Quote: Renegade Carpark @ December 28 2008, 4:32 PM BSTSacriledge! Blasphemy! Exclamation Points!
I can hardly believe my eyes, are people really dissing The Young Ones?! One of the most influential comedy shows to ever be broadcast, it was my generation's The Goon Show/Monty Python and turned comedy into the new rock and roll.
Agreed.
Incidentally the Tyrannosaurus Rex was of its time. My 1983 diary looks dated now. My grandmother hasn't aged well.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ December 29 2008, 2:44 PM BSTHere be yer quote Aaron -
'No, but I can say that they're funny.
Anyway. Interesting that you're gauging (well, making a specific comment/point about) the shows in regards to their offshoots and long-term effects/influence, rather than on, well, themselves.'
How am I supposed to react to that comment? Hence my 'they were funny' diatribe. Normally, I don't react to a lot of criticisms levelled on this forum, as comedy is such a subjective matter and what is side splittingly good fun for one person is a day in hell for another.
However, I was a young teen when TYO's first appeared on the Telly (back in the days when there were only 4 channels) and it was nothing short of a revolution. Anarchy, satire, surrealism, slapstick, pantomime and 'balls out' swearing were all cobbled together under one roof for the first time and it blew my mind. 'It was a show made by young adults, for young adults and about young adults.' or words to that effect.
The fact that we're still discussing the show some twenty odd years later says something about it's enduring quality. It effected me in a way that Rising Damp, Dad's Army or Only Fools could not.
If you (not you specifically Aaron) are a younger person and can't understand all the fuss about the show, then fair enough, but don't slag it as you've been spoiled by the fruits of it's labours for the last twenty odd years. Just as all roads led to Rome, all the alternative, and now mainstream comedy that prevailed thereafter up until present day has been directly inspired by The Young Ones.
Gah! This happened to me on another internet forum when whipper snapping hoodies were slagging off the original Star Wars movies. I was trying to explain to them that there wouldn't have been a Matrix or Lord of the Rings without Star Wars, but they were having none of it, the brain dead numptys.
Sorry for getting so wound up over this topic, but TYO really was something special and I've yet to see a comedy show since that has matched the same intelligence and revolutionary spirit of The Young Ones.
My new year's resolution will be 'I will not overreact to comments on internet message boards'...should last about six hours.
This is a brilliant post!
Def.
Am I an exception in that my favourite character of the quartet is Mike? I get the feeling most people liked Rick and Vyvyan the most.
Quote: peter gazzard @ May 18 2009, 5:00 PM BSTAm I an exception in that my favourite character of the quartet is Mike? I get the feeling most people liked Rick and Vyvyan the most.
I used to like Rick the most but over time I began to appreciate Mike more and more. I know a lot of people see him as the dull straight man but I think he is anything but. Everything that comes out of his mouth is complete bonkers. I think once you get attuned to Mike's humour you begin to realise that he is probably more insane than Rick, Neil or Vyvyian.
Quote: peter gazzard @ May 18 2009, 5:00 PM BSTAm I an exception in that my favourite character of the quartet is Mike? I get the feeling most people liked Rick and Vyvyan the most.
Neil was greatest. And Christopher Ryan was perfect as Mike.
Quote: Deferenz @ May 18 2009, 11:32 PM BSTI used to like Rick the most but over time I began to appreciate Mike more and more. I know a lot of people see him as the dull straight man but I think he is anything but. Everything that comes out of his mouth is complete bonkers. I think once you get attuned to Mike's humour you begin to realise that he is probably more insane than Rick, Neil or Vyvyian.
Wat's funny is the way they all defer to Mike, and are always trying to impress him
Quote: peter gazzard @ May 19 2009, 8:02 AM BSTWat's funny is the way they all defer to Mike, and are always trying to impress him
Mike holds the highest position in the house and is generally above all of the petty squables. I guess the thinking is that if they get Mike on side then it shows that their particular gripe was correct and thus the others were wrong.
Quote: SlagA @ October 28 2006, 10:30 PM GMTFilthy Rich and Catflap, I agree is far better. If only because they dropped awful Mike.
I didn't have anything against Mike, but I think the journey was a refining process for Rik and Ade. As each series went by they played up the most popular elements and let other things go. Between "The Young Ones" and "Filthy, Rich And Catflap" they lost the less dysfunctional Mike, who was on the outer in some stories, and found a grubbier character for Nigel Planer. I'm not sure that this was so successful, as Ralph Filthy was rather disgusting and dislikeable and sometimes slows things down. His function is drawn out somewhat at times. It might have been better to leave him with a more likeable character like Neil so that Rik and Ade could be awful to him and we could laugh at them for being so horrid.
By "Bottom", they had jettisoned the Nigel Planer character that slowed the pace and refined it to a frenetic and frightening extreme - which probably makes it their most finished work.
I preferred SPG.
Special Patrol Group! I loved that foul mouthed, lentil eating, violent hamster!
I just heard listener calling themselves Toxteth O'Grady contacting Radio 2 
Quote: peter gazzard @ March 23 2011, 8:30 AM GMTI just heard listener calling themselves Toxteth O'Grady contacting Radio 2
Quote: peter gazzard @ May 19 2009, 11:02 AM GMTWat's funny is the way they all defer to Mike, and are always trying to impress him
I often wonder how Peter Richardson would have interpreted the role had the planned casting gone ahead. He probably would have a role in the writing as well.
Quote: Danny @ October 18 2006, 10:27 PM GMTFilthy Rich and Catflap is funnier but the young ones is still ace.
This to me is like saying The Beatles ain't bad but check out Wings.
