Absolute Power is a British comedy series, set in the offices of Prentiss McCabe, a fictional public relations company (or 'government-media relations consultancy') in London, run by Charles Prentiss (Stephen Fry), and Martin McCabe (John Bird). The word comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humor with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... // Publicity according to etymonline. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, writer, actor, novelist, filmmaker, journalist and television personality. ... John Bird (born 22 November 1936) is an English satirist, actor and comedian. ...

It started in 2000 as a Radio series on BBC Radio 4, with the fourth and final series (to date) broadcast in 2004. A six part television series ran on BBC Two, towards the end of 2003; the second six-episode television series ran on BBC2 on Thursdays at 10 p.m. from 21st July - 25th August 2005. A one-off radio episode was broadcast on 3rd November 2006. Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Its name is taken from a quote by the historian Lord Acton that "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, KCVO (10 January 1834 – 19 June 1902), commonly known as simply Lord Acton, was an English historian, the only son of Sir Ferdinand Dalberg-Acton, 7th Baronet and grandson of the Neapolitan admiral, Sir John Acton, 6th Baronet. ...

Radio version

The series was devised and written by Mark Tavener, and logically follows the series In the Red, In the Balance, In the Chair, and In the End which he wrote with Peter Baynham. In some of these, Prentiss and McCabe (again played by Bird and Fry) are elevated members of the BBC, before getting kicked out. The idea is that after this they created Prentiss McCabe, which is the subject of Absolute Power. The tone and style of Absolute Power is so different from the In the... series that it can be regarded as a totally different programme. It was produced by Dawn Ellis. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Absolute Power is a British comedy series, set in the offices of Prentiss McCabe, a fictional public relations company (or government-media relations consultancy) in London, run by Charles Prentiss (Stephen Fry), and Martin McCabe (John Bird). ... Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, writer, actor, novelist, filmmaker, journalist and television personality. ... There have been several well-known people named John Bird, including: John Bird (actor) John Bird (astronomer) John Bird (politician) ... Siobhan Hayes is an actress best known for the character of Abi Harper, a dumbwitted and clumsy student in the British sitcom My Family. ... Tony Gardner (born January 10, 1964 in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside) is an English actor and qualified doctor. ... Tamsin Greig (IPA pronunciation ), born 12 July 1966)[1] is an English actress best known for her comedy performances. ... Alex Lowe is an English actor and comedian, who also plays the character known as Barry from Watford. // He was born in London in 1968 and grew up in Pinner, Middlesex. ... Mark Tavener (died October 18, 2007) was a British novelist who has also written for radio and television. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mark Tavener (died October 18, 2007) was a British novelist who has also written for radio and television. ... In the Red is a 1989 novel by Mark Tavener, a black comedy revolving around murder, finance, and intrigue in the halls of the BBC. Ironically, it has been successfully adapted for both radio and television by the BBC. In 1995, it was adapted for radio by Taverner and Peter... Peter Baynham is a British comedy writer and perfomer born in Cardiff, Wales. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ...

Prentiss is a man without morals, whose only objectives are money and power. He is portrayed as being the brains, while McCabe, though an excellent speech-writer, lacks his motivation and insight. McCabe's ambitions include retiring and drinking claret, and he spends his life in a state of cynicism, lack of energy and boredom. McCabe (who describes himself as "a first class mind") does sometimes have good ideas, but they usually become Prentiss' ideas by the time they are presented to the client, and he lacks the energy to make more than mild objections. McCabe is also more likely to balk at a scheme for moral reasons than Prentiss. Claret is a name used in English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France, along the valleys of the rivers Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne, including Medoc, Graves and St Emilion. ...

Stephen Fry said of Charles Prentiss, "He's a brute of a man, out to win, with no morals, he's completely shameless. There's not much to say that's nice about him, except that there is some pleasure in watching a natural born killer at work and knowing whatever happens he will win."

