"Lead Balloon" (2006) TV series 2006-2011

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Rick Spleen is a world-weary comedian who ends up doing far too many corporate jobs to pay the bills.

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Jack Dee	...	Rick Spleen (27 episodes, 2006-2011)
Raquel Cassidy	...	Mel (26 episodes, 2006-2011)
Sean Power	...	Marty (26 episodes, 2006-2011)
Anna Crilly	...	Magda (26 episodes, 2006-2011)
Antonia Campbell-Hughes	...	Sam (26 episodes, 2006-2011)
Rasmus Hardiker	...	Ben (26 episodes, 2006-2011)
Tony Gardner	...	Michael (26 episodes, 2006-2011)

Series Directed by
Alex Hardcastle		(27 episodes, 2006-2011)

Series Writing credits
Jack Dee		(20 episodes, 2006-2011)
Pete Sinclair		(20 episodes, 2006-2011)

Series Produced by
Alex Hardcastle	....	series producer / producer (27 episodes, 2006-2011)
Andrew Beint	....	executive producer (9 episodes, 2006-2011)
Addison Cresswell	....	executive producer (9 episodes, 2006-2011)
Jack Dee	....	associate producer (8 episodes, 2007-2011)
Pete Sinclair	....	associate producer (8 episodes, 2007-2011)
Liz Seymour	....	line producer (6 episodes, 2011)

Series Cinematography by
Simon Vickery		(13 episodes, 2008-2011)
Per Tingleff		(8 episodes, 2006-2008)

Series Film Editing by
Russell Beeden		(14 episodes, 2006-2008)
Mark Henson		(5 episodes, 2008-2011)
Simon Reglar		(5 episodes, 2008)
Liana Del Giudice		(3 episodes, 2011)

Series Casting by
Sarah Crowe		(19 episodes, 2006-2011)

Series Production Design by
Gordon Whistance		(9 episodes, 2006-2011)

Series Art Direction by
Chris Coldwell		(6 episodes, 2011)
Jessie Jowers		(3 episodes, 2006-2008)

Series Costume Design by
Rebecca Allen		(8 episodes, 2006-2011)

Series Makeup Department
Sarah Jane Hills	....	hair & make up design / hair designer / ... (9 episodes, 2006-2011)
Lulu Hall	....	makeup supervisor / hair stylist / ... (8 episodes, 2006-2008)
Ronnie Goddard	....	hair & make-up / hair & make up (6 episodes, 2011)
Jenni Spencer	....	hair & make up / hair & make-up (3 episodes, 2011)

Series Production Management
Liz Seymour	....	production manager (8 episodes, 2006-2008)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Hedges	....	first assistant director (7 episodes, 2007)
Stuart Jones	....	third assistant director (7 episodes, 2007)
Cecilia Testa	....	second assistant director (7 episodes, 2007)
Jim Imber	....	first assistant director (7 episodes, 2008)
Adam Jenkins	....	second assistant director (7 episodes, 2008)
Jude Campbell	....	first assistant director (6 episodes, 2006)
Josh Wilkins	....	second assistant director (6 episodes, 2006)
Andi Coldwell	....	first assistant director (6 episodes, 2011)
Penny Davies	....	second assistant director (6 episodes, 2011)
Hardey Speight	....	third assistant director / first assistant director (6 episodes, 2011)
Lucy Thomas	....	third assistant director (2 episodes, 2008)

Series Art Department
Steve Patterson	....	construction manager (7 episodes, 2008)
Gordon Whistance	....	set designer (6 episodes, 2006)
Simon Naylor	....	stand-by art director (6 episodes, 2011)
Mark Sindall	....	stand-by art director (3 episodes, 2011)

Series Sound Department
Michael Spencer	....	sound recordist / production sound mixer (16 episodes, 2006-2011)
Howard Bevan	....	boom operator / sound maintenance (13 episodes, 2008-2011)
Nick Fry	....	dubbing mixer (10 episodes, 2007-2011)
John Lewis Aschenbrenner	....	boom operator / location sound (9 episodes, 2006-2008)
Simon Bysshe	....	second boom operator (8 episodes, 2007-2008)
Cecilia Lanzi	....	second boom operator (6 episodes, 2006)
Matthew Hansell	....	boom operator (6 episodes, 2011)
Dave Zarpak	....	sound designer (6 episodes, 2011)
Jamie Gambell	....	boom operator (5 episodes, 2008)
James Benton	....	second boom operator: dailies (2 episodes, 2008)

