Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 08:36:16 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Classic comedy, out on DVD - now!

Started by Glebe, April 09, 2010, 08:19:34 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Glebe



It was only supposed to be a two-week holiday in the sun... but it turned into three series of mid-eighties laughter and fun! ITV's Foreign Exchanges ran from 1985 to 1987, and starred that bloke who sells gold chains in Only Fools And Horses as Nigel Nupkins, who takes steadfast wife Nerys (the women who plays Miss Marple now) for a little break on the Costa Del Bleedin' Plonka – only to be met by a motley assortment of offbeat characters! When not sitting on the beach complaining about "this foreign muck!", Nigel is busy trying to grab the attention of clumsy dago waiter Captain Truly Stavros ("Si Senor, I hab drink for you!"), played by old chestnut Frank Thornton, while simultaneously trying to avoid eccentric couple Davros and Wilcox (played by Tom Baker and Toyah). Meanwhile, Bernard Bresslaw played General Bungdit Stavros of the Franco regime, who kept a wary eye on proceedings with the warning "You will die de death of a dousand cuts!" Fortunately, differences were usually resolved over a pina colada and a sing-song, often with a drunken Carla Butterflies in tow! Rodney Bewes occasionally popped his head up as Dave, with Andrew Sachs (ironically, playing a non-Spaniard for once!) as wife Stella. It all added up to breezy brand of light laughter and a good Thursday evening's entertainment at 7 O' Clock on a Thursday evening at seven-thirty. Booked next year's hols yet? Oh, mercy!

Glebe

#1


Written by Roy Parsnips, BBC 2's Chips With Everything! ran for six episodes during 1985, before disappearing into the annals of classic comedy history. The setting was The Chippie chip shop in Birmingham, where Sandra and Cathy, two likely brummie lasses (played by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders) got up to all kinds of hi-jinks involving order mix-ups and stolen goods! Oh, they were likely... but not likely! Future Mr. French a young Lenny Henry played wide boy Delroy, who was always trying to cop off with the girls whilst evading Jasper Carrot's eccentric chip shop boss Mr. Bubbins ("I'm watching you!"). There were giggles galore, and a healthy dose of catchphrases, including "Wud y'loik sum chips?" and "Gud luck, ducks!" Tears flowed too, on occasion, particularly in the episode 'The Sacking', which caused many a tea-time weeping. The theme tune 'A Chip Off The Old Block' was a unique collaboration between Tracy Ullman and Slade, and reached No. 60 in the pop charts in Nov '85. All in all, while the DVD release has been cancelled due to lack of interest, this is definitely one to find in an old charity shop on video, or on the modern eBay!



Having done their time on The Caroline Twat Show, comedians Kevin Pratfall and Horace Gurning decided to branch out on their own, with 2008's Pratfall & Gurning. A regular rating's loser on BBC Four, the show has already become an obscure cult classic, owing to its raft of comedy clichés, lazy catchphrases and hackneyed routines, which kept single-figure audiences not laughing over six disappointing episodes. Characters such as the Gay Policemen ("Ooh, that's a big truncheon!") and the Crap Superheroes ("Ooh, I've sprained me toe!") failed to make an impact on audiences already familiar with the likes of Armstrong & Miller, Mitchell & Webb and Smith & Jones, and the pair were hailed as the new Hottest Comedy Duo by Sizzle! magazine. With a cancelled series under their belts, the wickedly unfunny twosome turned their attention to low-budget, poor-quality big-screen twatery, wasting everyone's time with the 2009 horror comedy Wacky Monster Capers. They can regularly be seen hosting short-lived schedule-filler panel shows on various stations late on a Tuesday night.

