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The Young Ones - Series One [1982]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

"A horrible, vile, disgusting sitcom about four students who live in the most revolting house in Britain", The Young Ones became an instant BBC comedy landmark in 1982 by launching an all-out assault on the moribund sitcom, mixing Monty Python-esque madness with post-punk anarchy. There are no real stories, only a succession of often hysterically funny scenes as ingenious gags collide with deliberately corny lines, cartoon-like ultra-violence, pop music breaks, surreal interludes with characters ranging from the Three Bears to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and gross-out moments based on various bodily functions and substances.

Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan are the four housemates: Rick (Cliff Richard-worshipping radical sociology student), Vyvan (violence-loving punk medical student), Neil (put-upon suicidal hippie) and Mike (self-styled cool guy). Alexei Sayle appears regularly playing various mad Russians. Taking a cue from National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) the show now seems to anticipate the teen gross-out flicks of the late 1990s but to far more amusing effect. In retrospect The Young Ones is cheerfully un-politically correct in a way which may shock more now than 20 years ago; certainly some of the insults and drug-taking would have trouble getting on TV today. The first series was followed by a second equally hilarious series; Mayall and Edmondson played essentially similar characters in Filthy, Rich and Catflap (1987) and Bottom (1991-5).

On the DVD: The Young Ones on disc has disappointingly no extra features except optional English subtitles. The sound is full, clear mono and the 4:3 picture is as good as can be expected from a 1980s BBC comedy shot on video and certainly far better than the show appeared when it was broadcast.--Gary S Dalkin

Editorial
Special Features

English
Region 2

Editorial
Synopsis

This beloved British comedy series presents an irreverent look at youth that gained a huge cult following, both in England and abroad. Rik Mayall's inspired comic invention benefits from surreal, unusual writing and hilarious, spontaneous perfomances. This collection contains all six episodes of the first season: "Demolition," "Oil," "Boring," "Bomb," "Interesting," and "Flood." Witness the antics of Rick (Mayall), Neil (Nigel Planer), Mike (Christopher Ryan), and Vyv (Adrian Edmondson), and party like it's 1982. The series features music by bands of the era such as Madness and Dexy's Midnight Runners, as well as guest appearances by Robbie Coltrane, Jennifer Saunders, and writer Ben Elton.
Editorial
From the Back Cover

Manic and mad, rude and pretty revolting actually, the Scumbag Students - Rick, Vyv, Neil and Mike - are joined by the ever threatening Alexei Sayle, for the entire first series of their groundbreaking comedy. It was essential viewing in the 1980s for any self-respecting stroppy and opinionated person under 25, and it's just as fresh, vicious, original and hilarious now.

All six episodes of the first series: Demolition, Oil, Boring, Bomb, Interesting, Flood.


Laughter coming in Floods.
Review date: 2008-05-23 Rating: 10 out of 10

The Young Ones first appeared on BBC2 in 1982 in a complete lack of publicity and advertising that would be unheard of today. At that time I'd never heard of `The Comic Strip' comedy club where Ade Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Alexi Sayle had been effectively honing these characters for some time. I initially tuned in as the pilot episode was noted, in that weeks Radio Times, to feature music from Nine Below Zero whom as a R'n'b band jumping up and down on the Mod revival bandwagon which put them pretty much on my radar at that time.

What a revelation, no one had made a sit-com like it before, changing scenes with links by dodgy puppets, cartoon violence, surrealism, clever wordplay and familiar stereotyped characters, it was fantastic. It was discussed in the playground the following day in the sort of awe that had previously been reserved for `Not the Nine O'clock News' and repeats of Fawlty Towers'.

Over subsequent weeks the standard was raised with `Oil' seeing the student house become a fascist police state, `Boring' see's the students playing monopoly and venturing to the Kebab and Calculator pub to see `Madness' perform. In `Interesting' they hold a party which is attended by fellow Comic Strip regulars French & Saunders and Arden and Frost while in `Bomb' they gain possession of a nuclear which they intend to sell to cover there TV licence fine whilst Dexy's Midnight Runners (whom had Nigel Planer and Outer Limit partner Peter Richardson, who was supposed to originally play Mike, as there support act on the `The Projected Passion Review') play in the bathroom.

