S01E01 Laying the Foundations
Gordon Brittas is the manager at Whitbury Leisure Centre. The builders are laying the foundations but Gordon is very rude to one of the workers and they go on strike. He causes more trouble when...
The Brittas Empire
S01E02: Opening Day
I'ts Opening Day at Whitbury Leisure Centre and Gordon is getting ready to meet the Duchess of Kent. But things are going wrong when the electric doors aren't working properly and the water from the swimming pool is disappearing and the temperature rises. Will Gordon sort it all out before the Duchess of Kent arrives?
Overview
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.
Episodes
S01E02 Opening Day
I'ts Opening Day at Whitbury Leisure Centre and Gordon is getting ready to meet the Duchess of Kent. But things are going wrong when the electric doors aren't working properly and the water from the...
S01E03 Bye Bye Baby
Carole has heard that her husband Derek is coming back, after what happened a long time ago. After all these years she will not have to work, Ben will have a father and she will...
S01E04 Underwater Wedding
While doing an interview with Beverly, Gordon realizes that the best man for the underwater wedding that is happening in the pool is in trouble. Gavin is asked to help and then a disabled man...
S01E05 Stop Thief
Things have gone missing and Gordon has closed the centre for the day. He explains that there could be a thief about and sets a trap to catch the thief. The plan is to hide...
S01E06 Assassin
Gordon is dealing with two problems today. He has heard that the centre is getting low on visitors and that someone is trying to kill him. All over the centre the killer is still trying...
Cast
Chris Barrie
Gordon Brittas
Michael Burns
Colin
Julia St. John
Laura
Pippa Haywood
Helen Brittas
Tim Marriott
Gavin
Harriet Thorpe
Carole
Russell Porter
Tim
