Wild West
GenreSitcom
Created bySimon Nye
Directed byJonathan Gershfield; Juliet May
StarringDawn French
Catherine Tate
Bill Bailey
David Bradley
Stewart Wright
Sean Foley
Richard Mylan
Robin Weaver
Anne-Marie Duff
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release22 October 2002 (2002-10-22) –
13 April 2004 (2004-04-13)

Wild West is a British television sitcom that aired from 22 October 2002 to 13 April 2004, starring Dawn French and Catherine Tate.[1] It was described as a dark comedy from the pen of Simon Nye and was filmed on location in Portloe, Cornwall. Set in the hamlet of St Gweep, Wild West observes the strange goings-on in the local Cornish community. Shop owners Mary Trewednack and her life-partner Angela Phillips are the main focus but there are many other characters in this sitcom.[2]

The first series of the sitcom was scheduled to appear on prime-time BBC1 where its eccentricities met with a poor critical and popular response, but a second series was commissioned and both series have received retrospective praise.

Plot

The action centres around Angela Phillips (Tate) and Mary Trewednack (French), a lesbian couple who run the local town store and post office. Though self-avowed lesbians, halfway through the first series Mary comments that the only reason they are a couple is because they were the only two people in town who weren't already in a relationship when they met. Some plots of first series episodes revolve around both of them pursuing romances with men and the jealousy the other partner experiences; by the second series, all mentions of a lesbian relationship are completely dropped, including a recurring gag during the opening credits that showed them in bed together. This is resolved in the final episode of the show.

Mary and Angela are friends with the village locals, including Holly (Duff/Weaver), owner of the local witchcraft centre; Harry (Mylan), a young local hippy; Old Jake (Bradley), who runs the local boat tour; Jeff (Foley), a swinger and sexual deviant who owns the local pub with his deaf wife Daphne; and PC Alan Allen (Wright), the somewhat bumbling policeman who becomes Mary's major romantic interest in series 2.

Each episode centers on a new situation that has come into the lives of the characters and how they deal with it, generally with a focus on the different ways in which Mary and Angela meddle in everyone's lives.

Episodes

Series One

Ep. Title Airdate Overview
1 One Home Good, Two Homes Bad 22 October 2002 Huge bags of Tupperware from a shipwreck wash up on the beach in St Gweep and the locals are whipped into a scavenging frenzy, meanwhile Harry decides to lead a campaign against people who buy up property in the town for use as holiday homes.
2 Fear of Bungee 29 October 2002 A local bungee jump is set up temporarily in the town and the locals are wary, Angela is determined to jump – although with her "lucky charm". Mary takes on the task of handling vandalism in the town.
3 Swingers 5 November 2002 The whole town is aware of Jeff's secret swingers parties at the pub, Mary decides to go along to one, Angela sends the police in to perform a raid.
4 Tin, Tin, Tin 19 November 2002 Angela finds herself elected "power cut czar" by PC Alan when the towns electricity supply is cut off for several days. Jake has the only generator and charges exorbitant prices for batteries, use of televisions, computers and showers. Mary successfully plays matchmaker with Holly and Harry, but then must work to split them up.
5 A Problem Shared Is A Problem Doubled 26 November 2002 Mary gets her hands on a body piercing kit and proceeds to offer piercings to anyone and everyone – even though it did not come with any instructions. Angela is reminded of the day she had to run at school in her underwear, when her former headmistress shows up in St Gweep.
6 Un, Deu, Tri, Figo, Quiggly 3 December 2002 Holly embarks on a mission to raise awareness and knowledge of the Cornish language while a Londoner seduces Angela and wants to take her back to the city.

Series Two

Ep. Title Airdate Overview
1 The Exploding Car 12 March 2004 A trio of roughhousing teens are terrorizing the locals, and as a result their car is found to have been burnt to a crisp. PC Alan investigates while Mary sets her sights on him romantically.
2 Magical Horses 19 March 2004 Three beautiful white horses seemingly appear from nowhere on the local beach; Old Jake is given custody of them while PC Alan tries to locate their proper owner. Mary concocts a story about the horses for the local press that brings tourists into town.
3 Angela Learns to Drive 26 March 2004 Angela's father, from whom she desperately seeks approval, is arriving into town. She's promised to give him a driving tour: just one problem – she doesn't know how to drive. The locals attempt to teach her in just 10 days. Meanwhile, the romance between PC Alan and Mary heats up as they try to find a place to consummate their relationship.
4 Cornish Flu 2 April 2004 Everyone in town (except Angela and Mary) comes down with a serious illness. The timing could not be worse as it's holiday season and money-spending tourists are coming in droves. The duo decide to try to take over everyone's duties, including running the bar, witchcraft centre and boat tour. In the meantime Mary tries to squeeze in one last lovemaking session with PC Alan before he leaves on vacation.
5 The Film Crew 9 April 2004 A television crew comes in to film a movie, and the locals get into an uproar about the stereotypical depiction of Cornish people (all the while living up to them). Mary attempts to bully her way into getting Angela a part in the film. Meanwhile, Old Jake is in for a surprise when a daughter he never knew he had arrives in town.
6 Holly Loses Faith in Witchcraft 13 April 2004 Holly begins to feel depressed and lonely over being single, and witchcraft doesn't seem to help. Meanwhile, Mary and Angela realise they've been running the store together for 15 years. However Mary is worried because Angela, desperate to be in a relationship, has taken in a new boyfriend who is using her.

References

  1. ↑ BBC. "Wild West". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "BBC - Wild West - Interviews". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
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