Wendy Goes Dating
| Wendy Goes Dating | |
|---|---|
 Wendy is looking for love. And sex. And murder. And so on... | |
| Directed by | Jessica Simpson |
| Produced by | John James Spielberg Jones |
| Written by | Russell T. Davies |
| Starring | Wendy Fucker as Wendy Fucker Tom Cruise as Max Pottlegump Peter Petrelli as Sexy Milkman Cameron Diaz as Claire "Lesbian-Whore" Pottlegump Oscar Wilde as Jimbob Jones Bob the Builder as Himself |
| Distributed by | BBC |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
“Shit!”
“Super!”
Wendy Goes Dating was a 2002 spin-off series from the successful Bob the Builder R-rated children's TV show. It was a comedy drama, with a total of 6 episodes, focusing on Wendy trying to get back in the dating scene after Bob left her for another woman-man-construction vehicle hybrid.
Premise[edit | edit source]
This spin-off from the childrens' television show Bob the Builder follows the adventures of Wendolene "Wendy" Fucker, Bob The Builder's former work colleague and love interest in the aforementioned show. After a bust-up with Bob (apparently over their former business, although it is implied something sexual was going on between them), Wendy moves to Sunflower Valley to start afresh. Here, she starts up her own DIY store and works as a handy lady (you see, the show isn't sexist) for her day job, but by night, she shows her true colours and tries to attract male attention within the community. She is successful on many occasions and lands dates or sexual encounters with various different men. Each of the episodes then follow this format with Wendy looking for love in her new community with the sub-story following her running her business and adjusting to life in her new town. Throughout the series, more details are revealed about Wendy's past, family, and opinions on various subjects, and these can form part of an episode (for example, rape, murder, sex, drugs, drink, DIY and so on). During the series, several new characters are introduced to the narrative, while Wendy's excessively long list of sexual partners appear as one-off characters. Some characters from the parent series, such as Bob and Dizzy, cross over into this show and appear as recurring characters. Despite the fact that Wendy is looking for love, there are hints that there is still something between her and Bob the Builder, who appears now and again. When the series was cancelled, the show ended on episode six of series one, which saw Wendy being savagely raped by a farmer.
Main Characters[edit | edit source]
- Wendolene "Wendy" Fucker - The series protagonist. Former resident of Bobsville, Wendy was the business partner and collegue of one Bob the Builder. Throughout her time working for Bob, there was a lot of sexual tension between them, despite Bob treating her differently because she was a lady builder. She mainly worked in Bob's office and builders yard, but from time to time took part in construction work on site. After a bust-up (the cause of which is not revealed; Wendy claims it was a business disagreement, but it appears to be something to do with a sexual relationship between her and Bob), Wendy sells her share of the company to Bob and moves to Sunflower Valley, a nearby town, to start afresh. Here, she opens her own DIY store (called 'Wendy's Wood') and works as a handy lady, doing repairs and building work for local people. Despite doing this job during the day, at night, Wendy is quite a slag and is always looking for love and is often seen on the pull in the local bars and clubs. She has had numerous sexual relationships (which usually just the one episode) which don't end well and result in her still being single. In general, the character is very masculine and a bit of a tomboy, even though she is quite old (her age is never specified, but when Bob appears in an episode, he seems to imply that he and Wendy are in their early 40s) which makes it quite surprising that a large majority of the population have either dated or slept with her. Despite this quiet, aging tomboy image, Wendy is quite the player and appears to somewhat enjoy her experiences, sexual or otherwise. Throughout the show, there is also the hint that she is not over her relationship with Bob, still has feelings for him, or is a closeted lesbian.
