What was Rik Mayall doing in 1984/1985?

[Delete Delete Delete]

On (spam) currently we are doing a watch along of The Comic Strip. We just watched The Supergrass (1985) and noted that Rik hadn't sppeared in a lot in Series 2 or the film. In series 2 hes only in Dirty Movie, A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques and Gino. Also noted that most of the regular cast did't appear in the bullshitters, but attributed that Keith Allen was in it lots and the Script was complete bobbins.

This got me thinking what was Rik Mayall doing at this point to not appear regually. After a bit of research I can only reason that Rik was struggling with the sucess of The Young Ones and choosing to bin this at its peak in fear of it going down hill. It seems like he went on Tour with Ben Elton at the tihs point, making an appernce in Happy Families.

There is this interview he did on Wogan in 1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpdn7ge-jI , its quite jarring seeing him go from confident stand up into quite a shy man when being probed by Wogan, I think a man not quite comftable with his sucess yet.

Do you guys have any idea what Rik was doing or thinking in this time period and why he was only making sporadic apprences with his friends. 

[ajsmith2]

He got married in 1985, that was one thing.

[Delete Delete Delete]

From the wikipeide.

Mayall married Scottish make-up artist Barbara Robbin in 1985, and the couple had three children: Rosie (born 1986), Sidney (born 1988) and Bonnie (born 1995). The couple met in 1981 while filming A Kick Up the Eighties and embarked on a secret affair. At the time, Mayall was in a long-term relationship with Lise Mayer. Upon finding out Robbin was pregnant, Mayall left Mayer while on a shopping trip with her and Ben Elton, and eloped with Robbin to Barbados. Mayer would later suffer a miscarriage. In a 2002 newspaper article, Mayall said that Mayer had since forgiven him

Intresting that Edmonson and Saunders got married around the same time. And Lenny Henry And Dawn French got married in 1984.

[Bhazor]

Your mum

[Delete Delete Delete]

Found this interview ith Rik and Ben whilst they were touring Austrlia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvp1TmrSqY8

Rik starts off in character, not really taking it seriously, pissing about, then they start talking about a subject hes intrested in (Comedy) and he switches, even his voice changes.

[Black Ship]

Re: Delete's post.

I've genuinely spent the last 10 minutes being genuinely angry at this. I mean real cursing rage. I had half a mind to get dressed, get the first tube to Hammersmith, find the memorial bench, spray paint the word "Cunt" all over it and set the bastard on fire.

I'm still fucking furious. In fact I feel physically sick.

I hate infidelity. It's the worst trait in anyone. Mayall has gone RIGHT down in my estimation after this.

[saltysnacks]

It's the worst trait in anyone.

I don't know, rape and murder is probably worse.

[Rocket Surgery]

No, that's fucking disgusting.

[Glebe]

Have to say, pretty disappointing if that wiki stuff is true.

[Lemming]

Had a look at wiki's source, and here it is: https://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+ran+away+from+her+in+the+January+sales+to+wed+secret+lover%3B+RIK...-a095918914

It's a pretty strongly worded piece ("love rat Rik" made me laugh). If it is true - and I don't see any indication that the article is false or anything - then it's completely disappointing.

[c]

People are flawed and complicated. Why do our artists have to be morally pure? Is it necessary for us to enjoy their work that they're all good little boys and girls? Bunch of fucking St Peters around here.

EDIT: unless you're all.. joking

[BeardFaceMan]

Exactly, artists should be held to a lower standard than us normal folk. After all, they do stop us being bored for an hour.

[Delete Delete Delete]

Oh No, I didn't intend to open a can of worms. I only wanted to know why Rik wasn't about as much in the second series of The Comic Strip and The Supergrass. I will always his enjoy his work. So if I've caused any distress in my investigation.

[Virgo76]

He was Lord Flashheart in the first episode of Blackadder II (very funny).
He was also in the film of Whoops Apocalypse (less funny).
He read George's Marvellous Medicine on Jackanory.
He recorded the Comic Relief version of Living Doll with Cliff Richard.
Some of these came out in early 1986, but he was presumably working on them before.

[thraxx]

From the wikipeide.

Intresting that Edmonson and Saunders got married around the same time. And Lenny Henry And Dawn French got married in 1984.

