Barbara "Babs" Dixon is the proprietor of the local taxi firm, Bab's Cabs, who enjoys regaling passengers with graphic descriptions of her upcoming bottom surgery. She has a deep voice and a necklace with her name on it which nestles in amongst her chest hair. Despite this, people do accept her as female.
Inspiration[]
Barbara was based on a trans magician that the League saw perform - as she did her tricks, she was continuously side-tracked by talking about the surgery she was to have.
Also, they used lines said by Julia who appeared in the Documentary Series "A Change of Sex" - her meeting with the doctor would also inspire Dr Carlton and Edward.
Pre TV[]
Barbara first appeared in the stage shows as a magician who was unable to finish a magic trick without bringing up her upcoming surgery.
As they needed a way for people to move around Spent in the Radio Series, Barbara became the Taxi Driver. She also joins a dating agency and gets romantically linked with Mr Ingleby, who funds the last part of her operation.
TV Appearance[]
Series 1[]
Barbara is the first local that Benjamin meets. She talks about the surgery with relish and does so throughout until they reach the Swanmills Estate.
In The Beast of Royston Vasey, she reveals to Judee Levinson about the "Beast of Royston Vasey" that had been found during the roadworks. Judee thinks that this is people being rude about Barbara's appearance, remarking that 'people can be so cruel'.
In Episode 5 she is hired to drive Mike and Cheryl to their reception, and reveals to Geoff that she is on the dating scene. She mistakes Benjamin's secretive hiring of her as a date, and drives him a lovers spot before trying to have sex with him. He then reveals that he is in a relationship, and simply wanted to go to the train station, leading Barbara to ditch him out of embarrassment. At the end of Season 1, she finally has the operation and is put under. It is then revealed that the intended surgeon had been injured in a skiing accident, with substitute surgeon Dr. Chinnery (who has absolutely no clue what he's doing) taking his place.
Series 2[]
Barbara appears at the Fair, where she meets Papa Lazarou's assistants. She offers to be a part of the Freak Show as a bearded lady, but they reveal they already have one. She then goes on to explain what happened, and how she now can't identify her privates, displaying them to the bemused three. Later on, she fights the Bearded Lady, ripping the fake beard off and claiming that she is more freakish than her.
Barbara was taking Mike, Geoff and Brian to a conference when she reveals she is menstruating, which the doctor describes as psychological; when Geoff offends her, she kicks them out, leaving them stranded. She is later kidnapped by Tubbs and Edwards as a bride for David. She is given a nice dress and hairdo by Tubbs, however they made a mistake with something old and blue. The wedding is done in the shop. The Honeymoon is short-lived as an angry mob arrives - Barbara tries to manage the situation, but upon seeing David (who Barbara is now in love with) in the shop's window, they burn it down killing David, Tubbs and Edward while Barbara watches on in tears.
Christmas Special[]
Barbara appears in Charlie's dream where she takes Stella Hull to Solutions. Barbara confesses she was removed from the Women Only Gym due to her penis being seen in the locker room. In the Victorian Sketch, her ancestor appears talking to Matthew Chinnery about her periods.
Series 3[]
Barbara opens the series laying a wreath in the ruins of the Local Shop for David, who she does still love; when she leaves it is shown she is pregnant. Later on, she drives Pauline out of jail and reveals she has a birthday party coming up. At the party, she flirts with Mickey and talks about the baby. While having a scan she reveals to the nurse that she heard the baby say things, and at the Garden Centre she gets charcoal for her cravings. At the end of the series, her babies are born with the same noses as Tubbs and Edward.
League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse[]
Barbara briefly cameos in the League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse, comparing the recent rain to her period.
Anniversary Special[]
Barbara appears but she declares she no longer wants gendered pronouns; her twins are not mentioned though their pictures are on display on her dashboard.
Live Shows[]
Are Behind You[]
Barbara is now with the last name Dickless. She reveals that she is the owner of the lost Crystal Moonboot that Papa Lazarou is holding, announcing that her birth name was "Dave". This causes Lazarou to commit suicide by jumping into a mirror, freeing Hilary Briss who reveals he called for her. They end up happily married.
Trivia[]
Deleted Scenes[]
- In Series One, Barbara was to chat to Al and Rich in the News Booth asking about "Women's Things" which they didn't have, where Rich remarks about her yet to have bottom surgery. She’d say that the doctor claims it's psychological. The scene was yet to be edited or dubbed so Jeremy Dyson spoke the lines. The scene was reused in Series Two for the Plastics men.
- Series Two's first episode was going to have a scene where the doctors and nurses mistook Barbara to have transitioned FTM and were to give her a full beard as well, but this was cut.
- She was going to drive Gary and Lynne from the hospital, in which they would reveal that they were expecting a baby, Barbara warned them about using St. Mary's due to her final sex change.
- In Series 3, she had dialogue with Pauline about needing bin bag underwear.
- The flirting with Mickey was intended to be longer.
Behind The Scenes[]
- The Pink Cab was a real one with a built-in child lock that couldn't be unlocked, so Reece had to hold the door open during filming.
- When Barbara tried to have sex with Benjamin, Steve acted as Barbara, and pretended to come onto Reece.
- Paul H. Marshall revealed that a lady asked him out on a date, but requested he show up in costume as Barbara.
- During the wedding, Barbara says Charles David Tattsyrup instead of David Charles Tattsyrup, just like Princess Diana did during her wedding to Prince Charles.
- Marshall was unable to portray Barbara in the Christmas Special or Series 3 due to illness.
- In A Local Book for Local People, Barbara appears several times, once as a model in a transgender fashion magazine, Attachments and also her manuscript for a Romantic Novel was there as well.
- In the Anniversary Specials it is unclear whether Val Denton refers to Barbara as "he" or the neopronoun "ze". The subtitles say "he" - however, Mark Gatiss confirmed in an interview that Val did say "ze" and that this was written in the script, confirming what pronouns Barbara uses as of the anniversary special.[1]