Hippies

I am currently watching the repeats of 'Hippies' on Sky and have confirmed my original thoughts on the programme. Hippies, together with Father Ted, is the best sitcom of the last twenty-five years! When it was first shown I expected to hate it. Unashamedly, I adore the music, ideals and sentiments of the 60s (best music, best fashion, best television, best films.....) and hated portrayals of the era in other sitcoms such as The Young Ones (the Neil character) and Absolutely Fabulous. How dare people from lesser eras poke fun at the best decade of all; The Young Ones was made in the ghastly 1980s....didn't anyone at the time recognise the absurdity of laughing 'AT' the 60s from the viewpoint of that appalling era!!!!

The writers of Hippies, however, appear to have a great affinity with the 60s, yet a previous comment on this site, which was otherwise positive, appeared to believe that the programme was poking fun at the era. I don't see that at all. If you think that, do you think the same writers were poking fun at Ted, Jack and Dougal in Father Ted? I don't think so. Like Ted, Hippies is very strong on 'sight' gags, reprisal jokes ('Get on the bus, Ray!')and dream sequences and, personally, I think that the scripts are water-tight. Highlights are Eleanor Bron, the fabulous Rickman character, the scenes with Ray's parents, Hugo's 'Pink Floyd' review and Bob Helmets' obituary, Ray appearing naked in a 'Hair'-type production not realising that his whole family are in the audience.....

And yet in trying to find out anything about the series, I found a CV of one of the writers, and 'Hippies' has been completed written out!!!! Not even listed!!!! A resounding 10/10.

I hated the first episode of this show ( 'Protesting Hippies' ) so much in 1999 that I shunned the rest. However, when it came on 'The Paramount Comedy Channel' I watched it in full and, to my surprise, found it absolutely hilarious ( Motto: never judge a comedy series in its first week )!

Set in 1969, 'Hippies' stars Simon Pegg as 'Ray Purbbs', editor of an 'Oz'-like underground magazine called 'Mouth'. His friends are the feminist Jill, laid-back Alex, and the half-wit Hugo. Back in the late '60's, there was a feeling of incredible optimism amongst the young, that they could change the world through the printing of magazines nobody read. Rather than sneering at the hippies' naivety, 'Hippies' is affectionate towards it. Arthur Mathews' scripts cheekily parody a number of that era's icons - 'Hair', 'Woodstock', 'The Graduate', even the infamous 'Oz' obscenity trial of the early '70's. Excellent performances from the cast; Julian Rhind-Tutt's 'Alex' strangely put me in mind of the Richard O'Sullivan character from 'Man About The House'. Its a shame that there was never a second series, possibly because of people like me. If you missed 'Hippies', give it a try. Once you get past the dire opener, you're in for a treat!

Hippies is possibly one of the funniest programs ever shown on TV. Rays East German car in Muddy Hippies almost gave me an asthma attack I was laughing so much. How cack like Two Pints of Lager... can be on almost constant rotation when Hippies doesn't even appear on DVD beggars belief. Julian Rhind Tutts effortlessly cool Alex is the perfect foil to Simon Peggs spokesman of a generation, Ray, while the rest of the cast are also excellent, especially Rays silently suffering father. Try and catch this on the late night comedy channels - its worth not being able to get up for work the next morning.

I often wonder why this series was slammed so much. I thought it was brilliant and also very cleverly written and performed. I think in time to come it will be seen in the light it deserves, that is if they ever issue it. Many up and coming young comedy actors appeared in this and all went on to greater things. Maybe this fact will make people aware of its value and it will have to be issued. Sally Phillips, Simon Pegg, Peter Serafinowicz and not least Julian Rhind-Tutt of the hugely successful Green Wing. The writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews are two of the finest comedy writers of the modern age. Anyone that can produce comedy like Father Ted couldn't be capable of writing something not worthy of publication. If it is ever issued I will certainly buy it.

We expected a lot from Arthur Matthews(Father Ted) and got a show that nearly works on every level.The characters are all likeable and time has been spent developing them, but as with so many sitcoms these days,the writing lets the series down.The best episodes are "Hairy Hippies" and the one with Eleanor Bron(!),the rest are patchy.The performances are great and keep the show together.Simon Pegg is great as the deluded,sexually repressed and incredibly naive Ray,whilst Sally Philips is hilarious as his pseudo-feminist on/off girlfriend Jill.The episode where she grows a beard to compete with men was very funny.She also manages to keep a manic stare going throughout the series which never changes ,regardless of what emotion she's feeling at the time.My favourite is Julian Rhynd-Tutt's portrayl of Alex, Ray's voice of reason and often bewildered bystander to the bizarre events taking place around him.His delivery is incredibly dry and keeps perfect comic timing. If we get a second series,please rewrite the scripts until they work!