Come Fly with Me (2010 TV series)

Come Fly with Me
Title card
Genre	Comedy, Mockumentary
Created by	Matt Lucas David Walliams
Written by	Matt Lucas David Walliams Kevin Cecil Andy Riley
Directed by	Paul King
Starring	Matt Lucas David Walliams
Narrated by	Lindsay Duncan
Theme music composer	David Arnold
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	6 +1 'Making of' Show (as of 27 January 2011 (2011 -01-27)[update]) (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Mark Freeland Geoff Posner
Producer(s)	Adam Tandy
Editor(s)	Ant Boys Mark Everson
Running time	28 minutes
Production company(s)	Little Britain Productions, BBC Productions
Distributor	BBC DVD
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One, BBC One HD
Picture format	1080i (HDTV)
Original airing	25 December 2010
Chronology
Related shows	Little Britain Airport Luton Airport Airline
External links
Come Fly with Me

Come Fly with Me is a British mockumentary television comedy series created by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Narrated by Lindsay Duncan, the series launched on 25 December 2010 on BBC One and BBC One HD. A spoof of British documentaries Airport and Airline, the series follows the activity at a fictional airport and three fictional airlines: FlyLo (a low-cost airline), Our Lady Air (an Irish low-cost airline) and Great British Air (a major international British airline). Lucas and Walliams portray many of the focal airline and airport staff, as well as some passengers, whose comments and experiences are featured in one or more of the series episodes in the style of a "fly-on-the-wall documentary".

Production

In June 2010, it was announced that Little Britain stars Lucas and Walliams had reunited to star in a new comedy series set in an airport, a spoof of British documentaries Airport and Airline.^[1][2] Filming for Come Fly with Me began in August with the duo spending two weeks at Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield.^[3][4] A further three weeks were spent filming at London Stansted Airport^[5], with further weeks of filming at Pinewood Studios. A making-of documentary entitled Come Fly on the Wall aired on BBC One on 8 February 2011.^[6]

On the 28 January 2011 the BBC announced it had commissioned a second series.^[7][8]

Characters

Main characters

• Omar Baba (Walliams) – The owner of low-cost airline FlyLo.

• Precious Little (Lucas) – The devout Christian manager of the airport's coffee kiosk, who deliberately causes problems which force the closure of the kiosk, allowing her to take the day off.

• Moses Beacon (Walliams) – The executive passenger liaison officer for Great British Air. Moses also runs a charity called WishWings.

• Ian Foot (Walliams) – The airport's chief immigration officer.

• Tommy Reid (Lucas) – A young Scottish man working at the airport's Happy Burger, hoping to work his way up to becoming a pilot, unaware that the two jobs are completely unrelated.

• Taaj Manzoor (Lucas) – Roving ground crew for FlyLo.

• Melody Baines (Walliams) and Keeley St Clair (Lucas) – Liverpudlian check-in staff for FlyLo.

• Mickey Minchin (Lucas) and Buster Bell (Walliams) – The airport's in-house paparazzi.

• Fearghal O'Farrell (Lucas) – Gay air steward for Irish airline Our Lady Air.

• Ben Roberts (Walliams) and James Stewart (Lucas) – Airport customs officers, with rather extreme methods of cataloguing the illegal substances they find.

• Simon (Lucas) and Jackie Trent (Walliams) – A husband-and-wife pilot team with marital problems, flying for Great British Air.

• Peter (Lucas) and Judith Surname (Walliams) – Holiday makers who have suffered several horrific and surreal trips abroad with FlyLo.

• Penny Carter (Walliams) – A very elitist first-class stewardess for Great British Air's long haul flights.

• Terry (Walliams) and John (Lucas) – Father-and-son baggage handlers, who steal from passenger's luggage and are less than careful with it.

• Helen Baker (Sally Rogers) – The check-in staff manager for FlyLo.

• Lisa (Pippa Bennett-Warner) - Check-in staff for FlyLo.

