Dead Ringers (series)
A British impressions show spanning radio and television.
Dead Ringers is a British comedy impressions show that originated on BBC Radio 4 before moving to BBC Two. It was created by producer Bill Dare and featured performers such as Jon Culshaw and Jan Ravens. The television run was cancelled in 2007 after five years, though the programme later returned to radio.
Quick Facts
- Creator
- Bill Dare
- Executive producers
- Jon Plowman
- Producer
- Bill Dare
- Danny Wallace
- Mario Stylianides
- Katie Tyrrell
- Genre
- Comedy
- Runtime
- 28 minutes
- Company
- BBC Radio Comedy (2015–2016); BBC Studios (2016–present)
- Theme music
- John Whitehall
- Country
- United Kingdom
Facts from the source article.
History
Dead Ringers was the brainchild of writer and producer Bill Dare. The show made its debut on BBC Radio 4 in January 2000. A television pilot was ordered by BBC One in November 2001, and after a positive reception, a full series was greenlit for BBC Two in August 2002. The TV incarnation lasted seven series before being cancelled in April 2009.
In 2002, the BBC’s Arena programme aired a documentary called Radio Ha! – Meet The Dead Ringers, directed by Fisher Dilke, which included interviews with the cast and writers, plus behind-the-scenes footage from a studio recording of the eighth series. The programme returned to Radio 4 in 2014 and ran for more than a decade. In 2025, the cast launched a 25th Anniversary Tour, playing live shows across the UK, and the run extended into 2026. The Times awarded the production four stars, calling it “Four world-class virtuosos doing their astonishing thing.”
More in 2000s British Satirical Television Series
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