Men Behaving Badly thread

[Goldentony]

Gary is Tony's landlord, and Deborah's too isn't he? and the first episode with Tony makes out via the interviews he's basically looking for friends so he doesn't drift off into old man territory after Dermot sends him postcards about all sorts in Holland. His one friend is Clive who he hates so it makes sense a landlord and regional office manager could basically have a mate who becomes a pet man because he can let rent in one room go.

I know the proper answer is if flats were realistic they'd look shite which is true and makes everything above null and, yes, you have guess it, vood. Void, sorry.

[Malcy]

Gary is Tony's landlord, and Deborah's too isn't he?

Think Deborah bought the flat upstairs. Either that or rented then bought.

[Goldentony]

gutted, could have kicked her out before 2008 and made a fucking mint selling it to some PO box shadow company near isle of dogs

[BeardFaceMan]

That's a shame. Perhaps understandable (he's not to everyone's taste) but he does give a great comic performance.

Yeah not many people can play the Annoying Cheeky Chappie as well Morrisey did in MBB.

[phes]

I could never watch this programme, because Neil Morrissey's face, voice and hair are emetic.

I've probably missed out, but I'm just as God made me.

Why not change your mind and watch it right now. You'll not regret it.

MBB is one of a small number of comedies that are not only well made and funny, but that I'm really fond of. Despite it not always being an easy watch, as mentioned upthread. It's been a couple of years, I'm going to rewatch it. Thanks thread!

[The Culture Bunker]

On the subject of hair, Clunes really didn't suit the short, spiky look - it drew far too much attention to those big old ears. He looked much better when he grew it out a bit.

[Old Gold Tooth]

Agreed. It's very strange in a later series where they flashback to Gary's first day at work and he has the short back and sides again.

[Gurke and Hare]

Deborah definitely owns her flat - there's an episode where she's trying to sell it but Tony and Gary keep putting off potential purchasers.

[Tony Yeboah]

I could never watch this programme, because Neil Morrissey's face, voice and hair are emetic.

I've probably missed out, but I'm just as God made me.

Didn't know the word emetic before so thanks for that.

I massively fancied Deborah so could identify with Tony. Although I was over 20 years younger than him. Now I'm about the same age and I'm probably still of similar emotional maturity.

[Goldentony]

fair play I WAS WRONG

Think my favourite Tony moment is the cut away to him trying to put out a BBQ fire burning the fence down with a ladder in the fuck knows what its called, the two women move in next door, Gary it's making a cigarette from newspaper and tomato sauce

[Non Stop Dancer]

The guy who wrote the feem toon was at my friend's wedding (family friend of the bride) and did something musical (can't remember what, it was about 15 years ago). Also, the friend in question was a very, very erstwhile member of this very parish known as Yer Man.

[phes]

Started a rewatch and have made it through series 2, 3, 4 and into 5. It has been quite tough going at times. A few thoughts relating to points of discussion:

his girlfriend/wife who bores him and bullies him

Dorothy is an awful, awful person. Gary could actually do better than her, rather than the other way around. She regularly cheats on him and puts him down throughout.

None of them are particularly nice people, but she's the worst.

Not sure I agree with this. Though it is perhaps a tale of two halves. I found season 2 and 3 extremely tough going. Dorothy isn't faultless but the way Gary and Tony behave is appalling. They may be wannabe lads and deep down they're probably the two most vulnerable characters, but i found their behaviour, Gary in particular, to be quite psychologically abusive. I found series 4 and 5 where Dorothy leaves him and then cheats on him with Tony to be almost cathartic. He's picked away at her consistently for years and in the end she snaps and lumps him a couple of times. As the series moves from 2 and 3 to 4 and 5 it does begin to feel more even handed and she's drawn into the game of constantly running each other down as she realises she's become as pathetic as Gary himself. I like Gary, he's funny and vulnerable, but he is a cunt.

Of course it was. The whole premise is that Gary and Tony are fighting a losing battle against their middle class beigeness, desperate to be "bloody blokes" because they think that's what they should be.


They aren't the perpetrators. They are the victims.

They might be physical and psychological weaklings but Tony is very successful at attracting women and Gary is managing to string Dorothy along for sex and domestic chores and for basically being a Mummy. They run down women, they're cheaters, sex-pests, they get drunk and they get into fights in the kebab shop. I get the impression that the only reason Gary keeps Dorothy around is because he knows he's no Tony when it comes to women. If he were, she'd be gone. This is what made it quite a difficult watch for a couple of seasons, it's like Bottom except they're both winning. Tony's getting a free ride and women and Gary's got a great home and he's managing to string along a woman for sex and chores, and she's prepared to put up with his chosen lifestyle while rarely imposing her own desires. I can't really see them as victims of toxic masculinity

Someone mentioned upthread that it has aged well. The repeated references to shagging 17 year old girls haven't aged so well.

Despite all this it has been an excellent rewatch and at times also fun and comforting. As people have said, Clunes does the heavy lifting, and Quentin is also very good. But Clunes is fantastic. The whole glasses thing may be a cheap laugh but Clunes physical comedy on that sofa as Tony is building up the nerve to take out his glasses ranks as amongst the funniest things i've ever seen

George is brilliant. Paraphrasing:

George: 'I once lived with a man and a woman and it went rather well'.

Gary: 'George, you're talking about your parents, aren't you'.

George: 'Yes'

[unky herb]

I like the "Ditteny-dah ditteny-dah Deb-o-rah" song.

