MY VIEW
Sophie Clarke-Jervoise, managing director, Tiger Aspect Productions
When Derren Litten suggested writing a sitcom set in a health spa, Ben Cavey and I bit his arm off and commissioned a script immediately. He wanted to create a big female role at the heart of the show, a character who was flawed but sympathetic and believable, surrounded by an ensemble cast of misfits. Sky was enthusiastic and supportive from the start and, based on the pilot script, commissioned a series of seven 30-minute episodes plus an hour-long special for Sky Living HD.
Alison also has her hands full coping with the escapades of suicidal cleaner Rose (Vilma Hollingbery, Psychoville) and Polish chef Bolek (Chris Geere, Waterloo Road) whose recipes leave a lot to be desired, not to mention the unexpected visits of managing director Costas (Ramin Karimloo, The Phantom of the Opera) and the demands of wine-guzzling best friend Ginny (Frances Barber, Silk). Add bothersome guest-star clientele, including Cheryl Fergison (EastEnders) as the impossible-to-satisfy Ms Bergita Wylde, and you’ve got a line-up of characters that’s enough to lead anyone to need a peaceful spa break to recuperate.
February Episodes: 7
As with Benidorm, the cast of The Spa are first and foremost great actors rather than comics and they quickly became a real family on set. The series is directed by the brilliant Sandy Johnson, whose comic instincts are impeccable – he works on the basis that everything has to be believable and possible (although not necessarily probable).
Our location was a business park in north London. Heather Gibson, our production designer, set about creating a bright, colourful and slightly eccentric health club and within a couple of weeks what started as a rather bleak glass structure was transformed into a fully-operational spa. It was so convincing that some people from the business park came in to apply for membership.
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