Kay Stonham
Robin And Wendy's Wet Weekends

Robin And Wendy's Wet Weekends

  • Radio sitcom
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2001 - 2005
  • 19 episodes (4 series)

Robin and Wendy, a childless couple from Stevenage, have an unhealthy obsession with Mayfield, the model village they have built in their garage. Stars Kay Stonham, Simon Greenall, Debra Stephenson, Phil Cornwell, Amelia Bullmore and more.

Key details

Genre
Sitcom
Broadcast
2001 - 2005
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
19 (4 series)
Stars
Kay Stonham, Simon Greenall, Debra Stephenson, Phil Cornwell, Amelia Bullmore, Martin Trenaman and Brian Capron
Writers
Kay Stonham and Simon Greenall
Producers
Mario Stylianides, Helen Williams and Claire Bartlett
Company

Robin And Wendy's Wet Weekends is set primarily in the home of Robin and Wendy Mayfield, on a anonymous housing estate in Stevenage, although it moves away from home on a regular basis.

The sitcom revolves around the lives of its four main characters, Robin and Wendy and their next door neighbours and best friends Derek and Maureen. Robin is an obsessive, self centred and controlling individual, while his wife Wendy is long suffering as far as her husband is concerned, and deals with him admirably.

Derek is an ex super-salesman who has suffered a nervous breakdown and now seems to be a guinea pig for every chemical cosh known to the medical profession. His wife Maureen is much younger than him, and was the other woman before Derek left his ex-wife for her. She is always involved in some dodgy get rich quick scheme and usually manages to involve Robin and Wendy in her failed ventures.

Robin and Wendy's hobby, or obsession in Robin's case, is 'Mayfield', the model village they have constructed in their garage. Robin's other major obsession is his ancient and mechanically dilapidated Triumph Herald which he describes as a classic British car. Wendy's greatest wish is to have children, but she has been trying to get pregnant for years without success and this causes her great sadness.

Since his breakdown, Derek just sits around the house watching TV all day (in one episode he describes his new occupation, to an ex colleague, as Leisure and The Media), or goes next door to bother Robin and Wendy. Maureen often leaves Robin and Wendy to administer Derek's medication, usually with unfortunate and often hilarious results. Maureen is a feisty character who doesn't suffer fools gladly and tends to use everyone in her plans and schemes, often against their better judgement. Maureen and Robin have a particularly prickly relationship and Maureen regularly delivers devastating one liners at his expense.

Each episode tends to focus on a particular event or activity and over the course of the four series, among many other things, we are treated to a battle re-enactment, a salsa weekend, a séance, a suspected paedophile ring and alien abductions.

The humour is gentle but the wit is sharp and some of the storylines are downright surreal.

Additional details

Production
Studio
Soundtrack
The theme tune is Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds and is sung by the show's writer and star, Kay Stonham.

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Friday 28th December 2001 on BBC Radio 4
Most recent repeats