Chambers is a comedy series set in perhaps the country's least spectacular law chambers. Starting on Radio 4, it moved on to BBC television a year later using many of the same scripts although not in the same order as the radio series (to make up the series of 6 that TV generally requires). Starring John Bird as John Fuller-Carp, James Fleet as Hilary Tripping, Sarah Lancashire as Ruth Quirke, and Jonathan Kydd as Vince Griffiths, the series was written by Clive Coleman , and broadcast in the morning comedy slot (11.30am) on Radio 4, with a repeat in the early evening comedy slot (6.30pm) a few months later. Others appearing in the series on radio were Rebecca Front, Ben Crowe, Joanna Monro, Geoffrey Whitehead, Peter Gunn, Tilly Gaunt, Natalie Walter, Simon Greenall, Jeremy Clyde, John Rowe and Emma Clarke. The series was produced by Paul Schlesinger.
SERIES Radio:1 | Radio:2 | Radio:3 | Television:1 | Television:2
:: Radio
| Title | TX Date | Rpt Date | Synopsis | Notes |
| Chambers | 17.4.96 | 27.1.96 | Forecourt Buildings is not a top flight set of Chambers but John Fuller-Carp, the Machiavellian Head of Chambers is determined to become a QC and will perform almost any moral contortion to achieve his goal. When the left wing Ruth Quirke who is very possibly the daughter of a high court judge applies to join Chambers Fuller-Carp's imagination goes into overdrive and a hotline to the Lord Chancellor and promotion seem inevitable. But will his efforts to appear "New Labour" amount to anything? | |
| The Right To Silence | 24.4.96 | 24.2.96 | Hostilities in Chambers between Fuller-Carp and Ruth have intensified. A walking holiday with an influential Judge in the Lake District would seem to provide the perfect break. However a "Crimewatch" obsessed Hoterlier, an ambiguous fax and an impending murder trial conspire to turn Fuller-Carp's weekend break into a nightmare which even the allure of the hotel's Nick Ross Carvery can not redeem. | |
| The Cab Rank Rule | 1.5.96 | 10.2.96 | Fuller-Carp wins instant recognition when he extols the high moral standards expected of those who practice at the bar. However when asked to represent animal rights activists he is faced with a dilemma having just accepted an invitation to fox hunt with some influential high court judges. Persuaded by his clerk Vince to buy his riding crop from a "little place" he knows in Soho - it's not just Fuller-Carp's dignity which is on the line - as LAM (Lawyers Against Meat) are ready to pounce. | |
| Trial By Television | 8.5.96 | 24.2.96 | When Ruth gets a job as Legal Eagle on a prime time breakfast show and Hilary is involved in a court TV experiment, John Fuller-Carp desperately sets out to make an even bigger splash on television than his colleagues - even if it means a begging call to "Crimewatch UK". | |
| The American | 15.5.96 | 11.3.96 | When star American lawyer Thurman Berkley arrives in Chambers for a week a cluture clash seems inevitable. However, the stuffy John Fuller-Carp will do anything to win a case even if it means adopting some of the rapping rhythms Thurman used so successfully in the O.K. Stimpson trial. A run of the mill GBH case gets the full transatlantic treatment. | |
| Title | TX Date | Rpt Date | Synopsis | Notes |
| Only the Lonely. | 11.5.98 | 13.8.98 | John Fuller-Carp finds himself in competition with rival Vernon Ames. Ruth decides to adopt a baby. | Side 1 |
| The Masons. | 18.5.98 | 20.8.98 | John Fuller-Carp decides that becoming a Mason will improve his chances of winning cases. Meanwhile, Hilary has a narrow escape with a judge when Ruth asks him to go to a gay bar. | Side 2 |
| The Phantom Barrister. | 25.5.98 | 27.8.98 | Desperate to make Forecourt Buildings more successful, Fuller-Carp sets about recruiting new blood. Meanwhile, Ruth's mother pays her an unwelcome visit. | |
| A Case with a View. | 1.6.98 | 3.9.98 | John Fuller-Carp's ambitions to become a QC take another downward turn when his nephew is charged with domestic burglary. | |
| Conditional Fees. | 8.6.98 | 10.9.98 | John Fuller Carp is desperate to win a big case, but how much money can he earn from an industrial accident involving a can of figs? | |
| Title | TX Date | Rpt Date | Synopsis | Notes |
| Rent Arrears. | 9.3.99 | 16.6.99 | John Fuller-Carp, head of chambers, enjoys conning students, Ruth tries to avoid the question, and Vince acts Jewish. | Side 3 |
| A Pain in the Back. | 16.3.99 | 23.6.99 | John Fuller-Carp becomes distracted by the allure of one of his clients and Ruth is asked to babysit for a friend's electronic pet. | |
| Outward Bound. | 23.3.99 | 30.6.99 | John Fuller-Carp, Ruth and Hilary are asked to take part in an outward bound weekend by an influential firm of solicitors. However, the exercise turns into a nightmare. | |
| It's Only Words. | 30.3.99 | 7.7.99 | John Fuller-Carp gets embroiled in a very costly bet with rival barrister Vernon Ames, and Ruth joins a dating agency. | Side 4 |
:: Television
| Title | TX Date | Notes |
| It's Only Words. | 15.6.00 | |
| Trial By Television. | 22.6.00 | |
| Rent Arrears. | 29.6.00 | |
| Phantom Barrister. | 6.7.00 | |
| The Masons. | 13.7.00 | |
| Only The Lonely. | 20.7.00 | |
In this series Nina Wadia as Alex Khan replaced Sarah Lancashire. As I missed the broadcasts of this series and the Radio Times information appears to repeat itself, I have no further confirmed details other than the dates as yet.
| Title | TX Date | Notes |
| 22.7.01 | |
| 29.7.01 | |
| 5.8.01 | |
| 19.8.01 | |
| 26.8.01 | |
| 2.9.01 | |