British Comedy Guide - Skip to main content

Series 1 Series 2 Series 3

Series 1 (2006)

1. Rubbish

First Broadcast: Wed 4th October 2006

Rick fronts a lame Government TV recycling campaign which backfires spectacularly. Meanwhile, he and his partner Mel are invited to the christening of a remarkably ugly baby.

Rick is sent off to buy a christening present from dangerously unhinged shopkeeper Maureen, and then local cafe owner Michael forces Rick to try his new home-made fruitcake.

2. Wayne

First Broadcast: Wed 11th October 2006

The Spleen household has a teaspoon shortage and Rick decides to take matters into his own hands by stealing some from Michael's café, with unfortunate consequences. Rick is also forced to take the toaster back to the local electrical shop, where he has a run-in with the exceptionally sarcastic electrician.

At work, Rick has agreed to present a You've Been Framed-style DVD, but neither he nor his writing partner Marty can come up with any decent links.

All of this is compounded by Rick's insomnia, caused by the paperboy, Wayne, who is very punctual, very noisy and (according to the stroppy newsagent) has a brain the size of a walnut.

3. £5000

First Broadcast: Wed 18th October 2006

Rick gets in a punch-up at an awards ceremony and ends up with a black eye.

Back at home, he fails to find sympathy from Madga (who recommends putting vodka on it) or from Marty (who is more worried about a show they are pitching to the BBC).

Meanwhile, his partner Mel points out that Rick has mistakenly pledged a vast amount of money to café-owner Michael for a forthcoming sponsored charity event.

Rick tries to wangle his way out of the sponsorship with various ploys, and ends up succeeding - but in an unintended and catastrophic way.

4. Allergic

First Broadcast: Wed 25th October 2006

Rick confides in Mel and Marty that he may have inadvertently killed one of Britain's best-loved entertainers, Bob Fairchild.

Rick is equally concerned that the free shoe-organiser he's ordered from the Bargain Channel has not arrived, and asks Magda to help him track it down.

Meanwhile Marty and Rick are busy writing for Rick's upcoming appearance on topical news panel show Bullet in the News, but café-owner Michael has his own thoughts about what stories might work on the show, much to Rick's fury.

5. Pistachio

First Broadcast: Wed 1st November 2006

Rick buys himself a scooter. His initial excitement about the purchase turns to dismay, however, as he starts to worry that it makes him look gay, and Mel is doubtful that his solution of buying a leather jacket will have the desired effect.

Rick's work isn't going too well either - his spot hosting the Air Conditioning and Climate Control Awards didn't go as well as planned, and his paranoia about being gay leads him to write a series of homophobic jokes for the Annual Hairdresser Awards.

Meanwhile Rick has a spectacular row about 'invisible' mending with local dry cleaner Mr Tilak.

6. Fatty

First Broadcast: Wed 8th November 2006

Rick decides to take up exercise, having been publicly humiliated on TV by daytime chat-show host Adam Green, who suggests he's put on weight.

At home, Magda and Marty do their best to wind Rick up about his increasing waistline, much to his anger, and in an unfortunate encounter with an acquaintance at the gym, Rick finally explodes in fury.

Meanwhile, the neighbour's cat has gone missing and Rick is asked to look for it; and Ben manages to destroy Rick's brand-new DVD player by taking the back off. All in all, this may be the worst week of Rick's life...

Series 2 (2007)

1. Giraffe

First Broadcast: Thu 15th November 2007

According to Rick, his career is blossoming and he's never been so popular. In other words, he's still a self-deluded liar. In the opening episode, Rick appears as a Celebrity Oracle' on a day time quiz show. Back at home, Magda, his surly Eastern European help, has finally handed in her notice.

2. Hero

First Broadcast: Thu 22nd November 2007

Rick becomes a local hero when he stops someone from committing suicide. He gets even more excited when, as a result, a TV executive agrees to come to dinner to talk about Rick's career. Magda prepares a traditional dish from her country for the evening, but when the guests finally arrive, Rick gets an unwelcome surprise.

3. Points

First Broadcast: Thu 29th November 2007

Rick gets caught speeding - not for the first time. Three more points on his licence will take him close to a ban, so he tries to persuade first Mel, then Marty and Madga into saying they were driving his car. Meanwhile local café owner, Michael, manages to railroad Rick into doing a fund-raiser to save their local library from closure. On top of it all, his daughter Sam has decided to get a tattoo done.

4. Idiot

First Broadcast: Thu 6th December 2007

Rick agrees to front a TV charity appeal for a worthy cause. Meanwhile, one of Mel's c-list celebrity clients, ex-ice skating champ Gina Therese, has a new series coming up. Rick scoffs at the idea of an ice-skater hosting a chat show - until he finds out that she wants him on as a guest. At home, Magda asks his advice on where to take her friend sightseeing when she comes over on a visit to England.

