Britcom Goes To The Movies

Episode Seven began life as a thread on Bluesky by our guest Tim Worthington. The font of all obscure pop culture knowledge was discussing with followers what the most obscure BritCom they'd seen at the cinema was. Needless to say, a lot of the answers were on our long list, but not Tim's choice.The Young Poisoner's Handbook is the darkest of all the dark comedies we've covered so far. Based on, but the filmmakers must stress, not a biopic of The Teacup Poisoner Graham Young, who killed several people in the 60s and 70s.A film full of familiar Britcom faces, including Roger Lloyd Pack, Charlotte Coleman, John Thompson, and Simon Kunz. Still, it's the central performance from Irish actor Hugh O'Connor that really stole the show.Co-writer Jeff Rawle was at the height of his Drop the Dead Donkey fame when this film was released in 1995, so the topical newsroom sitcom by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin was the obvious choice for our "source material" and was a joy to revisit. Join Rob, Guy, and Tim for the Young Poisoner's Handbook.

Damien Gets High On The Field - Drop The Dead Donkey

https://youtu.be/JfeQyp0PihM?si=t0cIRk2zFHKVfNZq

Teddy Bear Disaster - Drop The Dead Donkey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip0sLEMCEdY

How To Announce a War - Drop The Dead Donkey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErktQhN6TvM

Episode One - Educating Marmalade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGeHsjfVptk

Marmalade Atkins joins MI5 - Danger: Marmalade at Work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHBCxewUANM

The Young Poisoner's Handbook - Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7_e79Ik3Vs

The Young Poisoner's Handbook - Full Movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ndiGKuUkt0&t=1012s
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Last time Kat Hughes joined Rob and Guy, the horror writer and critic had the misfortune of dissecting the Christmas family mess Nativity! This time she’s much more in her wheelhouse as we discuss Bloodbath at the House of Death. A vehicle for Britain’s best loved DJ Kenny Everett to take his brand of spoofing, innuendo and larger than life characters to the big screen after the success on both ITV and BBC with his Video Show/Television Show.It cannot be underestimated just what a huge cultural phenomenon Kenny Everett was. As one of Britain’s most popular Radio and TV personalities in the early 80s, he could make careers of pop stars and bands and was able to attract some of the biggest names to guest on his TV shows. However, just when it looked like Kenny might hit the big time on the big screen, a controversial incident at the Young Conservatives conference of 1984 was publicity suicide for Bloodbath and it crashed and burned at the box office.However, as was often the case in the mid-80s, VHS came somewhat to its rescue, and now the film is even on Netflix…but was it any good? Could a supporting cast of such huge BritCom names as Pamela Stephenson, Don Warrington and John Fortune elevate this film beyond Everett’s more disposable TV sketches? Could Vincent Price give it some Hollywood clout and horror credibility? Writer Barry Cryer and writer director Ray Cameron had been working with Everett for years, but the big screen was fairly new to them as well.We discuss all of the above and more in episode six, so join us as we take a trip to The House of Death.Kenny Everett Video Show - Best of VHShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HeX1CPQf9kKenny Everett Television Showhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecqQBG9q3OkCharley Says Always Tell Your Mummyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDu7yYHxZr0The Prodigy - Charlyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSTBFZ-To2EPamela Stephenson - England My Leotardhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMXIro1P_7gPamela Stephenson - Shrink Wraphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZodTyEoFRZQBloodbath at the House of Death - Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6zmvE-uEu0Bloodbath at the House of Death - Best of Vincent Pricehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyLWS_CjI1M
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Now that’s enough of the 1970s, let’s move this series into the 20th century. Well, actually, our story for this icon of BritCom begins at the end of the 20th. Harry Hill won the Perrier award in 1992 and was quickly on TV and radio soon after. Rob and Guy take a particular look at The Harry Hill Show…or rather just Harry Hill as it was known on Channel 4 in the late 90s.

