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Dead Boss
Dead Boss
Dead Boss
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Dead Boss
Created bySharon Horgan
Holly Walsh
StarringSharon Horgan
Jennifer Saunders
Bryony Hannah
Geoffrey McGivern
Tom Goodman-Hill
Lizzie Roper
Aisling Bea
Amanda Lawrence
Edward Hogg
Ricky Champ
Emma Pierson
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producersJo Sargent
Sharon Horgan
ProducerCaroline Norris
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC Three
Release14 June (2012-06-14) –
12 July 2012 (2012-07-12)

Dead Boss is a British sitcom which was shown on BBC Three in 2012.

Writing

[edit]

The writers, Sharon Horgan and Holly Walsh met through Jo Caulfield, a stand-up comedian who had a show on Radio 4. Horgan and Walsh both worked on the show, Horgan as an actress, and Walsh as a writer. It was Horgan who thought of writing a sitcom based on someone stuck in prison for a crime they did not commit. She asked Walsh if she wanted to work on it with her and the process from conception to broadcast took over two and a half years.[1]

Cast

[edit]

Episodes

[edit]
No.TitleOriginal release date
1"Episode one"14 June 2012 (2012-06-14)
Wrongly convicted and sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the murder of her boss Eric Bridges, Helen Stephens arrives at Broadmarsh Prison. She is convinced that it will be only a matter of time before her innocence is shown – only to find that many fellow prisoners take an instant dislike to her.
2"Episode two"14 June 2012 (2012-06-14)
Life is made more bearable for Helen when Governor Margaret announces the annual prison quiz – promising prizes of a tin of biscuits, a supersize bottle of conditioner and 5 years off the winner's sentence. Helen is forced into being on Top Dog's team, causing trouble for her friends.
3"Episode three"21 June 2012 (2012-06-21)
Christine has been sent to Germany on a prison exchange. Helen is instructed by prison governor Margaret to look after their German guest Gertrude Wermers (Anna Crilly), a cannibal.
4"Episode four"28 June 2012 (2012-06-28)
Frustrated with the lack of progress with her appeal, Helen takes matters into her own hands and decides to study the law.
5"Episode five"5 July 2012 (2012-07-05)
Governor Margaret announces the annual prison choir competition. Helen is certain to be made lead vocalist until the surprise appearance of Virna (Caroline Quentin).
6"Episode six"12 July 2012 (2012-07-12)
Helen is moved to D Wing, much to Christine's dismay, where she is then befriended by forger Jo (Miranda Richardson). Jo reveals that she forged a passport for Eric – after he was supposedly murdered.

The series ended with many unresolved storylines and Helen no nearer to being released. For example, her former fiancé has still not visited her in prison, nor explained his disappearance. We do not know what happened to the winning lottery money, why Helen's boss needed a forged passport, nor who is the owner of the body in the storage locker that we see in the final few minutes of episode 6.

Reception

[edit]

The series received mixed reviews. It holds a rating of 6.7/10 at the Internet Movie Database.

Terry Ramsey of The Daily Telegraph gave the series a rating of 3.5/5. He stated that "at the start, this looked like another trying-hard-to-be-wacky-without-actually-being-very-funny BBC Three comedy, but by halfway through the first episode it got into its stride, with succinct characterisation, sly humour and a winning main character. On top of the humour there’s a murder mystery developing, plus a fine cameo role by Jennifer Saunders as the prison governor. I watched the second instalment that followed, and really enjoyed it. I can’t stop now, and am desperate for another episode."[2]

