Episodes
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Finally, a documentary about Bottom! A look at Bottom: Exposed - a fantastic retrospective of Bottom on UKTV channel Gold. The doc features contributions from load of people who worked on the sitcom, including Ade himself!
We discuss the stories and facts unearthed by the programme, and how we came to pop up on it ourselves!
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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Our guest for this very special episode is a titan of entertainment and one of the key figures in the rise of alternative comedy in the UK. He's an actor, director, writer and comedian who created The Comic Strip and is the man behind The Comic Strip Presents... series of shows and films that currently total 5 films and 42 episodes including Bad News, Mr Jolly Lives Next Door, A Fistful of Travellers Cheques, The Bullshitters, Four Men in A Car and The Hunt for Tony Blair. It's Peter Richardson!
Peter will be at the London BFI this month on 19th and 21st May for a series of screenings of The Strike, GLC: The Carnage Continues, Bad News Tour and Churchill: The Hollywood Years, plus Q&A's with some very special guests. In our interview, he chats about his favourite Comic Strip Presents episodes, scripts he still hopes to make, Rik and Ade's performances, meeting Rik, Ade and Nigel Planer, how he started in comedy, balancing acting with directing, guerilla filming, meeting Steve Martin, his favourite directors, his favourite character, TV commissioners and not being Mike in The Young Ones.
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
Information about the Comic Strip Presents screenings and Q&A's schedule and tickets can be found here: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=comicstrippresents
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This weeks guest is the First Lady of Bottom. She's a comedian, author and actor who was part of the Comedy Store scene and whose credits include The Young Ones, Absolutely Fabulous, Saturday Live, Girls on Top, One Foot in the Grave, Naked Video and Happy Families.
But Bottom fans know her best as Moldovan Princess Lady Natasha Letitia Sarah Jane Wellesley Obstromsky Ponsonsky Smythe Smythe Smythe Smythe Smythe Oblomov Boblomov Dob. It's Helen Lederer!
Helen tells us about her early years getting into acting and standup, working as a social worker, feeling like an outsider on the alternative comedy scene, seeing The Dangerous Brothers, attitudes to comedy material changing, modern comedy, working as a writer, battling sexism, running Comedy Women in Print and her appearances on Bottom both as a harrangued Nurse AND as the Third Viscountess of Moldovia who very nearly takes Richie's cherry.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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This weeks guest quite literally wrote the book on Rik Mayall. He's a journalist, writer, film critic and broadcaster who's worked for Heat, Entertainment Focus, New Empress Film Magazine, Screenjabber and BBC Suffolk. He's the author of biography "Rik Mayall: Comedy Genius"... It's Mark Searby!
We discuss stories from Rik's life that Mark discovered while writing the book, how much work went into it, Rik's place in comedy history, unheard Bottom trivia, Rik filming Drop Dead Fred, seeing secret recordings of Rik's early stand up and which Rik roles Al Pacino should try playing.
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
Mark's book can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rik-Mayall-Comedy-Mark-Searby/dp/0995793123
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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Imagine being able to literally create the world that Richie and Eddie inhabit. This week's guest has done just that, working as a Production Designer on series 3 of Bottom, plus on The League of Gentlemen, French and Saunders, Spiceworld, Episodes, Rev, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Roland Rat, Fat Slags and The End of the F***ing World. It's Grenville Horner!
Emmy winner Grenville shares how he started in the industry, working on series 3 of Bottom including creating the legendary cattle prod and ferris wheel, recreating Richie and Eddie's flat, photographing Hammersmith, being a pop star, faxing Stephen Fry and creating the look of Royston Vasey, for which he won a Royal Television Society Award.
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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Many of us grew up watching Rik and Ade's work. For many of us it was George's Marvellous Medicine and Bottom, for others The Dangerous Brothers and The Young Ones. But this week's guest got to grow up - for the duration of filming anyway - whilst working with Rik and Ade on the film Guest House Paradiso aged 9.
She's an actress with a CV including Cider with Rosie, The Gathering, Casualty, Los Dos Bros, Magic Grandad and the role of Charlene Nice, a member of the family that checks into Guest House Paradiso expecting a nice relaxing holiday and instead gets violently vomitingly sick. It's Jessica Mann!
Jessica discusses how she got started acting, auditioning for Guest House Paradiso, working with Rik, Ade and Simon Pegg, the fate of her body cast, drama vs comedy, missing the GHP premiere while in a Mcdonalds and exploding vomit tanks.
