- Not to be confused with the 1989 American series about student nurses
| Nightingales | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Paul Makin |
| Starring | Robert Lindsay David Threlfall James Ellis |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 25 Minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 27 February 1990 – 10 February 1993 |
Nightingales is a British situation comedy set around the antics of three security guards working the night shift. It was produced by Alomo Productions for Channel 4 in the early 1990s. As a sitcom about extracting comedy from 'nothing' it could arguably be considered a relative of such programmes as Seinfeld and The Royle Family. The series can also be considered as an early example of the current strain of 'Dark Comedy' in situation comedy.
Background edit
Nightingales revolved around the jobs of three bored night watchmen working in a deserted office block, the location of which is never revealed although exterior shots are of a building located on Paradise Circus in Birmingham City Centre which is home to offices and Snobs nightclub. In the background the spire of St Martin's Church and the Rotunda can be clearly seen, and in wider shots the old town hall is also visible. Despite an ostensibly uneventful premise, the programme's episodes detailed surreal, Pinteresque happenings which subverted the usual comedy archetypes in ways which were, to the few that watched it, clever and extremely funny or were to others, including the Channel 4 executives who cancelled it, completely baffling.
Nightingales ran for two series, totalling 13 episodes, with the first series of 6 episodes broadcast in 1990 and the second series, comprising 7 episodes, in 1992–1993. The long delay was prompted by Channel 4 executive Seamus Cassidy who was not happy with the proposed scripts for the second season and it was nearly three years before the follow-up series was given the go-ahead. The theme tune was a version of the song "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" sung by Lindsay. Nightingales was written by Paul Makin, who went on to write the more conventional comedies like Goodnight Sweetheart. A US remake (titled "In Security") was piloted but never commissioned.
Catchphrases edit
As in most British comedies, a recurring theme or catchphrase is present in most episodes. In Nightingales the running gag involved somebody asking the question "Is there anybody there?" followed by the half-sung response "There's nobody here but us chickens!" accompanied by much arm waggling in the manner of said poultry. This line is from the 1947 song "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" written by Alex Kramer and Joan Whitney and recorded by many artistes including Louis Jordan, BB King and Asleep at the Wheel. The phrase was actually made popular in the U.S. after Speedy Gonzales uttered it in one of the Warner Brothers cartoons.
Another catchphrase was based around Carter's pretensions to learning. He would gaze wistfully out of the window and ask of nobody in particular "I wonder what the Pope is doing tonight" with a different famous person mentioned each time.
Characters edit
- Robert Lindsay as Carter
- A would-be intellectual who was desperate to leave his job and move on to better things.
- David Threlfall as "Ding Dong" Bell
- The buffoon character.
- James Ellis as Sarge
- The always optimistic, and highly suggestible, veteran watchman.
- Smith
- A member of the team who had died before the first series, the other characters kept his body in the building so that they could claim his salary.
The first two episodes featured a fourth (living) character, Piper (played by Edward Burnham). Guest characters included Eric the Werewolf (Ian Sears); an additional security guard who was a gorilla; and Mary the Christmas Allegory, who gave birth to consumer electronics.
Episode guide edit
Series One edit
| # | Title | Original Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Moonlight Becomes You" | 27 February, 1990 | |
|
The new lad gets a touch of lycanthropy; Sarge deals with the inspector. | |||
| 2 | "Takeaway" | 6 March, 1990 | |
|
Carter and Bell take the guise of Shakespearian villains to do away with Piper. | |||
| 3 | "Kiss and Make Up" | 13 March, 1990 | |
|
Carter wins a date with a glamour model but Sarge won't let him take the night off. | |||
| 4 | "Opening Night" | 20 March, 1990 | |
|
Sarge needs surgery. Swan may be a werewolf, but he's also a medical student. | |||
| 5 | "Scrutiny of the Bounty" | 27 March, 1990 | |
|
The guards decide to rob the safe while the police use their office for surveillance. | |||
| 6 | "Terence in the Midst" | 2 April, 1990 | |
|
Security is so easy even a monkey can do it. | |||
| 2 | 1 | Silent Night | Christmas Episode, Mary arrives and she is pregnant but she assures them she's not an allegory. |
| 2 | 2 | Trouble in mind. | |
| 2 | 3 | Crime and Punishment. | |
| 2 | 4 | All at Sea. | |
| 2 | 5 | Reach for the Sky. | |
| 2 | 6 | King Lear II. | |
| 2 | 7 | Someone to watch over me. |
DVD Release edit
The complete run of thirteen episodes was released on DVD in March 2006.