Britcomedy Digest: A monthly electronic newsletter on British comedies
==================================
B R I T C O M E D Y D I G E S T
==================================
V. 1 B A C K - T O - S C H O O L I S S U E SEPT 15, 1994
no.3
A monthly electronic newsletter on British comedies.
What's Inside:
==============
Features:
* "Whose Line is It, Anyway?"
* Review: "Filthy, Rich and Catflap"
* Monty
Python Trivia * Reader's Forum: Absolutely Fabulous
* "Blackadder: The Cavalier Years": the exciting conclusion
* FIRST EVER READER'S SURVEY -- participation is encouraged
Regular Departments:
Letters
Britcomedy News
Newsquirks
Review
Editorial Page
Quote-O'-the-Month
net.comedy (a new column)
Ads
E D I T O R 'S P A G E
=======================
This issue heralds several milestones for Britcomedy Digest. The Digest has
recently doubled it's size, and will be posted in two parts on the
Internet. We've acquired an ISSN # from the Library of Congress--"the
social security number" of the serials world. You can find us listed in the
next version of the "Zines FAQ" (maintained by John Labovitz and posted to
alt.zines). And those on Delphi can access BD in the "Anglo-File" forum.
Moreover, the mailing list for the Digest has swelled to over 390
subscribers worldwide. We'd like to know who our readers are, and what
their taste in British comedy is; to that end, we've included a "Reader's
Survey". Please take a moment to fill it out and return to us, so that we
can better serve you in future issues.
I'd like to take a moment to thank Contributing Editor Michelle Street, as
well as James Kew and Jason R. Heimbaugh. Each has provided valuable
services yto this newsletter, and in so doing, has ensured its
continuation. Readers have a better newsletter because of their input.
We still need reporters to cover many British comedies, including 'Allo
'Allo!, Steptoe and Son, Drop the Dead Donkey, Yes, Prime Minister, and I'm
Sorry, I'll Read That Again. This is a great opportunity for creative
aspiring writers to get their articles "in print." E-mail the Ed for
details.
Most of all, a hearty "thanks" to the readers for their support. Keep
writing and letting me know what shows you want covered.
Staff
=====
Managing Editor..................Melinda Casino
Contributing Editor..............Michelle Street
Merry jester.....................Michelle Casino
net.comedy, WWW typesetting......James Kew
Contributing writers: Michael Clarkson, Vincent Golden, James Kew, Michelle
Street.
<Schopenhauer Publishing Co.>
How To Reach The Editors
========================
Readers are ENCOURAGED to direct "letters to the editor," comments, praise,
criticism, and general what-not to the Managing Editor at Britcomedy
Digest.
E-MAIL: <casino@pobox.upenn.edu>
WRITE: Melinda Casino, Britcomedy Digest, 404 So. 20th Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19146.
FOR ALL NEWS-RELATED ITEMS send e-mail to Michelle Street
<michel1361@aol.com>, or write her at: 1118 Briarcliff, Rantoul, IL 61866.
CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTION INFO.
==============================
Britcomedy Digest (ISSN 1077-6680) is a free electronic fanzine posted
monthly to: alt.tv.red-dwarf, alt.comedy.british.blackadder,
alt.comedy.british, alt.tv.comedy-central, rec.arts.tv.uk, alt.zines,
alt.fan.monty-python, alt.fan.douglas-adams.
On Delphi: In the "Anglo-File" forum.
If you wish to receive one in your mailbox, your e-mail address to the
editor.
BACK ISSUES
===========
Back issues are available by ftp from the site cathouse.org, in the
directory /pub/cathouse/humor/british.humour/britcomedy.digest. Login as
"anonymous", giving your e-mail address as the password. The URL is:
ftp://cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/humor/british.humour/britcomedy.digest/
HTML-formatted issues are also available on the WWW from:
http://satelnet.org/~mentat/Britcom/ (Thanks to Mat Hall of !Productions)
-------> Britcomedy Digest is looking for a permanent home for the HTML
versions; can anybody offer us some space on their WWW server?
LETTERS
=======
British comedy and British mysteries head the list of things that I like to
read or watch. I used to work on short jobs in the Scottish Highlands and
always expected the BBC newsreaders to break out into something "silly", as
the folks of Monty Python were wont to do.
Thanks for the time and effort that you put into this for the enjoyment of
others.
Frank St. Marie - Connecticut
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: I'm glad you find BD worthwhile. I enjoy putting it
together, and hope that it serves as a repository for all the British
comedy-related information that's floating around on the Internet.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Just thought I'd let you know, calling a British person a "Brit" may sound
normal to Americans, but it's actually a sort of offensive term. It was
coined by the IRA, and is pretty derogatory. It's sort of like "spic" or
"wop". Definitely not flattering.
Andy D
President of the Penn British Society
University of Pennsylvania
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: I was unaware that this term might offend someone.
Apologies if it has. In the future, Britcomedy Digest will cease to use
this shorthand term when referring to the British.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I just picked up my first copy of Britcomedy Digest. Bravo!
I'm desperately seeking information on an older Britcom series, "Chalk and
Cheese", which starred Michael Crawford (after he finished the final season
of "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em"). Beyond knowing that it wasn't all that
successful, I can't discover a thing about "Chalk and Cheese".
Thanks,
Karen Goertzel <goertzek@hfsi.com>
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: Utilizing "The Definitive UK Sitcom List," (see ADS
section this issue), I found out that "Chalk and Cheese", broadcast in
1979, was written by Alex Shearer, and also starred Gillian Martell, Robin
Hawdon, Julia Goodman, and Michael Gambon. Readers, can anyone provide
Karen with more details?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It'd be great if you could regularly include addresses on where to get hold
of stuff on video, originals as well as the copying service mentioned.
Regarding "AbFab": Really, Pats is just an old friend of Edina from the
early days (school, etc.). While Edina is a publicist (for Lulu, no less!),
Pats is the...fashion "director" for some big fashion magazine.
Cheers, Mark - New Zealand
EDITOR'S REPLY: We're considering running a special issue on how to get
hold of British comedies, no matter where you live.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Actually, it's (The Lion King) to get premiere showings during September
and goes on general release throughout the UK from October 14th. So while
it's later than in the US, it's not as late as say, Aladdin.
Al - University of Edinburgh
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
How about a "Where are they now?" column? I don't know where anyone famous
is, but something interesting or tragic or both must have happened to all
the old actors and comedians we no longer hear from.
Just a suggestion,
Mick Byrne - Canberra, Australia
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: That sounds like a good story idea. I'll look inot it.
If you've got a suggestion, by all means, contact the Ed.
BRITCOMEDY NEWS
===============
I'M FREEEEEEE!
Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton) will be coming to America in August. If
you happen to be in the New York/Long Island Mineola-Garden City area on
August 18th, 1994, why not spend a delightful evening from 7:30-10 PM with
him at the Mineola BAR Association. Tickets are $30 per person. Call Linda
Sohne (516-367-2100) for more information. This premier event is being
brought to you by the 6th most watched public television station, WLIW
Channel 21.
GOODIE TO THE RESCUE AGAIN
Slowly but surely, corporate executives and (gasp) lawyers are picking up
their clue phones and realizing what a powerful tool humour can be.
John Cleese and his Video Arts company pioneered this method of laugh and
learn when Cleese starred in a series of highly successful and entertaining
management training videos. In films such as "Decisions, Decisions" he was
able to make some very strong points about effective business practices
while also getting a few laughs.
Now ex-Goodie Tim Brooke-Taylor has come to rescue legal students from
terminal boredom by starring in a video for the Inns of Court School of
Law.
One of the segments features Brooke-Taylor as a barrister facing a woman
who claims that her baby (while strapped in a push-chair, mind you) was
responsible for shoplifting items from a supermarket.
The situation may be funny but during the course of the video legal
students ae given training on how *not* to treat clients as well as tips on
speaking and cross-examination.
The part must have come naturally for Brooke-Taylor, who studied law at
Cambridge. Maybe part of the reason he didn't pursue this career was
because in his own words, "I hate wearing a wig - it's appalling."
VISIONS '94 CONVENTION TO BE HELD IN CHICAGO
The convention "devoted to unusual television" promises to have guests from
Doctor Who, Blakes Seven, Robin of Sherwood, Red Dwarf, and Blackadder this
year. It's taking place in at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare Hotel in Chicago,
IL.
The guests scheduled include Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Rob Grant,
Doug Naylor, Jon Pertwee, Lalla Ward, John Levene, Nicholas Courtney, Paul
Darrow, Nicholas Grace, Mark Ryan, and Tony Robinson. But be forewarned,
guests may cancel at any time due to schedule conflicts. Craig Charles is
scheduled to appear, pending his trial on a charge of rape.
Don't procrastinate and buy tickets at the door, though. If you do, a
three-day jaunt will set you back 75 bucks.
For ticket pricing and reservations, call Visions at (708) 405-9461, or
e-mail George Fergus <fergus@areaplg2.corp>.
Newsquirks
----------Pixels in the press
BEN'S ONE-NIGHTER TURNS INTO THREE
(OO-ER, THAT SOUNDS A BIT RUDE!)
Following his recent marriage, Ben Elton has been playing to packed houses
in Australia and New Zealand. (C'mon, Ben. What enquiring minds really
want to know is if you actually stopped working long enough to take a
honeymoon!). In the city of Auckland, New Zealand, ticket demand was so
great that a scheduled one-night performance turned into a three-night
stand.
During the gigs Ben covered his standard subject matter of pap smears,
condoms, and the sex lives of whales. The opening act was (oddly enough) a
pop band called "Boom Babies." In case you're wondering why he chose to
have a musical opening act, the lead singer of this band just happens to be
his sister-in-law.
"SWEETIE, DARLING" SOON TO BECOME A HOUSEHOLD WORDS IN SWEDEN
In its continuing quest for world domination, the popular BBC sitcom
"Absolutely Fabulous" will begin running on Swedish National Television
starting in September. If any of our alert readers from that part of the
world would care to inform us, perhaps we can all learn to say "Sweetie,
darling" in Swedish.
