Special Kaye
Perfect World
Series one
Perfect World was Paul's two series long BBC2 comedy, shown first in February 2000. In it he plays Bob Slay the manipulative, rude and selfish marketing man. He works in 'Gate House' with his long-suffering work partners - Maggie and Vaughan. Head of department is the sex obsessed - Marketing Director. The series is about the ups and downs of office life and what trouble Bob manages to land people in, however, somehow he always comes out on top. No matter how horrid Bob is I always feel a bit sorry for him deep down, probably because of the fact he mentions how he was abandoned as a baby, I was more on his side after that!
Paul: "I've never really worked in an office but it was the way I imagined you'd keep sane - I mean an office is sort of like an extended playground, isn't it? So the guy does absolutely no work and the only way he can relieve the tedium is by behaving despicably and I think the whole office would actually be sad if he left because it would suddenly be all very mundane. I mean I'm sure that's the case in a lot of real offices - it's like on reality-TV shows, everyone quite likes the bad guy in the Big Brother house, really."
Main Cast:
Paul as Bob Slay
Michael Cochrane as Marketing Director
Derran Litten as Vaughan
Nina Wadia as Maggie
This is 'Gate House', Bob's work place.
The first episode of series one was aired on BBC2 February 25th, 2000, I found this short review of the opener:
"The stylish opening to this new office-centered, six-part situation comedy introduces Bob Slay, the ultimate marketing man. Paul Kaye (well known as spoof interviewer Dennis Pennis), stars as a slick and selfish operator with a saccharine tongue who occasionally justifies his behaviour in asides to the camera. His only real area of vulnerability is his parentage - he was abandoned as a baby. That makes him particularly nervous when he has to meet his gorgeous girlfriend Lauren's parents for the first time. The plotting is quite convoluted in this distinctly adults-only opener, but it has its moments. The best of them involve the marketing director, played by Michael Cochrane as a sex-mad monster who steals all the best lines. Even he confesses to being a little over-eager with Lauren's mother, played by Jan Harvey."
Tasche de Vasconcelos played Lauren in the first series, Bob's model girlfriend. "It's a great show, I'm just so proud to have been able to do it. It's brilliantly written". She also describes Paul as "a wonderful actor and co-partner he was so professional".
Series one episode guide:
Episode one was shown on BBC2, Friday 25th Feb. 2001, 9.30pm.
Parents: When his glamorous girlfriend's parents arrive unexpectedly, Bob faces a hail of gunfire.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Lauren Hudson - Tasche de Vasconcelos
Isabelle Hudson - Jan Harvey
Michael Hudson - Michael J Reynolds
Taxi Driver - Glyn Grimstead
Episode two was shown on BBC2 Friday 3rd March 2000, 9.30pm
Deadline: With two hours to go, Vaughan discovers that Bob hasn't written his half of a make-or-break presentation.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Lauren Hudson - Tasche de Vasconcelos
Episode three was shown on BBC2 Friday 10th March 2000, 9.30pm
Tarquin: Bob pretends to be his own twin brother to stem the damage caused during lunch with company assessor.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Lauren Hudson - Tasche de Vasconcelos
Ms Edwards - Kim Thomson
Waitress - Emma Gregory
Episode four was shown on BBC2 Friday 17th March 2000, 9.30pm
Charity: It's company charity week, and the marketing director holds Bob responsible for ensuring their department wins the fund-raising prize.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Briony - Dariel Pertwee
Spencer - Tony Curran
Senior group head - Wolf Kahler
Episode five was shown on BBC2 Friday 24th March 2000, 9.30pm
Money: Head-hunted by a rival company, the long-suffering Maggie jumps at the chance to escape Bob. It is he, however, who is told to persuade her to stay.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Lauren Hudson - Tasche de Vasconcelos
Bank Manager - Judy Flynn
Maitre d' - Paul Anthony Barber
Episode six was shown on BBC2 Friday 31st March 2000, 9.30pm
Love: When Vaughan is dumped by his girlfriend, Bob makes an ill-advised attempt at mending his colleague's broken heart.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Briony - Dariel Pertwee
Melissa - Louise Paige
Girl in club - Lisa Hayes
Perfect World is written by Mark Grant; Producers Mark Chapman and Lucy Robinson. Director Mark Chapman.
Series two
Series two started May 14th 2001 running for seven episodes. Below is a small review I found of the opening episode 'Revenge'.
