Allegedly 'rubbish' flop comedy shows from the past which don't even have a cult following...

[23 Daves]

When I was in Australia recently, I turned on ABC one Friday night to see what top comedic action they were offering.  I wondered if the merry satire of "The Glasshouse" would be on, or perhaps an undiscovered Aussie sit-com.  No sooner had I pressed "on", however, and sat down in my chair, than I realised something very odd was going on.  The ABC were showing - just about within their Friday evening prime time slot - an old episode of the flop Brit-com from five years ago Small Potatoes.

This little piece of - erm- averageness had almost completely slipped my mind.  For the blissfully ignorant, it was one of Channel 4's great "sit com hopes" of (I think?) 2000-ish, but sank without trace after one series.  Most of the action was based around a video store in Leytonstone and a local cafe.  

Watching again, I actually managed to laugh a few times and realised that it perhaps wasn't as bad as I remembered, though certainly not worthy of any sort of revival.   It was, however, better than "Peep Show".  Which got me thinking... are there any other buried pieces of alleged rubbish out there which actually contain a few good moments, but aren't considered cool, knowing or culty enough to get any sort of even moderate acclaim?

Next example... "Perfect World" (see the "Strutter" thread).

CORRECTION - just found out that  "Small Potatoes" actually did get a second series in 2001.  How the hell did this occur without me noticing?

[Jon_Norton]

There ought to be more respect for "Hot Metal", Marshall&Renwick's sitcom, which they got on ITV for 2 seasons in the mid 80s, and was excellent stuff and neither rubbish nor a flop, presumably.

It walked a tightrope between being a "alternative comedy" surreal satirical thing, and being ITV-compatible sitcom fare, and managed it fautllessly. Really, if 80s tat like Duty Free and the like can get DVD release (it did, didn't it?) then this little gem deserves the treatment.

Yer modern day comedy writers would kill to be as good as that. Oh, and it was miles better at media satire than anything Mr Morris has done since the last century.

[Bert Thung]

There ought to be more respect for "Hot Metal", Marshall&Renwick's sitcom, which they got on ITV for 2 seasons in the mid 80s, and was excellent stuff and neither rubbish nor a flop, presumably.

It walked a tightrope between being a "alternative comedy" surreal satirical thing, and being ITV-compatible sitcom fare, and managed it fautllessly. Really, if 80s tat like Duty Free and the like can get DVD release (it did, didn't it?) then this little gem deserves the treatment.

Yer modern day comedy writers would kill to be as good as that. Oh, and it was miles better at media satire than anything Mr Morris has done since the last century.

Since I rewatched both series a couple of weeks back, I've been waiting for the opportunity to say exactly the same thing. An absolute belting, A-list sitcom.  I love all  those early Marshall & Renwick shows, but this is the best of the bunch. Robert Hardy is on awesome form.

Not that I wouldn't highly recommend searching out End of Part One, If You See God Tell Him or Whoops Apocalypse.

Maybe the success Renwick has had with One Foot In The Grave and Jonathan Creek has overshadowed these works, shame really.

[poor fool]

If You See God Tell Him

i have very fond memories of this, though I was quite young and they are fractured. it was quite fiercely dark, wasn't it?

[Cambrian Times]

Glam Metal Detectives? Was that any good? I can't remember.

[Z/Sb]

Slinger's Day.
I thought it was far better (and actually funny) than Tripper's Day. Leonard Rossiter (sadly this was his final sitcom) looked like he just didn't care in the role of Tripper - although I read somewhere that he really enjoyed making the show and the cast said he was a gentlemen and very friendly unlike the opinions of some who worked with him on other shows. That said, I thought the tacky "destined to appear in tv commercials, Jim Davidson sitcoms and kids tv shows"-type supporting cast did their job pretty well even though the scripts were bad.
With Slinger, Bruce Forsyth turned an extremely average (at best!) sitcom into a rather hilarious one-man stand-up routine set in a supermarket which was nothing like Tripper's Day. I look forward to the day both series are released on DVD just so I can see how right I am...........................................

[TJ]

"Hippies".

[Synchronised Cocks]

"Ever Decreasing Circles"

Boring or what?

[dirkfunk]

Bakersfield P.D

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

"Hippies".

Well, that does have a cult following. You and the Ganymede and Titan chaps.

Oh, alright, I thought some of it was quite good. Especially the last episode.

[TJ]

"Ever Decreasing Circles"

Boring or what?

*snarls*

[Jemble Fred]

"Hippies".

Well, that does have a cult following. You and the Ganymede and Titan chaps.

Oh, alright, I thought some of it was quite good. Especially the last episode.

One of my all-time favourite shows. In fact, probably my biggest regret, flop-wise. It should have had at least two series, a Xmas special and a spin-off album. No justice in this world.

[Jon_Norton]

Glam Metal Detectives? Was that any good? I can't remember.

I quite liked it, but it seems to have a terrible reputation on internet boards that otherwise like the work of its participants. Lee&Herring had a go at it in the FOF book.

[Jon_Norton]

Slinger's Day.
I thought it was far better (and actually funny) than Tripper's Day. ....

You've just reminded me there's a pop at these sitcoms in "Filthy Rich & Catflap" somewhere. One of those throwaway, wonderfully nasty little lines that pepper the FLC script, slagging off other comics. And I can't remember the fucker.

So instead, just enjoy the memory of the one where Richey tells Eddie how to impersonate Michael Barrymore - "just do everything John Cleese has ever done". Oh fuck, I can't remember that one right either.

Who do we write to to get "Hot Metal" and the "Whoops Apocalypse" TV shows released on DVD?

[Purple Tentacle]

The Savages.  

Top Geoffery Palmer.

