The Brittas Empire

The Brittas Empire was a British television sitcom, that ran between 1991 and 1997.

Characters

• Gordon Brittas, the manager of Whitbury-Newtown Leisure centre. Despite having an amazing amount of self-esteem and conviction to his work, Mr. Brittas is completely oblivious to the subtleties of life. This not notwithstanding, the staff still listens to him and puts up with it.... within certain limits.
• Helen Brittas: Gordon's long suffering wife who is constantly popping pills and is slowly driven insane by Gordon. She knows how to handle him even if he is condescending and doesn't always let her speak at all. She tends to have a bit on the side... well, quite a lot on the side, really.
• Laura Lancing: The Deputy Manager (Dry). She is very calm and organised, and is almost the only person who seems to be able to deal with Brittas. During her stay, she pretty much runs the centre.
• Colin: The Deputy Manager (Wet). Colin is grotty, yet is qualified in many things, apparently. He cut his hand the weekend before the first episode started, and it did not heal the entire show.
• Gavin: One of the male staff members. He's fairly quiet and shy, but blossoms (somewhat pompously) on his promotion to Acting Senior Deputy Manager. He has a tendency to be caught in compromising situations with members of either sex.
• Tim: Usually very cheerful, but quite easily reduced to tears and panic attacks. He's confident, yet very clingy to Gavin, his lover. Somehow Mr Brittas never realises this fact, yet all the other staff members know, and support them.
• Carole: The unfortunate and often tearful receptionist. She has a tendency to bring her children to work and keeps them locked inside cupboards and drawers. Gordon always manages to upset her, no matter what the circumstance; for all that, she seems rather a favourite of his, and she becomes quite devoted to him... fortunate, as he is the unknowing father of her twins.
• Linda: The perkiest staff member, a young lady with boundless energy and enthusiasm, who nevertheless always seems to get the short end of the stick. She's interested in alternative therapy and animal rights, and has clerical ambitions.
• Angie: Gordon's first secretary, a young woman who is kind to those in need but mostly contemptuous of "Head Girl".
• Julie: Angie's replacement is a sharp-tongued, incurably insubordinate young woman with contacts in the underworld and a serious disinclination to do any work, and who seems to manage to enjoy herself thoroughly in the chaos of the centre.