Fake Wikipedia pages for made-up sitcoms - Members of the Public

Members of the Public is a British comedy produced by BBC TV, set around a local neighbourhood watch group. It ran from 4 April 2001 to 2 November 2005 on BBC1 and was written by Gus Bradshaw. The idea for the series was inspired by the song Members of the Public by local folk group Angelic Catwomen. The song was eventually used as the theme tune for the series. 

Set in the fictional town of Sherrybury, the show is set mainly in the Leg of Lamb pub where the neighbourhood watch group meets.  

The BBC management initially resisted the casting of Peter Buckley Hill as the Sleeper for the pilot episode, but were persuaded that he had no lines and spent the episode asleep. Thus cast, the Sleeper became a main character, appearing (and speaking in) every subsequent episode.  

Both series were nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Situation Comedy. 

A United States adaptation starring Trevor Eve was piloted, however it was never turned into a series and the pilot episode was never released. 

Plot 

Members of the Public is  set around a local neighbourhood watch group in the fictional town of Sherrybury. The show is set mainly in the Leg of Lamb pub where the neighbourhood watch group meets. 

Every episode includes one of Jeff's walkarounds the neighbourhood. For example, in the first of these Jeff and Dave encounter one of Dave's former cellmates stealing a TV. Dave persuades him to return the stolen item, as 'there's nothing on anyway'.  

Cast 

Gruff (Pub Landlord) - Griff Rhys Jones  

Jeff Jeffly – Bill Bailey 

Hermione West - Tamsin Greig 

Harry West – Peter Serafinowicz   

PC Langley – Mark Heap 

Dave – Daniel Peacock 

Councillor Groves – Doon MacKichan 

Mini Me – Councillor Grove’s assistant – Sarah Calman 

Mrs MacIntyre – June Whitfield 

The Sleeper – Peter Buckley Hill 

 Characters 

 Jeff Jeffly - Organiser of group, including organising walks around the neighbourhood. 

 Harry and Hermione West - young couple, just moved to the area, join the group in order to meet people. 

 Gruff – landlord of the Leg of Lamb pub where the group meets, eternally grumpy, prone to schemes to maximise income, including £5 deposits on glasses, and always delivers a short pint.  

 Dave – criminal whose bail release requires him to support the local neighbourhood watch group.  

 Councillor Groves – Local Councillor, entirely reliant on her assistant, known to all as Mini Me for her tendency to dress identically to Councillor Groves.  

 Mrs MacIntyre – Local gossip, who knows rumours and tales about everyone in the neighbourhood, including most of the group.  

 The Sleeper – found asleep in the corner of the pub's function room in the first episode. In future episodes is using the room before the neighbourhood watch group for a range of activities, tuba classes, tai chi courses, teach yourself hypnosis, etc. Sits in on future meetings, though nobody is sure who he actually is or whether he has actually joined the group. Is never named. 

 Episodes 

Episode 1 – The Sleeper Wakes.  New to the area, Hermione and Harry West decide to join a new neighbourhood watch group set up by Jeff Jeffley. The first meeting is attended by Councilor Groves and her “short, fat twin” assistant, nicknamed Mini Me by the group. Pub landlord Gruff accosts the councilor about the decision to switch off the street lights outside the pub as part of a cost cutting exercise. The councilor confuses her speech with the one she is due to give to a donkey sanctuary the next day. As the councilor leaves the, she trips and falls and Gruff has to call an ambulance, but not before he has extracted a promise to switch the lighting back on. 

 Episode 2 – On the Beat Pete. PC Pete Langham gives a talk to the group, but this worries some of the clientele at the Leg of Lamb. Langham renews an old acquaintance with Dave, who he has arrested "More times than I've had hot dinners" - "I knew it, you're a salad eater". Meanwhile, pub landlord Gruff invests in new kitchen facilities – a microwave, a sandwich toaster and a kettle  – offering such delicacies as Not Poodle – an instant noodle snack prepared by adding hot water.  "Why's it called not poodle?" "Because it doesn't have poodle in it."  "Can I cancel my toasted sandwich order." 