They often find themselves working on behalf of two rival clients, one of whom is often the shadier side of the Labour Government, often called their "Downing Street Retainer". This is usually something of an inconvenience as Prentiss is met by Archie Hilditch (Tony Gardner, Alex Lowe), a faceless member of the Government, in a deserted location (such as Frank Dobson's campaign headquarters), and told he needs to ruin the popularity of the organisation that he has spent half the programme building. For example, in one episode they're employed by the government to increase the popularity of the European Union, while also being employed by the Eurosceptic newspaper The Sun to increase sales. It is probably a good thing in the end, as the firm relies on these payments since neither Prentiss nor McCabe seems to want to do any real work. The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... Tony Gardner (born January 10, 1964 in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside) is an English actor and qualified doctor. ... Alex Lowe is an English actor and comedian, who also plays the character known as Barry from Watford. // He was born in London in 1968 and grew up in Pinner, Middlesex. ... The Right Honourable Frank Gordon Dobson (born March 15, 1940) is a British politician and member of Parliament for Holborn and St. ... Euroscepticism is scepticism about, or disagreement with, the purposes of the European Union, sometimes coupled with a desire to preserve national sovereignty. ... This article is about a British tabloid. ...

The third member of the company is Sandy (Siobhan Hayes), who is there as the office trainee, getting work experience for her NVQ level 2. She usually does all the work that the partners in the firm cannot be bothered to do, such as filling out thousands of public opinion polls in different handwritings, though she will only agree to do something if it can be twisted into one of the 'nine levels of competence' of her NVQ. Another member of the office is the useless Clive (Tom George) or as Martin calls him, 'young, er, thing', who often turns publicity stunts into bloodbaths. He first appears in series three, after Sandy leaves the company to become a nurse (although due to her fiddling with the accounts, she still gets paid). Siobhan Hayes is an actress best known for the character of Abi Harper, a dumbwitted and clumsy student in the British sitcom My Family. ... National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are vocational awards in England & Wales (In Scotland they are known as Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ)) that are achieved through assessment and training. ... Thomas Tom George is a Republican politician from the State of Michigan. ...

Another regular character is Maurice, the waiter at McCabe's club. Each time he serves McCabe's claret, he corrects the English pronunciation of Maurice (Morris) to the French (Maur-ees), and each time Prentiss puts him down with a verse like "One man by circumstance is in splendour set; whilst another irons pants in a laundrette. Go and iron my pants, Morris." The noted gentlemans Reform Club A Gentlemens club is a members club originally designed for male members of the English upper class. ...

In series 1, one of the running jokes is the company trying to avoid working on, "The Sir Harold Dixon Account." Although never heard, it is known that he is a Conservative politician. As the series goes on, and Sandy becomes more frustrated, she moves jobs in the last episode and starts working for Sir Harold. However, after allegations of sleaze, Sir Harold is made bankrupt and Sandy returns to Prentiss McCabe. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ...

In series 2, another character was created, Gayle Shand, played by Tamsin Greig. Gayle was a former employee of Prentiss McCabe and Charles's former girlfriend, and who she had a heavily sexual relationship with (they often made love whilst listening to classical music). However, the relationship fell apart after Gayle told Charles that she already married to an insect specialist from Philadelphia. She now runs a rival firm to Prentiss McCabe, which is a much larger company, and is often trying to win Archie's contract, or is the agent of a rival client to Prentiss McCabe's current one. For example, whilst Charles and Martin work for the PM via Archie, Gayle is the spin doctor for the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Prentiss McCabe always come up with a plan to keep Archie on their side, despite Gayle's attempts to stop them, even trying to make Charles a partner in her firm. Tamsin Greig (IPA pronunciation ), born 12 July 1966)[1] is an English actress best known for her comedy performances. ... For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister responsible for all economic and financial matters. ...

Also introduced was her assistant, Janice, who suspected that Gayle's personal rivalry with Charles did not lead to the best decisions.

In the last episode of series 2, Gayle was leaving for America, and made one last bet with Charles. She bet her company against Charles's testicles that he could not make the Home Secretary say, "Prison doesn't work." Despite Charles's best attempts, Gayle won because she bribed the Home Secretary, as she was having an affair with someone in the Home Office. Luckily, she called off the bet providing Charles could make love to her to the tune of the 1812 overture. Charles managed to get his own back however, by planting some Class A Drugs in her suitcase as she left for America. Charles however, may still have some feelings for her, and sometimes reminisces about their relationship. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ... The 1812 Overture (full title: Festival Overture The Year 1812 in E flat major, Op. ...

