Plot: What’s it about?
The arrival of the entire collection of The Young Ones episodes on DVD has not only excited me but also has answered an important question IÆve had since my early childhood: What was so entertaining about that ridiculous British situational comedy that aired on MTV during its formative years? After watching these three DVDs (two containing the episodes and the third containing the Extras), IÆve realized that it was probably the vivid personalities and constant slapstick on the show that kept my elementary school kidÆs eyes glued to my grandmotherÆs cable subscription. Now I also understand that there is a ton of 80Æs history, political satire and groundbreaking comedy involved as well.
The show stars four housemates supposedly attending some institution of higher learning in London. Neil (Nigel Planer) is a chronically depressed hippy whose main activities include making and subsequently ruining meals made exclusively of lentils. Vyvyan (Adrian Edmondson) is a punk with four metal stars hammered into his forehead whose affliction with attention deficit disorder often finds him destroying the house. Mike (Christopher Ryan) is a supposed womanizer with quick, cool wits whose relative nearness to reality often lands him in the houseÆs leadership role. And lastly and certainly least, we have Rik (Rik Mayall, Drop Dead Fred) aka ôThe PeopleÆs Poetö, the image-conscious talentless poseur-leftist-radical. Each episode also involves an appearance by a member of the Balowski family (Alexei Sayle) and a musical guest.
These four characters pulled it together, or tore it apart depending on how you want to view it, for two seasons (12 episodes total) and endured plot-lines involving nuclear weapons, insane landlords, numbing boredom and severe poverty. The genius of the production is in the writersÆ ability to make back-handed comments about ThatcherÆs Britain while simultaneously poking fun at the anti-establishment stereotypes that the characters represent.
Other highlights of the show include appearances from folks like Emma Thompson (Much Ado About Nothing, Dead Again), Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter and the SorcererÆs Stone) and Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous) who is apparently married to Adrian Edmondson. Each episode also highlights an Eighties band whose appearance is blended into the plot line as seamlessly as any other turn in the ever rambling stories.
Every Stoopid Episode: Disc One
Demolition û This is the pilot episode and the writerÆs go to great lengths to quickly establish the characterÆs eccentricities. Rik recites his first poem, Neil ruins his first meal of lentils and Mike absorbs his housemateÆs antics disinterestedly. When the housemates find out that the house is to be demolished for health reasons, Vyvyan attempts to destroy it himself before the demolition experts arrive. Musical Guest: Nine Below Zero.
Oil û The housemates are in a new house (perhaps the success of the pilot episode landed them a better studio, but you wouldnÆt know it from the condition of the house represented in the new set). Vyvyan claims to have struck oil in the basement of the new house and Mike establishes a form of totalitarian rule so as to reap the profits while the others dig the well. Musical Guest: Radical Posture with Alexei Sayle
Boring û The housemates, in the face of boredom, attempt diversions such as playing Monopoly, watching TV, and going to the Pub, while unbeknownst to them the household is visited by Goldilocks, a minion of the nether regions, and a UFO. Musical Guest: Madness
Bomb û Although it takes the housemates a while to realize it, an unexploded atomic bomb blocks access to their refrigerator. Each housemate reacts to the stress in their own individual way: Mike attempts to auction the bomb to the black market, Rik tries to blackmail the government, Neil builds a bomb shelter and Vyv frustrates himself while trying to explode the device. Musical Guest: DexyÆs Midnight Runners
Interesting û The housemates throw a party. Rik plays an endlessly offensive host and locks NeilÆs single friend in the refrigerator. MikeÆs guests are, of course, attractive girls who Vyvyan attempts to impress by drinking a concoction that makes his hair fall out and doing push-ups. Musical Guest: Rip, Rig and Panic
Flood û The house is under siege from heavy rains and eventually a flood, which completely envelops the house. Vyvyan and the Balowsky relative end up in a closet that leads them to Narnia and the Balowsky relative drinks a potion that turns him into a homicidal maniac. No Musical Guest
Every Stoopid Episode: Disc Two
Bambi û The housemates must rush to the train station in order to appear on the college quiz game show. The school they are pitted against is ridiculously affluent (Emma Thompson plays one of the opposing contestants) and it is revealed that Vyvyan, Mike, Rik and Neil attend Scumbag College. Musical Guest: Motorhead
Cash û Mike and Vyvyan burn all the furniture in the house in an attempt to stay warm in the midst of a lack of household cash flow. It is decided that Neil should get a job as a cop (to pay for VyvyanÆs medical bills who has become mysteriously pregnant) and ends up having to bust his hippy friends.