Glebe



"Hee-dee-hee, campers!" "Hay-dee-hay!" You Rang, M'Campers? (1985-87) was the brainchild of comedy giants Roy Segments and David Crufts, and was inspired by the writing pair's time spent as stand-up racists in Britain's holiday camps. "I had very fond memories of those grimly oppressive soul-destroying shitholes", recalled Cruft wistfully, "and I wanted to recreate the fun we had back then. Roy concurred after I offered him a hand job." So it was that M'Campers? was born. Set in the early sixties, it revolved around the rum goings on at Smutlins, an Orwellian nightmare holiday camp set up by Sir Lord Throbbington Smyth Raicepud  MBE OBE as a way of placating the great plebeian mass. Nary a day went by when there wasn't 'summit' going on between the rascally working-class staff at the camp, weather it was Fred Hovis running a betting scam or Peg Bollard complaining about "me chaffin' chilblains!" Poignant camp manager Mr. Jeffries' cold exterior masked a deep desire for wild, uninhibited sex, but he nevertheless continued to brush off the advances of Nerys ("No chance of a fuck then, boyo?") Then there was the villainous jockey Shane O' Toole, who was always mistreating pantomime horse Chodbin. Posh butler Chives tried vainly to keep everything in order, but there was no keeping a lid on the mishaps at Smutlins! Mayhem ensued in classic episodes such as 'Give Us A Twirl', in which the ballroom contest goes haywire, 'Your Own Med'cine' in which Creepy Sid swallows  a horse pill, and Christmas special 'Not A Creature Was Stirring', which featured a guest appearance from Q – The Winged Serpent! Catchphrases? "It's rainin' cats 'n elephants!", "Take a break, you lot!", "Put that pipe out!", "Cunt!", "Shitnads" and "Cottaging bastard..." were among the choicest quips on offer. Meanwhile, the show's theme tune had everybody singing "Go,cats, go, do the chalet bop!" for weeks. And with a sprinkling of racy 'postcard' humour, that's your Sunday evening line-up... on BBC One!

alan nagsworth

Nice use of the 'Skegness Is Fucking Shit' poster, Glebe! I have that beauty hanging above my oven.

Serge

Is it not just the normal 'Skegness Is SO Bracing' poster?



I like the little Boycie head myself.

alan nagsworth

MY GOD. I has no idea that even existed. For shame :(

Serge

You can't move for representations of the Jolly Fisherman in Skegness. As I remember it, doesn't the Viz 'Fucking Shit' poster have a line at the bottom about it being 'Sponsored by the Mablethorpe Tourist Board' or something like that?

Chapel St Leonards is truly fucking shit, I should add.

Glebe

Is Skegness really shit? Or is that just an unjustifiable generalization?

Quote from: Serge on May 08, 2010, 07:28:22 PMI like the little Boycie head myself.

Thanks. :)

Serge

I love Skegness, but then I've got a weakness for faded seaside towns. I think the joke with the 'Fucking Shit' poster is the 'sponsored by Mablethorpe Tourist Board' bit, as Mablethorpe has always been seen as the poor relation to Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast. I love Mablethorpe as well.

Glebe



Channel 4's notoriously controversial You Couldn't Make It Up (2003) ran for 230 thousand episodes and regularly commanded audiences of 25 million, yet incredibly, it has never been seen – until now. Written by Gerald Wiley and Richard Littlejohn, it featured an eclectic cast playing against type – and oh, what type! Jim Davidson played Afrika Bambaataa, a homeless, disabled, single-parent lesbian Turkish beggar woman, forever at odds with 'pavement landlord' Minty Boer-War, played by Jo Brand, and her sheep dog Basher (played with great élan by Nick Clegg). Of course, there was always plenty of trouble with the other tenants – and oh, what other tenants! James Whale played eco warrior Smudge ("Recycle y'bin charges, maaaan!"), Gary Bushell played Guru Joshi Stick ("Please to be eating your bloody soups!"), while Tony Parsons and Julie Burchill played warring couple Yanni and Yasser – one's Jewish, the other's Palestinian, thank you very much! Notable episodes included 'Sing For Y'Suppa', in which smudge stages a sit-in behind the wheelie bins, 'Oh, What A Lovely Boer' in which Minty enters a beauty contest (much to the gang's amusement!) and 'Grubs, Actually' in which the ingredients of Joshi's house special were called in to question! The show caused quiet a hullaballoo in the press, with The Daily Mail calling it 'Sick' one week and 'Ingenious!' the next. During filming, rumours developed concerning a rift between former good mates Brand and Davidson; Brand has since disowned the show, and the articulate and intelligent Davidson would subsequently described his co-star and one-time fiancé as a "Fat bitch. I 'ate 'er."