Recurring Characters[edit | edit source]
- Bob The Builder - The protagonist from the shows parent series. Bob is the former business partner and collegue of Wendy. He appears now and again in the series in fleeting appearances and usually drops hints that he and Wendy were involved in a previous sexual relationship. Bob always makes excuses for having turned up but it is clear that he has deliberately arrived to see Wendy. Their ongoing sexual tension remains a big part of the show. Bob now owns all the builders yard from the parent series as Wendy sold him her share and he now runs it alone. Due to the darker nature of this show compared to the parent series this show explores the darker nature of Bob's character when he does appear. For example Bob is shown to smoke 20 cigarettes a day in when popping up in this show, but he doesn't seem to smoke at all in the main show.
Episodes[edit | edit source]
Series 1 - 2002[edit | edit source]
- Unaired Pilot Episode: The Wendy House
Although this episode was never aired on TV, the plotline for the episode is practically the same as the first episode of the first series. In the episode, Wendy and Bob have a major bust up, and Wendy departs the building yard for good, moving into a new house that needs a lot of work. She looks through the paper but discovers that Bob is the only local builder until she walks past the local benefits office and sees several Polish men who are looking for work, and she hires them to do up her house for just a tenner and a box of biscuits. Meanwhile, Wendy decides to start divorce proceedings with Bob by taking him to court after he refuses to hand over half of everything he owns.
- Episode 1: Fun with a Builder
Wendy moved into a new house, and needed to do some DIY. However, building brought back bad memories of her failed marriage, so she asked her single next door neighbour, Max, to do it for her. Max (Tom Cruise) fell in love with her, and they had sex on the settee. This episode was watched by 65 million people, more than the population of the UK. The BBC later admitted that it might have been an error, and that it was viewed by 0.000065 million people and a cat.
- Episode 2: Fun with a Milkman
Wendy was settling into her new home when she saw Max through her kitchen window. He was with another woman. Wendy decided to get back at Max by sleeping with the milkman (Peter Petrelli). However, when Max told her it was actually his sister, Wendy regretted it. She shot the milkman dead.
- Episode 3: Lesbian Fun in a Threesome (with Incest)
Wendy was having a tea party with Max's sister, Claire (Cameron Diaz), when she realised Claire was coming on to her. Because Wendy was feeling depressed, she accepted it. However, Max then came in. Rather than being angry, he joined in too. Though this episode was watched by a total of 2 million people (many drawn in by the interesting title), the BBC received many complaints because of the one-dimensional characters.
- Episode 4: No Sex
The day after Wendy made love with Max and Claire, they suddenly upped and left. Wendy was shocked to discover they had taken all her money. Also, a policeman came round to investigate the death of the milkman. Wendy shot him too. This episode was notable for being the only episode without any sex scenes in it.
- Episode 5: Fun with a Cement Mixer
Wendy hired a builder by the name of "Robert" to come and bury the two bodies that had been lying in her living room for a while now. She was still scared of manual labour. However, it was revealed that Robert the Labourer was actually Bob the Builder's new name, which he adopted to get away from the media attention. Nothing else really happened, except Wendy had sex with Dizzy the Cement Mixer, who guest starred.
- Episode 6: Fun with a Farmer
Wendy saw Sir Alan Sugar in the street, but didn't get a chance to speak to him. (This was an accident; he was actually just walking by in the distance, but he was still billed as a guest star). Feeling lonely, she called Bob back up, but he was busy (it was later revealed he was filming the series finale of Bob the Builder, in which he committed suicide. Sadly, it was a documentary). She then wandered into a field and tried to hang herself from a scarecrow. However, a handsome farmer called Jimbob (Oscar Wilde), picked her up and raped her. Unfortunately, she was not dead, so she shot him, deciding she would never sleep with a man again. The final shot was of her in the middle of a field with a scarecrow. Naked.
