Fear of Fanny (TV 2006)

The bizarre tale of Fanny Cradock, Britain's famous and maligned TV chef from 50s to the 70s.

Director:

Coky Giedroyc

Writer:

Brian Fillis

Stars:

Julia Davis, Mark Gatiss, Jason Watkins

7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julia Davis	...	Fanny Cradock
Mark Gatiss	...	Johnnie Cradock
Jason Watkins	...	Derek
Steven O'Neill	...	Simon
Phil Nice	...	Technician
Jordan Long	...	Gas Fitter
Paul Chahidi	...	Director
Simon Greenall	...	TV Executive
Jim Field Smith	...	Floor Manager
Clare Wille	...	TV Executive's Wife
Nicholas Burns	...	Christopher
Claudie Blakley	...	Nicky
Hayley Atwell	...	Jane
Tom Goodman-Hill	...	Dan Farson
Nathan Shomer	...	Julian

Storyline

In the black and white days of post-war British television, Fanny Cradock, with her painted-on eyebrows and excessive make-up, is a colourful figure in every sense, even dyeing the food to make it show up on monochrome sets. But she is also something of a tyrant, disowning her son Chris because she disapproves of his wife, so that even her long-suffering husband and co-presenter Johnnie is powerless to intervene. Fanny's come-uppance comes about when she belittles a competition winner over her choice of menu in a television reality show. Audience disgust at Fanny's over-bearing treatment of Devon housewife Gwen provokes such a backlash that the television company sacks her. After Johnnie's death, she ends up as a resident, still trying to order the cooking, in a retirement home.

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Plot Keywords:

television | celebrity chef | celebrity | based on true story

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC Four [uk]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 2006 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Features Parkinson (1971)

User Reviews

dull, dull, dull

As a piece of drama this offered absolutely nothing in terms of interest or entertainment. Actors all did a fairly solid job but the script and the narrative where derivative, unexciting and dull. Let's face it, the public perception of Craddock was what made her interesting, the reality was that she was just a ghastly old drag queen who really isn't worth the time this film invests in her.

To add to this because I have to write at least ten lines of waffle, her cooking was pretty gruesome too. It was the stench of the upper middle classes offering advice to the great unwashed that was the Craddock-style (and the BBC at the time) and an hour and a half remembrance of a thoroughly dislikable and untalented Daily Telegraph writer is a total waste of British taxpayers money. ( Paid for by the licence fee which of course is a flat tax on all British households). The BBC should find better things to waste our money on.