Psychoville

Premise

The series revolves around five different characters from different parts of England: David Sowerbutts (played by Pemberton), a serial killer-obsessed man-child who still lives with his mother Maureen (Shearsmith); Mr. Jelly (Shearsmith), an embittered one-handed children's entertainer; Oscar Lomax (Pemberton), a blind millionaire who collects stuffed toy animals; Joy Aston (French), a midwife who treats a practice doll as if it is her real child; and Robert Greenspan (Tompkins), a panto dwarf in love with his Snow White who believes he has the power of telekinesis. All five are connected by a mysterious blackmailer who has sent them a letter each with the message: "I know what you did". The series is named after the title given to The League of Gentlemen when the series was sold to Japan and Korea.

Plot

The series features a diverse set of five characters who live in different parts of England, all of whom have been blackmailed by the same individual (referred to in the credits for episode seven as "Black Gloved Man"), who has given them each a letter with the message "I know what you did…" In the second episode, the blackmailer leaves them a second message that reads, "You killed her". In the third episode they receive a videotape showing them in an asylum together (several having previously revealed that they had been institutionalised) performing "Close Every Door" from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It is later disclosed that the institution was called Ravenhill Hospital. In Episodes Five and Six, the characters discover the final message: a key depicting a raven. David's letter also contains the message "I'm waiting...".

Ultimately it's revealed that Joy, Robert, David and Oscar were involved in the death of Nurse Edwina Kenchington (Eileen Atkins), who is the blackmailer's mother. The blackmailer is Dr. Stuart Strachen, a surgeon also known as Mr. Jolly. Jolly blackmailed Jelly whom he blamed most, as he was operating on Jelly's hand (later amputated as the operation went wrong) while Kenchington was dying. David knocked her over and Joy pronounced her dead. The group started a fire to cover their tracks, but Kenchington woke up and attempted to escape. Oscar, Joy and Robert prevented her from leaving the room she was trapped in but she somehow survived and returns to Ravenhill in the final episode looking for her locket. At the end of the series, Mr Jolly blows up part of the asylum with most of the main characters and Kenchington inside. It is revealed that Robert has the locket.

Series two begins with Mr Jelly, Oscar, and Oscar's assistant Michael, aka "Tealeaf" (a slang term for thief) attending the funeral of Mr Jolly. Afterwards, Jelly is given a box of Jolly's props, which turns out to contain Strachen's mobile phone and his ID card at Andrews Nanotech. Posing as Mr Jolly, Mr Jelly discovers that Strachen was using his surgical skills to deal in the black market organ trade, and that Kenchington had an account with a cryogenic storage facility where her late father Ehrlichmann's head was kept frozen. Meanwhile, Andrews Nanotech has hired police detective Finney to retrieve Kenchington's locket by any means necessary. Robert gives the locket to Debbie for safekeeping but after Robert's death, Debbie gives it away to make-up lady Hattie. Detective Finney tracks down the former Ravenhill patients, questions then kills Joy, Robert, and Oscar, and attempts to kill Mrs Wren. Oscar's friend the toyshop owner Peter Bishop, deduces that Oscar was killed for his connection to Ravenhill. He enlists Tealeaf's help and they successfully retrieve the locket from Hattie before Finney can get to it. They contact Mr Jelly whose own investigations have resulted in him in possession of Ehrlichmann's frozen head. Bishop kills Tealeaf and travels to London with Mr Jelly to sell the locket and head to Grace Andrews. It is revealed that the method for restoring a frozen head to life, worked out by Edwina Kenchington, was microscopically engraved on the links of the locket chain. Using this information, Andrews' team is able to bring Erlichmann's head back to life. The head is subsequently destroyed but the technique has been proven to work. The series ends with the revelation that David Sowerbutts is storing the corpse of his mother Maureen in a bathtub filled with ice, suggesting that she could be resurrected by the same method.

Web presence

Shearsmith and Pemberton collaborated with Rob and Neil Gibbons to produce fictional web content to accompany the show including an interactive treasure hunt. |access-date = 24 June 2009}} Fake websites and promotional websites were created for many of the characters to allow viewers of the programme to get "an overall Psychoville experience."

