Josie – Nostalgia Central

1 9 9 1 (UK)
6 x 30 minute episodes

During the heyday of Channel 4’s Whose Line Is It Anyway?, several of the regulars were given their own series on the network.

Tony Slattery and Mike McShane did S&M; John Sessions had On The Spot; Paul Merton appeared in Paul Merton: The Series; and Brummie Josie Lawrence made six episodes of Josie.

The character-based sketch show featured Josie in a wide variety of guises, performing sketches and songs, and adopting characters such as Trudi Kellogg (a spoof of pop star Kylie Minogue); Miss Josie Meadows (heavily inspired by the Lancashire wartime entertainer Gracie Fields) starring in ‘Chuckle at your Sorrows’ (pictured); Linda Tufnell (a regular housewife who suddenly discovers she has blood ties to the British Royal Family) and Giselle – one of two broad Brummie girls (the other was Marlene played by Lesley Sharp) on vacation in sunny Spain.

Helping her were guests including Richard Vranch. Denise Coffey, Caroline Quentin, Paul Merton, Neil Mullarkey, Felicity Montagu, Jason Carter (from Babylon 5) and Siobhan Finneran.

Due to disappointing viewing ratings, Channel 4 decided not to renew the show for a second series.

Aside from the initial six episodes, two compilation editions titled (Bits of) Josie aired in 1992 and were briefly repeated in 1995.

Video