Additional characters

• Hetty Wolf (Lucas) – A 92-year-old first-time passenger who scams Moses Beacon into buying her a number of luxuries and getting her a seat in First Class, before revealing she has flown many times before. (Appears in: Episode 1)

• Sue (Lucas) and Geoff Stott (Walliams) – A couple who are flying to Disneyland to get married. (Appear in: Episode 1)

• Asuka and Nanako (Walliams & Lucas) – Two Japanese girls who have flown to the airport to see their idol, Martin Clunes. (Appear in: Episode 1)

• Lee Lodge (Walliams) – Trainee steward for Our Lady Air. (Appears in: Episode 2)

• Captain Stirrick (Ted Robbins) – A drunk airline pilot who causes a commotion. (Appears in: Episode 2)

• The Woods Family – A family who turn up for their flight a week early. They stay at the airport for a week, then end up missing their flight. (Appears in: Episode 4)

• Kenneth (Lucas) – A border-patrol worker who instantly recognizes Ian in disguise. (Appears in: Episode 4)

• Steve Downes (Lucas) – A police-dog handler whose previous canine companions have mostly ended up in rehab. His current drug sniffer dog is called Bobo. (Appears in: Episode 5)

• George Spires (Lucas) – A toilet-cleaner who is a fan of opera-singing, and sings to the people who come in. (Appears in: Episode 5)

• Colin (Walliams) and Gavin (Lucas) – Battle re-enactors who are not allowed to take swords to a re-enactment of the Battle of Agincourt; Colin later says he has killed only three people in the trade. (Appear in: Episode 5)

• Nut Allergy Passenger (Alex MacQueen) – A passenger of Our Lady Air whom Fearghal 'saves' from dying. (Appear in: Episode 5)

• Corinne Oliver (Walliams) – A woman who looks after wheelchair-users at the airport. She is disabled herself and is pushed around by her helper, Bob (Lucas). (Appears in: Episode 6)

• Ray (Walliams) and Anne Wilkins (Lucas) – Owners of the airport pub. They are known to chase departing customers through the airport in a bid for someone to stay 'more than twelve minutes'. (Appear in: Episode 6)

• Mary O'Mara (Annemarie Gaillard) – Air stewardess for Irish airline Our Lady Air, who wins the Steward Of The Year title in a draw with Fearghal O'Farrell. (Appears in: Episode 6)

Airlines

• FlyLo – FlyLo is a low-cost, no-frills airline, owned by Omar Baba. Providing service across Europe and selected destinations across the Atlantic and South East Asia, it uses many hidden charges and unorthodox schemes in order to cut costs. These include £1 flights to New York City (with a £480 booking fee), upright flatbeds in economy class, and a very small hand baggage allowance. FlyLo also offers budget package holidays that do not go down very well with their passengers.

• Our Lady Air – Our Lady Air is an Irish low-cost airline, providing low-cost routes across Europe. It saves money by flying to airports further away from the actual city centre. Our Lady Air offers business class, in-flight meals and no hidden charges.

• Great British Air – Great British Air is a major British flag carrier airline, providing a high-class service around the world from the UK. The airline is renowned for having the finest first-class service in the world with champagne and chocolates on boarding and well cooked meals on long haul flights. On short haul flights, both first and economy class passengers are given a small glass of fresh orange juice and a complimentary browse of The Daily Mail.

Episodes

Main article: List of Come Fly with Me episodes

Series One (2010–2011)

Series One of Come Fly with Me began airing on Christmas Day 2010 and received mixed reviews from critics and 12.47 million viewers.^{[citation needed]} Episode Two, which aired on New Years Day 2011, gained 8.80 million viewers^{[citation needed]}, and the remaining four episodes averaged around 7 million viewers throughout the rest of the series^{[citation needed]}. The series began airing in the US on BBC America on June 18, 2011,^[9] edited to fit a 30 minute time slot with commercials.^{[citation needed]}

Series Two (2011)

On 28 January 2011 the BBC announced that the show had been commissioned for a second series which will be filmed and broadcast in 2011. On 27 February 2011 Matt Lucas confirmed that series two is currently in development.^{[citation needed]}

Come Fly on the Wall (2011)

Come Fly on the Wall discussed the making of Come Fly with Me with Walliams and Lucas. The programme featured clips from filming, out-takes and interviewed the show's creators as they develop the series. It featured pre-production discussions and rehearsals and showed the actors filming at some of the UK’s busiest airports. It also showed Walliams and Lucas transforming into their new characters in the make-up chair, and bringing them to life in front of the camera. The programme was broadcast on BBC One on 8 February 2011.^[10]

DVD release

The DVD of Come Fly with Me will be released on 21 November 2011.^[11]

Web content

In conjunction with the TV episodes, a selection of extra online content was published on the programme website^[12] The extra content, featuring some of the main characters played by Matt Lucas and David Walliams, was presented as spoof versions of real-life airline websites, for example an on-line check-in service for fictional airline FlyLo, with Melody and Keeley.^[13] The content was written by Kevin Cecil, who also contributed to the TV scripts. Cecil was inspired by his own work on comedy tie-in books over the years ^[14]