The final episode is the best, in `Flood' London is flooded and a wardrobe which acts as a bridge to place called Narnia (which you may have heard of) is discovered in the flat. Absolutely Fabulous, attending college was always going to be a disappointment after this.


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Reviews


The Funny Side of the Thatcher Years
Review date: 2007-07-08 Rating: 8 out of 10

The Young Ones epitomised the confusion of the generation that came of age in the Thatcher Years. Caught between a right wing government, the residue of punk and left-wing ideas from the 60s and 70s, and the continued disolution of the class system, British youth went through an identity crisis, struggling to find a suitable sub-group to belong to, whether it be punk (Vyv), spiv (Mike), hippy (Neil), or 'right-on' left-wing radical (Rick). Throwing these 4 student-types together in an anarchic, surreal house-share was a stroke of genius.
The main focus is the explosive relationship of the pretentious Rick (Rik Mayall) and the brutally straightforward Vyvian (Adrian Edmonson). These 2 actors later reprised a stripped down version of this relationship in "Bottom". Neal the Hippie and Mike the Spiv provided useful ballast and a wider range of plot options preventing this central comedic relationship from imploding.

People who saw the Young Ones the first time round tend to remember it as much funnier than it really is. With repeated viewing the some of the weaknesses in the writing become apparent. Nevertheless there is also a lot of comedic genius and an anarchic spirit that remains eternally refreshing.



Amazing!!
Review date: 2007-05-25 Rating: 8 out of 10


If you are "bored, and might as well be listening to Genesis" then you should buy these they are fantastic - however if you already own the VHS versions then hold onto them, because these DVD's have been subject to some editing. Series one has lost 40M (the DVD runtime stated on the packaging is 160m as apposed to the 200m quoted on here, and as stated on my original VHS box set) - I haven't actually seen which bits yet however this is a real shame, because this is a treasure and should be preserved onto DVD, however bits have been taken out. Therefore I can't give it 5 stars


Me & My Brother LOVES This Show
Review date: 2007-03-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

What can I say about THE YOUNG ONES (1982 & 1984)? It's one of the funniest TV comedies of the 1980's, and a classic. This first six episodes features guest appearances from some of Britain's finest comedians - Robbie Coltrane, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Maggie Steed, Stephen Frost and Ben Elton (who's also co-creator and co-writer of this show) - as well as performances from the likes of Nine Below Zero and Madness.

My favourite episode of Season I is 'Interesting' (episode 5) in which the four students decide to hold a party at their house for their friends, but have to settle with invading, giant sandwiches, Father Christmas and taking a surreal trip to the moon!

A must-buy for every single fan of TV comedy!

MIGHT HAVE BEEN FUNNY ONCE..
Review date: 2006-12-29 Rating: 2 out of 10

My God i can't believe how purile this is and i actually thought it was funny first time round. Before Ben Elton joined the establishment which he professed to hate so much in his youth he wrote this right on drivel that years later is just plain childish. The characters are irritating and its a wonder they went onto anything of note (well sort of in Rick Mayalls case) The storylines travel the same path with lots of silly slapstick (stolen) from 'laurel and hardy' and trendy anti-government tirades which if you weren't part of Thatches Britain you wouldn't understand. It is all so samey, i mean how many jokes about hippies do you need? or Alexai Sayle rants? I'm sorry this is crap and just showed how limited Ben Elton's writing style is. The follow up 'filthy rich' was practically 'the young ones' part 2 and even more trivial.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Ade Edmondson
Rik Mayall
Alexei Sayle
Christopher Ryan
Nigel Planer

Creators:
Rik Mayall (Primary Contributor)
Ade Edmondson (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503113629
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2002-08-05
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 200 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1982-11-11
Language: English (Original Language)

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