Alexei Sayle's Stuff on DVD!!

[alan strang]

Complete listings mag episode titles for Stuff for anyone who fancies them:

Series One:
13/10/1988 Fun With Magnets
20/10/1988 From Avogadro To Ava Gardner
27/10/1988 Cartesian Dualism For The Fuller Figure
03/11/1988 The Dobsey Twins Isolate Radium
10/11/1988 Liebnitz - Man Or Biscuit?
17/11/1988 How To Point At Chickens

Series Two:
19/10/1989 Tinkering With Teeth
26/10/1989 Westward H20!
02/11/1989 My Pal Mozart
09/11/1989 Six Bodybuilders Of The Italian Renaissance
16/11/1989 Whistling Calculus For Tax Purposes
23/11/1989 Margaret Drabble - The Hard Way

Series Three:
03/10/1991 Yellow The Follow Rick Broad
10/10/1991 Clam Nation
17/10/1991 Buckle My Chives
24/10/1991 Why Are The Now?
31/10/1991 Vanessa Goes Bonkers
07/11/1991 What's This Organ Doing InThe Scullery?

And a nice bit of info:

'From Avogadro To Ava Gardner' features repeated sequences where Leslie Crowther appears delivering Sayle's lines in a bald wig, accompanied by apologies from the BBC over the fact that viewers in some regions might be "receiving the programme in Leslie Crowther only" and a promise that they will restore Alexei Sayle as soon as possible. When the first series was repeated in UK Gold late in 1992, Crowther was seriously ill in hospital following a car accident, and as many of his scenes in the episode took place on a busy road (and were also difficult if not impossible to simply remove without making the episode unintelligible), there were obvious problems involved in repeating it. However, rather than simply pull the episode from the schedules without explanation, UK Gold approached Crowther's family to ask them how they would feel about it being shown. As it happened, they had no problem with it, and the episode was duly repeated with an announcement at the start to that effect.

[Alberon]

Those episode titles are very Monty Pythony, aren't they? Especially the first two series.

I'd forgotten the Leslie Crowther bit, really cracked me up when I first saw it. Glad the family were sensible about the repeats.

[chand]

Tsh, typical, I went to Virgin yesterday and they had nowt. It'll have to be next week now...

Well, there may not have been any yesterday, I looked everywhere on Monday (except Virgin actually) and they were nowhere. I only looked today because of what someone said about seeing a 7/9 release date somewhere.

I'm sure the answer is no, but are there any extras?

No. Unless you consider 'English for the hard of hearing' subtitles an extra feature. Or episode selection (the DVD, to its credit, doesn't try and pass those off as features). It's as vanilla as it gets.

[Jemble Fred]

Those episode titles are very Monty Pythony, aren't they? Especially the first two series.

Well Stuff is the most Pythonesque programme ever made, and I include 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' in that. Still great though.

Just got the testdisc for this yesterday, which suggests that it isn't on release yet? Having only seen the UK Gold edits of series 1, it was a deep joy. To put on a DVD and have the old BBC TWO logo appear right at the start. Yum. And I'd never, ever seen the Leslie Crowther episode, so it was a double treat.

[alan strang]

Bibbly wubbly wobbly, uh-wop, diddly doo
Here are seven things I wouldn't much like to do...

[Jemble Fred]

Bibbly wubbly wobbly, uh-wop, diddly doo
Here are seven things I wouldn't much like to do...

One thing that did occur to me as I watched is that anyone who hasn't already watched all of Stuff many times is of course in for a massive treat – but it's nothing compared to what they'll get in the second series. I'd argue to the death that series 2 is the best, and one of the finest six half hours ever made. Oh to be able to wipe my memory, Holly-style and watch 'em all fresh.

Lucky Sayle virgins.

[Roy*Mallard]

I was off school, long term ill, when the 2nd series of Stuff  was on and i used to tape it, Red Dwarf, Sticky Moments with Julian Clary and Snakes & Ladders (with Ade Edmondson & that Scottish fella from Gregory's Girl) etc etc and just spend my days watching them, whilst all my chums were at school - God, those were the days! Those shows all meant a lot to me, because of my situation at the time, but 'Stuff' used to do the most for me as it was just so weird and wonderful - a show in which you really didn't know what to expect next. Can't wait to get the dvd.