 Episode 3 - Bicycle Thieves. The neighbourhood watch are on the outlook for bicycle thieves after a spate of bicycle thefts in the area, especially after Jeff loses his fold-up bike. Leg of Lamb landlord Gruff is concerned that his tandem is at risk and installs security cameras all around the pub, inadvertently catching a number of his regulars in a wide variety of illicit trades, including knock-off lobsters and borrowed toilet seats.  The  'thieves' are eventually caught, it turns out to be a new scheme from Councillor Groves to Register all the local bikes using a unique marking number. Unfortunately the council forgot to inform the owners, leaving Jeff to wade through a warehouse of hundreds of registered bikes. Episode ends with Gruff taking Mrs MacIntyre for a ride on his tandem. 

 Episode 4 –  Gridlock. Roadworks bring the town to a standstill, councilor Groves is called to explain what the council are doing. In the meantime Jeff is delighted with the new tabards that he has ordered for the group, until that is, an embarrassing spelling mistake is pointed out.  Meanwhile, it's karaoke night at the Leg of Lamb, and is that angel-voiced Aled Jones drinking in the corner? 

 Episode 5 – The drugs don't work.  The neighbourhood watch is asked to keep an eye out for drug pushers, after a spate of complaints from local residents.  Meanwhile, the Sleeper has a natural medical cure  for latest the cold epidemic, his own private concoction of herbs and spices. 

Episode 6 –  Guess Who.  The town is hit by a series of burglaries by thieves wearing celebrity masks.  Wanted posters featuring various celebrity faces appear all over town. The neighbourhood watch group believe they can track the culprits by tracking sales of celebity masks in the local jokeshop, which turns out to be run by the Sleeper.  A clever ruse is set to trap the culprits. Meanwhile, Gruff is convinced that the new regular in the Leg of Lamb is TV's Neil Morrisey.  The episode ends with the entire cast pranking Gruff by wearing Neil Morrisey masks. (Featuring Neil Morrisey as himself). 

 Series 2 

 Episode 1 – The beautiful game.  A football match against rival local town Ginsbury, brings an unwanted crowd of supporters to the town and an outbreak of petty crime. The match is to be televised, and Gruff decides to install a TV in the main bar, leading to a flurry of arguments about what to watch.   

 Episode 2 – Simply the best. Sherryville has entered the best kept village competition, and the remit of the neighbouhood watch group is extended to reporting scruffy gardens. Meanwhile, the Leg of Lamb has been entered for a local pub of the year award, and Gruff employs Dave to do a serious paint-job on the place. The entry is revealed to be nothing but a ruse by Dave to get work, but the episode ends with a real 'pub of the year' judge being impressed by the paint job and putting the pub forward for the award.  

 Episode 3 -  Dogs are Everywhere. A flurry of stray-dog sightings means that the group are going walkies trying to catch strays. Councillor Groves runs a dog safety course, to ensure that nobody is injured in this essential work. Meanwhile Gruff decides to enter his own dog, Mr Ruffles, in a talent contest.  

 Episode 4 -  Taking the Crime Online. The group is asked to set up its own website, as part of a national initiative. Jeff hasn't really grasped the online world and struggles with the page, especially after the site is hacked by local troublemakers, who use it as a messaging site for selling drugs and illicit goods.  Luckily, Mrs MacIntyre is a wonder of the web, and claims to have invented hacking. She sets a clever trap to catch the miscreants.  

 Episode 5 – The Guvnor.  The Chief Inspector pays a visit to the group, presenting Jeff with a certificate. Meanwhile local villain, Micky Mostly (Bob Hoskins), has been released and takes up resident in the Leg of Lamb. Landlord Gruff has to comply with Mostly's new regime, including serving full pints for the first time in his life. PC Langley is terrified what the Chief Inspector will stumble upon during his visit. Jeff has to sacrifice his award as part of a clever scheme to entrap Mostly.  

 Episode 6 -   Wedding Bells.  Hermione and Harry finally tie the knot, and decide to have the wedding reception in the upstairs room of the pub.  The Sleeper runs a disco for the evening, however, this is soon competing for soundspace with the live music from downstairs - it's covers night in the Leg of Lamb, with such artistes as Adam and his Aunts, Banjo V – an all banjo Bon Jovi covers act, and Codgergoogoo - an over 60s Kajagoogoo covers act.