Respectable is a British sitcom, first shown in six episodes from 30th August to 4th October 2006 on Five; it was later repeated on Paramount Comedy 1.

It follows Michael Price, a man acutely aware of his own dullness, trapped in a loveless marriage. In the first episode, he hesitantly visits a suburban brothel. Terrified of sex, he strikes up a platonic relationship with a young prostitute, Hayley. The series follows the development of this relationship, and Michael's attempts to conceal his visits to the brothel from his wife. This is complicated by the discovery that his builder, Barry, is a frequent and uninhibited visitor to the brothel.

The show was written by Shaun Pye, Alan Connor and Harry Thompson. Former Hollyoaks actress Jodi Albert plays Hayley, a dumb hooker with a heart of gold; Kate is a university student, owner Maureen is a more mature lady who claims to be 27, while Yelena is a dominant Eastern European. Of the characters who don't work there, Michael is going through a mid-life crisis, while his friendly builder Barry is a typical "Jack the lad".

Characters

Character	Actor
Michael	Justin Edwards
Hayley	Jodi Albert
Maureen	Beatrice Kelly
Kate	Cordelia Bugeja
Yelena	Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Barry	Nick Holder
Pippa	Helen Grace
Naomi	Helen Modern

Criticism

Eaves, a London-based feminist charity, has set up an online petition against the show, which it labels as "a gross misrepresentation of the lives of women involved in prostitution". Producers argued that it is not the role of the sitcom to present realistic depictions of life.

Comedy critics, however, were generally supportive of the series, which despite the unpromising situation, turned out to be a much more cerebral, funny, and warm sit-com than may have been expected.

International broadcasters

• Bold - Canada

External links

• Respectable at Five
• Sitcom.co.uk comprehensive guide
• Paramountcomedy.com info