Two Soups
Julie Walters as the world's slowest waitress — a Wood classic.
Sitcom File No. 003
BBC One · 1998–2000
dinnerladies
- Network
- BBC One
- Years
- 1998–2000
- Seasons
- 2
- Episodes
- 16
Victoria Wood's ensemble sitcom set in a factory canteen: beautifully written, quietly moving, and packed with the sort of dialogue only Wood could write.
WorkplaceEnsembleCharacter comedy
Created by Victoria Wood
The Review
Our verdict
Rating
8.2/10
Wood wrote every episode of dinnerladies herself, an almost unheard-of feat for a modern sitcom, and the result is a script of extraordinary craft. Every line is a small poem, every character fully realised, and the show finds enormous comedy and enormous heart in the smallest details of canteen life.
That the second series unfolds against Bren's mother's escalating chaos gives the whole enterprise an undertow of melancholy that Wood plays perfectly. It's the warmest cold-canteen comedy ever made.
Cast & Creators
Who made this one
Names linked to their Laughter File are part of the archive. Follow the thread.
Victoria Wood
Bren
View Laughter File →
- J
Julie Walters
Petula Gordeno
- A
Anne Reid
Jean
- T
Thelma Barlow
Dolly
- D
Duncan Preston
Stan
Memorable Episodes
Episodes to revisit
- 01
MondayS1 · E1
Bren meets the canteen in the quiet, brilliant pilot.
- 02
MinnelliumS2 · E1
The canteen braces for the millennium with Bren's usual calm.
- 03
The Leaving PartyS2 · E6
An understated farewell that only Wood could write.
Classic Clips
Four scenes to revisit
Petula's Arrival
Julie Walters storms the canteen as Bren's chaotic mother.
Stan Explains the Rota
Duncan Preston's deadpan delight.
The Millennium Night
The canteen faces the year 2000 with typical calm.
Legacy
Cemented Wood as one of the finest comedy writers Britain has ever produced.
Where to watch
Available on BBC iPlayer.