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==================================
B R I T C O M E D Y D I G E S T
==================================
V. 1 Rest In Peace, Peter JAN. 1995
no.8 November 17, 1937 - January 9, 1995
A monthly electronic newsletter on British comedies.
What's Inside
=============
* Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: Grand Old Men Of Comedy (Part 3)
* Absolutely Indulgent! Why I love AbFab
* A Look Back At The Young Ones
* Op/Ed: The Myth of Cultural Quality
* Listy and Rimsey: The Odd Couple
* The Creation of a Python Sketch
* Sprechen Sie Python?
Transcriptions:
* Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: One Leg Too Few
Regular Departments:
Editor's Page
Mailbox
Britcomedy News
Newsquirks
Editorial/Opinion Page
net.comedy
Quote-'O-the-Month
FAQs and Comprehensive Lists
Circulation/Back Issues
Staff
=====
Managing Editor..................Melinda 'Bob' Casino
Contributing Editor..............Michelle Street
Assistant Editor.................James Kew
Contributing writers: James Kew, Lizbeth Marc, Alison Siegel, Michelle
Street, Chris Welty, Jennifer L. Wyatt.
HTML logo by Nathan Gasser; HTML conversion by James Kew.
Britcomedy Digest (ISSN 1077-6680) <Schopenhauer Publishing Co.>
Copyright (c) 1994 by Melinda Casino. Reproduction for personal and
non-profit use is permitted only if this copyright notice is retained. Any
other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
E D I T O R 'S P A G E
------------------------
Peter Cook, the comedian and writer, died of a gastro-intestinal hemorrhage
in London's Royal Free Hospital on the morning of January 9th. His death at
57 was unexpected, and drew many tributes in the press from friends and
colleagues.
I first heard Peter Cook's work when a friend at University brought back a
muffled, distorted, many-times-copied tape of "Derek & Clive (Live)". I was
stunned listening to it for the first time by the crude, savage humour,
riddled with expletives and crashing through taboos, and then by the
imagination and wit behind the rambling, improvised pieces.
I wanted to know more about this man, who through a single well-placed
ad-lib could reduce both Dudley Moore and myself to fits of laughter. I
discovered "Beyond The Fringe". I discovered "Not Only...But Also...". I
discovered E. L. Wisty, Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling, Dud and Pete. I learnt
of Cook's involvement in the Establishment Club and Private Eye.
Cook's comedy was strongly observational, often sharply satirical, and
always entertaining. He had a gift of turning even the most ordinary
subject inside out, of finding humour in every situation. As he
demonstrated on his all-too-infrequent chat-show appearances, his wit was
spontaneous and uninhibited.
The news of Cook's death is a terrible blow, both to British comedy, which
he did so much to inspire, and to all the people to whom he brought so much
joy. He was a great hero to me; I and many others shall miss him dearly.
--James Kew, Assistant Editor
MAILBOX
=======
I recently heard Terry Jones in an interview on our local public radio
station (KQED). [He was on] for about half an hour and was hilarious. He
said that tapes of "Complete and Utter History" (see vol.1, no. 7) had been
found in the BBC vaults this year. Apparently they were filed, not under
"comedy" but under "history"! Terry said that plans are in the works to
make them available in some form.
Laurel Sutton -- Berkeley, CA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There's a lot in these pages about British TV shows, but apart from the
"Goons" and the original "Hitchiker's", I haven't seen much about British
radio comedy. Obviously some of it is too regional (e.g., "Week Ending" -
all about the preceding week's news) but shows like "I'm Sorry I Haven't a
Clue", "Radio Active" and "Just A Minute" were gems. [Why is there] this
lack of discussion?
R. Winn -- Vienna, Austria
P.S. - Did you know that the German title of "Search for the Holy
Grail" is "Die Ritter des Kokos" - The Knights of the Coconut...it's just
not the same.
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: Thanks for bringing this point up. I have been trying to
get writers from the UK to cover shows that aren't in America, to no
success. If you can write on British radio shows, _please_ email me at
casino@pobox.upenn.edu.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I have just found Britcomedy Digest on the 'net and it is fantastic--
congratulations. I am writing in the hopes that someone has scripts from
the best comedy show ever recorded in the history of television, the news
spoof programme "The Day Today." While a lot of comedies claim to be
dangerous and risqu<71>, here was a real comedy programme where the presenter
(Chris Morris) actually got his wrists slapped by the Broadcasting
Standards Council for "inducing an elderly man into using offensive
language." Could you try and get some of the scripts for your 'zine?
"The Day To-day--because the last scintilla of doubt just rode out of town!"
Barry Cronin -- Navan, Republic of Ireland
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: "The Day Today" hasn't been aired in the U.S. yet, as far
as I know. Please contact me if you have transcriptions or would like to
write an article about this program.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My name is Mikael. I got your address from my brother who has written to you
a couple of times. I was just wondering...why is Rodesia called Rodesia?
Mikael Stromberg -- Uddevalla, Sweden
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: Contrary to the widespread belief that the causative
organism, the bacterium _Neisseria gonorrheoeae_, cannot live apart from
moist, warm, mucous membranes, live bacteria have been recovered from
contaminated bathroom fixtures fifteen minutes to four hours later...hence,
the name "Rhodesia".
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MAILBOX: Send letters to casino@pobox.upennn.edu.
BRITCOMEDY NEWS...
------------------
PETER COOK DIES AT 57 -- FANS WORLD-WIDE MOURN
Peter Cook died on January 9, 1995, of a gastro-intestinal hemorrhage, in
the Royal Free Hospital in London. He is survived by two daughters by his
first marriage to Wendy Snowden.
Cook was a heavy drinker and smoker. He reportedly downed triple vodkas and
orange juice for breakfast.
The funeral is for family only, but it will be followed by a more public
memorial service in London for friends and associates. Dudley Moore, 59,
his former partner, flew in from California for the memorial service. "His
talent was extraordinary. He was on the fringe and understated because of
that. I knew his death was just a matter of time, but it's so sad. Life
will never be the same." He went on to say that he had lost a close and
dear friend.
Cook married three times and leaves a widow, Lin Chong, whom he married in
1987.
Private Eye (#863, Jan. 13 1995) marked its proprietor's death with a cover
picture of Cook, holding a drink and cigarette in his right hand, under the
caption "So. Farewell then...". The issue includes tributes written by Eye
editors Richard Ingrams and Ian Hislop.
