General Chat

New Comedy. Here's the article

ALAN Partridge turned Norwich into a laughing stock, David Brent did it in Slough ... now Mike Bassett is set to do the same in Wirral. Television network ITV has announced plans to produce a new comedy series set in Wirral starring Ricky Tomlinson as the incompetent manager of a fictional Wirral-based football club. The series is a spin off from the 2001 British feature film 'Mike Bassett: England Manager' which charted the managerial highs and lows of Tomlinson's character, Mike Bassett, as he rose from obscurity to the heady world of international football coaching. In the series to be screened next year Mike Bassett has fallen on hard times and is now the manager of lowly third division club Wirral County. ITV are in negotiations with Tomlinson and his co-star in the original movie, Amanda Redman, who it is hoped will also appear in the series. Sioned Wiliam, who commissioned the comedy for ITV, said: "The series follows one agonising football season as Bassett struggles to keep his marriage, his team and his sanity from hitting the buffers. "Mike Bassett was a huge hit in cinemas and we are thrilled to be bringing these great characters back in this new incarnation. It's wonderful to be working with such great actors and such talented writers." The writers are Rob Sprackling and John Smith. Rob said: "We can't wait to bring Bassett to the small screen. His hapless antics at the bum end of the football league are the perfect antidote to the super cool glamour of the Premiership." Steve Foulkes, leader of Wirral council and an avid football fan, said: "Anything that improves the profile of Wirral has got to be good and if it's starring Ricky Tomlinson I'm sure it will be a real hoot. "Wirral already has its football team and we're all hoping they get promoted this season so let's hope it's not a case of reality following fiction!"

Sounds different to the Royle family!.

Just hope it doesn't portray us a Liverpudlians (no offence of course). That does irritate me when people can't spot that thing that separates us-The river!

Are you not in Liverpool, then Daniel?..

You'll probably find that its the accent that confuses people!! The accents are the same.. Shaz

Think I'm lost somewhere, between The Liver Birds, Bread and Brookside!..where does wirral fit in?..

No BIRKENHEAD me. Accents are not all the same. In Birkenhead you can have scouse and a version I have which is, well I don't know, but its a cross between scouse and cheshire. The areas of Rock Ferry &New Ferry tend to be more scouse sounding. Further out, near Thurston you'll get something verging on proper jolly posh cheshire old chum. A real melting pot on this peninsula.

LOL... Christine.. Liver Birds, Bread and Brookside are all set in Liverpool... the Wirral is across the water.. Merseyside. Shaz x

Stepfather and his entire family for generations all come from Birkenhead and I know the accents arent that much different My step father has been in my life now since I was 9yrs old... strange how accents rub off on a person too.. You'd be surprised how many people ask me if I come from Liverpool?? Just because of the way I say certain words. Shaz

It's all become clearer now!.. thanks

Slightly off the track... but the accent thing happens all the time on TV - like anyone from the 'south-west' has to sound like a muck-spreading, smock-wearing yokel ! A sort of generic 'Wurzel' accent !

I notice that Sheila. Like that Doc Martin that has been on.

Accent thing can be really annoying I suppose but others cant be blamed for not realising that accents may differ slightly! Take Scottish programmes,,, TAKE THE HIGH ROAD was set in the higlands of Scotland... everyone had a Glasgow accent though but no-one in England even noticed... its the same with all the kids on Balamory!!

nudge for carol

I imagine the Wirralites were quite contents to be honorary scousers in the Beatle era!

At which point, I must ask what is the difference between a scouser and a Liverpudlian?

My Stepfather was born in Birkenhead in 1940 and people ask him all the time if he is from Liverpool... he answers no I'm from Birkenhead.... Then when asked where is that?? He answers Merseyside!! Shaz

Ann after 64 years of saying merseyside I dont think he is going to change now!! He is the 4th of ten children who all said they were from Merseyside as did his parents and as for being where all the posh people lived... well thats a good one!! Someone should have told my Nana (step) that when she was living in cellar of one of those big houses with her husband and 10 kids (a room and kitchen) covering them with coats and clothing to keep then warm!! Posh eh?? Nana would laugh at that one! Shaz

Well, I,m originally from the Wirral and when people over here ask me where I,m from, I say across the river from Liverpool. Everybody in the US knows where Liverpool is but strangely, nobody knows where Wirral is!! Maybe if the Beatles had lived in West Kirby, we,d be quite famous. Lol