (RTS) awards,cite web|title=RTS Winners and Nominations list 2005 |publisher=Royal Television Society |url=http://www.rts.org.uk/awards.asp?sec_id=725&from=section|accessdate=2007-05-23] cite web|title=RTS Craft & Design Awards 2004/5 |publisher=Royal Television Society |url=http://www.rts.org.uk/Information_page_+_3_pic_det.asp?id=4390&sec_id=503|accessdate=2007-05-23] and a Rose d'Or.cite web|url=http://www.rosedor.com/downloads/awardwinners_1961_2006.pdf|title=Award Winners 1961-2007|publisher=Rose d'Or|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-01-15]

In the first series, the main plot involves a love triangle between surgical registrar Dr. Caroline Todd (Greig), anaesthetist Dr. Guy Secretan (Mangan), and surgeon Dr. "Mac" Macartney (Rhind-Tutt) and the affair between consultant radiologist Dr. Alan Statham (Mark Heap) is in love with Joanna Clore (Pippa Haywood), the director of human resources. Comic highlights in the series include an operation carried out in Geordie accents, the game of Guyball and junior house officer Boyce's (Oliver Chris) bullying of Alan.cite web|last=Watson|first=Sam|url=http://www.sitcom.co.uk/green_wing/series1.shtml|title=Green Wing: Series 1 Synopsis|publisher=British Sitcom Guide|accessdate=2008-01-15]

Cast

The thirteen main characters appear in all nine episodes of the first series. Amongst the recurring guest characters, Lyndon, Oliver (Ken Charles), Lady Emily "Emmy" Lewis Westbrook (Daisy Haggard), Liam (Oliver Milburn), Cordelia Denby (Saskia Wickham) and Charles Robertson (Harley) all appear. However, Charles is credited as "Chief Executive" in the episode that he appears. [cite episode | title = Slave Auction | series = Green Wing | serieslink = Green Wing | airdate = 2004-10-22 | season = 1 | number = 8] Guest actors who appear in this series include John Oliver, Stephen Merchant, Kevin Eldon and Rosie Cavaliero. Other than Harley, other "Green Wing" writers make cameos. These include Fay Rusling, Gary Howe, Oriane Messina and Henry James. [cite web|url=http://www.sitcom.co.uk/green_wing/writers.shtml|title=Green Wing Writers|publisher=British Sitcom Guide|accessdate=2008-03-09]

Reception

The first series is the most popular amongst "Green Wing" fans. According to one poll conducted in 2006 (before the final special episode was broadcast), the fifth episode of the series, "Housewarming Party", was voted the best "Green Wing" episode of all. The second most popular was the eighth episode of series one, "Slave Auction". "Housewarming Party" was also watched at the "Wingin' It "Green Wing" convention", being voted the favourite episode in, "A landslide victory". [cite web|last=Nixon|first=Terri|url=http://www.sitcom.co.uk/green_wing/convention.shtml|title=The GW Convention|publisher=British Sitcom Guide|accessdate=2008-01-15]

The series was also commented positively by critics. A. A. Gill from "The Times" praised the cast and characters, although he did comment negatively on the filming style and dramatic qualities. [cite news|last=Gill|first=A. A.|authorlink=A. A. Gill|title=Television: AA Gill: These performances are worthy of a ward|language=English|publisher=The Sunday Times|date=2004-09-12|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article480011.ece|accessdate=2007-12-09] He also said

"...it was one of the most freshly funny and crisply innovative comedies for years. The humour was all based in the character, not the situation. The story lines were negligible; there were no catch phrases; it was surreal in a way we hadn't seen since "Monty Python"; and the cast were actors being funny from inside a characterisation, not stand-up comics bolting a cartoon persona onto the back of gags."

Awards

The series received a number of awards. It was the first series ever to win the BAFTA Pioneer Audience Award in 2004, the only BAFTA voted for by the general public. Haywood won the 2005 Rose d'Or for "Best Female Comedy Performance". Greig won the 2005 RTS award for "Best Comedy Performance". Jonathan Whitehead, who wrote music for the show, won the 2005 RTS Craft & Design Award for "Best Original Score".

List of episodes

References

*Pile, Victoria; Harley, Robert; Henry, James; Howe, Gary; Kenworthy, Stuart; Messina, Oriane; Preddy, Richard; Rusling, Fay. "Green Wing: The Complete First Series Scripts". London: Titan Books, 2006. ISBN 1-84576-421-8.

Notes