TV To Go pilot (Bill Bailey, Sean Lock, Martin Freeman, 2000)

Sketch show pilot about the annoyances of modern life, first broadcast Tuesday 4th July 2000 at 10:50pm on BBC One.
Writers include Bill Bailey, Sean Lock, David Mitchell, Robert Webb and Tony Roche.

[@saldunn2292]

Damn shame this was never made into a series, very enjoyable, brilliant cast.

[@dont.hang.around]

It was! Bill Bailey, Sean Lock and Martin Freeman didn't return, but Mackenzie Crook joined the cast. I saw some of it on original broadcast and remember almost nothing except that I think Hugh Dennis played a 'House Husband' who enjoyed arranging flowers in a 4-4-3 formation.

[@BinaryJoe]

@@dont.hang.around Yeah, IMDB says it ran for 2 series or years...whichever comes first in the UK. 😄

[@tynebar]

It's terrible.

[@covrtdesign5279]

Man, Hugh was a beast with acting. Really like his character in this. Could you imagine being the exec's who said no to this and then seeing who comedic legends that so many of these actors and actresses turned into.

[@waitingforanalibi2224]

Love My Family. Sums mine up to a tea and he is deffo me!

[@waitingforanalibi2224]

Im soooo sorry, I meant outnumbered.🤣. Though tbh, both ring true!

[@EubulusKane3259]

Fascinating to see documentary footage of Sean and Bill’s holidays…

[@paulrumney2983]

What a cast thanks for posting.

[@mirolubos]

sean lock and bill are like ultimate uncles. always wrong but always right.

[@BinaryJoe]

This show is great. How a show with such an all-star cast slipped past me, I don't know.I Seeing Pauline is great, Hugh is actually funny, and the Bill and Sean bits are perfection. Good stuff.

[@yzolakitchi]

Likewise. Never heard of it, can't believe this wasn't on my radar. Loved Absolutely, Smack The Pony and Naked Video, but this one is a whole new deal. Agree about Bill and Sean - comedy perfection. 😍

[@connorhalliday6542]

How the fuck did this not get aired for a series

[@ThomasCorfield]

I've never seen Mrs Doyle in anything else before. And I love the way Sean just plays himself as though he doesn't really give a shit.

[@stephennicolay1940]

Ah go on, go on, go on, go on, go on

[@ThomasCorfield]

😂"Will you not have a cup anyway?"@@stephennicolay1940

[@sexymuthafunka8240]

Then Shameless Series 7 Episode 7 will blow your mind. Mrs Doyle fully nude being bounced about on the end of David Threlfall 😂

[@chrishughes3405]

Lucky git not having had to watch eastenders because you would've seen her there. Ah go on.

[@jamesedmonds7519]

She was in Shameless.

[@SineN0mine3]

8:55 Mrs Doyle finally gets someone else to bring the tea

[@RamblerMan68]

Im American that lived in the UK for a few years and I can say this is a "Dream Team" of a cast...so sad that it didnt catch on, its brilliant!

[@NoxiousRob]

So this series was not commissioned and instead we get guff like Mrs Brown's Boys.

[@curiositypiqued6573]

Mrs brown is basically the tv version of comfort food....ppl love it just like sugar/junk food that they know they shouldn't but its a guilt of pleasure...and perhaps it reminds them of their own feisty nanas lol Besides this ain't that funny either

[@royksk]

It’s downright bloody criminal that this wasn’t taken up by whomever. A brilliant show in the offing 🤪

[@Dave_Crewe]

Thank you so much for this! I remember seeing this broadcast. The Bill Bailey/Sean Lock holiday bartender scene stayed with me, but I could never find it again. For some reason I thought it was called 'The Sketch Show'. Which is on reflection probably why I couldn't find it.

[@JK_Clark]

Funny, smart, and performed brilliantly. Loved it.

[@That_Revenant_Guy]

This should've been bigger. Nothing wrong with this.

[@gillymccyber1927]

Agreed, great gags

[@BenjaminGoose]

"Nothing wrong with this." isn't really a good argument to keep a show on when there are many competing shows vying for broadcasting.

[@bradleybarnett9545]

​@@BenjaminGooseDon't understand understatement much¿

[@tolfan4438]

I am watching this show for the first time. Never heard of it before now. WOW this is a good show

[@suzieb8366]

This could have been awesome! Thanks for uploading this pilot, great fun to watch. Bloopers from it would have been brilliant...the cast are top notch.