Glebe



Running for four series, Cash In Hand (1983-89) detailed the exploits of 'Sarf' London dodgy dealer Eric 'El Boy' Cropper, rebellious brother Hackney and Great Grand-Uncle Norbert. Ensconced at Malcolm X Mansions, the Cropper family just about managed to earn a crust by combining shonky paint and decorating jobs with market style wheeler-dealering, or as El Boy put it so succinctly, "Y' put y'ladder up, stick the kettle on and get the suitcase out!" Hackney was constantly objecting to his brother's callous ways, and much preferred to slink off with a couple of right tasty lefty activist sorts... the hypocritical bugger! Meanwhile, Uncle Norbert could usually be found down the bookies, going on about the good old days "during the pony wars". A favourite haunt was The Dog's Nads, where ordinary-bloke barman John fended off more than a few complaints about his "rotten sarnies"! And El Boy's mates? A right motley lot! Village idiot Chugger always had a trick or two up his sleeve, while Liverpool Leroy supplied Hackney with his "funny tobaccah". Meanwhile, car dealer Roycie had a nice little sideline in hooky horses. Classic episodes included "Never Mind The Poppadoms", "Don't Come A Cropper" and "Jellied Eels F'Two", but there were plenty of laughs to be had from "He's Only Bleedin' Chinese!", in which the lads discover a long-lost stepfather, and "Dobbin't He Do Well?", where Roycie has to hide a bent racehorse in the kitchen! The cheeky mare! But there were tears, too, such as in classic weepie "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?", which saw Hackney threatening to make a fresh start in America (he only got as far as the kitchen!), "Strange Relationships", where Uncle Norbert dies but is resurrected in time for Hackney's engagement party and final episode "Too Much Time On Our Hands." The show was a moderate hit with viewers, regularly drawing in well under 0.2 thousand people (per series), but came to a sticky end when writer Jack Mulligan was sued by John Sullivan for plagiarising his popular sitcom 'OFAH'. "It was so beautiful", lamented Mulligan later, "we was gonna 'ave weddings, tragedies, fallings through the bar... the lot! But Sullivan stitched me up like a kipper... it gives me the right 'ump!"

An tSaoi

I love these. Keep up the good work.

Glebe

Aw, thanks a lot An tSaoi. It's a bit sad just filling up a thread I started with my own mongs... would like to see others contribute. Maybe I just have too much free time on my hands right now. :)

Guy

This is meant 100% constructively: I'd get into this thread and start absorbing it if you broke up the descriptions into paragraphs. It's such a small thing but it makes all the difference, I can't really take in such a barrage of exaggerated pisstakery when it's in one big block, my brain just gives up.

An tSaoi

Quote from: Glebe on May 25, 2010, 01:53:08 PM
Aw, thanks a lot An tSaoi. It's a bit sad just filling up a thread I started with my own mongs... would like to see others contribute. Maybe I just have too much free time on my hands right now. :)

If I think of something I might chip in, but don't be self conscious about doing it yourself.

Big Jack McBastard

Hah Just spotted this and yes, yes gawd I love it! I'm sorely tempted to do one myself.

An tSaoi

Quote from: Glebe on May 25, 2010, 12:36:29 PM
"Dobbin't He Do Well?", where Roycie has to hide a bent racehorse in the kitchen!

:D :D :D

Glebe

Quote from: Guy on May 25, 2010, 02:01:12 PM
This is meant 100% constructively: I'd get into this thread and start absorbing it if you broke up the descriptions into paragraphs. It's such a small thing but it makes all the difference, I can't really take in such a barrage of exaggerated pisstakery when it's in one big block, my brain just gives up.

Good point. Will take on board.

Oh by the way, I er, forgot to mention... Cash In Hand brought phrases such as "Vorsprung Durch!" and "I'll give you a donkey (£6) for it" into popular speech, and there were also another couple of 'classic' episodes: 'Go Straight To El Boy', where El Boy tries to get Hackney's band on The Tube, and 'Rolls Roycie', where Roycie rolls down a hill and falls into a lake!

An tSaoi

First go...



