Dead Ringers
GenreComedy
Created byBill Dare
Starring
Theme music composerJohn Whitehall
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series17 (Radio series)
7 (TV series)
No. of episodes93 (Radio series)
48 (TV series)
Production
Executive producerJon Plowman
Producers
  • Bill Dare
  • Danny Wallace
  • Mario Stylianides
  • Katie Tyrrell
Running time28 minutes
Production companiesBBC Radio Comedy (2015–16)
BBC Studios (2016–present)
Original release
NetworkBBC Radio 4 2000–2007, 2014–present (Radio series)
BBC One 2002 (TV series)
BBC Two 2002–2007 (TV series)
Release7 January 2000 (2000-01-07) – 15 May 2007 (2007-05-15)
30 July 2014 (2014-07-30) – present (Radio series)
15 March 2002 (2002-03-15) – 29 March 2007 (2007-03-29) (TV series)

Dead Ringers is a British radio and television comedy impressions show broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and later BBC Two. The programme was devised by producer Bill Dare and developed with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst and Simon Blackwell. Among its stars are Jon Culshaw and Jan Ravens. The BBC cancelled the television run in 2007 after five years.[1] Dead Ringers' return to Radio 4 was announced in 2014.[2]

History

The programme first aired on BBC Radio 4 in January 2000. Dead Ringers returned to radio in July 2014.[2]

In November 2001 BBC One said it had commissioned a pilot for a television version.[3] The pilot was well received[4] and in August 2002 a full series was commissioned, this time on BBC Two.[5][6][7] The TV show ran for seven series and was axed in April 2009.[8] In 2002 the BBC's Arena broadcast a documentary about the series entitled Radio Ha! - Meet The Dead Ringers, directed by Fisher Dilke. It featured interviews with the cast and writers, and behind-the-scenes footage from a studio recording from the eighth series.[9][10]

Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2001 Dead Ringers Radio Academy Awards Gold - The Comedy Award[11] Won
2001 Dead Ringers Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Radio Programme[12] Won
2001 Dead Ringers The British Comedy Awards - Best Radio Comedy[13] Won
2001 Dead Ringers The Heritage Foundation Awards - Best Radio Comedy Show[14] Won

Episodes

Main article: List of Dead Ringers episodes

Home media

Radio series

Title Episodes Runtime No. of discs CD release date Audio cassette release date Digital download release date
Dead Ringers 4 1 hr 50 mins 2 discs 6 November 2000[15] 6 November 2000 15 February 2005[16]
Dead Ringers: Series 2 Part 1 4 1 hr 45 mins 2 discs 2 July 2001[17] 2 July 2001 6 April 2005[18]
Dead Ringers: Series 2, Part 2 4 1 hr 50 mins 2 discs 5 November 2001[19] 5 November 2001 6 April 2005[20]
Dead Ringers: The Specials[a] 2 1 hr 50 mins 2 discs 19 November 2001[21] 19 November 2001 31 March 2005[22]
Dead Ringers: Series 3 5 2 hrs 20 mins 2 discs 1 July 2002[23] 1 July 2002 1 June 2012[24]
Dead Ringers: Series 4 4 1 hr 45 mins 2 discs 4 November 2002[25] 4 November 2002 6 April 2005[26]
Dead Ringers: Series 5 & 6 8 3 hrs 30 mins 4 discs 4 November 2002[27] 4 November 2002 31 March 2005[28]
Dead Ringers: Collection[b] 17 7 hrs 45 mins 8 discs 11 November 2002[29]
7 April 2003 (MP3-CD)[30] 		— —
Dead Ringers: Series 7 4 1 hr 50 mins 2 discs 3 February 2003[31] 3 February 2003 31 March 2005[32]
Dead Ringers: Series 8 4 1 hr 50 mins 2 discs 5 May 2003[33] — 5 April 2012[34]
Dead Ringers: Series 9 4 1 hr 50 mins 2 discs 7 July 2003[35] — 31 March 2005[36]
Dead Ringers: Collection 2[c] 13 5 hrs 45 mins 7 discs 10 November 2003[37] — —
Dead Ringers: Series 10 5 2 hrs 20 mins 2 discs 1 March 2004[38] — —
Dead Ringers: The Best of the Radio Series — 2 hrs 2 discs 3 October 2005[39] — 17 October 2005[40]
Dead Ringers: Series 12 6 3 hrs 3 discs 11 June 2015[41] — 11 June 2015
Dead Ringers: Series 13 & 14 7 3 hrs 15 mins 4 discs 1 October 2015[42] — 1 October 2015
Dead Ringers: Series 15[d] 7 3 hrs 10 mins 4 discs 2 June 2016[43] — 2 June 2016
Dead Ringers: Series 16[e] 8 3 hrs 40 mins — — — 2 March 2017[44]
Dead Ringers: Series 17[f] 8 3 hrs 40 mins — — — 1 March 2018[45]
Dead Ringers: Series 18[g] 7 3 hrs 30 mins — — — 4 October 2018[46]
  1. ^ Contains The Archers Special, the Election 2001 Special and 50 minutes of unbroadcast material.
  2. ^ Contains Series 1-3.
  3. ^ Contains Series 4-6, plus the Golden Jubilee Special, which was exclusive to the set.
  4. ^ Contains Series 15, plus the Christmas 2015 Special and A Look Back at the Year 2020 Special.
  5. ^ Contains Series 16, plus the Christmas 2016 Special and The Alternative 2016 Special.
  6. ^ Contains Series 17, plus the Christmas 2017 Special and The End of the World Special.
  7. ^ Contains Series 18, plus the An Alien Has Landed Special.

