By the late '80's Robbie Coltrane was a huge comedy star ( in both senses of the word without wishing to sound nasty ), thanks to 'A Kick Up The Eighties', 'Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee' and 'The Comic Strip Presents'. In 1989, he had earned enough respect from viewers to be awarded his own television special, titled simply 'The Robbie Coltrane Special', broadcast from London Weekend Television.
It opens with an amusing little sketch done in the form of a silent movie in which Robbie tries to get a sneak preview of his show of which the film is being guarded by a producer. After a tussle between the two, the film ends up being destroyed, then a caption reads: ''That's torn it! Now he won't get a chance to see 'The Robbie Coltrane Special'!''. We then see Robbie appear on stage in front of a cheering audience, engaging in some witty banter about nature programmes and news channels.
We then move onto the sketches. The first being a spoof of 'Border Television' in which Robbie plays drunken news reader Struan McLeish who is celebrating '21 Glourious Years Of Border Television' by showing clips from his first broadcast right up to the present. Next up is a hilarious spoof of 'All Creatures Great & Small' with Robbie as Siegfried and the late Christopher Blake as James which sees the two discussing their unsavoury veterinary experiences at the breakfast table, much to the disgust of their wives.
Other witty items included Robbie as Miss. Burtingham, a gin-supping, mink clad headmistress at St. Boltoph's boarding school for girls who takes on the minister for education's daughter so she can get a large financial grant, another one saw him doing an advertisement for super strength lager which saw him pass out from excessive drinking. Only 'The History Of Rock Music' sketch featuring Robbie as a fading rock star fell upon stony ground.
This would have had plenty of potential to become a series ( it could have been called 'The Robbie Coltrane Show' ), as it is it remained a stand-alone show. One of Coltrane's characters from 'Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee', a sadistic criminologist called Edgar Bloodlusten, appears here, though here he is named Edgar Dustcarten. Next to 'The Comic Strip Presents', Robbie's next venture into comedy was with the 1990 blockbuster 'Nuns On The Run' ( what a little gem that was! ). By 1993, Robbie moved into the world of straight acting with 'Cracker'.
Wickedly funny stuff! If you can get hold of it, watch it.
It opens with an amusing little sketch done in the form of a silent movie in which Robbie tries to get a sneak preview of his show of which the film is being guarded by a producer. After a tussle between the two, the film ends up being destroyed, then a caption reads: ''That's torn it! Now he won't get a chance to see 'The Robbie Coltrane Special'!''. We then see Robbie appear on stage in front of a cheering audience, engaging in some witty banter about nature programmes and news channels.
We then move onto the sketches. The first being a spoof of 'Border Television' in which Robbie plays drunken news reader Struan McLeish who is celebrating '21 Glourious Years Of Border Television' by showing clips from his first broadcast right up to the present. Next up is a hilarious spoof of 'All Creatures Great & Small' with Robbie as Siegfried and the late Christopher Blake as James which sees the two discussing their unsavoury veterinary experiences at the breakfast table, much to the disgust of their wives.
Other witty items included Robbie as Miss. Burtingham, a gin-supping, mink clad headmistress at St. Boltoph's boarding school for girls who takes on the minister for education's daughter so she can get a large financial grant, another one saw him doing an advertisement for super strength lager which saw him pass out from excessive drinking. Only 'The History Of Rock Music' sketch featuring Robbie as a fading rock star fell upon stony ground.
This would have had plenty of potential to become a series ( it could have been called 'The Robbie Coltrane Show' ), as it is it remained a stand-alone show. One of Coltrane's characters from 'Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee', a sadistic criminologist called Edgar Bloodlusten, appears here, though here he is named Edgar Dustcarten. Next to 'The Comic Strip Presents', Robbie's next venture into comedy was with the 1990 blockbuster 'Nuns On The Run' ( what a little gem that was! ). By 1993, Robbie moved into the world of straight acting with 'Cracker'.
Wickedly funny stuff! If you can get hold of it, watch it.
