This series brought Al Murray's Pub Landlord character to prominence when first shown on Sky One back in 2000. The landlord, known only as Guv (or Bullet Head), is a sad pathetic character, whose wife left him and took his son away, and whose mother knew all of his regular customers intimately. These may be the reason why he's so outspoken and opinionated on anything and everything, especially the French. And Germans. And northerners. In fact, pretty much anyone who wasn't born in London. His eyes light up when an Australian girl, Janet (played brilliantly by Julia Sawalha), comes through the doors looking for work. She's an Aussie, bred for bar work, it's instinct, iiinnnnstinct! Janet is more interested in getting her hands on the naiive barman Steve, who seems petrified at the idea. Among the regulars propping up the bar are the Proffessor, so named because he wears glasses, Terry (Phil Daniels), an alcoholic with a gas problem who celebrates his birthday by drinking one pint for… more »

This series brought Al Murray's Pub Landlord character to prominence when first shown on Sky One back in 2000. The landlord, known only as Guv (or Bullet Head), is a sad pathetic character, whose wife left him and took his son away, and whose mother knew all of his regular customers intimately. These may be the reason why he's so outspoken and opinionated on anything and everything, especially the French. And Germans. And northerners. In fact, pretty much anyone who wasn't born in London. His eyes light up when an Australian girl, Janet (played brilliantly by Julia Sawalha), comes through the doors looking for work. She's an Aussie, bred for bar work, it's instinct, iiinnnnstinct! Janet is more interested in getting her hands on the naiive barman Steve, who seems petrified at the idea. Among the regulars propping up the bar are the Proffessor, so named because he wears glasses, Terry (Phil Daniels), an alcoholic with a gas problem who celebrates his birthday by drinking one pint for every year of his life, Granddad, an old man who seems to yearn for death, and Lesley and Lealey, a tiny woman and her Psychotic boyfriend, who can only be placated by being given free crisps. The Guv's peace is then shattered when the new brewery rep turns out to be a woman, Ms Jackson, the daughter of the brewery owner. "She's never pulled a pint in her life". The comedy comes thick and fast, often crude, always funny, from Terry's birthday, tho the compulsory Gay night, from a brush in with the Guv's arch nemesis Greg Thompson (former Eastender Marc Bannerman), to the Guv's first date since his wife left him. If you like Al Murray's stand-up work, you'll love Time Gentlemen Please. I just wish they'd hurry up and release a second volume.