TV series

Title Runtime No. of discs CD release date Audio cassette release date Digital download release date DVD and VHS release date
Dead Ringers: The Television Series[a] 2 hrs 2 discs 3 November 2003[47] 3 November 2003 15 February 2005[48] 7 July 2003[49][50][51]
Dead Ringers: The Television Series 2 2 hrs 10 mins 2 discs 5 July 2004[52] 5 July 2004 16 March 2009[53] —
Dead Ringers: The Television Series 3 2 hrs 2 discs 29 November 2004[54] — — —
  1. ^ DVD & VHS release includes the pilot episode.

References

  1. ^ "Comedy News | Daily Fix | Comedy News". Comedy Central. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Radio 4 is bringing back Dead Ringers". British Comedy Guide. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  3. ^ "Dead Ringers for TV". Chortle. 26 November 2001. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Dead Ringers: Smarting laughs". BBC News. 16 March 2002. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  5. ^ "Dead Ringers get TV series". BBC News. 6 August 2002. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Dead Ringers switches to BBC2". The Guardian. 6 August 2002. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Dead Ringers does the double: new Radio and Television series". BBC Press Office. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Ringers is dead". Chortle. 15 April 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  9. ^ "ARENA: RADIO HA! - MEET THE DEAD RINGERS". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Arena: Radio Ha!". BBC Genome Project. 26 December 2002. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  11. ^ "Sony Awards 2001: The winners". BBC News. 30 April 2001. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  12. ^ "BPG TV & Radio Awards - 2001". Broadcasting Press Guild. 31 December 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  13. ^ "PAST WINNERS 2001". The British Comedy Awards. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  14. ^ "Award triumph for Del Boy". BBC News. 17 June 2001. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  15. ^ "Dead Ringers" Series 1: (BBC Radio Collection) [AUDIOBOOK]. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563477539.
  16. ^ "Dead Ringers". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  17. ^ "Dead Ringers" Series 2 Part 1: Hit BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series (BBC Radio Collection). Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563535636.
  18. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 2 Part 1". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  19. ^ Dead Ringers: Series 2, Part 2. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563535741.
  20. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 2, Part 2". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  21. ^ Dead Ringers: The Specials. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563536624.
  22. ^ "Dead Ringers: The Specials". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  23. ^ "Dead Ringers" Series 3: Hit BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series (BBC Radio Collection) [AUDIOBOOK]. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563536225.
  24. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 3". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  25. ^ "Dead Ringers" Series 4: Hit BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series (BBC Radio Collection) [AUDIOBOOK]. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563536349.
  26. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 4". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  27. ^ "Dead Ringers" Series 5 & 6: Hit BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series (BBC Radio Collection) [AUDIOBOOK]. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563528567.
  28. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 5 & 6". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  29. ^ "Dead Ringers": Collection 1 Series 1, 2 (Pt.1 & 2) & 3 (BBC Radio Collection). Amazon.co.uk. 11 November 2002. ISBN 9780563528517. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  30. ^ Dead Ringers: Series 1, 2 & 3 (BBC MP3 CD Audio). Amazon.co.uk. 7 April 2003. ISBN 9780563494195. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  31. ^ "Dead Ringers" Series 7: Hit BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series (BBC Radio Collection) [AUDIOBOOK]. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563530650.
  32. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 7". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  33. ^ "Dead Ringers" Series 8: Hit BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series (BBC Radio Collection) [AUDIOBOOK]. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563494166.
  34. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 8". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  35. ^ "Dead Ringers" Series 9: (BBC Radio Collection) [AUDIOBOOK]. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563494514.
  36. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 9". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  37. ^ "Dead Ringers: Collection 2". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  38. ^ "Dead Ringers" Series 10: Hit BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series (BBC Radio Collection). Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563494891.
  39. ^ Dead Ringers: The Best of the Radio Series (BBC Audio). Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563504587.
  40. ^ "Dead Ringers: The Best of the Radio Series". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  41. ^ Dead Ringers: Series 12. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 1785290983.
  42. ^ Dead Ringers: Series 13 & 14. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 1785291696.
  43. ^ Dead Ringers: Series 15. Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 1785294350.
  44. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 16". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  45. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 17". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  46. ^ "Dead Ringers: Series 18". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  47. ^ Dead Ringers TV Series 1 (TV Collection). Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563496991.
  48. ^ "Dead Ringers: The Television Series". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  49. ^ "Dead Ringers - Series 1 [DVD] [2002]". Amazon.co.uk. 7 July 2003. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  50. ^ "Dead Ringers: The Complete Series 1 [VHS] [2002]". Amazon.co.uk. 7 July 2003. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  51. ^ "Dead Ringers - Series 1". BBC Worldwide Press Releases. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  52. ^ "Dead Ringers" TV Series 2 (Radio Collection). Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563525592.
  53. ^ "Dead Ringers, TV Series 2". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  54. ^ "Dead Ringers" TV Series 3 (Radio Collection). Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 0563527366.

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