MOST SILLY NEWSGROUP --
AND THE WINNER IS...ALT.FAN.MONTY-PYTHON
If you're in need of a giggle (and if you're reading this, you are) check
out "alt.fan.monty-python". True to it's subject, it definitely wins the
"most creatively silly" award. It has everything: 50 thread-long quote
wars, colorful 'net personalitites, friendly fans who will bend over
backwards to help another MP fan, and, best of all, you don't have to think
twice before posting there. It seems the rule is, anything goes--the
wackier the better. It's like a truckload of spam hit the Internet. Go
ahead, gorge yourself on the enthusiasm of rabid fans.
JULIA SAWAHLA: WHAT A CRACKING BIRD!
It seems the British comedy program Absolutely Fabulous, which recently
made its debut on Comedy Central in the U.S., has something else to
recommend it besides its acerbic wit: Julia Sawahla. A mention of the
actress who plays "Saffron," the daughter of Edina, on one newsgroup has
produced no less than 15 responses. Some posts cite her intelligence,
others her acting ability, and still others admire...<ahem> well, you know.
Stay tuned for a biography in the next issue of BD on this fetching young
actress. As Richie said to her in an episode of "Bottom", "Tell me, do you
use Timotei?"
E D I T O R I A L / O P I N I O N P A G E
============================================
THE RAMIFICATIONS OF BOOTLEGGING
by Vincent Golden..........................<golden@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
I had an experience recently on the Internet that brought up an issue that
should be addressed in Britcomedy Digest.
I am sure those of you who read alt.comedy.british and related newsgroups
of specific shows have seen posts offering to sell tapes of specific shows.
I responded to such a post, since some programs I'm looking for are only
offered in PAL format, which is not compatible in the U.S.
I got an immediate response offering a wide list of titles with prices. I
had not seen most of these offered commercially before. I wrote back to
that person, asking whether these were commercially released videos from
the BBC, CBS Fox Video, or some other affiliate, or merely copied from TV
or another tape. Oh, let's just get that word out into the open: BOOTLEG.
The person's response was quite puzzling to me: they were not able to
disagree with my opinions on copyright infringement, and yet they did not
come out and say whether they were offering bootleg copies or not.
This is a serious issue, as Americans demonstrate an increasing interest in
British comedies. More and more copies of shows are sitting out there on
people's livingroom shelves long before the show is released commercially.
I say, this is fine. Taping a show, loaning it out to friends, having
viewing parties at your house: all of these are 'fair use' of the programs.
It is when you are selling them as a personal commercial venture in order
to make a profit that the line is crossed--that the law is broken. Like it
or not, pirated or bootleg copies of shows are illegal.
My video library includes "Yes, Prime Minister", 3 tapes of "The New
Statesman", "The Dangerous Brothers", "How to Irritate People", and a few
movies. All are commercially-released tapes. I expect a certain quality
from these sources (not a 3rd or 4th generation tape), and I want the boxes
with notes and credits. Moreover, by purchasing the tapes I show my support
for the programs by increasing their sales. From licensing agreements, a
percentage of the purchase price goes to the production company and the
performers. Nothing encourages them to produce more than success and money.
Bootleggers do NOT contribute to anything but their own personal gain. If
early seasons of Red Dwarf were bootlegged, do you think there would be any
incentive to offer later seasons?
I know the standard argument. You want certain shows and they just aren't
available in the U.S. yet. What you need to do is write to the shows. Let
them know there is an interest in their programs. Write to your local PBS
station and try to get them interested in purchasing the show for
broadcast. The more interest you generate, the more everyone benefits, and,
hopefully, even more people will be exposed to the wonderful world of
British comedy.
If you see somebody offer tapes for sale, ask them if the tapes are
official commercial releases. If they will not admit that the tapes are,
avoid them like the plague. Do not support these parasites. If you do have
some commercial tapes for sale, please state that they are in your
advertisement.
###
Britcomedy Digest strives to act as a forum for readers to express diverse
opinions. We welcome contrasting views, and will run those which
demonstrate a knowledge of the subject and an ability for thoughtful
argumentation. Simply send rebuttals and editorials to:
<casino@pobox.upenn.edu> with the subject heading "EDITORIAL".
****************************************************************
"Whose Line Is It Anyway?" ..............by Michelle Street
****************************************************************
So you think you're pretty funny, huh? Hilarious is your middle name?
Well, try to make a up a skit or song using characters and situations
you've only just been given. Go ahead, try. Let's hear you sing a
mini-musical about your Aunt Bessie's visit to the dentist or tell a story
about garbage collectors in the style of Charles Dickens. OK, you've got
about thirty seconds to think about it. And, oh, yeah - you're in front of
lights, cameras, and an audience waiting for you to make them laugh.
You still think you're funny?
That, in essence, is the premise of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and luckily
for us, the cast can do all of the above. The show, soon to begin its
fourth season on Comedy Central, relies on the quick wits of a group of
multi-talented performers who improvise skits, songs, and whateverthehell
else host Clive Anderson (and the studio audience) tells them to do.
Performers risk humiliation weekly and all for what? The chance to be that
week's champion and win the grand prize of reading the final credits in a
style of Clive's choosing.
Basically this show is a triumph of imagination over money. The set is
bare-bones, performers come dressed in everyday clothes, and any props used
probably cost a couple of bucks at the most.
So all that's left to dazzle the viewer (not counting the glare from
Clive's head) is the quickness of a very funny group of people, including
Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Tony Slattery, John Sessions, and others. (For
more information on these performers, see next month's issue of Britcomedy
Digest. Plug, plug)
The idea for "Whose Line?" no doubt emerged due to the popularity of
improvisational comedy at such clubs as Chicago's famed Second City and
London's Comedy Store. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, and Martin
Short are only a few of the comedians who cut their teeth in
improvisational troupes, and the training was invaluable in teaching them
how to think on their feet.
And being able to think fast is what this show is all about. It may look
soooo easy, but improvisation is extremely difficult. The performers must
spend time absorbing everything they can from books, magazines, films, and
television in preparation for their work. (Hey, sounds cool to me.) Then
they must be able to call upon this storehouse of knowledge to amuse and
entertain a sometimes rowdy audience.
Though the games, such as Props and Party Quirks, have remained the same
throughout each of the series, they are given a remarkable freshness by the
cast. As long as the energy and unpredictability remain intact, "Whose Line
Is It Anyway?" will be compulsive viewing.
###
========================
Filthy, Rich and Catflap
======================== A review by James Kew
What happened after "The Young Ones" finished? Christopher Ryan (Mike)
dropped back into relative obscurity. Rik Mayall (Rik), Adrian Edmondson
(Vyv) and Nigel Planer (Neil) continued their work with "The Comic Strip".
Ben Elton (co-writer of the show with Lise Mayer and Rik Mayall) went on to
write "Happy Families", which starred Jennifer Saunders, Adrian Edmondson,
Dawn French and Stephen Fry and screened in 1985, and joined Richard Curtis
in writing the "Blackadder" series, taking over from Rowan Atkinson.
In 1987 Mayall, Edmondson, Planer and Elton rejoined forces in a single
series of a new comedy, "Filthy Rich & Catflap", which has recently been
issued on BBC Video.
The six episodes were written by Ben Elton, with additional material
contributed by Rik Mayall. Mayall plays Richie Rich, a rather pathetic
would-be celebrity whose biggest achievement was reading the links on
late-night TV. Eddie Catflap (Adrian Edmondson) is Richie's flatmate and
minder, a brutal moron with a penchant for double-entendres. Ralph Filthy
(Nigel Planer) is Richie's agent, a chain-smoking whisky-swilling wreck of
a man with a string of dubious sideline businesses.
The plots revolve loosely around Richie's ill-conceived bids for stardom;
as in "The Young Ones", the plots serve mostly as a framework to hang gags
from and often veer into the surreal. The result: the plots seem tangled
and over-complicated, but the episodes usually end with all the plot-lines
tied neatly together.
In one episode, Richie makes a particularly dreadful appearance on "Oo-er,
Sounds A Bit Rude"--the game-show for the whole family, hosted by Ivor
Whopper (Gareth Hale). After being snubbed by his fellow celebrities in the
BBC bar, he mopes around TV Centre and discovers the Nolan Sisters'
dressing-room; they catch him in the shower in one of their costumes and
threaten to expose him to the Press unless he pays them a thousand pounds.
Eddie poses as "Edwardo Catflappo", an artist, and is discovered by two
critics, P'Farty and N'Bend (played by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie). His
first exhibition is a huge success but Richie discovers that Eddie is the
victim of a Pygmalion-style wager between P'Farty and N'Bend; they have
succeeded in promoting a talentless nobody to the status of a major new
artist. They pay Richie their twenty thousand pound stake to ensure his
silence; Eddie snatches the money and they return to their flat for an
almighty party, at which the Nolans sing "I'm In The Mood For Dancing"...
You often get the feeling that Ben Elton is thumbing his nose at
traditional light-entertainment values. There are some well-deserved jabs
at various shows and celebrities of the era--Jimmy Tarbuck, Leslie
Crowther, etc.--which occasionally gives the series a rather dated feel.
The characters, particularly Eddie, make frequent comments and grimaces at
the camera, and often stop to question the script:
Eddie: I'd hardly call this meaningless string of bot and knob gags a
plot, would you? Richie: Is this some sort of joke? Eddie: Then it'll be
the first one on the show this week! Richie: Shut up Eddie! We've had some
super laughs already and the show's only just begun!
Absurdities pass by matter-of-factly--a connecting door leads from their
flat directly into a newsagents, a newspaper-seller walks across the set
calling "Extra! Extra! I'm an extra!". At the end of the last episode
Richie is the only family entertainer left on TV, having slandered every
other person in show-biz, and Eddie demolishes the set revealing the studio
beyond.
Is it funny? Well, a lot of the time, yes. Most of the humour is of the
rather crude, violent variety that "The Young Ones" is famous for. Eddie's
relentless quest for double-entendres leads to some hilarious sequences in
which anything the other characters say gets twisted by him. The surreal,
convoluted plots lead the characters into some entertaining situations, and
it's often impossible to guess what the next twist will be.
Fans of "The Young Ones" will love it, as will fans of Mayall and
Edmondson's later show "Bottom". The characters in "Filthy, Rich & Catflap"
were clearly influential for "Bottom": Richie's gloating, over-inflated ego
and minuscule talent, Eddie's thinly-veiled disdain for him, their general
social ineptitude.
It's a fun series, with flashes of brilliance; however, it lacks the spark
that would propel it into the league of "Red Dwarf" or "Blackadder". It's
hard to feel any sympathy for the characters, and Elton's manic pace and
hectoring tone grows a little wearing after a few episodes. Worth looking
out for.
