I remember the first episode or so of 'Filthy Rich': there was an extended, tasteless visual gag of dead milkmen mounted up.
Also, when Richie's (or whoever's) flat door buzzer went, the seated characters assumed this noise meant each had personally farted, and began wafting the fumes from the offending region.
This series was a step backwards of sorts from the team in my view, and is unlikely to be revealed as an 'unappreciated in its time' gem come 2067, or any other year come to think of it.
Quote: Rico El Vista @ March 24 2011, 10:28 AM GMTI remember the first episode or so of 'Filthy Rich': there was an extended, tasteless visual gag of dead milkmen mounted up.
Also, when Richie's (or whoever's) flat door buzzer went, the seated characters assumed this noise meant each had personally farted, and began wafting the fumes from the offending region.
This series was a step backwards of sorts from the team in my view, and is unlikely to be revealed as an 'unappreciated in its time' gem come 2067, or any other year come to think of it.
Yes - this show did cross the line at times. I think, rather than "Filthy, Rich and Catflap" being a step backwards, the guys were self-consciously trying and deliberately failing at making an 'old style' sitcom. This comes through in the constant breaking of the fourth wall, references to and arguments about the plot (or lack thereof) and the conceit that Richie himself is a comedian of the older generation that never made it that far.
It's like they take the old sitcom format, with its innuendo and slapstick and massacre it with anarchic overkill on all counts.
A clever premise - and something that they did in both "The Young Ones" and "Bottom", though their targets are more clearly stated here.
An interesting premise - but lacked the freshness of its predecessor or the focus of its successor.
Quote: Agnes Guano @ March 23 2011, 9:58 AM GMTI 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.
Good point. I grew up with The Young Ones and the irritant was always Mike, when I heard the part was for Richardson and saw how cool he was in The Comic Strip...
Peter Richardson was not cast as Mike due to a disagreement with producer Paul Jackson that began when Jackson first brought memebers of "The Comic Strip Team" to television with a show called "Boom, Boom... Out Go The Lights" - a precursor to "Saturday/Fridy Live". He didn't want double acts for this show, so he had Rik and ommitted Adrian (their act was called Twentieth Century Coyote at this time) and took Nigel and ommitted Peter (their act was called The Outer Limits). Adrian moved past this, but the disagreement between Jackson and Richardson remained.
A book called "That's Anarchy" by Chrissie Macdonald is a great resource on the topic of alternative comedy.
Jackson was also a producer on "Filthy, Rich and Catflap". I'm not sure about his involvement in "Bottom", but by then the series had been focused around the Rik-Ade relationship.
Quote: ToddB @ March 26 2011, 9:59 PM BSTPeter Richardson was not cast as Mike due to a disagreement with producer Paul Jackson that began when Jackson first brought memebers of "The Comic Strip Team" to television with a show called "Boom, Boom... Out Go The Lights" - a precursor to "Saturday/Fridy Live". He didn't want double acts for this show, so he had Rik and ommitted Adrian (their act was called Twentieth Century Coyote at this time) and took Nigel and ommitted Peter (their act was called The Outer Limits). Adrian moved past this, but the disagreement between Jackson and Richardson remained.
A book called "That's Anarchy" by Chrissie Macdonald is a great resource on the topic of alternative comedy.
Jackson was also a producer on "Filthy, Rich and Catflap". I'm not sure about his involvement in "Bottom", but by then the series had been focused around the Rik-Ade relationship.
Paul Jackson had no involvement with Bottom
Thanks, I'll look out for that book. Years ago I used to have a book called 'Didn't You Kill my Mother-in-law', a history of alternative comedy.
Never knew that about Peter Richardson.
Interesting.
You CAN imagine him playing Mike!
Although Christopher Ryan did a great job IMO.
Quote: peter gazzard @ May 18 2009, 9:00 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.
You are most definitely an exception but don't worry as my favourite Spice Girl was Melanie C, phwoar. As I mentioned, the problem is not so much Mike the character, it was more Mike as played by Chris Ryan, who looked hopelessly out of his depth.
As time goes by I sometimes return to those elements of my heroes that never worked for me in the hope there's something I've been missing all these years - films like Bergman's 'Serpent's Egg', albums like 'Beatles for sale', sitcom characters like, um, Mike. And I normally find no, I still can't enjoy. Still, Mr Ryan was good enough in 'Happy Families'.
I believed that Mike was chosen to play a 'normal' guy amongst chaos. He is totally believable in that role, amazingly 'underplayed'; so funny and confused by others' antics!
Where is he now?
Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ March 28 2011, 9:12 AM BSTThanks, I'll look out for that book. Years ago I used to have a book called 'Didn't You Kill my Mother-in-law', a history of alternative comedy.
Ha ha, the perfect title for such a book.
Quote: dellas @ April 24 2011, 3:42 AM BST
Where is he now?
Christopher Ryan (Mike) has been in a lot of comedies penned by the alternative comedy generation's comedians. He been on The Lenny Henry Show, played a TV director who worked with Cassie on Happy Families, Dave Hedgehog - a regular on Bottom, Marshall - Edina's first ex-husband on Absolutely Fabulous, and Miriam - Viv's trans-gender publicist on The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle. He has been in lots of other comedies and TV/film and stage projects. Most recently, he has been General Staal and Commander Stark on Doctor Who.
