The Brittas Empire (1991)
The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom created and originally written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen. Chris Barrie plays Gordon Brittas, the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. The show ran for seven series and 53 episodes — including two Christmas specials — from 1991 to 1997 on BBC1. Norriss and Fegen wrote the first five series, after which they left the show. The Brittas Empire enjoyed a long and successful run throughout the 1990s, and gained itself large mainstream audiences. In 2004 the show came 47th on the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom poll, and all series have been released on DVD. The creators Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen often combine farce with either surreal or dramatic elements in episodes. For example in the first series, the leisure centre prepares for a royal visit, only for the doors to seal, the boiler room to flood and a visitor to become electrocuted. Unlike the traditional sitcom, deaths were quite common in The Brittas Empire.
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Episode 1 - The Trial
Release Date: 1993-01-07The staff of Whitbury Newtown Leisure Centre have sent Gordon to Coventry because Gordon is on trial for murdering strange people. The prosecutor explains that there is someone in the Centre who doesn't like Gordon and will stick glue to anything he touches. Two cases of money have been found in a locker and locker keys end up behind the toilets. When Gordon switches on the chainsaw he is sure to be guilty not until Eddie comes to the rescue.
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Episode 2 - That Creeping Feeling
Release Date: 1993-01-14After the trial the Staff are ignoring Gordon and Laura explains why. Gordon decides to arrange an appointment with a phychologist. Meanwhile he also gets a parcel from and old rival which is strange because all there is is leaves and even Gavin discovers a half eaten spider. Linda goes to find out why and then she comes up with the answer. It gets worse when Colin gets bitten by a poisonous spider.
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Episode 3 - Laura's Leaving
Release Date: 1993-01-21Laura is going for a job interview and Helen is not happy about it. She is worried because what is Laura is takes the job and has to resign. Gordon is busy because people from Church are going the do a baptism session. A customer is trying to get a cup of coffee but has a problem every time. Meanwhile Colin feels different somehow and ends up causing a very disastrous situation by electrocuting the people from Church. Colin is given his punishment then Carole gets fired and everyone is very cross with Gordon. Then a surprise comes when Laura comes back.
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Episode 4 - Two Little Boys
Release Date: 1993-01-28It's Whitbury Newtown Leisure Centre's Birthday today and Gordon has done some birthday specials for the centre although some of them have gone wrong. Meanwhile the oil which has been delivered 3 weeks ago has disappeared. It turns out that there's a hole in the tank, Gordon tells Colin to put the oil somewhere safe which turns out to be a very small cupboard. A group from another leisure centre to do the activities so they can have some fun. Horatio talks to Gordon that he doesn't want to go to his new job, Gordon however tells him that it's important until a nasty explosion causes everyone to be injured.
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Episode 5 - Sex, Lies and Red Tape
Release Date: 1993-02-04Whitbury Newtown Leisure Centre are trying to raise money so they can buy a new trampoline. Gavin and Tim are doing a sponsered sponge throw and Gordon is doing a sponsered silence. It's also Laura's birthday and her husband Michael has come from America to see her. He ruins Gordon's sponsered silence and spoils the charity. Helen is acting suspiciously because she is being accused of shoplifting which is in fact true. Gordon tries to sort everthing out and completely upsets himself when Michael turns out to be Laura's Husband.
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Episode 6 - The Stuff of Dreams
Release Date: 1993-02-11Gordon spends the day by pretending to be an old man Mr Derek Didcot. Laura discovers him straight away and Gordon tells her that what will happen when he gets old and has to retire and all about the dream he had last night. Colin is taken by surprise when he discovers that Mr Didcot is accually Gordon. Gordon has an interview with Linda and then the time has come when Helen goes into labour. Gordon has trouble getting to the hospital and then gets stuck in traffic. What will happen to Helen and her babies?