[@DavidXNewton]

I remember seeing this when it aired! I’ve always remembered the sketch with the daughter separating the parents when they came to stay, because my wife and I were going through that with my parents :) Thanks for uploading it, I had no idea what it was called

[@imaner76]

Comedy never dies. Just the comedians.

[@pawelkaras7231]

But they live on a little bit longer every time they make us laugh. Sean Lock is immortal and I'll be laughing at his jokes until the day I die.

[@imaner76]

@@pawelkaras7231 100%

[@TheRealHambone]

Thank you for sharing this

[@angelafoxmusic7265]

Marvellous! Thankyou!

[@bennylush]

Reminds me of Big train, snack the pony the 90s early 00s had some great sketch shows

[@andybyron1]

Hilarious. I love Sean and Bill. The Bartender is brilliant. MORE Daddy MORE🤣🤣🤣

[@vjc2270]

OMG - the i-Mac! I was desperate for one of those. 😂 A coloured computer - with a round mouse! Truly it was a miracle of our times. ❤😂😂😂

[@MrTimdriver]

Excellent.

[@Konpeitoh]

They all look so young Sean looks like he's been dipped in lotion and Bill hasn't had crack yet

[@xShibboleth]

Hard to believe that pilot was made eleven years after Martin Freeman starred in Driving Miss Daisy. Incredible versatility.

[@justinbelshe]

The mind reels...

[@Pagliacci_Rex]

This would be funny if they actually had the same name or were pronounced the same.

[@kimhewer1479]

Love Sean and Bill at the bar 😅

[@thinkfloyd2594]

You should put Hugh Dennis' name up there!

[@deanatkins9576]

And the go on go on go on Irish bird

[@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549]

Up where?

[@kimhewer1479]

And Debra Stevenson Pauline mclynn x

[@xaraxania]

i love all of these actors, especially Martin and Bill

[@veganissimo8688]

Hugh not getting a mention in the title is a travesty.

[@samohara-childs8463]

Good work

[@idaslapter5987]

wow! so great. thanks for posting. who knew this existed?!?

[@warkatwargaming2358]

Bill Bailey hasn't aged in 23 years?

[@MatthewXLY]

He's always looked like a hobbit.

[@ajorngjdonaydbr]

​@@MatthewXLYhe prefers to be a troll living under a bridge

[@Nymaz]

When Bill Bailey turned Bill Bailey on his Bill Baileyday, he stopped Bill Baileying and stayed Bill Bailey from them on.

[@QIKUGAMES-QIKU]

Orcs trolls and Hobbits age much slower than Humans ❤😂

[@QIKUGAMES-QIKU]

​@@NymazYour frikkin Bill Bailying me 😮

[@westgoten]

Brilliant! Good to see that Mrs Doyle made it off Craggy Island as well. 24:29 Go on! :D

[@DogOfKrondor]

Love the fridge magnet sketch, the cat flying towards the fridge shouldn't be that funny but 🤣🤣🤣 This would have been a great show.

[@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549]

All the energy of a rat, trapped in a can. Imagine that!

[@daniellamcgee4251]

Weird how so many people assume that because this is a pilot the series wasn't picked up. 🤔

[@stuartedworthy5111]

Not really, because those people know that if it had been picked up, they would have heard of it and watched it over the past 23 years.

[@daniellamcgee4251]

@@stuartedworthy5111 But it was picked up - for 2 series. Just a bit of a change with some cast members.

[@andrewgrant6516]

Martin Freeman makes great movies, but it's a loss to sketch shows that he's moved on. He was great in this.

[@jedfra9172]

He is a fantastic actor and that shows even in comedy sketches.

[@blackcorp0001]

Just watched the Fargo Netflix series , Martin Freeman is very good

[@DaleHodgkins0n]

​@@blackcorp0001. I can't find Fargo on Netflix.... which country has it, if you don't mind me asking? I saw one episode somewhere and thought it was brilliant - love to see the rest. 😊

[@Lighting_Desk]

Thats was pretty good that was. Especially being made so long agi!

[@FryJones]

I like the south Asian kid playing a Central American resort bartender

[@simonwilton3546]

@fryJones-didnt he appear in “Flowers” more recently?

[@famouschappi]

Emigration!

