The League Of Gentlemen - The Entire First Series [VHS] [1999]

Never again will you want to borrow a pen; forever will you hold your butcher in the deepest suspicion; those seaside novelty snowstorms will acquire a "precious" status; you will view your minicab driver in a different light. In short, Royston Vasey will become a place you really wish you COULD visit for a holiday... even if it does mean you will never leave again!

"The League of Gentlemen" succeeds where so many comedy series have failed- it is brilliantly written, fantastically acted, the attention to detail is unrivalled, there are ongoing themes which are developed each episode (by virtue of the opening credits), and there is actually a plot and consistent storyline. What is most terrifying of all is that most of us will be able to identify a grain of people we already know in the bizarre characters who inhabit Royston Vasey.

Buy it - it is a must. Once you've watched it (plus the final episode of the second series), then order the "Local Book for Local People". If you like your comedy pitch black, surreal and intelligent, you will not be disappointed. Most importantly, somehow I cannot see this one dating over the years; it truly deserves the much over-used label of 'classic'.

The characters are full of well, character I suppose with the local people loving Tubbs and Edward offering ‘seventy, eighty alright a pound’ for strangers to leave and never come back to their shop and home, but that’s just where there problem lies as once you’ve arrived in Royston Vasey ‘you’ll never leave’. Other characters include a transgender taxi driver who goes by the name of Barbara and has a voice deeper than Barry White, Harvey and Val Denton who are obsessively clean and equally obsessed with toads, charity shop ladies that only take things with a ‘special mark’ on them and many, many more.

Inspiration has been drawn cleverly from a variety of sources including cult films such as ‘The Shining’, ‘The Wicker Man’, ‘Don’t Look Now’ and even Disney’s jungle book, that is just how well the League work with their ideas, drawing up whole lives for characters right down to their favourite canned fruit of peaches in syrup. The League have been likened to Monty Python and other British comedies and has now become a somewhat iconic cult programme in its own right.

The show is beautifully tainted by wickedly funny dark humour, everyone knows that they shouldn’t laugh at a man in a wheelchair having his wheels removed (whilst he’s still in it) but because it is executed in great comic timing you can’t help but laugh out loud at the ridiculous situation. Even the start of the episodes have you laughing as a new ‘lost’ poster is put up each episode ranging from ‘Lost – grandma’ to ‘have you seen my finger’ and even a whole primary school class. It is these touches that put the League in a league of their own, you’re sure to find something new going on in the background each time you watch it and another funny line to make you laugh.