''Revolting People'' is a

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

situation comedy 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 ...

set in colonial

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, just before and during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. The series is written by the Briton

Andy Hamilton Andrew Neil Hamilton (born 28 May 1954) is a British comedian, game show panellist, television director, comedy screenwriter, radio dramatist, novelist and actor. Early life and education Hamilton was born in Fulham, West London. He was educa ...

and the American

Jay Tarses Michael Jay Tarses (born July 3, 1939) is an American screenwriter, producer and actor. He created and produced ''The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'' and ''The Slap Maxwell Story'', co-created Buffalo Bill (TV series), ''Buffalo Bill'' (with To ...

, with Tarses playing a sour shopkeeper named Samuel Oliphant and Hamilton playing a cheerfully corrupt, one-legged, one-eyed, one-armed, one-eared one-nostrilled British soldier, Sergeant Roy McGurk, billeted on him. Samuel's children are Mary, who is in love with McGurk's prim commanding officer Captain Brimshaw while at the same time operating as a notorious anti-British

pamphleteer A pamphleteer is a historical term used to describe someone who creates or distributes pamphlets, unbound (therefore inexpensive) booklets intended for wide circulation. Context Pamphlets were used to broadcast the writer's opinions: to articu ...

under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

Spartacus Spartacus (; ) was a Thracians, Thracian gladiator (Thraex) who was one of the Slavery in ancient Rome, escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major Slave rebellion, slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Historical accounts o ...

; Cora, in an unconsummated marriage with the pompous pro-British

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

official Ezekiel but nevertheless a mother; and the dimwitted Joshua, whose favourite recreation is wrestling bears. Series 1 and 2 were released on CD in 2007–8. Repeats on the series now play on

BBC Radio 4 Extra BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It mostly broadcasts archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes, and is the sister station of Radio 4. It is the pri ...

(formerly BBC Radio 7).

Cast

Sergeant Roy McGurk *

Samuel Oliphant *

Sophie Thompson Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress. She has worked in film, television and theatre and she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of ''Into the Woods''. She has been nominated for ...

Series 1 /

Jan Ravens Janet Ravens (born 14 May 1958) is an English actress and impressionist, known for her voice work on '' Spitting Image'' and '' Dead Ringers''. Early life Ravens grew up in Hoylake, then in Cheshire, on the west side of the Wirral with her f ...

Series 2 and 3 /

Julia Hills Julia Hills (born 3 April 1957) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Rona in all eight series of the BBC sitcom ''2point4 Children''. She also portrayed various roles in Channel 4's first late night satirical sketch show ''Who ...

Series 4Mary Oliphant *

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- ...

Captain Brimshaw *

Hugh Dennis Peter Hugh Dennis (born 13 February 1962) is an English comedian, presenter, actor, Impressionist (entertainment), impressionist and writer. He was a panellist in every episode of the comedy show ''Mock the Week'' (2005–2022) and is one half ...

Ezekiel Spriggs *

Felicity Montagu Felicity Jane Montagu (born 12 September 1960) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Lynn Benfield, the long-suffering assistant of Alan Partridge. Early life Montagu was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire. She attended Lou ...

Series 1 / Penelope NiceSeries 2 and 3Cora Spriggs (née Oliphant) *

Tony Maudsley Tony Maudsley (born 30 January 1968) is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of hairdresser Kenneth Du Beke in the ITV sitcom ''Benidorm'', and George Shuttleworth in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' (2020–present ...

Joshua *

Susie Blake Susie Blake (born 19 April 1950) is an English television, radio and stage actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the snobbish TV announcer in '' Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV'' and of Bev Unwin in ''Coronation Street'', a role she p ...

Mrs. Arbuthnot (Series 1)/Elizabeth Oliphant (Series 2) Additional roles played by

Philip Pope Philip R. J. Pope is a British composer and actor. Education He was educated at Downside School and New College, Oxford. Performer Pope appeared in the Oxford Revue in Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1978 and 1979, both with Angus Deayton. He ...

Michael Fenton Stevens Michael Fenton Stevens (born 12 February 1958) is an English actor and comedian. He was a founder member of The Hee Bee Gee Bees and sang the lead on the ''Spitting Image'' 1986 number 1 hit " The Chicken Song". He also starred in '' KYTV'', its ...