Series Stunts
Marc Cass	....	stunt coordinator (1 episode, 2011)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Lowden	....	second assistant camera / clapper loader (20 episodes, 2007-2011)
Colin Elves	....	focus puller / steadicam operator (15 episodes, 2007-2008)
Simon Vickery	....	camera operator (10 episodes, 2006-2008)
Dan Starborg	....	camera & steadicam operator / camera operator / ... (9 episodes, 2006-2011)
Tim Allan	....	focus puller (6 episodes, 2011)
Tom Guy	....	electrician (6 episodes, 2011)
Shaun Mone	....	best boy (6 episodes, 2011)
Martin Taylor	....	lighting director (6 episodes, 2011)
Derrick Peters	....	focus puller (4 episodes, 2011)
Chris Dodds	....	focus puller: dailies (3 episodes, 2007-2008)
Pete Nash	....	grip (3 episodes, 2011)
Sophie Wilson	....	focus puller (3 episodes, 2011)
Alan Coates	....	electrician (2 episodes, 2006-2007)
Thomas English	....	steadicam operator (2 episodes, 2006)
Lee Parfitt	....	best boy / electrician (2 episodes, 2008)
Iwan Prys Reynolds	....	focus puller (2 episodes, 2011)

Series Casting Department
Cassandra King	....	casting assistant (6 episodes, 2006)
Ben Marks	....	casting assistant (6 episodes, 2011)
Sarah Crowe	....	casting (2 episodes, 2008-2011)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sarah Sheehan	....	wardrobe (6 episodes, 2011)

Series Editorial Department
Aidan Farrell	....	colorist (9 episodes, 2006-2011)
Jamie Shemeld	....	on-line editor (8 episodes, 2006-2011)

Series Other crew
Caroline Elliston	....	continuity / script supervisor (13 episodes, 2008-2011)
Debee Connors Aspell	....	production accountant (9 episodes, 2006-2011)
Penny De Groot	....	production accountant (8 episodes, 2006-2011)
Melissa Salt	....	production team (8 episodes, 2007-2011)
Emma Smalley	....	production coordinator / production team (8 episodes, 2007-2011)
Emma Mallett	....	production coordinator (8 episodes, 2007-2008)
Sharmila Kumar	....	production secretary (7 episodes, 2008)
Louie Cresswell	....	production team (6 episodes, 2011)
Adam Espley	....	production team (6 episodes, 2011)
Oliver Johnson	....	production team (6 episodes, 2011)
Jethro Pope	....	production team (6 episodes, 2011)
Tricia Canavan	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 2006-2007)

Production Companies

• Open Mike Productions

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2006) (UK) (TV)
• Comedy Central (2009) (Netherlands) (TV)

Other Companies

• Casting Collective  extras casting

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Australia:PG (some episodes) | Australia:M (some episodes)

Company:

Open Mike Productions

Quotes:

Rick Spleen:You know what Mel told me about Michael? She found out he used to work in the City, had a complete nervous breakdown, completely flipped out, had to give it up, wanted to do something else so he opened this place instead.
Marty:You Brits, you don't know how to do nervous breakdowns properly! In the States, you have a nervous breakdown, you don't open up a whole food restaurant. No, no, you become a bum. You live on the streets, you put all your stuff in a shopping cart, you pick food outta garbage cans.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Breakfast: Episode dated 14 June 2011" (2011)

Very watchable - although predictable and limp.

Rick Spleen (Jack Dee) is a married middle-income comedian but finds that life rarely goes right for him or makes him happy.

Jack Dee is a one note comedian whose one joke is to look cynically at life and all the strange customs it entails. So it is no surprise that this comedy sees him as a sourpuss comedian (although we don't see him perform on-stage) who doesn't like much about modern life and finds lots to complain about.

From the first few episodes the formula is clearly set in stone. Something small goes wrong and in an attempt to solve the problem Spleen makes things worse and worse. The old "drowning man" scenario - the more he thrashes the deeper down in to the water he goes.

A regular crew of characters come and go (usually after taking from him) although he has a nice show biz wife who (in the custom of sitcom) spouts the common-sense that, if followed, would prevent the show being made in the first place!

The problem is that this is one of those micro-joke comedies. There is nothing to laugh at, although you might grunt a few times and desperation of the script is often exposed. Would you want to hurt somebody just to save yourself some money (you'll have to watch the show to fully understand), only a horrible person would do that!

Like his offbeat comedian college - Rick Gervais - he is not really an actor, so he just stands there and delivers the line without stress or feeling. At times he sounds like a speak-your-weight machine.

He has a horrible daughter (Sam) who only appears to cadge money through emotional blackmail - who tags along the kind of boyfriend that you fear. Thankfully Spleen is too far up his own backside to know that he is being taken for a ride and the child always gets her prize.

Comedians are often not funny off-stage. Many times the product of a long hard struggle where money was tight and friends are spaced out. It is a loners profession. Spleen is just not that funny off-stage (is he any good on?) - indeed most of the good lines are actually spoken by others.

Jack Dee is a lucky comedian - he came along at a time when his cynical lines where lapped up by an equally cynical audience. Here he is just a fall guy for everyone and anything and not the sharp one-liner guy that would be much more magnetic and watchable.