The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom created and originally written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen. Chris Barrie plays Gordon Brittas, the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre.
The show ran for seven series and 53 episodes — including two Christmas specials — from 1991 to 1997 on BBC1. Norriss and Fegen wrote the first five series, after which they left the show.
The Brittas Empire enjoyed a long and successful run throughout the 1990s, and gained itself large mainstream audiences. In 2004 the show came 47th on the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom poll, and all series have been released on DVD.
The creators Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen often combine farce with either surreal or dramatic elements in episodes. For example in the first series, the leisure centre prepares for a royal visit, only for the doors to seal, the boiler room to flood and a visitor to become electrocuted. Unlike the traditional sitcom, deaths were quite common in The Brittas Empire.
Gordon Brittas is the manager at Whitbury Leisure Centre. Builders are working in the car-park but Gordon is very rude to one of them and they go on strike. He causes more trouble …
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Opening Day
Jan 10, 199130 min
It's Opening Day at Whitbury Leisure Centre and Gordon is getting ready to meet the Duchess of Kent. But things are going wrong when the electric doors aren't working properly and …
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Bye Bye Baby
Jan 24, 199130 min
Carole has heard that her husband Derek is coming back, after abandoning her. After all these years she will not have to work, Ben will have a father and she will feel much better.…
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Underwater Wedding
Jan 31, 199130 min
While doing an interview with Beverly, Gordon realises that the best man at the underwater wedding taking place in the pool is in trouble. Gavin is asked to help and then a drunk d…
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Stop Thief!
Feb 7, 199130 min
Things have gone missing and Gordon has closed the centre for the day. He explains that there could be a thief about and sets a trap to catch him. The plan is to hide in a locker a…
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Assassin
Feb 14, 199130 min
Someone is out to kill Gordon, injuring Helen by accident after sabotaging Gordon's brakes, and wants Gavin to help him with the foul deed. Gordon and a few others are taken to the…
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