Timewasters
Genre
CreatorDaniel Lawrence Taylor
Writer
DirectorGeorge Kane
Starring
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Num series2
Num episodes12
CameraSingle-camera
CompanyBig Talk Productions
NetworkITV2
First aired9 October 2017
Last aired8 April 2019

Timewasters is a British science-fiction comedy[a] television programme, first broadcast on ITV2 in 2017 with a second series broadcast in 2019. It was created by Daniel Lawrence Taylor and written by Taylor and Barunka O'Shaughnessy. It was produced for ITV Studios by Kenton Allen and Matthew Justice of Big Talk Productions. The episodes were directed by George Kane. The programme stars Taylor, Adelayo Adedayo, Samson Kayo and Kadiff Kirwan as the members of an unsuccessful all-black South London jazz quartet who time-travel to the 1920s, and later the 1950s, visiting the Jazz Age and post-war cool jazz period while experiencing culture clashes as they manoeuvre in the unfamiliar eras.[1]

Critical response to the programme was generally favourable, with praise for its originality in addressing racism through the comedic insertion of modernity into a period setting. It is also known for satirizing historical dramas and their lack of diversity. There was critical praise for the writing, direction, chemistry of the main cast, and music. Taylor won the Breakthrough Award at the 2018 Royal Television Society Programme Awards, and the programme was nominated for Best Scripted Comedy at the 2018 British Academy Television Awards.

Cast

Main cast (the jazz quartet):[1][b]

Recurring:

  • John Stoate as Homeless Pete, operator of the time machine
  • Kevin 'KG' Garry as Curtis
  • Joseph Quinn as Ralph
  • Liz Kingsman as Victoria (series 1)
  • Anna Chancellor as Victoria (series 2)
  • Frankie Wilson as Terry, leader of a group of Teddy Boys
  • Kristy J Curtis as Rita, a Teddy Girl in Terry's group
  • Theo Barklem-Biggs as Len White, a club owner
  • Ellie White as Janice, a Russian spy
  • Oliver Wellington as JJ, Jason and Victoria's son
  • Clint Dyer as General Hands, a grifting jazz musician
  • Sam Douglas as Vadim, a Russian spy
  • Daniel Simonsen as Alexei, a Russian spy

Guests:

Episodes

All episodes were directed by George Kane. Episodes were written by Taylor and Barunka O'Shaughnessy,[2] with episode 4 of series 2 co-written by Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane.[3]

Production

Writing and development

The programme was created by Taylor, who began working on it in 2015.[4]: 2:45 He recalled that "I wanted to write a comedy for young black actors and I saw that shows such as The Inbetweeners, Drifters and Plebs were doing well."[2] Taylor was learning to play the trumpet,[c] and this interest led him to write about a black jazz band in the 1920s.[5] While acting on post-apocalyptic romantic-comedy Cockroaches, Taylor decided to use a high concept and added time travel.[4]: 3:50 He wrote a spec script with the working title Black to the Future,[d] which was later changed to Blackwards and then Timewasters.[6][2][7][8] Although racial themes run throughout the programme, Taylor has said that it is "first and foremost ... a comedy."[2]

Timewasters is Taylor's first project writing for scripted television. He worked with an editor provided by Big Talk Productions, who was producing Cockroaches for ITV, and improved his script over a few drafts.[2] According to Taylor, the programme came at a time when there were "discussion[s] about putting more black talent on screen".[2] His spec script drew interest from ITV,[4]: 4:35 which commissioned a rehearsal reading.[4]: 7:10 Casting was made through auditions; though the main cast hadn't worked together before, they had a quick chemistry and studio executives thought they were longtime friends.[2][4]: 8:40 Taylor then worked with Barunka O'Shaughnessy; through a series of drafts they improved the humour and pacing of his stories for the first series.[2]

Filming

The programme was shot in Liverpool, taking advantage of the Georgian architecture in the city[9][2] including period buildings the Liverpool Athenaeum[10] and Martins Bank Building.[11] Series director George Kane used a cinematic look for the high-concept sitcom. Modern-day scenes used fixed-camera shots, hard surfaces, fluorescent lights and colour schemes that wouldn't appear in earlier periods. For the past, he used handheld cameras to give a sense of unpredictability. The 1920s scenes had a cohesive colour palette for props and wardrobe, while the 1950s scenes emulated the vivid Technicolor movies of that time.[2]

Music

Nick Foster and Oli Julian composed the original music for the programme and arranged the jazzy covers of modern songs.[12][better source needed] The cast took lessons to act like they could play their instruments but do not perform any music in the series.[5][7]

Foster posted the Timewasters Season One Original Soundtrack on his SoundCloud account.[13][better source needed] Cover songs include "Hey Ya!", "Return of the Mack",[14] and "Back to Black".[15][16] Songs in series 2 include "This Is How We Do It" (episode 1), "Flowers (In the Pouring Rain)" (episode 2), "Brown Sugar" and "My Angel Lover" (episode 3), "Do You Really Like It?" (episode 4), and "No Letting Go" (episode 5).

