Talking Bottom

S3E1 - Hole

Richie and Eddie are back and have reached their three quid limit with a ride on the tallest ferris wheel in western Europe. But they've been annoying, vomiting on and stealing the clothes of the other fairground users and soon find themselves trapped 350 feet in the air with hardly any booze left and the ride scheduled to be blown up in the morning. Can they attract attention and make it to the other side of this one? Heck, maybe even raise some kids?

Angela, Paul and Mat discuss Bottom returning after three years off the TV with a stage show in between, the relative qualities of the differing series, Richie and Eddie's families, reincarnation, cheating fate and Richie's phenomenal upper body strength. And the Talking Bottom quiz returns with nightmare questions due to this being an episode set entirely in a ferris wheel carriage!

Here is the clip from the 1993 British Comedy Awards we talk about at the end, where Richard Wilson fumes while Rik wins best comedy actor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-WezUT1Y4c

Series 2 round up

With series 3 starting next week, Talking Bottom takes a look back at series 2; what we learned, emails from listeners and reflecting on our interview with the legend Ed Bye. Plus several non-series 2 discoveries including why Richie's belt misses his front trouser loop and a reading from the original script for the episode Apocalypse, complete with its original title!

Ed Bye interview

Talking Bottom is honoured to be joined by the legendary Ed Bye, no less than the director and producer of Bottom series 1 & 2! His CV reads like the cream of British comedy, with credits including The Young Ones, Filthy, Rich and Catflap, The Full Wax, The Detectives, Kevin and Perry Go Large, Canned Carrot, Lenny Henry in Pieces, The Vicar of Dibley, Not Going Out, My Family, Absolutely Fabulous, French and Saunders and 40 (forty!) episodes of Red Dwarf.

We probe Ed about, amongst many other things, his journey into the world of TV and light entertainment, his first impressions of Rik and Ade, the genesis of Bottom and its production from the pilot through the series, avoiding BBC censorship, studio filming, fight choreography and injuries, sound effects and special effects, modern British comedy, losing Rik and a first hand account of how Bottom's opening credits came about.

Bottom Live - The Stage Show

"Fucking hell... a line from the play!" Rik and Ade take the behemouth that is Bottom around the country, performing on stage to packed-out audiences. Cameras recorded their show at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton and the result was this record-selling performance on VHS. Yes, VHS! Remember those? For 100 minutes Richie and Eddie bicker, fight, knock out teeth, forget lines, argue with the audience, seduce blow up dolls, dial phones incredibly fortuitously, cut off penises with hacksaws and get electrocuted.

Paul, Mat and Angela discuss Rik and Ade's car crash interview on Going Live, vox pops with fans, the longest synopsis in the world, theatre vs TV, 90's references, deliberate bloopers and sex dolls. Plus the Talking Bottom Live quiz!

Here's a link to the Going Live interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsABbuFCAXE&

S2E6 - 's Out

Series two concludes with the episode that didn't screen in the UK until several years after it was made. Richie and Eddie lose a bet and find themselves roughing it for a week in deepest darkest Wimbledon Common with just a tin opener, a packet of chocolate hob nobs and a World Ranger Storm Buster IV Tent to keep them alive. Luckily, nature provides all they could need: a fresh water supply with delicious fish, dog shit everywhere the eye can see and a particularly keen flasher. Soon, hunger overtakes them both and there's only one thing for it - Womble hunting.

 

Mat, Paul and Angela discuss  comparisons with Rik and Ade's work and Samuel Beckett's plays, shooting in TV studios, the delay in transmission for the episode, annoying campers, Eddie's girlfriends, breaking the 4th wall, Richie and Eddie as kids playing dress up and flashers. Plus, the Talking Bottom quiz brings the series to a close with the most fiendish questions yet!

