''Girls on Top'' is a British

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

, broadcast on ITV in 1985 and 1986, and made by Allan McKeown's Witzend Productions for the ITV contractor

Central Independent Television ITV Central, previously known as Central Independent Television, Carlton Central, ITV1 for Central England and commonly referred to as simply Central, is the Independent Television franchisee for the Midlands. It was created following the rest ...

. It starred Dawn French,

Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English actress, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of ...

Ruby Wax Ruby Wax (; born 19 April 1953) is an American-British actress, comedian, writer, television personality, and mental health campaigner. A classically-trained actress, Wax was with the Royal Shakespeare Company for five years and co-starred on t ...

and

Tracey Ullman Tracey Ullman (born Trace Ullman, 30 December 1959) is a British-American actress, comedian, singer, writer, producer, and director. Her earliest mainstream appearances were on British television sketch comedy shows '' A Kick Up the Eighties'' ( ...

with

Joan Greenwood Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 28 February 1987) was an English actress. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark. She played Sibella in the 1949 film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'', and also app ...

. It was written by French, Saunders, and Wax, with additional material for two episodes written by Ullman. 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 The Comic Strip are a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series ''The Comic Strip Presents...'', which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The ...

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 Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

, 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 ''Playgirl'' was an American magazine that featured general interest articles, lifestyle and celebrity news, in addition to nude or semi-nude men. In the 1970s and 1980s, the magazine printed monthly and was marketed mainly to women, although ...

'' magazine becoming a running gag in the second series. She works at a feminist magazine titled ''Spare Cheeks''. * Jennifer Marsh (

): 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 (

): 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 A trust is a legal relationship in which the holder of a right gives it to another person or entity who must keep and use it solely for another's benefit. In the Anglo-American common law, the party who entrusts the right is known as the " sett ...

and her agreement to pay the majority of the rent. * Candice Valentine (

): 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 (

): An eccentric elderly romance novelist and the women's

landlady A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, the t ...

. 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 Suzanne Bertish (born 7 August 1951, Hammersmith, London) is an English actress. Educated at Woldingham School, Bertish joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in many of its productions, including its marathon eight-and-a-half-ho ...

Angela Pleasence Daphne Anne Angela Pleasence (born 30 September 1941) is an English actress. Trained in theatre, Pleasence's first major film role came in '' Hitler: The Last Ten Days'' (1973), followed by roles in horror films such as ''From Beyond the Grave'' ...

, and

Harriet Walter Dame Harriet Mary Walter (born 24 September 1950) is a British actress. She has received a Laurence Olivier Award as well as numerous nominations including for a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011 ...

as RSC actors ("Mr Yummie Brownie") *

The Beverley Sisters The Beverley Sisters ( MBE) were an English female close harmony pop vocal and light entertainment trio, consisting of three siblings from London. They were most popular during the 1950s and 1960s, and became well-known through their radio and ...

as themselves ("Bring Me More Flamingoes") * Simon Brint and

Rowland Rivron Rowland John Rivron (born 28 September 1958) is a British writer, comedic actor and television personality. Early career Rivron played the comic character "Dr Martin Scrote" on the Jonathan Ross chat show ''The Last Resort'', and also played Scr ...

as Shelley's backing band ("Cancel Toast") *

Robbie Coltrane Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. H ...

as Morris and

Paul Brooke Paul Brooke (born 22 November 1944) is a retired English actor of film, television and radio. He made his film debut in 1972 in the Hammer film '' Straight on till Morning'', followed by performances in '' For Your Eyes Only'' (1981), ''Return o ...

as Lawrence, two kidnappers ("C.O.D.") *

Harry Enfield Henry Richard Enfield (born 30 May 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer and director. He is known in particular for his television work, including '' Harry Enfield's Television Programme'' and ''Harry & Paul'', and for the creation and ...

as Dr. Banks, Candice's doctor ("Mr Fluffy Knows Too Much") *

Katherine Helmond Katherine Marie Helmond (July 5, 1929 – February 23, 2019) was an American actress. Over her five decades of television acting, she was known for her starring role as Jessica Tate on the sitcom ''Soap'' (1977–1981) and her co-starring role as ...

as Goldie DuPont, Shelley's mother ("Mr Yummie Brownie") *

Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in ...

as Tom, Amanda's crush ("Big Snogs") *

Helen Lederer Helen Margaret Lederer (born 24 September 1954) is an English comedian, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s. Among her television credits are the BBC2 sketch series ''Naked Video'' ...

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 Pauline Melville FRSL (born 1948) is an English/Guyanese-born writer and former actor of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, who is currently based in London, England. Among awards she has received for her writing – which encompasses short ...

as Yvonne, Amanda's boss ("Skankin'", "Big Snogs", "Bring Me More Flamingoes") *

Geraldine McNulty Geraldine McNulty is an English stage and television actress. She has played the character of Mrs Raven in '' My Hero'', and had guest appearances in '' Neverwhere'', '' Gimme Gimme Gimme'', ''The Vicar of Dibley'', ''The Smoking Room'' and '' ...

as Tina, a friend of Candice's ("Staying Alive" and "Ident: Candy Time") *

Pauline Quirke Pauline Perpetua Sheen ( Quirke; born 8 July 1959) is an English actress who has played Sharon Theodopolopodous in the long-running comedy series '' Birds of a Feather'' (1988–1999, 2014–2017). For this role, she won the 1990 British Comed ...

as Jennifer's supervisor ("Who's Ya Uncle Shelley?") *

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakespe ...

as Dmitri, Candice's boyfriend ("Four-Play"), and the voice of

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Se ...

("Cancel Toast") *

John Sessions John Marshall (11 January 1953 – 2 November 2020), better known by the stage name John Sessions, was a British actor and comedian. He was known for comedy improvisation in television shows such as ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', as a panellist o ...

as Rodney, a stockbroker ("Who's Ya Uncle Shelley?") * Arthur Smith as a delivery man ("Lower the Donkey") *

Harriet Thorpe Harriet Amelia Thorpe (born 8 June 1957) is an English actress. Thorpe trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. She is known for her roles in the British sitcoms, '' The Brittas Empire'' (1991–97) and '' Absolutely Fabulous'' ...

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 Glenn Martin Tilbrook (born 31 August 1957) is the lead singer and guitarist of the English band Squeeze, a band formed in the mid-1970s who broke through in the new wave era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the music for Squeeze's son ...

and

Chris Difford Christopher Henry Difford (born 4 November 1954) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member and songwriter of the rock group Squeeze. Musical career Born in Greenwich, London, Difford has written l ...

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)

Series 2 (1986)

Home media

References

External links

British Film Institute Screen Online
* {{IMDb title, 0088524, Girls On Top 1985 British television series debuts 1986 British television series endings 1980s British sitcoms ITV sitcoms Television shows set in London Television series by ITV Studios Television series by Fremantle (company) English-language television shows Television shows produced by Central Independent Television