Running for one and a half fabulous episodes on ITV 7 before the bloody PC Brigade pulled the plug, this hilarious sitcom stars Jim Davidson as Malcolm 'Mallard' Ardman and Stephen K Amos as his sidekick Blackie 'Coco' Noir, a pair of recently escaped rapists on the run from Her Majesty's Police. Episode One sees the crazy pair return to their old hideout, which - shock horror - has been turned into a gay brothel! Typical! In order to avoid the long arm of the law the lads must bite the bullet and go incognito as homo gigolo Shirty 'Shaftman' Feltcher and his poofter pimp Funky Q Spasmodic. Cue all manner of gay-for-pay bum antics!

This DVD features such classic moments such as the time Feltcher has to service the odorous Lord Mayor (Ricky Gervais), and the one where Coco sucks off his dealer's poodle for half a bag of reefer! Plus, who could forget Feltcher beating the shit out of himself with a 2x4 in a violent act of self-gay-bashing. Spawning such classic catchphrases as "Ooh, that don't 'arf 'urt!" and "Fuck me, I've done me back in!" this no-holes-barred sitcom (written by Davidson himself) will give you hours of faux-ironic laughs. Well 45 minutes. At best.

Glebe


Glebe

#20


Mounties and maple and mooses, oh my! Based in the land of free healthcare and medicinal pot, Oh Canada! (1993-95) was a National Film Board of Canada production which featured an all-star cast, but was perhaps too 'Canuckian' to gain widespread popularity. Starring Dan Ackroyd as famed psychic Royston De La Zouch and with able support from Mike Myers as hockey-mad youth Verner Mullington and Jim Carrey as cheery beaver lover Deets Willington, the show was a wild and witty ride that showcased the best of 'That Country above America'.

John Candy would usually stop by as Mr. Bacon, and The Kids In The Hall would occasionally pop their noggins in, but there was great support from a cast of unknowns, who brought to life such characters as fisherman Trawler McCoy ("Just  trimmin' the ol' handlebar!"), 'Dribbling' Uncle Melville Milligan (who went senile trying to hunt a giant imaginary whale across the plains of Newfoundland) and Montreal Mike, whose vineyards were legendary ("Zis is a particularly cheeky red waine!").

Classic episodes included 'Catch A Liddle Fushy', in which Captain Billington hauls in a seal, 'The Flag Snag' in which Mr. Ohyadiyahdiyah lobbies to replace the maple on the national flag with a cannabis leaf, 'How Aboot Hat?', in which Grandpa Gillard goes shopping for a new hunting cap, 'The Moose And The Noose' in which Royston campaigns to stop an animal cull, 'Let The Syrup Flow' where things get gummy with the maple leaf juice, 'So You Wanna Be A Moontie, Eh?' in which young Verner signs up to be a mountain man and 'Beaver Fever', which proved controversial. Uninspired catchphrases included "H'boot that, ah?", "yup, that's good hunting!", "there's gold in those there maples!" and "pass th' maple!"

The show attracted high-profile guests, with David Cronenberg diecting a few 'body horror'-centric episodes and appearances from Christopher Plummer as Doctor Horatio Faustus (who passionately intoned "Sir, a man must a mountie be!"), Alanis Morrisette as feminist squaw goddess Womanitoba, Neil Young as Old Muttonchops and - in the classic episode 'Canuck, Already!' - a special appearance from Michael Palin as a certain lumberjack! Meanwhile, the shows hit theme tune 'Good Luck With The Puck!' was a unique collaboration between Bryan Adams and punk legends D.O.A.

The DVD features a raft of special features, including commentaries from series director Franck Philleeps Montblanc Le Fustigan,  unseen pilot 'Y'Can't Whack A Good Winnegan' and a selection of unsettling National Film Board of Canada cartoons featuring the voices of people who speak too quickly and sound like they have pegs on their noses.

imitationleather

Hehehehe. This is especially funny for me because my dad's company designs the artwork and does the blurb for all those horrendous Network and Playback DVDs you're parodying. :D

I've got free A Team and Kojack DVDs on tap! Never watched any of the fuckers!

I've tried doing my own but it's not as easy as it looks. My OFAH spin-off Durin' Detention where Uncle Albert becomes a supply teacher at Damien's school is a particular non-starter.