[SteveDave]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Gj5Bfj90Y

[PlasticTom]

It's not called Men Behaving Nicely.

[Utter Shit]

Someone mentioned upthread that it has aged well. The repeated references to shagging 17 year old girls haven't aged so well.

Hah, fair point I'd forgotten about that bit. On a related note I watched the episode of Game On last night where Matthew joins the band upstairs and there is an EXTREMELY dodgy scene where him and Martin talk explicitly about the possibility of having sex with "under age girls" (they later refer to spending time with 13 year old girls) as if it's not just ok but something to actively aspire to. That can't have been acceptable in the 90s, can it?

[smudge1971]

Do9esn't gary at one point say something along the lines of "life's not fair, Tony. If it was I'd be shagging my 16 year old niece?"

[Beagle 2]

Definitely underrated, I think even I was a bit nervous to go back to it in case it looked horribly crass in a modern context, but I really don't think it does. Now laddism isn't a thing people remember with any sort of positive connotations it seems odd it was ever though of as laddish, there's no point you would ever want to be either of these men.

I caught an episode the other night and this exchange between Gary and Anthea really set me off:

"Anthea, who should I invite to my dinner party?"
"Oh, well Peter Ustinov is very chatty. And comedian Tom O'Conner would have a ready quip"
"Great, anyone else? Whitney Houston? The Birmingham Six?"
"Have you got enough chairs for the Birmingham Six?"

[Utter Shit]

"No you're right, best make it the Guildford Four."

[dr_christian_troy]

I'm most likely in the minority here, but I'm very fond of Series 1. I like Harry Enfield as Dermot a lot.

It also includes the chess episode, where Gary is at his most contemptuous:

"Hello GRAHAM. We've all been drinking some wine. Can I offer you a glass of urine?"

[Armin Meiwes]

Hah, fair point I'd forgotten about that bit. On a related note I watched the episode of Game On last night where Matthew joins the band upstairs and there is an EXTREMELY dodgy scene where him and Martin talk explicitly about the possibility of having sex with "under age girls" (they later refer to spending time with 13 year old girls) as if it's not just ok but something to actively aspire to. That can't have been acceptable in the 90s, can it?

To add another one there's that episode of Seinfeld where George & Jerry are ogling the cleavage of a 15 year old. Weird how quickly these things have moved from basically fine (if a little pervy) to urrrrgh please stop it.

[thr0b]

To add another one there's that episode of Seinfeld where George & Jerry are ogling the cleavage of a 15 year old. Weird how quickly these things have moved from basically fine (if a little pervy) to urrrrgh please stop it.

It is, but then you realise these things were a quarter of a century ago, so a bloody long time.

[lipsink]

The first landlord Les seemed a bit dated at the time. The second landlord Ken seemed like they'd literally inserted a John Thomson Fast Show character into the show. I enjoyed both though! But I think that the time Ken arrived the show wasn't quite as good. Series 5 and 6 the show seemed a bit tired. Series 3 and 4 were the peak for me. 4 especially (Gary gets glasses, Dorothy cheats on Gary, Gary's dad, Dorothy sleeps with Tony, Dorothy's operation)

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

It is, but then you realise these things were a quarter of a century ago, so a bloody long time.

Yes, it would be perfectly acceptable to fuck those girls now.
( Bloody Hell, they'd be older now than Dorothy was then. Time, eh?)

[neveragain]

To add another one there's that episode of Seinfeld where George & Jerry are ogling the cleavage of a 15 year old. Weird how quickly these things have moved from basically fine (if a little pervy) to urrrrgh please stop it.

I don't think you were ever meant to think Jerry and George's sense of morality was something to aspire to.

[dr_christian_troy]

The first landlord Les seemed a bit dated at the time. The second landlord Ken seemed like they'd literally inserted a John Thomson Fast Show character into the show. I enjoyed both though! But I think that the time Ken arrived the show wasn't quite as good. Series 5 and 6 the show seemed a bit tired. Series 3 and 4 were the peak for me. 4 especially (Gary gets glasses, Dorothy cheats on Gary, Gary's dad, Dorothy sleeps with Tony, Dorothy's operation)

Ken always seemed a bit underwritten to me. Fun fact about Les though - the actor turns up towards the end of Hellraiser as a removal man.

[Mr_Simnock]

To add another one there's that episode of Seinfeld where George & Jerry are ogling the cleavage of a 15 year old. Weird how quickly these things have moved from basically fine (if a little pervy) to urrrrgh please stop it.

[Captain Z]

Was meaning to rewatch this for a while. I've now realised that I'd never seen either series 1 or 2 (the ITV years). I've only just finished the second, but it strikes me as being incredibly slow-moving and drab compared to my (hazy, admittedly) memories of the later series.

I wonder if that's a case of BBC simply being much better at producing a sitcom given the same ingredients, or if the move to post-watershed was the key to kicking it up a gear.

[neveragain]

Educated assumption: they were able to get more sets and filming locations with BBC which certainly helped.

[phes]

Series 6 is rubbish. Most of the way through now and there's very little positive to say. Nothing really happens, and not in a good way

The Wedding episode is pretty great but seems like they didn't bother coming up with any other ideas. Gary and Tony have arrived at beige, Deborah is a non-entity, Dorothy just whines, George and Anthea barely feature, the pub barely features, the scripts not great and their heart doesn't seem in it

I know that's where their lives are at now and it's kind of the point, but it's still crap