S2E5 - Holy

MERRY BLOODY CHRISTMAS! It's the season of goodwill and peace on Earth in 11 Mafeking Parade. Naturally, Eddie has left a series of booby traps out for Richie, who starts the day masquerading as Santa Claus in order to get at the sherry. Before you can say "half past eight and all's crap", Richie severs his finger preparing the food while Eddie decorates the flat. With the arrival of Spudgun and Dave Hedgehog and the incineration of the turkey, potatoes and Christmas pudding, it's time for traditional Christmas games such as everyone choosing Goldfinger for charades. But the arrival of the son of God soons upends their plans - thankfully Richie takes things in his stride as he relishes being the mother of the new Messiah.

 

Angela, Paul and Mat festively ruminate on booby traps, slaptick violence, deleted scenes, shit Christmas presents, fake turkeys, puns and double entendres, Jonathan Ross and terrible visual effects. And jingle balls ready for the Talking Bottom Christmas quiz!

S2E4 - Parade

After a busy morning scamming the police for eight quid each, Richie and Eddie retire to The Lamb and Flag, where they are able to swindle free drinks by pretending to be Health and Safety Inspectors. Soon, Richie's fictional war stories get him in trouble with a genuine Falklands war veteran, but his severe beating is interrupted by drunk bookie Tight Mouth Larry spilling not only his guts but the name of a dead cert in the 3.30 at Chepstow. Now the residents of Hammersmith just need to acquire as much cash as possible to put on the stallion guaranteed to romp home; Sad Ken.

 

Paul, Mat and Angela discuss Richie and Eddie in society, money making schemes, the Falklands and politics in the show, Kryten from Red Dwarf and what a RD/Bottom crossover would entail, the guest stars and their terrible crimes, Richie's lies, editing out songs sung by characters, footballers names and police drubbings. Plus; fingers on sphincters for the Talking Bottom quiz!

S2E3 - Burglary

Richie's planned evening with scrabble and a fish supper start badly when Eddie spends the dinner money getting drunk on Old Spice, then gets worse when 11 Mafeking Parade is burgled. Managing to take the thief prisoner, they soon find themselves in possession of a large amount of valuable swag - this could finally be their chance to live the high life in the Bahamas. But what to do with the burglar? There's only one solution: murder him.

Mat, Angela and Paul talk murder, Live and Kicking, the copyright status of "Do Your Balls Hang Low?", Chesterfield, and Nigel from Eastenders. Also; the best trick question the Talking Bottom quiz has ever seen!

S2E2 - Culture

After falling behind with the rent for the TV due to Eddie purchasing some magic beans and Richie squandering the cash on a trip to Doctor O'Grady's Personal Organ Enhancement Clinic, the pair wallow in the depths of boredom with crosswords, a custardy pants tournament and Put a Bit of Sellotape on the Fridge. Inspiration strikes and an evening of chess with improvised pieces, Esther Rantzen cocktails and smoking jackets turns into an all nighter finishing off the industrial strength floor cleaner and Richie being taught the rules of chess 124 times. Eventually, the game must begin - there's only one thing for it: Attack, attack attack.

Angela, Paul and Mat ruminate on crosswords, replacement chess pieces, mountain gorilla organs and the time they tried actual Esther Rantzen cocktails at a Rik Mayall memorial convention. Plus - the Talking Bottom quiz!

Here's the link to the chess fight rehearsal video we mention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c26ggjpMGw

S2E1 - Digger

Talking Bottom returns with Richie devising the perfect way to get his end away and marry into royalty - joining a dating agency and getting matched with a Moldavian Viscountess by the name of Lady Natasha Letitia Sarah Jane Wellesley Obstromsky Ponsonsky Smythe Smythe Smythe Smythe Smythe Oblomov Boblomov Dob, played by the wonderful Helen Lederer. Eddie takes the role of butler for the evening and prepares a dinner of squashed potatoes and caviar. But the stakes are high as the evening has been funded by selling Richie's kidney.

Paul, Mat and Angela talk dating agencies, smashing blouses, live studio recording, equal opportunity violence and sex mo's. Plus the Talking Bottom quiz is back with the toughest questions yet!