The Young Ones

[Gurke and Hare]

I've been rewatching it recently, and a couple of observations.

1) Series 1 is loads better than series 2.

2) The scene with Rick and Vyvyan on the sofa in Flood is probably the first sighting of a proto Richie/Eddie.

Let's talk about The Young Ones!

[McChesney Duntz]

1) Series 1 is loads better than series 2.

Go on, then, elaborate...

[Gurke and Hare]

Go on, then, elaborate...

Erm, series 1 made me laugh a lot more than series 2 did. Nothing especially complicated.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

But series two has four people killed in a crashing bus, and actually get laughs from it.  That requires a certain skill.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

Jim Barclay should have got his own series doing his hilarious political satire.

[DrGreggles]

Jim Barclay should have got his own series doing his hilarious political satire.

What do you think Jossy's Giants was!?

[Dr Syntax Head]

Yes lets.

The Madness Our House scene makes me very very happy. It's the band member running up to the camera and smashing a bottle at the lens, and how the scene leads effortlessly to Alexie Sayle getting arrested. For me it's perfect lunacy comedy. Just magic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjvlkErrw_M

[Dr Syntax Head]

Hank Marvin. Hanging upside down.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I recall an episode of series two, which particular episode I've not seen since it first aired, has someone throwing someone out of an upstairs window and causing an escalation resulting in a riot in the street as a result, which was oddly funny.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Hank Marvin. Hanging upside down.

Buddy Holly, Bro. Mike didn't ask one of the party goers to look after his Hank, did he ?

[mobias]

"Is this a cigarette or is this Pink Floyd?" I remember watching that 'Party' episode a year or so ago and that line made me laugh out loud. Watching it again these days there's just so much more about you get that you never did as a 12 year old watching it in the 80's.

Its so beautifully of its era too. I love Monty Python but I'm too young to be nostalgic about it. Watching the Young Ones really transports me back to being a 12 year old and fighting with my parents to be allowed to stay up late enough to watch it.

[Dr Syntax Head]

Buddy Holly, Bro. Mike didn't ask one of the party goers to look after his Hank, did he ?

Aaah bugger! I stand very much corrected

[Dr Syntax Head]

It's the unrelenting chaos that gets me. I love it. They couldn't even take a train ride without something riduclous happening[nb]someone lost a head, if I remember[/nb]It just never lets up, which gets right into my 5 year old self

[Sydward Lartle]

I think series one will always feel like the more 'pure' series among people who remember when it was first broadcast, simply because it was so unlike anything else that was on at the time. As Terry Gilliam said regarding Python once it had 'bedded in' and gathered a faithful fanbase, once people are expecting 'anything to happen', it becomes harder and harder to surprise them. Not that the second series isn't wonderful, of course, but the writing in episodes like Cash, Time and Summer Holiday feels distinctly laboured at times - and, on a personal note, I still prefer the more cartoonish, glove-puppet SPG of the 1982 run to the (slightly) more realistic, but far stiffer quasi-animatronic SPG of the 1984 run.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

The Young Ones of the first series were a lot less pleasant, too. You weren't supposed to actually like any of them. Were a bit more cartoony in the second series.

[Sydward Lartle]

My favourite episode from the 1982 run is 'Interesting'.
My favourite episode from the 1984 run is 'Nasty'.
Just throwing that in, for what it's worth.

Oh yes... the guy with the loud and very distinctive laugh in certain episodes, most notably during Rick's "UGH! A RAT!" freakout from the pilot episode? It was this dude...



Don't say I never tell you anything.

[Jittlebags]

Just imagine. Nowadays there would be a hyper realistic CGI version of SPG. "See you Jimmy" - Knuttt.

[Sydward Lartle]

"See you Jimmy" - Knuttt.

Make that "See you, teddy bear - come here!" *KNUTT*

[armful]

My mate got me the box set for my 30th .  (. Cos I love Bottom) I quite like it, Neil is great . Rik talking about the rickety chair is one of my fave bits. That is all :)

[DrGreggles]

My favourite episode from the 1982 run is 'Interesting'.
My favourite episode from the 1984 run is 'Nasty'.
Just throwing that in, for what it's worth.

Oh yes... the guy with the loud and very distinctive laugh in certain episodes, most notably during Rick's "UGH! A RAT!" freakout from the pilot episode? It was this dude...



Don't say I never tell you anything.

Was he doing the warm up?
I know he used to do it at a lot of BBC shows in the 80s.

[Panbaams]

1) Series 1 is loads better than series 2.

I think it's something I've mentioned on here before, but not having seen the show when it was originally broadcast, then owning the original BBC VHS videos, but then not since buying the DVDs, I've always thought of The Young Ones as four blocks of three:

Oil/Boring/Flood
Bambi/Nasty/Time
Demolition/Bomb/Sick
Cash/Interesting/Summer Holiday

Same goes for Fawlty Towers.

[Sydward Lartle]

Was he doing the warm up?
I know he used to do it at a lot of BBC shows in the 80s.

I'm not sure if he did the warm-up, but according to someone I was in contact with on Facebook who worked on Hi-De-Hi!, Mr Bowness was often planted in the audience either for new sitcoms or for the first episodes of sitcoms entering their second series, where his raucous laugh could be counted on to get the rest of the audience laughing. It doesn't seem to have worked during the underwater conversation between SPG and puppet Jaws in Flood, though - he seems to be the only one who finds that little cutaway amusing.

If you can be bothered, check out the Hi-De-Hi! episode Peggy's Big Chance - as well as performing in the actual show itself, you can hear his laugh all over the soundtrack.

[thraxx]

The Young Ones is one of the defining references on my personality. I remember begging my father to let me stay up and watch it, and he did. I can't remember the impact it had on me explicitly but i feel its reverbations every day. It's such a densely packed yet broad show with jokes about farts or about obscure historical figures. The first pay packet i ever got was on the VHS tapes for series 2 which i far prefer. It's far more raucous and silly and confident, though i of course love series 1 too. I just watched Cash with my 10 year old niece and we sat there cackling like idiots.

[StewartLeehaslethimselfgo]

I specifically remember the first nightmare I ever had as a kid was from the Ftumch midget devil in the Boring episode

[magval]

Yay! Registrations are open again. No more lurking!

My two favourite Young Ones moments.

1) The Christian Bale-alike "You won't catch me with me trousers" maniac sliding into shot. The best visual AND verbal non-sequitur in 12 episodes.

2) Mike and Rik's discussion about Trevor who lives in the bin in the episode with Jennifer Saunders in.

[Sydward Lartle]

Mike and Rik's discussion about Trevor who lives in the bin

TREVOR'S. TEA.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Another great moment: Rik miming pelvic thrusts behind Jennifer Saunders while pointing at her and grinning at the other blokes.  She turns and sees him.  'Er...We dance all night in this house!' he explains, while continuing his movements.

[Sydward Lartle]

"You dancing, Vyvyan?"
"Are you asking?"
"I'm asking!"
"Well, piss off."

[im barry bethel]

My favourite episode from the 1982 run is 'Interesting'.
My favourite episode from the 1984 run is 'Nasty'.

Have you got a video?

[Sydward Lartle]

Have you got a video?

Yes, we've got a vid-e-o!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QRRnp6S-oM

"Catch catch the horror taxi, fell in love with a video nasty!"