A one-off special episode was broadcast on the 3rd November 2006, with Tony Gardner playing Archie. In the special, Martin goes to jail for seven years for fraud (having been implicated in the Cash for Peerages scandal). Archie, who has left New Labour, then blackmails Charles into giving him a job in order to prevent any more embarrassing information getting out about the company. Cash for Peerages (also Loans for Peerages, Cash for Honours, Loans for Honours) is the name given by some in the media to a political scandal in the United Kingdom in 2006 and 2007 concerning the connection between political donations and the award of life peerages. ...

However, Charles soon learns that in fact Archie has framed both Martin and himself, with the assistance of Martin's girlfriend, and they are planning to take over Prentiss McCabe. After Charles finds proof, Archie goes to jail and Martin gets released, but as he has been moved to an open prison, he does not feel like leaving too soon.

The radio series is sometimes repeated on BBC 7 as part of their, "Comedy Club." These repeats are some of the most listened shows on BBC Radio, attracting over 70,000 listeners a week.[1] BBC Radio 7 is a digital radio station broadcasting comedy, drama, and childrens programming 24 hours a day. ...

Hutton Report

The first episode of series 4 was controversially edited because of references to the Hutton Report. The word "lying" was cut from Prentiss's line: "There's nothing Prentiss McCabe can teach this Prime Minister about deception, manipulation and lying, Except how to do it properly." [2][3] Lord Hutton led the inquiry that concluded that Dr. David Kelly had taken his own life. ...

TV series

Absolute Power
Series title card
Genre	Comedy Satire
Created by	Mark Tavener
Directed by	John Morton Tristram Shapeero
Starring	Stephen Fry John Bird James Lance Zoe Telford Sally Bretton Nick Burns
Composer(s)	Ben Bartlett
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	12
Production
Executive producer(s)	Jon Plowman
Producer(s)	Paul Schlesinger
Running time	approx. 29 mins. per episode
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC Two
Original run	10 November 2003 – 25 August 2005
Chronology
Related shows	In the Red
External links
IMDb profile

The television series was written by Guy Andrews, Mark Lawson and Andrew Rattenbury, and had the tag "spin is dead, long live PR". Unlike most radio to TV sitcom transfers, none of the TV episodes was based on radio episodes. There are many differences to the radio version. Prentiss McCabe is a much more powerful and respected organisation than in the radio series. Martin McCabe is no longer at all naive and is much more worldly wise. The secret meetings with government representatives are gone and replaced with more cups of coffee with newspaper editors and private secretaries. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The word comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humor with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... Mark Tavener (died October 18, 2007) was a British novelist who has also written for radio and television. ... This article is about the 15th century English Bishop, for other uses see John Morton (disambiguation). ... Tristram or Tristam Shapeero is a British director of television comedies, including Brass Eye, Smack the Pony and Green Wing. ... Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, writer, actor, novelist, filmmaker, journalist and television personality. ... There have been several well-known people named John Bird, including: John Bird (actor) John Bird (astronomer) John Bird (politician) ... James Lance is a British actor who is best known for his appearances in a string of British comedy series, usually playing young and attractive characters with a mischievous side. ... Zoe Telford is a British actress who has appeared in several television programmes including Absolute Power, Teachers, Agatha Christies Poirot and The Golden Hour. External Links imdb entry She also has appeared in several films including the Summer 2005 Woody Allen film Matchpoint set in London, in which she... Sally Bretton (born 23 April 1980) is an English actress best known for appearing in television programmes including Absolute Power, Channel 4 comedy Green Wing (playing Kim Alabaster) and BBC comedy The Office // Bretton is 54 tall with green eyes and brown hair. ... Nicholas Burns is a comic actor best known for playing Nathan Barley in the show of the same name, as well as playing Nick Mayer in television series Absolute Power. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Jon Plowman has been executive producer responsible for sitcoms at the BBC since 1994. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the Red is a 1989 novel by Mark Tavener, a black comedy revolving around murder, finance, and intrigue in the halls of the BBC. Ironically, it has been successfully adapted for both radio and television by the BBC. In 1995, it was adapted for radio by Taverner and Peter... Guy Andrews is a British television writer who has written for television programmes including Absolute Power, Agatha Christies Poirot, and Chancer. External Links imdb entry Category: ... Mark Lawson (born April 11, 1962) is a British journalist, broadcaster and author. ... Andrew Rattenbury is a British television writer who has written for several television programmes including Absolute Power, Monarch of the Glen, Casualty, Holby City, Teachers and Peak Practice. External links Andrew Rattenbury at the Internet Movie Database Categories: ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... // Publicity according to etymonline. ...

