It seems incredible to think that some people will never have had the experience of watching The League of Gentlemen when it first appeared on our television screens over 20 years ago. This surreal comedy, with its long list of grotesque characters, enthralled British viewers who had never seen anything quite like it before.
Anyone thinking of using a BetUS promo code to signup for the bookie and place a bet on the weirdest TV comedy of all time might well end up coming up trumps. For three series, a Christmas special, a film, and three more comeback episodes, The League of Gentlemen was like nothing else – and virtually created its own TV genre.
Even though the last glimpse of Royston Vasey was back in 2017, the legacy of the show lives on its stars and the shows they went to make.
Original TV Series and Film
Our first visit to the curious town of Royston Vasey was in January 1999, when we stumbled upon the locals who definitely didn’t want the place to change. There were no signs of gentrification, but a planned new road certainly worried some of the strange inhabitants.
As the popularity of the show grew, the catchphrases from some of the characters became mainstream. In the end, we enjoyed three series, with a Christmas special in 2000 thrown in for good measure. A poorly received film was released in 2005 before three more anniversary special episodes in 2017. Since then the ‘good’ people of the town have been quiet.
Main Stars
But the stars of the show have definitely not dropped out of the limelight. The League of Gentleman started off as a live show starring Jeremy Dyson, Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith and Mark Gatiss. The latter three starred as many of the characters in the TV show, with Dyson working behind the camera.
The League of Gentlemen played on the British comedic tradition of stars playing multiple characters and crossing genders. Although some of the characters in the show could now be seen as inappropriate, all three actors have continued to be successful – as has Dyson, as a sitcom writer.
Inside No.9
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith have enjoyed much solo success, but it is when they have worked together that there has been some real TV gold. After The League of Gentlemen finished they created Psychoville, another strange comedy where they played multiple characters. It ran for two series and a Halloween special.
But it is for Inside No.9 that the pair have been critically acclaimed. First airing in 2014, it is an anthology series in which each episode tells a story set in a different no.9 location. As the show has gone on, it has attracted a number of well known actors making guest appearances. But it is Pemberton and Shearsmith that always steal the show.
As well as Halloween and Christmas specials, Inside No.9 has now made it to seven series – and won an array of awards for the writers.
Figure 2 There are not many better qualified to write for Doctor Who than Mark Gatiss
Doctor Who and Sherlock
Although all three of the on-screen League Gentlemen stars have enjoyed success in recent years, it is probably Mark Gatiss that is most well known. Reece Shearsmith has memorably starred in Doctor Who, but Gatiss actually helped bring the show back, writing and starring in many episodes after it returned in 2005.
Gatiss had been a huge fan of the show as a child and wrote screenplays for Doctor Who even when it was off-air. He also helped bring the stories of Sherlock Holmes back to the small screen in the Benedict Cumberbatch-led Sherlock. There have been four series to date, with more planned but not filmed due to the busy work commitments of the stars who have now become Hollywood regulars.
Mark Gatiss is also well known for his seasonal ghost stories shown at Christmas each year. Taking inspiration from the famous MR James stories, Gatiss has written and directed episodes since 2013.
With a reputation for bringing us a cavalcade of creepy characters, it is not hard to see the direct line from what The League of Gentlemen brought us over 20 years ago to the creations that Pemberton, Gatiss and Shearsmith treat us to today.