Toast of London

Steven Toast, an eccentric middle-aged actor with a chequered past, spends more time dealing with his problems off stage than performing on stage.

Genre: Comedy

Cast:Matt Berry , Robert Bathurst , Doon Mackichan , Shazad Latif , Tim Downie , Harry Peacock , Tracy-Ann Oberman , Adrian Lukis , Amanda Donohoe , Gus Brown , Geoffrey McGivern , Alan Ford , Peter Davison , Morgana Robinson , Lewis Macleod , Terry Mynott , Neil Hannon , David Arnold

0Season 1

S1.E0 ∙ The Unspeakable Play

Thu, Oct 13, 2022

Pilloried by the public after appearing in a controversial West End play, actor Steven Toast is recently-divorced and living with his friend Ed Howzer-Black and Ed's elderly mistress Goodhouse, an agoraphobic who has not left the house in two years for fear of a local flasher. He would move into the club where his shell-shocked ex-soldier brother Blair lives but Ray Purchase, a rival actor who caught Toast in bed with his wife, prevents it. Toast auditions to play a gay detective in 'Summer Time Murders' but has to audition in prison since the producer Cliff Promise has been sent down for racial chanting and the audition leads to a riot. After a long-winded voice-over session, Toast returns home to watch 'Crimewave' on TV and finds that Purchase, who also works as a police artist, has used his face in the Identikit picture of the flasher.

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ Addictive Personality

Sun, Oct 20, 2013

Actor Steven Toast is informed by agent Jane Plough that Braz magazine have awarded him a Best Actor award. As a result he is interviewed by journalist Susan Random, to whom he is attracted, despite her being an alcoholic and extreme hoarder, whose house is full of junk. He is also pursued by Jemima Gina, who wears an electronic tag after being found guilty of trying to murder her boyfriend and who follows him to Susan's house. Both women discover that they like collecting beaks but the romance is killed for Steven. House-mate Ed is hosting a Nigerian girl-friend Kikini, though, as a result of deliberately botched plastic surgery by Ray Purchase, a rogue cosmetician and ex-actor rival to Toast, she looks just like Bruce Forsyth. Thus, when Steven learns that the award is actually for Worst Actor, who better to send along in his stead to collect it than 'Bruce' himself?

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ Afternoon Tea

Sun, Oct 27, 2013

After yet another appalling review Steven rehearses for a new play but encounters a double obstacle. One is the presence of the vengeful Ray Purchase as co-star, the other the fact that the director, Acker Herron, is a lunatic who kills actors who will not obey him. Indeed Steven finds himself literally taking part in a life and death duel with Herron - which he is lucky to win. Afterwards he goes to a hotel to have 'afternoon tea' with an escort whom he has booked through an agency - only to discover that an old flame, TV producer Greta Cargo, is involved.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ Vanity Project

Sun, Nov 3, 2013

After his foul-mouthed ex-wife Ellen beats him up with a club on a mini-golf course Steven learns that she wants a hefty divorce settlement so it seems a gift when he is offered a part in the block-buster 'Prince Philip, Scoundrel Dog' directed by anti-Royalist rich Arab Mr Fasili. Jane thinks this is too controversial and suggests he does a laxative ad instead but Steven is not keen. However, when Mr Fasili dies before paying him Steven is all set to become the face of Lax-A-Daisy, until he finds out what happened to the last actor to do this.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ Submission

Sun, Nov 10, 2013

Having recorded voice-overs for use on new navy submarine the 'Penetrator', Toast, who has a penchant for ladies in uniform, is delighted when Commander Scott-Gorham, the woman officer in charge, invites him to its launch. Together they overpower mad vice-commander Hopkinson-Finch, who claims that he was abducted by aliens who have programmed him to launch a nuclear strike on America and end up with a date in the offing. This does not sit well with Steven's current girlfriend Portia de Coogan, daughter of Defence Minister Lord Fotheringham but then his lordship gets arrested at the launch for sexual offences from his days as a Radio One disc jockey.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ The End

Sun, Nov 17, 2013

Tired of voice-overs and the awful play Steven writes an erotic novel - as Paloma Toast - and new agent Brooke Hooberman secures a deal with publisher Yvonne Wryly to take it. Unfortunately it lacks an ending though when Steven devises one Yvonne derides it, whereupon life rather grotesquely mirrors art. At the same time Steven has sex with bar pick-up Kate Khan in the presence of her supposedly blind aunt but when he is approached to make a porn movie it turns out that the aunt was actually filming him with Kate. In the event neither of his alternative new careers come to fruition and he is back with Jane Plough and the awful play.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ Bonus Ball

Sun, Nov 24, 2013

After failing to become the screen's next James Bond Steven loses twenty thousand pounds to Andrew Lloyd Webber in a poker game and is pursued by Lloyd Webber's recovery man Michael Ball though finding time to dub a gay German porn film with Ray Purchase - not very well. Having escaped Purchase, who has caught him in bed with his wife again, Steven flees from Michael Ball, ending up on a stage in a small theatrical production where Purchase inadvertently saves him from Ball. Critics and audiences however love what they see and Steven is declared a hit at last.

