From: Christopher.Carne@brunel.ac.uk (Christopher J Carne)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Young Ones
Keywords: Niel, Vivian, Rick, Mike, that terrible Alexy Sayle guy.
Date: 20 Aug 92 11:26:06 GMT
Distribution: rec.arts.tv.uk
Organization: Brunel University, West London, UK

In article <1992Aug19.150344.6438@homebase.vistachrome.com> eric@homebase.vistachrome.com (Eric Brunson) writes:
>I have been a long time fan of The Young Ones and have many recorded of
>the episode they showed on MTV.
>
>Does anyone know how many episodes were made?  How many seasons the show
>ran?  How well did it go over in the UK?  I saw one episode ( Flood ) while i
>I was living in England in 82 or 83, was that when it was new?
>Anyone else a fan? 

I'm sure that someone out there has a complete episode guide. Much
of the following is from memory so be warned.

The show ran for two series of six episodes each the first in 1982 and
the second the following year. Scripts were by Ben Elton, Lise Meyer and
Rick Mayall.

I was still at school at the time and the show was a big hit with the 
kids. We were all waiting for the People's Poet to come and rescue
us from Thatcher's Thought Police (cunningly disguised as teachers) and
there fascist aims.  There was a certain amount of 'I don't pay my
lincence fee to have this sort of thing shoved down my throat. These
so called 'comedians' seek to mock everything that ordinary decent
people believe in. Therewas a time when the BBC could be relied upon to
uphold the Christian value that made this country great. Alas, by 
giving money to such people as these you have shown that those days are
far behind us. Yours etc Edna Wellthorpe (Mrs)' as well as a certain amount
of 'alternative comedy' bashing from the likes of Tarby, and Brucey etc.
On the whole though it was fairly popular, probably more so with the younger
age groups. My dad liked it but then he was a Goon fan. 

>I know some of them went on to do the Comic Strip, anything else?  

Most prominently Rik starred as Alan B'staard in the sitcom 'The New
Stateman', which was quite good.

Nigel Planner has been doing his over the top thespian character
Nicholas Craig in a number of programmes. 'The Nicholas Craig
Masterclass' being the most recent. Deadpan parody of the pretentions
of actors being the order of the day. I'm amazed that Simon Callow
hasn't sued yet.

Ade Edmonson and Rik Mayall have written and starred a seried called
'Bottom' which is sorta like 'The Young Ones: Ten Years On' but
has the drawback that it isn't very funny. 

'That terrible Alexy Sayle guy'. (That's Alexi BTW) has had three series
of his own sketch show 'Stuff' co-scripted by long time writers David
Renwick and Andrew Marshall) which has been one of the highlights of
British TV comedy oiver the past coupla years.
>
>Also, is there any way to get ahold of any of the old Not the Nine O'Clock
>News with Rowan Atkinson?  That was some of the funniest television I have   
seen in the past few years. Is it still running?

I always found NTNONN a bit hit and miss. When it was good it was really
good, but too often it just wasn't funny enough. Having been a somewhat
topical show, I geuss the Beeb might think that reruns would not be
worthwile. I'd be surprised if there weren't a video release on some
of this material.  
>-----
>
>"Baconsandwich?  That's a funny name for a ferret."
>"Ah, that's where we've got you... because it not a ferret... it's a pig."
>"Have you had enough, Nazi, or do you want some more?"
>
>-----
>
>"Felicity Kendall is sweetly pretty, and I want to protect her."
>"Well, I've never heard it called that before."
>
>-----
>
>"Well I don't mind being called a pig, actually, Rick, because, for your
>information, pigs are really quite intelligent."
>"Oh they are, are they?  Well tell me, Neil, who invented the internal 
>combustion engine?  Was it Porky the Pig?  And what about the 
>Theory of Relativity?  Was Pythagoras a pig?  So tell me, Neil, what
>is the major piggy contribution to society?  Come on.............
>It's _bacon_, isn't it.  Bacon and wallowing around in the mud." 
>
>-- 
>Eric "Raa" Brunson      |
>eric@vistachrome.com   |     These opinions are mine alone, but
>brunson@math.fsu.edu   |   they could be yours for a low monthly fee.  

CHR$