Glebe

#22


"Come on down to Acacia Street... you never know what you might find!" As it 'appens, you're sure to find The Carsie Café, and a right bunch of characters! Produced by Mickey Dolenz (citation needed) and set on the North/East End London divide, ITV's Dahn The Carsie! (1981-86) may have been a Saturday evening family favourite, but it still managed to stick two rude fingers up at the Points Of View crowd! Detailing the adventures of the eccentric patrons of the Carsie Café, the show really caught the feel of Thatcher's Britain, rolling it all up into an easily-digestible 'alf an' hour of low-to-middle-brow shenanigans! The main stars of the show were the young set, including tearaway Strawberry Atkinson, punk rocker Nasty Sid and puppet twins Digs and Cosmic, but the older crowd also got a fair shake of the ol' bamboo when it came to laughs and adventure! Missus Pearly was always offering a "Noice cappa tea!", while Old Irene was as batty as a fruitbat! Meanwhile, Stan, Alf and old Mr. Vaughan would usually stumble into The Carsie for a nightcap ("You're worse than Andy Capp, you are!"). Meanwhile, Poor old Bygraves still believed the war was on ("Let's hide underneath the arches and 'ave a singalong!").

Feeling nauseous, you could do worse than visit gravel-voiced lunatic Dr. Campbell, who was fond of prescribing 'reggae cigs' (a particular favourite of Denzil and Chalkie down at the barbers), or his rival, Scottish witch doctor Mr. Sadobitch. Elsewhere, shifty showbiz manager Mike 'Wotcher' Harris had a stable of popular local acts that included artist Toni Da Heart and his ageing teddy-boy sidekick/caretaker Eddie Bennett. Graeme Garden often cameoed as Professor Goodie, whose robot Metallic Michael was a favourite with kids ("Boogie on down! Feed me thunderbolts!"). Despite his 'uncool seventies threads' the prof was often called on to help the kids solve various mysteries throughout the series ("Okay gang, let's go!"), which included the discovery of a mysterious stone grinnygog and a Dramarama-style adventure on the thirteenth floor of Maxwell Towers, not to mention an appearance by Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman (citation needed) as the mysterious Mr. Sanity – quick, hide behind the couch!

Other inhabitants of Acacia Street included Fairy McGee, whose fondness for cereal earned him the nickname 'Sugar Puff', bus conductor Arthur Crown, Old Bert The Perv and two early incarnations of future Eastenders/OFAH characters - cold-blooded, murderous killer Leslie Grantham as Filthy Dan and Buster Merryfield as Great Uncle Eddie Victoria. Then there was brummie Adriun Mawul (age 13 1/2) , who would often stop by the caf with a wise-and-witty word or two, before stepdad Baggie Chiles popped down to drag him back home across the nearby Birmingham/London border ("Adruin!")!

Given its 6PM time-slot, the show was often rapped on the knuckles for its saucier moments, and lines like "I took her up the junction last night" and "Cor! What a fucking rotter!" earned stern warnings from the likes of Mary Whitehouse. Cleaner catchphrases included "Lav a dack!", "Evening cock!", "It's the ripper!", "Mind yer 'oskins!", "Power to the Cockneys!", "I'm just gawn dahn Albion Market", "I'll stitch you 'ap, sunshine", "You could leave yer locks open back then", "Bring back The Krays!" and "No problem!" Classic episodes included 'Mr. Witchell Takes A Piss', 'No Darkies, No Paddies, No Returning Rovers', 'Spring 'eeled Jack', 'Lav Us And Strewf Us!'  and 'Pearly Things And Beans'. Lastly, the show's them tune was originally a bland saxophone number composed by Ron Hazlehurst (citation needed), but that was thankfully rejected in favour of specially-composed Ian Dury & The Blockheads' song 'Shove It 'Ap Your Drainpipe' , which reached No. 27 in the 1983 pop lists.

Big Jack McBastard

I think I'll save the one I'm doing for Wimblemong but subvert it a bit and re-jig it into an idea I'm marinating in my brain pipes.