###
=================================================================
Monty Python...Facts and Trivia
====================== by Michael Clarkson ======================
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While much this information comes from my own research and
observations, a series of books by Kim "Howard" Johnson (St. Annes Press)
has aided me: "The First 200 Years of Monty Python"; "Life Before and After
Monty Python"; "And Now For Something Completely Trivial".
* Many different people from the world of pop music loved the Monty Python
brand of humour. Not the least of these were the Beatles. Three of the four
at one stage or another had links with the Python team
George Harrison was probably was the keenest of the four. He's said in an
interview, "Monty Python helped me get over the trauma of the breakup of
the Beatles." He made an unaccredited appearance at some of the American
concerts at the City Center venue (as a mountie during the Lumberjack
Song). He also put up the money for the film 'Life of Brian' as well as
asking Palin to write the sleeve notes for an album which he made with the
supergroup "The Travelling Wilburys". During his concerts the last record
on a warm-up tape he played at the start of the gig was the Lumberjack
Song.
Eric Idle also directed some videos for Harrison. Harrison appeared on
Idle's 1975 TV programme "Rutland Weekend Television". This was a wonderful
satire as Harrison - who was dressed up as though he was about to perform
his 1970 UK # 1 "My Sweet Lord" surprised audiences as he went into a silly
little song about pirates! Mick Jagger also did spoof interviews about the
Rutles.
Paul McCartney's links with Python were very much more obscure. Chapman had
been invited to a party where his group Wings were being launched.
McCartney was a fan of Python, and had wanted to meet a Python.
Unfortunately, Chapman was slightly tipsy and was thrown out before
McCartney arrived.
Ringo Starr actually appeared in series 3 of the Python series. He appeared
in a chat show (along with the pop star Lulu) in a show called "It's".
Neither of them said anything, with only Palin (who appeared in this sketch
as the "It's" man) saying anything; although only a brief cameo, Ringo
later said in an interview how pleased he had been to do it.
In an interview recorded just two days before he was shot, John Lennon also
sang the praises of the British comedy team. He said how much he enjoyed
Fawlty Towers and added that he was disappointed that he was not able to
appear with the comedy troupe in person.
Other musicians to enjoy the humour were: Paul Simon (who recorded spoof
interviews for Idle during 'The Rutles'), Iron Maiden (who got Graham
Chapman to appear in one of their promotional videos), Roy Orbison (who
said he enjoyed memorizing their sketches), Aerosmith (who called them one
of the icons of the 20th century) and Harry Neilson (who recorded a song
for Chapman's film 'Yellowbeard'--though it was not used in the final cut
of the movie). Neilson also was an uncredited Mountie in the City Center
concerts.
* A snake in Australia was discovered in the early 1980s, of which the Latin
name starts 'Monte Python....' The full name:
'Montypythonsidesriversleighensis'
* In the 45 Python shows, there were:
- 9 appearances by the knight with the rubber chicken (Gilliam)
- 9 appearances by the 16-ton weight
- 19 repetitions of "And now for something completely different" (+5
on film)
- 26 characters named "Arthur," 16 named "Ken."
- 9 appearances by
the Colonel (+1 on film)
- 39 people or things exploded (+2 on film) - 13 appearances by "Mr. Gumby"
(Palin appeared 8 times as him) - # of performances in drag (including
film): Chapman = 45, Jones = 44, Idle = 31. - # of performances in nude
(including film): Jones = 5, Carol Cleveland = 4.
* One particular sketch from Series 2 (from the "How to recognise different
parts of the body) took 18 takes to perform as Cleese and Palin could not
stop laughing at each other...
* One sketch ("Spot the Brain Cell") was edited out of British editions as
there were copyright problems. It was a spoof of "Take Your Pick", Thames
TV. The original makers of the show complained and it was replaced by a
shorter version of the "Nevil Shunt" documentary, which was also from
Series 2.
* In Britain there is a racehorse called "Fawlty Towers".
------> GOT A QUESTION ABOUT MONTY PYTHON? Try to stump our resident
expert!<cabp34@ccsun.strath.ac.uk> or <Michael.Clarkson@udcf.gla.ac.uk>;
put "Britcomedy Digest MP question" in the subject line.
###
READER'S FORUM
============== Comments on the Internet about Absolutely Fabulous
The following are selected threads from alt.comedy.british and
rec.arts.tv.uk. All opinions reprinted with permission of the postee.
Robin Nicholls:
"Jennifer Saunders is, or at least was, married to Ade Edmondson (a.k.a.,
"Vyvian" on The Young Ones). She is also the other half of French and
Saunders...
I watched most of the marathon and I about wet myself laughing. What was
the controversy? Has it gotten that bad? Are we or the British that staid?
The show is hysterical.
By the way, does anyone know who the, shall I say, heavy-set comedienne who
played the journalist who went to Spain is? I missed the credits but I've
seen her on London Underground. (Also on Comedy Central)"
Colin Rosenthal responds:
"I think that would be Jo Brand. Funny woman. Great show. The bleeping is
fairly non-intrusive (mostly for "shit", I think)."
J. Alan Trivett:
"I saw the Ab Fab Marathon, too "Darling" and it was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
"Sweetie." Though Edina and Patsy have no redeeming qualities, their lack
of morals combined with their upperclass cynicism create a perfectly
marvelous dastardly duo of the sort we love to loathe. I did notice
something interesting, though. The episodes shown were all from 1992 and
1994. Why were there no episodes from 1993? Was there a hiatus? I know the
British shows only produce 6 episodes per season but this still doesn't
explain the gap."
Pasters:
"Shows like that usually come in runs of six episodes. After the success of
AbFab series one first on BBC2 then primish-time on BBC1 (Joanna Lumley got
a BAFTA award, I think), Jennifer Saunders went back to her partnership
with Dawn French for another six programmes of 'French & Saunders' which
were the usual mixed bag of brilliance and filler. The second series of
AbFab followed in early 1994, as I recall..."
LC:
"The "Behind the Scenes" bits were annoying and repetitive. The commercials
come at awkward times, but BBC shows are made without pauses for
commercials. So what can you do? Most annoying to me is the Comedy Central
icon bobbing around the bottom of the screen. It often comes on and covers
the face of the person talking or blots out something you need to see in
order to understand what's going on.
With all this in mind, I can still say that I'm glad that Comedy Central
brought Absolutely Fabulous to us. I'm just crossing my fingers that PBS
picks it up or it becomes available on video."
Bob Claster's response:
>So what can you do?
"You can schedule significantly fewer than FIVE commercial breaks within
each show. You can make sure that your breaks occur between scenes rather
than interrupting a scene. You can save the "Behind The Scenes" stuff and
the promos for later airings of the series for between episodes rather than
during them. And you can absolutely not even entertain the thought of
running distracting promos onscreen across the bottom of the picture DURING
the episodes.
Let Comedy Central know how you feel! Let them know that this sort of
presentation is unacceptable. Let them know that there are people who care
about this and other British series. Write to them at:
Comedy Central
1775 Broadway - 10th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Voice:212-767-8600
Fax: 212-767-8582
Robert M. Kreek: President & CEO
Mitchell Semel: Sr. VP Programming
Mary Salter: VP Current Programs & Production
Carol Sussman: Dir. Acquisitions"
###
BLACKADDER: THE CAVALIER YEARS -- the conclusion
================================================
Baldrick.............................Tony Robinson
Sir Edmund Blackadder................Rowan Atkinson
Oliver Cromwell......................Warren Clarke
King Charles I.......................Stephen Fry
Narrator: (read at the beginning of Part I) In 1648, King Charles was in
flight from the wrath of Cromwell and his Roundheads. Only two men remained
faithful, risking certain death by their fidelity to the crown. One was the
sole descendant of a great historical dynasty--his name, Sir Edmund
Blackadder. The other was an unfortunate mating between a pig farmer and a
bearded lady. History has, quite rightly, forgotten his name.
SCENE VI: The Tower of London.
BD: (to King Charles) And that's why he can't be here today. Sorry. KC: I
see. Well, I quite understand. (Cromwell enters with the executioner, who
is fitted up in the traditional black outfit and hood) OC: Sir! The moment
has arrived. Are you ready to meet your maker? KC: Well, I'm always
absolutely fascinated to meet people from all walks of life, but
particularly from the manufacturing industry. OC: Well then, have a quick
walk and talk with your executioner, and let's get on with it. KC: Right.
(laughs goofily) Well, I'm sorry, my friend, I'm alone here today. I had
hoped my good, loyal chum, Sir Edmund Blackadder, would be here with me,
but, unfortunately, his wife's sister's puppy fell into the strawberry
patch. Naturally, he can't be with us. "Executioner": Ah-ha. KC: All I can do is bid you do your duty well. E: (speaking in a Cockney accent) Thank
you, your Majesty. And may I say how much I mourn for your lot, and bid you
remember others before you who have died unjustly. KC: Thank you, I take
great solace from that. E: Sir Thomas Moore, for instance, a generous man
to the last. He tipped his executioner handsomely. KC: Oh! I'm so sorry, I
thought service was included. Here you are. (gives coin to executioner) E:
Hmmm. And then there was the Earl of Essex... KC: Was there? E: ...a truly
great man. They still sing his famous ballad down the Kepstoe Arms (?). KC:
What ballad is that? BA: (singing) "The Earl, he had a thousand sovereigns,
Hey-nonny-no, He gave them all away to the man with the ax- o" KC: A
thousand sovereigns? BA: Well, you can't take it with you, your Majesty.
KC: Very true. Well, there you are. BA: (in regular voice) Thank you, your
Majesty. Right, shall we go... (starts to leave) KC: (alarmed) Just a
minute! (grabs BA by the arm) That voice has a strangely familiar ring. And
so does that finger! (takes BA's hand and examines ring he's wearing. King
Charles then lifts the hood) KC: Blackadder! BA: (stunned, then snaps into
place) Hello, your Majesty! KC: You cunning swine! BA: Yes, well, I, I--
KC: No, marvelous! Splendid! You tricked Cromwell and you concocted a
cunning plan to help me and my infant son escape to France. BA: Ah, yes.