- Unaired Episode 7: Fun with Black Men & Little Kids
This episode was made by the BBC but was never aired for various reasons. As a result, the series ends with Wendy being raped by a farmer, whereas had this episode been broadcast, it would have served as a series finale and would have concluded the story from the previous episode. This episode has never been seen on terrestrial TV, but it was included alongside the unaired pilot episode as a special extra on the first series DVD. The plot to the episode follows on from the previous episode, with Wendy having been savagely raped by a crazy farmer. Following this, she goes the the nearest lake and washes herself to get rid of the semen and blood covering her body. She then heads home and decides that she needs to treated badly by men as she descends into some sort of mental illness. As a result, she joins a club making porn movies where men are very violent to women. She takes part in numerous x-rated activities and falls for the black man who co-owns the porn production company, as he has a huge black dick. Wendy lets the black man violently rape her while several other men and women watch on during the sexual act. She falls unconscious, and when she wakes, she discovers a room where people (male and female) are getting sexual with kids. Wendy is asked to have sex with the black man again while several young girls dressed as either Alice in Wonderland or Little Red Riding Hood watch on. Wendy refuses and shows her disgust at what is going on. She then shows her racist side by making several racist comments at the black men and women that are there. She then leaves and phones the old bill who swarm the building. The episode ends with Wendy walking down the street away from the building as the police head towards it. Wendy then looks directly at the camera and smiles.
Series 2 - 2011[edit | edit source]
It has been revealed by the BBC that to increase the quality of their children's TV output, they will be bringing the show back in the autumn under a different guise. Russell T. Davies will return to the show, but will this time revamp it for a modern day audience. The following episodes have been confirmed to air as part of series two:
- Episode 1 - Wendy's Back in Town (a.k.a. Wendy Goes to Rehab)
The show returns. Picking up from where series one left off, Wendy is in rehab following her rape ordeal. Talking to her doctor, she tells her that she will never trust men again and relives her ordeal through flashbacks. These flashbacks show what happened to Wendy after she was raped and killed the farmer. In the flashbacks, a naked and traumatised Wendy leaves the field and emerges covered in blood and semen onto a main road in front of a car, which hits her. She is rushed to the hospital, where she has to have part of her vagina removed as a result of the car accident. She is then interviewed by police about the rape and murdering the farmer. Wendy then slips into a depression and starts drinking heavily and downing pills before being sentenced to time in an institution. At the end of the episode, set in the present, Wendy is better and is released from the institution.
- Episode 2 - Wendy Wallpapers
Having been given the all clear from her doctors at the institution, Wendy moves into her new apartment and wastes no time by starting to decorate immediately, however, Bob never showed her how to wallpaper properly, and she makes a mess. She calls in an expert decorator, and the sexual tension between the pair is clearly visible, but Wendy isn't ready to trust men again and asks the decorator to leave. The episode ends with Wendy covered in wallpaper paste in a suggestive manner.
- Episode 3 - Wendy's Sister Comes to Town
Wendy is shocked when her sister Jenny turns up on her doorstep. Jenny maintains that she is there to check up on Wendy, but is there something else going on? Meanwhile, Wendy starts to become paranoid that her sister is watching her every move.
- Episode 4 - Wendy's Night Out
Wendy and her sister Jenny hit the nightclubs, where Wendy has a panic attack after a man asks her to dance, and she leaves her sister who is dancing suggestively on the bar wearing a low-cut top.
- Episode 5 - Wendy Relapses
Wendy locks herself in her apartment and won't leave or answer the door or the phone because she is scared of bumping into any men. Various friends attempt to get her to leave, but to no avail, so they go and get her doctor. Meanwhile, Wendy suffers another panic attack when the postman turns up and needs her to sign for a parcel. The episode ends with Wendy agreeing to anxiety treatment.
- Episode 6 - Wendy Dates the Decorator
After being persuaded by her doctor, Wendy agrees to a date with her decorator. They go out for a meal, but Wendy almost suffers another panic attack. The decorator comforts her and is sympathetic, and it restores Wendy's faith in men, and the episode ends with them splitting the bill and heading back to her apartment for some sweet loving.
- Episode 7 - Wendy Gets Wet
It's the morning after and, Wendy is shocked and embarrassed when she wakes up and discovers that she has had an extremely wet dream while sleeping with the decorator. Has this ruined her new relationship?
- Episode 8 - Where's Wendy?
