Jam & Jerusalem

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Jam & Jerusalem

Opening Credits of Jam & Jerusalem
Genre Sitcom
Created by Jennifer Saunders
Starring Sue Johnston
Pauline McLynn
Dawn French
Joanna Lumley
Jennifer Saunders
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes 13 (as of 1 February 2008)
Production
Running time 10x30 minutes
2x40 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel BBC One
Original run 24 November 2006 – present
External links
Official website
IMDb profile

Jam & Jerusalem is a British sitcom that has aired on BBC One since 2006. Written by Jennifer Saunders and Abigail Wilson, it stars Sue Johnston, Saunders, Pauline McLynn, Dawn French and Joanna Lumley. In the United States, it airs as Clatterford.

The show centres on a Women's Guild in a fictional small West Country village called Clatterford St. Mary. It first aired on 24 November 2006. The second series began airing on 1 January 2008 with a 40-minute special[1][2] and finished on 1 February 2008. A third series will start filming in spring 2008.[3]

Contents

[edit] Production

The first episode of Jam & Jerusalem was shot in Autumn 2005 as a pilot (not broadcast at the time), and led to the BBC commissioning of the rest of the six-part series and a Christmas Special which were filmed in Autumn 2006. The second series was filmed in Autumn 2007. Both series were filmed in North Tawton, Devon[4], on nearby Dartmoor, and in Staines.

The programme is one of a group of shows being filmed in High-Definition for a trial run in November on the BBC. The theme tune is a version of The Kinks' The Village Green Preservation Society sung by Kate Rusby, whose songs are also used as incidental music. Jam & Jerusalem has no laugh track as there is no studio audience. The title phrase has traditionally been associated with the Women's Institute in England and Wales for whom the hymn Jerusalem is the unofficial anthem.

Freya, the daughter of Jennifer Saunders' character Caroline is played by Saunders' real life daughter, Freya Edmondson. In the second series, Saunders' elder daughter Beattie also appears as Caroline's daughter Beattie.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Plot

Jam & Jerusalem is set in the small West Country village of Clatterford St. Mary[5] and is based around Sal, a local practice nurse. The surgery's indiscreet receptionist, Tip, is also her best friend, and both are at the centre of community life. Despite this, Sal is not a member of her local Women's Guild, but after the death of husband, the local GP, and the loss of her job, she soon joins.[6] Tip is married to a farmer, Colin. The chairwoman of the Women's Guild is Eileen Pike, who always wears her chains of office. Other members include lollipop lady Queenie, elderly church organist Delilah Stagg and Rosie, a cleaner who has an angry and rude alter ego called Margaret. Delilah is absent from the second series except a brief appearance in the first episode. Wealthy Caroline and Susie are slightly separate from the rest of the Guild. Sal's family consists of James, her son, and his wife Yasmin. Sal's daughter, Tash, has a son of her own Raif, and she has a boyfriend Marcus until the end of the second series.[7] Tash's friend Samuel "Spike" Pike, a postman, is a fellow hippie, who becomes her husband in the final episode of Series Two.[7][8]

[edit] Episodes

[edit] Series One (2006)

# Airdate Overview Viewers
1
24 November 2006
 Dr Michael Vine (Hywel Bennett) dies of a heart attack, and at the funeral his son Dr. James announces that his wife will be the new practice nurse, putting his mother Sal out of a job. She then struggles to occupy her time, so joins the local Women's Guild, as does Kate Bales, a bereavement counsellor.
6.7 million [9]
2
1 December 2006
 The women decide they want a coffee room room at the local church so they have somewhere to meet up after the morning's service. To pay for the health and safety standards, they decide to put together a bring and buy sale to raise money. Sal finally gets rid of her deceased husband's clothes, donating them to the fundraiser; as her children are unwilling to help, the Guild decide they will.
3.9 million [10]
3
8 December 2006
 After discovering Eileen was adopted, Sal convinces Tip to use Genes Reunited to search for her birth family. The women are shocked to immediately find the contact details of a blood relative. Although initially angry, Eileen is happy when she discovers she has a brother. Tash asks Sal to take care of Ralph for six months. Rosie forgets to order the pasties for a village picnic so they have to make them themselves.
5.1 million[11]
4
15 December 2006
 Delilah gets her car seat stuck. Sal and Tash have a major argument about Tash wanting to do a Circus Skills course, and refusing to get a job. However, they later make up. At the surgery, Tip devises a successful plan to get Sal her old job back, by having James' ex-headmistress Joyce Midge (Miriam Margolyes) come in for a smear.
4 million [12]
5
22 December 2006
 Rosie, Eileen and Queenie help the Vicar prepare for the harvest festival. When Rosie sees the face of Jesus in a potato, her alter-ego Margaret comes to the surface after the Vicar tells her the face is not there. Meanwhile, the Vicar tries to get some peace and Caroline injuries herself at the pony trials.
6
26 December 2006
 During Kate "Silver Surfers" group, Eileen comes in and reads a letter saying that Guild inspector Lady Anne Crump (Marcia Warren) will be at their meeting that evening, which makes Eileen panic thinking they will be closed. Meanwhile, the Guild help an old man called Elijah whose wife recently died and Rosie goes on a celebrity diet.
4.8 million [13]

[edit] Christmas Special (2006)

Airdate Length Overview Viewers
30 December 2006
40 minutes
 The Guild are organising Cinderella, the village pantomime, and Tash wants to play the lead role as she always does. However, Eileen thinks that, at 36, Tash is too old. Nevertheless, Sal persuades Eileen to let Tash have the role, while James and the Vicar play the Ugly sisters. On the night, Tip goes to the pub rather than perform as the Wicked Stepmother, while Tash gets on well with Prince Charming. Meanwhile, Sal gets help when she decides how to scatter Mike's ashes.
4.5 million[14]

