Podcast Pioneers Originals
Babytalk is a 4-part sitcom about single mum Minnie and her ambitions to found a multi-million pound BnB business from her mum’s excouncil-flat. If only they could see eye-to-eye!
Writer Ben Jay worked with us to develop his scripts and record Babytalk in the studio with our volunteer cast.
Taping just before the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, we’re delighted to finally release this sitcom about ambition, mothers, daughters and getting ahead in the world of business!
When single parent, Minnie, realises she can rent out the spare room in her mum’s London ex-council flat, she embarks on a mission to become Gilbert Block’s property mogul, all heard from the perspective of her 6 month old son Don.
As Minnie seeks to build a better future for her baby Don and his extraordinarily large nose, we hear her attempts to drum up cash from every corner, all the while passing on her misguided entrepreneurial wisdom to Don and her hapless but loyal friend Worth. The only problem is her mum Bonni’s wildly different and plainly spoken political beliefs, and she’s living under her roof.
Pilot Episode
Episode 1: Movin’ On Up
21 year-old single mum Minnie is homeless and down on her luck. She’s moved back in with her mum Bonni rent-free, but has big plans for her baby Don’s future. If only her mum would be a little more supportive of her plans. Fortunately she runs into her biscuit-tin collecting childhood friend Worth who’s along for the ride.
Babytalk “Movin’ on Up” was written by Ben Jay
It was produced by Podcast Pioneers and starred:
Katie Pritchard as Minnie
Pippa Hinchley as Bonni
Thomas Melhuish as Worth
Tim Dawkins as Man
All Other Episodes
Episode 2: Thief in the Night
Excited about her first BnB guest, Minnie thinks she’s enticed the ‘right’ sort of customer for her fancy, upmarket accommodation empire. The only problem is, she’s not the best judge of character.
Meanwhile, Bonni launches an alluring PR campaign to as she attempts to win the role of Gilbert Block’s Residents Association President. Or is that Supreme Leader?
Babytalk “Thief in the Night” was written by Ben Jay
It was produced by Podcast Pioneers and starred:
Katie Pritchard as Minnie
Pippa Hinchley as Bonni
Thomas Melhuish as Worth
Tim Dawkins as William
Amy Spinks as Policewoman
Episode 3: Cost of Living
Minnie banishes Bonni to the bedroom to take care of Don whilst she hosts a seminar, bribed with the promise of an Argos coffee machine.
But when the residents of Gilbert Block turn up to find out how they can make money renting out their spare room, things become a little complicated. Could Minnie’s hustle be about to backfire?
Meanwhile, Worth tries to buy some breast milk and Garibaldi biscuits.
Babytalk “Cost of Living” was written by Ben Jay
It was produced by Podcast Pioneers and starred:
Katie Pritchard as Minnie
Pippa Hinchley as Bonni
Thomas Melhuish as Worth
Amy Spinks as Sue
Tim Dawkins as Kenneth
Episode 4: Open Home
After weeks of anticipation, the big day arrives: The Resident’s Association fundraiser sees Bonni and Minnie go head to head for the hearts and minds of Gilbert Block. Minnie sees her chance to drum up BnB business, but has to compete with Bonni’s fresh pastries and coffee. Undeterred, Minnie workshops Worth into thinking like their ideal customer, but he doesn’t seem to understand metaphors.
