Beautiful People is a British comedy drama television series based on the memoirs of Barneys creative director Simon Doonan. The series takes place in Reading, Berkshire, in 1997, where thirteen-year-old Simon Doonan and his best friend Kylie dream of escaping their dreary suburban surroundings and moving to cosmopolitan London "to live amongst the beautiful people." The first episode aired on BBC Two on 2 October 2008 and recorded overnight ratings of 1.5 million viewers and positive critical reaction. Episodes are self-contained, but do follow a loose story arc throughout the course of each series. The second and final series finished airing on 18 December 2009.
Episodes
How I Got My Vase
While at Kylie's, Simon steals one of Reba's dresses and tries it on back at home. Ashlene takes a Polaroid photo of him wearing it and threatens to show it to everyone unless he styles her hair to look like Heather Small's. Debbie finds the dress in the bin, assumes Reba is having an affair with Andy, and fights her in the street. Simon reveals that he took the dress. Debbie tries to quit drinking alcohol but starts again when Andy tells her she is boring when she is sober. Simon sees supposedly-vegan Hayley eating a burger and threatens to tell everyone. To keep him quite, she give him £30, which he spends on a vase that he has had his eye on for a long time.
How I Got My Nose
Simon Doonan, now living in New York, remembers the time auditioning for the school play led to his mother being arrested for assault and the re-enactment of a famous horror film.
How I Got My Beads
Simon remembers his mother's experiments with the occult and his grandmother's return from a mental hospital, which saw her change rather radically from the nicest granny in the world. Featuring conjoined twins and a bingo caller.
How I Got My Posh
Birthdays have ever been easy for Simon, especially when the whole school finds out what he really really wants. Meanwhile, Ashlene meets a flasher and Aunty Hayley feels loved and a whole lot more.
How I Got My Tongs
A trip to the hairdresser and a fabulous pair of shimmering golden hair tongs prompts Simon's decision to turn Kylie into Princess Diana.
How I Got My Globe
A new teacher arrives at school who really may be one of the Beautiful People. Can this really be true? Simon and Kylie finally try to leave Reading for ultra glamorous London. In New York older Simon gets homesick.
Top Cast
Luke Ward-Wilkinson
Simon Doonan
Layton Williams
Kylie Parkinson
Olivia Colman
Debbie Doonan
Aidan McArdle
Andy Doonan
Samuel Barnett
Adult Simon Doonan
Sophie Ash
Ashlene Doonan
Sarah Niles
Reba Parkinson
Meera Syal
Aunty Hayley