To join the chaps is Harry Hill superfan, internet sensation, and comedy writer Ruth Husko. As it turns out, both Ruth and Rob saw an early Harry Hill tour as their first forays into live comedy. Guy, however, still needed some convincing of the wonder of Hill’s own brand of surreal silliness. Could he be won over?

Well, the chances are that would not be done by watching the universally panned Harry Hill Movie from 2013. Held up as one of the cases that most proves the rule that big-screen adaptations of small-screen comedy don’t work, but is it really that bad? There’s only one way to find out…FIIIIFGHTT! Or just have a listen to the latest episode of BritCom Goes to the Movies.

Harry Hill - Fruit Fancies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlIGkKUxWak

Harry Hill - Fruit Corner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOkh8ffqko

Harry Hill - Channel 4 - SE1 Ep1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUS_EPSNNtY&list=PLVEP6KjsyeTd9sScdD-KH4ZTvvWuW17V5

Harry Hill and Stoofer - 7 seconds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeW61GTxe-Q

TV Burp - Ear Cataracts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswiFD8qSgI

Harry Hill Movie - Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywarD9fcZGQ

Harry Hill Movie - Blackpool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg1AxAHJBJg

Shooting Stars - Billy Elliott

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN-ASY9X1dU
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We’re on a roll with the 70s sitcom spin-offs. Hot on the heels of George and Mildred and Mutiny On The Buses comes 1971’s Please Sir! This is, in no small part, down to our guest this week, Jason Hazeley, being the world’s loudest cheerleader for this film and its preceding sitcom. We didn’t even need to show him the list; he was straight in there for a personal favourite since his youth.

But never two to hold back, would Rob and Guy’s thoughts on Please Sir! align with Jason’s? Certainly, the ingredients were there for that not to be the case. Some dated attitudes, men and women in their 20s playing teenagers, a rushed release capitalising on the success of its TV predecessor, and our old favourite, a flimsy pretext to get the cast to a holiday camp.

Having said that, both Rob and Guy come to this fresh. Neither had ever seen as much as an episode of this once-beloved sitcom, but both were aware of the all-round entertainment chops of the cast. Not least Deryck Guyler, in whose washboarding hands anyone could feel at ease.

Join us as we delve into one of the last ITV sitcom spin-offs left to cover, which could well prove the best of the lot.

Please Sir! SE1 Ep1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8PVA-TDeYwDeryck Guyler on the Washboardhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWKHTcC-I8k&list=RDGWKHTcC-I8k&start_radio=1Derrick Geyler Scotch Tape Adshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL3mpzAvHFAMichael Winner Esure Adhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efl5pFTFnBUVictor Lewis Smith pranks Michael Winnerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTGc1PKVrH0Please Sir! (1971) Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhhiqg0aKOMPlease Sir! Full Filmhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa0CL4bhlH8
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After some time away, we’re ready to dip back into the On The Busesverse. Our resident expert in all things Butler and Blakey, John Rain, returns to discuss the Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy. It’s time for Mutiny on the Buses. A mere year after the first film and backed by a (slightly) bigger budget, none of which the actors saw, the Ronalds, Chesney, and Wolf had forged a screenplay with much more of a semblance of a plot and some new characters to boot.

There’s all the usual fun (at Blakey’s expense mainly) as well as naked protest, Arthur joining the depot, a huge fire extinguisher leak, and fun and frolics in Windsor Safari Park in which Reg Varney shits himself with a chimp on his lap.

Great to welcome back John Rain and his unique brand of analysis and even tee up the promise of Holiday on the Buses to come…but one instalment at a time, eh?

Morris Bright’s Elstree On The Buses Documentary

https://youtu.be/luKxuhVxNGQ?si=pZduxvq7pY1CLk5c

Mutiny on the Buses Filming Locations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9dv6flrmW4

Mutiny on the Buses Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LQbflW--q4

Mutiny on the Buses - Radio Control

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECzCL97E28w
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