Rik! You utter utter utter utter BASTARD!

[Rocket Surgery]

EDIT: unless you're all.. joking

I wasn't joking, but I also never said I'd written him off creatively either. Of course it's never as binary as that.

And I wasn't seriously disputing saltysnacks' contention that rape and/or murder would be worse. "Derek was shit... but not as shit as Auschwitz!"

"Disappointing" would seem to be the most apt term here, or failing that

Rik! You utter utter utter utter BASTARD!

which has now been done.

Twice, now.

[New Jack]

You chaps follow some bleak comedians if rape and or murder is a 'trait'!

Murder is clearly a quirk, ysee, with all the kooky affability that implies.

Nah, dumping your pregnant missus on a shopping trip to go elope. Nasty that.

[Cuellar]

Ah who cares. The heart wants what it wants (and the cock as well).

[Rocket Surgery]

Nah, dumping your pregnant missus on a shopping trip to go elope. Nasty that.

With Ben Elton, no less.

[Cuellar]

Wait it's ambiguous isn't it? He was with Mayer, then found out Robbin was pregnant, so went with Robbin.

Mayer would later suffer a miscarriage.

How much later? Was it a direct result of Mayall leaving? Was she pregnant at the time he eloped?

[Rocket Surgery]

That whole Wiki excerpt is a bit like a Desolation post, really.

Mayer would later suffer a miscarriage.

...with no reference to her being pregnant beforehand. Just a little tagged-on "and then things somehow got even worse!" before everyone involved gets bummed to death by Nazi wasps.

[gilbertharding]

Wasn't Lise Mayer Angus Deayton's partner when all the coke-whoring went on?

She can't half pick 'em, eh?

[Avril Lavigne]

Speaking of Rik's post-Young Ones career in the '80s, what do you guys think of Filthy Rich & Catflap?  I've been a fan of all Rik's other TV shows in collaboration with Ade, but never got on with FR&C.  I thought maybe I hadn't given it enough of a chance as I only ever watched the first episode years ago, but I'm currently watching the second and finding it hard to get through.  Understandably I never see it spoken about in the same terms as Bottom and The Young Ones either here or in TV retrospective shows.

[gilbertharding]

He was Lord Flashheart in the first episode of Blackadder II (very funny).
He was also in the film of Whoops Apocalypse (less funny).
He read George's Marvellous Medicine on Jackanory.
He recorded the Comic Relief version of Living Doll with Cliff Richard.
Some of these came out in early 1986, but he was presumably working on them before.

An impressive list - but I doubt (hope) that most of them - particularly Living Doll - took up much more than an afternoon.

[buzby]

Was she (Mayer) pregnant at the time he eloped?

Yes, it says so in the Birmingham Mercury article the wiki entry references, Mayer was already pregnant with Mayall's baby when Rik found out from a phone call while out shopping with her and Elton he had got Robbin pregnant as well. He didn't even tell Mayer he was leaving her, he just said he was unwell and was going home, packed his bags, got the train up to Glasgow to meet Robbin and they flew to Barbados to get married.

Given they were all such a close-knit group, I did wonder if the shitty way he treated Mayer impacted on why there was no third series of The Young Ones and why Mayall doesn't appear much in S2 of The Comic Strip Presents, but the eloping occurred in January 1985, which would be a year too late for that

[Cuellar]

Oofff well that's pretty rum then. What a (p)rik.

[gilbertharding]

Filthy Rich & Catflap?

I watched it when it came out, but not since I'm afraid... I'm sure I liked it as a 17 year old. Not sure why it doesn't have the profile of Bottom.

[Alternative Carpark]

He was also in a stage production of The Government Inspector, playing Khlestakov, the main character, in 1985.

[Brundle-Fly]

People are flawed and complicated. Why do our artists have to be morally pure? Is it necessary for us to enjoy their work that they're all good little boys and girls? Bunch of fucking St Peters around here.

EDIT: unless you're all.. joking

I have to agree. I'd say most of the actors and comedians I admire (male and female) have committed adultery and far worse. Yes, what he did was shabby but it was over thirty years ago, the parties apparently reconciled and he's now dead. Who is anyone to judge?

RE EDIT: joking? I can't tell anymore on CaB.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Cancelled mate. Bottom dvd's are in the bin.