''Fat Friends'' is a British drama that aired on ITV from 12 October 2000 to 24 March 2005, consisting of 25 episodes over four series. Set in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

, the series explores the lives of several slimming club members, with a focus on the various ways their weight has impacted upon them. The series was created by Kay Mellor and made by Rollem Productions in association with Tiger Aspect Productions and Yorkshire Television. Three of the cast –

Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...

, James Corden and Alison Steadman – went on to appear in the

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' Gavin & Stacey''. Jonathan Ryland, who played Kevin, the husband to Ruth Jones' character, also appeared in ''Gavin & Stacey'' as the celebrant who presided when Pete and Dawn renewed their wedding vows.

Premise

''Fat Friends'' is set around a slimming club in the

Headingley Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingley ...

district of

. The club is run by the formidable Carol ( Janet Dibley), who fruitlessly tries to persuade the members of the group to follow the "Super Slimmers" diet. The characters who attend the club are from various backgrounds and of various weights. While some plots continue throughout all four series, each episode focuses on one particular character.

Cast and characters

* Alison Steadman as Betty Simpson * Gaynor Faye as Lauren Harris *

as Kelly Chadwick (née Simpson) *Jonathan Ryland as Kevin Chadwick * James Corden as Jamie Rymer * Janet Dibley as Carol McGary * Barrie Rutter as Douglas Simpson * Richard Ridings as Alan Ashburn (series 1–3) * Kathryn Hunt as Val Lorrimer (series 1–2) * Josie Lawrence as Julia Fleshman (series 1–2) * Jason Merrells as Carl Whittaker/Carl Watkinson (series 1–2) * Rita May as Joan Kirk (series 1) * Meera Syal as Aysha Kapoor (series 1) * Eleanor Bron as Marilyn Harris * Allan Corduner as Leonard Harris * Lisa Riley as Rebecca Patterson (series 2–4) * Lynda Baron as Norma Patterson (series 2–4) *Paul Warriner as Paul Thompson (series 2–4) *Julian Kerridge as Sean Hurst (series 2–4) * David Harewood as Max Robertson (series 3–4) * Janine Mellor as Mercedes (series 4)

Episodes

Series overview

Series 1 (2000)

Series 2 (2002)

Series 3 (2004)

Series 4 (2005)

Ratings

Awards and nominations

* British Academy Television Award ** Best Actress for Alison Steadman – Nominated ** Best Drama Series for Kay Mellor & Greg Brenman & David Reynolds – Nominated * Royal Television Society Programme Awards ** On-Screen Network Newcomer for James Corden – Nominated * ''TV Quick'' Awards ** Best New Drama – Won * Television and Radio Industries Club Awards ** TV Drama Programme – Won

Home media

''Fat Friends'' was originally released on VHS for its first series, and was the only series to be released in the format. This was followed by a DVD release of the first series, as well as box set comprising the first three series, in March 2005, while the second and third series were made available individually in April 2005. Distribution rights were held by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in the UK, however all DVD releases are now out-of-print. The fourth series has never been released on DVD. The first series was also released in Australia in 2005, via Shock Records, and in the United States, from Alchemy / Millennium in 2007.

Stage musical adaptation

A stage musical adaptation of the series directed and written by original creator, Kay Mellor, with music by Nicholas Lloyd Webber made its world premiere at the Grand Theatre in

on 7 November 2017 before embarking on a UK tour, starring Jodie Prenger as Kelly Stevenson.

References

External links

* * {{Kay Mellor 2000 British television series debuts 2005 British television series endings 2000s British comedy-drama television series ITV television dramas Television series by ITV Studios ITV comedy Television series by Banijay Television shows set in Leeds Television shows set in West Yorkshire Television series by Yorkshire Television Television series by Tiger Aspect Productions British English-language television shows