Game On, 1995
Another of those sitcoms that’s largely overlooked by satellite/digital. Whilst possibly not in the league of Men Behaving Badly there was a loose similarity, two lads lust after one girl.
Game On was an independent production for the BBC and ran for three series totalling eighteen episodes between 1995 and 1998.
Another similarity to Men Behaving Badly was the loss of one of the lead actors after series one, Ben Chaplin, quit unexpectedly after receiving an offer of a film role in Hollywood as a result of his performance in Game On.
Summary
The series focuses on the lives of three 20-somethings from Herne Bay sharing a flat in Battersea in South-West London.
Matthew Malone, acutely agoraphobic and slightly insane. Matthew considers himself a “double hard bastard,” but secretly enjoys things that could be characterised as “effeminate,” such as 1940s “love story” movies and Emmerdale Farm.
Martin Henson, a ginger haired easy going banker, whom Matthew considers his slave and source of entertainment. His sister is Claudia, and by extension, is a few years younger than Mandy, and has known Mandy since they were kids.
Mandy Wilkins, ambitious career girl and the object of both Matthew and Martin’s desires, who finds herself going nowhere except to bed with an endless stream of men (northern by preference).
Despite earning a degree at university, she is stuck in temporary secretarial jobs, and envies her best friend Claudia, who did the same things Mandy did but is going places.
The comedy comes from the individuals’ different approaches to life and Matthew’s constant ribbing of his flatmates and attempts to get Mandy to sleep with him.
Clips
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Cast
Ben Chaplin (series 1) – Matthew Malone
Matthew Cottle – Martin Henson
Samantha Womack – Mandy Wilkins
Neil Stuke (series 2 & 3) – Matthew Malone
Details
Channel: BBC2
Written By:
Andrew Davies and Bernadette Davis (series 1 & 2)
Bernadette Davis (series 3)
Produced By: Hat Trick Productions for BBC
Original Transmission Dates: 27th February 1995 – 6th February 1998