The Comic Strip Presents.... Credit: Comic Strip Productions
The Comic Strip Presents...

The Comic Strip Presents...

  • TV comedy drama
  • Channel 4 / BBC Two / Gold
  • 1982 - 2016
  • 41 episodes (5 series)

Periodic series of satires and spoofs that helped bring alternative comedy to the mainstream and forge a comedy reputation for then-new Channel 4. Stars Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders and more.

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  1. 29th February: Special Comic Strip screening and talk to be held (Beyond The Joke)
The Comic Strip Presents.... Credit: Comic Strip Productions

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
1982 - 2016
Channels
Channel 4, BBC Two, Gold
Episodes
41 (1 pilot + 5 series)
Stars
Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Robbie Coltrane and Keith Allen
Writers
Peter Richardson and Pete Richens
Directors
Bob Spiers and Peter Richardson
Producers
Peter Richardson, Andrew St. John, Sarah Radclyffe, Simon Wright, Lolli Kimpton and Michael White
Companies

More of a 'brand' than a cohesive series, The Comic Strip Presents... nevertheless set the marker for comedy on Channel 4, and indeed popular comedy in the 1980s - and beyond.

A sporadic collection of self-contained comedy TV films and playlets (not to mention two big-screen spin-offs), the Comic Strip was developed by Peter Richardson, promoter of a late-night comedy event in Soho which took place in a strip club after the last naked-lady show of the evening had finished.

The Comic Strip specials started in 1982 with Five Go Mad In Dorset, and have run up to the present day, with the satirical 50s-style film noir spoof The Hunt For Tony Blair airing in 2011.

Most episodes feature the same 'core' team of actors. Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders appear in many of the shows - sometimes as more than one character - with other familiar faces like Robbie Coltrane and Keith Allen also popping up regularly.

A 30th anniversary episode in the Enid Blyton spoof strand was made for GOLD: Five Go To Rehab.

In 2015 the gang return with newspaper satire The Red Top.

Stream and download

Additional details

Production
Studio
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Tuesday 2nd November 1982 at 10:15pm on Channel 4
Most recent repeats
  • Tuesday 4th February 2020 at 2:45am on Gold - Episode 1
  • Monday 9th July 2018 at 2:30am on Gold - Episode 1
  • Saturday 7th July 2018 at 2:50am on Gold - Episode 1