While the radio series has one trainee, the TV version has several young professionals working at the agency. Most notable are Jamie Front (James Lance) and Alison Jackman (Zoe Telford). While Jamie is a brilliant liar and naturally devious, Alison is very intelligent but too honest and somewhat literal-minded. Charles Prentiss said of her, "Most of the young people here at Prentiss McCabe don't know their arse from their elbow, but with Alison, at least you know she'll join the Royal Arse Society and get a book about elbows from the library." Also in the firm are Cat Durnford (Sally Bretton), the young party girl, and Nick Mayer (Nick Burns), Charles' personal assistant. James Lance is a British actor who is best known for his appearances in a string of British comedy series, usually playing young and attractive characters with a mischievous side. ... Zoe Telford is a British actress who has appeared in several television programmes including Absolute Power, Teachers, Agatha Christies Poirot and The Golden Hour. External Links imdb entry She also has appeared in several films including the Summer 2005 Woody Allen film Matchpoint set in London, in which she... Sally Bretton (born 23 April 1980) is an English actress best known for appearing in television programmes including Absolute Power, Channel 4 comedy Green Wing (playing Kim Alabaster) and BBC comedy The Office // Bretton is 54 tall with green eyes and brown hair. ... Nicholas Burns is a comic actor best known for playing Nathan Barley in the show of the same name, as well as playing Nick Mayer in television series Absolute Power. ...

Instead of political schemes, the agency concentrates on working with celebrities; something that is rare in the radio version. In the radio episode where McCabe works with a Big Brother contestant, this is shown as an exceptional event, but would be normal behaviour in the TV series. Contrariwise, in the TV episode "The House of Lords", Charles is mildly surprised to be contacted by a Government spin doctor. Big Brother is a reality television format. ...

Notable cameo and guest-starring roles in the television series have included: A cameo role or cameo appearance (often shortened to just cameo) is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television. ...

• Fern Britton
• Tim Brooke-Taylor
• Angus Deayton
• Huw Edwards
• Gareth Hunt
• Mark Lawson
• Dermot Murnaghan
• Geoffrey Palmer
• Anneka Rice
• Phillip Schofield
• John Sessions
• Ray Stubbs
• Anthea Turner
• Kirsty Wark

Fern Britton (born July 17, 1957 in Ealing, London) is an English television presenter. ... Tim Brooke-Taylor (April 2000) Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor, (born 17 July 1940 in Buxton, Derbyshire, England) is a British comic actor most well known in Britain as a member of The Goodies comedy trio and in the comedy radio shows Im Sorry I Havent a Clue, and... Gordon Angus Deayton (born January 6, 1956) is an English comic actor and television presenter. ... Huw Edwards (born August 1961) is a newsreader, or anchor, with the BBC in the United Kingdom. ... Alan Leonard Hunt (7 February 1943 – 13 March 2007) was an English actor, known as Gareth Hunt, who is best remembered for playing the footman Frederick Norton in Upstairs, Downstairs and Mike Gambit in The New Avengers. ... Mark Lawson (born April 11, 1962) is a British journalist, broadcaster and author. ... Image:Dermot Murnaghan. ... Geoffrey Dyson Palmer OBE (born 4 June 1927) is an English actor, noted mostly for his extensive career in British sitcoms. ... Anneka Rice (born Anne Rice[1], 4 October 1958 in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan) is a Welsh television presenter. ... Phillip Schofield (born on April 1, 1962 in Oldham, Lancashire) is an English television presenter and occasional actor and singer. ... John Sessions (born January 11, 1953) is a Scottish actor and comedian. ... Ray Stubbs (born Wallasey, Merseyside, 1956) is a broadcaster and former footballer. ... Anthea Turner (born May 25, 1960 in Stoke-on-Trent[1]) is an English television personality. ... Kirsty Wark is one of the presenters of Newsnight, as well as Newsnight Review. ...

