Trivia / The Catherine Tate Show

• Dawson Casting: It's a sign of Tate's acting skill that she can play opposite Matthew Horne as both his high school love interest (Lauren) and his grandmother (Nan). Horne himself is in his thirties.
• The Other Darrin: The actor who played Ray in the "couple on sofa" sketches was wordlessly replaced in series 3. The actor who initially played John in the "embarrassing Irish mother" sketch was replaced by Colin Morgan of Merlin fame for the 2007 Christmas special.
• Reality Subtext: A common theme is bullying of redheads, which Catherine Tate claims to have experienced in real life.
• Write Who You Know:
  • Catherine Tate admits to basing "Geordie Georgie" on a woman who wrote to her from Newcastle asking for charity donations.
  • She's also mentioned that Nan was inspired by an elderly woman who, when Tate was performing at a nursing home, yelled something to the effect of, "Is she going to stand in front of the telly all fucking day?"
  • The "Aga Saga" lady is based on a woman who accosted a pregnant Tate on Kings Road.
  • Margaret, (the woman who screams at the slightest sound) was based on Catherine Tate's own mother.
• You Look Familiar: Okay, more a Casting Gag as it was for Comic Relief, but former Doctor Who co-star David Tennant as Lauren's teacher (and Lamp Shaded by her).

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