Lunch Monkeys. Image shows from L to R: Darrel Wadsworth (Chris Hannon), Kenny Graham (Christian Foster), Shelley Benson (Rachel Rae), Asif Khan (Abdullah Afzal), Tania Macguire (Jessica Hall). Image credit: Channel K.

Lunch Monkeys

Another series of this comedy due to follow.

Sitcom about the misadventures of an admin team at a 'no win no fee' law firm in Manchester. Piloted in 2008 as 'Admin'

AKA:
Admin (Pilot)
Genre:
Sitcom
Broadcast:
2008 - 2009  (BBC Three)
Episodes:
7 (pilot + 1 series)
Starring:
Abdullah Afzal, Chris Hannon, Christian Foster, Jessica Hall, Rachel Rae, Sian Reeves, Kulvinder Ghir, Nigel Havers, Steve John Shepherd, Camilla Beeput, Michael Taylor
Writers:
David Isaac
Production:
Channel K
& British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Sitcom following the misadventures of the admin team at Manchester-based law firm Fox Carter & Co.

Straight out of school into a job they don't want, Darrel, Kenny, Asif, Shelley and Tania are looked down on by the solicitors they work for. All they want is to kill seven hours a day and earn a bit of cash. Their team leader, Gloria, has been at the company for years. She thinks she runs the place, but in reality she drives everyone mad, particularly Mike the long-suffering Supervising Solicitor.

Darrel wants to be Mike's right hand man; Gloria wants to be his right hand woman. Mike just wants the post to go out on time... dream on!

In the pilot episode, titled 'Admin', a promotion was up for grabs which divided the team. Asif pretended to be a hotshot lawyer to his Dad (when really he's just chief photocopier) and Tania revealed she is pregnant - but which of the legal team is the father?

Meanwhile indie kid Kenny scuppers his chances with jazz-loving brief Lee Ann, following an unfortunate altercation with a saxophone.

In the full series - due later in the year - Nigel Havers will play Mike Cranford, the firm's owner. As far as Gloria is concerned, he is the glamour and power of the law courts personified. As Gloria strives to be recognised and rewarded for her role in the company she is continually let down by her team of teenage wasters... and through her own lack of professionalism. Hotshot solicitor Charlie (Steve John Shepherd) is Tania's misguided romantic interest and lovelorn Kenny's nemesis.

Our Review: This pilot had a nice idea behind it, however it didn't particularly please the viewers or critics who saw it... however BBC Three have decided to give it a full series and pump additional talent (including Psychoville director Matt Lipsey) into the project. The six new episodes will arrive on screen later in the year.