Micky Flanagan: What Chance Change? - Episode 1

Cockney geezer Micky Flanagan regales us with the story of his journey from tabloid to broadsheet; from the street party to the dinner party; from apples and pears to stocks and shares... Well you've got the idea. Each week's episode focuses on a different decade of Micky's life. Micky regales us with stories from his life told through stand up comedy. In between, the programmes goes 'behind the scenes' with short interviews that give an insight into the stand up. In this opening episode Micky talks about growing up in the East End in the 1970s. He chats to his school friends about their shared experiences of leaving with no qualifications to work at Billingsgate Fish Market. He also interviews Sociology Professor Paul Willis about his research on working class boys in a 1970s school. Micky's transition from the mean streets of the East End, working as a Billingsgate Fish Porter to an entertainer living in the leafy lanes of Dulwich is a fascinating story, all the better for being told through jokes. The issue of class is a crucial theme in Micky's stand up. However it is framed less as "Do we now have a classless society?" and more as "Is it ok to ask for tomato sauce in a fancy French restaurant?" The series is written and performed by Micky Flanagan. The producer is Tilusha Ghelani.