Ruby Speaking Explained

Ruby Speaking is a six-part British comedy television series for ITVX made by Yellow Door Productions, created and written by Abigail Wilson, and co-created with Jayde Adams and Lucy Lumsden. It stars Adams, Katherine Kelly, Sam Swainsbury and Joe Sims.

After an initial release exclusive to ITVX in June 2023, the show was broadcast on linear television on ITV2 in January and February 2024. It ran for one series.^[1]

Synopsis

Working in a call-centre called Hellocom in South Bristol, recently single Ruby is popular amongst other staff, but puts others over herself and over a sale as she struggles to keep to the call-centre script.^{[2] [3]}

Cast

• Jayde Adams as Ruby Morgan, a gregarious call-centre worker whose lively interactions with customers, that she has genuine interest in, masks her otherwise lack of enthusiasm for the job, but is not able to cover up for her lacklustre sales record and routinely puts her job security in jeopardy.
• Joe Sims as Tom Drindle, whose braggadocio over his supreme sales record, and bootlicking, becomes heavily obnoxious.
• Katherine Kelly as Vicki, the manipulative company head.
• Sam Swainsbury as Mark, uptight but generally dependable and keen to see his colleagues succeed, seeing himself as the de facto head of the Bristol branch of Hellocom.
• Jamal Franklin as Cameron Cole, a student only temporarily working at Hellocom, but already roping several co-workers into a choir that Ruby reluctantly is enlisted to become the head of.
• Nicky Goldie as Donna DiMaggio
• Amy-Leigh Hickman as Ellie
• Dan Hiscox as Craig, the eccentric building security guard.
• Kiera Lester as Melons, an impressive new starter.
• Gledys Ibarra

Production

The series is produced by Lucy Lumsden and Jayde Adams for Yellow Door Productions. Ideas for the show were loosely inspired by Adams time spent working at a centre in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol.^[4]

Casting

In the cast are local actors from Bristol who answered open casting adverts, including Dan Hiscox who was working as a care assistant in nearby village Pucklechurch.^[5]

Filming

Filming began in January 2023.^[6] Filming took place in the Totterdown area of South Bristol.^[7]

Broadcast

The series was made available on ITVX from 22 June 2023.^[8]

Reception

Steve Bennett wrote, in a two-and-a-half star review for Chortle, that Adams' character Ruby is "just a little too bland to sustain the viewer’s interest – which is something of a surprise for anyone familiar with Adams's often brash, larger-than-life stand-up performances". However, he praised the relatability of the characters - rather than being "comedy archetypes" - and that the show was mostly "built on gentleness, both of the characters and of the action", but that "it may be quite a big ask for a streaming show to hope audiences stick with the show and warm to its laid-back pace".^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: RUBY SPEAKING AXED BY ITV AFTER ONE SERIES. 2 May 2024. 3 May 2024. TV Zone.
2. Web site: Ruby Speaking. Comedy.co.uk. March 4, 2023.
3. Web site: Jayde Adams lands starring role in Ruby Speaking alongside Katherine Kelly. Entertainment Daily. March 5, 2023. January 20, 2023.
4. Web site: WETHERSPOONS CHEF AMONG CAST FOR JAYDE ADAMS' NEW SITCOM. Bristol247. January 24, 2023. March 4, 2023.
5. Web site: Jayde Adams' new ITV sitcom casts two unknown Bristolian actors including chef from Pucklechurch. Bristol Post. January 23, 2023.
6. Web site: Filming starts on Jayde Adams sitcom Ruby Speaking. Chortle. March 4, 2023. January 20, 2023.
7. Web site: Bristol's Jayde Adams on new ITV sitcom that's so South Bristol it's banned the bridge. March 4, 2023. Bristol Post.
8. Web site: May 15, 2023. Telly Mix. Ruby Speaking release date and first look at new ITVX comedy with Jayde Adams. May 9, 2023. Josh. Darvill.
9. Web site: Ruby Speaking : Reviews 2023 . Chortle . 17 January 2024 . 22 June 2023.