Fantasy Football returns!

[Munday's Chylde]

...yes it does, just seen a trailer. To me this is great news, always loved this show. Any fans?

[chand]

I have hugely fond memories of it, though I don't know how much of that is selective, rose-tinted reminiscing and how much was genuine, but it should be fun,

[weirdbeard]

Yes, yes and thrice yes!  I saw the trailer the other day actually, captured for posterity.   I was a huge fan of the original, got all the officially released compilations of it and a couple of full episodes, along with all but 1 of the Fantasy World Cup 1998 run.  So you could say I'm pleased with it's upcoming return, I've got a load of blank tapes at the ready.  I think they'll have it set in a different 'flat' as I recall they sold all the old props for charity after the 1998 run.   And I heard that Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne is replacing the late Jeff Astle, although that was back in the papers in February, not so sure how accurate that is.

ITV2 seem to having a Baddiel and Skinner fest in the week Euro 2004 starts, they are repeating 4 different Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned and Frank Skinner Shows in the 4 days from Monday 7th and then showing some Best Of's the aforementioned shows following the first Fantasy Football 2004 on Friday 11th.

[DuncanC]

Great news, I'll be kicking myself very hard if I miss any of these. And Statto's back!

[mwude]

It was originally on BBC2 wasn't it?  And then moved to ITV in '98 for the world cup, or is my memory doing Cruyff turns on me?

It was great when it went well, and even better when it went spectacularly badly.  Remember John Lydon?  Or Brigitte Nielsen insisting that David Baddiel felt her breast & Skinner warning him that he might get drunk by osmosis?  Hope these new ones are live as well.

I once saw Statto at a Tranmere pre-season friendly against Altrincham.  Although he was wearing his green 'horse-racing' blazer, rather than his football pyjamas sadly.

[weirdbeard]

It was originally on BBC2 wasn't it?  And then moved to ITV in '98 for the world cup, or is my memory doing Cruyff turns on me?

Spot on.

It was great when it went well, and even better when it went spectacularly badly.  Remember John Lydon?  Or Brigitte Nielsen insisting that David Baddiel felt her breast & Skinner warning him that he might get drunk by osmosis?  Hope these new ones are live as well.

There was also one where Sylvia Kristel took great offence at a clip which she thought was racist which led them hastily showing Phoenix From The Flames.

I think they are live again, yes.  Preliminary schedules suggest it'll be on every 2 nights at 10pm.  There's one on right after the France game which should be good.  The ones that were live after the England games in '98 were great.

[Peking O]

Never liked this show. This might not mean much to most browsers in this forum, but I blame Fantasy Football, alongside Nick Hornby and Sky Television for the current sorry state of the game. No doubt this will bring out another few thousand football 'experts' wittering on about Rooney and Owen all summer long. Bah! Wasn't it on this show that Baddiel made the reference to Anne 'Cot Death' Diamond? Pleasant chap then...

[El Unicornio, mang]

There was also one where Sylvia Kristel took great offence at a clip which she thought was racist which led them hastily showing Phoenix From The Flames.
.

I remember that. They showed a picture of some Cameroon supporter dressed in ridiculous womans garb, and when they went back to the studio she has a face like thunder and goes "I'm sorry but I don't like racism", the audience then collectively jeered her. Stupid cow.
On the next episode they started the show with some clip featuring an asian bloke and Frank Skinner says "Sorry, I don't like racism" heh

I always liked it, despite having no real interest in football, although I could never really figure out why it was called Fantasy Football League. And Statto looked a bit much like a kiddie fiddler for my liking.

[alan strang]

Wasn't it on this show that Baddiel made the reference to Anne 'Cot Death' Diamond? Pleasant chap then...

I think that was a bit of stand-up from 'Newman and Baddiel - Live And In Pieces'.

As far as I can remember the joke in question was part of a routine about how magazine articles always refer to people by what they're best known for:

"I was refered to as 'David "Mary Whitehouse Experience" Baddiel'. And I thought, well, why that exactly? That's not the only thing I'm known for. How about 'David "enormous penis" Baddiel'?"

'Anne "cot death" diamond' was intended as an example of how the device could be taken too far.

[mwude]

...although I could never really figure out why it was called Fantasy Football League

The original series took the Fantasy Football thing that had just started in a few newspapers (pick a team of 11 from out of all the top division players, get points if they score, lose points if they're crap and let in goals, etc) and did a celebrity version of it.  The differemt guests that were on had all been invited to pick a team at the start of the season & returned intermitently to be slagged off about how craply they were doing.

This aspect of the show was dropped when it moved to ITV and it just became 'funny stuff that has happened during the world cup'.  Although I think the guests each week were relevant to the teams that had played.

I can imagine non-football fans liking it a lot.  Personally I loved Harry Hill's TV Burp despite hating soaps and also Working Lunch even though I'm this >>...<< interested in business matters.

[Peking O]

'Anne "cot death" diamond' was intended as an example of how the device could be taken too far.

Ahh, thanks for that. There was a minor furore about it at the time if I recall. I'm sure they had to cut it from their act, or something like that.

[weirdbeard]

I remember that. They showed a picture of some Cameroon supporter dressed in ridiculous womans garb, and when they went back to the studio she has a face like thunder and goes "I'm sorry but I don't like racism", the audience then collectively jeered her. Stupid cow.
On the next episode they started the show with some clip featuring an asian bloke and Frank Skinner says "Sorry, I don't like racism" heh

That's absolutely spot on.  Wish I had that good a memory, I just had to watch them again to remember how it all went.

