Being Eileen (2011)

Genre

sitcom, drama television series

Country

United Kingdom

Length

1 season, 6 episodes

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

The show follows a widowed mother named Eileen Lewis and her large, close but messy family in northern England. It started with a Christmas special about a trip to Lapland and then became a series about their everyday lives in Birkenhead.

warmfunnygentlegroundedfamily-orientedbittersweetunderstated

What happens

Being Eileen is a BBC comedy-drama which began as a six-part series on 4 February and ended on 11 March 2013. It began as a one-off Christmas special titled Lapland, broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 24 December 2011. A full series was later announced, with the title Being Eileen, consisting of six 30 minute episodes, due to the success of the single episode, which was viewed by 6.9 million viewers upon its original airing. The series also aired on BBC Two as part of Sign Zone, which features sign language throughout. The series was released on DVD on 1 April 2013. The series, written by Michael Wynne, features an ensemble cast. Headed by Sue Johnston, who plays Eileen Lewis, the programme focuses on her, the widowed matriarch of a "large, close-knit and dysfunctional Northern family". The single episode focused on the family's visit to Lapland, whilst the series focuses on their life in Birkenhead. Elizabeth Berrington and Stephen Graham (later recast to Dean Andrews) play Eileen's children, whilst William Ash and Julie Graham play their partners. All the cast - Johnston, Berrington, Ash, Graham and Keith Barron - a love interest for Eileen - returned for the series, with the exceptions of Stephen Graham and Zawe Ashton, who played Jingle Jill. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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