Grumpy Old Men is a conversational-style television programme on BBC2 which debuted in 2003, The first run of four programmes was repeated several times before a second series, also of four episodes, was shown in 2004. A third series aired in April 2006. There were also 2003 & 2004 Christmas specials. An Irish version Gaybo's Grumpy Men was produced by RTÉ in 2005.
The format shows a number of well-known middle-aged men talk about any issues of modern life which irritate them, from the proliferation of excessive road signs to unnecessary and overly-loud mobile phone conversations.
Regular contributors include Jeremy Clarkson, Bob Geldof, A. A. Gill, Nigel Havers, Tony Hawks, Simon Hoggart, Rory McGrath, Bill Nighy, Matthew Parris, the late John Peel, Will Self, Arthur Smith, Tim Rice, Rick Stein, Tony Slattery, Rick Wakeman, Lemn Sissay, Don Warrington and Des Lynam. The narrator is Geoffrey Palmer.
The success of the series spawned Grumpy Old Women, first as a Christmas special and then as a full series in 2005. It repeated the formula of the original, featuring famous middle-aged women talking about their pet-hates.
The grumpy old men and women together made a series Grumpy Old Holidays in which they talk about the frustrations of air travel, packing and so on. This first aired on 18 June 2006.
A companion book to the series, written by Stuart Prebble, Grumpy Old Men: The Secret Diary was published in 2005. This was followed in 2006 by Grumpy Old Christmas, also by Stuart Prebble. The first series and its accompanying Christmas special was also released on DVD, and an audiobook based on the first two series was also made available, read by Arthur Smith.
Following the success of Grumpy Old Men/Women, the producers, Liberty Bell TV, have made a number of other series based on the same format, including Grumpy Old Holidays, It's Grim Up North, My Appalling School Report, He Says, She Says and The Meaning Of Life. All of these were broadcast on BBC2, except the last-named which aired on BBC1.
