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The Bottom podcast - three foxy stoats discuss and appreciate the world’s greatest sitcom, courtesy of Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, over an Esther Rantzen cocktail and pickled onion sandwich. From Paul Tanter, Mat Brooks and Angela Pearson. The book TALKING BOTTOM: A GUIDE TO THE CULT SITCOM is now in its 2nd edition and can be ordered here: https://wiltonsquarebooks.com/products/talking-bottom
Find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and Youtube all @talkingbottom or drop us an email at 11mafekingparade@gmail.com
Episodes

May 29, 2026
May 29, 2026
1hr 11 min
After a Dallas-style opening, the boys wake hungover to discover they have travelled back in time. And even more unbelievable; Rik seems to have "done it" with a girl!
Paul, Mat and Ange chat about Dallas, time travel, Rick graduating towards Richard Richard, French and Saunders, Hale and Pace and all manner of subjects before diving head-first into a fiendish quiz!
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival this month doing THREE events - two of which are with Young Ones director/producer Paul Jackson! Check out our socials and our linktree for details and tickets. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom

May 22, 2026
May 22, 2026
1hr 13 min
Filmed in Horror-vision! It's a terrifying tale this week as the boys have a body to bury, with a flashback to bath night revealing Rick's penchant for Cosmopolitan magazine, Neil's fetid bath, the arrival of a South African Vampire and the fact they've got a video. YES, WE'VE GOT A VIDEO.
Ange, Mat and Paul discuss video nasties, Hammer Horror, future Bottom references, celebs laughing at themselves, Jeremy Beadle's fake and real beards, putting the boiler on for a bath, vampires, edible pot noodles and pervy Wrick. Plus, a ruddy marvellous quiz!
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival this month doing THREE events - two of which are with Young Ones director/producer Paul Jackson! Check out our socials and our linktree for details and tickets. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom

May 15, 2026
May 15, 2026
1hr 2 min
It's freezing in the student house and all the furniture has already been burned. Someone needs to get a job and that some is Neil, who joins the filth while Rick, Mike and Vyvyan enjoy some remarkable good fortune until an explosive conclusion.
Mat, Ange and Paul chat about filming angles, burning things, austerity (oh no, not politics even though The Young Ones literally rips into Thatcher!), stunts, risotto, Rik's pervy face, cartoon endings and fascist coppers. Plus contemporary reviews AND a quiz where nearly every question had already been answered!
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival this month doing THREE events - two of which are with Young Ones director/producer Paul Jackson! Check out our socials and our linktree for details and tickets. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom

May 8, 2026
May 8, 2026
1hr 17 min
The boys are back and they smell - it's so long since they did any laundry that one of Vyvyan's socks has come to life. But a fruitless trip to the laundrette is soon overshadowed by their starter for ten; can they get to Manchester by tonight to represent scumbag College on University Challenge?
Paul, Ange and Mat return and discuss how The Young Ones found its confidence, quality guest stars, sticky bogies, train safety, bacon sandwiches and laundrette etiquette. Plus, a quiz worthy of Bambi himself!
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival this month doing THREE events - two of which are with Young Ones director/producer Paul Jackson! Check out our socials and our linktree for details and tickets. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom

Apr 17, 2026
Apr 17, 2026
1hr 10 min
This week's guests are a pair of legendary comedians and actors who broke through on the alternative comedy circuit as a double act, going on to star in their own series and many other shows, including seven guest appearances on The Young Ones. One gave the order for Captain Blackadder to be shot in Blackadder Goes Forth while the other had his eye shot out by Eddie in Bottom. It's Mark Arden and Steve Frost, AKA The Oblivion Boys!
Mark and Steve chat with Ange, Paul and Mat about their start in comedy, working as a double act, improv, appearing the nations favourite sitcoms, why Lee Cornes stalks them and the world of comedy in general, in a riotous interview.
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in May doing THREE events - two of which are with Young Ones director/producer Paul Jackson! Check out our socials and our linktree for details. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom

Apr 10, 2026
Apr 10, 2026
1hr 2 min
Biblical references abound as a huge flood engulfs London, trapping the students in the house. Everyone will be fine as long as no one drinks Vyvyan's potion - a cure for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac.
Ange, Mat and Paul chat about Monty Python, hated chocolates, the hell of living with flatmates, biblical links, C.S. Lewis, Chekov's Coca Cola can and the brilliant Frost and Arden. Plus; a quiz where the concept of a quiz doesn't have to be explained!
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in May doing THREE events - two of which are with Young Ones director/producer Paul Jackson! Check out our socials and our linktree for details. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom

Apr 3, 2026
Apr 3, 2026
1hr 16 min
It's party time in the student house, an opportunity to impress the other students and trendy lecturer, play with a toy mouse and telescope and to kill the Hippy. It's The Young Ones episode "Interesting."
Mat, Paul and Ange talk parties, bringing a bottle, sexy press-ups, cool lecturers, studio injuries, tampons and "women's periods". Plus, contemporary reviews AND the fiendish Talking Bottom on The Young Ones quiz!
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in May doing THREE events - two of which are with Young Ones director/producer Paul Jackson! Check out our socials and our linktree for details. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom

Mar 27, 2026
Mar 27, 2026
46 min
"Well I'm going to tell Thatcher that we've got a bomb!" Cold War fears manifest when a large (undetonated, obviously) nuclear bomb lands right in the middle of the house. To make matters worse, the TV detector man is at the door and the boys don't have a TV license!
Paul, Ange and Mat chat about nuclear paranoia, house shares, rancid bathrooms and more, plus a great quiz! Apologies for some issues with sound in this episode due to an intermittently dodgy mic.
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in May doing THREE events! Check out our socials and our linktree for details. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom

Mar 20, 2026
Mar 20, 2026
1hr 5 min
Guys! Guys! Look at us! Squabbling, bickering, like children! What's happening to us? We never used to be like this! This week's episode is all about one of The Young Ones most exciting episodes; "Boring."
Ange, Paul and Mat chat about exciting things, making scripts come to life, censoring difficult language when it's being used for satire, Madness, fakes hands and playing monopoly. Plus, a quiz!
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in May doing THREE events! Check out our socials and our linktree for details. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom

Mar 13, 2026
Mar 13, 2026
1hr 22 min
"Neil! Your bedroom's on fire!" Rick, Vyvyan, Neil and Mile move into their new house and the apparent discovery of oil in the basement soon brings out everyone's true colours.
Mat, Ange and Paul discuss the show getting to full series, fighting over bedrooms, little white dots, oppressed workers and more as Talking Bottom takes on The Young Ones. Plus, a very numerical quiz!
We're back at this year's Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in May doing THREE events! Check out our socials and our linktree for details. https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom
