Green Wing is a British sitcom set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital. It was created by the same team behind the sketch show Smack the Pony – Channel 4 commissioner Caroline Leddy and producer Victoria Pile – and stars Mark Heap, Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt. It focuses on soap opera-style twists and turns in the personal lives of the characters, portrayed in sketch-like scenes and sequences in which the film is slowed down or sped up, often emphasising the body language of the characters. The show had eight writers. Two series were made by the Talkback Thames production company for Channel 4.
The main characters in Green Wing. From left to right, Alan (Heap), Joanna (Haywood), Angela (Alexander), Caroline (Greig), Martin (Theobald), Guy (Mangan), Mac (Rhind-Tutt), Sue (Gomez) and Boyce (Chris)
The human resources characters in Green Wing. From left to right, Kim (Bretton), Rachel (Lyons), Harriet (Colman) and Karen (Raikes).
Smack the Pony is a British sketch comedy show that was originally broadcast between 1999 and 2003 on Channel 4. The main performers on the show were Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips. There were also regular appearances from Sarah Alexander, Darren Boyd and Cavan Clerkin. The show's theme tune was a version of the Dusty Springfield song "In the Middle of Nowhere", sung by Jackie Clune. In addition to the three principal cast members, the show was written by many writers, the core of whom went on to write Green Wing and Campus.
The Best of Smack the Pony DVD cover, featuring (left to right) Doon Mackichan, Fiona Allen and Sally Phillips.