British Comedy Guide
Count Arthur Strong. Count Arthur Strong (Steve Delaney). Copyright: Retort
Count Arthur Strong

Count Arthur Strong

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC One / BBC Two
  • 2013 - 2017
  • 20 episodes (3 series)

TV sitcom following elderly, befuddled showbusiness character Count Arthur Strong and his friends. Stars Steve Delaney, Rory Kinnear, Zahra Ahmadi, Chris Ryman, Andy Linden and more.

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Series 3, Episode 4 - The Soupover

Count Arthur Strong. Image shows from L to R: Count Arthur Strong (Steve Delaney), Michael Baker (Rory Kinnear)
What begins as 'an old man version of a sleepover' turns into something slightly more sinister. Can Michael escape in time?

Preview clips

Notes

Scheduling of this episode changed a number of times. In some places Safari park (Episode 7) was billed on this date.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 23rd June 2017
Time
8:30pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
30 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Steve Delaney Count Arthur Strong
Rory Kinnear Michael Baker
Zahra Ahmadi Sinem
Chris Ryman Bulent
Andy Linden John The Watch
Dave Plimmer Eggy
Bronagh Gallagher Birdie
Writing team
Steve Delaney Writer
Graham Linehan Writer
Andrew Ellard Script Editor
Production team
Graham Linehan Director
Richard Boden Director
Richard Boden Producer
Richard Daws Executive Producer
Jon Rolph Executive Producer
Kate Daughton Executive Producer
Tim Waddell Editor
Jo Sutherland Production Designer
Sarah Crowe Casting Director
Bill Broomfield Director of Photography
Lesley Hamon Make-up Designer
Jon Boden Composer
Jo Kennedy-Valentine 1st Assistant Director

Video

What is a Soupover?

Arthur explains to Michael what a 'Soupover' is.

Featuring: Steve Delaney (Count Arthur Strong), Rory Kinnear (Michael Baker), Andy Linden (John The Watch) & Dave Plimmer (Eggy).

Press

This truly excellent series plumbs new heights (or depths) of logical surrealism as Arthur invites Michael to a "soupover". This involves pyjamas, although it takes place in the afternoon, and numerous rituals including watching VHS tapes of black-and-white horse races from yesteryear. Rory Kinnear draws on all his Royal Shakespeare Company training to do justice to the horror of it all.

Daivd Stubbs, The Guardian, 30th June 2017

All sitcoms must arrive here eventually: an episode where the whole gang visit a safari park, with near-death consequences. But the Count makes everything his own by playing on the pseudo-paternal bond between the two leads. Either can be the dad and today it's Arthur (Steve Delaney), taking Michael (Rory Kinnear) on a well-meant but disastrously cheap birthday trip. As they go, comic seeds are, as always, deftly planted for harvesting later.

Jack Seale, The Guardian, 23rd June 2017

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