Chambers is a BBC radio and television sitcom. It was written by barrister Clive Coleman and starred John Bird, Sarah Lancashire, James Fleet and Jonathan Kydd in both versions. The radio version was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in three series between 1996 and 1999, and the television version was broadcast on BBC One. The theme music was "Dance with Mandolins" from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet.
Premise John Fuller-Carp (John Bird) is the monstrously egotistical and avaricious barrister heading Forecourt Chambers. His colleagues are Hilary Tripping (James Fleet), a rather ineffectual young man, Ruth Quirke (Lesley Sharp, later Sarah Lancashire), initially a rather militantly left wing feminist, and Vince Griffiths (Jonathan Kydd), the worldly-wise barristers' clerk. After Lesley Sharp left the role after the first radio series and Sarah Lancashire took over, Ruth became more of a comic neurotic, but many of the 'original' Ruth's harder characteristics were later given to the character who replaced her in the second television series, Alex Kahn (Nina Wadia).
Radio
Main cast John Bird as John Fuller-Carp James Fleet as Hilary Tripping Lesley Sharp as Ruth Quirke (Series 1) Sarah Lancashire as Ruth Quirke (Series 2 & 3) Jonathan Kydd as Vince Griffiths
Guest cast Guest actors included Rebecca Front, Ben Crowe, Joanna Monro, Geoffrey Whitehead, Peter Gunn, Tilly Gaunt, Natalie Walter, Simon Greenall, John Rowe and Emma Clarke and Jeremy Clyde
Episodes All episodes were written by Clive Coleman.
Series 1 No. in series Title Original air date 1 Chambers 17 April 1996 2 The Right to Silence 24 April 1996 3 The Cab Rank Rule 1 May 1996 4 Trial by Television 8 May 1996 5 The American 15 May 1996
Series 2 No. in series Title Original air date 1 Only the Lonely 11 May 1998 2 The Masons 18 May 1998 3 The Phantom Barrister 25 May 1998 4 A Case with a View 1 June 1998 5 Conditional Fees 8 June 1998
Series 3 No. in series Title Original air date 1 Rent Arrears 9 March 1999 2 A Pain in the Back 16 March 1999 3 Outward Bound 23 March 1999 4 It's Only Words 30 March 1999
Television
Main cast John Bird as John Fuller-Carp Sarah Lancashire as Ruth Quirke (Series 1) (2000) Nina Wadia as Alex Kahn (Series 2) (2001) James Fleet as Hilary Tripping Jonathan Kydd as Vince Griffiths
Guest cast Guest actors included Elizabeth Berrington, John Leslie, Sara Stewart, Geoffrey Whitehead, Martin Trenaman, Robert Duncan, Roger Allam, Jeremy Clyde, John Hodgkinson, John Rowe, Robert Duncan and Donald Gee.
Episodes All episodes were written by Clive Coleman, and directed by John Stroud (series 1) and Gareth Carrivick (series 2).
Series 1 No. in series Title Original air date 1 It's Only Words 15 June 2000 2 Trial by Television 22 June 2000 3 Rent Arrears 29 June 2000 4 Phantom Barrister 6 July 2000 5 The Masons 13 July 2000 6 Only the Lonely 20 July 2000
Series 2 No. in series Title Original air date 1 Conditional Fees 22 July 2001 2 Survival Trek 29 July 2001 3 The Bomb Scare 5 August 2001 4 A Pain in the Back 19 August 2001 5 The Bequest 26 August 2001 6 A Case with a View 2 September 2001
References
External links Comedy Guide British Comedy and Drama website episode guide