TV
Girls On Top (ITV 1985-1986, Tracey Ullman, Dawn French)
Sitcom. The distaff side to the Young Ones, Girls On Top is a superbly anarchic sitcom featuring the cream of alternative comedy talent of the early 1980’s.
The series sees Tracey Ullman, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Ruby Wax pooling their resources to be able to afford a flat in London, they move into the house of the highly eccentric Lady Carlton (the superb Joan Greenwood).
Their are guest appearances from the likes of Harry Enfield, Hugh Laurie, Pauline Quirke, John Sessions, Ben Elton, Robbie Coltrane and a young Severus Snape in the shape of Alan Rickman.
Tracey Ullman doesn’t appear in the second season, she was making big inroads into a career in the US and her character was killed off. In fact the final episode of the series saw everybody killed off thanks to an accident by Lady Carlton and a load of petrol blowing everyone to smithereens.
In irony of ironies, the second seasons run of episodes was interrupted by that years Miss World contest.
production details
UK / ITV – Central – Witzend / 13×25 minute episodes / Broadcast 23 October 1985 – 11 December 1986
Writers: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ruby Wax / Script Editor: Ben Elton / Producers: Paul Jackson, Trevor Walton
cast
Tracey Ullman as Candice Valentine (series 1)
Dawn French as Amanda Ripley
Jennifer Saunders as Jennifer Marsh
Ruby Wax as Shelley Dupont
Joan Greenwood as Lady Carlton