Themes

Central themes in the series are race and injustices based on race, gender, and social status.[17] Taylor stated in an interview that "racism is ridiculous" and enjoyed mining it for humour.[2] He set the first series in the 1920s to provide distance which made it less awkward to address racial issues.[5]

Jimi Famuewa wrote for the Evening Standard that Timewasters challenged the way in which black characters are portrayed in period dramas.[18] Kate Holman of the Royal Television Society (RTS) wrote that the programme "challenges the traditional period drama" and expertly draws comedy from the juxtaposition of past and present prejudices.[17] Also for RTS, Matthew Bell compared Timewasters to Derry Girls and Home for finding humour in dark subject matter.[2] Ed Gove noted the rarity of an all-black central cast on British TV; he summed up the programme's attitude toward race with a joke from the pilot: "People like us never get to time travel – it's what white people do, like skiing or brunch."[5]

Release and reception

Broadcast and ratings

The programme premiered on 9 October 2017 on ITV2.[8] The second series was first broadcast 11 March to 8 April 2019 on ITV2.[19] The first series was the most-viewed digital-channel comedy in 2017 for the 16–24 demographic in the UK.[2]

The programme had its North American premiere streaming on CBC Gem in May 2020,[20] with the second series available in September 2020.[21] It premiered in the US on Amazon streaming service IMDb TV on 11 June 2021.[1][22]

Critical response

Joel Keller of Decider recommended the programme, finding it to have unexpected humour in the way it treats racism "head on without taking itself ... seriously".[23] Homa Khaleeli wrote for The Guardian that Timewasters challenges the archetypes and lack of diversity in period dramas.[8] Cheryl Eddy of Gizmodo described the series as a sharply satirical comedy that expertly draws humour from racism. She praised the writing, the music, and the chemistry between the four lead actors.[14] Melody McCune of Geek Girl Authority wrote that the series "deftly and brilliantly doles out social commentary" of systemic racism in life and in media. She praised the writing, the chemistry of the leads, and the music.[15][better source needed]

Angelica Guarino of Common Sense Media thoroughly enjoyed the programme, calling it "harmoniously ambitious, off-beat, and fast paced," with uniform story arcs. She particularly praised Taylor's performance and encouraged parents to discuss with their children the racial issues raised and how it can be "empowering to make jokes about serious topics".[24]

Noah Berlatsky of NBC News wrote that the "wonderful comedy ... subvert[s] heroic white narratives" of genre productions: using "hypervisible" outsider underdog characters who eschew expectations as their endeavours backfire; while broadly mocking the white characters who believe themselves special.[25] Agathe Devionot of Just Focus felt that the series was a perfectly realized comedy, with the modernity of the main characters colliding with the social codes of the 1920s. Devionot praised the "comic genius" of the main cast and the collaboration between writer and director.[26]

Nominations and awards

The programme was recognized at several national awards ceremonies. Taylor won the Breakthrough Award at the 2018 RTS Programme Awards.[2] The series was nominated for Best Scripted Comedy at the 2018 British Academy Television Awards[27] and Taylor and O'Shaughnessy were nominated for Best Comedy Writing on Television at the 2018 British Screenwriters' Awards.[28]

YearCeremonyCategoryNominee or recipientResultRef
2018RTS Programme AwardsBreakthrough AwardDaniel Lawrence Taylor[2]
British Academy Television AwardsBest Scripted ComedyTimewasters series 1[27]
British Screenwriters' AwardsBest Comedy Writing on TelevisionDaniel Lawrence Taylor and Barunka O'Shaughnessy[28]
Edinburgh International Television FestivalBest Breakthrough TalentDaniel Lawrence Taylor[29]
2019Broadcast Digital AwardsBest Comedy ProgrammeTimewasters series 2[30][31]
RTS North West AwardsBest Comedy ProgrammeTimewasters series 2[32]
Best Performance in a ComedySamson Kayo
Daniel Lawrence Taylor

Planned US remake

In 2019, Taylor stated that he was in talks with LL Cool J as a potential producer for a US remake of the series for CBS.[2][6] In early 2021, it was announced that a US remake of Timewasters was in development at ABC, under showrunner Lauren Ashley Smith with Lawrence Taylor, Kenton Allen and Matthew Justice (Big Talk Productions) also executive producing. The remake would be set in New York City and explore the Harlem Renaissance while contrasting the black experience of 2021 with that of 1926.[33][22] The untitled project was being developed for ABC through CBS Studios.[34] It was reported that a pilot was scheduled to be filmed in early 2021, following COVID-19 delays.[35][36] However, a lack of press releases or reportage after August 2021 suggests that it did not go into production.[original research?]

See also

Footnotes

Notes

  1. ^ At a Royal Television Society London panel discussion in 2019, British Film Institute lead programmer and event chair Justin Johnson[2][37] opened by stating that Timewasters "successfully combined a science fiction premise with a period setting [and] a full-on comedy."[4]
  2. ^ Taylor named the four main characters after his four siblings.[6]
  3. ^ Taylor had been performing as half of the comedy duo Ginger and Black,[2] in which his partner could play numerous instruments while he couldn't play any.[4]: 3:20
  4. ^ The working title Black to the Future was changed following objections from Universal Pictures, which owns the rights to Back to the Future.[2] This film was referenced in the series 2 premiere, in which three of the quartet say they'd never seen it.

