The very first episode of the short lived but influential sketch show which launched the careers of soon to be big names Rik Mayall, Tracey Ullman and Robbie Coltrane ( although the latter would not appear until the second series ).
The opening sketch of this edition features a man in a hospital bed hooked up to a life support system. Suddenly a cleaning lady walks in and casually unplugs the machine so she can use her vacuum cleaner, unaware that she has just killed a patient! This item provoked some controversy from viewers when first aired, who believed it to be in extremely poor taste. Given that the show was inspired by 'Not The Nine O'Clock News', which also did not pull its punches, just what were viewers expecting?
Richard Stilgoe would appear in between sketch as a narrator who would provide some very funny linking material for sketches, an example being: ''Death is something we all have to try once, and very few of us try twice, rather like pot noodles!''. Stilgoe left after the first series as he felt uncomfortable performing in a sketch show. He was replaced in the second series by Robbie Coltrane.
A bus drives down a quiet road. On the destination board reads - 'Glasgow via Maryhill'. Pulling up behind is a hearse with a destination board reading - 'Hell via loose living'!
A funeral of a popular comedian ends with the mourners applauding as the coffin enters the furnace, only then for the coffin to re-appear as though making an on-stage encore. This item was earlier used by Dave Allen on his sketch show 'Dave Allen At Large'.
Rik Mayall makes his debut here as Kevin Turvey, a brainless investigative reporter from Redditch who only ever appeared in the show in self contained monolgues ( which Mayall wrote himself. His first item sees him discussing the matter of death ( foolishly referring to the grim reaper as the grim rapist! ). Turvey became a popular character, though Mayall tried to fool viewers into believing his creation was a real person, hence Mayall's name in the cast credits was replaced with Turvey's. Mayall's real name only ever appeared in the writing credits.
A couple are arguing about the husband's father having to reside with them while he awaits hospital treatment. ''Either he goes or you need to buy me a bigger freezer!'' says the irate wife as she reveals the frozen figure of her father crammed in the freezer!
A son fed up of his parents' constant nagging decides to commit suicide by jumping from a window ledge, however his father intervenes to tell him he is doing it all wrong and shows him the correct way to do it. Repulsed at witnessing his father taking his own life, the son changes his mind, much to the annoyance of his mother!
An auctioneer begins an auction for the soul of a Sunday school teacher with a tarnished reputation. God and Satan bid against each other however are soon outbid by a woman from an arts council!
Stilgoe sings an amusing item about surgeons hunting down organ donors, going to great lengths to capture their unfortunate prey such as tampering with traffic lights or setting up booby traps in the street!
The first edition is a little topper, brimming with some truly hilarious sketches. It is obvious that the show is modeled on 'Not The Nine O'Clock News' however it sadly did not attract the same reception that the earlier show did and alas only proved modestly successful. Personally, I prefer 'A Kick Up The Eighties'. As well as Ullman, Mayall and Stilgoe in the cast, we also have Ron Bain, Miriam Margolyes and Roger Sloman. Bain in particular was hilarious and showed a lot of promise at the start of his career as a comedy actor, however he later left the acting profession to become a director, his first directing job being on BBC Scotland's 'City Lights'.
Peter Brewis ( who would later write the brilliant theme for 'The Young Ones' ) provides a drab piano number played over an animated set of opening titles in which we see stills of Maggie Thatcher, Charles and Di and Ronald Reagan on a TV screen, only then for a foot to catapult itself through the screen. David McNiven provided a more catchy synth theme for the second series.
Funniest sketch -the 'suicide' sketch. Sick I know but it is wonderfully performed by Ron Bain, Roger Sloman and Miriam Margolyes and it rightly earns them applause from the studio audience.
The opening sketch of this edition features a man in a hospital bed hooked up to a life support system. Suddenly a cleaning lady walks in and casually unplugs the machine so she can use her vacuum cleaner, unaware that she has just killed a patient! This item provoked some controversy from viewers when first aired, who believed it to be in extremely poor taste. Given that the show was inspired by 'Not The Nine O'Clock News', which also did not pull its punches, just what were viewers expecting?
Richard Stilgoe would appear in between sketch as a narrator who would provide some very funny linking material for sketches, an example being: ''Death is something we all have to try once, and very few of us try twice, rather like pot noodles!''. Stilgoe left after the first series as he felt uncomfortable performing in a sketch show. He was replaced in the second series by Robbie Coltrane.
A bus drives down a quiet road. On the destination board reads - 'Glasgow via Maryhill'. Pulling up behind is a hearse with a destination board reading - 'Hell via loose living'!
A funeral of a popular comedian ends with the mourners applauding as the coffin enters the furnace, only then for the coffin to re-appear as though making an on-stage encore. This item was earlier used by Dave Allen on his sketch show 'Dave Allen At Large'.
Rik Mayall makes his debut here as Kevin Turvey, a brainless investigative reporter from Redditch who only ever appeared in the show in self contained monolgues ( which Mayall wrote himself. His first item sees him discussing the matter of death ( foolishly referring to the grim reaper as the grim rapist! ). Turvey became a popular character, though Mayall tried to fool viewers into believing his creation was a real person, hence Mayall's name in the cast credits was replaced with Turvey's. Mayall's real name only ever appeared in the writing credits.
A couple are arguing about the husband's father having to reside with them while he awaits hospital treatment. ''Either he goes or you need to buy me a bigger freezer!'' says the irate wife as she reveals the frozen figure of her father crammed in the freezer!
A son fed up of his parents' constant nagging decides to commit suicide by jumping from a window ledge, however his father intervenes to tell him he is doing it all wrong and shows him the correct way to do it. Repulsed at witnessing his father taking his own life, the son changes his mind, much to the annoyance of his mother!
An auctioneer begins an auction for the soul of a Sunday school teacher with a tarnished reputation. God and Satan bid against each other however are soon outbid by a woman from an arts council!
Stilgoe sings an amusing item about surgeons hunting down organ donors, going to great lengths to capture their unfortunate prey such as tampering with traffic lights or setting up booby traps in the street!
The first edition is a little topper, brimming with some truly hilarious sketches. It is obvious that the show is modeled on 'Not The Nine O'Clock News' however it sadly did not attract the same reception that the earlier show did and alas only proved modestly successful. Personally, I prefer 'A Kick Up The Eighties'. As well as Ullman, Mayall and Stilgoe in the cast, we also have Ron Bain, Miriam Margolyes and Roger Sloman. Bain in particular was hilarious and showed a lot of promise at the start of his career as a comedy actor, however he later left the acting profession to become a director, his first directing job being on BBC Scotland's 'City Lights'.
Peter Brewis ( who would later write the brilliant theme for 'The Young Ones' ) provides a drab piano number played over an animated set of opening titles in which we see stills of Maggie Thatcher, Charles and Di and Ronald Reagan on a TV screen, only then for a foot to catapult itself through the screen. David McNiven provided a more catchy synth theme for the second series.
Funniest sketch -the 'suicide' sketch. Sick I know but it is wonderfully performed by Ron Bain, Roger Sloman and Miriam Margolyes and it rightly earns them applause from the studio audience.