ROSEANNE TAKES CONTROL OF ABFAB--BUT WON'T STAR
It has been confirmed that after a hot and heavy bidding war, Roseanne has
purchased the American rights to Absolutely Fabulous. She is not planning
to star in the series (phew--there's a relief!) but will search for two
other actresses to take the roles of Patsy and Edina. A pilot will be shot
starting in April and Jennifer Saunders has agreed to act as creative
consultant.
With her reputation for crude, shocking behavior, Roseanne may actually be
the perfect person to take on this project and ensure that it stays true to
the spirit of the original. Still, it'll be very interesting to see how far
television executives will let her go and if America is ready for the
adventures of two fortyish drug-abusing, heavy drinking, politically
incorrect basket cases.
SEVERAL BRITCOMS RECEIVE CABLE ACE AWARDS
The CableACE award, the industry's highest award, was given this year to
"Mr. Bean," "Whose Line is It Anyway?," Tracey Ullman, and Robbie
Coltrane.
Whose Award is It, Anyway?
Comedy Central has been giving the American public what they want with
Britain's "Whose Line is It Anyway?"; now the cable industry recognizes
this outstanding comedy quiz show with the award from "Special Series,
Movie, Or Miniseries" category. The host is Clive Anderson and guests who
have appeared on the show include Tony Slattery, Josie Lawrence, Ryan
Stiles, and Greg Proops. One question: whose mantlepiece is the award going
to sit on, anyway?
Comic Strip Boy Makes Good
Scottish actor and comedian Robbie Coltrane won a CableACE award for best
actor in a movie or miniseries for "Cracker: To Say I Love You" (A&E). The
series itself won in the category "Best Movie or Miniseries."
Coltrane plays detective Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald in the popular mystery
series. The role was created for him by writer Jimmy McGovern.
Coltrane has already received Best Actor awards from the British Academy of
Film and Television Arts, the British Broadcast Press Guild, and the Monte
Carlo Film Festival. Coltrane, who was born in Glasgow in 1950, has
appeared in several Comic Strip films, Eric Idle's movie "Nuns on the Run,"
and "The Pope Must Die(t)."
Ullman Kills 'Em in New York
Tracey Ullman won the CableACE award for her performance in the HBO comedy
special "Tracey Ullman Takes on New York." Ullman is no stranger to
American audiences, who have seen her talents displayed in Fox TV's "The
Tracey Ullman Show."
A VERY Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean" (HBO) walked away with a couple of CableACE
awards. Written by Rowan Atkinson, Richard Curtis, and Robin Driscoll, it
won "Best Comedy Special," and John Dirkin won "Best Director" for a comedy
special. Let's hope the upcoming Mr. Bean movie will win awards, too.
The CableACE award was established by the National Cable Television
Association. It took place Sunday, January 15 at the Wiltern Theatre and
was televised nationally on TNT.
ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET OBE...
Speaking of awards, AbFab's Joanna Lumley got an extra Christmas present
this year when she found her name among the list of honorees to be made an
OBE (Officer of the British Empire) for "services to drama." The ex-Bond
girl said she was going to celebrate her OBE in typical Pats fashion--with
a bottle of champagne.
Newsquirks
----------Pixels in the press
MR. BEAN PROCREATES
Rowan Atkinson and wife Sunetra are expecting a child this February. The
couple, who met on the set of Blackadder in 1990 and were wed a year later,
are delighted about their second bundle of joy--the couple already have a
two-year old son.
FRY HAS CAMEO IN "I.Q." MOVIE
Sighted in the new movie "I.Q": Stephen Fry, in a small role as Meg Ryan's
fiance. The movie also stars Tim Robbins and Walter Matthau (as Albert
Einstein).
E D I T O R I A L / O P I N I O N P A G E
===========================================
The Myth of Cultural Quality................by Alison Siegel
Every month or so some neophyte on alt.comedy.british posts the question
"Why do British television series run for 6 episodes, when American shows
have 23 or 46 per season?" And quicker than you can say "Knowing Me,
Knowing You, Ah-ha" some Brit posts the follow-up: "Because we have
something called 'quality' over here." The rationale being that the British
writers turn out only so many episodes and then exercise considerable
restraint and halt the series before a show goes downhill.
It's simply too glib an answer, too superior, and just plain inaccurate.
Let's examine this issue--the myth that cultural quality exists--in terms
of the latter.
Let's assume that all British t.v. series writers are committed to bringing
the best quality programs to the British public. How, then, would the
number turn out to be six episodes per season, then? Just a freak
coincidence? Some superstition rooted no doubt in the fixation Queen
Elizabeth has on the number '6'? No, surely there must be some real
historical explanation for why each season is six episodes long. However,
I'll give my opponents the benefit of the doubt and overlook the above
point. Let's assume that in this case, seven is the unlucky number at which
t.v. writers feel their creative juices drying up. Why would that
automatically hold true for American writers? As anyone who's familiar
with this cultural comparison will point out, the entertainment industry in
the U.S. is much stronger. Usually a large team of writers are employed for
each program, thereby ensuring consistent quality and interesting and new
plots. But the advocates of the "British = quality" mentality claim the
extra episodes are "filler" or "throw-aways".
Yet there are plenty of examples of American t.v. shows that have run for 7
years or longer and have maintained high quality: M*A*S*H, All In The
Family, Seinfeld, L.A. Law (alright, it's not a comedy, but it has some
damn funny moments), Barney Miller, Murphy Brown, Cheers--just to name a
few. Not to mention long-standing talk shows like The Tonight Show and
David Letterman; variety shows like The Carol Burnett Show.
And by the same token, everything the British touch does NOT turn to
gold--anyone who has seen an episode of "From May to December" can attest
to that! And what's a hit right now over in the U.K.? "Roseanne."
And it's not just the British who buy into the cultural quality myth;
Americans often fall under the "Merchant Ivory" spell--which causes them to
salivate over anything that smacks of the British. But if we idolize this
culture, aren't we putting it on a pedestal that it never asked to be put
on? And if the British view American pop culture as plastic, superficial,
and without merit, does that really do our culture justice?
The truth is, remarks made asserting that Americans turn out crap shows and
the British make all "Masterpiece Theaters" perpetuate harmful stereotypes
about _both_ cultures. There is no such thing as a culture that has the
corner on quality--to say so only demeans that culture by reducing it to a
stereotype.
