"Birds of a Feather" (1989) TV series 1989-1998

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Creators:

Maurice Gran
Laurence Marks

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Release Date:

16 October 1989 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Animal In Title | Bird In Title

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Pauline Quirke	...	Sharon Theodopolopodous (102 episodes, 1989-1998)
Linda Robson	...	Tracey Stubbs (102 episodes, 1989-1998)
Lesley Joseph	...	Dorien Green (102 episodes, 1989-1998)
Alun Lewis	...	Darryl Stubbs (51 episodes, 1989-1994)
Peter Polycarpou	...	Chris Theodopolopodous (39 episodes, 1990-1994)
Matthew Savage	...	Garth Stubbs (32 episodes, 1990-1998)

Runtime:

40 min (1 episode) | 75 min (1 episode) | 50 min (4 episodes) | 60 min (1 episode) | 30 min (95 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG

Company:

Alomo Productions

Quotes:

[Dorien enters]
Dorien Green: Good afternoon, neighbours.
Sharon Theodopolopoudos: It was, up until now.
Dorien Green: Now, now, Sharon. Fat people are supposed to be jolly; it's a tradition.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Thin Blue Line: Night Shift (#1.5)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

What'll I Do

Average comedy with a great cast.

This sweet, simple sitcom is a classic example of shows that play primarily to entertain. It wasn't pretentious, it didn't alienate the viewer, it was just harmless good fun. While that may not be the most exciting thing in the world, it doesn't stop you from having a giggle at the antics of our heroines. Sharon and Tracey are sisters who were both married to small time crooks. Tracey is happily married to Darryl, and living in a plush house in Chigwell, Essex. Sharon is very much unhappily married to philandering Chris, and living on a council estate. When both husbands are sent to prison, Sharon moves in with Tracey and the girls continue to live their lives, doing their best to survive and have fun at the same time. Also in the fray is neighbour Dorien Green, a snobbish, Jewish woman with an insatiable lust for men, something her husband Marcus knows nothing about.

That's about it. Each episode followed another turn in their lives, and nothing really spectacular happened. The one obvious problem the show had was the rather pedestrian writing. The jokes weren't all that funny at times, and some of the plots were either dull or ridiculous. The saving grace was it's three leading ladies, who knew their characters inside out, and played them confidently. Pauline Quirke was excellent as Sharon, Linda Robson ably played Tracey convincingly, and Lesley Joseph was delightful as man-eating Dorien. Although this show will never be remembered as a classic example of great British comedy, it was enjoyable and perfect for when you're in the mood for a good laugh. It wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but it was still pretty good. If easy-going comedy is your thing, then this is the show for you.