A new Psychoville Experience was created for series two, with a new interface and a selection of new fictional websites released after each episode. Viewers were asked to find a number each week and input them into a keypad to unlock a 'secret chamber' at the end of the series. The chamber once opened reveals the revived head of the Nazi Doctor Ehrlichmann (Kenchington's father). Five questions are asked and a certain amount correct gets you a free 'freeze and reanimation ticket' from CG Medistore and andrewsnanotech to print out. The websites were again written by Shearsmith and Pemberton.{{Cite book|title = Psychoville - Experience|publisher = BBC|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/psychoville/experience/ |access-date = 16 May 2011}}

• Jelly Parties
• Jolly Parties
• Lomax Commodities
• Best Murders
• Joy's Advice to Young Mums Website
• Goldfish Bowl Productions
• Debbie Hart
• Hoyti Toyti/The Nazi Bay (type 'NAZI' in the valuation booth)
• Robert Greenspan
• Biggins Panto
• Midget Gems
• Murder and Chips
• Ravenhill Hospital
• Sunnyvale Rest Home
• FOCCE (Federation of Clowns and Children's Entertainers)

Cast

Principal characters

Supporting cast

Production

Filming for the series began at locations around London in October 2008, with plans for the show to be broadcast in 2009. In May 2009 it was confirmed that the series would begin on 11 June, although it was later rescheduled to 18 June. In order to promote Psychoville's launch, digital agency Ralph & Co created a customisable viral video, which enabled users to seemingly broadcast their friends' darkest secrets on a digital billboard at London's Piccadilly Circus.

Episodes

Series 1 (2009)

This episode is a homage to the Alfred Hitchcock film Rope, in that it appears to be shot in one continuous take even though it was actually filmed in two.

Halloween special (2010)

It is revealed that at least two of the characters who were assembled for series 1's finale are dead, with a further two in a critical condition.

Series 2 (2011)

Awards

Psychoville won the 2009 British Comedy Award for "Best New British TV Comedy" and the 2011 British Comedy Award for "Best Comedy Drama".

References

;General

;Specific

References

1. Fletcher, Alex. (3 December 2012). "'''League of Gentlemen''' Duo Create New Dark BBC Comedy Anthology".
2. "Radio Times on Twitter".
3. (15 September 2011). "Psychoville killed off". Powder Blue Internet Business Solutions.
4. "Inside No. 9: Series 5, Episode 2 - Death Be Not Proud". [[British Comedy Guide]].
5. Armstrong, Stephen. (31 May 2009). "The League of Gentlemen launch Psychoville". The Times.
6. Dowell, Ben. (9 October 2008). "League of Gentlemen duo back with BBC2 comedy Psychoville". The Guardian.
7. "TV Preview: Psychoville + panel discussion". [[British Film Institute]].
8. "Psychoville". BBC.
9. (9 October 2008). "New show for League of Gentlemen". BBC Online.
10. "Jelly Parties".
11. "Jolly Parties".
12. "Lomax Commodities".
13. "Best Murders".
14. "Joy's Advice to Young Mums Website".
15. "Goldfish Bowl Productions".
16. "Debbie Hart".
17. "Hoyti Toyti/The Nazi Bay".
18. "Robert Greenspan".
19. "Biggins Panto".
20. "Midget Gems".
21. "Murder and Chips".
22. "Ravenhill Hospital".
23. "Sunnyvale Rest Home".
24. "FOCCE (Federation of Clowns and Children's Entertainers)".
25. "Psychoville – Characters: Drew Aspinall, played by Alex Waldmann". BBC.
26. Moore, Matthew. (10 October 2008). "League of Gentlemen creators write new comedy Psychoville for BBC2". The Daily Telegraph.
27. Bold, Ben. (20 May 2009). "BBC launches blackmail viral to promote 'Psychoville'". Brand Republic.
28. Armstrong, Stephen. (31 May 2009). "The League of Gentlemen launch Psychoville". The Times.
29. Dean, Will. (9 July 2009). "Psychoville episode four: 'Give 'em enough rope'". The Guardian.
30. Dean, Will. (30 July 2009). "Psychoville episode seven: Ravenhill". The Guardian.
31. "Comedy.co.uk Awards 2011 results".