[wherearethespoons]

At last, Play posted my copy this morning. Can't wait to get it.

[Alberon]

At last, Play posted my copy this morning. Can't wait to get it.

Bollocks! Dvd.co.uk haven't posted mine yet, only ordered with them as it was a pound cheaper. Curse my miserly ways!

[chand]

Just got the testdisc for this yesterday, which suggests that it isn't on release yet?

Well, it is.

Only watched the first two episodes so far but it's great stuff. It is very Pythonesque, the 'Apology' after the social worker sketch in the first episode was 'well Python'.

In the old days, people used to be named after what they made, didn't they? Like, Carter if they made carts, Cooper if they made barrels, Thatcher...if they made people sick

Cheap gag, but really nicely delivered.

The bit that really had me creased up in the first episode though was the line about God moving in a mysterious way.

[trotsky assortment]

I've just remembered a couple of gags that always made me laugh.

People ask me what I got for Chrismas and I say 'I got drunk'.  Here's something for all those who've had too much to drink - [puts on silly voice and gets really close to the camera] - Here come the lobsters!'

There was another moment where he mentions crossing the road with Uncle Alexei - he then closes his eyes and runs stupidly into the middle of the traffic.

Neither of these are series 1, are they?

[Jemble Fred]

Both 2, I think. As I say, it's got to be the best series.

Just got the testdisc for this yesterday, which suggests that it isn't on release yet?

Well, it is.

Yep, just silly PR people deciding to give out review copies a month after they're needed then.

[The Mumbler]

Watched 1.1 at the very end of last night, which I'm not sure I've seen since its original tx.  Thoroughly enjoyable.  Anyone know if the first one was filmed way ahead of the rest of the series? - Deayton doesn't appear at all, although he does contribute an post-credits voiceover.  The Pages From Ceefax parody has an onscreen date (Thursday 7 January - which would be early 1988).  And bloody hell, what a great character actress Felicity Montagu was allowed to be back then.

[TJ]

Watched 1.1 at the very end of last night, which I'm not sure I've seen since its original tx.  Thoroughly enjoyable.  Anyone know if the first one was filmed way ahead of the rest of the series? - Deayton doesn't appear at all, although he does contribute an post-credits voiceover.  The Pages From Ceefax parody has an onscreen date (Thursday 7 January - which would be early 1988).  And bloody hell, what a great character actress Felicity Montagu was allowed to be back then.

There was an unbroadcast 'pilot' made some time before series one, so maybe it was just a rougher edit of what became 1.1?

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Strang swears blind the pilot went out sometime in '87, but it must have been unscheduled if so - I've never been able to find a listing for it.

I watched 1.1 last night too. I remember my first thoughts when it originally went out, which were strangely well-formed for a 14 year old: (a) I wish he'd done the stand-up bits in the studio with a live audience, and (b) all the Python homages are fun but the show looks really messy. 17 years on, I haven't really changed my mind on either point - I think Series 2 and 3 were better structurally. You still had the 'I've no idea what's going to happen next' factor, but the shows seemed to have been given the same care as the average MPFC episode.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Actually, I take that opinion back - it's only really 1.1 that's a bit disjointed. The others all fuck about with linking devices brilliantly. Some of the Flying Circus references really take the piss, though - the cinema announcements through the fifth show being the most blatant. 'I'm a 42 year old non-smoker, looking for someone from the right hand side of the auditorium...'

One extra they could have included - Sayle did a specially-recorded trailer when S1 was repeated on Sunday nights from April '89. 'I won a BAFTA, but none of you bastards watched it did you?' is the only line I remember.

Hey, why do they say 'Ready on location in five minutes, Mr Sayle' when he's clearly at TV Centre?

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Putting on my Recording Date Detective hat, I notice Sayle walks past a poster advertising A Wish Away by The Wonder Stuff at one point. July then.

[The Mumbler]

Putting on my Recording Date Detective hat, I notice Sayle walks past a poster advertising A Wish Away by The Wonder Stuff at one point. July then.

