Comedy fans uncover ‘forgotten’ noughties BBC show starring Olivia Colman
Comedy fans have uncovered a forgotten noughties series that stars Oscar Award-winning actress Olivia Colman.
The discovery was sparked by a Reddit thread where one user appealed for help identifying a coming-of-age drama with a 'distinctive type of British humour.'
The TV fan described the series in question, stating: "I saw this show ages ago, it must have been a TV show or movie from around 2006-2011, maybe.
"It was definitely a British production and I am mostly sure that it was a TV show, rather than a movie. I remember the accents and the distinctive type of British humour. It was kind of like a coming-of-age story about a gay kid, who had a friend, (who was also gay, if my memory doesn't fail). They were probably around 14, maybe."
The user continued, explaining that they searched for the series on Google but could not find it. However, other Redditors were quick to name the comedy as BBC Two's Beautiful People.
READ MORE: Netflix Celebrity Bear Hunt: What is it, when does it air, line-up and hosts
READ MORE: BBC The Apprentice airtime, candidates, aides and You’re Fired details
Originally broadcast from 2008-2009, the two-season drama boasts a stacked cast including Colman, Aidan McArdle and Luke Ward-Wilkinson.
It tells the story of Simon Doonan (Ward-Wilkinson), an ambitious teenager who desires to escape his life in Reading and join the 'beautiful people' who live in London.
The story is loosely based on the real Simon Doonan's memoir of the same name. Like the BBC character, Doonan grew up in the Berkshire town and had big dreams for his future. He later found success as a world-famous window dresser and the Creative Director at Barneys in New York.
Viewers are also introduced to Doonan's dysfunctional family in the twelve-episode show. Colman leads the ensemble as his eccentric mum, Debbie, while McArdle portrays the culture-savvy patriarch of the family.
Although the comedy has not been in the spotlight for over a decade, it has remained popular among viewers. One fan posted an IMDB review, stating: "I recently rewatched this series for the first time in years and loved it all over again."
Others praised its humour, with one person stating: "It's been so long since I have had such a good rousing laugh out of watching characters on screen.
"And such wild and colourful characters they are - set in equally atrocious plot lines! The six half-hour episodes of the two seasons of Beautiful People are unpredictable and completely loony."
While a third person shared appreciation for its source material, writing: "I wanted to thank Simon Doonan for inspiring such a fantastic TV series.
"The acting is superb and the plots lots of fun, but the best thing about it is that it has heart. It's really made with love. I think Olivia Colman, as the mum, steals the show - she can be kooky, but she is also fair and compassionate with a lot of common sense."
Beautiful People is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
