Barbara "Babs" Dixon is the proprietor of the local taxi firm, Bab's Cabs, and likes to regale passengers with graphic descriptions of her upcoming operation. She has a deep voice and a necklace with her name on it which nestles in amongst her chest hair. But despite that people do think of her as female.
Inspiration[]
Barbara was based on a Pre-Operative Transsexual Magician that the League saw perform, as she did her tricks she was side-tracked by talking about the surgery.
Also, they used lines said by George/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 the magic trick without talking about her Sex Change.
As they needed a way for people to move around Spent in the Radio Series, Barbara became the Taxi Driver, ze also joins a dating agency and gets romantically linked with Mr Ingleby, who funds the last part of zer operation.
TV Appearance[]
Series 1[]
Ze is the first local that Benjamin meets, ze talks about the surgery with relish and does throughout until they reach the Swanmills Estate. In The Beast of Royston Vasey, ze reveals to Judee Levinson about the "Beast of Royston Vasey" which Judee thinks is people being rude.
In Episode 5 ze is hired to drive Mike and Cheryl to their reception, ze reveals to Geoff that ze is on the dating scene, however ze mistakes Benjamin's secretive hiring of ze as a date, ze drives him a lovers spot and tries to have sex with him. Then he reveals that he wanted to go to the Train Station meaning Barbara upset rejects him from the cab. At the end of Season 1, ze finally has the operation, ze has zer last pee with zer penis and is put under however we find to realise the surgery is going to be botched by substitute surgeon Dr. Chinnery.
Series 2[]
Barbara appears at the Fair where she meets Papa Lazarou's assistants who she offers to be part of the Freak Show as a bearded lady, but they reveal they have one, she explains what happened and now she can't identify her privates her displaying them to the bemused three. Later on, she fights the Bearded Lady, ripping the fake beard and claiming she is more freakish than her.
She was taking Mike, Geoff and Brian to a conference when she reveals she is menstruating, which the doctor describes as psychological when Geoff makes the wrong word she kicks them out. However, she is kidnapped by Tubbs and Edwards as a bride for David. She is given a nice dress, hairdo by Tubbs however they made a mistake with something old and blue. The wedding is done in the shop and Barbara is nervous but she gets thought it. However, the Honeymoon is short-lived as an angry mob comes, Barbara tries to sort it out, but upon seeing David who Barbara is now in love with they burn down the shop killing David, Tubbs and Edward while Barbara watches in tears.
Christmas Special[]
Barbara appears in Charlie's dream where ze takes Stella Hull to Solutions where they talk about it and Barbara admits ze was kicked out of the Women Only Gym due to zer penis being in the locker. In the Victorian Sketch, zer ancestor appears talking to Matthew Chinnery about zer 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 ze leaves it is shown ze is pregnant. Later on, ze drives Pauline out of jail and reveals ze has a birthday party. At the party, ze flirts with Mickey and talks about the baby. While having a scan ze reveals to the nurse that ze heard the baby say things, at the Garden Centre she gets zer Charcoals for her cravings. At the end of the series, zer 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 zer period.
Anniversary Special[]
Barbara appears but ze declares ze no longer wants gendered pronouns, while zer twins are not mentioned their pictures are on display on her dashboard.
Live Shows[]
Are Behind You[]
Barbara is now with the last name Dickless, ze reveals that ze is the owner of the lost Crystal Moonboot that Papa Lazarou is holding, she reveals that zer birth name was "Dave" causing Papa to commit suicide by jumping into a mirror freeing Hilary Briss how reveals he called for zer and 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 and Rich remarks about her yet to have bottom surgery and ze’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 be a FTM and were to give zer a full beard as well. But the scene was cut.
- She was going to drive Gary and Lynne from the hospital, they reveal that they were expecting a baby, Barbara warned them about using St. Mary's due to zer final sex change.
- In Series 3, she had a dialogue with Pauline needing Bin Bag Underwear.
- The flirting with Mickey was 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.
- When Barbara tried to have sex with Benjamin, Steve acted as Barbara, and pretended to come onto Reece.
- Paul H. Marshall is a professional Body double, love telling stories, he also revealed that a lady asked for a date but he had to be in costume as Barbara.
- During the wedding Barbara says Charles David Tattsyrup instead of David Charles Tattsyrup just like Princess Diana did on her wedding to Prince Charles.
- Marshall was unable to be Barbara in the X Mas 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]