Him & Her

Him & Her
Opening title
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Stefan Golaszewski
Written by	Stefan Golaszewski
Directed by	Richard Laxton
Starring	Russell Tovey Sarah Solemani Kerry Howard Joe Wilkinson Camille Coduri Ricky Champ
Ending theme	Lulu – "Boom Bang-a-Bang"
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	25 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Kenton Allen and Lyndsay Robinson
Running time	28 minute episodes
Production company(s)	Big Talk Productions
Distributor	BBC Worldwide
Release
Original network	BBC Three BBC HD
Picture format	1080i (HDTV)
Original release	6 September 2010 – 19 December 2013
External links
Website

Him & Her is a British television sitcom about a lazy twenty-something couple; Steve and Becky, who live in Walthamstow, London.^[1] It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Three on 6 September 2010. It is written by Stefan Golaszewski and stars Russell Tovey and Sarah Solemani. The theme tune is the song "Boom Bang-a-Bang" by Lulu.

The first series aired from 6 September to 11 October 2010, and comprised six episodes. The second series aired from 1 November to 13 December 2011, and comprised seven episodes. The third series aired from 18 November to 23 December 2012, comprising seven episodes, including a 'special' Christmas episode.

The fourth (and final) series aired from 21 November to 19 December 2013 and comprised five episodes. Series 4 (subtitled "The Wedding") is based around Laura and Paul's wedding ceremony and reception, rather than the flat where Steve and Becky live.

Series overview

Series 1 (2010)

Becky and Steve are happy to spend their days watching DVDs in Steve's flat, but are constantly interrupted by Dan (the man who lives upstairs), Laura and Paul (Becky's sister and her fiancé), and Becky's parents.

Series 2 (2011)

Becky moves into Steve's flat permanently. Becky's sister Laura and her friend Shelly have become best friends with Steve's ex-girlfriend. Dan is back with his girlfriend.

Series 3 (2012)

Steve contemplates proposing to Becky, but struggles to find the right moment. Becky's sister Laura is pregnant, and is letting everyone know about it. Meanwhile, the relationship between Shelly and Dan continues to blossom.

Series 4 (2013)

The series focuses on Paul and Laura's wedding day. Each episode follows a different stage of the day, with Becky as chief bridesmaid and Steve as best man, from the early morning wake up call, through the ceremony and the speeches, to the late-night disco.

Cast

• Rebecca "Becky" Williams – Sarah Solemani
• Steve Marshall, Becky's fiancé – Russell Tovey
• Laura Parker, Becky's sister and Paul's wife – Kerry Howard
• Dan Perkins, the neighbour – Joe Wilkinson
• Paul Parker, Laura's husband and Graham's boyfriend – Ricky Champ
• Shelly – Camille Coduri
• Janet, Steve's mother – Joanna Bacon
• Mike, Janet's partner – Ian Burfield
• Ian, Paul's half brother, Jonny Sweet
• Barney – Blake Harrison
• Gaynor "Gay" Allen, Barney's girlfriend – Nathasha Stokes
• Jill Williams, Becky's mother – Marion Bailey
• Nigel Williams, Becky's father – Ralph Brown
• Jamie – Martin Delaney
• Gina – Diane Morgan
• Graham, Paul's boyfriend – Paul Clayton
• Pete – Christopher Fulford
• Anita – Beverly Rudd
• Kieran – Louis Melton
• Luke, Paul's son
• Darren – Josef Altin
• Bianca, Laura's cousin – Georgia Eracleous
• Lee, Becky's Ex. – Nick Blood
• Julie Taylor, Steve's Ex. - Katie Lyons

Critical reception

Most critics in the UK responded warmly to the first series; although there was some mild criticism directed towards the more crude and naturalistic aspects of the programme, reviewers reacted positively to the quality of writing and acting found on the show. In The Metro Keith Watson summed it up as "sleazy fun [but] not without a certain soiled charm",^[2] while in The Independent Brian Viner compared the set-up to that of the popular British sitcom The Royle Family, describing Him and Her as "beautifully acted... wonderfully written... and intermittently very funny indeed".^[3] In one of the more negative reviews, David Crawford of The Radio Times was a little more reserved in his praise of the show; although he admitted that "the chemistry between the two leads... [gives the] filthy comedy a warm-hearted edge" he also expressed distaste for the "lewd and crude" humour frequently on display.^[4]