That's right. Yes. KC: So! Let's put your cunning plan into operation
straight away. BA: Yes, let's. (at a loss) Uh--well, you start the ball
rolling. KC: No, no. After you. BA: Right, yes. (idea dawns on him) Ah-oh,
yes, yes, right. And it's a very good plan. It's a staggeringly
bowel-shatteringly good plan.
SAME SCENE, CAPTION: Nine minutes later. (Blackadder is in his
executioner's outfit. Baldrick is now present when Oliver Cromwell enters)
OC: Is the King ready? "E": (with cockney accent) He is. Come, your
majesty. (We see a tall figure with a pumpkin for a head move slowly toward
the door. A hat and painted face complete the ingenious disguise. All exit
except Baldrick, who listens at the closed door. We hear a drum roll, and
then a chop) BA: (yelling to crowd) This is the head of a traitor. Crowd:
(in unison) No it's not--it's a huge pumpkin with a pathetic mustache drawn
on it. BA: Oh yes! So it is--sorry! I'll try again. (drum roll, then the
chop) Crowd: YAY!
SCENE VII: Blackadder Hall (Blackadder and Baldrick are there. The former
is cradling baby)
BD: Well, sir, they can't say you didn't try. Now the future of the British
monarchy lies fast asleep in your arms in the person of this infant prince.
And with the money you've earned you and he can escape to France! BA: Well,
quite. (wiping his hand on his shirt from baby's bottom) BD: On the other
hand, you can stay here and as a known loyalist, the Roundheads will come
and cut your head off. BA: Exactly, Baldrick. (Stands up. A knock is heard
at the door) Oh my God. Voice: Open up (indecipherable)! BD: Oh no! What'll
we do? BA: For times like this, Baldrick, there is no choice for a man of
honor. He must stand and fight and die for his future soveirgn.
Fortunately, I'm not the man of honor. (Tosses baby to Baldrick, whips off
mustache and wig to reveal blonde wig just as Cromwell bursts in the room)
BA: Thank God you've come. (points to Baldrick) Seize the Royalist scum!!
(Camera freezes on a hapless Baldrick holding the infant prince. End
music.) ~ THE END ~
-------> For assistance in locating the full transcript, see the new column
"net.comedy" in this issue.
---------8< snip! --------------8< snip! -----------8< snip! --------
================================================================
FIRST EVER BRITCOMEDY DIGEST READER'S SURVEY!!!
================================================================
If you want to say "thanks" to the editors for Britcomedy Digest, please
fill out this form and e-mail it or mail it to the address listed below.
All respondents will be considered anonymous, and the information BD
receives about them will be held in strictest confidentiality. Results of
our readership demographics will be published in the December issue.
1) Sex (please, just type "male" or "female")
2) Age
3) Income (in U.S. currency) 1 = under 25,000 2 = 25,000 - 30,000 3 =
35,000 and up
(Skip this one if you're not in the U.S.)
4) Highest level of education (junior high, highschool, college, graduate
school).
5) List your top 5 favorite British comedies:
#1: #2: #3: #4: #5:
6) List any British comedy (ies) that you absolutely *hate*:
7) What do you like best in Britcomedy Digest?
8) Is there anything you don't read or tend to skip over in Britcomedy
Digest?
9) If Britcomedy Digest became a printed newsletter, would you pay for a
subscription? (Please explain why or why not)
10) Please list the country you are e-mailing from:
E-mail this survey to the editor at: casino@pobox.upenn.edu By mail:
Melinda Casino, 404 So. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19146
Thank you for your participation.
---------8< snip! --------------8< snip! -----------8< snip! --------
Quote-'O-The-Month:
TOASTER: "Howdy doodly do! How's it going? I'm Talkie, Talkie Toaster, your
chirpy breakfast companion. Talkie's the name, toasting's the game. Anyone
like any toast?" LISTER: "Look, *I* don't want any toast, and *he*"
(indicating Kryten) "doesn't want any toast. In fact, no one around here
wants any toast. Not now, not ever. NO TOAST." TOASTER: "How 'bout a
muffin?" LISTER: "OR muffins! OR muff--we don't LIKE muffins around here!
We want no muffins, no toast, no teacakes, no buns, baps, baguettes or
bagels, no croissants, no crumpets, no pancakes, no potato cakes and no
hot-cross buns and DEFINITELY no smegging flapjacks!" TOASTER: "Aah, so
you're a waffle man!" LISTER: (to Kryten) "See? You see what he's like? He
winds me up, man. There's no reasoning with him." KRYTEN: "If you'll allow
me, Sir, as one mechanical to another. He'll understand me." (He addresses
the Toaster as one would address an errant child) "Now. Now, you listen
here. You will not offer ANY grilled bread products to ANY member of the
crew. If you do, you will be on the receiving end of a very large polo
mallet. Hmph!" TOASTER: "Can I ask just one question?" KRYTEN: "Of course."
TOASTER: "Would anyone like any toast?" KRYTEN: "Didn't you HEAR what I
just said?" TOASTER: "Yes, but I thought you might have changed your mind
in the meantime."
SHOW: Red Dwarf, Season 4, Episode 4: "White Hole"
==========
net.comedy
==========
"net.comedy" is a new column surveying some of the great comedy resources
available on the Internet. We'll leave no stone unturned: newsgroups, ftp,
gopher, and WWW. This month net.comedy will look at the two major comedy
ftp sites: cathouse.org and src.doc.ic.ac.uk. Future columns will focus on
specific shows or comedians.
net.comedy welcomes any suggestions for topics or pointers to resources. If
you run an archive, produce an FAQ, or maintain a Web site, we want to know
about it (see details below)!
There are two ftp sites all comedy fans should be familiar with. First, the
Tardis TV archive, now at Imperial College, London, which is maintained by
Dave Chapman <dave@cheers.demon.co.uk>. Look here for episode guides, FAQs,
scripts, biographies, etc. related to TV shows.
ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/media/tv/collections/tardis/
The archives are also available by gopher (gopher.doc.ic.ac.uk), WWW
(www.doc.ic.ac.uk) and e-mail (send "help" to ftpmail@doc.ic.ac.uk). Most
files are compressed with GNU zip (gzip). The site runs a modified ftp
daemon which can compress or decompress files for you; to get an
uncompressed version of a compressed file, simply omit the ".gz" suffix.
Users of "point-and-click" ftp clients (for example, Fetch on the Mac)
should put a "+" in front of their email address when asked for the
password.
Secondly, the cathouse.org archives, maintained by Jason R. Heimbaugh
<jrh@uiuc.edu> hold a large collection of comedy, TV and movie files,
including a large section devoted to British humour.
ftp://cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/
The archives are also available by gopher (cathouse.org, port 6969).
###
----> Send news and views on net.comedy to James Kew <j.kew@ic.ac.uk>.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-- A D V E R T I S E M E N T S --
---------------------------------------------------------------------
POLICY: Britcomedy Digest is not held responsible for the quality of
advertiser's merchandise. All ads must offer tapes for trade ONLY--No ads
soliciting monetary gain for tapes will be printed.
Offering the following series in NTSC format, looking to trade: Red Dwarf
(all eps. except DNA, White Hole), Danny John-Jules "Tongue-Tied" video,
That's My Boy, Absolutely Fabulous, Brittas Empire (soon). Looking to trade
for (PAL or NTSC): Cyberzone (w/Craig Charles), The 10%ers, Maid Marion.
WRITE: Mike Phillips, 2377 Apollo Rd. #324, Garland, TX 75044.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FAQs & COMPREHENSIVE LISTS, ETC.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A relatively new BLACKADDER FAQ, written by Gwen Brophy, can be found at
alt.comedy.british.blackadder. EMAIL: <gbrophy@telerama.lm.com>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ever want to read Mr. Bean's diary?
Evidently, a lot of people do--it sold 400,000 copies! ("Mr Bean's Diary
1993", Boxtree Ltd, Broadwall Hall, 21 Boardwall, London SE1 9PL.; 1992,
ISBN 1-85283-768-3) This and even more comprise the "ROWAN ATKINSON
VIDEO/AUDIO APPEARANCES & BOOKS" list, found on alt.comedy.british. FOR
DETAILS CONTACT: Jeff Mason <jrm@elm.circa.ufl.edu>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Comic Strip Presents Episode Guide" is posted to alt.comedy.british by
Michael Shephard <michaels@jake.chem.unsw.EDU.AU>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ross Smith <alien@acheron.wanganui.gen.nz> alerted BD to an ABSOLUTELY
FABULOUS book, which is a collection of scripts. Absolutely Fabulous, BBC
Books, 1993, ISBN 0-563-36976-0.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here's your chance to write to the BBC, albeit in e-mail form. As published
in the July issue of "BBC Worldwide" their e-mail address is
<iac@bbc-ibar.demon.co.u> Tell them you got it from Britcomedy Digest!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
John Labovitz <johnl@ora.com> maintains the "'Zine FAQ", which can be
retrieved in the following ways: gopher: gopher.etext.org: Zines /
e-zine-list ftp: ftp.etext.org: /pub/Zines/e-zine-list web:
http://www.ora.com:8080/johnl/e-zine-list/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Everything you want to know about RED DWARF & more is contained in the "Red
Dwarf FAQ", available via ftp:src.doc.ic.ac.uk dir:/media/tv/collections
/tardis/uk/comedy/RedDwarf CONTACT Pat Berry <pat@berry.Cary.NC.US>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Unofficial, Incomplete, But Otherwise Completely Wonderful List of
MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS fan clubs and fanzines" can be found at
alt.comedy.british and alt.fan.monty-python; or FTP:
cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/humor/british.humour/mont.python/fan.clubs
http://www.iia.org/'rosenr1/python (soon) Compiled & maintained by Alyce
Wilson <amw108@psuvm.psu.edu>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Definitive UK Sitcom list," is posted on the 1st of each month to both
rec.arts.tv.uk and alt.comedy.british. It includes the title, years first
broadcast, core cast, writer(s), and plot synopsis of British comedies.
CONTACT Dave Budd <DBudd@mcc.ac.uk>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We hope you've enjoyed this SPECIAL ISSUE. Upcoming issues will have
articles on: Julia Sawahla, up-to-the-minute news on Craig Charles,
Terry Gilliam, The Comic Strip Presents, Monty Pyton Record
Review, Review of "The Wrong Trousers," Peter Cook &
Dudley Moore, Rik -n- Ade, Blackadder,
The Young Ones, The Goodies, The
Hitchiker's Guide to
The Galaxy,
& more!