[@FryJones]

@@simonwilton3546 haha not sure if that's him or not but that show was so great. Fuckin Julian Barrett. Legend

[@herbieshine1312]

I'd need the 11tog! There were some jokes in this but a little thin in places. I never saw this and had no knowledge of the series! Thanks for uploading

[@GioMarron]

What an incredible writing team and cast Did this ever make it to air? I don’t remember it and would have loved this. Oftentimes there’s a show that looked incredible but, for a variety of reasons, didn’t sit here in Scotland - more often than not as a Scottish show was being shown. Something like Gary: Tank Commander or Chewin The Fat from this era

[@breakingbells]

Hi, it did make it as I remember it being on, however the casting changed, with Mackenzie Crook now in. Bill Bailey, Martin Freeman, Sean Lock etc left after the pilot so the quality dipped quite a lot. I think it deserved its only series

[@ducomaritiem7160]

Soo bloody good this, had a good laugh here. Shame the picture quality was so low.

[@jerbear7952]

Hugh is criminally under utilized

[@QIKUGAMES-QIKU]

Are there any more of these episodes 🤔??? ❤

[@TheBatmansbrother]

Wow, what a cast and David Mitchell and Robert Webb were writers on it.

[@robertcreighton4635]

Never heard of this before. I enjoyed it I'll hunt down more episides

[@robertcreighton4635]

@@seancomrie4714 I see thanks 😊

[@radar1974]

I really assume Bill and Sean’s segments were mainly ad-libbed because they were close friends in real life. RIP Sean and I really enjoyed this, thanks for posting

[@troubledspirit3328]

I couldnt do this at the time because id been scarred by The Young Ones but I now appreciate this as audio/visual evolution, or devolution. Funny as heck though

[@John-Dennehy]

As a former resident of Reigate, the church scene is very accurate 😂

[@margaretgaskin4928]

Those Apple Macs!

[@davidweir3641]

Wow, top drawer writers and performers, yet didn't get green lit. Sean and Bill in a different class to rest. By far the funniest parts, but no actual punch lines

[@bobob4477]

This is like, the dream team.

[@callumodey4532]

when bill bailey almost had hair

[@simonwilton3546]

The actor Kevin Eldon not featured here, otherwise superb.

[@mohammedomar4652]

brillliant

[@willhunt6897]

Too hit and miss to have been fully commissioned but still some decent ideas in there. Incredible cast!!

[@JoelGalilee]

Was the intro by Bill Wurtz?

[@BriansBrain]

13:39 appears to be the same place Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant filmed 'The Office'.

[@nyemartin5737]

Sean Lock and Bill Bailey in Spain 😂

[@ricardoroberto7054]

Go on, go on, go on

[@milosterwheeler2520]

Too bad this wasn't recorded in front of a live audience and given a dozen episodes to find its rhythm. It might have matured into something special.

[@victoryoneable]

The laugh track ruins it for me.

[@TequilaToothpick]

​@@victoryoneableWhat's wrong with the audience laughter?

[@victoryoneable]

@@TequilaToothpick I think it's the way it's edited. It seems a bit too loud, sudden and unnatural for me, I find it distracting instead of reinforcing the humour.

[@andrewlamont3053]

the biggest drawback in my eyes is the laughtracking. I suppose it was the time, but tension & release FFS.

[@TheBrandonGrose]

Especially when it’s louder than the actor’s dialogue. That first skit completely washed out the guy in the back

[@steveeverett7844]

Where can i find additional episodes? There were 2 seasons

[@victoriawalley8483]

🤩

[@DaddyMorphosis]

What a find! Thanks for uploading. Pauline McLynn!

[@joanne4758]

Goodness I love Brit humour. What a lineup.

[@cabbageplays6710]

I would have watched that if it was made into a series, just another thing i wont get to see

[@samkeen]

Lol poor old you

[@daniellamcgee4251]

It was, apparently. But no Bill, Sean or Martin. MacKenzie Crook instead.

[@cabbageplays6710]

@@daniellamcgee4251 no wonder I didn't watch it then. Love Hugh Dennis as well. Seriously underated comedy actor.

[@countingdrums4967]

Never seen this before 🤩 You've missed Pauline McLynn from the title credits! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Especially as she's in most of the clips.

[@RupertDavison]

Anyone have episodes of the rest of the series of TV To Go? Can't find them anywhere!

[@davidblackwell614]

Ahead of its time

[@bobob4477]

Oh god I worked in insurance for years I understood that whole conversation and would actually get into it. Not sure about Bill having it insured at his parent's place..

[@MARTMART-vm4lc]

Does anyone know who did the theme tune? 🤔

[@AstonishingSodApe]

Do you have the remaining episodes?

