Birds of a Feather (TV series)
Birds of a Feather is a British sitcom originally broadcast on BBC One from 16 October 1989 to 24 December 1998, then revived on ITV from 2 January 2014 to 24 December 2020. The series stars Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson, with Lesley Joseph. It was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, who also wrote many of the episodes.
| Birds of a Feather | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Laurence Marks Maurice Gran |
| Directed by | Nick Wood |
| Starring | Pauline Quirke Linda Robson Lesley Joseph |
| Theme music composer | Irving Berlin |
| Opening theme | "What'll I Do" performed by Linda Robson & Pauline Quirke |
| Ending theme | "What'll I Do?" |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 12 |
| No. of episodes | 129 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Jon Rolph Steve Sheen |
| Producer | Jo Willett |
| Camera setup | Video (1989–1998) Multiple-camera setup (2014–2020) |
| Running time | 30–75 minutes (1989–1998) 22–45 minutes (2014–2020) |
| Production companies | Alomo Productions (1989–1998) Hare and Tortoise / Quirkymedia Stuff (2014–2020) |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 16 October 1989 – 24 December 1998 |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 2 January 2014 – 24 December 2020 |
In the first episode, sisters Sharon and Tracey are brought together when their husbands are sent to prison for armed robbery. Sharon, who lives in an Edmonton council flat, moves into Tracey's upmarket house in Chigwell, Essex. Their next-door neighbour and later friend Dorien, is a middle-aged married Jewish woman who is constantly having affairs with younger men. In the last two BBC series, the location is changed to nearby Hainault, London, before returning to Chigwell in series 10 (the first aired on ITV).
The series' original run ended on 24 December 1998 after nine years, and returned just over 15 years later, on 2 January 2014 (this time on ITV) for a tenth series. The opening episode of the new series attracted almost eight million viewers, giving ITV its highest-rated comedy since Barbara in 2000. A further two series were broadcast, followed by two Christmas specials. There was a further Christmas special in 2020, where Pauline Quirke did not appear due to her decision to take a step back from acting, in order to focus on her performing arts academy.