Stella Street FAQ

This page was last updated 2007-04-12.

On this page you will find information about Stella Street and this site that doesn’t belong anywhere else. If you want to know something which you think should be on the site but isn’t, or you cannot find it, please email me here. I sometimes get a lot of emails, so I can’t always reply to them personally, though I do try! If you ask me a question that’s already on the site, you will be punished accordingly…

1. Stella Street

Is Stella Street available on video/DVD?

Yes, series one, two and three are available, as well as the Movie. See the videos page (there should be a link on your left). Series 1 and 3 are on DVD so far.

Can I see Stella Street on television at the moment?

See the news page for news (obviously). hasn’t been on terrestrial in the UK for ages. Australians get it occasionally, as do many continental Europeans. It has never been broadcast in the US or Canada. Please write to your local PBS station/CBC! I am not kept informed when broadcasts are to occur by anyone, but I will try to inform the mailing list and news page if I hear anything.

Where is Stella Street? Is it really in Surbiton?

No. The street itself is Hartswood Road, London, W12. Photos and more details are in the Take A Walk section of the site (link on your left). You need Stamford Brook on the District Line (west of Hammersmith). Why not have a drink in The Raven by the station; make a day of it.

Who makes Stella Street?

Stella Street Ltd, a company owned by Peter Richardson, John Sessions, Phil Cornwell, Ben Swaffer (the producer) and Charles Brand from TigerAspect productions. TigerAspect is responsible for the administrative side of things. To find the address of Stella Street Ltd, you’ll have to email me…

Who owns the copyright for Stella Street?

Stella Street Ltd. Not the BBC. Stella Street controls its own publicity, via Jack Strong Ltd (are they Ltd?). This page is independent (see section 2 of this FAQ for details).

Have there been any rave reviews of the show?

People don't seem to review the show much, but Victor Lewis-Smith said in the Evening Standard a while ago that it was a comedic masterpiece that deserved to be made into a feature film. It is debatable whether two hours would suit the style of Stella Street, but Peter Richardson has made many films, so who knows. Loaded ran an article on it a few months ago, but they wanted money for me to put it on the site, so bugger that. It was crap, anyway (who the hell is "Mrs Huggins"?). Some other critics have described the show as being "desperate" and "a bad impressions atrocity", so they can fuck off. As someone who (dare I say it) knows about comedy myself, I would say that Stella Street is one of the best comedy series ever and certainly among Phil Cornwell, John Sessions and Peter Richardson's best work. It ranks with Python, Fawlty Towers and The Simpsons as one of the all-time classics of television comedy.

Also, recently Charlie Catchpole of The Mirror wrote this:

Not very flattering, or indeed right. Still, some people love the show enough to visit a website about it. Thanks to Paul Harrison for keeping us informed about the views of the gutter press.

Of course, my own comments about series 3 have not always been very positive, but Catchpole manages to get the wrong end of the stick. The problem with the show is not that it is the same as it’s always been, and certainly not that the impressions are laughably bad! He needs a fucking tree surgeon, to get all that fucking sap out of his head, in my opinion.

Do any of the stars watch the show?

I have heard that Michael Caine, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards all enjoy the show immensely. I have no information regarding the opinions of Joe Pesci or John Hurt. Mick and Keith consider themselves the grocer shop of Rock and Roll and watch the show on the tour bus! Now that is retailing! David Bowie keeps asking if he looks buttery.

How is Stella Street made?

According to the interview on the Jack Docherty Show, John and Phil improvise it whilst PR takes notes. Rebecca, the production assistant, then types up a script. So it is ad-libbed, sort of. Then they change it a little. Peter Richardson and Charlie Foreman film the series themselves. Series one was shot on Hi8, series two and three on MiniDV. Proof that, if you have the talent, you don't need multi-million pound budgets!

After rehearsal and filming, Peter Richardson edits the tapes together in his own unique way.

Why was Hartswood Road chosen?

When filming commenced on the pilot episode (later incorporated into series one), it was decided to spend nothing on it. At the time (July, 1997) Ben Swaffer, the producer, had a flat in the area which was used as the base for the make-up. The rest of series one was completed in October 1997.

2. The Web Site

Is this an official Stella Street site?

Virtually. This is as near as you’ll get. Phil and John have both had a look, and approve, so authorized is the best word. All material from the series is used with permission. However, Stella Street Ltd have no input on what I put on this site, when I update it, or the accuracy of any information here. And they haven’t paid for it either. Stella Street is not owned by, and this page is in no way connected with, the BBC.

Who the hell are you anyway?

I am Steve Day, 27 years old, and am a law graduate of Queen Mary, University of London. I work for Network Rail in London.

Technical information

Some features, such as random images, are not supported in all browsers. For best results, use the latest edition. If the page is illegible on your screen, please let me know. This page was made with MacOS X and Dreamweaver.

Disclaimer of liability, etc.

This page is © 1998–2007 Steve Day and has been built with the assistance of Elliott Day, with further thanks due to Nick Arran for his camera and input, Jon Howard for helping me with my very first web page in 1997, and Nick Lee for being generally helpful. Extracts from Stella Street, used with permission, are © Stella Street Ltd. Contributions are © their authors, subject to a licence to reproduce them on this page. This page does not exist to make a profit, but money made from sales of videos goes towards maintaining the web space and Internet addresses. All information provided in this page is believed to be correct but I cannot accept any liability for any loss resulting from its use. Additions, corrections, comments, suggestions and other contributions always very welcome. I reserve the right to put interesting correspondence on the letters page, unless you expressly ask otherwise. Please remember that I cannot always reply individually or incorporate all suggestions into the page.

If you wish to use any material on this page in your own website, or in any other form, please ask first.

There is no connection between Stella Street and Stella Artois.

Must dash—they’re re-showing The Swarm on Channel 5.
Remember, if you want something doing, do it yourself.
You might just come out a winner.