###
Britcomedy Digest welcomes contrasting views. Mail rebuttals and editorials
to <casino@pobox.upenn.edu> with the subject "EDITORIAL".
====================================================
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: Grand Old Men Of Comedy
by James Kew <j.kew@ic.ac.uk>
====================================================
This is the conclusion of a series of articles on Cook and Moore written
prior to Cook's death. We've decided to keep the article as it was
originally written.
FILMS
In 1967 Peter Cook and Dudley Moore made the film "Bedazzled", which came
from an idea he and Moore had. Dudley plays Stanley Moon, an inadequate
burger-bar cook infatuated with a waitress (Eleanor Bron). After an attempt
to kill himself, be meets a George Spigott (Cook), who he later discovers
is the Devil, and who offers Stanley seven wishes in exchange for his soul.
Each wish Stanley uses is, in effect, a self-contained sketch, linked
together by the narrative device of Stanley's growing friendship with
George. One sketch borrowed an idea from "Not Only...But Also...": Stanley,
having specified that he and his beloved should enjoy eternal love in quiet
surroundings, finds that they are both nuns of The Order of Leaping
Berelians--a bizarre order who dedicate themselves to the Lord by perpetual
leaping. (This leads to be one of the all-time funniest moments in movie
history: Dudley Moore, a nun's habit, and a trampoline. Enough said.)
"Bedazzled" was given mixed reviews by British critics, who compared it
unfavourably with their television work. Abroad, however, it was popular
and given rave reviews. Cook has described it as the only film he's ever
worked on that he's remotely satisfied with.
Between "Goodbye Again" and 1970's third series of "Not Only...But Also"
Cook and Moore made a string of uninspiring film appearances. Cook appeared
in the 1968 thriller "A Dandy In Aspic", playing a straight part; Moore
co-wrote and starred in "Thirty Is A Dangerous Age, Cynthia"; and in 1969
they both appeared in "Monte Carlo Or Bust!" (known in America as "Those
Daring Young Men In Their Jaunty Jalopies"). They did not return to film
until 1978's "The Hound Of The Baskervilles", a Sherlock Holmes movie made
"from the point of view of the dog," according to Cook. That may have been
why it turned out to be a mess of a movie.
Dudley Moore continued his film career. A cameo in "Foul Play" led to his
breakthrough role in the Blake Edward film "10." He starred opposite Bo
Derek. Moore earned a Golden Globe award for his portrayal of cocktail
pianist George Webber and became one of Hollywood's most unlikeliest sex
symbols.
Further success came in 1981 with "Arthur", in which he played the happy
drunk millionaire Arthur Bach. He falls in love with the Linda Marolla
(Liza Minelli), and finds he must choose between riches and happiness. John
Gielgud filled Cook's shoes as Moore's sidekick butler Hobson, and the
interactions between Moore and Gielgud provided much of the comedy. Moore
deservedly received a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination; John Gielgud
won a best-supporting-actor Oscar.
Moore has since starred in a number of films, including "Lovesick",
"Micki And Maude" and the uninspiring sequel, "Arthur 2: On The Rocks",
of which few have lived up to his earlier successes.
DEREK AND CLIVE
A departure in style are the "Derek and Clive" recordings. The first
album, "Derek and Clive Live" was originally recorded privately during
the New York run of "Good Evening"; inevitably, the tapes "escaped" and
multiplied on the bootleg circuit. In 1976, three years later, Cook and
Moore relented and issued the material on an LP. Their reluctance was
due to the nature of the material, much of which depended on language
and subject material which made them quite unsuitable for public
distribution. The albums "Come Again" (1977) and "Ad Nauseam" (1978)
were released after the relative success of "Derek and Clive Live".
The comedy on these three albums is rough, improvised stuff delivered by a
clearly inebriated Cook and Moore. There is much which is still shocking
today: Derek and Clive argue, screeching expletives at each other; Derek
composes a filthy song about his mother; a "Bo Duddley" song is dissected
in a manner which veers uncomfortably close to racism. There are moments of
sheer brilliance, however: Cook's sketch "Horse Racing", a masterpiece of
vulgar double-entendre; the rambling 25 minute piece "The Horn", which ends
in a vicious spoof of the Moonlight Sonata; "Squatter and the Ant", a
surreally twisted war memoir in which two crusty colonials recount the
story of a lone fighter facing a menacing ant.
Dudley: What's he up to at the moment?
Peter: Squatter Madras?
Dudley: Hmm.
Peter: Well he tends to lie a bit low, you know.
Dudley: Really? Why is that?
Peter: Well, he, he...that's the way he lies. A bit low. Which is the
best way to lie, I think, in my view. But Squatter was, er, one
of my very best friends, which is, erm, him and, um, and him.
He is in fact my only best friend.
Dudley: Mmm, mm.
Peter: But Squatter had this incredible quality, which was, erm, I
don't know how you could define it but I would, er, say it was,
hm, I'd say it was stupidity.
Derek and Clive have been variously described as "Pete and Dud on speed"
and "a punk Pete and Dud", and the rambling, freewheeling style is
certainly reminiscent of Cook and Moore's earlier characters. Maybe the
description on the sleeve of "Derek and Clive Live" fits them best:
"just a couple of c***s".
A film--"Derek and Clive Get The Horn"--was made of one of the "Ad Nauseam"
recording sessions, and was recently re-released on video.
THE LATE YEARS
Peter Cook's career lately has been somewhat patchy. He continues his
involvement in Private Eye, makes infrequent appearances on chat shows,
where his ready wit and whimsical outlook is still very apparent, and
takes the occasional cameo role in comedy films--notably appearing as the
murderous Ralph Jolly in the Comic Strip feature, "Mr. Jolly Lives Next
Door". His recent work has included a series of shorts for BBC2 based
around the Twelve Days Of Christmas, voicing the animated version of the
Viz cartoon "Roger Mellie--The Man On The Telly", and a sparkling special
edition of "Clive Anderson Talks Back" in which he improvised the roles of
all four of the show's guests.
Accused of some by laziness, he claims to have fulfilled all his ambitions
by the age of 30. "Ambition can lead people to take some fairly desperate
measures at times, and I am not that desperate."
Dudley Moore now lives in Los Angeles with his current wife, Nicole
Rothschild, who he married in April 1994. He continues to work as an
actor, his most notable films recently being "Crazy People" (1990), a
satire on the advertising industry, and "Blame It On The Bell-Boy"
(1992)--a "mistaken-identity" farce.
