''Chambers'' was a BBC radio and television

sitcom A sitcom, a Portmanteau, 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 troup ...

. It was written by barrister Clive Coleman and starred John Bird and Sarah Lancashire in both versions. The radio version was broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...

in three series between 1996 and 1999,https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dzkln and the television version was broadcast on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...

. The theme music was "Dance with Mandolins" from Prokofiev's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

''. John Bird plays the lead role of John Fuller-Carp, a monstrously

egotistical Egotism is defined as the drive to maintain and enhance favorable views of oneself and generally features an inflated opinion of one's personal features and importance distinguished by a person's amplified vision of one's self and self-importan ...

and avaricious barrister heading Forecourt Chambers. His colleagues are Hilary Tripping, a rather ineffectual young man, and Ruth Quirke, initially a rather militantly left wing feminist. After Lesley Sharp left the role after the first series and Sarah Lancashire took over, Ruth became more of comic neurotic, but many of the 'original' Ruth's harder characteristics were later given to the character who replaced her in the second run of the television series, Alex Kahn.

Radio cast

* John Bird as John Fuller-Carp *

James Fleet James Edward Fleet (born 11 March 1952) is an English actor of theatre, radio and screen. He is most famous for his roles as the bumbling and well-meaning Tom in the 1994 British romantic comedy film '' Four Weddings and a Funeral'' and the dim- ...

as Hilary Tripping *

Lesley Sharp Lesley Sharp is an English stage, film and television actress whose roles on British television include '' Clocking Off'' (2000–2001), '' Bob & Rose'' (2001) and '' Afterlife'' (2005–2006). She was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Act ...

as Ruth Quirke (Series 1) * Sarah Lancashire as Ruth Quirke (Series 2 & 3) * Jonathan Kydd as Vince Griffiths, the

barristers' clerk A barristers' clerk is a manager and administrator in a set of barristers' chambers. The term originated in England and is also used in some other common law jurisdictions, such as Australia. In Scotland, the equivalent role is advocate's clerk. ...

* Jeremy Clyde as Vernon Ames

Television cast

* John Bird as John Fuller-Carp * Sarah Lancashire as Ruth Quirke (Series 1) (2000) *

Nina Wadia Nina Wadia (born 18 December 1968) is a British actress and comedian. She is known for portraying Zainab Masood in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', Aunty Noor in Citizen Khan Mrs Hussein in the BBC comedy '' Still Open All Hours'', and fo ...

as Alex Kahn (Series 2) (2001) *

as Hilary Tripping * Jonathan Kydd as Vince Griffiths * Jeremy Clyde as Vernon Ames *John Hodgkinson as Guy * John Rowe as Judge Riseby

References

External links

* Comedy Guide
British Comedy and Drama website episode guide
* *{{IMDb title, id=0249285, title=Chambers'' (television) 1996 radio programme debuts 2000 British television series debuts 2001 British television series endings 2000s British legal television series 2000s British sitcoms BBC Radio comedy programmes BBC television sitcoms English-language television shows Television articles with incorrect naming style