The Young Ones. Image shows from L to R: Vyvyan (Adrian Edmondson), Neil (Nigel Planer), Mike (Christopher Ryan), Rick (Rik Mayall). Copyright: BBC
The Young Ones

The Young Ones

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC Two
  • 1982 - 1984
  • 12 episodes (2 series)

Hippy Neil, nerdy Cliff Richard-obsessed Rick, psychopathic punk Vyvyan and smooth Mike share a squalid and collapsing student house together. Stars Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer, Christopher Ryan and Alexei Sayle

Press clippings Page 2

More classic comedies coming to iPlayer

Classic comedies including The Young Ones, Blackadder, Mum, Rev. and 2point4 Children are being added to the BBC's iPlayer to help the Corporation celebrate its 100th year.

Chortle, 7th April 2022

Now The Young Ones gets a content warning

One content warning says: 'Contains adult humour, violence, sex references, and racist language that may offend'; while another warns of 'homophobic language that may offend'. The terms are used satirically to mock out-of-date attitudes, but just using them at all may offend modern viewers, Britbox fears.

Chortle, 15th March 2022

How there could have been a sequel to The Young Ones

Groundbreaking 1980s sitcom The Young Ones could have had a follow-up entitled The Middle-Aged Ones, co-creator Lise Mayer has revealed.

Lise Mayer, Chortle, 9th December 2021

The attempted suicide of Partridge & other characters

A look at sitcom characters and suicide, or attempted suicide. Includes talk about Neil in The Young Ones, Denholm Reynholm in The IT Crowd, and a Toblerone-addicted Alan Partridge's barefoot drive to Dundee.

David E. J. A. Bennett, Capers Magazine, 25th May 2021

When Motorhead rocked for The Young Ones

The audience for heavy music didn't overtake MTV immediately, but one of the key moments in pushing for more heavy presence on the network came when Motorhead made a guest turn playing Ace of Spades in the living room of the British cult comedy hit The Young Ones.

Chad Childers, Loudwire, 18th April 2021

Adrian Edmondson to appear on University Challenge

Life is due to imitate art this Christmas when Adrian Edmondson appears on a celebrity edition of University Challenge.

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 16th December 2020

BBC makes comedy sets available as Zoom backgrounds

If those endless tedious Zoom meetings are getting you down the BBC has done something that might spice them up. They have made their archive of images of sets available to use as online meeting backdrops. These include sets from The League of Gentlemen, Yes Minister, The Young Ones, Only Fools and Horses and Dad's Army.

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 13th May 2020

Ben Elton on the ableist slurs he used in Young Ones

I thought using ableist slurs in The Young Ones was OK 30 years ago - until I met the people I'd let down.

Ben Elton, The Independent, 19th November 2019

Fawlty Towers tops Radio Times greatest British sitcom list

Fawlty Towers has come out top of a list of the greatest British sitcoms, as compiled by Radio Times magazine.

British Comedy Guide, 9th April 2019

12 Disastrous US remakes of British Sitcoms

Some things are just uniquely suited to a time and a place. The idea of remaking anything to fit another culture is thankfully becoming more of an outdated concept. Unfortunately, in the past, American TV producers have repeatedly tried and failed to remake many of our beloved British sitcoms.

Super Ink, 8th April 2019

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