Music is still his greatest love, and he is an excellent pianist, giving
charity performances and presenting two major TV series, "Orchestra!" and
"Concerto!"
SOURCES:
Net
---
http://www.cm.cf.ac.uk/Movies/
ftp://cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/humor/british.humour/beyond.the.fringe/
http://cathouse.org:8000/BritishComedy/BeyondTheFringe/
ftp://cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/humor/british.humour/
peter.cook.and.dudley.moore/
http://cathouse.org:8000/BritishComedy/PeterCook_DudleyMoore/
Books
-----
_Beyond the Fringe...and Beyond: A Critical Biography of Alan
Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, and Dudley Moore_ by Ronald Bergan
(W.H. Allen 1989, 1-852-27175-2)
_From Fringe To Flying Circus_ by Roger Wilmut
(Methuen, 0-413-50770-X)
_The Complete Beyond The Fringe_ by Bennett, Cook, Miller and Moore
(Methuen, 0-413-14670-7)
_Dud and Pete--The Dagenham Dialogues_ by Cook and Moore
(Methuen, 0-7493-1036-7)
Video
-----
"The Best Of...What's Left Of...Not Only...But Also..." (BBC Video)
"Derek and Clive Get The Horn" (Polygram)
Audio
-----
"Beyond The Fringe" (2xCD, EMI)
"An Evening With Peter Cook And Dudley Moore/E. L. Wisty" (Polygram
cassette, 'funny business' series)
"The World Of Pete And Dud" (cassette, Laughing Stock)
"Peter Cook and Dudley Moore--The Clean Tapes" (cassette, Castle Classics)
"Derek and Clive--Live!" (Island)
"Come Again", "Ad Nauseam" (Virgin)
###
The Creation of a Python Sketch
-------------------------------
The following is from Christopher Welty <weltyc@cs.vassar.edu>, a computer
science faculty member at Vassar College. Around 1987, when Welty was a
member of the New York Arthurian Club (a group interested in King Arthur),
he arranged for Graham Chapman to speak to the group.
"Graham Chapman had been invited to give a talk to our group and since I was
his 'host,' I got to pick him up at the airport and go to dinner after his
show, and generally take him around. This is how the funny walks sketch
came to be:
Graham said that Monty Python worked pretty much in two separate groups,
Cleese and he, and Palin and Jones. Eric Idle sort of floated around and
wrote songs, and clearly Graham didn't think much of Terry Gilliam and
didn't talk about him much. The only thing I remember him saying was that
Brazil was the most confusing movie he'd ever seen.
Anyway, one day he was at Cleese's house, which at the time was located
about two-thirds the way up a fairly steep hill. The house had a small
front lawn and a large hedge that bordered it. On the other side of the
hedge was the sidewalk which went up to the top of the hill. The room where
they worked looked out the front of the house, and as people walked by, you
could typically only see the tops of their heads or their hats, and
sometimes taller people would walk by and you could see their whole head.
That day the two of them had decided they would write something about
English Ministries. They were both of the feeling that the mostly ancestral
positions in British government were a real crock. They had focused in
particular on a fellow who was about as stupid as they felt a human could
be, and was so utterly useless yet was required by birthright to be a
minister. Apparently, most other government officials were aware of his
ineptitude, and so they created a ministry especially for him. At the time,
there was a drought, so they made him Minister of Droughts. About four
months later the rains came so they changed his title to Minister of
Floods. John and Graham felt they simply had to write a sketch about this
fellow.
They were thinking about it for a while when they noticed a tall man walking
by outside. Because of the hedge, they could only see his head. Cleese was
making a very confused face as he watched the guy and finally they both
realized that, somehow, this guy was walking up the hill keeping his body
perpendicular to the sidewalk (while most people tend to lean forward when
walking up a hill, to keep themselves opposed to the pull of gravity).
They watched mesmerized for a few moments, and then Cleese blurted out,
"How is he *doing* that?" So they rushed outside to see but by the time
they got out to the sidewalk he had crested the hill.
They spent the next few hours hypothesizing increasingly ludicrous ways in
which someone might accomplish walking up a hill in that manner, and by the
time they got inside the connection to useless British Ministries was made.
For the sketch, Cleese added the goose-step to his impression of the way
the guy must have been walking up that hill."
###
Absolutely Indulgent! Why I Love AbFab..........by Jennifer L. Wyatt
I have found my little slice of sleazy, shameless heaven on Comedy Central
this year. While they ran the promotional advertisements for the new show
"Absolutely Fabulous," there was little clue as to what I was really in
for. I was only slightly curious, but during the AbFab marathon, I found
myself coming back to the television, my other tasks forgotten. My first
thoughts were, "what the hell are these women doing?"; "don't they work?";
"how do they get all the money for champagne and caviar?"; and "_what_ did
she say to her daughter?!?". I was still so naive to the true beauty of the
program--still entrenched in my confining, polite, structured sphere of
existence.
The appeal of AbFab is the total freedom it represents. What a relief it
would be to be able to behave like Patsy and Edina...endless drinking,
smoking, snorting, shopping, lunching, and scathing remarks. It's
cathartic-- after a day in the conservative, corporate world, to come home,
relax on the couch and to be able to forget the rules that govern our
behavior (if only for 30 minutes). "Id Blonde" and "Id Brunette" act as we
truly want to act, not as we're expected. Its most refreshing quality is
the absence of a moral to the show. We don't have to hear a sappy
justification or apology from Patsy and Edina for getting high in the
bathroom then blowing birthday candles off the cake with a fire
extinguisher. In the U.S., it would be explained that even though it was
very funny, it was a Bad Thing to do and of course, would never happen
again. I'm so happy they keep doing things like throwing tantrums on the
floor, selling Saffron to white slavers in Morocco, sucking down bottles of
wine and sucking up packages of white powder.
Sometimes it's sad when the show is over. I know I will return to being
responsible and facing life with my chin up.
I look forward to the next season of episodes--my wristwatch is programmed
to remind me when to tune in.