The London bombings

Owing to the terrorist attacks on London on the 7th and 21st of July 2005, the first episode of the second series (in which a member of the bin Laden family attempted to buy British Airways) was cancelled, and replaced with an episode from later in the series. The bin Laden episode was aired several weeks later. Office building of the bin Laden family The bin Laden family (Arabic: ), also spelled bin Ladin, is an immensely wealthy family intimately connected with the innermost circles of the Saudi royal family. ... For the 1930s airline of similar name, see British Airways Ltd. ...

Episode list

The Radio Series

Series 1

• S01 E01 - Conservative Party (5th January 2000)
• S01 E02 - Relaunch of the Sun (12th January 2000)
• S01 E03 - Mayor of London (19th January 2000)
• S01 E04 - The Church of England (26th January 2000)
• S01 E05 - Radio 3 (2nd February 2000)
• S01 E06 - English Sporting Success (9th February 2000)

Series 2

• S02 E01 - Martin is Bored (30th January 2001)
• S02 E02 - Promoting Philosophy (6th February 2001)
• S02 E03 - Relaunching a Literary Career (13th February 2001)
• S02 E04 - The Elderly Initiative (20th February 2001)
• S02 E05 - Prison Reform (27th February 2001)
• S02 E06 - Gayle Shand (6th March 2001)

Series 3

• S03 E01 - Poking the PM (1st January 2002)
• S03 E02 - Health Service (8th January 2002)
• S03 E03 - Big Brother (15th January 2002)
• S03 E04 - A Tennis Star (22nd January 2002)
• S03 E05 - Men (29th January 2002)

Series 4

• S04 E01 - The BBC (5th February 2004)
• S04 E02 - The Notion of Nation (12th February 2004)
• S04 E03 - Healthy Eating (19th February 2004)
• S04 E04 - US Presidential Campaign (26th February 2004)

Special Episode - (3rd November 2006)

The Television Series

Series One

• S01 E01 - History Man (10th November 2003)
• S01 E02 - Pope Idol (17th November 2003)
• S01 E03 - Tory Woman (24th November 2003)
• S01 E04 - Mr Fox (1st December 2003)
• S01 E05 - Country Life (8th December 2003)
• S01 E06 - Crash and Burn (15th December 2003)

Series Two

• S02 E04 - Identity Crisis (21st July 2005) (brought forward from 11th August)
• S02 E02 - The Trial (28th July 2005)
• S02 E03 - Blood Bank (4th August 2005)
• S02 E01 - The Nation's Favourite (11th August 2005) (held back from 21st July)
• S02 E05 - Spinning America (18th August 2005)
• S02 E06 - The House of Lords (25th August 2005)

Critical reception - Television series

- The Independent, November 8, 2003^[4]. Video Cover, with main cast Drop the Dead Donkey was a situation comedy that ran on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1990 to 1998. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

- Stuart Price in the Independent on Sunday, November 9, 2003^[5]. The Independents old (pre-compact) masthead. ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

- Pete Clark in the London Evening Standard, November 11, 2003^[6]. Trevors World of Sport was a 2003 BBC sitcom written by Andy Hamilton and starring Neil Pearson as Trevor. ... The Evening Standard is a newspaper published in London. ... is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

- Terry Ramsay in the London Evening Standard, August 11, 2005^[7]. The Evening Standard is a newspaper published in London. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

- Terry Ramsay in the London Evening Standard, July 21, 2005 Extras is a sitcom about extras working on movie sets and theatre. ... The Evening Standard is a newspaper published in London. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• The Thick of It - 2005 BBC Four political sitcom
• Yes Minister - 1980s BBC political sitcom

The Thick of It is a British comedy television series, which satirises the inner workings of modern British government. ... For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 4. ... Yes Minister is a satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC television and radio between 1980 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series. ...

External links

• Absolute Power at bbc.co.uk Comedy Guide
• Absolute Power at the British Sitcom Guide
• Absolute Power at the Internet Movie Database