"First in a new run of this amusing comedy about office politics starring Paul Kaye as Bob Slay. Bob's a sharp-suited, machiavellian marketing executive who'll use any means to come out on top - as long as it doesn't involve working. The repellent but perversely charming Bob has a combative relationship with Maggie (Nina Wadia) - recently promoted from office PA - who can see right through him. But that doesn't stop him trying to exploit her to get on top, although it's his wussy workmate Vaughan (Derren Litten) who continues to bear the brunt of Slay's scheming.
In tonight's episode, called Revenge, Maggie gets Bob drunk in the office to pay him back for posing as her Internet admirer. And the over-sexed Marketing Director (he doesn't get a name, but he's played by Michael Cochrane) decides to explore being gay and puts the fear of God into his 100 per cent hetero male staff."
Paul during the filming of Perfect World series 2. Pictures copyright of www.portowebbo.co.uk
Series two episode guide:
Episode one of series two was shown on BBC2 Monday 14th May 2001, 9.30pm.
Revenge: Maggie gets Bob drunk at the office to pay him back for posing as her internet admirer. Meanwhile, the Marketing Director decides to try out being gay.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Julia - Hannah Storey
Episode two of series two was shown on BBC2 Monday 20th May 2001, 9.30pm.
Family Values: Russian visitors to the office cause major upheaval for Bob and Maggie, whose antics include posing as man and wife. Meanwhile, the Marketing Director has installed a 24-hour webcam in Bob's office - with amusing results.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Julia - Hannah Storey
Sergei - Constantine Gregory
Episode three of series two was shown on BBC2 Monday 27th May 2001, 9.30pm.
Home: The marketing director is kicked out by his wife - and decides to move in with Bob. However, in between girlfriends, Bob is temporarily homeless and 'borrows' the keys to Vaughan's uncle's flat while he is away. How will Bob get rid of his unwanted guest before the real owner of the flat returns?
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Julia - Hannah Storey
Episode four of series two was shown on BBC2 Monday 4th June 2001, 9.30pm.
Best Man: Vaughan and Briony are about to be married. Their pre-nuptial agreement includes the proviso that Bob will not be best man, but Vaughan is too scared to tell him. And after enduring the Marketing Director's unusual tips for married life, and Bob's guerilla tactics for preventing the wedding going ahead without him, will the happy couple ever make it down the aisle?
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Briony - Dariel Pertwee
Julia - Hannah Storey
Episode five of series two was shown on BBC2 Monday 11th June 2001, 9.30pm.
Fast-Track: Maggie is chosen by a newspaper as the subject of an article about women in the workplace. But she soon finds herself being eclipsed by her new assistant - who is poached first by Bob and then by the Marketing director in a meteoric rise through the company. And the international board meeting ends with two directors in hospital.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Julia - Hannah Storey
Episode six of series two was shown on BBC2 Monday 18th June 2001, 9.30pm.
Graduates: After Bob brags about his fake university qualifications, Maggie volunteers him to give a careers talk in an effort to boost graduate recruitment in the company.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Julia - Hannah Storey
Episode seven of series two was shown on BBC2 Monday 25th June 2001, 9.30pm.
Mutiny: Bob returns from an extended holiday to find that Vaughan has taken over his office and his job, and immediately plans his comeback.
Cast:
Bob Slay - Paul Kaye
Maggie - Nina Wadia
Marketing director- Michael Cochrane
Vaughan - Derran Litten
Briony - Dariel Pertwee
Julia - Hannah Storey
Cathy - Kate Charman
Perfect World series two is written by Mark Grant and Mark Chapman; Producers Mark Chapman and Lucy Robinson. Director Nick Wood.
Screen grabs from 'Home':
Screen grabs from 'Best Man'.
Screen grabs from 'Fast-Track':
Screen grabs from 'Graduates':
Screen grabs from 'Mutiny':
Unfortunately neither series one or two of Perfect World are going to be released on video or DVD. Also there are no confirmed plans for a third series. If you'd like to ask the BBC why there is no video release or tell them that there should definitely be another series why not email them here.
The second series of Perfect World was filmed in London between February and March 2001 at the BBC studios. I have my own personal disappointing little story to go with that. Basically what happened was I sent off for the free tickets you can get from the BBC to see Perfect World being filmed, I didn't expect to get any but I did. The thing is, I probably would've been able to go but the trains were fully booked! Quite distressing I can tell you. So I didn't get to see Paul in action up close.
On a lighter note I saw Bottom Live and the 'League Of Gentlemen' in their show - 'A Local Show For Local People' in June, and they were FANTASTIC!! I even got to meet them and get my 'Local Book' autographed, lovely gents. Anywho, I kept my Perfect World tickets of course, the front and back of them are displayed below if you want to see what they're like.
front:
back:
Massive thanks to Ian for the screen grabs!
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