"I'm your _best_ friend." -- Patsy Stone
---------------------------------
Listy and Rimsey: The Odd Couple
by Lizbeth Marcs
---------------------------------
Neil Simon couldn't have asked for better actors to play Oscar Madison and
Felix Unger than Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the movie version of
"The Odd Couple." But I say if he were casting the famously mismatched duo
today, Craig Charles and Chris Barrie could give the two originals a run
for their money. Why? Check out this exchange from season two's "Better
Than Life:"
Rimmer: "It's not easy, Lister, cooking, when you're dead, you don't
exist and made entirely of light."
Lister: "That's your excuse for everything, isn't it? Bein' dead!"
And there's more where that came from. Throughout the series, Lister and
Rimmer engage in verbal warfare, and sometimes threaten to do violence to
each other. They're the perfect science fiction version of Oscar Madison
and Felix Unger, stranded together 3 million years in the future. Matthau
and Lemmon with British accents.
Yet, five seasons into the series, they're still sharing the same quarters,
despite Rimmer moving in with himself in season one's "Me^2" and the move
to the Officers Quarters between seasons two and three. They went through
the trouble of _actually_ packing their things and moving out of that dingy
room where they originally resided to better quarters and yet remained
bunkmates! The way they beat on each other, you'd think one of them would
move out, even if it's only to the room next door.
While Cat hangs out most of the time in the quarters Lister and Rimmer
share, you don't see him sleeping there on a regular basis. Kryten, when
he's off-line, does it elsewhere. In fact, when Rimmer locks Kryten, Cat
and Lister up together in season five's "Quarantine," the three go at it
hammer-and-tongs until the violence escalates to the physical plane,
something that rarely happens when it's just Rimmer and Lister. Granted,
the quarters in "Quarantine" are smaller and the three individuals in
question are locked in with only a video on knitting, sprout-based meals
and a chess-set with half the pieces missing, but I can't escape the
feeling that if Lister was locked in there with Rimmer, the two of them
would've somehow managed to make it work by simply driving each other
crazy.
So we still come to the question of why do Lister and Rimmer continue to
share the same room, despite their professed dislike for each other? I know
what you're thinking, "Because it's _funny_!" But it's not that simple.
Think about it: would any of the comedy really be lost if Rimmer moved out
just like Felix Unger did at the end of "The Odd Couple?" No. So what is it
then? Could it be that these two _are_ actually friends? Or is it that they
need each other to stay sane? The answer is, it's a little of both.
In "Psirens" (season 6), an amnesiatic Lister asks Kryten if Rimmer is his
best mate. The punchline is that Lister _must_ be seriously ill to think
this thought. Yet, I can't escape the suspicion that there's some truth to
this bamboozled observation, mostly because in certain matters, Rimmer is
the only person he _can_ talk to. Rimmer may be a hologram, but he did used
to be human (well, sort of) and is someone with whom he shares a
pre-accident past.
The show is peppered with references to "the time before the accident," in
seasons one and two (understandably) and in "Marooned" (3). In some of
those references, it's stated outright that Lister and Rimmer occasionally
hung out together. In the pilot episode, "The End," Rimmer is the only
person on the Red Dwarf who knows of Lister's 5-year plan. Granted, Rimmer
makes fun of Lister's plans for a horse farm on Fiji, but he does listen to
the hare-brained idea. In "Stasis Leak" (2), after Rimmer tries to throw
Lister into the brig for drugging him with "freaky fungus," the two of them
hold a reasonably friendly conversation while walking back to their room.
During this exchange, Lister admits that he didn't know he was feeding his
bunkmate hallucinogenics and that he really _was_ trying to do something
nice. Then in "Kryten" (2) we learn that the wonder duo went on a double
date with two women from supplies, though Lister tried to make Rimmer look
foolish during the excursion. And in "Marooned" Lister makes reference to
the fact that they went to a bar together.
It would seem that even before the accident Lister and Rimmer were trying to
make the best of a bad situation and attempting to make their compulsory
living arrangement work. But why even bother?
The answer is because Rimmer couldn't stand being with himself any more than
Lister could stand being by himself. In "Me^2," both of them actually go
out of their way to cross each other's paths during the whole episode until
Rimmer is finally driven back to his old bed by his double. When Lister
"chooses" which Rimmer will stay, is there _ever_ any doubt that the
original will win? Even more revealing is that all discussion of switching
Rimmer off in favor of another hologram goes out the window after "Me^2,"
though Lister did find all of the personality discs in season one's
"Confidence and Paranoia." Granted, Rimmer had hidden Kochanski's disc, but
it only would've been a matter of time before Lister found the right one,
had he bothered to keep looking. The only time Lister brings up shutting
off Rimmer in favor of another hologram _after_ season one is in
"Quarantine," and even then he tries to placate his understandably hurt
bunkmate by promising to work out "some sort of timeshare" so Rimmer can
exist on a part-time basis.
As Holly notes, to stay sane Lister needs Rimmer's aggravating presence. By
the time "Kryten" rolls around, Lister is able to admit, "Driving Rimmer
nuts is the only thing that keeps me sane." In season four's "Dimension
Jump," Lister goes so far as to defend Rimmer after "Ace," the hologram's
heroic alter-ego, calls him a "maggot."
By the same token, Rimmer is acutely aware that he needs Lister if he's
going to survive. Setting aside his numerous cowardly acts over the course
of the series, Rimmer _does_ try to save Lister on several occasions. In
"The End," he attacks Cat when he thinks the felinus sapiens poses a danger
to his bunkmate. In "Confidence and Paranoia," Rimmer is afraid Lister
might die just after the man contracts mutated pneumonia and passes out. In
season three's "Polymorph," Rimmer proposes they run away from a homicidal
GELF, but the thought of leaving an incapacitated Lister behind doesn't
even seem to cross his mind. Rimmer also admits several times that he
doesn't want to be alone ("Future Echoes" [1], "Timeslides" [3] and
"Rimmerworld" [6] for example), if only because he knows he would go
crazy.
But the keynote of Lister and Rimmer's relationship are long, rambling
conversations that punctuate the first four seasons. The result? Lister
knows his bunkmate so well that he's able to convince a skeptical Rimmer in
"The Inquisitor" (5) that his story about being from a parallel universe is
true by spilling everything he knows about the hologram. When Cat and
Rimmer decide to throw in with Lister and Kryten in that same episode,
Lister is disturbed that Rimmer doesn't know him, but seems less concerned
by Cat's "forgetfulness." Interesting, considering that Lister and Cat are
actually friends in the more conventional sense.
