Girls on Top (British TV series)

Girls on Top is a British sitcom, broadcast on ITV in 1985 and 1986, and made by Allan McKeown's WitzEnd Productions for the ITV contractor Central Independent Television. It starred Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ruby Wax and Tracey Ullman with Joan Greenwood. It was written by French, Saunders, and Wax, with additional material for two episodes written by Ullman.

Girls on Top
Clockwise from left: Amanda Ripley (Dawn French), Candice Valentine (Tracey Ullman), Jennifer Marsh (Jennifer Saunders), Shelley DuPont (Ruby Wax), Lady Chloe Carlton (Joan Greenwood).
Created by	Dawn French Jennifer Saunders Ruby Wax
Written by	Dawn French Jennifer Saunders Ruby Wax
Directed by	Paul Jackson (series 1) Ed Bye (series 2)
Starring	Dawn French Joan Greenwood Jennifer Saunders Tracey Ullman Ruby Wax
Composer	Difford and Tilbrook
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	13
Production
Executive producer	Allan McKeown
Producers	Paul Jackson Trevor Walton (series 1)
Running time	30 minutes (including adverts)
Production company	WitzEnd for Central
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	23 October 1985 (1985-10-23) – 11 December 1986 (1986-12-11)

The show focused on four female flatmates and their landlady. It was a female version of The Young Ones, two series of which were made in 1982 and 1984. French and Saunders had both appeared in The Young Ones and, like most of its stars, were members of The Comic Strip.

Synopsis

The first episode had a woman in her early 20s named Amanda struggling to find a flat and managing to procure one (that she cannot afford) from Lady Carlton. The previous resident, Candice, convinces Amanda to let her stay temporarily as she has nowhere else to go. Then, Jennifer, Amanda's childhood friend, arrives unexpectedly. Eventually, Amanda allows the obnoxious Shelley to move in, splitting the rent with her, as she is the only one who can afford it, thanks to her wealthy family.

Episodes often centred on Shelley ordering the others around because they relied on her to get the rent paid; early episodes often incorporated Candice's latest invented illness, or any other reason to not pay the rent.

Cast and characters

• Amanda Ripley (Dawn French): A strait-laced feminist, socialist, and anarchist, and the central character around whom the series is based. Amanda is generally the most level-headed of the group, but tries to hide her fascination with men and the Royal family to comedic effect, with her hiding copies of Playgirl magazine becoming a running gag in the second series. She works at a feminist magazine titled Spare Cheeks.
• Jennifer Marsh (Jennifer Saunders): A mousy and childlike woman who was Amanda's childhood friend and serves as the whipping post for everyone else. In the first series, she is implied to be intellectually disabled. In the second series, she seems more intelligent, even briefly working as a stockbroker, but no less naïve. Saunders described Jennifer Marsh as "basically a moronic version of myself when I was twelve." She later credited Wax and Ullman with teaching her "how to write funny" and "how to act funny", respectively.
• Shelley DuPont (Ruby Wax): A struggling actress and the stereotype of a gaudily dressed, rude, loud-mouthed American. The other women only tolerate her and let her live with them due to her hefty trust fund and her agreement to pay the majority of the rent.
• Candice Valentine (Tracey Ullman): A promiscuous, lazy, manipulative gold-digger. Ullman left after the first series due to her first pregnancy; as a result, the character is written out in the first episode of the second series.
• Lady Chloe Carlton (Joan Greenwood): An eccentric elderly romance novelist and the women's landlady. In the first series, she has a taxidermied dog named Josephine, which she believes to be alive.

Guest and recurring stars included:

• Helen Atkinson-Wood as Jane, a worker in a leasing agency ("Four-Play")
• Mark Arden and Stephen Frost as dancers at a club ("C.O.D.")
• Suzanne Bertish, Angela Pleasence, and Harriet Walter as RSC actors ("Mr Yummie Brownie")
• The Beverley Sisters as themselves ("Bring Me More Flamingoes")
• Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron as Shelley's backing band ("Cancel Toast")
• Robbie Coltrane as Morris and Paul Brooke as Lawrence, two kidnappers ("C.O.D.")
• Harry Enfield as Dr. Banks, Candice's doctor ("Mr Fluffy Knows Too Much")
• Katherine Helmond as Goldie DuPont, Shelley's mother ("Mr Yummie Brownie")
• Hugh Laurie as Tom, Amanda's crush ("Big Snogs")
• Helen Lederer as Debbie, a worker in a leasing agency ("Four-Play"), and Felicity, one of Amanda's co-workers ("Big Snogs", "Bring Me More Flamingoes")
• Pauline Melville as Yvonne, Amanda's boss ("Skankin'", "Big Snogs", "Bring Me More Flamingoes")
• Geraldine McNulty as Tina, a friend of Candice's ("Staying Alive" and "Ident: Candy Time")
• Pauline Quirke as Jennifer's supervisor ("Who's Ya Uncle Shelley?")
• Alan Rickman as Dmitri, Candice's boyfriend ("Four-Play"), and the voice of RADA ("Cancel Toast")
• John Sessions as Rodney, a stockbroker ("Who's Ya Uncle Shelley?")
• Arthur Smith as a delivery man ("Lower the Donkey")
• Harriet Thorpe as Chris, another of Amanda's co-workers ("Cancel Toast", "Big Snogs")

Many of the guest stars were fellow members of the Royal Shakespeare Company enlisted by Wax. Wax wanted to write a guest part for Ian McKellen, but it never happened.

