The Young Ones

[Bullgrit]

I remember seeing The Young Ones on MTV back in the 80s, and I remember liking it. I was just reading the Wikipedia article on it, and laughing almost literally out loud. Especially the character descriptions.

As I'm reading the text, I'm remembering the episodes, and I'm really impressed at the writing.

Vyvyan Basterd:

In the episode "Flood", he develops a potion to transform a person into an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. He claims "it's basically a cure... for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac... the potential market's enormous!".

(We have a poster here with the handle [MENTION=4892]Vyvyan Basterd[/MENTION]

Did you ever see this show? It's only 12 episodes total, from almost 30 years ago.

Bullgrit

 

[Morrus]

Yup. I was pretty young - about 8 or so - and wasn't allowed to watch it, but my dad did, and I'd sit at the top of the stairs and watch from behind his back. It was about my bedtime on a weekday night, IIRC. Bottom was pretty funny, too.

Shame Rick Mayall doesn't do much besides commercials these days. I loved him as Alan B'stard in The New Statesman.

 

[darjr]

I'd watch late at night on MTV. My dad would drive us kids and kids of a friend of his to school and I would tell them all about the episode I'd just watched late the night before. I'd act it out really. They were not allowed to watch it or stay up late or both, not sure which, probably both.

 

[The_Silversword]

I loved The Young Ones! Thats the show that introduced me to Motorhead.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

I have the "Every Stoopid Episode" DVD set and still occasionally watch it.

Vyv's got some of the best lines:

"This calls for a very special blend of psychology and extreme violence."


Vyvyan: I've been down the morgue! ... I got a leg!
Mike: Hey Vyvyan, that's not unusual.
Vyvyan: No look! I'm supposed to write an essay on it, but I think I'm just gonna stick it on the bonnet of my car!


Vyvyan: We had a front door at the last house.
Rick: Yes, Vyvyan, but it was nailed to the ceiling in the living room!
Mike: Rick, it had to be done.
Vyvyan: Yeah! I had to! I was drunk!


Rick: What are you doing, Vyvyan?
Vyvyan: I'm entering a contest to win a Ford Tippex. You have to say what Cornflakes mean to you in 10 words. So I said: Cornflakes. Cornflakes. Cornflakes, Cornflakes. Cornflakes, Cornflakes, Cornflakes, Cornflakes, Cornflakes.
Rick: Pathetic! You'll never win, Vyvyan.
Vyvyan: Why not?
Rick: It's only nine words.
Vyvyan: [writing] Corn...flakes!


Neil: Why didn't you cook your own tea, Vyvyan?
Vyvyan: Because I do not cook the tea, Neil, you do! That's what we agreed when we first came - you do the cooking, I'll look after the plants and the goldfish.
Neil: Yeah, and what did you make me cook on that first day?
Vyvyan: Er, sausages! It was a Tuesday.
Neil: Yeah, sausages and?
Vyvyan: Sausages and plants and goldfish! Look, I've discharged my responsibilities, Neil - now you discharge yours.



Guard: 'Ere, hang on! What's that?
Vyvyan: It's my mascot!
Guard: A pig?
Vyvyan: No!
Guard: It is.
Vyvyan: It's not, it's a ferret. It's a deformed ferret, I'll grant you that. So severely deformed in fact that it looks a little bit like a pig.
Guard: Looks exactly like a pig.
Vyvyan: Yes, well, it certainly has been remarked upon. In fact, just as John Merrick is known as "The Elephant Man", Bacon Sandwich here is known as the Pig Ferret.
Guard: Bacon Sandwich? Funny name for a ferret, isn't it?
Vyvyan: Aha! And that's where I had you fooled because it's not a ferret, it's a pig.


I only regret that my wife wouldn't let me name our ferret Bacon Sandwich.

 

[Dioltach]

I wasn't allowed to watch it as a kid, but I think I've managed to see all the episodes. Not as funny as Bottom, in my opinion, but still very good.

Rick Mayall also did some nice stand-alone pieces, under the name Rick Mayall Presents; I particularly like the Briefest Encounter.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Loved the series- one of my favorite BritComs.

I really enjoyed the bits with Alexi Sayle, too. That show got me watching for more of his work.

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

I haven't watched that hot mess called MTV since they actually played music videos... around 1990 or so.

 

[Deset Gled]

I haven't watched that hot mess called MTV since they actually played music videos... around 1990 or so.

It also aired on Comedy Central for a bit in the 90s. I caught a couple episodes there.

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

It also aired on Comedy Central for a bit in the 90s. I caught a couple episodes there.

I was in the Army in the early 90's and in college in the late 90's. I didn't watch much TV.