The Young Ones
"Answer the phone Neil"
One of the greatest 80's TV comedies. A classic show that had more comedy guests then it had episodes. Students Rick, Neil, Vyvyan and Mike live in squalor in a decrepit house. Their frequent outbursts of mindless violence were so extreme and ridiculous that it made it one of the most enjoyable and memorable shows of the time.
The Young Ones started life as a bunch of British stand up comedians who were working on an 'alternative comedy' movement. Some of them were already beginning to turn up on television shows like Boom Boom...Out Go The Lights and a few other small productions. Rik Mayall played Rik, a pompous, radical wannabe. Ade Edmondson portrayed heavy metal freak Vivian. Then there was Nigel Planer's brainless, hippy 'Neil' and finally, Mike a slightly mysterious and overwhelmingly 'normal' character played by Christopher Ryan. Alexi Sayle also appeared regularly as their Russian landlord Jerzy Balowski and most of his family.
The amount of established and up and coming comedy guest stars was incredible. To name a few, they included… Mark Arden, Keith Allen, Helen Atkinson Wood, Jim Barclay, Chris Barrie, Arnold Brown, Robbie Coltrane, Lee Cornes, Andy de la Tour, Ben Elton, Dawn French, Stephen Frost, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Gareth Hale, Terry Jones, Norman Pace, Lenny Henry, Helen Lederer, Norman Lovett, Pauline Melville, Paul Merton, Daniel Peacock, David Rappaport, Tony Robinson, Griff Rhys Jones, Jennifer Saunders, Mel Smith and Emma Thompson.
Rik Mayall, Lisa Mayer and Ben Elton wrote the scripts, with Mayall and Mayer working as a team and Elton alone; the two elements had to be combined for every script, Elton later saying that this method accounted for the show's lack of discipline which, perversely, greatly added to its appeal. Like most great British comedies, The Young Ones certainly owes a lot to Monty Python, but rather then coping its content, it used the Python style to take the sit-com in a whole new direction.
The Young Ones fast became a cult classic and remains a firm British favorite to this day. A classic sit-com that definitely should not be missed.
The Young Ones Cast
- Rik Mayall - Rik (Not very nice at all!)
- Adrian Edmondson - Vyvyan (A bit like something out of a horror movie)
- Nigel Planer - Neil (Worse than one of those little blue crunchy things)
- Christopher Ryan - Mike (He starts where Jackanory left off)
- Alexei Sayle - The Balowski family
The Young Ones Crew
- Ben Elton - Writer
- Rik Mayall - Writer
- Lise Mayer - Writer
- Alexei Sayle - Additional Material
- Paul Jackson - Producer
The Young Ones Episode Guide
BBC Television (BBC 2) 2 Seasons: 12x 35 Mins Episodes
Series One
Broadcast - 9 Nov-14 Dec 1982 - Tue 9pm BBC 2 (6 x 35 Min episodes)
1. Demolition (11/09/82)
Neil plans to kill himself while the others worry about a demolition notice.
2. Oil (11/16/82)
Vyv discovers oil in the basement, Mike becomes a dictator and Rick plots his overthrow.
3. Boring (11/23/82)
Oblivious of terrorists, dancing vegetables, and card-playing mice, the boys complain of being bored.
4. Bomb (11/30/82)
The guys discover a bomb in the house, just in front of the fridge.
5. Interesting (12/07/82)
The guys throw a wild party.
6. Flood (11/14/82)
The guys may starve to death while monumental rains threaten to run them out.
Series Two
Broadcast- 8th May - 19th June 1984 - Tue 9pm BBC 2 (6 x 35 Min episodes)
1. Bambi (05/08/84)
The guys prepare for University Challenge, a college TV quiz show, hosted by a man Mike knows named Bambi.
2. Cash (05/15/84)
Neil becomes a policeman to earn money to support Vyv's baby.
3. Nasty (05/29/84)
Mike and Vyv try to get their rented video running while Neil has a bath.
4. Time (06/05/84)
All the guys have colds, but Neil's sneezes threaten to collapse the house.
5. Sick (06/12/84)
A Dallas spoof segues into the morning after when Rick wakes up with an axe murderess.
6. Summer Holiday (06/19/84)
When school lets out, the guys are so bored they plan to rob a bank.
