Ideal. Image shows from L to R: Moz (Johnny Vegas), Nicki (Nicola Reynolds). Copyright: Baby Cow Productions
Ideal

Ideal

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC Three
  • 2005 - 2011
  • 53 episodes (7 series)

Cult BBC Three sitcom starring Johnny Vegas as a small-time drug dealer. A large ensemble cast of characters visit Moz's flat each week. Also features Nicola Reynolds, Tom Goodman-Hill, Sinead Matthews, Ben Crompton, Graham Duff and more.

Press clippings

Johnny Vegas on 'Ideal' axe: 'I was really cross'

Johnny Vegas has admitted that he was "really cross" when Ideal was axed.

Mayer Nissim, Digital Spy, 23rd October 2013

Johnny Vegas blasts BBC3 exec over 'Ideal' axe

Johnny Vegas has hit out at BBC Three controller Zai Bennett over the axing of his sitcom Ideal earlier this year.

Alex Fletcher, Digital Spy, 23rd November 2011

Ideal axed by BBC Three

Writer Graham Duff has confirmed that BBC Three has declined to commission an 8th series of cult sitcom Ideal.

British Comedy Guide, 3rd August 2011

Ideal: The Red Mist

Okay, you might want to stand back, because I am about to stick my neck out. I am going to do it by saying this; I believe Ideal is the most ethnically diverse programme on British TV. Our huge cast of characters encompasses Black, Asian, Caucasian, Mixed-Race, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, American, Greek, Russian, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual and blind. We even have a recovering necrophiliac.

Graham Duff, BBC Comedy, 30th June 2011

Ideal: What's inside the red bag?

In tonight's episode of Ideal, there's a scene where the pregnant Yasuko (Haruka Kuroda) is sitting alone in Moz's living room. She glances up, only to see a woman in a long, flowing, black latex dress standing upside down on the ceiling.

Graham Duff, BBC Comedy, 23rd June 2011

Moz's pursuit of Tilly continues tonight as he goes along with her misapprehension that he's a conceptual artist. She arranges an exhibition for him with genuinely hilarious consequences. Meanwhile, Nikki's sister Jess decides to experiment with ketamine. Great idea when your boyfriend's got a plastic cartoon mask for a face. If you've never seen it, Ideal is like the fire alarm's gone off at Bedlam but with tightly scripted gags and satisfying narrative arcs. And if you still haven't seen it, do something about that now. You won't regret it.

Julia Raeside, The Telegraph, 16th June 2011

Ideal: Music behind the magic

Tonight's episode of Ideal, aside from hopefully being funny and moving and quite scary, will also be mightily tuneful. The soundtrack to this particular episode features contributions from, amongst others, Broadcast, DJ Kudos, The Frequency, Slipstream, Warpaint, Barry Adamson, Clinic, Misha Begley, Venus Ray and Coil.

Graham Duff, BBC Comedy, 16th June 2011

The most consistent sitcom currently on British screens reaches its 50th episode tonight. With Moz and Nikki now rival dealers on the same patch, they decide to unite against the looming threat of The Red Mist. Meanwhile, things get complicated over at Carmel's brothel when her ex-pimp turns up unannounced. Even after all this time, they manage to keep things fresh with the introduction of a ridiculous new enemy; a bunch of people in ginger wigs who move silently around the tower block.

Julia Raeside, The Guardian, 9th June 2011

Happy birthday Ideal!

Tonight will see Ideal reach it's 50th episode. An uncommon achievement for any programme. Especially a British comedy series. Whilst U.S. comedies frequently rack up hundreds of installments, it's very rare indeed for a UK production to pass the 12 episode mark. Many of course, don't even make it that far.

Graham Duff, BBC Comedy, 9th June 2011

Video: Ideal fans celebrate with Cartoon Head flashmob

Johnny Vegas is a larger than life character - but his Ideal co-star Cartoon Head gave him a run for his money when 50 masked fans formed a flashmob.

The group wore mouse masks as they paraded and danced around Media City and the Lowry Outlet Mall in Salford.

Cartoon Head, who never speaks in the Salford-set comedy-drama, is a favourite character for many Ideal fans.

The 50th episode of the show goes out tonight at 10.30pm on BBC3.

The Mirror, 9th June 2011

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