In respect to the writing, The Guardian labelled the series "a witty, touching show" that "has the feel of a series of short plays",^[5] while in The Radio Times Claire Webb noted how as the series progressed she found it to be "more Beckett play than the [usual] zany fare you might expect from a BBC3 sitcom.^[6]

On reviewing the final episode, Aidan Smith of The Scotsman summarised the show as "a jam and fluff-covered gem featuring charming performances from Russell Tovey and Sarah Solemani as Steve and Becky".^[7] The series was awarded the BAFTA for British Academy Television Award for Best Situation Comedy in 2014.^[8]

Episode list

Series		Episodes	Originally aired		DVD release date
			Series premiere	Series finale	Region 2	Region 4
	1	6	6 September 2010	11 October 2010	18 October 2010	11 January 2012
	2	7	1 November 2011	13 December 2011	12 November 2012	21 August 2013
	3	7	18 November 2012	23 December 2012	9 December 2013	18 June 2014
	4	5	21 November 2013	19 December 2013	13 October 2014	TBA

Series 1

S no.	E no.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
1	1	"The Interruptions"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	6 September 2010
2	2	"The Birthday"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	13 September 2010
3	3	"The Fancy Dress Party"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	20 September 2010
4	4	"The Football"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	27 September 2010
5	5	"The Parents"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	4 October 2010
6	6	"The Argument"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	11 October 2010

Series 2

S no.	E no.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
7	1	"The Move"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	1 November 2011
8	2	"The Sleepover"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	8 November 2011
9	3	"The Get Together"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	15 November 2011
10	4	"The Fight"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	22 November 2011
11	5	"The Rollover"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	29 November 2011
12	6	"The Cinema"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	6 December 2011
13	7	"The Split"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	13 December 2011

Series 3

S no.	E no.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
14	1	"The Ring"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	18 November 2012[9]
15	2	"The Sister-in-Law"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	18 November 2012[10]
16	3	"The Happy Couple"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	25 November 2012[11]
17	4	"The Father-in-Law"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	2 December 2012[12]
18	5	"The First Date"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	9 December 2012[13]
19	6	"The Proposal"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	16 December 2012[14]
20	7	"The Christmas Special"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	23 December 2012[15]

Series 4

S no.	E no.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
21	1	"The Morning"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	21 November 2013
22	2	"The Arrival"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	28 November 2013
23	3	"The Ceremony"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	5 December 2013
24	4	"The Speeches"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	12 December 2013
25	5	"The Disco"	Richard Laxton	Stefan Golaszewski	19 December 2013

DVD release

The complete first series DVD was released on 18 October 2010^[16] and the second series on 12 November 2012. A series 1 & 2 boxset was also released on 12 November 2012.

References

1. Steve gives his postcode during a phone call in s1 e3
2. "TV review: Him & Her (BBC3)". Metro.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
3. Viner, Brian (14 September 2010). "Last Night's TV – Jamie's American Food Revolution, Channel 4; Him & Her, BBC3; Bouquet of Barbed Wire, ITV1 – Reviews – TV & Radio – The Independent". The Independent. London.
4. "Him & Her – Reviews and Articles – British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
5. Wright, Jonathan; Raeside, Julia; Nicholson, Rebecca; Dean, Will (6 September 2010). "America: The Story of the US". The Guardian. London.
6. "Him & Her – Reviews and Articles – British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
7. "TV review: Modern Family | Him&Her | The Apprentice – News –". Scotsman.com. 10 October 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
8. Masters, Tim (19 May 2014). "Bafta TV awards: the view backstage". BBC News. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
9. "Radio Times page for The Ring". Radiotimes.com. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
10. "Radio Times page for The Sister-in-Law". Radiotimes.com. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
11. "Radio Times page for The Happy Couple". Radiotimes.com. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
12. "BBC Three - Him & Her, Series 3, The Father-in-Law". Bbc.co.uk. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
13. "BBC Three - Him & Her, Series 3, The First Date". Bbc.co.uk. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
14. "BBC Three - Him & Her, Series 3, The Proposal". Bbc.co.uk. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
15. "BBC Three - Him & Her, Series 3, The Christmas Special". Bbc.co.uk. 5 January 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
16. "DVD details for Him & Her". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 23 November 2010.

External links

• Him & Her at Big Talk Productions
• Him & Her at BBC Programmes
  
• Him & Her at British Comedy Guide
• Him & Her at the Internet Movie Database