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ Match Fit

Mon, Nov 3, 2014

Steven Toast wants to enter an actors and prostitute blow football competition which is raising money for homeless ponies. He hopes to team up with his arch nemesis' wife Mrs Purchase but ends up being partnered with Wendy Nook.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Desperate Measures

Mon, Nov 10, 2014

Fed up with voice-overs Steven turns down a children's show - recalling an awkward moment in the past - and falls out with a gun-toting director. After Purchase has ratted on him to the tax people he agrees to helm the stage version of 'Calendar Girls' after the director has supposedly died. His aggressive attitude toward the female cast gets him sacked and there is worse to come when one of them offers him a lift home. The only way to pay off the bill is to travel to the Congo to advertise Red Carpet cigarettes.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ The Moose Trap

Mon, Nov 17, 2014

Over-tired after recording an all night voice-over session of SatNav for the Elderly, Steven goes on radio's 'Woman's Hour' to discuss his role as Inspector Attenborough in Anthea Crippen's long-running play 'The Moose Trap.' Sadly, he reveals the name of the murderer, and is universally shunned when the play is forced to close. He is optimistic when soldier brother Blair suggests he audition as the announcer on 'University Challenge,' but after he has caused Jeremy Paxman to fall out of a window, the job goes to Ray Purchase.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ High Winds Actor

Mon, Nov 24, 2014

When Steven's friend Axel Jacklin, Britain's best actor at performing in front of a wind machine, dies Steven's agent Jane puts him up for the leading role in a period maritime drama and he proves that he can withstand the machine. However he must be a Freemason to secure the part and makes a hurried trip to the East End to buy his way into the initiation ceremony. He is duly accepted but unfortunately one of the masons officiating is Ray Purchase, who ensures that everybody knows Steven only joined to get the part and loses it for him.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ Buried Alive

Mon, Dec 1, 2014

After discovering that ex-wife Ellen is to marry potato crisps magnate Sterling Porrich Steven gets a role in a Hollywood blockbuster alongside crazy super-star Max Gland. However the role involves him being buried alive and he is left underground when the crew disappears. Thanks to his wonderful new phone he is able to record a voice-over for Porrich's crisps long distance and, after being rescued as a result of fracking, takes suitable revenge on his rival.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ Fool in Love

Mon, Dec 8, 2014

Toast finds himself having to move out from his digs while Ed's niece, Honeysuckle, comes to stay. Honeysuckle has come down to get homeopathy treatment for an allergy which is more close to demonic possession. Toast also learns the love of his life and the woman that broke his heart is back in town appearing in a west end show. While moving out of Ed's to stay with Francis Bacon "I thought he was dead?", Toast bumps into her and they look like they might get back together or is there another reason that she is plotting and will she only break Toast's heart again. And will Ed's niece be cured or saved by the home visit of Alan, the homeopathy geezer.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ Over the Moon

Wed, Nov 18, 2015

A tipsy Steven appears on the "Lorraine" chat show and tells a story from his past that could bring down the U.S. government. Later, he suffers stage fright ahead of his starring role in Macbeth.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ Beauty Calls

Wed, Nov 25, 2015

With Ed dating former beauty queen Penvelope, Steven hooks up with her friend Clancy Moped. However, their romances are jeopardized when the guys are invited to judge a beauty contest.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ Hamm on Toast

Wed, Dec 2, 2015

After falling downstairs a severely concussed Steven becomes smitten with visiting American actor Jon Hamm, ignoring the adoring starlet Pooky Hook. Steven even takes Hamm to visit his dying father Colonel Gonville Toast who is about to announce his beneficiaries, though there is something of an upset before Steven regains his old self.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ Bob a Job

Wed, Dec 9, 2015

Jane persuades Steven to take part in a Royal Variety Performance hosted by Bob Monkhouse. Meanwhile, Danny Bear prepares for an operation.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ Man of Sex

Wed, Dec 16, 2015

Legendary actor, Ormond Sacker is cast alongside Steven in a West End play. Toast dates Varrity Map but has to deal with the twin brother of his nemesis, Ray Purchase.

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Global Warming

Wed, Dec 23, 2015

Annoyed never to have played at the Globe Theatre Steven hesitantly agrees to perform in the controversial director Daz Klondyke's revolutionary new production of 'Twelfth Night' alongside the non-professional Kyle and a cast of dogs. On opening night the dogs have yet to learn their lines and Klondyke foresees disaster. Fortunately Steven has a solution, since much of the Globe is made of the highly flammable blue spruce. Unfortunately the acting community condemns this show of vandalism and, after being fined by the P.C. police, there is nothing left for Steven professionally except to join Ed in his latest porn film.