Babytalk “Open Home” was written by Ben Jay
It was produced by Podcast Pioneers and starred:
Katie Pritchard as Minnie
Pippa Hinchley as Bonni
Thomas Melhuish as Worth
Amy Spinks as Lea
Tim Dawkins as Bloke
Ben Jay as Archie
Meet the Cast
Katie Pritchard
Staring as "Minnie"
Katie is a multi award-winning comedian, actor, musician, writer, and artist most recently seen on Harry Hill’s Clubnite for Channel 4 and in YouTube sitcom Angry Quiz Guy, starring Nick Helm, Amit Shah, Rachel Stubbings, and many more. Famous for her high-octane musical comedy fun, she is a carnage-wielding, mayhem-manifesting, human disco ball! “An explosion of joyful lunacy” (Shortlist) WINNER Musical Comedy Awards 2019 WINNER 2Northdown New Act of the Year 2019 FINALIST Leicester Square Theatre Sketch Off 2019 WINNER Best Family-Friendly Show at Guildford Fringe 2019 for Katie Pritchard: Hysterical Histories
Represented by Corrie McGuire Management https://cmmanagement.co.uk/talent/katie-pritchard/
Website: www.katiepritchard.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/katiepritchards
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiepritchards
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiepritchards/
Pippa Hinchley
Staring as "Bonni"
“A female Ricky Gervais”… “Bridget Jones on acid”…”the Party Philosopher” – LA Comedy Fest, LA Comedy Store and Improv
Pippa is an award winning actor-writer-comedian-content creator and voice artist who also directs. If you’re quite old you may remember her as superbitch Elaine Fenwick in CORRIE or Shaz the Aussie waitress, in cult kids series, HANGAR 17. Other highlights from dozens of BBC films, TV, theatre and radio credits include: Michael Palin’s iconic EAST OF IPSWICH; WW2 films AND A NIGHTINGALE SANG and THE DRESSMAKER & Jack Rosenthal’s ESKIMO DAY; several plays directed by Sir Alan Ayckbourn; NOISES OFF and BUS STOP in the West End; DEAD FUNNY at Chichester.
Pippa has been working in the US for some years where she created her all-female sketch show LIVE!SEX!GIRLS! at LA Comedy Fest and as a web series, which got her a Best Comedy Actor nom at ITVFest. Pip has performed stand-up at The Comedy Store, The Improv in LA venues and once played Fergie in NBC’s imaginatively titled FERGIE & ANDREW – which was funny but not meant to be.
Since first writing skectches for TV shows like Smack The Pony, Pip has written award winning short films and two series of the groundbreaking plot-interactive teen drama SOPHIA’S DIARY (Sony/Channel 5). Her latest short KILLING CHRISTMAS has won awards for Best Short, acting and script and selected for 20 international festivals. https://youtu.be/mNWF1QZCSWI
Her dark TV comedy #MENTAL was just shortlisted for Sister Prods/Olivia Colman’s writer-performer contest and a monolugue from it just published as part of a book for mental health charity MIND. 5′ teaser https://youtu.be/iBeYHI0IrwY
Pippa is currently working at The Space Theatre (online), just performed new monologue SQUIRRELS https://youtu.be/bwNDEj58mPo and plays the lead in a rehearsed read of extraordinary new play PATTERNS on March 19th.
Thomas Melhuish
Staring as "Worth"
Tom is a voice actor, writer and filmmaker who studied screenwriting at Raindance, and filmmaking at Morley College. He currently runs the websitewww.ifilmthings.com with other filmmakers providing filmmaking tutorials and resources to help budding filmmakers. He’s an ambitious filmmaker who has recently worked on the short film “The Frame” and a couple of other indie projects.
Amy Spinks
Staring as "Multiple characters"
Twitter/Insta/TikTok: @amyspinkles
Amy Spinks is a comedy actor/writer hailing from Wolverhampton. Her brutally honest comedic tone has seen her co-write and star in comedy web-series Tits Up which was nominated for a host of awards. Amy has acted in roles alongside the likes of Goodness Gracious Me’s Kulvinder Ghir and more serious acting with the RSC. Amy continues to focus on writing comedy for screen whilst also writing and performing live shows with her sketch duo BIRDS, placing in the Final of Leicester Square Theatre’s – Sketch Off two years running and as heard on BBC Radio 4. She is also in sketch group Box of charms (@Boxofcharmstv) and is currently sketching across their socials and collaborating on their upcoming sketch pilot. Amy’s showreel can be found via: spotlight and she is represented by MiddleweekNewton.
Tim Dawkins
Staring as "Multiple characters"
Tim is an experienced actor working in theatre, TV, voice over and film for two decades
As a writer performer he had created the choose your own adventure show Decide A Quest and was co-creator of comic group Found Objects. As an improviser he founded Improv The Dead and is part of the Hoopla house team The Nomads. He spent many years touring Outdoor Classics and children’s theatre with Quantum Theatre and Cragrats among others.
Recently he has been planning his return live performance after surviving on the royalties from an advert directed by Michel Gondry.
Reach him via theHarter Allen Agency.
Ben Jay
Staring as "Archie"
Creator of the show, Ben Jay is a writer and producer who has worked across radio, television, print and digital. He now runs a production team at Google alongside writing comedy for live and digital platforms.