5. Sick

First Broadcast: Thu 13th December 2007

Mel is confined to bed with flu. Rick offers to field her work calls but soon finds himself spectacularly out of his depth. In any case, he would rather be working on Lying Or Flying, the game show idea that he and Marty are trying to pitch to a broadcaster. Magda too is ill, but insists on turning up with some of her special home-made soup for Mel.

Meanwhile, Michael is holding a Third World Awareness Day at his café, and Sam and Ben try to persuade Rick to buy a T-shirt for the same cause. But it's one of Mel's clients who provides Rick with the biggest headache.

6. Debacle

First Broadcast: Thu 20th December 2007

Rick hosts an event for a pharmaceutical company. His stand-up goes down surprisingly well, but some of his ill-advised gags have far-reaching consequences. Meanwhile, one of Mel's clients is presenting a new holiday show - What Not To Pack.

When Rick discovers that Michael the local café owner is going on a metal detecting weekend, he suggests he should be on the show. But Rick soon has bigger things to worry about, as he suddenly finds himself propelled into the spotlight - as public enemy number one.

7. Rita

First Broadcast: Wed 26th December 2007

Rick lands a cameo role in a film, appearing alongside a famous Hollywood legend. When it turns out that Michael's father is her biggest fan, Rick promises to get her autograph for him - a task that proves easier said than done.

Things at Mel's work are less glamorous - one of her clients is presenting a new series of Geriatric Ward. Meanwhile on the domestic front, things grind to a halt as Rick has to deal with a sluggish football-obsessed electrician.

8. Lucky

First Broadcast: Thu 3rd January 2008

Rick is even more fed-up than usual. He is sick and tired of doing endless corporate gigs. He accuses his writer Marty of lacking ambition. But a call from Hollywood changes everything. It looks like the big break has come at last - but will it mean the end of Rick and Marty's working relationship?

Meanwhile, one of Mel's clients is going through a divorce, Ben and Sam start their own dog-walking business, and even more alarmingly, Michael the café owner has started going to 'cuddle parties'. Could this really be Rick's chance to leave it all behind?

Series 3 (2008)

1. Gas

First Broadcast: Thu 13th November 2008

Mel announces that Magda is moving in with them until her boiler's fixed. Rick fears that it will become a permanent arrangement.

Meanwhile, Rick discovers a secret concerning Michael. He agonises over whether to tell him. When Rick and Mel are invited along to the opening night of Michael's new restaurant, it's a recipe for disaster.

2. Panda

First Broadcast: Thu 20th November 2008

Rick is invited to feature in a TV series that traces celebrities' family trees. When Marty asks him if they know that Rick Spleen is a stage name, we finally discover what Rick's real name is - and why it caused him so much misery at school.

But that's nothing compared to the pain that's in store for Rick when the researchers uncover the devastating truth about his ancestors.

Meanwhile, Magda is still waiting for her boiler to be fixed... and Rick is still waiting for her to move out!

3. Fax

First Broadcast: Thu 27th November 2008

Rick is a guest on a much-loved radio panel show - and manages to get the worst score of all time. He encounters more problems on the work front when his email system crashes and he has to find someone who still has a fax machine.

Meanwhile Sam has formed a band with Ben. Rick objects to their loud rehearsals, but when it looks like the imaginatively-named 'Ben and Sam' are about to achieve success, through their exposure on YouTube, he soon changes his tune.

4. Karma

First Broadcast: Thu 4th December 2008

A near-death experience makes Rick a changed man. From now on, he plans to embrace the positive and see only the good in people. His new attitude annoys Marty, who predicts it won't last. But Rick even manages to forgive Magda for selling some of his prized possessions at a car-boot sale, and when he lands the title role in a major TV drama, it looks like fate has rewarded him.

Meanwhile, life isn't all roses for Ben and Sam - they've finally decided to split up.

5. Spikey

First Broadcast: Thu 11th December 2008

Rick and Mel invited to the theatre by one of her clients. Rick's reluctance increases when he realises that the hit play they're about to see was written by an ex stand-up who used to appear on the same bill as him. But not even in his worst nightmares could Rick have imagined the humiliating way that the evening ends.

Meanwhile it's looking like Sam and Ben really have split up. Rick isn't that bothered - until it emerges that Sam has been seeing more of Spikey, who Rick describes as a walking biohazard.

6. Mistake

First Broadcast: Thu 18th December 2008

Mel has to run her agency from home while the office is done up and so Rick and Marty are banished to the kitchen. Rick complains at being disturbed by Magda's cleaning activities and by Ben and Sam, who are making samosas to sell at a free festival.

When Marty takes a shine to Mel's assistant Izzy, it's turning into a disaster for Rick - until he overhears Mel talking about a lucrative presenting job that one of her clients is up for. He decides that the job should be his.

Christmas Special: Nuts

First Broadcast: Tue 23rd December 2008

Rick is looking forward to spending a quiet Christmas at home with Mel. It will be a well-earned break from the challenging acting role he is currently immersed in - playing the part of Mr Smee in a panto. However, it soon turns into a Christmas that Rick will never forget - for all the wrong reasons.

In-Depth Episode Guide

Series 1 Series 2 Series 3