Nasty û Neil is the last to take a bath in the houseÆs week old recycled bath water and loses his pacifist cool during a brief attempt to take RikÆs life. Vyvyan and Mike try to set up an at-the-time new fangled device called a VCR and watch porn but they are distracted when the post delivers a South African vampire to the house.
Time û The housemates wake up not remembering what has happened the night before, and while the memory loss could be associated with an apparent time-warp that the house has experienced and/or a night of hard partying, nonetheless Vyv, Mike, and Neil are confused by the fact that Rik has woke up with a girl in his bed. She turns out to be a homicidal maniac. Musical Guest: Amazulu
Sick û Everyone has come down with the flu. Vyvyan, playing house doctor, self-medicates by downing vodka, attempts to cure Rik by feeding him a Malatov Cocktail and recommends acupuncture using six-inch nails for Neil. One of NeilÆs sneezes incites a riot outside the house and his parents show up for tea. Musical Guest: Madness
Summer Holiday û Final exams are finished and the excitement of a cricket game and NeilÆs birthday is short-lived when Rik finds out his parents have died and they are evicted from the house. Things are looking up when the foursome pull off a bank robberyà
Video: How does it look?
This was not and never will be LucasFilms, but this is part of the mystique. The episodes were filmed in the early eighties and appear as such. The opening sequence has a strangely grainy texture in the digital format. The age of the film has brought about a slight paleness and iffy clarity but these characteristics merely reinforce one of the main philosophies of the show: No matter how progressed we think we are, there is still a ways to go. The Young Ones: Every Stoopid Episode is presented in same full-screen format as the original television show and appears much the same as my memory serves me. In any case, the video presentation is much better than the fuzzy VCR recordings I resorted to watching in college.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio portion of this collection was probably doubly influenced by the age of the recording plus the technology used during filming. It seems that age has done minimal damage as I found myself understanding quite well what was being said and sometimes even figuring out what the British slang might mean. Microphone positioning seems to be the most problematic issue in the production. Oftentimes the dialogue will become mysteriously quieter as the actors move across the stage. And be aware that this is the golden age of the laugh track and the BBC was not immune. Although the antics do produce raucous laughter both in the studio and in your living room, sometimes the dubbed laughter can be too loud. The original mono is presented here in two-channel and optional English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The extras on this release are contained on a separate disc and are entertaining and informative. The first two options are excerpts from documentaries that reference The Young Ones phenomena. The first, entitled ôCreating the Young Onesö, runs for 15 minutes and is taken out of A History of Alternative Comedy (1999). It describes the chain of events, starting with the comedy group ôTwentieth Century Coyoteö started by Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall, that eventually lead to the sitcom. There are various interviews with the actors, the producer and the writers recalling the period. The next featurette is entitled ôThe Young Ones and the 80sö and is taken from Laughter in the House: The Story of the British Sitcom (1999). This piece also contains interviews of the cast, writers and producers and attempts to explain the sit-comÆs historical significance. This featurette also puts the musical acts into context with the pop music culture at the time.
The third option is an on stage performance by Rik Mayall in which he reads a poem to the audience. It is from the Fundamental Frolics concert in 1981 and RikÆs on-stage personality and poem indicate that RikÆs character on The Young Ones was in the works well before they began filming the pilot episode.
The next two options are additional sit-com endeavors by members of the cast. Episode 1 of Filthy Rich & Catflap stars Rik Mayall as a celebrity named Richie Rich, Adrian Edmondson as his freeloading friend Eddie Catflap, and Nigel Planer as RichÆs perpetually intoxicated agent. It is refreshing to see the actors performing different roles, especially since RikÆs character has moved from completely depressing to mildly depressing. VyvyanÆs attitude is still noticeable in Adrian but the red hair dye is out along with the piercings. NigelÆs character is a far cry from Neil-the-hippy as he plays a lush with a fantastic comb-over hairstyle. The plot revolves around RikÆs character accidentally and repeatedly killing ôMilkyö (thatÆs the milkman, for those of you reading from the States).
Episode 1 of Bottom stars Rik and Adrian who maintain their respective first names from Filthy Rich & Catflap. The idea behind the show is after The Young Ones and after Filthy Rich & Catflap these two have ended up nowhere in life well into their thirties. Richie has grown his hair out and looks mainstream while Eddie wears glasses and sports a hat to cover his lack of hair. The episodeÆs story line involves the pair investing in spray-on pheromones and venturing to the bar to pick up women.
The last option is a talent file that includes a plethora of information on everyone and everything that went into making The Young Ones. There are career bios for the actors, guest actors, writers, producer and even information about the bands that appeared on the show.