Jack Seale of The Radio Times gave the series a negative review, saying "Popular as it now is, this "everyone except the main character is a loon" approach feels like a way to con us out of the 3D creations that are hard to write but keep us coming back. Dead Boss also has an ongoing story arc – again this is in vogue at the expense of giving each episode a tight, resolved plot. You wonder whether this is really because it works better or because writers have lost the knack of setting two or three stories running and then reining them in again 28 minutes later. The story of who really killed Helen's boss is too silly to be believable, but not silly enough for that to stop mattering. Nothing in Dead Boss feels like it actually exists. If a joke falls flat, it's hard to ignore because there's nothing else there. Of course it's possible to do comedy that doesn't have any truth or soul if the jokes are outlandishly good but, despite a superb cast, Dead Boss struggles to reinvent incompetent lawyers, meat-headed screws and disgusting prison food. Horgan and new writing partner Holly Walsh's gags don't have their own fresh voice: episode two had a creaking crack at wordplay involving the phrase "plan B" and the words "you" and "see"; a scene where Helen's absurdly creepy stalker had been masturbating in his office led exactly where you thought it might. Pulling had heart and guts. Dead Boss feels hollow."[3]

Sam Wollaston also gave the show a negative review. She said the show was "pretty lame – and tame [...]. I wanted to like it, but couldn't. So I ignored it. Perhaps it needed time to bed in (pah!), and would get into its stride in week two. I told myself I was giving it a chance by deferring judgment, when of course I was really simply bottling it."[4]

Ket Watson of the Metro gave a negative review, in which he stated that "Dead Boss was enticing enough with its stellar cast, excellent writing credentials and intriguing premise, but in the event, this début episode was more Dead Loss than anything else." He also said that "Throttled by a cast of supporting characters cobbled together from left over bits of Psychoville and Prisoner Cell Block H, Dead Boss boasted bonkers eccentricity by the slop-out bucketload but none of it felt remotely original", and "At the centre of it all there’s Horgan, working her socks off as the 'normal' one. But she’s fighting a losing battle, because the script is a bit of a stinker – and she co-wrote it. This is hard to admit for a Horgan fan but thus far Dead Boss is a bit of a dead loss."[5]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Dead Boss

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Dead Boss is a British sitcom television series that premiered on BBC Three on 14 June 2012. Created and written by Sharon Horgan and Holly Walsh, the show centers on Helen Stephens, portrayed by Horgan, who is falsely convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison for the murder of her boss, Eric Bridges, the managing director of the company Entirely Tiles. Set primarily in Broadmarsh Prison, the series blends comedy with a murder mystery element as Helen navigates quirky inmates, an incompetent legal system, and conspiracies aimed at keeping her incarcerated, all while documenting her ordeal in letters to a Death Row pen pal. Directed by Steve Bendelack, Dead Boss features a cast including Jennifer Saunders as Helen's parole officer, Bryony Hannah, Geoffrey McGivern, Tom Goodman-Hill, and Aisling Bea. The single series comprises six episodes, each approximately 30 minutes long, and received mixed reviews for its sharp humor and unconventional prison setting, earning an IMDb rating of 6.4 out of 10 based on over 670 user votes. Filmed at 3 Mills Studios and Wimbledon Studios in London, the program was not renewed for a second season, leaving the central mystery unresolved.

Overview

Premise

Dead Boss is a dark comedy series that follows Helen Stephens, a timid office worker at the tile company Entirely Tiles, who is wrongly convicted of murdering her boss, Eric Bridges, the company's managing director, and sentenced to 12 years in Broadmarsh Prison. Upon entering the prison, Helen immediately encounters the rigid hierarchies and social intricacies among the inmates, including the influence of the "Top Dog" and tensions with figures like her nemesis Mary. Throughout her incarceration, Helen's incompetence in handling everyday prison tasks—such as laundry duties or navigating cell block protocols—leads to a series of comedic mishaps, exacerbating her struggles to adapt to the harsh environment. She forms fragile alliances, including relying on letters to her Death Row pen pal Maurice for emotional support and documentation of her case, while clashing with rivals like the boss's widow, Mrs. Bridges, who benefits from Helen's imprisonment. Despite these obstacles, Helen remains determined to investigate and expose the real killer, convinced that uncovering the truth will lead to her exoneration. The narrative setup delves into themes of systemic injustice and personal survival, using the absurdities of prison bureaucracy and interpersonal conflicts to generate dark humor, as Helen's quest for highlights the ridiculousness of her wrongful and the conspiratorial forces seemingly arrayed against her. Prior to her arrest, Helen's life was marked by mundane office drudgery at Entirely Tiles, a stark contrast to the chaos she now faces behind bars.