One of the most subtle examples of Lister and Rimmer's relationship can be
found in season five's "Holoship." While there are no trademark long-winded
exchanges, the mark of two people who know each other perhaps a little
_too_ well for their own good is there. When it looks like Rimmer is going
to again fail in his dream to become an officer and berates himself for
being a life-long failure, Lister tries to comfort him ("There's nothing
wrong with what you did."). When Rimmer actually wins a place on the
Enlightenment, he's at a loss. He's stunned he's won, but he seems equally
upset over the fact that he's leaving without much of a chance to say
good-bye. Finally, and here I give Charles' and Barrie's acting skills
credit for this, the scene where Rimmer takes his leave is a touching one.
While Cat and Kryten look disinterestedly on, Rimmer and Lister actually
look upset at the prospect of parting ways. I've always suspected that
Rimmer's reluctance to leave Red Dwarf played a part (albeit a small one)
in his decision to return home.
It was this very uncertain alliance between Lister and Rimmer that attracted
me to "Red Dwarf" to begin with. One minute, they're trying to beat each
other into submission. The next, they're debating about faith ("The Last
Day"), families ("Better Than Life"), improving their lot ("Stasis Leak"
and "Backwards"), technology ("DNA"), dying ("Marooned"), love ("Thanks for
the Memory") and friendship ("Queeg"). To make it even more intriguing,
despite the verbal jabs and cheap shots, they seem to take each other
seriously. If they didn't, would they get so frustrated with each other's
stubbornness?
By the same token, it's this give-and-take relationship that was sorely
missed in season six. Those long conversations were replaced by four-way
rat-a-tat-tat exchanges. Lister and Rimmer's shaky relationship got
smothered in the close quarters they shared with Kryten and Cat. It takes
away the intimacy, the feeling that Grant and Naylor and, no doubt, Charles
and Barrie, wanted you to feel: That sometimes you caught these two
characters with their guards down and eavesdropped in on those rare moments
when they were able to actually agree on something, or at least agree to
disagree.
I hold out hope things will improve between Lister and Rimmer, should both
characters exist in the not-yet-filmed season seven. The reason is simple.
It's the actors. To see what I mean, watch the scene in "Psirens" just
after Starbug crashes when Lister jokingly tells Cat that the reason why
Starbug survived is because it's made from the same material as "those cute
little dolls" that were invariably the only things that survived fatal
plane crashes.
Cat, who's never been subjected to Lister's complicated jokes, believes him
instantly.
But just as Lister starts his story, watch Rimmer's expression in the
background very closely. Rimmer, who's been subjected to stories about
Peterson's shoes ("Queeg") and other tall-tales for six long years, reacts
just the way _anyone_ who's been burned by Lister should react. He shakes
his head, rolls his eyes...but he doesn't interrupt the story, either.
###
Lizbeth Marcs <LizBeth258@aol.com> is a reporter. She has written a fan
fiction story with Michele Martin, "Battlestar Red." She describes it as a
Red Dwarf - Battlestar Galactica crossover piece--email her for a copy!
One Leg Too Few
===============
Thanks to Michael Palmer for the following transcription. This was
originally performed by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in "Beyond the Fringe"
in London. A slightly different version (along with many others) can be
found at the Cathouse.org British Comedy Pages.
(http://cathouse.org:8000/BritishComedy/PeterCook_DudleyMoore/)
Peter: Miss Rigby! Stella, my love! Would you please send in the next
auditioner, please. Mr. Spigott, I believe it is. (enter Dudley,
hopping on one leg)
Peter: Mr. Spigott, I believe?
Dudley: Yes, Spigott by name, Spigott by nature. (keeps hopping)
Peter: Yes...if you'd like to remain motionless for a moment, Mr. Spigott.
Please be stood. Now, Mr. Spigott you are, I believe, auditioning
for the part of Tarzan?
Dudley: Right.
Peter: Now, Mr. Spigott, I couldn't help noticing almost at once that you
are a one-legged person.
Dudley: You noticed that?
Peter: I noticed that, Mr. Spigott. When you have been in the business
as long as I have you come to notice these things almost
instinctively. Now, Mr. Spigott, you, a one-legged man, are applying
for the role of Tarzan - a role which, traditionally, involves the
use of a two-legged actor.
Dudley: Correct.
Peter: And yet you, a unidexter, are applying for the role.
Dudley: Right.
Peter: A role for which two legs would seem to be the minimum requirement.
Dudley: Very true.
Peter: Well, Mr. Spigott, need I point out to you where your deficiency
lies as regards landing the role?
Dudley: Yes, I think you ought to.
Peter: Need I say without overmuch emphasis that it is in the leg division
that you are deficient.
Dudley: The leg division?
Peter: Yes, the leg division, Mr. Spigott. You are deficient in it to the
tune of one. Your right leg I like. I like your right leg. A lovely
leg for the role. That's what I said when I saw you come in. I said
"A lovely leg for the role." I've got nothing against your right
leg. The trouble is - neither have you. You fall down on your left.
Dudley: You mean it's inadequate?
Peter: Yes, it's inadequate, Mr. Spigott. And, to my mind, the British
public is not ready for the sight of a one-legged apeman swinging
through the jungly tendrils.
Dudley: I see.
Peter: However, don't despair. After all, you score over a man with no
legs at all. Should a legless man come in here demanding the role,
I should have no hesitation in saying "Get out. Run away."
Dudley: So there's still a chance?
Peter: There is still a very good chance. If we get no two-legged
actors in here within the next two months, there is still a very
good chance that you'll land this vital role. Failing two-legged
actors, you, a unidexter, are just the sort of person we shall be
attempting to contact telephonically.
Dudley: Well...thank you very much.
Peter: So my advice is, to hop on a bus, go home, and sit by your telephone
in the hope that we will be getting in touch with you. (shows Dudley
out) I'm sorry I can't be more definite, but as you realise, it's
really a two-legged man we're after. Good morning Mr. Spigott.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Look Back At The Young Ones...............by Michelle Street
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A young man named Vyvyan is about to have a baby. Predictably, all hell
breaks loose as his roommates prepare for the big event in vastly different
ways. Neil worries about gathering towels and putting the water on to boil.
Mike uncharacteristically loses his cool and has to make a hasty retreat.
Rik frets over the fact that the baby will be born a pauper since they have
no food, heat, or electricity. Ever the anarchist, he points an accusatory
finger and places the blame for this situation squarley on the shoulders of
his favourite target: "I hope you're satisfied, Thatcher!" he yells.
