Ed Stone Is Dead. Ed Stone (Richard Blackwood). Copyright: Initial
Ed Stone Is Dead

Ed Stone Is Dead

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC Choice
  • 2002 - 2003
  • 13 episodes (1 series)

Sitcom about a man who dies when the Grim Reaper makes a gross error, and is sent back to Earth - with certain conditions, naturally. Stars Richard Blackwood, Bill Paterson, Claudie Blakley, Daniel Brocklebank, Craig Parkinson and Sasha Pick

Ed Stone Is Dead. Image shows from L to R: Scotty Wimslow (Craig Parkinson), Beth Cranshaw (Sasha Pick), Ed Stone (Richard Blackwood), Kate Carter (Claudie Blakley), Adam Deerfield (Daniel Brocklebank). Copyright: Initial

Key details

Genre
Sitcom
Broadcast
2002 - 2003
Channel
BBC Choice
Episodes
13 (1 series)
Creators
Lisa Opie and Anil Gupta
Stars
Richard Blackwood, Bill Paterson, Claudie Blakley, Daniel Brocklebank, Craig Parkinson and Sasha Pick
Writers
Paul Alexander, Georgia Pritchett, Sam Bain, Jesse Armstrong, James Bachman, Mark Evans, Bennett Arron and Gary Parker
Director
David Kerr
Producers
Rachel Freck, Lisa Opie, Christopher Pilkington and Stuart Murphy
Company

Actually, Ed Stone is half dead.

When a supernatural rep for Death ("I am Death, the Grim Reaper, the Harvester of Souls . . . but you can call me Nigel") is on his way to crop a new victim he accidentally sets off a train of events whereby an out-of-control bus runs down poor Ed Stone.

However, Ed isn't due for celestial processing for some 57 years so Nigel freezes him at the point of death and returns him to the mortal world. Ed loses his life-force in the process, being neither alive nor dead - he walks and talks and seems normal to his friends but he has lost all physical sensations of pleasure: he can eat but cannot taste, and he can never again have sex.

On the plus side, he no longer feels pain, doesn't age and cannot be destroyed except by fire or venturing more than six feet underground. Ed contemplates finishing the job but Nigel - obsessed by American fantasy TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer - is happy on Earth.

Ed is also finally attracting the amorous attentions of Kate. He has pursued her for a long time but though she was able to resist him when he was full of life, it seems the half-dead Ed is a more sensitive and appealing soul...

Additional details

Production
Studio
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Sunday 6th October 2002 at 10pm on BBC Choice

Recording details

  • Maidstone Studios