Music

The theme tune, like the series' score, was written and performed by Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford of the band Squeeze. Originally, the opening theme was sung by the cast (minus Greenwood). Three episodes of series one added an introductory verse sung by Ullman over the end credits. From the second episode of the second series, the opening theme was instead sung by Tilbrook.

Episodes

The transmission dates reflect those in the London ITV region. The first series aired on Wednesdays at 8:30pm, while the second series aired on Thursdays at 9pm.

Series 1 (1985)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Original air date
1	1	"Four-Play"	23 October 1985 (1985-10-23)
Lady Carlton evicts Candice, incorrectly believing her to be a sex worker. Amanda takes the apartment, but is forced to split the rent with Shelley, while Jennifer and Candice end up as freeloaders.
2	2	"Staying Alive"	30 October 1985 (1985-10-30)
In an attempt to get on Shelley's good side and avoid being thrown out, Candice gets her in contact with a film director - but the film turns out to be a porno.
3	3	"C.O.D."	6 November 1985 (1985-11-06)
Tired of Jennifer always being around to interrupt her lovemaking, Candice gets her out to a dance club, where she's kidnapped. Guest stars: Mark Arden, Paul Brooke, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Frost
4	4	"Cancel Toast"	13 November 1985 (1985-11-13)
Shelley auditions for RADA, but rather than performing a Shakespearean speech (with Jennifer's assistance), they want her to improv as a fried egg.
5	5	"Ident: Candy Time"	20 November 1985 (1985-11-20)
The girls follow Candice, concerned she could be a prostitute. Candice, in turn, tries to convince them that she is dating Prince Andrew.
6	6	"Skankin'"	27 November 1985 (1985-11-27)
Amanda is determined to discover and befriend a Black reggae band for the magazine's cultural festival.
7	7	"Hark"	4 December 1985 (1985-12-04)
Lady Carlton's taxidermied dog, Josephine, is stolen when Jennifer takes her for a walk. As a result, the girls plot to convince Lady Carlton that Josephine has ascended to Heaven. Note: This was the final on-screen appearance of Tracey Ullman as Candice Valentine.

Series 2 (1986)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Original air date
8	1	"Mr Fluffy Knows Too Much"	30 October 1986 (1986-10-30)
Candice leaves the others a note saying that she's in hospital; upon discovering that she's died, the three fear she was killed by one of their pranks and try to cover up the "murder". Guest star: Harry Enfield Note: This was the final voice appearance of Tracey Ullman as Candice Valentine.
9	2	"Big Snogs"	6 November 1986 (1986-11-06)
Amanda falls head over heels in love with Tom, an electrician who gives a presentation for the Spare Cheeks staff in his sister's absence. Guest star: Hugh Laurie
10	3	"Who's Ya Uncle Shelley?"	20 November 1986 (1986-11-20)
Jennifer takes a cleaning job at a stock exchange firm to pay for Amanda's office supplies, and is discovered to have a hidden talent for trading. Guest stars: Pauline Quirke, John Sessions Note: Joan Greenwood does not appear as Lady Carlton.
11	4	"Bring Me More Flamingoes"	27 November 1986 (1986-11-27)
Shelley kicks Amanda and Jennifer out of the flat during her monthly redecoration craze, then plans a party to become best friends with a range of British celebrities. Guest stars: The Beverley Sisters
12	5	"Mr Yummie Brownie"	4 December 1986 (1986-12-04)
Shelley's mother arrives in England to learn Shelley is not playing Ophelia at the London Palladium, but a singing tadpole in a play for schoolchildren. Meanwhile, Amanda enlists Jennifer and Lady Carlton's help in preparing a presentation on "understanding your own toilet parts". Guest star: Katherine Helmond
13	6	"Lower the Donkey"	11 December 1986 (1986-12-11)
Amanda builds a nuclear fallout shelter in the apartment, while Lady Carlton misunderstands how to use the new appliances in her newly remodeled kitchen.

Home media

Country	Title	Release date	Label	Contents	DVD format
United States	Girls on Top: Set One or Girls on Top: Four-Play	2003	BFS Entertainment	Four-Play Staying Alive Ident: Candy Time Hark Who's Ya Uncle Shelley? Lower the Donkey C.O.D.	NTSC
United States	Girls on Top: Set Two or Girls on Top: Big Snogs	2003	BFS Entertainment	Cancel Toast Skankin' Mr Fluffy Knows Too Much Big Snogs Bring Me More Flamingoes Mr Yummie Brownie	NTSC
United Kingdom	Girls on Top – The Complete Series	2007	Network	All episodes Special features: 1984 Tracey Ullman interview, 1988 Ruby Wax interview	Region 2 (PAL)
Australia	Girls on Top: Complete Series 1 and 2	2007	Time Life	All episodes	Region free (PAL)

External links

• British Film Institute Screen Online
• Girls On Top at IMDb