Reception

Come Fly with Me has received mixed reviews with the Daily Express calling it "the worst sketch show, or sitcom to have ever gone out on a Christmas Day" and expressed concern over its screening on the day, considering the lack of quality.^[15] The Daily Mirror, however claimed it was a resounding success and the claims of racism and lack of humour made by the Express were unfounded.^[16] The show was the most-watched comedy of 2010 with 10 million viewers,^[17] but also had thousands of viewer complaints, and criticism for being racist.^[18] It was also the third most-watched show in the UK on Christmas Day.^[19]

Ratings

^[20]

Episode	Viewers (millions)
1	12.47
2	8.80
3	7.81
4	7.43
5	7.11
6	7.22

References

1. ^ "New show for David Walliams and Matt Lucas". BBC News. 28 May 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10184408. Retrieved 24 December 2010. 
2. ^ "David Walliams and Matt Lucas reunite for new BBC show set in an airport". The Telegraph. 29 May 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/7780315/David-Walliams-and-Matt-Lucas-reunite-for-new-BBC-show-set-in-an-airport.html. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
3. ^ "Filming begins at Doncaster-Sheffield". Robin Hood Airport Guide. 17 September 2010. http://www.doncaster-sheffield-airport-guide.co.uk/blog/2010/09/filming-begins-at-doncastersheffield/. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
4. ^ "Comedy duo fly in to film new series". The Star. 24 December 2010. http://www.thestar.co.uk/doncaster/Comedy-duo-fly-in-to.6670323.jp. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
5. ^ "More than 10 million people watch comedy Come Fly with Me". This Is Total Essex. 7 January 2011. http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/news/Smooth-TV-airport-comedy/article-3066816-detail/article.html. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
6. ^ "Come Fly On the Wall". BBC Online. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yk273/. Retrieved 5 February 2011. 
7. ^ Aird, Jon (29 January 2011). "Come Fly With Me - Again!". BBC Online. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/comedy/2011/01/come-fly-with-me---again.shtml. Retrieved 29 January 2011. 
8. ^ Wolf, Ian (29 January 2011). "Come Fly with Me gets a second series". British Comedy Guide. http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/00000451/. Retrieved 29 January 2011. 
9. ^ "Come Fly With Me" (Press release). BBC America. http://press.bbcamerica.com/program.jsp?id=30190. Retrieved June 18, 2011. 
10. ^ http://www.littlebritainfans.com/comefly_episodes.htm
11. ^ http://www.bbcshop.com/comedy/come-fly-with-me-series-1-dvd/invt/bbcdvd3421/
12. ^ Online Extras Retrieved on 2011-01-10.
13. ^ "FlyLo Online Check-in". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/comeflywithme/checkin/. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
14. ^ Come Fly with Me 'online book' Retrieved on 2011-01-10.
15. ^ Epstein, Robert (26 December 2010). "Come Fly with Me, BBC1, Christmas Day Poirot, ITV1, Christmas Day". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/come-fly-with-me-bbc1-christmas-daybr-poirot-itv1-christmas-day-2169162.html. Retrieved 26 December 2010. 
16. ^ O'Sullivan, Kevin (2 January 2011). "Watch Come Fly With Me fly up the charts". Daily Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv-entertainment/columnists/kevin-osullivan/2011/01/02/watch-come-fly-with-me-fly-up-the-charts-115875-22820813/. Retrieved 31 January 2011. 
17. ^ "Come Fly with Me most watched comedy of 2010". The British Comedy Guide. 26 December 2010. http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/00000429/come_fly_with_me_tv_ratings/. Retrieved 29 December 2010. 
18. ^ "Lucas and Walliams comedy prompts thousands of viewer complaints". AOL Television. 29 December 2010. http://www.aoltv.co.uk/2010/12/29/lucas-and-walliams-comedy-prompts-thousands-of-viewer-complaints/. Retrieved 29 December 2010. 
19. ^ "EastEnders wins Christmas Day viewing figures battle". BBC News. 26 December 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12080132. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
20. ^ Consolidated viewing figures retrieved from BARB database on 9 Feb 2011

External links

• Come Fly with Me at BBC Programmes
• Come Fly with Me at the British Comedy Guide
• Come Fly with Me at the Internet Movie Database