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No Commitments

UK radio drama


UK radio drama

FieldValue
show_nameNo Commitments
formatComedy drama
runtime30 minutes
countryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
languageEnglish
home_stationBBC Radio 4
starringRosemary Leach
Nicola Pagett
Angela Thorne
Celia Imrie
Josie Lawrence
Felicity Montagu
Lisa Coleman
Jonathan Coy
Bill Nighy
creatorSimon Brett
writerSimon Brett
producerPaul Schlesinger
Anne Jobson
Maria Esposito
Simon Brett
first_aired9 January 1992
last_aired16 May 2007
num_series13
num_episodes78
audio_formatStereophonic sound
website[BBC website](https://web.archive.org/web/20030210121027/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/commitments.shtml)

Nicola Pagett Angela Thorne Celia Imrie Josie Lawrence Felicity Montagu Lisa Coleman Jonathan Coy Bill Nighy Anne Jobson Maria Esposito Simon Brett

No Commitments is a radio drama written by Simon Brett, originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and now on BBC Radio 4 Extra. It ran for 13 series, from 1992 to 2007. The sitcom portrays the day-to-day lives of three very different sisters. All 13 series are now available as audiobooks.

Main characters

  • Anna is the eldest and most level-headed of the three sisters. Having cared for her father for some years, on his death she inherited the family home. Generally happy and contented with life, she suddenly finds herself free to put herself first for once, now she genuinely has No Commitments, despite her sisters' belief that she requires their assistance in managing her personal life. She works as receptionist to Eddie, a misogynistic dentist.
  • Victoria lives out her rôle as the middle class housewife in Beckenham, a London suburb. With her dull long-suffering financial director husband Roger, and their three children, Emily, Harriet and Benjy, she tries to maintain the family's social reputation, at all costs. Emily (who over time grows from a child to a new mother) finds her aunt Anna a more sympathetic confidante than her mother. Of the other children, Harriet features once and Benjy is not heard from at all in the series.
  • Charlotte is the youngest sister, and longs to be a famous actress. Lacking somewhat in both talent and self-awareness, she stumbles from one small acting rôle to the next, finally finding a small amount of success in a little-known television soap opera. She seems to progress through serial lovers at about the same rate, often with the expectation that the casting couch will lead to the bed, or vice versa. She has one daughter, Gisele, the result of a brief marriage to an Australian actor, who has more success in her parents' profession after a period working for charities in Africa. Like Benjy, Gisele is never heard from directly.

Cast and crew

Regular cast

  • Anna – Rosemary Leach
  • Victoria : Nicola Pagett (series 1–5) : Angela Thorne (series 6–13)
  • Charlotte : Celia Imrie (series 1, 3–8, 10, 12) : Josie Lawrence (series 2) : Felicity Montagu (series 9, 11, 13)
  • Roger : Stephen Moore (series 1) : Roger Lloyd-Pack (series 2) : Jonathan Coy (series 3, 4, 12, 13) : Bill Nighy (series 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
  • Eddie – James Greene
  • Delia (series 1) – Maxine Audley
  • Emily : Lisa Coleman (series 2–4, 6–13) : Natalie Walter (series 5)
  • Nick – Kieran Hill (series 10–13)

Production

  • Music – Elizabeth Parker of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
  • Producer :Paul Schlesinger (series 1, 2) :Anne Jobson (series 3, 4) :Maria Esposito (series 5, 6) :Simon Brett (series 10–13)

