Kiss Me Kate is a British sitcom that ran from 1998 until 2000. It followed the everyday life of a counsellor, Kate (Caroline Quentin), who must not only manage her clients' problems, but must also help her neighbours and unsuccessful business partner, Douglas, played by Chris Langham. Amanda Holden played Mel, the receptionist. Darren Boyd played the sweet, but intellectually challenged, Craig, the travel agent downstairs.
| Kiss Me Kate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | John Stroud Nick Wood |
| Starring | Caroline Quentin Chris Langham Amanda Holden Darren Boyd |
| Theme music composer | Philip Pope |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | John Bishop Geoffrey Perkins |
| Producer | Nick Symons |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 4 May 1998 – 26 December 2000 |
During the series, both Craig and Douglas fall for Kate. Mel and Craig become romantically involved, but Douglas continues to be in love with Kate. Kate then falls for Douglas's brother, Iain Cameron, a successful cardiac surgeon.
It was written by Chris Langham and John Morton, who had collaborated on People Like Us.
Cast
Main cast
- Caroline Quentin, Kate Salinger
- Chris Langham, Douglas Fielding/Cameron
- Amanda Holden, Mel
- Darren Boyd, Craig Chapman
Recurring characters
- Cliff Parisi, Tony (Series 1 and 2 only)
- Mark Heap, Peter (Series 1 only)
- Holly Atkins, Alex (Series 2 only)
- Elizabeth Renihan, Jo (Series 3 only)
- Bill Nighy, Douglas' brother, Iain Cameron
Episodes
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| Series One (1998) | ||
| 1 | "Secretaries" | 4 May 1998 |
| 2 | "Mike" | 11 May 1998 |
| 3 | "Calendar" | 18 May 1998 |
| 4 | "Speech" | 25 May 1998 |
| 5 | "Holidays" | 1 June 1998 |
| 6 | "Re-union" | 8 June 1998 |
| Series Two (1999) | ||
| 7 | "Closure" | 13 May 1999 |
| 8 | "Dad" | 20 May 1999 |
| 9 | "Money Matters" | 27 May 1999 |
| 10 | "One Night Stand" | 3 June 1999 |
| 11 | "Teeth" | 8 June 1999 |
| 12 | "On the Couch" | 15 June 1999 |
| Series Three (2000) | ||
| 13 | "The Italian Job" | 18 November 2000 |
| 14 | "Magnolia" | 25 November 2000 |
| 15 | "The Bahamas" | 2 December 2000 |
| 16 | "Oh Brother!" | 9 December 2000 |
| 17 | "Grandfather Clock" | 16 December 2000 |
| 18 | "The Party" | 17 December 2000 |
| 19 | "Kate's Niece" | 23 December 2000 |
| 20 | "Christmas" | 26 December 2000 |
| Comic Relief Sketch | ||
| N–A | "Comic Relief sketch" | 16 March 2001 |
Filming locations
Filming took place at the now closed Carlton Television Studios in Nottingham in front of a live studio audience. At the beginning of each series the crew spent four days filming all exterior scenes at various locations in and around Nottingham.
The main building that housed the office and Kate's flat is situated on East Circus Street, Nottingham, directly opposite the Nottingham Playhouse.
The building used in the third series as the exterior of "Cafe Coffee" is in reality a casino located at the junction of St. Peters Gate and Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham.
The building used as the location of Iain's flat is situated on Broadway in the Lace Market area of Nottingham.
Other locations used throughout the series include the University of Nottingham, the Peacock Inn at Redmile and Nottingham's Victoria Embankment.