Jake Thingray

Genuinely laughing out loud at some of these. Just a suggestion -- bearing in mind the stuff that the aforementioned network tends to release, could you do a parody of sci-fi anorak stuff? Please?

Glebe

#25


By eck, but it's grim oop North! Not in the town of Fipsby-On-The-Withercock, however! From the evil mind of Roy Clarke sprang Down Our Way (1981-present), the long-enduring Sunday evening laughfest which has delighted both young and old for literally 29 years. Located on the famous Yorkshire-Manchester border, Fipsby provided the backdrop for a whole host of loveable townsfolk, who have since wormed there way into the hearts of a nation. And what a nation! And specifically Fipsby folk – and what a folk! With Misses Fuckwarts casting a doubtful eye over proceedings nothing went amiss, whether it was old pals Cyril 'Ludovico' Batesmore and Seymour 'hold y'breath!' Eldritch wandering the dales, old Seth Brundlefly starring at a pigeon, Captain 'Crusher' Linseed selling fancy Caribbean food at the café, or Johnny Thompson failing in the Oliver Reed-lookalike contest because he'd dressed as General Custer ("sorry, Arthur!").

Meantime, the irascible Thorax Herd could be found mowing down shoppers in Barkerwright's Mini-Mart ("It's a lovely little car, this!"), while young Branville had a fiddle over Nurse Bumptious' bosoms out back, much to the disapproval of Fred the Butcher ("I won't say it again, I say I WON'T SAY IT AGAIN!"). Cissie Dawson was always having problems with her "...muhf-muhf-muhf!", Old Jethro was always having trouble with tearaway son Kain Gallagher, while Alan Bennett's Mr. Grimness was oft wont to quip cheerfully about the wonderful grot of the workaday north ("eeee, but it's a lovely cold, dank, wet, wintery day!"). Elsewhere, Local headmaster Sir Roy Bhodeston ran a tight ship ("best skuel int' Noirth!"), Nan would while the hours away in bed dreaming of chocolate with the rest of the old folks and local singer/beat poet Mike D. Smyth would end all of his sentences with "-Ah!"

Following evening 'scrumptions', uncle's Jim and Ted would often plonk themselves down in front of telly f'night ("thumbs up all 'round!"), but if you fancied hitting the town, be prepared – there's more excitement and romance than a 70's Wigan soul night out there! Down at the bingo hall you would usually find Jim Bownseye throwing his hands up in despair as he won yet another cheap speedboat ("soupa, smashin', great!"), while the numbers were usually called out by young Coogan Thickett ("two fat ladies, all the sevens!"). Fancying a post-pub nosh-up, you could always stop by The Ain't Half Hot curry house, run by former Nautilus shipmate Mr. Rangi Patel, which was the setting for a classic cameo appearance from brothers Peter and Vernon Kay ("naan bread? Naan bread?", "Ooh, I think that waitress fancies me - cheeky!").

Other celebrity appearances included Pete Postlewaite as the stern-yet-just Mr. Scranthrope ("sod the Southerners! Show pride in y'Yorkshire pud, lad!"), Cannon & Ball as themselves ("van's broke down on way t'panto! Can y'help uz?"), Sean Bean and Johnny Vegas as Sharpie Beanomir and his gardener Sammy Vegas Jr. in wacky Christmas special 'The Lord Of The Deep-Fried Onion Rings: The Two Alton Towers, hen-pecked Summer Wine actor Robert Fyfe in the 1993 special 'Howard's Way' and Jimmy Nail as Jimbo Smutt, visiting from 'neighbouring' Newcastle ("howay the Fulchester, pet!).

Classic episodes... and what classic episodes! 'It's Dark Down Pit', 'Of Pears And Parsnips', 'Elbows At Dawn', 'The Pickle And The Postman', 'Harold's Quest For Carrots', 'Can Mr. Milton Sow His Wild Goats?', 'The Strange Pericombobulations Of Mr. Gerald Sprawling', 'Dr. Segs Takes A Piddle', 'Will Peter Beat The Pudding?', 'Who's Crunching The Carmels Now? and 'Fuster Ye Nay!' were all classics indeed. Catchphrases? Try these on for size: 'enough of y'crumptious nonsense!', 'easy on the gumption, lad!', 'mind y'dandelions!', 'oh, give over!', 'guzzle y'puddings!', 'I'm particularly prunctious!', 'Eyyyee!', 'Ayyyyyee!', 'I'm feeling slightly gumptious!', 'Y'daft aphid!' and 'any road, I'm off tut pub!' were all much loved, yet caused a strange sensuous longing that lingered for centuries around the nether regions.

