"Star Stories" (2006) TV series 2006-????

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Genre:

Comedy

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Tom Basden	...	Steven Spielberg / ... (15 episodes, 2006-2008)
Kevin Bishop	...	Andrew Lloyd Webber / ... (15 episodes, 2006-2008)
Laura Patch	...	Baby Spice / ... (15 episodes, 2006-2008)
Harry Peacock	...	David Jason / ... (15 episodes, 2006-2008)
Alex Woodhall	...	Various / ... (15 episodes, 2006-2008)
Steve Edge	...	Boy George / ... (14 episodes, 2006-2008)
Tom Meeten	...	Chris Martin (14 episodes, 2006-2008)
Thaila Zucchi	...	Annie Lennox / ... (14 episodes, 2006-2008)
Daisy Beaumont	...	Angelina Jolie / ... (13 episodes, 2006-2008)
Dolly Wells	...	Gwyneth Paltrow / ... (12 episodes, 2006-2008)
Trevor Lock	...	Billy Bob Thornton / ... (11 episodes, 2006-2008)
Rhys Thomas	...	Andrew Ridgeley / ... (10 episodes, 2006-2007)
Fergus Craig	...	Nigel Martin-Smith (9 episodes, 2007-2008)
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith	...	Kofi Annan (8 episodes, 2006-2008)
Rosalyn Wright	...	Naomi Campbell / ... (7 episodes, 2006-2008)
Simon Greenall	...	Narrator (7 episodes, 2006-2008)
Oliver Maltman	...	David Beckham / ... (7 episodes, 2006-2007)

Runtime:

UK:30 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Australia:MA

Company:

Objective Productions

More 80's Movie Referenced Satire Than A 'Plethora of Piñatas'

The episode of Star Stories, featuring the rise of actor Tom Cruise, was without a doubt the best example from the second series and what it has to offer in both terms of comedy and writing, so far. Both 'in your face' laugh out loud characters and many 'subtle' homages and references are thrown into the mix for all those cinefile geeks like myself. Like Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's excellent comedy series 'Spaced', the cinematic references come at you in this episode fast with near perfect comedic homage's. To use just one scene as an example of this and one that had me crying with laughter was Tom, in full charismatic shyster T.J. 'Magnolia' Mackey mode, (there's irony using that 'character' somewhere in there too!) performing, too Ms Cruz a sort of 'Idiot's Guide to Scientology' while the Carpenters too try their attempt at 'Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft' from the excellent accompanying soundtrack. Quite brilliant. But again, as with Spaced and the irony and movie references galore, viewers who are not familiar with the cinema satire on offer here seem to have found this episode, below par with other more mainstream spoofs like the Take That episode. The excellent Don Simpson parody is a perfect example of just how much the creative writing of this episode is pure comedy genius. In short, it's not just the superb writing of this series that makes this such a fine example of British comedy; I have to mention that nothing can be taken away from the brilliance of the entire cast so far in every episode I have seen.

"Yea I'm dead inside! Giving myself up to meaning was pleasure... that's why I'm doing Sudoku!!!" -Tom Cruise (Kevin Bishop)