The Brittas Empire

Unashamedly absurd, gloriously daft, and irresistibly British

The Brittas Empire, which aired on BBC1 from 1991 to 1997, is one of British sitcom’s most unashamedly silly offerings—and it absolutely revels in it. Created by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen, this madcap series follows the hopelessly incompetent but well-meaning Gordon Brittas (Chris Barrie), manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre, whose every good intention ends in chaos.

Brittas, trained at the (thankfully fictional) Aldershot Leisure Centre, is the kind of man who should never have been allowed near a management position. Completely devoid of tact, utterly tone-deaf to the feelings of others, and forever concocting half-baked schemes, Brittas is a walking disaster zone. Yet what makes him so compelling is his unshakeable belief that he’s doing the right thing. While many sitcoms trade in flawed protagonists, few lean in as hard as The Brittas Empire, turning the sheer scale of his ineptitude into something almost operatic.

Chris Barrie’s portrayal of Brittas is masterful, combining bureaucratic officiousness with a baffling cheerfulness that only adds to his character’s ability to drive everyone around him up the wall. At the same time as starring in The Brittas Empire, Barrie was playing another famously flawed character—Arnold Rimmer in Red Dwarf. While both characters are infuriating, Brittas has an earnestness that Rimmer sorely lacks, making him strangely endearing even as he causes untold misery.

That misery is most acutely felt by his long-suffering wife, Helen (Pippa Haywood), who, in a darker twist than many sitcoms might dare, relies on a mix of pills and extramarital affairs to get through the day. Her exasperation is matched only by the resignation of the staff who endure Brittas’ reign of administrative terror.

Among the most memorable are Laura Lancing (Julia St John), Brittas’ cool-headed deputy with a hidden, begrudging admiration for her boss’s decency; Colin (Mike Burns), a sweet-natured but medically unfortunate caretaker who technically holds the title of deputy manager; and Carole (Harriet Thorpe), the eternally weepy receptionist who keeps her children in drawers—because of course she does.

Elsewhere, we have the gentle Gavin (Tim Marriott) and his anxious partner Tim (Russell Porter), as well as the principled and proactive Linda (Jill Greenacre), and Julie (Judy Flynn), the witheringly sarcastic secretary who openly despises Brittas and refuses to do any actual work for him. Rounding things off is the hapless Councillor Jack Druggett (Stephen Churchett), forever scheming to sack Brittas, and always failing.

The series ran for seven seasons and two Christmas specials, with a further mini-episode for Children in Need. The original writers, Norriss and Fegen, departed after the fifth series—fittingly killing off Brittas in the process, crushed by a falling water tank. However, the BBC resurrected the character for two more series, though many fans consider the earlier seasons the show’s golden era.

While The Brittas Empire could at times be cringingly ridiculous—there’s no denying the farcical nature of the show’s setups—it’s precisely this absurdity that gives it charm. It’s an unapologetic throwback to the kind of British comedy that thrives on embarrassment, social dysfunction, and surreal workplace dynamics.

Brittas himself may have had to be toned down after the first series for being too unbearable, but even then, the show never lost its anarchic spirit. Brilliantly bonkers!