Broadcast

Dead Boss premiered on BBC Three on 14 June 2012, with the first two episodes airing back-to-back, followed by the remaining episodes airing weekly on Thursdays until the series concluded on 12 July 2012. The series consisted of six 30-minute episodes and was produced as an original for . Initially available only through its UK broadcast, the show later became accessible internationally via streaming on platforms such as Prime Video.

Production

Development

Dead Boss was developed by Sharon Horgan and Holly Walsh, who co-wrote all six episodes of the series. Horgan initially conceived the central concept of a woman wrongfully imprisoned for murdering her boss, drawing inspiration from classic prison dramas while aiming to subvert their serious tone with sharp, character-driven humor. The writing duo's close collaboration emphasized authentic dialogue and the absurdities of prison life as a metaphor for workplace dysfunction, ensuring the scripts balanced a overarching whodunit mystery with self-contained episodic comedy. The development process began in late , spanning over 2.5 years from initial scripting sessions at Horgan's kitchen table to the in 2012. Horgan and Walsh's partnership, which had been building for several years through prior work, allowed for an iterative writing approach where they honed the tone through multiple drafts and external feedback, prioritizing relatable character dynamics over heavy . Research included reviewing documentaries and consulting a former inmate to ground the bureaucratic elements in realism, though the focus remained on comedic exaggeration rather than accuracy. The production team was led by executive producers Jo Sargent and , with Caroline Norris serving as producer under In-House Comedy Productions. This structure facilitated a dark style that parodied the rigid hierarchies and petty politics of institutional environments, inspired by shows like Prisoner: Cell Block H but reimagined through a lens of irreverent humor to highlight the protagonists' frustrations within the system.

Casting

Sharon Horgan was cast in the lead role of , the protagonist wrongly imprisoned for murder, as she co-created and co-wrote the series alongside , bringing her established comedic style from previous works like Pulling to the character. Horgan's involvement in the project's allowed her to embody the role's mix of frustration and resilience from the outset. Jennifer Saunders was selected for the role of Governor Margaret, the prison's authoritarian and eccentric leader, after creators Horgan and Walsh identified her as their ideal choice for the part, praising her ability to deliver sharp, commanding humor. The team actively pursued Saunders, describing themselves as becoming "obsessed" with her once she agreed, and even adjusted elements of the script to suit her distinctive voice and presence. For supporting roles, was chosen as Christine, Helen's dim-witted cellmate, following an extensive audition process involving around 500 actresses; producers highlighted her inherent charm and comedic flair as key factors in her selection. portrayed Tony, Helen's lawyer, contributing to the ensemble's dynamic with his experienced timing in ensemble comedies. played Tim, one of the prison guards, adding reliability to the supporting staff portrayals through his versatile dramatic background. Guest appearances featured emerging British comedy talents such as as Laura in multiple episodes, as Mary, and Ricky Champ as Frank, selected to inject fresh energy and variety into the one-off scenarios while maintaining the series' focus on sharp, character-driven humor. These choices emphasized a blend of established and up-and-coming performers to enhance the show's comedic texture without overshadowing the core narrative.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Sharon Horgan portrays , the series' protagonist, an innocent office worker wrongly convicted and sentenced to 12 years in Broadmarsh Prison for the murder of her boss, Eric Bridges. Helen's naivety and persistent efforts to prove her innocence drive the central narrative amid the prison's chaotic environment. Jennifer Saunders plays Governor Margaret, the eccentric and manipulative warden of Broadmarsh Prison who oversees the inmates with a mix of authority and whimsy. Her character often complicates Helen's appeals process while enforcing rules in unpredictable ways. Bryony Hannah stars as Christine, Helen's cellmate and an emotionally disturbed arsonist who forms an obsessive attachment to her new roommate, providing both support and comedic tension through her gentle yet unstable demeanor. Christine's over-familiarity and quirky behaviors highlight the interpersonal dynamics within the . Geoffrey McGivern appears as Tony, Helen's incompetent lawyer specializing in workplace injury claims, whose hapless efforts to assist her appeal frequently backfire due to his lack of expertise and self-interest. Tony's recurring incompetence underscores the external obstacles to Helen's .