Moments later, Vyv's pregnancy turns out to be nothing more than a massive
case of gas. Unaware, Mike returns to the room and lights a celebratory
cigar. The house explodes.
A typical surreal event in the world of "The Young Ones"--a world in which
not only the house but tempers, the tea kettle, the cooker and the front
door exploded on a regular basis. In sharp contrast to gentle contemporary
shows on the BBC, this show took the spirit of punk and kept it alive: it
was loud, anarchic, juvenile, and, most of all, rude. It was "The Sex
Pistols Meet The Three Stooges."
Well, make that "The Four Stooges." Four highly unpleasant, totally
mismatched college housemates whose misadventures form the basis of this
sitcom. Vyvyan is a medical student with spiky red hair, a mean pair of
kicker boots, and a jean jacket with "Very Metal" studded across the back.
Oh, and did I mention the four metal stars on his forehead? His nemesis is
Rick, an arrogant little poseur who thinks he's a real anarchist but is in
reality a cowardly twit. The only common ground these two share is their
hatred of Neil, a sad sack hippy who attempts suicide about every other
episode to the chronic indifference of his roommates. Finally there's Mike.
In a house full of pathetic losers, he's the house "cool guy."
These character were, for the most part, created and refined during the
period when most of its stars were performing at Peter Richardson's London
club called "The Comic Strip." When the idea came to Rik Mayall and Lise
Mayer to put these characters together living in the same house, they wrote
a pilot script along with Ben Elton.
Mayall pitched the script to producer Paul Jackson. Given that the BBC was
at this time especially interested in "minority" programming and also
afraid of losing this talent to the new competition at Channel 4, they
decided to give the go-ahead and for a brief period snot-nosed anarchy
reigned on the usually prim Auntie Beeb.
What made this show work was not only the energy and originality of the
scripts, but four talented actors who were at this time relative newcomers
to television. Rik Mayall played Rick, the trendy spewer of bad,angry
poetry with plenty of prissy mannerisms and almost no redeeming qualities.
Adrian Edmondson, as Vyvyan, also played an eminently unlikeable character
but managed to infuse him with an occasional dollop of sweetness and
humanity. As Neil, Nigel Planer showed his gift for comedic timing and
ability to submerge himself into his character.
The character of Mike proved harder to cast. Ben Elton expressed an early
interest in being considered for the part, but his suggestion was rejected
by Mayall. Peter Richardson, who's on-stage partner was Planer, was
supposed to have been the fourth person in the troupe, but had last-minute
creative differences with producer Paul Jackson. The part was given at a
very late date to Christopher Ryan, who had hardly any time to develop his
role.
Also important to the cast was Alexei Sayle. Sayle took the Eastern European
immigrant character he performed at "The Comic Strip" and created the
Balowski family, as well as some other zany characters such as the
Vampire.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
BAMBI: Who holds the world record for stuffing the most marshmallows
up one nostril?
MIKE: Ah, Toxic O'Grady, USA, 364.
VYV: I told you that, Mike, you bloody cheat!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
During the course of 12 episodes these "loony lads from Great Britain" (to
quote an ex-MTV vee jay now languishing in well-deserved obscurity) farted,
screamed, threw household objects at each other, accused each other of
being a virgin, squeezed their zits and picked their noses. Yep, just about
everything guaranteed to make them role models for countless British youth,
who no doubt went around quoting lines like the following:
- Rick: "I'm so bored I might as well be listening to Genesis."
- Vyv: "You're a complete bastard and we all hate you."
- Rick: "Well, someone's got to do it, Vivian. It's very easy
to sit on your backside."
Vyv: "Not if you haven't got a bottom."
However, it is important that "The Young Ones" be remembered for more than
just its juvenile fartiness. This show was as much a technological triumph
as anything else. The imagination and anarchic surrealism shown in the
scripts could not have come to full fruition if not for the efforts of the
producer, director, and special effects people. Their technological
innovations allowed for the seamless integration of the show's "cutaway"
sequences (i.e. the two men having their holiday underneath a light bulb)
and also brought to life puppets such as SPG (Vyv's hamster with an
attitude) and the tomato in the fridge who has to "catch up" on his life.
It is also easy to overlook the fact that there was some very strong
political commentary as well. That the BBC turned over the reigns of a
network show to people in their early 20s, then let them use it to
criticize Thatcher by name seems completely nuts, but in hindsight the
gamble paid off.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"OH, COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO, NEAL!" -- Rick
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
There were also some highly successful spin-off books. The _Young Ones
Bachelor Boys_ sold over 600,000 copies, and Nigel Planer parlayed his Neil
character into a tome of pseudo-hippy philosophy called _Neil's Book Of The
Dead_. The boys also had a #1 hit in the UK when they teamed up with pop
legend Cliff Richard to remake his classic "Living Doll," and there were
stage tours in the UK and Australia.
The theme song (a remake of an old Cliff Richard gem) ends with the line
"Cause we may not be the young ones very long." Much to the dismay of the
BBC they weren't. After the second series the principals decided to opt out
as they were eager to move on to other projects and afraid of things
getting stale. Just to make sure they couldn't be brought back for more the
final episode ends with them being killed in a bus crash.
Yes, "The Young Ones" was short-lived, but it was important in that in
opened the door for a group of talented newcomers and also administered the
short, sharp kick that British comedy needed to get out of the post-Python
doldrums into the alternative era.
--------------------
Sprechen Sie Python?
--------------------
During its recent "Python-a-thon," Comedy Central gave viewers a rare
treat by showing for the first time in America the two episodes which Monty
Python made especially for German television.
The shows were done at the suggestion of a producer at Bavarian TV who was a
great fan of the troupe. The programs were shown on German/Austrian TV in
1972 and 1973. The second episode was later run as a special on the BBC
but the first has rarely been seen...that is until now. The episodes
contain new sketches, some of the classics, and material which would be
later be used in their stage shows. What follows is a partial run-down of
each program.
EPISODE EIN
The main running gag is an attempt to present a biography of the German
artist Albrecht Duhrer, which in typical Python style becomes increasingly
absurd and inaccurate. Of course it doesn't help that some of the people
interviewed about Duhrer include an Australian in the outback drinking
Fosters. Also showing her appreciation of Duhrer is a cutout of Anita
Ekberg, who sings an "Albrecht Duhrer" tribute song to the tune of "Dennis
Moore/Robin Hood."
