Sean Lock wrote and starred in this TV series set in a 15 storey tower block. As Vince, a rather misfit man with no fear of embarrassment, he moans his way through life with little thought of others or his actions. He has a total aversion to bodily contact, and no original thought, often passing off a story he was told or read a day before as his own. His life is 'invaded' by his lodger, Errol, played by Benedict wong, who immediately gets him to turn up the contrast on the TV and shares his sofa. Errol himself has his problems, and is destined to become a doormat for Vince.
With the series grounded soundly in radio (where it aired for two series) the show is more a rant on everyday life and the little bits that make it annoying, and doesn't need pictures as such, but the series is shot in a very natural, almost drab, way with lots of unusual camera angles and quick breaks from the interaction in the flat with scenes in the local swimming baths where Vince is a lifeguard, and shots of the flats of other residents, and their equally idiosyncratic lives.
Personally I think this series is great, but I know it will not be everyones cup of tea. There is a huge amount of understated wit and comedy in the show, and it is delivered in a way that is not just dry, but bordering on Sahara. If you enjoyed the radio series, or Sean Lock's stage act, then this is definitely for you.
:: Radio
The first series on radio went under the title of Sean Lock's 15 Minutes of Misery and was broadcast on Radio 4 in the Late Night on 4 comedy slot, starting 11.00pm. Each of the 6 editions was 15 minutes long and was billed as 'Sean Lock, winner of the Time Out Comedy Award, presents a downbeat comedy from his tower block flat. With Kevin Eldon and Hattie Hayridge.' The run began on 30th December 1998 until 3rd February 1999 and received no repeat.
The first series of Sean Lock - 15 Storeys High began later that year, and had developed into a half hour show. This was also broadcast in the late night comedy slot on Radio 4 between 24th November and 22nd December 1999, and subsequently repeated on Radio 4 (at the earlier time of 6.30pm) just before the second series was broadcast. The show was scripted by, and starred, Sean Lock and Martin Trenaman. Others appearing in the series were: Felix Dexter, Jenny Eclair, Tim Mitchell, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Chris Pavlo, and Peter Serafinowicz.
| B/cast date | Rpt. date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 24.11.99 | 11.10.99 | Crouched on his lonely perch like a smug hermit, Sean Lock hides in flat 76, Elderberry House, Maydew Estate, trying to keep the world at bay. The world, for some reason, does not want to play his game. |
| 1.12.99 | 18.10.99 | Sean's bad-tempered, reckless past catches up with him in the shape of a dead swan. |
| 8.12.99 | 25.10.99 | Thwarted by inertia, Sean has never allowed his dreams and ambitions to come true. Until, that is, the local supermarket shows him the way. |
| 15.12.99 | 1.11.99 | Could the detritus of Sean's domestic life have artistic worth previously unappreciated? |
| 22.12.99 | 8.11.99 | However much Sean tries to avoid the rest of the world, occasionally it will try to engage with him. This week a romantic neighbour and a group of aggressive children try to disturb his peace. |
The second series retained the 30 minute format and the late night time slot on Radio 4. Again it was written by Sean Lock and Martin Trenaman and starred Sean Lock, along with Dan Freedman, Alex Lowe, Dan Mersh, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Paul Putner, Rob Rouse, and Chris Neill.
| B/cast date | Rpt. date | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29.11.00 | Crouched on his lonely perch like a smug hermit, Sean hides in his flat, trying to keep the world at bay. | ||
| 6.12.00 | Sean is called Sean, but the family of his friend Billy Two Nans thinks differently. | Additional material by Martin Trenaman and Robert Fraser-Steele. | |
| 13.12.00 | Sean, his flatmate Errol and their friend Billy Two Nans are tangled in a conundrum of desperate dimensions. | Additional material by Robert Fraser-Steele. | |
| 20.12.00 | More urban inspiration from Flat 79, Elderberry House. | Additional material by Robert Fraser-Steele. | |
| 27.12.00 | More urban inspiration from Flat 79, Elderberry House. | Additional material by Robert Fraser-Steele. |
:: TV
The TV series contained 6 episodes and was initally broadcast on BBC Choice - the forerunner to todays BBC3 - with subsequent repeats on 3. It had its first terrestrial outing on BBC2 from 8th May 2003. Sean Lock played Vince, and Benedict Wong played his flatmate Errol with Sean credited with the writing. Each episode was 30 minutes long, and the initial broadcast dates on BBC Choice were 7th November - 12 December 2002 at 10.30pm.