Spark (TV series)

Spark is British television sitcom that was first broadcast on BBC One from 10 November to 15 December 1997. Written by Roy Clarke, the six-episode series starred James Fleet, Jan Francis, Anne Reid, Brigit Forsyth and Rebecca Raybone.

Premise

Following the death of his mother, mild-mannered computer expert Ashley Parkerwell finds himself free to experience life and romance. Although already in a relationship with Gillian Wells, who is determined to marry him due to the urging of her mother, Ashley does not love her. With the help of his sister-in-law, Colette, and housekeeper Mrs Rudge, Ashley embarks on a series of dates to find a prospective partner.

Cast

Main

James Fleet as Ashley Parkerwell
Jan Francis as Colette Parkerwell
Anne Reid as Mrs Rudge
Brigit Forsyth as Mrs Wells
Rebecca Raybone as Gillian Wells

Recurring

Alistair McGowan as Mike Parkerwell
Julia Deakin as Ursula Craig
Carla Mendonça as Beth

Episodes

The series was broadcast at 8:30 pm on BBC One. It has never been repeated since its first broadcast run.

Production

The series was one of Roy Clarke's final television sitcoms, written at the same time Clarke was writing Last of the Summer Wine.

Reception

The series was unsuccessful with the public and only lasted one series. The Independent's Thomas Sutcliffe drew comparisons between the series and the Woody Allen comedy film Play It Again, Sam. Sutcliffe noted that Ashley's character is similar to the "klutzy but lovable sexual incompetent" Allen character, while Colette is similar to the Diane Keaton character, who attempts to help Ashley with his relationships. However, Sutcliffe noted that, despite the similarities, Ashley's character "seems to have a mental age of six" which causes viewers to "feel almost embarrassed to be in his company".
Marcus Berkmann, writing in The Spectator, was critical of Spark's premise, describing it as being an "old idea" that was "more grizzled" than the elderly characters in Last of the Summer Wine, the sitcom Roy Clarke was writing at the same time. Berkmann also criticised the "awful stereotypical" brother of Ashley, the several "allegedly hilarious" scrapes that Ashley finds himself in, and the bland minor characters, "northern grotesques who ramble on incessantly to fill time before the next scrape".
Mark Lewisohn, writing in the Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy, praised James Fleet's and Jan Francis's performances in the series, but noted that the plot "moved with the stately pace of the hearse that took away Ashley's mother in the opening episode". Though acknowledging that the series was "bittersweet" and "full of typically colourful Roy Clarke dialogue", Lewisohn noted that the series was "short on belly laughs and long on whimsy and artful observation".