[@Red-Balloon-Girl]

That is better than most of the stuff on now!! When you think about the utter poo that’s been made into series 😩

[@simonhughes6942]

Bit fast show format 😘

[@Pagliacci_Rex]

There was another failed skit show called Bruiser that had Martin Freeman, David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Olivia Coleman, Matthew Holness, and Charlotte Hudson. All alumni and members of the Cambridge Footlights. Seems like group sketch shows are a hard sell in the UK since Python set such a high bar.

[@airwave6610]

Did Bill Wurtz make the opening titles?

[@Kinematographer]

its like the fast show..but slow..or Jam but just the jar, or Big train except its derailed.

[@Magicalfluidprocess]

Why the laughter track

[@PhilipKerry]

The housekeeper from Father Ted when she was young .....

[@aidanm5578]

Never thought of r-ping a robber. Who are they gonna tell?

[@stephenrichards3567]

This is wonderful, shame no more!

[@tomasantl3164]

Briliant testament to british comedy and absurd jokes as began with Monty Pythons.

[@ironjohn5107]

The Goons went there long before Python

[@daniellamcgee4251]

​​@@ironjohn5107Thank you. 🫡 Have a gorilla.

[@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549]

An American referencing Monty python, how rare

[@jerbear7952]

Python had many great shoulders to stand on.

[@frankbrodie5168]

The Hugh driving instructor bit about "straight across the roundabout.." took me back to a comical incident with my mum many years ago. I'm not a driving instructor. And my mum was an ex taxi driver in her 60's by then. But I was banned for a DUI for 12 months so she would drive me to a country pub once a week to keep me amused. I'd buy her a posh coffee + lunch etc. Well one week she was a bit peed off because I asked her to drive me to a country pub I knew in the outskirts of Barnsley. (Darfield fwiw.) She was bombing along driving angry, never a good idea. We approached a small junction with one of those pretend roundabouts that are just a circle of raised tarmac in the middle. Made to just slow the flow of traffic. (they didn't reckon on my mum in a bad mood..) She asked me which way to go at the roundabout. And I, foolishly as it transpired said "straight over the roundabout.." Well.. As the car sailed a foot into the air and we crashed back to earth on the other side of the roundabout I just looked at her, and she looked back and said that she genuinely hadn't meant to do that in any way. She had just switched her brain off due to being a bit peed off with me. Top fun actually. And definitely not the daftest thing either of us ever did whilst driving.

[@ajivins1]

I vaguely remember this but Mina Anwar and MacKenzie Crook were in it with no Bill Bailey or Sean Lock.

[@samuelgarrod8327]

Hahaaaaa. Seriously though I love the Hugh Dennis driving instructor bit.

[@tdiron5277]

The English have a sense of humor that should not be ignored , they should be studied .

[@jerbear7952]

They aren't being studied? What would you call all of the people who watch them.

[@PostPatriot1978]

They just be costco loss agents. 😂

[@heeeeeresrossy]

Not great. But Debra Stephenson is at least always easy on the eye 😍

[@anthonyclark8564]

That's better than 95 percent of the rubbish comedythat's on TV now...and it didn't make it?? Madness.

[@stevekoolie1977]

Television is. Over due for another sketch comedy

[@warrenduff1611]

"I killed my own mother"

[@kevinw712]

they were adding a laugh track to a show that's shot in the single camera format as late as 2000 still? seems like a rather outdated practice

[@callumodey4532]

nice...thankyou for posting...however I agree I dont think it's funny enough to have been made into a series despite the cast...maybe they needed frankie boyle and Dylan Moran in the script room

[@Boatperson]

Thoroughly enjoyed! What a waste!

[@ElGordo1959]

23:35 prescient support for Ukraine way back then...

[@johnmc3862]

And Mrs.Doyle from Father Ted!

[@leejohnson3209]

Material is hit and miss, but the laugh track takes you right out of it. A lot of the jokes would have benefited from a less enthusiastic laugh.

[@simplesimonhadapie]

They didn't know how to deal with this kind of comedy until a few years later

[@samuelgarrod8327]

I'd say it's in the realm of Smack the pony/ Big train. Very much of its time.

[@CedrickTudge]

Canned laughter has ruined so much English comedy

[@evansevansevans1]

Hit and miss? Not a single hit. This is very bad.

[@siggia]

I’ve heard Stephen Fry say they don’t use laugh tracks in the UK?

[@famouschappi]

French polish😂