[Johnny Yesno]

"Hippies".

Well, that does have a cult following. You and the Ganymede and Titan chaps.

Oh, alright, I thought some of it was quite good. Especially the last episode.

One of my all-time favourite shows. In fact, probably my biggest regret, flop-wise. It should have had at least two series, a Xmas special and a spin-off album. No justice in this world.

The theme was funny too - "Love, peace-peace, love" or something.

The bloke who played the posh hippy was pretty good in The Rotters Club. How come he isn't ubiquitous yet ?

[Jemble Fred]

I think some folk might say that Julian Rhind-Tutt gets about a bit. Black Books, Green Wing etc. And it's quite fair to say that he only ever plays one character.

But the most perfect incarnation of that character there'll probably ever be is Alex in Hippies.

"Seems to be a bit of a burning beard situation here..."

[Johnny Yesno]

I think some folk might say that Julian Rhind-Tutt gets about a bit. Black Books, Green Wing etc. And it's quite fair to say that he only ever plays one character.

But the most perfect incarnation of that character there'll probably ever be is Alex in Hippies.

"Seems to be a bit of a burning beard situation here..."

He was in Black Books? He slipped past my eyes. Top marks for remembering his name. For a bonus point can you remember the lyrics to the theme, the ones that mention various animals (I think)?

[Jemble Fred]

"The bird he must fly, and the fish he must swim,
The horse he must trot, and the girl she must SLIM.
Let's all join together, hoof in hoof, hand in hand,
Something else, something else, it's a very good plan.
Let's build a love state,
Here in Notting Hill Gate!"

Nearly.

[Johnny Yesno]

"The bird he must fly, and the fish he must swim,
The horse he must trot, and the girl she must SLIM.
Let's all join together, hoof in hoof, hand in hand,
Something else, something else, it's a very good plan.
Let's build a love state,
Here in Notting Hill Gate!"

Nearly.

Heh! Thanks for that. Some of it was locked in my mind under a corrupted filename. "The girl she must SLIM" - priceless. No one seems to have told these lyrics to anyone else on the interweb so the blanks will have to remain unfortunately.


Here, have the Log lyrics from Ren and Stimpy for no apparent reason apart from that I know them off by heart:

It rolls down the stairs
Alone or in pairs,
Runs over your neighbour's dog,
It fits on your back,
It's good for a snack,
It's Log, Log, Log.

It's Log,
It's Log,
It's big, it's heavy, it's wood,
It's Log,
It's Log,
It's better than bad, it's good.

Everyone wants a Log,
Everyone loves a Log,
Log.

[slim]

Another vote for EDC over here. I've watched the first three series recently and thought they were all great, bar one weak episode at the end os series three.

Wasn't that a success when it aired though? It must've been to get 4 series, I presume.

I also liked Hippies. After reading TJ's lengthy views on the show and it subsequently appearing in the ether, I had to try it and wasn't disappointed. The quality of the writing could've been a bit higher, but I think we're sorely lacking sitcoms like that at the moment.

[R. Sparts]

Another vote for EDC over here. I've watched the first three series recently and thought they were all great, bar one weak episode at the end os series three.

Wasn't that a success when it aired though? It must've been to get 4 series, I presume.

Very much so, but in an understated BBC2 way.  It was certainly not 'cult viewing'

[slim]

Very much so, but in an understated BBC2 way.  It was certainly not 'cult viewing'

Yeah, I was referring more to the "flop" in the thread title.

[The Mumbler]

Incidentally, in answer to 23 Daves' original posting, Small Potatoes did get a second series in summer 2001.  I only know this because there was a trail for it immediately before Brass Eye Special was transmitted.

Ever Decreasing Circles was not just first-class - it was a *very* popular sitcom indeed.  Always in BBC1's top ten programmes for a given week, even the repeat runs got 10 miliion viewers.  It almost felt that Mondays at 8.30 were made for Ever Decreasing Circles repeats in the second half of the 80s.  (Whilst Sundays at 7.15 were made for Ever Decreasing Circles first-runs in the second half of the 80s).

[benthalo]

Glam Metal Detectives? Was that any good? I can't remember.

I quite liked it, but it seems to have a terrible reputation on internet boards that otherwise like the work of its participants. Lee&Herring had a go at it in the FOF book.

*FAR* better in retrospect. I hated it at the time, partially thanks to the agressive promotion and 'readymade cult show' attitude of the BBC. It also had a peculiar air to it which I could never quite put my finger on. Watching them all in one sitting about eighteen months ago, I thought it was mostly very funny indeed. Quite prescient too.

[JCBillington]

Taking The Floor.

[Shindig]

Swiss Toni.  Floparooney.

Heil Honey, I'm Home! - Retarded, shortlived, nazi-orientated sitcom about the Hitlers and their Jewish neighbours.  Love Thy Neighbour with anti-semitism.

[benthalo]

Swiss Toni.  Floparooney

Series 1 screenings on BBC1 interrupted by the war and never seen since, as I recall. Sad, really, as I watched some of series 2 again the other week and absolutely howled at them. There's some great writing on that show.

[Darrell]

Heil Honey, I'm Home! - Retarded, shortlived, nazi-orientated sitcom about the Hitlers and their Jewish neighbours.  Love Thy Neighbour with anti-semitism.

Yes, and maybe you can form your own opinion on it when you've actually seen it, rather than some out-of-context clips with Zoe Ball going "cuh, eh?" over the top.

[The Mumbler]

Taking The Floor.

Starring Matthew Cottle (the ginger bloke out of Game On) and Barbara Durkin (Susan in I'm Alan Partridge, and until recently the mum in My Parents Are Aliens).  About ballroom dancers.  I've never seen it.