Tastebuddies

Overview

Tastebuddies was a late night show on BBC Choice UK that had started life as a 'straight', 'daytime TV' style studio-based cookery show on BBC Choice Wales. It soon after became a 10 minute section of a magazine show presented by Amy Charles, called "In Full View" that was also shown on BBC Choice Wales. Following a change of director in 1999 (and dramatic reduction of budget) it became a series of low-budget, anarchic, "fly-on-the-wall" style comedy-cookery sketches in the 2nd and final series of In Full View, and the first 4 episodes of Sleeping Dogs. It was during the 2nd series of In Full View that these sketches were seen by the then new head of BBC Choice, Stuart Murphy. He commissioned Tastebuddies for a 10 part series on BBC Choice UK in 2000.

Trivia

BBC News broadcaster Huw Edwards made a cameo appearance in the final episode.

Creative Cast & Crew

Much of the show was improvised around a specific story idea. Some of the cast and crew worked with the director on some of these stories. A lot of the dialogue was improvised. Therefore a lot of the cast could comfortably say that they were co-writers. Some of the more technically able members of the cast's roles crossed over with the crew's. Indeed when not in a scene, actor Stephen Bush also assisted sound, lighting, wardrobe, location-scouting AND direction. Many of the cast were also musicians. For example Simon, Colin, Alun and Janice sang and played in most of the episodes.

Cast

• incomplete list*

• Simon Adams
• Colin Bowen
• Stephen Bush
• Sean Carlsen
• Sally Collins
• Steve Floyd
• Tony Gabriel
• Jim Kitson
• Eleanor McRea
• Janice Pugsley
• Alun Roberts
• Kate Richardson
• Jan Wierszylowski

Crew

• Jon Rees - Lighting Cameraman
• Adam Jones - Sound

External Links

• http://www.aspect-tv.com/programmes.htm
• http://www.madjanice.com