Sandylands. Image shows from L to R: Nathan Wild (Simon Bird), Tina Taylor (Harriet Webb), The One-Eyed man (Hugh Bonneville), Emily Verma (Natalie Dew), Derek Swallows (David Walliams), Jeannie Swallows (Sophie Thompson), Terry Chino (Craig Parkinson). Copyright: King Bert Productions

Key details

Genre
Sitcom
Broadcast
2020 - 2021
Channel
Gold
Episodes
6 (2 series)
Stars
Natalie Dew, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Harriet Webb, David Walliams, Sophie Thompson, Simon Bird, Bronwyn James, Hamza Jeetooa and more
Writers
Martin Collins and Alex Finch
Director
Michael Cumming
Producers
Rosemary McGowan, Jo Sargent, Pete Thornton, Martin Collins, Alex Finch, Paul Ralph and Adam Browne
Company

Twenty-seven-year-old Emily Verma is living the high life (or so she tells herself) in London, having escaped the clutches of Sandylands - her seaside home town where her semi-estranged father Les Vegas remains a local celebrity as arcade owner and self-proclaimed 'King of the Strip'.

However, when Sandylands becomes headline news after a bloodied pedalo is washed ashore (a bit like the Marie Celeste, but on a smaller scale) - a pedalo last hired by Les - Emily is forced to make a reluctant visit home, where she quickly discovers that all is definitely not what it seems in her old stomping ground.

With Les declared 'lost at sea', Emily is charged with putting his affairs in order, organising his memorial and selling the family home. In the process of doing this she is befriended by oddball next door neighbours Derek Swallows and his wife Jeannie. Emily also becomes reacquainted with her old best friend and extreme hedonist Tina, who holds the local record for most saveloys consumed in under three minutes; local nightclub owner Terry Chino; and former childhood crush Nathan.

Unbeknown to Emily however, her every move, and every subtle twitch of a curtain at her family home is under the constant scrutiny of a mysterious one-eyed man, who's recently arrived in Sandylands and works for the life insurance company that's due to pay out over Les's unfortunate demise.

Additional details

Production
Location
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Colour

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Wednesday 4th March 2020 at 10pm on Gold
Most recent repeats

Recording details

  • Weston-super-Mare - Location filming

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