Released on 4 July 1988, so it could have been late June.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

A few things prove that the 1991 compilation vid was edited from raw elements rather than just the shows as transmitted. The Oscar Wilde/martial arts sketch (1.5) has its opening line obscured by the swish of the cinema curtain, but it starts cleanly on the comp. Also, the 'It's a Funny Old World' song (1.6) and the shadow puppets quickie (1.5) have the original credits removed and new composite ones added.

So...theories? The vid came out in May '91, ages after the series went out, so how come all that stuff existed? Does it exist still?

[Darrell]

Does it exist still?

Sadly, I'd expect not. I was horrified enough to discover how early they'd junked the KYTV rushes/alt edits via Adam Tandy on Roobarbs.

It seems when they converted all their analogue stuff to digital, they didn't really bother with elements, rushes, inserts or alternative edits. The fucking fucking fuckers.

No 50-minute 'KY Tellython' for supper anymore.

[trotsky assortment]

Sadly, I'd expect not. I was horrified enough to discover how early they'd junked the KYTV rushes/alt edits via Adam Tandy on Roobarbs.

I haven't seen KYTV for years - apart from one episode, I've not seen any of it since the original broadcast.  Are there any plans for that to be released?

[Alberon]

So I was working through the series one DVD and I saw the Julian Pettifer 'boy with the wooden head' sketch on the end of episode three (the swords and sorcery one). That didn't seem right to me and I went back and checked my old tapes I'd recorded back when it was first broadcast.

There's no sign of it at the end of episode three (though Julian Pettifer is in the credits) but it does show up in the last (I think) episode of series two.

So is it in the right place or should they have left it to the second series DVD (assuming there is one)?

[Morrisfan82]

I think... that I am falling in love with this series.

[Jemble Fred]

So I was working through the series one DVD and I saw the Julian Pettifer 'boy with the wooden head' sketch on the end of episode three (the swords and sorcery one). That didn't seem right to me and I went back and checked my old tapes I'd recorded back when it was first broadcast.

There's no sign of it at the end of episode three (though Julian Pettifer is in the credits) but it does show up in the last (I think) episode of series two.

So is it in the right place or should they have left it to the second series DVD (assuming there is one)?

This occured to me as well, but I presumed that my brain was being wrong. I was sure it was series two. So what the fuck's gone on there?

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

It could have been an early edit of 1.3 which had to be trimmed at the eleventh hour - does it go over the 30'00" mark? Maybe there's two edits of it side-by-side in the archive and they just picked the longer one for the DVD. I can't think of any other explanation, really.

Or, another theory, maybe it was added onto 1.3 for the '89 repeat, but they forgot they'd done this when S2 came around?

[TJ]

It could have been an early edit of 1.3 which had to be trimmed at the eleventh hour - does it go over the 30'00" mark? Maybe there's two edits of it side-by-side in the archive and they just picked the longer one for the DVD. I can't think of any other explanation, really.

Or, another theory, maybe it was added onto 1.3 for the '89 repeat, but they forgot they'd done this when S2 came around?

I'm fairly sure I remember it going out twice.

[alan strang]

There's no sign of it at the end of episode three (though Julian Pettifer is in the credits) but it does show up in the last (I think) episode of series two.

That's how I remember it - after the 'Seven Things I Wouldn't Much Like To Do' song?

[Jemble Fred]

There's no sign of it at the end of episode three (though Julian Pettifer is in the credits) but it does show up in the last (I think) episode of series two.

That's how I remember it - after the 'Seven Things I Wouldn't Much Like To Do' song?

Yes, yes, yes! I'm just glad my impulse was correct.

It'll make for an odd moment on the S2 discs then. Unless they go for an 'Oh Christ I left the iron on' moment.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Alberon, does your off-air of 1.3 definitely go right to the end (into the real BBC2 continuity), or could you have cut it off?

[Santa's Boyfriend]

I remember sketches from series 3 best, and I think that thing about the mind being finite was from series 3.

One of my favourite lines from series 3 was (halfway through a monologue) "It's a common fact that 90% of all accidents happen in the home.  We had a big train crash on our upstairs landing last week.  You had to use a blowtorch to get to the lavatory."

I also remember a pisstake of court sketch artists in which the people appearing in the court get more and more unlikely (such as Mao Tse-Tung appearing for the defence, being over-ruled by Judge Dredd and so on), ending in a big fight between comic-book superheroes.