Beautiful People - Episode guide
From the creator of Gimme Gimme Gimme and the producer of Absolutely Fabulous comes Beautiful People, a six-part comedy series for BBC Two exploring what it's truly like for all of us to be fabulous via starry ambition, youthful optimism and one very loving, yet very dysfunctional, family.
Read all about the characters.
Episode 1: How I Got My Vase
Thursday 2nd October 2008
2008: Barneys window, New York. Simon ponders his latest window creation. A red vase is knocked off a mannequin by his boyfriend Sacha. Simon catches it as memories of the vase, 1997, best mate Kylie and his family come flooding back…
1997: Reading. When 13-year-old Simon describes his dysfunctional family with mocking affection to his fellow classmates, his mum Debbie, "the right old alkie", decides to quit drinking and prove her son wrong.
During a visit to his best friend Kylie's (aka Kyle) house he stumbles across a rather fetching turquoise dress hanging on the door, which belongs to Kylie's mum, Reba. He decides to 'borrow' the dress for a little make-over fun that evening. But while he's trying it on, his sister Ashlene takes a Polaroid photo and threatens to give it to the school bullies unless he can cut her hair into a Heather Small (lead singer of M People)-style afro.
Simon has set his heart on buying a beautiful red vase he's seen in a shop window, so when he spies strict vegan and health freak Aunt Hayley chomping down on a juicy burger, he decides a bit of light blackmail is in order to get the money for the vase. Meanwhile, a horrified Debbie discovers Reba's dress in her bin and accuses her of 'getting it on' with her plumber husband. Will Simon own up to taking the dress and will he ever get the coveted vase he longs for?
Episode 2: How I Got My Nose
Thursday 9th October 2008
2008: Barneys window, New York. Simon knows he's good-looking but when boyfriend Sacha comments on his broken nose, he starts to reminisce…
1997: Reading. When Simon and Kylie (Kyle) - assisted by their pushy stage-mums - decide to audition for the school production of Joseph, their noses are put out of joint when the lead role goes to rival Imelda. The boys are inconsolable, and not even fantasising over their future Broadway production of Ab Fab The Musical convinces them that playing a Palm Tree is their sole purpose in life.
Debbie decides to take matters into her own hands when she spots Imelda and drama teacher Mr Bell together in a restaurant and consequently ends up facing criminal charges. Imelda rebukes Simon's peace offering and he ends up with a swollen nose. Teaming up with Kylie, the pair seek revenge and attempt to sabotage Imelda's show-stopping finale on the opening night.
Episode 3: How I Got My Beads
Thursday 16th October 2008
New York City 2008 and Simon and Sacha are putting the finishing touches to a festival-inspired window display, as the television memoir based on the life of Simon Doonan continues. Born in Reading, but now creative director of swanky department store, Barneys, Simon holds his hippy beads, grinning...
Back in 1997, Debbie announces that she is officially psychic and can hear voices from beyond the grave. Andy is unconvinced but has more pressing matters to deal with – his mother, Narg (played by Brenda Fricker), is returning from hospital. But much to the Doonans' shock, the Narg (Gran spelt backwards) that they know and love has changed.
Gone are the saintly acts, Narg is now an acidic rollercoaster of a woman who has got herself engaged to Big Barry. In an unfortunate accident, Narg causes the kitchen to blow up while cooking Big Barry a fry-up, and the Doonans wonder if Debbie's psychic premonitions could possibly be real after all.
Episode 4: How I Got My Posh
Thursday 23rd October 2008
Simon dresses his neon-lit, queens-themed window display in Barneys and places a tiny crown on the head of a Posh Spice doll, as the television memoir based on the life story of Simon Doonan continues.
Back in Reading in 1997, Simon assumes his obsession with Posh Spice is a secret until a birthday wish for a doll is inadvertently broadcast on the school tannoy system. Determined to cheer their son up, Debbie seeks a cut-price version from her hairdresser, Tameka Empson. Meanwhile, Andy takes Simon for a spot of football to try to "butch him up" a bit, and he becomes surprisingly good at it.
Episode 5: How I Got My Tongs
Thursday 30th October 2008
Behind a display of gorgeous Girl's World heads in Barneys department store window, New York, Simon covets his prized Gold Tongs, as the comic memoir based on the story of Simon Doonan continues.
Back to Reading, 1997, and a trip to the hairdresser and a fabulous pair of shimmering golden hair tongs prompts Simon's decision to turn Kylie into Princess Diana. But when the dye-job results in an orange disaster, an angry Kylie turns on Simon. Death is in the air...
Episode 6: How I Got My Globe
Thursday 6th November 2008
Manhattan 2008 and Simon is homesick. He turns to the plastic London skyline of his snow globe and thinks of home, in the final episode of the television memoir based on the life of Simon Doonan.
The narrative switches from New York "now" to Reading ''then'' (1997), where Simon and Kyle are transfixed by their bohemian teacher, Miss Prentice, and her love of exotic cigarettes, French lovers and her understanding of the "beautiful people". When she returns to "The Smoke", a distraught Simon and Kylie decide to follow her. Will they find a real pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
