2point4 children
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2point4 children was a British sitcom that ran on BBC1 from 1991 to 1999.
The title refers to the "average" size of a UK family, although Andrew Marshall, the writer, has indicated that Ben could be considered almost another child, hence "point four". Belinda Lang played long-suffering wife and mother, "Bill" Porter, and Gary Olsen played her husband, Ben, a plumber. Their children were Jenny (played by Georgina Cates - under the name 'Clare Woodgate' - in the first two seasons, subsequently by Clare Buckfield) and David (played by John Pickard).
Other main characters were their nymphomaniac neighbour, Rhona (Julia Hills), who worked alongside Bill in a variety of catering jobs, and Ben's bad-tempered female apprentice, Christine (Kim Benson), who was introduced in the second series. Sandra Dickinson occasionally appeared as Ben's snobbish sister, Tina, and Liz Smith as Bill's mother, Bette, and Rhona's Aunt Belle.
The show frequently featured surreal scenarios, usually played for humour, but sometimes extremely creepy. An example of the former is the episode "Seven Dials", in which Ben's archenemy, a science fiction fan plumber called Jake the Klingon (Roger Lloyd-Pack), trapped Ben in Portmeirion in a parody of The Prisoner. The latter is exemplified by an ongoing first series subplot involving a mysterious biker whom Bill kept encountering, and who seemed to be her guardian angel.
Even when not being surreal the show often went in unexpected directions. In the penultimate episode of Season 4 the Porters' house burnt down, and the season closer showed them dealing with the consequences. More controversially, in the series 5 episode "We'd Like To Know A Little More About You For Our Files", it was strongly implied David was having a relationship with his drama teacher, although this was never referenced again.
In Season 7 Jenny left for university, and the Porters fostered a homeless boy named Declan. Jenny made a single guest appearance in Season 8.
The series was still popular in reruns when one of the stars, Gary Olsen, died of cancer in 2000.
Critical reaction to the early episodes was generally lukewarm, with some critics comparing it unfavourably to Roseanne, although the later series generally received better notices. Few critics made the connection between Marshall and former writing partner David Renwick, whose sitcom One Foot in the Grave featured a similar variety of domestic surrealism.
The series began to appear on Region 2 DVDs in 2004.
External links
- British Sitcom Guide (http://www.sitcom.co.uk/24_children/)
- Phill.co.uk Comedy Guide (http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/children/)
- BBC Comedy Guide (http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/other/2point4childre_7776570.shtml)
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