After her disaster with sleeping with the decorator, Wendy disappears for the day, leaving the decorator and her sister Jenny worried about her. Meanwhile, Wendy tackles her social and anxiety problems head on and goes into town to do some shopping. At the end of the episode, she returns home and informs the decorator that she doesn't believe she is ready to love again, and the pair agree to remain just friends.
- Episode 9 - Wendy: Back To Work
Wendy thinks it’s time that she went back to work and looks for new employment. Not sure what job to do, she applies for various different jobs which she doesn't get. Eventually she settles for setting up her own construction business.
- Episode 10 - Wendy Meets the Competition
It's the grand opening of Wendy's new construction company, and she throws a party to celebrate. At the party, she is forced to face her past when her old colleague and lover Bob the Builder shows up. With the pair reflecting on the past and almost going all the way, has Bob finally won Wendy over?
- Episode 11 - WWW.WENDY.COM
Wendy tries her hand at internet dating, with disastrous but hilarious effects.
- Episode 12 - Wendy Watercolour
Wendy joins a watercolour painting class to boost her social and anxiety problems and meets a very handsome art teacher. Is this the start of a new romance?
Second Series[edit | edit source]
No second series has been planned, because the first one was crap, and was viewed, on average, by 0.0002 million people. It still beat Harry Hill's TV Crap though, which was good. Though, in an interview with the Sun, Wendy stated she "would love to return for a second series", she didn't think it would happen.
Potential Revival[edit | edit source]
It has been rumoured that the BBC is currently in the process of reviving the show with the same or similar cast and a new series. Russell T. Davies is rumoured to return to the show as the head (no sexual reference) writer and the executive producer. Asked during an interview about the show, Russell T. Davies said "The show was great wasn't it?! I think it had the right balance for both kids and adults, making it the ultimate family viewing. It's a shame they cancelled it right when we were getting into our stride. That final scene was brilliant, haunting, and of course, damn right sexy. Although there is talk of bringing it back, and now that I am no longer writing crap, camp, deus ex machina scripts for Doctor Who, who knows, we may be back. Watch this space."
In April 2011, the BBC officially confirmed that they were working on a reboot for the show to air in the autumn.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Wendy's full name is revealed to be Wendolene J. Fucker.
- When Wendy worked with Bob she owned 49% of the builders yard that they worked out of.
- Wendy has a sex fetish.
- During scenes in Wendy's bedroom a framed photo of Bob The Builder can be seen on the dresser.
- According to Bob, Wendy once dated Spud The Scarecrow from the parent series.
- There are no parallels between the TV series and real life.
- Wendy Goes Dating won several awards including: "Best Children's TV Spin-Off of 2002" and "Most Inappropiate Timing Slot For A Programme With Mature Themes"
Controversy[edit | edit source]
The series was aired at 7pm on a Saturday evening on BBC One, and billed as a family comedy-drama. However, unbeknownst to the BBC, the scripts were written by Russell T. Davies, and thus featured full nudity, sex, rape, incest, lesbianism, threesomes, brutal murder, and object sexuality, and many rude words. Wendy's surname was revealed to be "Fucker", though she is not related to Robert de Niro. Though there was originally a seventh and final episode, featuring paedophilic acts of rage, and where Wendy shows her racist side, this was cancelled due to the new series of Doctor Who.
DVD Release[edit | edit source]
The BBC released a DVD of the six episodes shown on January 19th, 2003. It sold millions of copies in China because its title had been incorrectly translated as "The Perfect Chop Suey". It was still a hit there, though, as those kind of things had never before been seen on TV. The DVD extras also included the final episode, as well as commentary from Russell T. Davies, Oscar Wilde (because he turned up), and Wendy herself.
It was also planned to be broadcast on PBS in America, but they had to censor the rude words and cut out the sex scenes. This left them with 5 minutes of footage per episode. Though they did air Episode 1 (retitled as "Building Problems"), the rest was dropped, and never to be shown again. The BBC still run repeats, though, often on CBeebies, their children's channel.