[king mob]

And I heard that Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne is replacing the late Jeff Astle, although that was back in the papers in February, not so sure how accurate that is.

Oh god that could either be wonderful to watch as Gazza realises he's a comedy figure now and plays along or its going to make his appearance on ITV's coverage in the last world cup look smoother than Des Lynam.

[chimpoo]

they should have chosen jason lee.

[Munday's Chylde]

I can imagine non-football fans liking it a lot.  Personally I loved Harry Hill's TV Burp despite hating soaps and also Working Lunch even though I'm this >>...<< interested in business matters.

Absolutely! Being quite an intelligent person I have no interest in football, but the return of this show is going to make the summer assault barable.

[kidsick5000]

I miss stuff like Fantasy football. Had some real genius about it.

Pheonix from the flames was always great. The Terry Butcher one in particular.

And for those who saw it, Glenn Hoddles head.

Its kind of a shame that David Baddiel is in it, but then he does make Frank Skinner even funnier.

And my favourite (for some reason) after the '98 Owen benched controversy...
at the end of the program "We were going to have a really really good guest on. Hes really funny, intelligent. witty. Great fella. But, he's a bit young, so we thought Naaaah"
Subtle. but good. Again, I dont know why its my favourite, but it is

[Munday's Chylde]

Its kind of a shame that David Baddiel is in it, but then he does make Frank Skinner even funnier.

Whoa there missy! Don't you know David Baddiel is on the endangered species list now? You are not allowed to diss him without having seen his 'early' work and without backing up your diss with evidence.

[gazzyk1ns]

I just hope it's as good as the old shows. I have a tape full of the series which preceededd the '98 World Cup specials and a few others I think, maybe even some Euro '96 specials... I shall have to dig them out.

[phes]

Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have fantastic memories of FF around euro96. Favourites have to be -

1 Zoe Ball appearing in a Manchester United top.
2 'Prince' Naseem. Very funny.
3 The clip with a couple of players being interviewed, one of whom is Andy         Cole. After the interviewer moves from Cole to the next player Cole appears to have been turned off, losing all movement and signs of life in his face. Clearly he never recovered from that.

[chand]

I loved 'Pele Was Shite'.

'He was worse than Jason Leeeeeeee'

*clip of Pele ballooning free-kick over the bar*

[randy_mong]

I can't wait for this. Been watching all the World Cup 98 episodes this week, and thought I'd start making torrents of them. The first is here (the one with Brigitte Neilsen):

http://www.madden88.freeserve.co.uk/torrents/

Does anyone want the rest of them?

I've also put the advert for the new series here

Advert 4.10MB

If there are any of the original series about, I'd love to see them.

[Regular John]

I can't wait for this. Been watching all the World Cup 98 episodes this week, and thought I'd start making torrents of them. The first is here (the one with Brigitte Neilsen):

http://www.madden88.freeserve.co.uk/torrents/

If there are any of the original series about, I'd love to see them.

Thanks :)

I'm looking forward to this very much!

[DuncanC]

I can't wait for this. Been watching all the World Cup 98 episodes this week, and thought I'd start making torrents of them. The first is here (the one with Brigitte Neilsen):

http://www.madden88.freeserve.co.uk/torrents/

Does anyone want the rest of them?

Please! That would be excellent. Thanks very much for the first one!

I've also put the advert for the new series here

Advert 4.10MB

I can't seem to get this...

[randy_mong]

yeah, the advert didn't work, heres the torrent for it instead

http://www.madden88.freeserve.co.uk/torrents/ff.torrent

[chand]

I can't wait for this. Been watching all the World Cup 98 episodes this week, and thought I'd start making torrents of them. The first is here (the one with Brigitte Neilsen):

http://www.madden88.freeserve.co.uk/torrents/

Ooh, cheers for that.

[weirdbeard]

I can't wait for this. Been watching all the World Cup 98 episodes this week, and thought I'd start making torrents of them. The first is here (the one with Brigitte Neilsen):

http://www.madden88.freeserve.co.uk/torrents/

Does anyone want the rest of them?

I've also put the advert for the new series here

Advert 4.10MB

If there are any of the original series about, I'd love to see them.

Nice offering.  I've got a couple of the original episodes, and once I get broadband (in the next month, all being well) I'll get to work on capturing and torrenting.

[DuncanC]

I can't wait for this. Been watching all the World Cup 98 episodes this week, and thought I'd start making torrents of them. The first is here (the one with Brigitte Neilsen):

http://www.madden88.freeserve.co.uk/torrents/

Could someone seed this again? I'm at 91% with no seeds or peers. Sorry, I wouldn't normally do this, but I really want to see this.

[weirdbeard]

If anybody's got any requests from classic scenes, I'll do a few low bitrate captures as a reminder of how good it was before the new series starts on Friday.  I've got all the compilation VHS's so any of the more memorable sketches should be on those.

[weirdbeard]

Here's the Andy Cole and Pele Was Shite clips mentioned earlier in this thread.  Both are around 1.5Mb Real Video files.


Andy Cole is switched off


"... he was worse than Jason Leeeeee"

[mycroft]

It may be a bit of a biggy, but if you're taking requests, would there be any chance of the Phoenix from the Flames from the final Fantasy World Cup show? The one with the ladies' darts final from The Indoor League.

Or, indeed, any of the stuff they did on The Indoor League. There was a lot of it (they once said the reason they came to ITV was so they could show clips from it :) )