~
B R I T C O M E D Y D I G E S T
==================================
V. 1 B A C K - T O - S C H O O L I S S U E SEPT 15, 1994
no.3
A monthly electronic newsletter on British comedies.
What's Inside:
==============
Features:
* "Whose Line is It, Anyway?"
* Review: "Filthy, Rich and Catflap"
* Monty
Python Trivia * Reader's Forum: Absolutely Fabulous
* "Blackadder: The Cavalier Years": the exciting conclusion
* FIRST EVER READER'S SURVEY -- participation is encouraged
Regular Departments:
Letters
Britcomedy News
Newsquirks
Review
Editorial Page
Quote-O'-the-Month
net.comedy (a new column)
Ads
E D I T O R 'S P A G E
=======================
This issue heralds several milestones for Britcomedy Digest. The Digest has
recently doubled it's size, and will be posted in two parts on the
Internet. We've acquired an ISSN # from the Library of Congress--"the
social security number" of the serials world. You can find us listed in the
next version of the "Zines FAQ" (maintained by John Labovitz and posted to
alt.zines). And those on Delphi can access BD in the "Anglo-File" forum.
Moreover, the mailing list for the Digest has swelled to over 390
subscribers worldwide. We'd like to know who our readers are, and what
their taste in British comedy is; to that end, we've included a "Reader's
Survey". Please take a moment to fill it out and return to us, so that we
can better serve you in future issues.
I'd like to take a moment to thank Contributing Editor Michelle Street, as
well as James Kew and Jason R. Heimbaugh. Each has provided valuable
services yto this newsletter, and in so doing, has ensured its
continuation. Readers have a better newsletter because of their input.
We still need reporters to cover many British comedies, including 'Allo
'Allo!, Steptoe and Son, Drop the Dead Donkey, Yes, Prime Minister, and I'm
Sorry, I'll Read That Again. This is a great opportunity for creative
aspiring writers to get their articles "in print." E-mail the Ed for
details.
Most of all, a hearty "thanks" to the readers for their support. Keep
writing and letting me know what shows you want covered.
Staff
=====
Managing Editor..................Melinda Casino
Contributing Editor..............Michelle Street
Merry jester.....................Michelle Casino
net.comedy, WWW typesetting......James Kew
Contributing writers: Michael Clarkson, Vincent Golden, James Kew, Michelle
Street.
<Schopenhauer Publishing Co.>
How To Reach The Editors
========================
Readers are ENCOURAGED to direct "letters to the editor," comments, praise,
criticism, and general what-not to the Managing Editor at Britcomedy
Digest.
E-MAIL: <casino@pobox.upenn.edu>
WRITE: Melinda Casino, Britcomedy Digest, 404 So. 20th Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19146.
FOR ALL NEWS-RELATED ITEMS send e-mail to Michelle Street
<michel1361@aol.com>, or write her at: 1118 Briarcliff, Rantoul, IL 61866.
CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTION INFO.
==============================
Britcomedy Digest (ISSN 1077-6680) is a free electronic fanzine posted
monthly to: alt.tv.red-dwarf, alt.comedy.british.blackadder,
alt.comedy.british, alt.tv.comedy-central, rec.arts.tv.uk, alt.zines,
alt.fan.monty-python, alt.fan.douglas-adams.
On Delphi: In the "Anglo-File" forum.
If you wish to receive one in your mailbox, your e-mail address to the
editor.
BACK ISSUES
===========
Back issues are available by ftp from the site cathouse.org, in the
directory /pub/cathouse/humor/british.humour/britcomedy.digest. Login as
"anonymous", giving your e-mail address as the password. The URL is:
ftp://cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/humor/british.humour/britcomedy.digest/
HTML-formatted issues are also available on the WWW from:
http://satelnet.org/~mentat/Britcom/ (Thanks to Mat Hall of !Productions)
-------> Britcomedy Digest is looking for a permanent home for the HTML
versions; can anybody offer us some space on their WWW server?
LETTERS
=======
British comedy and British mysteries head the list of things that I like to
read or watch. I used to work on short jobs in the Scottish Highlands and
always expected the BBC newsreaders to break out into something "silly", as
the folks of Monty Python were wont to do.
Thanks for the time and effort that you put into this for the enjoyment of
others.
Frank St. Marie - Connecticut
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: I'm glad you find BD worthwhile. I enjoy putting it
together, and hope that it serves as a repository for all the British
comedy-related information that's floating around on the Internet.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Just thought I'd let you know, calling a British person a "Brit" may sound
normal to Americans, but it's actually a sort of offensive term. It was
coined by the IRA, and is pretty derogatory. It's sort of like "spic" or
"wop". Definitely not flattering.
Andy D
President of the Penn British Society
University of Pennsylvania
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: I was unaware that this term might offend someone.
Apologies if it has. In the future, Britcomedy Digest will cease to use
this shorthand term when referring to the British.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I just picked up my first copy of Britcomedy Digest. Bravo!
I'm desperately seeking information on an older Britcom series, "Chalk and
Cheese", which starred Michael Crawford (after he finished the final season
of "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em"). Beyond knowing that it wasn't all that
successful, I can't discover a thing about "Chalk and Cheese".
Thanks,
Karen Goertzel <goertzek@hfsi.com>
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: Utilizing "The Definitive UK Sitcom List," (see ADS
section this issue), I found out that "Chalk and Cheese", broadcast in
1979, was written by Alex Shearer, and also starred Gillian Martell, Robin
Hawdon, Julia Goodman, and Michael Gambon. Readers, can anyone provide
Karen with more details?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It'd be great if you could regularly include addresses on where to get hold
of stuff on video, originals as well as the copying service mentioned.
Regarding "AbFab": Really, Pats is just an old friend of Edina from the
early days (school, etc.). While Edina is a publicist (for Lulu, no less!),
Pats is the...fashion "director" for some big fashion magazine.
Cheers, Mark - New Zealand
EDITOR'S REPLY: We're considering running a special issue on how to get
hold of British comedies, no matter where you live.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Actually, it's (The Lion King) to get premiere showings during September
and goes on general release throughout the UK from October 14th. So while
it's later than in the US, it's not as late as say, Aladdin.
Al - University of Edinburgh
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
How about a "Where are they now?" column? I don't know where anyone famous
is, but something interesting or tragic or both must have happened to all
the old actors and comedians we no longer hear from.
Just a suggestion,
Mick Byrne - Canberra, Australia
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: That sounds like a good story idea. I'll look inot it.
If you've got a suggestion, by all means, contact the Ed.
BRITCOMEDY NEWS
===============
I'M FREEEEEEE!
Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton) will be coming to America in August. If
you happen to be in the New York/Long Island Mineola-Garden City area on
August 18th, 1994, why not spend a delightful evening from 7:30-10 PM with
him at the Mineola BAR Association. Tickets are $30 per person. Call Linda
Sohne (516-367-2100) for more information. This premier event is being
brought to you by the 6th most watched public television station, WLIW
Channel 21.
GOODIE TO THE RESCUE AGAIN
Slowly but surely, corporate executives and (gasp) lawyers are picking up
their clue phones and realizing what a powerful tool humour can be.
John Cleese and his Video Arts company pioneered this method of laugh and
learn when Cleese starred in a series of highly successful and entertaining
management training videos. In films such as "Decisions, Decisions" he was
able to make some very strong points about effective business practices
while also getting a few laughs.
Now ex-Goodie Tim Brooke-Taylor has come to rescue legal students from
terminal boredom by starring in a video for the Inns of Court School of
Law.
One of the segments features Brooke-Taylor as a barrister facing a woman
who claims that her baby (while strapped in a push-chair, mind you) was
responsible for shoplifting items from a supermarket.
The situation may be funny but during the course of the video legal
students ae given training on how *not* to treat clients as well as tips on
speaking and cross-examination.
The part must have come naturally for Brooke-Taylor, who studied law at
Cambridge. Maybe part of the reason he didn't pursue this career was
because in his own words, "I hate wearing a wig - it's appalling."
VISIONS '94 CONVENTION TO BE HELD IN CHICAGO
The convention "devoted to unusual television" promises to have guests from
Doctor Who, Blakes Seven, Robin of Sherwood, Red Dwarf, and Blackadder this
year. It's taking place in at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare Hotel in Chicago,
IL.
The guests scheduled include Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Rob Grant,
Doug Naylor, Jon Pertwee, Lalla Ward, John Levene, Nicholas Courtney, Paul
Darrow, Nicholas Grace, Mark Ryan, and Tony Robinson. But be forewarned,
guests may cancel at any time due to schedule conflicts. Craig Charles is
scheduled to appear, pending his trial on a charge of rape.
Don't procrastinate and buy tickets at the door, though. If you do, a
three-day jaunt will set you back 75 bucks.
For ticket pricing and reservations, call Visions at (708) 405-9461, or
e-mail George Fergus <fergus@areaplg2.corp>.
Newsquirks
----------Pixels in the press
BEN'S ONE-NIGHTER TURNS INTO THREE
(OO-ER, THAT SOUNDS A BIT RUDE!)
Following his recent marriage, Ben Elton has been playing to packed houses
in Australia and New Zealand. (C'mon, Ben. What enquiring minds really
want to know is if you actually stopped working long enough to take a
honeymoon!). In the city of Auckland, New Zealand, ticket demand was so
great that a scheduled one-night performance turned into a three-night
stand.
During the gigs Ben covered his standard subject matter of pap smears,
condoms, and the sex lives of whales. The opening act was (oddly enough) a
pop band called "Boom Babies." In case you're wondering why he chose to
have a musical opening act, the lead singer of this band just happens to be
his sister-in-law.
"SWEETIE, DARLING" SOON TO BECOME A HOUSEHOLD WORDS IN SWEDEN
In its continuing quest for world domination, the popular BBC sitcom
"Absolutely Fabulous" will begin running on Swedish National Television
starting in September. If any of our alert readers from that part of the
world would care to inform us, perhaps we can all learn to say "Sweetie,
darling" in Swedish.
MOST SILLY NEWSGROUP --
AND THE WINNER IS...ALT.FAN.MONTY-PYTHON
If you're in need of a giggle (and if you're reading this, you are) check
out "alt.fan.monty-python". True to it's subject, it definitely wins the
"most creatively silly" award. It has everything: 50 thread-long quote
wars, colorful 'net personalitites, friendly fans who will bend over
backwards to help another MP fan, and, best of all, you don't have to think
twice before posting there. It seems the rule is, anything goes--the
wackier the better. It's like a truckload of spam hit the Internet. Go
ahead, gorge yourself on the enthusiasm of rabid fans.
