Despite this claim, Gatiss appears in the show as an actor who is murdered by the characters played by Pemberton and Shearsmith.

Similarly, Ollie Plimsolls is based on a community theatre actor that Shearsmith had worked with.

The show contains dark humour, with many of the scenes inspired by horror films ( the policeman who visits Tubbs and Edward in the first series is a reference to The Wicker Man ), documentaries ( Dr. Carlton came from a programme called Change of Sex which featured a " monstrously unsympathetic " doctor ) and personal experience-Legz Akimbo came from the writers ' experiences in amateur theatre ; Pauline Campbell-Jones came from Reece Shearsmith's own Restart officer and Papa Lazarou came from a former landlord Pemberton and Shearsmith had.

He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen alongside Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and co-writer Jeremy Dyson, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock.

Gatiss is perhaps best known as a member of the sketch comedy team The League of Gentlemen ( along with fellow performers Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and co-writer Jeremy Dyson ).

In this his voice is used along with the other actors of League of Gentlemen such as Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.

Shearsmith does not believe that Pemberton has been captured and that he is playing a joke on him, so Hilary comes to the phone.

Shearsmith initially believes that Gatiss is joining in on the " joke " when he opens a door and Gatiss is standing right in front of him.

Reeson " Reece " Wayne Shearsmith ( born 27 August 1969 in Hull ) is an English actor, writer, comedian, television producer and magician.

Steve James Pemberton ( born 1 September 1967 ) is an English actor, comedian, writer and performer, most famous as a member of The League of Gentlemen along with fellow performers Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and co-writer Jeremy Dyson.

He is best known as a member of the sketch comedy team The League of Gentlemen, along with fellow performers Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith, and co-writer Jeremy Dyson, all of whom he met at Bretton Hall drama school in his late teens.

In this his voice is used along with the other actors of League of Gentlemen such as Reece Shearsmith and Mark Gatiss.

The character is part written by and played by Reece Shearsmith.

"; when Shearsmith informed him that Pemberton was not present he would persist, " O. K., is Steve there ?".

Catterick, aka Vic and Bob in Catterick, is a surreal 2004 BBC situation comedy in 6 episodes, written by and starring Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, with Reece Shearsmith, Matt Lucas, Morwenna Banks, Tim Healy, Mark Benton and Charlie Higson.

Tony: Played by The League of Gentlemen's Reece Shearsmith, Tony is a dangerous, psychotic armed robber who robs " Neil's Wheels " used car dealership and shoots the owner, Mr Neil Wheel.

Jeremy Dyson ( born 14 June 1966 ) is an English screenwriter and, along with Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, a participant in The League of Gentlemen as well as creating and co-writing the popular west-end show Ghost Stories.

He is best known as co-creator of the hit West End play Ghost Stories and as a member of the sketch comedy team The League of Gentlemen, along with fellow performers Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, and Reece Shearsmith, all of whom he met while they were studying at Bretton Hall drama school.

Despite being one of the more bizarre characters in the series, Papa Lazarou was actually based on a real person, Peter Papalazarou who was a landlord who owned a flat in which Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton lived.

", Shearsmith simply replied " Yes ", but was quick to change the subject and not reveal anything about a new series.

Hilary takes Pemberton up to Hadfield, where he telephones Shearsmith about what has been going on.

The first series aired on BBC Two in 1999, and follows the lives of dozens of the town's bizarre inhabitants, played by Gatiss, Pemberton and Shearsmith in a number of different guises and make-up.

Shearsmith and Pemberton appeared on The Russell Brand Show on December 22, 2006.

In the DVD commentary on the second series, Pemberton and Shearsmith state that Papa Lazarou's speech patterns are based on their former landlord, who would phone their flat and insist on speaking only to Steve.

* In 1996 / 97, he appeared on an episode of Mash and Peas with Matt Lucas, David Walliams and Reece Shearsmith, in a sketch spoofing Seinfeld, called I'm Bland ... yet all my friends are krazy !.

After sneaking into an office where Gatiss, Pemberton and Shearsmith are working, they discover the new project they are working on.

Reece Shearsmith: " I've done a few Hello Dave's for people's answering machines ," said Reece Shearsmith, before putting on the Papa Lazarou voice, ' They're not in at the moment!

There were some very mixed opinions on the show among both critics and viewers, but it achieved decent ratings and featured an excellent comedy cast including Richard Griffiths, Alexander Armstrong and The League of Gentlemen's Reece Shearsmith.

Since then, theatre patrons have seen Sienna Miller star alongside Helen McClory, Reece Shearsmith and Clive Rowe in a new production of Shakespeare's As You Like It.

In the live shows, when Pam Doove was auditioning for a part in the Christmas Nativity Play, directed by Ollie Plimsolls, Pam had to audition in front of Ollie's Legz Akimbo colleague Dave ( Pemberton ), who said that Ollie couldn't make it " for obvious reasons " ( Shearsmith plays both Pam and Ollie in the television series ).

Higson and Banks also appeared, together with Matt Lucas, Reece Shearsmith, Mark Benton and others, in the surreal 6-part BBC Three comedy series Catterick ( 2004 ), sometimes listed as Vic and Bob in Catterick.

Both Shearsmith and Pemberton star in the series and play numerous characters, similar to the format of The League of Gentlemen.

The fourth episode of the first series of Psychoville took place in one, uninterrupted thirty-minute recording taking place in one setting and starring only three actors ( Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith and Mark Gatiss ).

In May 2008, Shearsmith confirmed that although he and Steve would be making Psychoville ( broadcast in 2009 ) without the other members of the league, the League would re-unite in the future.

The majority of the inhabitants of the village — male and female — are played by Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, and Mark Gatiss, and the script was written by these three, along with Jeremy Dyson.

The League of Gentlemen are a quartet of British dark comedy writers / performers, formed in 1995 by Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.

However, Shearsmith and Pemberton did reunite in 2009 to create a similarly-dark BBC sitcom, Psychoville, which featured an episode guest-starring Gatiss.

His landlord in London, Shearsmith, said he ate no meat but his maid, who served Swedenborg, said that he ate eels and pigeon pie.

The programme featured Banks, Lucas, Shearsmith, Benton, Reeves, Mortimer and Coogan, plus a wide array of further guests including Fiona Allen, Ronni Ancona, Leslie Ash, Lynda Bellingham, Ronnie Corbett, Tim Healy, Jane Horrocks, Neil Morrissey, Griff Rhys Jones, John Simm, Meera Syal, Ricky Tomlinson and Richard Wilson.

Vic and Bob played the main roles, with Charlie Higson, Morwenna Banks, Tim Healy, Mark Benton, Matt Lucas and The League of Gentlemens Reece Shearsmith.

Its graduates include Richard O ' Brien, Louisa Leaman, Kay Mellor, Colin Welland, John Godber, Comedian Ray Peacock ( Ian Boldsworth ), Sir Ken Robinson, David Rappaport, Mark Thomas, Jonathan Kerrigan, Esther Hall, Christopher Barlow, the comedian and actress Emma Fryer, Queer as Folk actress Carla Henry, the pop band The Research, three of the four League of Gentlemen creators / performers, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, Emmerdale's Emily Kirk, performer Hayli Clifton, actress Kate McGregor, Shelley Conn, This Mornings fashion expert John Scott, educationalist Wil Edmunds, and Louisa Stanley.

The actor / comedian Reece Shearsmith turns up in this episode as one of Max's old friends.

Starring Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, the film was written by the cast with Jeremy Dyson, and directed by Steve Bendelack.

After throwing Jeremy off the cliff, only three of the writers remain: Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.