List of Lead Balloon Episodes - Series 1 (2006)

Series 1 (2006)

# Title Original airdate
1 "Rubbish" 4 October 2006 (2006-10-04)
Rick films an advertisement promoting recycling and is later invited, with Mel, to a christening by one of her clients, leaving them struggling to devise an excuse not to go. Rick and Marty try to write material for a corporate gig which Rick will be doing for a notorious loans company; Rick rejects all the material as dangerously provocative and later has a frustrating time trying to buy a christening present without being ripped off. Michael has devised a new cake recipe and forces Rick to take a sample home, where it is thrown away. A few days later, a series of articles appears in a tabloid, for which a journalist has gone through the contents of Rick's dustbin.
2 "Wayne" 11 October 2006 (2006-10-11)
A noisy paperboy (the titular Wayne) is waking Rick early in the mornings, so he ineffectually complains to the newsagent (Vicki Pepperdine). The toaster breaks and Rick takes it back to the shop and lies to the owner (Ewen Macintosh) about when he bought it. He later steals teaspoons from Michael's café to make up for the short supply at home. Rick ends up buying a very expensive new toaster, shamefacedly returning the teaspoons to Michael (who also takes the toaster, presuming Rick bought it to make amends with him), and lying awake all night fretting about being woken up by Wayne.
3 "£5000" 18 October 2006 (2006-10-18)
Rick has a fight that leaves him with a cut near his eye. Magda recommends vodka, which proves very painful. Michael is doing a sponsored skip for charity. Rick has sponsored him for £5, not realising that this means £5 per skip, for a predicted thousand skips (hence £5000). Rick tries to back out and ends up offering Michael a flat £500, which Michael refuses. Marty is angry with Rick after a failed TV pitch (which is not shown). Shortly after, Rick 'accidentally' hits Michael with his car. Rick belittles the Community Support Officer investigating the accident, who has Rick arrested by a police officer and detained for a few hours.
4 "Allergic" 25 October 2006 (2006-10-25)
Rick does a corporate gig with 70s comedian Bob Fairchild (Ted Robbins). Bob mentions he has a caffeine allergy. Rick takes a dislike to Bob and gives him caffeinated coffee. The next day Rick hears that Bob suddenly died. Rick worries that he inadvertently killed Bob with the coffee, and Marty winds him up. Bob's daughter Fiona, one of Mel's clients, is reportedly devastated. Rick and Marty work on material for a comedy news quiz, and Rick makes Magda pursue a shopping channel for an undelivered free gift. Eventually, the show goes very well and Rick learns how Bob really died. Rick and Marty return home loudly drunk and happy, only to find Mel in the kitchen comforting poor Fiona. Rick is tactless.
5 "Pistachio" 1 November 2006 (2006-11-01)
Rick has bought a scooter, "pistachio" in colour (light green). The scooter is the subject of general derision and Rick becomes embarrassed with it. Magda's mother (in her home country) has injured her knee and Magda, believing that she has inherited weak knees, is wallowing in suffering. Rick has an argument with a dry cleaner (Omid Djalili). Rick buys a black leather jacket and later gives it to Magda, who then sells it on eBay. In the final credits, Rick is attempting to paint the scooter black.
6 "Fatty" 8 November 2006 (2006-11-08)

After a chat show host comments on Rick's weight Mel and the others agree, and Marty taunts him with doughnuts. An elderly neighbour, Doris, has lost a cat, which Rick finds in his garage as he is heading out to the gym. At the gym, another man comments on Rick's weight. Rick angrily claims that his weight is a side-effect of cancer drugs, whereupon the other man reveals that he has colon cancer. An awkward scene results. Magda returns the cat and gets a £100 reward. Rick takes the money off her and donates it to the man's colon cancer charity. Later, Doris' son comes to Rick's house and makes Rick pay the money back. As Rick closes the door, the son comments on his weight.

First appearance of Clive

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