JULIA SAWAHLA: WHAT A CRACKING BIRD!
It seems the British comedy program Absolutely Fabulous, which recently
made its debut on Comedy Central in the U.S., has something else to
recommend it besides its acerbic wit: Julia Sawahla. A mention of the
actress who plays "Saffron," the daughter of Edina, on one newsgroup has
produced no less than 15 responses. Some posts cite her intelligence,
others her acting ability, and still others admire...<ahem> well, you know.
Stay tuned for a biography in the next issue of BD on this fetching young
actress. As Richie said to her in an episode of "Bottom", "Tell me, do you
use Timotei?"
E D I T O R I A L / O P I N I O N P A G E
============================================
THE RAMIFICATIONS OF BOOTLEGGING
by Vincent Golden..........................<golden@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
I had an experience recently on the Internet that brought up an issue that
should be addressed in Britcomedy Digest.
I am sure those of you who read alt.comedy.british and related newsgroups
of specific shows have seen posts offering to sell tapes of specific shows.
I responded to such a post, since some programs I'm looking for are only
offered in PAL format, which is not compatible in the U.S.
I got an immediate response offering a wide list of titles with prices. I
had not seen most of these offered commercially before. I wrote back to
that person, asking whether these were commercially released videos from
the BBC, CBS Fox Video, or some other affiliate, or merely copied from TV
or another tape. Oh, let's just get that word out into the open: BOOTLEG.
The person's response was quite puzzling to me: they were not able to
disagree with my opinions on copyright infringement, and yet they did not
come out and say whether they were offering bootleg copies or not.
This is a serious issue, as Americans demonstrate an increasing interest in
British comedies. More and more copies of shows are sitting out there on
people's livingroom shelves long before the show is released commercially.
I say, this is fine. Taping a show, loaning it out to friends, having
viewing parties at your house: all of these are 'fair use' of the programs.
It is when you are selling them as a personal commercial venture in order
to make a profit that the line is crossed--that the law is broken. Like it
or not, pirated or bootleg copies of shows are illegal.
My video library includes "Yes, Prime Minister", 3 tapes of "The New
Statesman", "The Dangerous Brothers", "How to Irritate People", and a few
movies. All are commercially-released tapes. I expect a certain quality
from these sources (not a 3rd or 4th generation tape), and I want the boxes
with notes and credits. Moreover, by purchasing the tapes I show my support
for the programs by increasing their sales. From licensing agreements, a
percentage of the purchase price goes to the production company and the
performers. Nothing encourages them to produce more than success and money.
Bootleggers do NOT contribute to anything but their own personal gain. If
early seasons of Red Dwarf were bootlegged, do you think there would be any
incentive to offer later seasons?
I know the standard argument. You want certain shows and they just aren't
available in the U.S. yet. What you need to do is write to the shows. Let
them know there is an interest in their programs. Write to your local PBS
station and try to get them interested in purchasing the show for
broadcast. The more interest you generate, the more everyone benefits, and,
hopefully, even more people will be exposed to the wonderful world of
British comedy.
If you see somebody offer tapes for sale, ask them if the tapes are
official commercial releases. If they will not admit that the tapes are,
avoid them like the plague. Do not support these parasites. If you do have
some commercial tapes for sale, please state that they are in your
advertisement.
###
Britcomedy Digest strives to act as a forum for readers to express diverse
opinions. We welcome contrasting views, and will run those which
demonstrate a knowledge of the subject and an ability for thoughtful
argumentation. Simply send rebuttals and editorials to:
<casino@pobox.upenn.edu> with the subject heading "EDITORIAL".
****************************************************************
"Whose Line Is It Anyway?" ..............by Michelle Street
****************************************************************
So you think you're pretty funny, huh? Hilarious is your middle name?
Well, try to make a up a skit or song using characters and situations
you've only just been given. Go ahead, try. Let's hear you sing a
mini-musical about your Aunt Bessie's visit to the dentist or tell a story
about garbage collectors in the style of Charles Dickens. OK, you've got
about thirty seconds to think about it. And, oh, yeah - you're in front of
lights, cameras, and an audience waiting for you to make them laugh.
You still think you're funny?
That, in essence, is the premise of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and luckily
for us, the cast can do all of the above. The show, soon to begin its
fourth season on Comedy Central, relies on the quick wits of a group of
multi-talented performers who improvise skits, songs, and whateverthehell
else host Clive Anderson (and the studio audience) tells them to do.
Performers risk humiliation weekly and all for what? The chance to be that
week's champion and win the grand prize of reading the final credits in a
style of Clive's choosing.
Basically this show is a triumph of imagination over money. The set is
bare-bones, performers come dressed in everyday clothes, and any props used
probably cost a couple of bucks at the most.
So all that's left to dazzle the viewer (not counting the glare from
Clive's head) is the quickness of a very funny group of people, including
Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Tony Slattery, John Sessions, and others. (For
more information on these performers, see next month's issue of Britcomedy
Digest. Plug, plug)
The idea for "Whose Line?" no doubt emerged due to the popularity of
improvisational comedy at such clubs as Chicago's famed Second City and
London's Comedy Store. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, and Martin
Short are only a few of the comedians who cut their teeth in
improvisational troupes, and the training was invaluable in teaching them
how to think on their feet.
And being able to think fast is what this show is all about. It may look
soooo easy, but improvisation is extremely difficult. The performers must
spend time absorbing everything they can from books, magazines, films, and
television in preparation for their work. (Hey, sounds cool to me.) Then
they must be able to call upon this storehouse of knowledge to amuse and
entertain a sometimes rowdy audience.
Though the games, such as Props and Party Quirks, have remained the same
throughout each of the series, they are given a remarkable freshness by the
cast. As long as the energy and unpredictability remain intact, "Whose Line
Is It Anyway?" will be compulsive viewing.
###
========================
Filthy, Rich and Catflap
======================== A review by James Kew
What happened after "The Young Ones" finished? Christopher Ryan (Mike)
dropped back into relative obscurity. Rik Mayall (Rik), Adrian Edmondson
(Vyv) and Nigel Planer (Neil) continued their work with "The Comic Strip".
Ben Elton (co-writer of the show with Lise Mayer and Rik Mayall) went on to
write "Happy Families", which starred Jennifer Saunders, Adrian Edmondson,
Dawn French and Stephen Fry and screened in 1985, and joined Richard Curtis
in writing the "Blackadder" series, taking over from Rowan Atkinson.
In 1987 Mayall, Edmondson, Planer and Elton rejoined forces in a single
series of a new comedy, "Filthy Rich & Catflap", which has recently been
issued on BBC Video.
The six episodes were written by Ben Elton, with additional material
contributed by Rik Mayall. Mayall plays Richie Rich, a rather pathetic
would-be celebrity whose biggest achievement was reading the links on
late-night TV. Eddie Catflap (Adrian Edmondson) is Richie's flatmate and
minder, a brutal moron with a penchant for double-entendres. Ralph Filthy
(Nigel Planer) is Richie's agent, a chain-smoking whisky-swilling wreck of
a man with a string of dubious sideline businesses.
The plots revolve loosely around Richie's ill-conceived bids for stardom;
as in "The Young Ones", the plots serve mostly as a framework to hang gags
from and often veer into the surreal. The result: the plots seem tangled
and over-complicated, but the episodes usually end with all the plot-lines
tied neatly together.
In one episode, Richie makes a particularly dreadful appearance on "Oo-er,
Sounds A Bit Rude"--the game-show for the whole family, hosted by Ivor
Whopper (Gareth Hale). After being snubbed by his fellow celebrities in the
BBC bar, he mopes around TV Centre and discovers the Nolan Sisters'
dressing-room; they catch him in the shower in one of their costumes and
threaten to expose him to the Press unless he pays them a thousand pounds.
Eddie poses as "Edwardo Catflappo", an artist, and is discovered by two
critics, P'Farty and N'Bend (played by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie). His
first exhibition is a huge success but Richie discovers that Eddie is the
victim of a Pygmalion-style wager between P'Farty and N'Bend; they have
succeeded in promoting a talentless nobody to the status of a major new
artist. They pay Richie their twenty thousand pound stake to ensure his
silence; Eddie snatches the money and they return to their flat for an
almighty party, at which the Nolans sing "I'm In The Mood For Dancing"...
You often get the feeling that Ben Elton is thumbing his nose at
traditional light-entertainment values. There are some well-deserved jabs
at various shows and celebrities of the era--Jimmy Tarbuck, Leslie
Crowther, etc.--which occasionally gives the series a rather dated feel.
The characters, particularly Eddie, make frequent comments and grimaces at
the camera, and often stop to question the script:
Eddie: I'd hardly call this meaningless string of bot and knob gags a
plot, would you? Richie: Is this some sort of joke? Eddie: Then it'll be
the first one on the show this week! Richie: Shut up Eddie! We've had some
super laughs already and the show's only just begun!
Absurdities pass by matter-of-factly--a connecting door leads from their
flat directly into a newsagents, a newspaper-seller walks across the set
calling "Extra! Extra! I'm an extra!". At the end of the last episode
Richie is the only family entertainer left on TV, having slandered every
other person in show-biz, and Eddie demolishes the set revealing the studio
beyond.
Is it funny? Well, a lot of the time, yes. Most of the humour is of the
rather crude, violent variety that "The Young Ones" is famous for. Eddie's
relentless quest for double-entendres leads to some hilarious sequences in
which anything the other characters say gets twisted by him. The surreal,
convoluted plots lead the characters into some entertaining situations, and
it's often impossible to guess what the next twist will be.
Fans of "The Young Ones" will love it, as will fans of Mayall and
Edmondson's later show "Bottom". The characters in "Filthy, Rich & Catflap"
were clearly influential for "Bottom": Richie's gloating, over-inflated ego
and minuscule talent, Eddie's thinly-veiled disdain for him, their general
social ineptitude.
It's a fun series, with flashes of brilliance; however, it lacks the spark
that would propel it into the league of "Red Dwarf" or "Blackadder". It's
hard to feel any sympathy for the characters, and Elton's manic pace and
hectoring tone grows a little wearing after a few episodes. Worth looking
out for.
