''Grownups'' is a

BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, cur ...

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 ...

written by

Susan Nickson Susan Nickson (born 1982) is an English screenwriter and executive producer. Early life Nickson was raised in Runcorn, Cheshire, where she attended The Grange School. Career Nickson began her career aged 14 when she won won the Lloyds Bank Fil ...

, who also created hit BBC Three sitcom ''

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'' is a British sitcom that ran from 26 February 2001 to 24 May 2011. First broadcast on BBC Two, it starred Sheridan Smith, Will Mellor, Natalie Casey, Ralf Little, Kathryn Drysdale and Luke Gell. ...

''. It follows the trials and tribulations of a group of twentysomething friends in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, facing the decision to either carry on partying or settle down. The first episode aired on 7 May 2006 on BBC Three and appeared at number eight on the

Broadcasters' Audience Research Board The Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB) is a British organisation that compiles audience measurement and television ratings in the United Kingdom. It was created in 1981 to replace two previous systems whereby ITV ratings were compil ...

(BARB) top ten of most watched BBC Three programmes for that week. The show made only one more entry on the chart for the rest of the first series, when it reached number nine, some two weeks later. A second series was produced, with studio recordings taking place between May and July 2007. The first two episodes aired back-to-back on BBC Three on Sunday 5 August. Unlike the first series, the second series displayed more adult humour, including more intense sexual references. The first episode of the second series appeared at number eight in the BARB weekly top ten for BBC Three, with the second episode which aired immediately afterward, at number nine. A third series was commissioned by the BBC and tickets to see live filming went on sale on the official BBC Tickets website in September 2008. The first episode of the third series aired 13 January 2009.

Characters

*Michelle Booth (

Sheridan Smith Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith OBE (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress, singer and television personality. Smith came to prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as ''The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), '' Two Pints ...

) is the central character of the show. She is a 27-year-old

nutritionist A nutritionist is a person who advises others on matters of food and nutrition and their impacts on health. Some people specialize in particular areas, such as sports nutrition, public health, or animal nutrition, among other disciplines. In many ...

who lives in the trendy Northern Quarter of

. Despite her job, Michelle's life is a contradiction, because she is passionate about alcohol, squirty cream, and her favourite food, Flumps. *Claire Finnerty (2006–2007) (Fiona Wass) is Michelle's best mate – a

beautician Cosmetology (from Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''-logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/ pedicures, non-permanent hair removal such a ...

. She is very wild and loves biting men. From her behaviour towards both genders, she could be either bisexual or she could be just a single young woman willing to experiment, flirt, and have fun with both genders before settling down. *Grant Grant ( Steven Meo) has fancied Michelle for years, and is always wondering why she has not gone for his Welsh charms. He is a solicitor, sensitive, smart, he has a large obsession with

Judge John Deed ''Judge John Deed'' is a British legal drama television series produced by the BBC in association with One-Eyed Dog for BBC One. It was created by G.F. Newman and stars Martin Shaw as Mr Justice Deed, a High Court judge who tries to seek real j ...

. *Mike Booth (2006) ( Rob Rouse) is Michelle's brother, who lives with her after being kicked out of his parents' house in the first episode. He is a DJ and has a strange obsession with singing the song he wrote: "''DJ Mike, making love to you every night.''" *Dean Adewale (2006) ( O. T. Fagbenle) is the new man in Michelle's life, although he worries that Michelle is not into commitment. *Chris (2007–2009) (

Richard Mylan Richard Mylan (born 24 November 1973) is a Welsh actor and former dancer. He is best known for his roles in ''The Bill'', '' Bad Girls'' and '' Grownups'' as Chris. Early life Mylan was born in Swansea in 1973. There he attended the Birchgrove ...

) replaced Mike as Michelle's flatmate. They know each other from university and he is studying for a PhD. Is apparently extremely well endowed, having compared his penis to a can of Red Bull and his testicles to

Ribena Ribena ( ) is a brand of blackcurrant-based soft drink (both uncarbonated and carbonated), and fruit drink concentrate designed to be mixed with water. It is available in bottles, cans and multi-packs. Originally of British origin, it was prod ...

berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, rasp ...

on anabolic steroids. *Rachel (2007) ( Naomi Bentley) is Michelle and Claire's boss. She is very rich and just as mental. Her dialogue (and very male growl) suggest that she could be a transsexual. *Alex Salade (2007–2009) ( Warren Brown) is a barman at Bar Salade where the cast often go out for social drinking. Alex removes his shirt at every given opportunity, going as far as creating reasons; for instance, deliberately spilling a drink and being "forced" to mop it up with his shirt. He has a huge ego (when Chris tried to fight with Alex, he replied: "I wouldn't do that. You see, I'm really, really, really, really, really hard ... and hot."). *Jenny (2009) (

Leah MacRae Leah MacRae is a British actress and writer. She is best known for her roles in '' Rab C. Nesbitt'','' The Karen Dunbar Show'', '' Gary Tank Commander'', ''River City'' and '' Grownups''. She is also known for starring in theatrical production ...

) is a barmaid who works alongside Alex in Bar Salade, described as Michelle's best friend. Alex fancies Jenny, but Jenny fancies Grant.

Critical reception

The

British Comedy Guide British Comedy Guide or BCG (formerly the British Sitcom Guide or BSG) is a British website covering all forms of British comedy, across all media. At the time of writing, BCG has published guides to more than 7,000 individual British comedies ...

gave the show a negative review, stating " ''Grownups'' is as far, far away from being able to be called a good sitcom as is possible" and criticised the show for having "wooden setups and weak jokes". rownups http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/grownups/ British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 26 April 2014.

Episodes

Series 1 (2006)

Series 2 (2007)

Series 3 (2009)

Two Pints: Comic Relief Special 2009

The cast of

, Grownups, and Coming of Age, starred in the first episode of the eighth series of Two Pints for

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...

. All of the regular cast from all three shows appeared. The episode was sub-titled " When Janet Met Michelle". Sheridan Smith (who played Michelle in Grownups and Janet in Two Pints of Lager) appeared in both roles, by use of camera tricks and a body double.

References

External links

*
''Grownups'' official BBC site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grownups (2006 Tv Series) 2006 British television series debuts 2009 British television series endings 2000s British teen sitcoms BBC television sitcoms BBC high definition shows Television shows set in Manchester English-language television shows