Rob_Saunders

#26


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Loonies!! - Jim Davidson shakes his head and tuts at "loony lefties"....What can he say? He just doesn't get them!

Special Features include...
- Audio Commentary's on all 20 episodes...with even more sniggering and scoffing.
- Infamous lost episode where Jim calls Germaine Greer a "stupid woman"
- Interactive "Pinch The Feminists Bum" game. Fun for all the family.

Glebe

#27


At the height of their fame during the 1980s, Syd Little and Eddie Large enjoyed the height of their 1980s fame with The Little And Large Show, but by this time Little – clearly the more talented of the two – had begun to grow tired of his obese comedy partner and wanted to move on. "I didn't want to spend the rest of my days standing beside a fat man doing impressions of Deputy Dog and Benny from Crossroads forever, so I decided to take a shot at solo success", recalls Little, "and I'll never forgot the day I got that chance. I was in the kitchen making a mug of Bovril, when my wife came running in. 'Sid, Sid, it's the head of the BBC on the phone – you've got the show!' You could have knocked me over with a dumpling."

Leaving poor Eddie in the lurch, Sid set about working on his new show, assembling a star-studded cast that would make any Hollywood exec's mouth water. The result was Just A Little (1986), which only ran for one series, but certainly pulled out all the stops! With pals like Russ Abbot, Bella Emberg and the young Les Dennis involved, Little was in danger of allowing himself to be overshadowed, but it didn't stop there. Old pals like Jimmy 'come here. There is more.' Cricket, Frank Carson ("he kept laughing at his own jokes!" recalls Little), Paul 'not much' Daniels and The Lovely Debbie McGee all lent a hand, with Daniels mates Wizbit and Wooly flying in from Puzzleopolis for a special appearance. Hip youngsters like Sarah Greene, Mike Smith and Mike Read all chipped in, although Little had mixed feelings about the latter – "he was a right slimy little toerag, as you can imagine."

Regular guests included camp duo Stu Francis and Larry Grayson ("ooh, we could slam a door!"), Clive Dunn as a Pythonesque army sergeant ("stop this skit. It's stupid."), The Krankies and Rentaghost's Hazel McWitch. "McWitch was difficult to work with", recalls Little now, "and there where logistical problems filming with the Krankies because little Janette had to be in bed before ten. But we worked around it." Additionally, there were special guests such as Brian 'Nowt' Glover and Kes, Basil Brush ("nice chap, even though it was just a puppet" says Little), the Chish 'N' Fips ensemble, a young Gary Wilmot as Buttons (Little: "You could tell he was destined for big things"), Rodney Bewes (whose funny bedtime stories were a howl!) Professor Heinz Wolff and even rival ITV star Roland Rat, of whom Little says; "excuse the pun, but he was very 'ratty'. I later discover he had Irritable Bowel Syndrome." Meanwhile, Jon Pertwee saw off any errant sea devils, while other regulars included John Craven, who provided little 'news-round-ups' where necessary and Norris McWhirter, who made sure to note down any records which occurred on the show. But it wasn't just humans, magicians and puppets that appeared on the show, as pretend cartoon characters also joined in the fun. Crystal Tits and Alistair popped in on occasion, while an oddly poignant sketch saw Superted loose robot chum Spotty to a rare disease. Musicians also appeared, with the classic phrase "ladies and gentlemen..." heralding the apperance of Elton John, Richard Clayderman, Alison Moyet, Paul Young, Sheena Easton or Nana Mouskouri among other such notables.

But just occasionally, a very big star would show up, lending a 'Hollywood' atmosphere to the day's filming. "The day Ali Bongo showed up, the atmosphere was electric," recalls Little. "Everyone performed at their level best, and we all got his autograph backstage. Rolf Harris gave him a gift of some rare Australian cheese, and we had a little party afterwards. It was a nice day." Bongo – real name The Shriek Of Araby – was apparently flattered, calling Little and crew "a real buncha stand-up guys."

