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Freezing. Image shows from L to R: Matt (Hugh Bonneville), Leon Blakely (Tom Hollander), Elizabeth (Elizabeth McGovern). Image credit: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Freezing

A short sitcom series about an American actress and her British book publishing husband. Previously successful, they are now both struggling to find jobs. Their old friend Leon, a talent agent, is of little help

AKA:
Tight Spot: Freezing
Genre:
Sitcom
Broadcast:
2007 - 2008  (BBC Four)
Episodes:
3 (pilot + 1 series)
Starring:
Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Tom Hollander, Ben Miles, Tim McInnerny, Ruth Wilson, Alan Yentob, Richard E. Grant, Fenella Woolgar, James Fox, Stephen Frears
Writers:
James Wood
Production:
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Hollywood movie star Elizabeth and her English book editor husband, Matt, are a glamorous and successful couple. Or at least they would be, if only either of them could actually get a job.

As it is, Elizabeth is completely adrift in London and Matt has just been made redundant. To top it off, they're both middle-aged, which is nothing short of a deathblow in the ultra-ageist world of showbiz. Try as they might to keep up with all the latest fads and fashions in film and books - such as the Tarantino-esque reinvention of the costume drama, or literature's visionary new genre, the fun, ultra-violent, torture-porn, endurance-horror - Matt and Elizabeth can't help secretly thinking that it's all a load of piffle.

Their old friend and uber-agent Leon Blakely urges them not to lose heart, but at the same time he pours all his efforts into promoting the latest teenage reality TV star rather than helping them out. Matt and Elizabeth cling to each other as tightly as they can as they set out to brave the increasingly hostile world around them. Whatever happens, they've got each other.

The pilot episode was part of the BBC Four Tight Spot strand.

Our Review: We loved this sitcom - our only complaint is how few episodes there were in the run! All the cast were great, but Tom Hollander was stand-out brilliant as Leon, the manipulative, slightly un-hinged agent whose phone was always glued to his ear.