Supporting cast

The supporting cast of Dead Boss features a range of secondary and recurring characters who populate the chaotic world of Broadmarsh Prison, contributing to the series' blend of dark comedy and ensemble dynamics. Lizzie Roper plays Top Dog, a tough inmate and rival to Helen Stephens, whose confrontational presence heightens tensions within the prison hierarchy. and Ricky Champ portray Tim and Frank, bumbling prison guards whose ineptitude frequently leads to humorous mishaps and complicates the inmates' schemes. Additional characters include as Laura—Helen's opportunistic sister who visits and exploits her situation—and as Mary, a fellow involved in various rivalries, appear across episodes to drive episodic conflicts and underscore the interpersonal drama among the incarcerated women. These roles emphasize the self-serving and absurd behaviors that amplify the show's satirical take on life. Guest appearances further expand the narrative, with as Mrs. Bridges, who aids in investigative subplots tied to the central murder mystery, and other inmates like as Fatty adding to the ensemble. Collectively, the supporting ensemble provides through exaggerated archetypes, generates ongoing conflicts that propel Helen's quest for , and builds out the gritty, idiosyncratic environment central to the series' tone.

Episodes

Series overview

Dead Boss is a British sitcom that aired as a single six-episode mini-series on BBC Three, with each episode approximately 30 minutes in length, resulting in a total runtime of about three hours. Produced by BBC In-House Comedy Productions, the series was filmed primarily at 3 Mills Studios and Wimbledon Studios in London to simulate the prison setting of HMP Broadmarsh. No second series was commissioned following its initial run. The episodes form a continuous narrative arc, beginning with the protagonist's entry into the prison system and adaptation to its routines, building progressively toward the investigation and pursuit of evidence to establish her innocence, and reaching a climactic resolution in the finale. It was broadcast on starting with episodes 1 and 2 on 14 June 2012 and continuing weekly until 12 July 2012.

Episode list

The first and only series of Dead Boss comprises six episodes, which aired on BBC Three from 14 June to 12 July 2012. All episodes were directed by and written by and . Detailed viewership figures for individual episodes are not publicly available. The following table lists the episodes with their original air dates and brief synopses.
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateSynopsis
1, 14 June 2012Helen Stephens is convicted of murdering her boss, Bridges, and sentenced to 12 years. She faces challenges and seeks an from Justin.
2, 14 June 2012Tony is warned off Helen’s case but persists. A quiz offers sentence reduction, but Helen’s team loses. Henry investigates a lead.
3, 21 June 2012Helen manages a cannibal cellmate. Elaine takes over Entirely Tiles, causing tension. Henry and Mary uncover ’s .
4, 28 June 2012Helen prepares her appeal and reconciles Top Dog’s posse. Tony infiltrates Entirely Tiles, catching Mrs. Bridges and Mary.
5, 5 July 2012Helen competes in a contest but loses to a professional. Elaine questions Helen about stolen money. Tony shadows Henry.
6, 12 July 2012Helen learns may be alive. Laura pushes Justin for an . Henry finds a body in a lock-up.