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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Matt Lucas calls him "the Godfather of TV comedy" and he's certainly got one of the most impressive CV's in the industry. Since joining the BBC in 1980, he's been instrumental in producing the very best of British sketch comedy including A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Smith and Jones, French and Saunders, This Morning with Richard Not Judy, Little Britain and The League of Gentlemen. As a head honcho at the Beeb, he brought The Vicar of Dibley, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Goodness Gracious Me, Absolutely Fabulous, The Thick of It and The Office to our screens. He also produced (and had a small role in) series 3 of Bottom. It's Jon Plowman!
Over Plowman's lunch, Jon tells us about how he started in the industry, his time winging it as a reporter, having his arm broken by Rik Mayall in Texas, accidentally destroying pianos live on Wogan, warming up audiences, working with French and Saunders, being directed by Mel Smith, taking over producing duties on Bottom series 3, working with Rik and Ade, clowning and cartoon violence, building ferris wheels in studios, working with Jon Stewart in America, turning down Sacha Baron Cohen, commissioning The Office, comedy vs drama and bringing Ab Fab to TV.
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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We've inputted the data for this weeks guest and while her character in Bottom is a bit raggy round the edges, in real life she's an absolute cracker. She's a stage, screen and comedy veteren who's appeared in The Dark Crystal, In Deep, The Bill, The Russ Abbot and Les Dennis shows and at 27 landed her own prime time BBC1 sketch show. It's our favourite love bureau matchmaker Lily Lineker herself; it's Lisa Maxwell!
Lisa discusses her training at Italia Conte and entry into entertainment, alternative comedy, auditioning for and losing out on the role of Daphne in Frasier, sketches vs sitcoms, working with Rik and Ade, Lily Linekar's life outside of the Bureau, studio recordings, helpful repeat fees, having "A wazzo pair of jugs" quoted at her, Bottom's enduring popularity and starring in The Bill (and hearing the "vomiting blood" line!).
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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To round off this special 30th anniversary series, we take a look at the moments that make the show special to you. Using the 100% scientific method of asking people on social media, we delve into the fans favourite series, episodes, lines, moments and characters. Oh god, there's so much to choose from!
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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To accompany our episode on Waiting for Godot, we chat with Mark Young, a photographer who, in 1991 photographed Rik Mayall, Ade Edmonsdon and Christopher Ryan during their run of the show at the Queen's theatre, London.
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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"Ello Boys!" Talking Bottom's guest this week is a veteran of stage and screen, recognisable from The Young Ones, Kevin Turvey, Blackadder, Cracker, Nuts in May, Eastenders and Inside Number 9. To us he will always be Hammermith's own Rachman, fuming at spending money on his mother's cremation, Richie and Eddie's landlord Mr Harrison. It's Roger Sloman!
Roger discusses how he got into acting, his work on Kevin Turvey and The Young Ones, how his role in Bottom came about, working with Rik and Ade, Nuts in May, acting styles, comb overs, dodgy landlords, fainting on stage, working as a character actor and modern comedy.
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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Wanky analysis alert! Ok, actually Bottom has had numerous comparisons to Waiting for Godot over the years. Rik and Ade performed the play at uni and then more famously starred in a 1991 run in the West End at the same time Bottom debuted on TV. So, like A' Level students, here's our ill-informed attempt to "compare and contrast".
Angela, Paul and Mat discuss the history of Waiting for Godot, its different interpretations, the Emperor's new clothes, bewildered actors and how even the writer didn't know what it meant, profound University experiences, Rik and Ade's run of the show in the West End, comparisons to Bottom, dramatic dialogue, other comedies that reference Godot and the torture and boredom of just... waiting.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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"Very droll sir, I've never heard that one before." One of the UK's busiest and best character actors sits down with Talking Bottom. This gent has not only embodied Tony Hancock and Captain Mainwaring but also starred in all of the Pirates of the Carribbean films. Bottom fans of course know him best as the man who supplies men of science with pheremone sex spray... It's Kevin McNally!
Kevin tells us about his early career, getting into alternative comedy, working on The New Statesman, having very particular lines involving pineapples quoted to him, watching Rik and Ade record the closing credits dance, enjoying Bottom as a fan, venturing into real sex shops, physical comedy, working with Galton and Simpson, playing Tony Hancock, Captain Mainwaring and Tory politicians, working as a character actor AND he reacts to hearing the original ending to Smells that featured Mr Sex!
