North By Northamptonshire
Series about the bittersweet adventures of the residents of a small market town in Northamptonshire. Written by Katherine Jakeways
- Genre
- Sitcom
- Broadcast
- 2010 - 2015
- Channel
- BBC Radio 4
- Episodes
- 17 (3 series)
- Starring
- Penelope Wilton, Felicity Montagu, Kevin Eldon, Katherine Jakeways, Rufus Wright, John Biggins, Mackenzie Crook, Tim Key and others
- Writer
- Katherine Jakeways
- Producers
- Claire Jones, Victoria Lloyd and Steven Canny
Series about those that live in a small market town.
Each week listeners catch up with Rod the local supermarket manager, who shares rather more than is usual about his private life over the store's tannoy system.
There's recently divorced Jan, who has been trying rather unsuccessfully to "find herself" with a trip abroad to an elephant sanctuary. But it is at home in Wadenbrook that she starts to feel happier as her friendship blossoms with ex-teacher Mary, where perhaps Jan will get to experience romance at last.
There's also driving instructor and forthright self-defence teacher Esther and her gentle and put-upon husband Jonathan who are struggling to start a family; and possibly the only happy couple in town, Ken and Keith, who are trying to teach their pet whippets to dance for the town talent night.
The creators say: "As is well-known: Yorkshiremen wear flat caps and Essex girls wear short skirts; Liverpudlians are scallies and Cockneys are wideboys. Northamptonians gaze wistfully at these stereotypes and wish for an identity of any kind and a label less ridiculous than Northamptonians. Northamptonshire, let us be clear, is neither north, nor south nor in the Midlands. It floats somewhere between the three eyeing up the distinctiveness of each enviously. Now Katherine Jakeways is giving Northamptonshire an identity. And she waits, eagerly, for her home-county to thank her. And possibly make her some kind of Mayor."
- Production company
- Laugh track
- None
Broadcast details
- First broadcast
- Wednesday 16th June 2010 on BBC Radio 4 at 11:30am
- Last new broadcast
- Thursday 31st December 2015 on BBC Radio 4 at 2:15pm
- Last repeat
- Friday 30th October 2020 at 5:00am on Radio 4 Extra