###
=================================================================
Monty Python...Facts and Trivia
====================== by Michael Clarkson ======================
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While much this information comes from my own research and
observations, a series of books by Kim "Howard" Johnson (St. Annes Press)
has aided me: "The First 200 Years of Monty Python"; "Life Before and After
Monty Python"; "And Now For Something Completely Trivial".
* Many different people from the world of pop music loved the Monty Python
brand of humour. Not the least of these were the Beatles. Three of the four
at one stage or another had links with the Python team
George Harrison was probably was the keenest of the four. He's said in an
interview, "Monty Python helped me get over the trauma of the breakup of
the Beatles." He made an unaccredited appearance at some of the American
concerts at the City Center venue (as a mountie during the Lumberjack
Song). He also put up the money for the film 'Life of Brian' as well as
asking Palin to write the sleeve notes for an album which he made with the
supergroup "The Travelling Wilburys". During his concerts the last record
on a warm-up tape he played at the start of the gig was the Lumberjack
Song.
Eric Idle also directed some videos for Harrison. Harrison appeared on
Idle's 1975 TV programme "Rutland Weekend Television". This was a wonderful
satire as Harrison - who was dressed up as though he was about to perform
his 1970 UK # 1 "My Sweet Lord" surprised audiences as he went into a silly
little song about pirates! Mick Jagger also did spoof interviews about the
Rutles.
Paul McCartney's links with Python were very much more obscure. Chapman had
been invited to a party where his group Wings were being launched.
McCartney was a fan of Python, and had wanted to meet a Python.
Unfortunately, Chapman was slightly tipsy and was thrown out before
McCartney arrived.
Ringo Starr actually appeared in series 3 of the Python series. He appeared
in a chat show (along with the pop star Lulu) in a show called "It's".
Neither of them said anything, with only Palin (who appeared in this sketch
as the "It's" man) saying anything; although only a brief cameo, Ringo
later said in an interview how pleased he had been to do it.
In an interview recorded just two days before he was shot, John Lennon also
sang the praises of the British comedy team. He said how much he enjoyed
Fawlty Towers and added that he was disappointed that he was not able to
appear with the comedy troupe in person.
Other musicians to enjoy the humour were: Paul Simon (who recorded spoof
interviews for Idle during 'The Rutles'), Iron Maiden (who got Graham
Chapman to appear in one of their promotional videos), Roy Orbison (who
said he enjoyed memorizing their sketches), Aerosmith (who called them one
of the icons of the 20th century) and Harry Neilson (who recorded a song
for Chapman's film 'Yellowbeard'--though it was not used in the final cut
of the movie). Neilson also was an uncredited Mountie in the City Center
concerts.
* A snake in Australia was discovered in the early 1980s, of which the Latin
name starts 'Monte Python....' The full name:
'Montypythonsidesriversleighensis'
* In the 45 Python shows, there were:
- 9 appearances by the knight with the rubber chicken (Gilliam)
- 9 appearances by the 16-ton weight
- 19 repetitions of "And now for something completely different" (+5
on film)
- 26 characters named "Arthur," 16 named "Ken."
- 9 appearances by
the Colonel (+1 on film)
- 39 people or things exploded (+2 on film) - 13 appearances by "Mr. Gumby"
(Palin appeared 8 times as him) - # of performances in drag (including
film): Chapman = 45, Jones = 44, Idle = 31. - # of performances in nude
(including film): Jones = 5, Carol Cleveland = 4.
* One particular sketch from Series 2 (from the "How to recognise different
parts of the body) took 18 takes to perform as Cleese and Palin could not
stop laughing at each other...
* One sketch ("Spot the Brain Cell") was edited out of British editions as
there were copyright problems. It was a spoof of "Take Your Pick", Thames
TV. The original makers of the show complained and it was replaced by a
shorter version of the "Nevil Shunt" documentary, which was also from
Series 2.
* In Britain there is a racehorse called "Fawlty Towers".
------> GOT A QUESTION ABOUT MONTY PYTHON? Try to stump our resident
expert!<cabp34@ccsun.strath.ac.uk> or <Michael.Clarkson@udcf.gla.ac.uk>;
put "Britcomedy Digest MP question" in the subject line.
###
READER'S FORUM
============== Comments on the Internet about Absolutely Fabulous
The following are selected threads from alt.comedy.british and
rec.arts.tv.uk. All opinions reprinted with permission of the postee.
Robin Nicholls:
"Jennifer Saunders is, or at least was, married to Ade Edmondson (a.k.a.,
"Vyvian" on The Young Ones). She is also the other half of French and
Saunders...
I watched most of the marathon and I about wet myself laughing. What was
the controversy? Has it gotten that bad? Are we or the British that staid?
The show is hysterical.
By the way, does anyone know who the, shall I say, heavy-set comedienne who
played the journalist who went to Spain is? I missed the credits but I've
seen her on London Underground. (Also on Comedy Central)"
Colin Rosenthal responds:
"I think that would be Jo Brand. Funny woman. Great show. The bleeping is
fairly non-intrusive (mostly for "shit", I think)."
J. Alan Trivett:
"I saw the Ab Fab Marathon, too "Darling" and it was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
"Sweetie." Though Edina and Patsy have no redeeming qualities, their lack
of morals combined with their upperclass cynicism create a perfectly
marvelous dastardly duo of the sort we love to loathe. I did notice
something interesting, though. The episodes shown were all from 1992 and
1994. Why were there no episodes from 1993? Was there a hiatus? I know the
British shows only produce 6 episodes per season but this still doesn't
explain the gap."
Pasters:
"Shows like that usually come in runs of six episodes. After the success of
AbFab series one first on BBC2 then primish-time on BBC1 (Joanna Lumley got
a BAFTA award, I think), Jennifer Saunders went back to her partnership
with Dawn French for another six programmes of 'French & Saunders' which
were the usual mixed bag of brilliance and filler. The second series of
AbFab followed in early 1994, as I recall..."
LC:
"The "Behind the Scenes" bits were annoying and repetitive. The commercials
come at awkward times, but BBC shows are made without pauses for
commercials. So what can you do? Most annoying to me is the Comedy Central
icon bobbing around the bottom of the screen. It often comes on and covers
the face of the person talking or blots out something you need to see in
order to understand what's going on.
With all this in mind, I can still say that I'm glad that Comedy Central
brought Absolutely Fabulous to us. I'm just crossing my fingers that PBS
picks it up or it becomes available on video."
Bob Claster's response:
>So what can you do?
"You can schedule significantly fewer than FIVE commercial breaks within
each show. You can make sure that your breaks occur between scenes rather
than interrupting a scene. You can save the "Behind The Scenes" stuff and
the promos for later airings of the series for between episodes rather than
during them. And you can absolutely not even entertain the thought of
running distracting promos onscreen across the bottom of the picture DURING
the episodes.
Let Comedy Central know how you feel! Let them know that this sort of
presentation is unacceptable. Let them know that there are people who care
about this and other British series. Write to them at:
Comedy Central
1775 Broadway - 10th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Voice:212-767-8600
Fax: 212-767-8582
Robert M. Kreek: President & CEO
Mitchell Semel: Sr. VP Programming
Mary Salter: VP Current Programs & Production
Carol Sussman: Dir. Acquisitions"
###
BLACKADDER: THE CAVALIER YEARS -- the conclusion
================================================
Baldrick.............................Tony Robinson
Sir Edmund Blackadder................Rowan Atkinson
Oliver Cromwell......................Warren Clarke
King Charles I.......................Stephen Fry
Narrator: (read at the beginning of Part I) In 1648, King Charles was in
flight from the wrath of Cromwell and his Roundheads. Only two men remained
faithful, risking certain death by their fidelity to the crown. One was the
sole descendant of a great historical dynasty--his name, Sir Edmund
Blackadder. The other was an unfortunate mating between a pig farmer and a
bearded lady. History has, quite rightly, forgotten his name.
SCENE VI: The Tower of London.
BD: (to King Charles) And that's why he can't be here today. Sorry. KC: I
see. Well, I quite understand. (Cromwell enters with the executioner, who
is fitted up in the traditional black outfit and hood) OC: Sir! The moment
has arrived. Are you ready to meet your maker? KC: Well, I'm always
absolutely fascinated to meet people from all walks of life, but
particularly from the manufacturing industry. OC: Well then, have a quick
walk and talk with your executioner, and let's get on with it. KC: Right.
(laughs goofily) Well, I'm sorry, my friend, I'm alone here today. I had
hoped my good, loyal chum, Sir Edmund Blackadder, would be here with me,
but, unfortunately, his wife's sister's puppy fell into the strawberry
patch. Naturally, he can't be with us. "Executioner": Ah-ha. KC: All I can do is bid you do your duty well. E: (speaking in a Cockney accent) Thank
you, your Majesty. And may I say how much I mourn for your lot, and bid you
remember others before you who have died unjustly. KC: Thank you, I take
great solace from that. E: Sir Thomas Moore, for instance, a generous man
to the last. He tipped his executioner handsomely. KC: Oh! I'm so sorry, I
thought service was included. Here you are. (gives coin to executioner) E:
Hmmm. And then there was the Earl of Essex... KC: Was there? E: ...a truly
great man. They still sing his famous ballad down the Kepstoe Arms (?). KC:
What ballad is that? BA: (singing) "The Earl, he had a thousand sovereigns,
Hey-nonny-no, He gave them all away to the man with the ax- o" KC: A
thousand sovereigns? BA: Well, you can't take it with you, your Majesty.
KC: Very true. Well, there you are. BA: (in regular voice) Thank you, your
Majesty. Right, shall we go... (starts to leave) KC: (alarmed) Just a
minute! (grabs BA by the arm) That voice has a strangely familiar ring. And
so does that finger! (takes BA's hand and examines ring he's wearing. King
Charles then lifts the hood) KC: Blackadder! BA: (stunned, then snaps into
place) Hello, your Majesty! KC: You cunning swine! BA: Yes, well, I, I--
KC: No, marvelous! Splendid! You tricked Cromwell and you concocted a
cunning plan to help me and my infant son escape to France. BA: Ah, yes.
That's right. Yes. KC: So! Let's put your cunning plan into operation
straight away. BA: Yes, let's. (at a loss) Uh--well, you start the ball
rolling. KC: No, no. After you. BA: Right, yes. (idea dawns on him) Ah-oh,
yes, yes, right. And it's a very good plan. It's a staggeringly
bowel-shatteringly good plan.
