Rock on, Tommy
Coogan's new character unveiled
The BBC has finally unveiled full details of Steve Coogan's latest creation: an angry ex-roadie with anger management issues called Tommy Saxondale.
Saxondale will make its BBC Two debut next month, with the first ofseven half-hour episodes going out at 9.30pm on Monday June 26.
Coogan plays the lead character, a divorce who now own pest control business in Stevenag and lives with his girlfriend Magz (Ruth Jones), owner of anarchic T-shirt shop Smash the System.
Over the series, Tommy gets his eyesight improved by a prostitute, almost befriends a celebrity, kneecaps an annoying hippy and experiments with women's makeup.
Coogan said: ‘The joke with Partridge was always at Alan's expense, whereas Tom is genuinely witty... while still being a bit of a dick.’
He has a naive assistant, Raymond, played by Rasmus Hardiker, and the series features guest appearances from the likes of Mark Williams, Ben Miller, Alexander Armstrong and Liza Tarbuck.
The show has been made by Coogan's independent production company, Baby Cow, and written by the comedian and Neil Maclennan, previously a writer on Monkey Trousers.
Lucy Lumsden, the BBC’s controller of comedy commissioning, said: "Steve's created a wonderful character in Tommy.’
Published: 17 May 2006