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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Richie and Eddie's end goal in life is the gratification of their base needs and carnal desires. What they want more than anything is a slap up grill, a lock in at the Lamb and Flag and shaggy shaggy shag with acres and acres of ladies...
Paul, Mat and Angela discuss Maslow's Hierachy of Needs (yes, really), Richie and Eddie's perversions, virgins, incels, sophomoric humour, the female comedy fan perspective, a breakdown of what drives each Bottom episode and a diversion into Red Dwarf.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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"I took Harrison's Point single handed." Talking Bottom chats with The Falkland's most famous veteran. He's a comedian, actor, writer, presenter, champion of green energy, Red Dwarf's series 4000 mechanoid Kryten and most importantly; Mr N. Stiles, the man who smashed Richie's face in while legless on a bar stool. It's Robert Llewellyn!
Robert talks about his early career in alternative comedy with theatre group The Joeys, living in squats, the rise of alternative comedy, getting headhunted for Red Dwarf, shooting one of Bottom's best episodes, what became of his Bottom character, physical comedy, bumping into other sitcom stars at BBC Acton rehearsal studios, renewable energy and his web series Carpool.
The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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Richie and Eddie's Hammersmith is a unique world not only in comedy, but all of fiction. Where else are dogs served up in kebabs, amputees prosthetic legs stolen and the annual riot sees both the police and the local schoolkids participate?
Mat, Paul and Angela discuss fictional universes, the uniquely named characters of Bottom, comparisons to Dickensian London, other sitcoms, a reading from a mystery book, the League of Gentlemen and encountering a fresh turd in ON a toilet seat in a Wetherspoons.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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What - and I'll repeat that - what a guest we have this week! "No, don't laugh." Well, actually do, because this gent was a lynchpin in the alternative comedy and scene and has appeared in more of our favourite comedies than he's served Pernods in The Lamb and Flag. He's been in (amongst LOADS of other stuff) Filthy, Rich and Catflap, Toast of London, The Comic Strip Presents (as Arch Crippledick), French and Saunders, three series of Blackadder, two episodes of The Young Ones and was Paranoia in Red Dwarf. It's Lee Cornes!
Lee tells us about how he got into comedy and his days at the very beginning of the Comedy Store, being described as "the Comedian's Comedian" by Sean Lock, getting stark bollock naked on stage, seeing Rik and Ade for the first time, being the warm act at the recordings of The Young Ones, studio stunts, teaching (for real and in Grange Hill), Blackadder and of course playing Hammersmith's best pub landlord, the legendary Dick Head.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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The costumes of Bottom are such an important part of the show's identity. All fans recognise Eddie's hat and glasses and Richie's voluminous pants and belt pulled up too high. Plus of course... Halloween.
Angela, Paul and Mat talk about costume making character, specially making clothes, how costume shows social status (class again? We did that last week!), going to fancy dress parties as a talking Halloween banana and a devil (in either pre-shitted or post-shitted tights), what the supporting characters wear and how costume can make sitcoms feel timeless.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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Talking Bottom's interview with TV titan Paul Jackson continues as he discusses making Filthy, Rich and Catflap, seeing Rik and Ade in Waiting for Godot, slapstick, working with writers, special effects in sitcoms, producing TV in the US and Australia, working with Ant and Dec, chairing Comic Relief, the American remake of The Young Ones, Heil Honey I'm Home!, pathos in comedy, the current lack of political satire and being thanked by Rik on stage at Exeter Uni,
Plus of course lots about Bottom including its genesis, Alan Yentob wanting the title changed, how the Bottom pilot episode came about, seeing it recorded, the live shows and Guest House Paradiso.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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Talking Bottom is thrilled to be joined by legend of British comedy, Paul Jackson. He brought alternative comedy to the masses and was the man who got The Young Ones on TV (which he also directed), changing the face of sitcoms forever. Amongst working on a plethora of great shows he also gave us Filthy, Rich and Catflap, Red Dwarf and the pilot episode of Bottom.
In part 1, Paul chats about his entry into TV and his early years rising to become a producer, his comedy influences, working with the Two Ronnies and on Steptoe and Son, meeting Rik and Ade, Boom Boom Out Go The Lights, writing, comic duos, throwing himself into puddles, bringing The Young Ones to TV and a treasure trove of stories about it.
The inteview continues in part 2.
The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://unbound.com/books/bottom/
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