Episode list

SeriesEpisodeTitleFirst broadcastAdditional cast
11*Sisters Of Mercy*9 January 1992
2*Empty Vessels*16 January 1992Patrick – Andrew Wincott
3*A Nice Civilized Evening*23 January 1992Dr Fenton – Benjamin Whitrow, Melvyn – Ronald Herdman, The Two Hilarys – Mark Straker, Theresa Streatfeild
4*Cracks In The Varnish*30 January 1992Malcolm – Robert Bathurst, Dr Radford – Peter Penry-Jones, Georgio – Nicholas Murchie
5*Old Embers*6 February 1992Guy – David Swift, Wilson – Neil Roberts
6*A Complete Break*13 February 1992Patrick – Nicholas Murchie, Mrs Motson – Alison Reid
21*Frail Memorials*29 July 1993Judy – Theresa Gallagher, John Lassiter – Dominic Letts, Jeremy – Ronald Herdman
2*Bright Lights*5 August 1993Jeremy – Ronald Herdman, Georgio – Dominic Letts
3*The Big Break*12 August 1993Dan – Andrew Wincott, Terry – Theresa Gallagher
4*Bed And Breakfast*19 August 1993Lady Dunn – Jilly Mears, Gareth – William Osborne, Sir James – Philip Anthony
5*Affair Exchange*26 August 1993Tim – Simon Treves, Georgio – David Thorpe
6*Twice Bitten*2 September 1993Gordon – John Baddeley
31*Time Shift*24 November 1994Will – David Antrobus, Georgio – Michael Tudor-Barnes
2*Material Values*1 December 1994
3*Talking Shop*8 December 1994Lallie – Rachel Atkins
4*An Ill Wind*15 December 1994
5*Seasonal Adjustment*22 December 1994Tibor – Jonathan Keeble
6*A Man Who Cares*29 December 1994Pete – Derek Waring, Derek – Ian Masters
41*A Nip In The Air*24 July 1996Burton – Kim Wall
2*Educated Guesswork*31 July 1996
3*Faith, Hope And Very Little Charity*7 August 1996
4*One Gets Better*14 August 1996Harriet – Kelda Holmes
5*Not A Leg To Stand On*21 August 1996
6*Two At A Time*28 August 1996Martin – Geoffrey Whitehead, Jason – Joshua Towb
51*Family Business*9 July 1998
2*Who You Know*16 July 1998
3*Charity Begins At Home*23 July 1998Imelda – Buffy Davis, Des Kitchin – Dave Lamb
4*Surprise Surprise*30 July 1998
5*Running In The Family*6 August 1998Nigel – Jon Glover
6*Rallying Round*13 August 1998Stuart – Edward de Souza
61*Make My Day*14 July 1999Stuart – Edward de Souza, Rupert – Christian Rodska
2*Excess Baggage*21 July 1999Stuart – Edward de Souza, Claudia – Joanna Monro
3*Making It Better*28 July 1999Mark – Will Ing
4*Retiring Types*4 August 1999
5*Spreading Wings*11 August 1999the secretary – Jane Gibson, the waiter – Alan Cowan
6*Growing Away*18 August 1999
71*Supporting Parts*31 January 2001
2*A Family Lunch*7 February 2001
3*Soft Soap*14 February 2001
4*Reflected Glory*21 February 2001
5*The Wedding Party*28 February 2001
6*Soap Bubbles*7 March 2001
81*Fresh Starts*2 January 2002
2*New Age Differences*9 January 2002
3*My Turn Now*16 January 2002
4*Wanderlust*23 January 2002
5*Impossibly High Standards*30 January 2002
6*All Roads Lead To Rome*6 February 2002
91*Ill Of The Dead*1 January 2003Vincent - Bruce Alexander
2*Changing Lives*8 January 2003Peter - Colin Starkey
3*Imaginary Friends*15 January 2003Richard - Jason Done, Paula - Natalie Casey
4*Meeting The Family*22 January 2003Paula - Natalie Casey, Jonathan - Michael Jayston
5*Houseroom*29 January 2003Jonathan - Michael Jayston, Eddie - James Greene
6*Coming Clean*5 February 2003
101*The Real World*28 January 2004
2*Rules Of Engagement*4 February 2004Mrs Pinchbeck – Sheila Mitchell, the vicar – Richard Syms
3*Time With The Family*11 February 2004Brian – James Vaughan, Kathryn – Bridget McConnel
4*A Bride Too Far*18 February 2004
5*A Marriage Of Inconvenience*25 February 2004
6*The Ring Cycle*3 March 2004
111*Accentuate The Positive*19 January 2005
2*Foreign Affairs*26 January 2005
3*A Life More Ordinary*2 February 2005Derek – Roland Davies
4*Hard Times*9 February 2005Lydia Grucock – Richenda Carey, George – Bruce Alexander
5*Taking Chances*16 February 2005Melissa – Judy Flynn
6*Ill Winds*23 February 2005Melissa – Judy Flynn
121*Settling Down*26 April 2006French voice – Marianne Borgo
2*Darling Daughters*3 May 2006Jeff – Stephen Thorne
3*Misalliances*10 May 2006Paddy – Bill Wallace
4*Upstaging*17 May 2006Brian – James Vaughan, Kathryn – Bridget McConnel
5*Soft Soap*24 May 2006Jeff – Stephen Thorne, Mr Darnley – Colin Starkey, George – Bruce Alexander, Felicity Titterill – Susan Jameson
6*Game, Set And Match*31 May 2006French voice – Marianne Borgo
131*Age Differences*11 April 2007Max – Jon Glover
2*Old School*18 April 2007George – Bruce Alexander, Stranks, PW – Chris Emmett
3*Model Behaviour*25 April 2007George – Bruce Alexander, Felicity – Susan Jameson, Moira – Joanna Monro
4*A Voice from the Past*2 May 2007Brian – James Vaughan, Kathryn – Bridget McConnell, Patrick – Michael Simkins
5*Blue Rabbits*9 May 2007Patrick – Michael Simkins
6*New Beginnings*16 May 2007George – Bruce Alexander
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