Other highlights include an adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of
Venice" performed by cows (specifically the Bad Toltz Dairy Herd) and the
story of a Frenchman who has been to the toilet only once in the last five
years. Vouching for this fact are such luminaries as Richard Nixon and The
Pope.
And of course what would Python be without "The Lumberjack Song" sung in
German with a chorus comprised of Austrian border police? The letter of
complaint which follows is from a man who writes that he has known many
lumberjacks and only 70% were transvestites. The others formed
relationships with farm animals in the usual way.
EPISODE ZWEI
This highlights of this program include "International Philosophy," about
the soccer match between Greek and German philosophers during which Neitzche
is thrown out for arguing with the referee, Confucius.
There is also a prolonged fairy tale about King Otto and his daughter,
Princess Mitzi Gaynor, who live in Happy Valley...where sadness is
punishable by death. Well, one day Prince Charming comes along and promises
to slay a dragon for Mitzi, which he does with a revolver. (Of course it's
a very tiny dragon.) The fact that Mitzi falls in love with Prince Charming
irritates her fiance, Prince Walther, and he vows revenge. A witch then
makes a mockery of Mitzi and Charming's wedding by changing the groom into
all kinds of objects including a toad and the congregation into chickens.
How does this fairy tale end? With a moral of course. And this one
is, "If you don't have a good way of ending a fairy store, have a moral."
All in all, the Pythons don't seem to have held back for these episodes and
though the look is somewhat changed (these were done entirely on film), and
the language is different, the lunacy remains the same. My only complaint
is now that I know how to say "lumberjack" in German (it's "holzfeller")
I'm dying to know how to say "Semprini."
###
QUOTE-O-THE-MONTH:
"Have you any idea how long it took me to prepare those files? My wife
didn't see me for three months. Fortunately she was very brave and cheerful
about it, actually." -- Gordon Brittas
SHOW: The Brittas Empire
==========
net.comedy
==========
This month net.comedy looks at Terry Pratchett--British author of humourous
fantasy books, including the popular Discworld series.
There's an active newsgroup devoted to Pratchett and his work:
alt.fan.pratchett, home to sprawling, convoluted and often totally
irrelevant but delightful discussion. Terry himself is a frequent
contributor.
The alt.fan.pratchett FAQ, maintained by Nathan Torkington
<pratchett-faq@vuw.ac.nz>, is posted twice a month to alt.fan.pratchett,
alt.answers and news.answers. Nathan also maintains a Bibliographic FAQ
describing the books, posted at the same time. Both files are available by
ftp from the Pratchett Archives (below).
A brand-new moderated newsgroup, alt.fan.pratchett.announce, was recently
created for fans who crave the information in alt.fan.pratchett but lack
the time to read the entire group.
The Pratchett Archives, maintained by Leo Breebart, hold a comprehensive
collection of Pratchett-related information: FAQs, pictures, trivia, etc.
Of special note is the Annotated Pratchett File, which contains many
hundreds of notes on the references, allusions, parodies and in-jokes in
the books; and the Pratchett Quote File, which collects the best lines from
the both books and Terry's posts to the newsgroup. The Archives reside at a
"mother" site in the UK, which is then mirrored by a number of other
world-wide locations:
[UK] ftp://ftp.pavilion.co.uk/pub/pratchett/
[Europe] ftp.britain.eu.net/pub/misc/pratchett/
[America] ftp://theory.lcs.mit.edu/pub/pratchett/
ftp://rincewind.mech.virginia.edu/pub/pratchett/
[Australia] ftp://death.socs.uts.edu.au/Mirror/Pratchett/
The rincewind site in America operates an ftp-by-mail server for the
convenience of those who do not have FTP. (Readers unfamiliar with
FTP-by-mail should refer to net.comedy in vol. 1, no. 7). For information,
send a message with the single line "help" in the body to:
pratchett-server@rincewind.mech.virginia.edu
As one might suspect, there are many WWW pages devoted to Pratchett and his
worlds; the two most comprehensive collections are both at Warwick:
http://www.dcs.warwick.ac.uk/~frugal/pratchett/
http://www.csv.warwick.ac.uk/~mautx/PTerry/PTerry.html
Both have nice versions of the FAQs, the Annotated Pratchett File,
information, pictures, and links to other sites.
Clarecraft make pottery figures of the Discworld characters. Their
electronic catalogue has many wonderful pictures:
http://vangogh.cs.tcd.ie/cbuckley/clarecraft/catalogue.html
---> Mail news and views on "net.comedy" to James Kew <j.kew@ic.ac.uk>.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FAQs & COMPREHENSIVE LISTS, ETC.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Andy Raffle <missus@raffle.demon.co.uk> has created the CARRY ON FAQ! It's
posted monthly to alt.comedy.british, rec.arts.tv.uk, and rec.arts.movies.
http://cathouse.org:8000/BritishComedy/CarryOnFilms/FAQ.html
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Press Gang Fanzine address: Breakfast At Czar's, Yahoo Publications, Stephen
O'Brien, 20 Thirlmere Avenue, Litherland, Liverpool, L21 5HP.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jeffrey Rice <jrice@pomona.edu> has put together an ARE YOU BEING SERVED?
Home Page! He needs a fellow fan to produce a .gif of the "Grace Brothers"
logo to make it complete...can anyone help him out?
http://humphries.pomona.claremont.edu/comedy.html
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Looking for a great book? Check out Melinda "Bob" Casino's "BOOKS FOR THE
AVID BRITCOMEDY FAN", posted monthly to alt.comedy.british.
The list can also be downloaded from the following sites:
http://cathouse.org:8000/BritishComedy/Info/Booklist.html
ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/media/tv/collections/tardis/uk/comedy/Booklist
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hans ten Cate <htencate@futron.com> has created THE MONTY PYTHON
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Email him for version 1.0. Feedback is greatly appreciated.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTION INFO.:
Britcomedy Digest (ISSN 1077-6680) is a free electronic newsletter posted
monthly to alt.comedy.british and rec.arts.tv.uk. DELPHI: In the
"UK-American Connexion" forum, cf171. GENIE: In the "Showbiz" roundtable,
page 185. SUBSCRIPTIONS: To receive an issue every month in your emailbox,
send your email address to <casino@pobox.upenn.edu>.
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