[edit] Series Two (2008)

# Airdate Overview
1
1 January 2008
 As the first anniversary of Mike's death approaches, Sal tells James how much she misses him. Sal teaches James how to be compassionate with his patients and Tash gets a job in tele sales. Meanwhile, the Guild launch a website and hold a Victorian tea so they can put the some photos on the website. However, Kate and Eileen argue over who will make the website. Delilah flies off her bike and is rushed to hospital.
2
4 January 2008
 Tash and Spike plan to go to Glastonbury, but a ticketless Tash hopes to get past security by pretending to be a security guard. Caroline is also at Glastonbury to see her son perform. Meanwhile, Sal wants a quiet weekend to herself, but Susie comes round saying she thinks she is pregnant after having an affair. However, after looking at the medical records Tip soon tells Susie she can not be pregnant as the man she had the affair has had a vasectomy. Sal's quiet weekend is then ruined further when Tash and Spike come back from Glastonbury early after Tash failed to get past security.
3
11 January 2008
 Lady Anne Crump (Marcia Warren) visits the Guild to judge their competitions. Sal organises the Guild's ramble, which to Eileen's dismay has no plan or theme, instead Sal says they should spend the time talking and bonding. During the ramble, they by accident meet the Vicar, who is having a picnic with a woman called Veronica (Jan Hartley). The Guild then get stranded in fog. Also, Sal encourages Spike to ask Tash out, but he gets confused and asks her out instead. Tash meanwhile is protesting with her fellow druids about the Army practising on nearby land.
4
18 January 2008
 The annual reenactment of the 1646 Clatterford Skirmish is cancelled by the Council citing health and safety concerns. The Guild then decide to organise it themselves, and plan many events including a minor battle reenactment, in which James plays Charles I. Meanwhile, after an incident at the factory, Rosie steals from the SPAR and has problems with Margaret, her alter-ego. She is then seen at home by James, who suggests a higher dose of medication, which Sal does not allow. Sal then talks to Margaret and appears to solve the problem, although it is some days before Rosie will leave her house.
5
25 January 2008
 Yasmeen tries to teach the Guild how to successfully play netball ready for a game against the Guild of a neighbouring village, Hole. However, the Guild lose. The next match is bowls, which they nearly win until Rosie gets Clatterford disqualified for indecent exposure. Meanwhile, Tash plans to move in with Marcus. However, Spike writes her a love note telling her to meet him by a tree at 5pm. She runs away from a house viewing to meet Spike, and she accepts his proposal.
6
1 February 2008
 Tash tries to organise her wedding to Spike, but soon realises that everything is too expensive. She then decides to let Sal and the Guild organise the wedding, which then takes place by a river with a fairy theme, and Tash and Spike write their own vows to say in front of the registar. The reception takes place on a nearby field and afterwards Spike, Tash and Raif go away in a mobile home.

[edit] Other countries

Jam & Jerusalem began airing in the United States under the name Clatterford in March 2007.[15] The first series was screened in Australia, starting in December 2007 on the ABC.[16][17] In late 2007, the show began to air in Canada on BBC Canada.

[edit] DVD releases

The first series and 2006 Christmas Special of Jam & Jerusalem were released in the US (Region 1), under the name Clatterford: Season 1, on 8 May 2007.[18] The first series was released in the United Kingdom (Region 2) on 21 January 2008[19] and in Australia (Region 4), on 3 January 2008.[20]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hilton, Beth. "Lumley will not return to 'Jam and Jerusalem'", Digital Spy, 29 October 2007. 
  2. ^ "New Year's Day TV Listing" (22 December 2007). Radio Times. 
  3. ^ EG INTERVIEW: JENNIFER SAUNDERS
  4. ^ "Not just Jam and Jerusalem...", BBC, 27 November 2006. 
  5. ^ "BBC Comedy", BBC. 
  6. ^ "BBC Press Office", BBC, 18 July 2006. 
  7. ^ a b "Series Two, Episode Three". Jam & Jerusalem. BBC. BBC One. 2008-01-11.
  8. ^ "Series Two, Episode Five". Jam & Jerusalem. BBC. BBC One. 2008-01-25.
  9. ^ "Jam and Jerusalem a hit, Blunder flops", The British Sitcom Guide, 27 November 2006. 
  10. ^ "'Celebrity' final brings in 9.5 million for ITV", digitalspy, 4 December 2006. 
  11. ^ "ITV1's Friday not so great", Media Guardian, 11 December 2006. 
  12. ^ "Quizshow gets Unanimous rejection", Media Guardian, 18 December 2006. 
  13. ^ "Pirates take Boxing Day treasure", BBC, 27 December 2006. 
  14. ^ "7m seek Saddam news on BBC", Media Guardian, 2 January 2007. 
  15. ^ "BBCA taps 'Fabulous' team", Variety, 4 December 2006. 
  16. ^ "Jam and Jerusalem - ABC TV Guide", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 12 December 2007. 
  17. ^ "BBC signs Chinese Deal", Variety, 23 April 2007. 
  18. ^ "Clatterford - Season 1", Warner Bros., 4 December 2006. 
  19. ^ "Jam & Jerusalem - The Complete Series One", BBC, 12 December 2007. 
  20. ^ "Jam & Jerusalem - The Complete Series 1", EzyDVD, 25 December 2007. 

[edit] External links