Young Ones - Complete Series 2 [VHS]

Rick (Mayal) is the most stereotypical student of them all: an anarchist sociology student, who is a Cliff Richard fan and self styled "People's Poet" who frequently has a lot to say about Margaret Thatcher and the politics of the time. Vivian (Ade Edmondson) is a destructive punk who likes violence and breaking things (preferably over Rick's head). Neil is a domestic long haired hippy, who is constantly trying to find new ways to kill himself. Mike is the straight man, and apart from his height and obsession with being a "ladies man", is completely normal. Alexi Sayle appears once per episode often as their landlord Mr Bolowski, but occasionally as a bank robber, train driver or Transylvanian vampire. Said to be modelled after the 1980's nuclear family Mike is the Dad, Neil is the Mother, Viv is the Son and Rick is the screaming little girl complete with pigtails.

The Young Ones has a mixture of post modernism, slapstick violence, sketch humour, quotable dialogue and disgusting jokes. The utterly senseless intercut interludes such as talking fruit, headless ghosts, or disco dancing ants regularly appear and add to the fun and confusion. The plot developments of each episode are utterly ludicrous - the characters could start by going to the laundrette, and end by being squashed by a giant cream bun on university challenge. Once per episode we also get a performance from a popular band of the time (Madness, the Damned, Dexy's Midnight Runners) playing in the street or their front room. This was apparently so it could be billed as a light entertainment show rather than a sitcom and they could get more money. Adding guest appearances from a who's who line up of 1980's alternative comedy (Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Tony Robinson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders) and regular political jabs at the Tory government shows how satirical the Young Ones could actually be. In the meantime here's Rick trying to commit suicide with laxative pills...

Sometimes the slapstick gags don't quite work, and some of the jokes have to be treated in context nowadays. Mentioning Felicity Kendels underwear or the singer of Echo and the Bunnymen will be meaningless to most young people nowadays. I have never particularly liked the character Mike (viewing him as having no real reason to be there), but none of the episodes revolve around him so that's OK. The sheer anarchic feel and influence of the show more than makes up for these shortcomings. This can be seen as the moment when underground comedy and postmoderism was first seen on mainsteam television. There has never been anything quite like the Young Ones, and it's one of the most unique and funniest British sitcoms ever made. I can't see the BBC making anything quite as odd ever again. Definitely not for everyone, but I've always loved it. I'd highly recommend if you like stupid slapstick comedy, with some more surreal undertones. This series two video contains the most memorable episodes "Cash", "Nasty", "Bambi" and "Sick". A riot.