SAME SCENE, CAPTION: Nine minutes later. (Blackadder is in his
executioner's outfit. Baldrick is now present when Oliver Cromwell enters)
OC: Is the King ready? "E": (with cockney accent) He is. Come, your
majesty. (We see a tall figure with a pumpkin for a head move slowly toward
the door. A hat and painted face complete the ingenious disguise. All exit
except Baldrick, who listens at the closed door. We hear a drum roll, and
then a chop) BA: (yelling to crowd) This is the head of a traitor. Crowd:
(in unison) No it's not--it's a huge pumpkin with a pathetic mustache drawn
on it. BA: Oh yes! So it is--sorry! I'll try again. (drum roll, then the
chop) Crowd: YAY!
SCENE VII: Blackadder Hall (Blackadder and Baldrick are there. The former
is cradling baby)
BD: Well, sir, they can't say you didn't try. Now the future of the British
monarchy lies fast asleep in your arms in the person of this infant prince.
And with the money you've earned you and he can escape to France! BA: Well,
quite. (wiping his hand on his shirt from baby's bottom) BD: On the other
hand, you can stay here and as a known loyalist, the Roundheads will come
and cut your head off. BA: Exactly, Baldrick. (Stands up. A knock is heard
at the door) Oh my God. Voice: Open up (indecipherable)! BD: Oh no! What'll
we do? BA: For times like this, Baldrick, there is no choice for a man of
honor. He must stand and fight and die for his future soveirgn.
Fortunately, I'm not the man of honor. (Tosses baby to Baldrick, whips off
mustache and wig to reveal blonde wig just as Cromwell bursts in the room)
BA: Thank God you've come. (points to Baldrick) Seize the Royalist scum!!
(Camera freezes on a hapless Baldrick holding the infant prince. End
music.) ~ THE END ~
-------> For assistance in locating the full transcript, see the new column
"net.comedy" in this issue.
---------8< snip! --------------8< snip! -----------8< snip! --------
================================================================
FIRST EVER BRITCOMEDY DIGEST READER'S SURVEY!!!
================================================================
If you want to say "thanks" to the editors for Britcomedy Digest, please
fill out this form and e-mail it or mail it to the address listed below.
All respondents will be considered anonymous, and the information BD
receives about them will be held in strictest confidentiality. Results of
our readership demographics will be published in the December issue.
1) Sex (please, just type "male" or "female")
2) Age
3) Income (in U.S. currency) 1 = under 25,000 2 = 25,000 - 30,000 3 =
35,000 and up
(Skip this one if you're not in the U.S.)
4) Highest level of education (junior high, highschool, college, graduate
school).
5) List your top 5 favorite British comedies:
#1: #2: #3: #4: #5:
6) List any British comedy (ies) that you absolutely *hate*:
7) What do you like best in Britcomedy Digest?
8) Is there anything you don't read or tend to skip over in Britcomedy
Digest?
9) If Britcomedy Digest became a printed newsletter, would you pay for a
subscription? (Please explain why or why not)
10) Please list the country you are e-mailing from:
E-mail this survey to the editor at: casino@pobox.upenn.edu By mail:
Melinda Casino, 404 So. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19146
Thank you for your participation.
---------8< snip! --------------8< snip! -----------8< snip! --------
Quote-'O-The-Month:
TOASTER: "Howdy doodly do! How's it going? I'm Talkie, Talkie Toaster, your
chirpy breakfast companion. Talkie's the name, toasting's the game. Anyone
like any toast?" LISTER: "Look, *I* don't want any toast, and *he*"
(indicating Kryten) "doesn't want any toast. In fact, no one around here
wants any toast. Not now, not ever. NO TOAST." TOASTER: "How 'bout a
muffin?" LISTER: "OR muffins! OR muff--we don't LIKE muffins around here!
We want no muffins, no toast, no teacakes, no buns, baps, baguettes or
bagels, no croissants, no crumpets, no pancakes, no potato cakes and no
hot-cross buns and DEFINITELY no smegging flapjacks!" TOASTER: "Aah, so
you're a waffle man!" LISTER: (to Kryten) "See? You see what he's like? He
winds me up, man. There's no reasoning with him." KRYTEN: "If you'll allow
me, Sir, as one mechanical to another. He'll understand me." (He addresses
the Toaster as one would address an errant child) "Now. Now, you listen
here. You will not offer ANY grilled bread products to ANY member of the
crew. If you do, you will be on the receiving end of a very large polo
mallet. Hmph!" TOASTER: "Can I ask just one question?" KRYTEN: "Of course."
TOASTER: "Would anyone like any toast?" KRYTEN: "Didn't you HEAR what I
just said?" TOASTER: "Yes, but I thought you might have changed your mind
in the meantime."
SHOW: Red Dwarf, Season 4, Episode 4: "White Hole"
==========
net.comedy
==========
"net.comedy" is a new column surveying some of the great comedy resources
available on the Internet. We'll leave no stone unturned: newsgroups, ftp,
gopher, and WWW. This month net.comedy will look at the two major comedy
ftp sites: cathouse.org and src.doc.ic.ac.uk. Future columns will focus on
specific shows or comedians.
net.comedy welcomes any suggestions for topics or pointers to resources. If
you run an archive, produce an FAQ, or maintain a Web site, we want to know
about it (see details below)!
There are two ftp sites all comedy fans should be familiar with. First, the
Tardis TV archive, now at Imperial College, London, which is maintained by
Dave Chapman <dave@cheers.demon.co.uk>. Look here for episode guides, FAQs,
scripts, biographies, etc. related to TV shows.
ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/media/tv/collections/tardis/
The archives are also available by gopher (gopher.doc.ic.ac.uk), WWW
(www.doc.ic.ac.uk) and e-mail (send "help" to ftpmail@doc.ic.ac.uk). Most
files are compressed with GNU zip (gzip). The site runs a modified ftp
daemon which can compress or decompress files for you; to get an
uncompressed version of a compressed file, simply omit the ".gz" suffix.
Users of "point-and-click" ftp clients (for example, Fetch on the Mac)
should put a "+" in front of their email address when asked for the
password.
Secondly, the cathouse.org archives, maintained by Jason R. Heimbaugh
<jrh@uiuc.edu> hold a large collection of comedy, TV and movie files,
including a large section devoted to British humour.
ftp://cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/
The archives are also available by gopher (cathouse.org, port 6969).
###
----> Send news and views on net.comedy to James Kew <j.kew@ic.ac.uk>.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-- A D V E R T I S E M E N T S --
---------------------------------------------------------------------
POLICY: Britcomedy Digest is not held responsible for the quality of
advertiser's merchandise. All ads must offer tapes for trade ONLY--No ads
soliciting monetary gain for tapes will be printed.
Offering the following series in NTSC format, looking to trade: Red Dwarf
(all eps. except DNA, White Hole), Danny John-Jules "Tongue-Tied" video,
That's My Boy, Absolutely Fabulous, Brittas Empire (soon). Looking to trade
for (PAL or NTSC): Cyberzone (w/Craig Charles), The 10%ers, Maid Marion.
WRITE: Mike Phillips, 2377 Apollo Rd. #324, Garland, TX 75044.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FAQs & COMPREHENSIVE LISTS, ETC.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A relatively new BLACKADDER FAQ, written by Gwen Brophy, can be found at
alt.comedy.british.blackadder. EMAIL: <gbrophy@telerama.lm.com>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ever want to read Mr. Bean's diary?
Evidently, a lot of people do--it sold 400,000 copies! ("Mr Bean's Diary
1993", Boxtree Ltd, Broadwall Hall, 21 Boardwall, London SE1 9PL.; 1992,
ISBN 1-85283-768-3) This and even more comprise the "ROWAN ATKINSON
VIDEO/AUDIO APPEARANCES & BOOKS" list, found on alt.comedy.british. FOR
DETAILS CONTACT: Jeff Mason <jrm@elm.circa.ufl.edu>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Comic Strip Presents Episode Guide" is posted to alt.comedy.british by
Michael Shephard <michaels@jake.chem.unsw.EDU.AU>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ross Smith <alien@acheron.wanganui.gen.nz> alerted BD to an ABSOLUTELY
FABULOUS book, which is a collection of scripts. Absolutely Fabulous, BBC
Books, 1993, ISBN 0-563-36976-0.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here's your chance to write to the BBC, albeit in e-mail form. As published
in the July issue of "BBC Worldwide" their e-mail address is
<iac@bbc-ibar.demon.co.u> Tell them you got it from Britcomedy Digest!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
John Labovitz <johnl@ora.com> maintains the "'Zine FAQ", which can be
retrieved in the following ways: gopher: gopher.etext.org: Zines /
e-zine-list ftp: ftp.etext.org: /pub/Zines/e-zine-list web:
http://www.ora.com:8080/johnl/e-zine-list/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Everything you want to know about RED DWARF & more is contained in the "Red
Dwarf FAQ", available via ftp:src.doc.ic.ac.uk dir:/media/tv/collections
/tardis/uk/comedy/RedDwarf CONTACT Pat Berry <pat@berry.Cary.NC.US>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Unofficial, Incomplete, But Otherwise Completely Wonderful List of
MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS fan clubs and fanzines" can be found at
alt.comedy.british and alt.fan.monty-python; or FTP:
cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/humor/british.humour/mont.python/fan.clubs
http://www.iia.org/'rosenr1/python (soon) Compiled & maintained by Alyce
Wilson <amw108@psuvm.psu.edu>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Definitive UK Sitcom list," is posted on the 1st of each month to both
rec.arts.tv.uk and alt.comedy.british. It includes the title, years first
broadcast, core cast, writer(s), and plot synopsis of British comedies.
CONTACT Dave Budd <DBudd@mcc.ac.uk>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We hope you've enjoyed this SPECIAL ISSUE. Upcoming issues will have
articles on: Julia Sawahla, up-to-the-minute news on Craig Charles,
Terry Gilliam, The Comic Strip Presents, Monty Pyton Record
Review, Review of "The Wrong Trousers," Peter Cook &
Dudley Moore, Rik -n- Ade, Blackadder,
The Young Ones, The Goodies, The
Hitchiker's Guide to
The Galaxy,
& more!
~
Comments
Post a Comment