Reception

Critical reception

Dead Boss received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its dark comedy elements and strong performances while criticizing its reliance on familiar prison tropes and uneven writing. The series was lauded for its gleeful absurdity and the standout performance of Jennifer Saunders as the prison governor Margaret, with Time Out noting her "game" portrayal in the psychologically suspect role. Sharon Horgan's lead performance as the relatable yet hapless Helen Stephens was also highlighted for bringing weight through her characteristic bravado, reminiscent of her work in Pulling, according to Radio Times. Critics found the humor inventive at times, with Metro UK describing the script as "sharp" and the tone "darkly comic," particularly in its take on and life. However, others pointed to a lack of originality, with calling the plot "too silly to be believable" yet not absurd enough to fully embrace its premise, resulting in a "hollow" feel compared to more grounded comedies. The show was accused of being derivative, leaning heavily on prison clichés like cartoonish and predictable gags, as noted in Dan's Media Digest, which described the scripts as weak and jokes as sign-posted. described it as "old-fashioned, unadventurous and... unfunny," suggesting it fell short of the creators' previous successes. Aggregate scores reflected this divide, with user reviews on IMDb averaging 6.4 out of 10 based on 673 ratings, indicating moderate appreciation for its lighthearted silliness despite flaws. Professional outlets like Metro UK and Time Out leaned positive around 3 to 4 out of 5 stars, while others such as Radio Times and The Guardian averaged lower, contributing to an overall mixed reception averaging approximately 3 out of 5 stars across reviews.

Viewership

The debut episode of Dead Boss, aired on 14 June , drew 500,000 viewers on , marking it as the most-watched multichannel programme in its 10:30 PM slot. The following week's double bill saw the second episode attract 480,000 viewers, while the third episode dipped to 421,000. These figures, sourced from BARB overnight ratings, reflect a typical performance for 's original in , which rarely exceeded 500,000 amid the channel's broader audience decline. The first three episodes averaged around 467,000 viewers. In comparison, contemporary BBC Three hit Bad Education premiered with 830,000 viewers later that year, highlighting Dead Boss's more modest reach. This performance did not secure a second series, as BBC Three's commissioning priorities shifted amid ongoing ratings challenges under controller Zai Bennett. Post-broadcast, streaming views on BBC iPlayer remained minimal, with no significant data reported, and the show's viewership did not contribute to any major awards or renewals.

References

  1. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/dead_boss/
  2. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2201416/
  3. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/dead_boss/cast_crew/
  4. https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/61884-dead-boss
  5. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/dead-boss-bbc3-review/
  6. https://thetvdb.com/series/dead-boss
  7. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00t3m16
  8. https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Boss/dp/B088YQ44JJ
  9. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/dead_boss/interviews/holly_walsh_2012/
  10. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/06/18/dead-boss-sharon-horgan-a_n_1604882.html
  11. http://www.gigglebeats.co.uk/features/interviews/interview-dead-boss-co-creator-holly-walsh/
  12. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2012/24/dead-boss
  13. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2201416/fullcredits/
  14. https://cultbox.co.uk/interviews/exclusives/holly-walsh-dead-boss-interview
  15. https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a387013/dead-boss-creators-begged-jennifer-saunders-for-role/
  16. https://metro.co.uk/2012/06/14/dead-boss-producers-we-begged-jennifer-saunders-to-be-on-the-show-466980/
  17. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2201416/fullcredits
  18. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kg9qb
  19. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/1G69kPBb3mcMYgpvw57T6V9/helen
  20. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/2PKrBJ9BGYsckfMCkbbl5fb/christine
  21. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/xn9KdnpHgV80TJQsFN3Zzp/tony
  22. https://cultbox.co.uk/reviews/episodes/dead-boss-series-1-episodes-1-and-2-review
  23. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2201416/episodes/?season=1
  24. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/dead_boss/press/
  25. https://metro.co.uk/2012/06/14/dead-boss-series-1-episode-1-tv-review-467103/
  26. http://danowen.blogspot.com/2012/06/review-dead-boss-episode-one-two.html
  27. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/jun/21/marco-pierre-whites-kitchen-wars
  28. https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/bbc3s-dead-boss-debuts-with-500k/5043356.article
  29. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/848/bbc_three_ratings_continue_to_slide/
  30. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/882/jack_whitehall_sitcom_bad_education_good_ratings/
  31. https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-viewing-summary/
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