The Brittas Empire

The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom devised and originally scripted by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen. Chris Barrie stars as Gordon Brittas, the well-intentioned yet inept manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. Spanning seven series and 53 episodes, including two Christmas specials, the show aired on BBC1 from 1991 through 1997. Norriss and Fegen authored the initial five series before stepping away from the project. Throughout the 1990s it enjoyed a durable run and built a broad mainstream following. In a BBC poll, Britain's Best Sitcom, Brittas Empire ranked 47th in 2004, and every series has since been released on DVD. The creators favor a fusion of farce with surreal or dramatic undertones, as demonstrated in the opening series where the leisure centre prepares for a royal visit, only for the doors to seal, the boiler room to flood, and a guest to be electrocuted. Departing from conventional sitcoms, fatalities punctuate the series with notable frequency.