References

  1. ^ Kanter, Jake (24 May 2021). "'Timewasters':UK Comedy Series Travels To IMDb TV In The U.S.". Deadline Hollywood. Archived 24 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  2. ^ Bell, Matthew (April 2019). "Ticket to timetravel: How Timewasters became a comedy hit". Television. Royal Television Society. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Timewasters". Big Talk Productions. Archived 27 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  4. ^ Timewasters: Production Focus | RTS London. Royal Television Society. 3 April 2019. Archived 29 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  5. ^ Gove, Ed (30 September 2017). "Daniel Lawrence Taylor: People like us never get to time travel". Royal Television Society. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  6. ^ Carson, Sarah (11 March 2019). "Daniel Lawrence Taylor: 'We're going through a black renaissance'". inews. Archived 9 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Timewasters Interview". British Comedy Guide. 9 October 2017. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  8. ^ Khaleeli, Homa (23 September 2017). "Doctor Who? How sci-fi sitcom Timewasters subverted time-travel TV". The Guardian. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  9. ^ Houghton, Allstair (11 October 2017). "What's being filmed in Liverpool? Lord of the Rings origins film takes to city streets". Liverpool Echo. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  10. ^ Bona, Emilia (1 July 2017). "Look inside one of Liverpool's oldest private clubs... and it's opposite Primark". Liverpool Echo. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  11. ^ Houghton, Allstair (10 April 2017). "Here's what they're filming inside Liverpool's Martins Bank". Liverpool Echo. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Manners McDade's Nick Foster and Oli Julian Score New Comedy Series "Timewasters'". Little Black Book. Archived 31 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Stream Nick Foster | Listen to Timewasters Season One OST". SoundCloud. Archived 31 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  14. ^ Eddy, Cheryl (15 June 2021). "Timewasters' Time-Travel Adventures Are Definitely Not a Waste of Time". Gizmodo. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  15. ^ McCune, Melody (3 June 2021). "Timewasters Season 1 Is a Charming, Innovative Dive Into Time Travel". Geek Girl Authority. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  16. ^ "What's new on CBC Gem in May 2020". CBC Television. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 April 2020. Archived 28 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  17. ^ Holman, Kate (11 March 2019). "From rock'n'roll to Windrush: ITV2's Timewasters visit the 1950s". Royal Television Society. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  18. ^ Famuewa, Jimi (21 April 2017). "How TV period dramas like Guerrilla, The Get Down and Timewasters are diversifying the genre". Evening Standard. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Timewasters". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Streaming this May on CBC Gem". Channel Canada. 14 May 2020. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Timewasters". CBC & Radio Canada Media Solutions. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  22. ^ Syme, Rachel (9 June 2021). "Timewasters". The New Yorker. Archived 29 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  23. ^ Keller, Joel (11 June 2021). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Timewasters' On IMDb TV, Where A Jazz Quartet Travels Back In Time To 1920s London". Decider. Archived 13 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  24. ^ Guarino, Angelica. "Timewasters TV Review". Common Sense Media. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  25. ^ Berlatsky, Noah (11 June 2021). "'Timewasters' on Amazon's IMDb TV asks what Black people could change if they time traveled". NBC News. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  26. ^ Devionot, Agathe (13 June 2021). "Critique Timewasters Episode 1: la série britannique à l'univers so jazzy" [Timewasters Episode 1 review: the British series with a so jazzy universe] (in French). Just Focus. Archived 31 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  27. ^ Percival, Ash (13 May 2018). "TV BAFTAs 2018 Winners List: 'This Country' And 'Three Girls' Lead The Awards Pack". Huffington Post. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  28. ^ "The British Screenwriters' Awards 2018". London Screenwriters Festival. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  29. ^ "Edinburgh TV Awards 2018". Edinburgh International Television Festival. 7 March 2018. Archived 22 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  30. ^ "Fleabag & Hounslow Diaries win Broadcast Digital Awards". British Comedy Guide. 4 July 2019. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Winners 2019". Broadcast Digital Awards. Archived 11 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  32. ^ "RTS North West Awards 2019". Royal Television Society. 23 November 2019. Archived 30 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  33. ^ White, Peter (25 January 2021). "Lauren Ashley Smith Developing U.S. Remake Of British Time-Travel Comedy 'Timewasters' In the Works at ABC". Deadline Hollywood. Archived 23 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  34. ^ Petski, Denise (24 August 2021). "Lauren Ashley Smith Inks Overall Deal With CBS Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived 5 January 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  35. ^ "Timewasters to be piloted in America". British Comedy Guide. 13 January 2021. Archived 5 January 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  36. ^ Kanter, Jake (13 January 2021). "Big Talk CEO Kenton Allen on 'The Offenders' Renewal; Getting 'Back' Back On Channel 4/Sundance; The End Of 'Friday Night Dinner'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  37. ^ "Production Focus: Timewasters". Royal Television Society. 3 April 2019. Archived 28 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 August 2021.