Rebecca Front Rebecca Louise Front (born 16 May 1964) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She won the 2010 BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for '' The Thick of It'' (2009–2012).Jennifer Lipma"Bafta for Jewish actress Rebecca Front" ...

and the cast. Series 1 had guest appearances by

William Hootkins William Michael Hootkins (July 5, 1948 – October 23, 2005) was an American actor. He was best known for supporting roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as ''Star Wars'', ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', and ''Batman''. Early life Hootkins was born ...

as Samuel's brother Dan, and

Timothy West Timothy Lancaster West (20 October 1934 – 12 November 2024) was an English actor with a long and varied career across theatre, film, and television. He began acting in repertory theatres in the 1950s before making his London stage debut in 19 ...

as General Venables. Produced by

Paul Mayhew-Archer Paul William Mayhew-Archer MBE (born 6 January 1953Find The Comp ...

Episode list

Series 1 (2000)

Originally ran in 2000. Revolved around the imposition of

martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...

in Baltimore and the springing up of a torrid, though also chaste, love affair between Oliphant's daughter Mary and an officer of the local British garrison, Captain Brimshaw. The show starts on 5 March 1770, the day of the

Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre, known in Great Britain as the Incident on King Street, was a confrontation, on March 5, 1770, during the American Revolution in Boston in what was then the colonial-era Province of Massachusetts Bay. In the confrontati ...

. # 18 JanuaryStorm Clouds # 25 JanuaryMore Storm Clouds # 1 FebruaryEven More Storm Clouds # 8 FebruaryTons of Storm Clouds # 15 FebruaryA Helluva Lot of Storm Clouds # 22 FebruaryAn Incredible Amount of Storm Clouds This series was released on CD on 3 September 2007.

Series 2 (2001)

Originally ran in 2001. Less continuous than series 1 but developed the same theme with the added introduction of Oliphant's long-departed wife reappearing as a lesbian (to McGurk's lecherous satisfaction). # 24 AprilTrying Times # 1 MayEven More Trying Times # 8 MaySome More Trying Times # 15 MayAnd Yet Even More Trying Times # 22 MayA Bunch More Trying Times # 29 MayStill in Trying Times This series was released on CD on 7 January 2008.

Series 3 (2004)

The third series originally ran in 2004 and consisted of stand-alone episodes parodying various classic films with a final episode that turned the series on its head. # 27 MayYoung Love # 3 JuneA Kiss is Just a Kiss (parodying ''

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

'') # 10 JuneThe God-Given Talent # 17 JuneOver the Rainbow (parodying ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...

'') # 24 JuneThem Thar Hills (parodying

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...

westerns The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier (commonly referred to as the "Old West" or the "Wild West") between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, and commonly associated wit ...

) # 1 JulySecrets And Lies

Series 4 (2006)

First broadcast in 2006, and repeated from 31 March 2007. The events of the final episode of the previous series are explained as having been a dream. # 2 MayEzekiel is KidnappedSamuel's pompous son-in-law, Ezekiel, is kidnapped by a rebel

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

# 9 MayMcGurk Runs the ShopSamuel goes in search of his cousin # 16 May

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

Samuel realises he's in the middle of a war when half his shop is burnt down by rebelling colonists and the other half by the British # 23 MayPiratesSamuel, McGurk and the others flee to England # 30 MayReunionSamuel, McGurk and the others arrive in London # 6 JuneThe KingSamuel, McGurk and the others finally meet

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

They nearly manage to get him to call off the war, until Mary accidentally implies that the war is "all about oil" (in a reference to a criticism made by the

opposition to the Iraq War Opposition to the Iraq War significantly occurred worldwide, both before and during the initial 2003 invasion of Iraq by a United States–led coalition, and throughout the Iraq War, subsequent occupation. Individuals and groups opposing the wa ...

) and re-awakens Britain's interest in keeping the rebellious colony.

Notes

External links

BBC website – ''Revolting People''
*{{British Comedy Guide, radio, revolting_people BBC Radio comedy programmes Works about the American Revolution 2000 radio programme debuts George Washington Baltimore in fiction Province of Maryland Works set in the Thirteen Colonies