Meanwhile, the show's brief success was having a devastating effect on Little, who quickly developed some rather destructive habits. "A one point, I was munching down a whole packet of Tunnock's Tea Cakes in a single day. My sugar levels were through the roof." The star hit rock bottom when Just A Little was cancelled, but he quickly reteamed with old pal Large and was briefly back on form... until five years later, when The Little And Large Show was cancelled. Former guest Roy Castle later suggested that Little just didn't have the staying power to make it as a solo act. "When I heard he had his own show, I went 'what? No. You must be joking – would you believe it!' In truth, he just didn't have the dedication. And dedication's what you neeeeeeed!"

Today, Eddie Large is 'largely' philosophical about the whole debacle, but he doesn't mince words when it comes to his old pal. "Syd was a bully," says the portly former comic. "His egomania caused me to have a heart-attack... ironic really, since I've always lived a clean lifestyle, while his metabolism has allowed him to slurp down pies without putting on so much as an inch. He even drove his son to drugs. God help us all." However, while the pair are no longer on speaking terms, they have both found a kind of inner peace. "When I found religion, I finally understood the important things in life," says Little today. "Now every day is special, and I bask in the warm glow of the loved ones around me, safe in the knowledge that I have a strong set of family and friends to rely upon. Cthulhu be praised!"

An tSaoi



For the first time ever on DVD, Blu-Ray and wax cylinder, The PC Brigade is the chuff-rufflingly funny sitcom by Ingram Lenihan, co-writer of comedy cult hit Deacon Dermot. Containing all 28 classic episodes from series 1 to 29 (plus that shit one where they all become stock car racers, God that was awful wasn't it?), this set will have you splitting your sides, getting sick your pants, and doing a little bit of wee in your mouth.

Ed Byrne stars as Rory, an Irish geek and IT support monkey who can't stand the technologically impaired eejits who call him up to fix their computer. "You need to reboot your hard-drive like you need a boot up the hole, ya big gobshite!" That'll put them in their place. He falls over a lot for some reason.

Benedict Wong is Bong, a Chinese and/or Japanese computer wiz kid who knows Pi to 3.1415926535 8979323846 2643383279 5028841971 6939937510 5820974944 places but knows exactly 0.00000034 about women, or in his words "Ah, me no know owt about women, man!" He also falls over a lot.

They're in for the shock of their lives when they meet their new boss, who's – guess what – a woman, played by woman Tamsin Greig, who is also a woman (of the female variety). Can't remember her name. Jen or Fran or something like that. You know, a women's name, like what a women would have. Which make sense because she's a woman. She doesn't tend to fall over (unless she's wearing her ridiculously impractical expensive shoes, which she bought 'cause she's a woman and they're into that. You know, shopping and the like. For shoes. Cuh, women, eh?).

Cue all manner of broad, family-friendly hilarity, like when Rory tries to chat her up, only to get his willy caught in the disc tray (don't ask), or the one where Bong orders a futuristic sex robot over the internet, but when it arrives it looks like exactly his gran, who by coincidence comes over to for an unexpected visit, and... well the rest sort of writes itself. There's not much really bad language in it though, which is a bit shit.

Let's not forget the colourful supporting cast, the less said about whom the better.

Special features include such pointless options as being able to play the episodes in 8-bit, and a thing where the subtitles come down the screen like the Matrix code. But you're never going to use those features anyway, so we've decided not to include them - even though they're still advertised on the back - to save you the hassle of accidentally glimpsing them on the special features menu out of the corner of your eye. Also, due to a ballsup at the factory, there's commentary only on the opening and end credits of each episode. Sorry about that. Our bad. We'll bring a better version out next year.

Glebe

Hehe! Nice one.

Quote from: Jake Thingray on June 11, 2010, 05:15:18 PMJust a suggestion -- bearing in mind the stuff that the aforementioned network tends to release, could you do a parody of sci-fi anorak stuff? Please?

Hmmm... it would have to have a comedy bent for this thread, though... perhaps a Red Dwarf piss take?