Episode Guide

Too Much Sun is a 6-episode British sitcom which Lee filmed in England, for the BBC, during November and December 1999. The series was transmitted on BBC1 at 10.35pm bertween the 27th of October and 1st of December 2000.

Premise
Aristocratic, English actor, Julian Edgbaston Bowles ( Alex Jennings), and earthy, left-wing English writer, Nigel Conway (Mark Addy), seek fame and fortune that has eluded them in Britain, by moving to Hollywood. But things earn't any better there. Their serious lack of talent prevails, and instead of working, they just hang around the guest house, which they rent off ageing, "TV Cowboy" Scott Reed (Lee Majors) and his beautiful but dumb trophy wife, Kimberley (Julienne Davis). Bitter at everyone else's success - and their own lack of - , they slob out in the hot tub, spitting bile and pouring scorn on the rich and famous. It's doesn't help that another ex-Brit, the slow-witted and chauvenist Dave Stamp (Nigel Lindsay), has a local plumbing job which has him mixing with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Jack Nicholson!

Regular Cast
Nigel Conway - Mark Addy
Julian Edgbaston Bowles - Alex Jennings
Scott Reed - Lee Majors
Kimberley Reed - Julienne Davis
Dave Stamp - Nigel Lindsay
Sandi - Matilda Zielger
Roderigo - Carlos Douglas

Land of Opportunity (1.1)  - 20/10/2000 [Images]
Writers - Jim Piddock & Margaret Oberman. Director -
A letter arrives from Nigel’s old school friend, Sandi. Sandi has her own film company so Nigel is very
excited believing she may buy one of his script ideas. Little does Nigel realise that Sandi's film company is actually a local video store, where due to money problems he is eventually forced to take a job in order to pay the rent to their "friendly" landlord, Scott. Meanwhile Julian prpares for yet another audition.
Guest Cast
Casting assistant - Nathan Nolan
Casting director - Pat Starr
"Scott" Moments...
1. Scott comes round to the house to see if the lads have the money for the rent, on his way to an awards ceremony.
2. Scott asks Julian and Nigel if they have seen his gardener, Roderigo... only to learn Julian has locked him in the garden shed, and forgotten to let him out!.
3. Scott drops by to the invite the lads to a party at his place, Saturday night. They turn him down, until they find out a newly promoted Hollywood producer big wig will be there....

Cross Purposes (1.2) - 27/10/2000 [Images]
Writers - Jim Piddock & Margaret Oberman. Director -
When Nigel emerges from a drunken stupor and sees his housemate Julian in full drag he quickly puts two and two together and come up with five. Nigel is then plagued by dreams in which he gets married and Julian is his blushing bride! He tries to talk to Scott about his friend's "problem". To add to everything else Roderigo the gardener's pet goat has gone missing.
Guest Cast
"Carol" - Richard Alleman
Tranvestite - Ray Shell
Vicar - Jeremy Child
Concierge - David Schaal
Stage Manager - Winston Ellis
"Scott" Moments...
1. Nigel bumbs into Scott in the car port, as Scott asks him if he has seen Roderigo's pet goat [audio clip]
2. Nigel has a nasty dream he is marrying Julian, and Scott is giving away the bride!
3. Nigel reluctantly goes to see Scott and asks him for his advice about men who dress as women....[video clip]

Obsession (1.3) 03/11/2000 [Images]
Writers - Jim Piddock & Margaret Oberman. Director - JohnStroud
Julian and Sandi become worried when Nigel turns into a couch-potato after having a new satellite dish installed, in the hope it will help his writer's block. His writer's block remains and worse, he refuses to wash, leave the couch, or even turn off the TV!. Julian finds himself attracted to a woman he meets at an audition,and has high hopes his days of celibacy are numbered....
Guest Cast
Tracey Jo -  Sara Stewart
Chan - Jonathan Chan-Pensley
"Scott" Moments...
1. Scott comes round to complain that the new dish is blocking his view, just as Nigel finds a re-run of one of his old cowboy shows.
2. Nigel goes round to Scott's house to borrow his TV, when Sandi and Julian's efforts to break Nigel's obsession fail. They find Scott wearing a face pack, whilst painting Kimberley's nails!
3. Scott becomes the "punch" line of a scene in which, with Dave's help, he puts Julian to bed after a drunken binge when he discovers some soul destroying news about his latest potential conquest....

Real Men Cry Alot (1.4) 10/11/2000 [Images]
Writers - Jim Piddock & Margaret Oberman. Director - John Stroud
After a particularly disapointing week Nigel and Julian learn there are 2 places going free at a men's retreat weekend, and see it as an ideal opportunity to bare their souls and hobnob with some Hollywood elite. They await the weekend's "special guest" with great anticipation....
Guest Cast
Dr. Kipper - James Jordan
Dr. Luke - Angus Macinnes
Don - Lou Hirsch
Jack - Nigel Whitmey
Chief - Joanquin Mrtinez
"Scott" Moments...
1. Scott and Kimberley drop round to the house on the way to the gym, in answer to a frantic call from Julian. [audio clip]
2. The "surprise" guest turns up...
3. Scott and the lads bare their souls - and a little bit more - in an old indian ritual.

Hollywood Phonies (1.5) 24/11/2000 [Images]
Written by Jim Piddock. Director - John Stroud
Nigel and Julian wangle their way to a movie preview where they meet a powerful Hollywood producer who mistakes Nigel for a famous writer. He wants to make a movie with Nigel, and with Scott away for the week in Aspen the boys take over his house to impress the big Hollywood mogul at a dinner party to seal the deal. Unfotunately Scott and Kimberley arrive home early to find their house full of un-expected guests and Nigel has to do some quick thinking....
Guest Cast
Arnold Wyckoff - Ron Donachie
Ann Wyckoff - Giselle Wolf
Nigel Benton-Smythe - Jeffrey Perry
"Scott" Moments...
1. Scott and Kimberley drop by to let the lads know they are off skiing for the week
2. Scott and Kimberley arrive home early to find the house full of un-expected guests
3. Nigel has to do some fast talking to explain what he's doing in Scott's house
4. Scott comes round to tell the lads his new Hollywood friends are now his old friends...
Trivia Item - When Nigel and Julian first enter Scott's home there are photo's on the wall in the lounge from Lee's other shows and movies, most notably 2 Six Million Dollar Man photo's!

The End of the World (1.6) 01/12/2000 [Images]
Writers - Jim Piddock & Margaret Oberman. Director - John Stroud
Nigel is convinced the world is going to end and sees examples of prophecies coming true all around him. He decides it is time to reveal his true feelings to Sandy before the end comes. Meanwhile, Julian  has an audition with Scott's agent and isn't about to let a little thing like the end of the world get in his way of making a big impression...
Guest Cast
Psychic - Francis Cuka
Tibetan monk - Peter Silverleaf
Brian - Ben Weinberger
Sports reporter - Michael Carlson
Elizabethan - Damien Puckler
"Scott" Moments...
1. Scott drops by with Kimberley, on the way to the gym, to to tell Julian he has arranged an audition with his agent for him [video clip]
2. Scott and Julian arrive at Scott's agents office, and end up getting stuck in the lift together as they leave [audio clip]
3. Scott drops round to tell the boys he and Kimberley are off away for the a few days, and thanks to Julian they don't need to worry about all the back-rent they owe...

Check the TMS Image Gallery for shots of the cast and sets used on the show

Read an exclusive report from when we attended the filming of  Episode 2