The Comic Strip Presents...

I love the cast but the episodes are more miss than hit. There are a few gems but only for fans of goofy loud comedy.

The first 'Comic Strip Presents ...' production came to our screens on the opening night of Channel 4 (I think) with one of the best editions, 'Five Go Mad In Dorset' (Peter Richardson as Julian, Ade Edmondson as Dick, Jennifer Saunders as Anne, Dawn French as George, and Ronald Allen aka David from Crossroads as Uncle Quentin. Also featured Daniel Peacock, now there's a blast from the past, as Toby).

Future editions were a bit hit and miss but I'm glad to have been around when these were new: 'The Bad News Tour' (including Rik Mayall and Nigel Planer as well as Ade from The Young Ones); 'Gino' (with Keith Allen and Robbie Coltrane); 'The Bullshitters' (the Professionals spoof with Keith Allen as Bonehead and Peter Richardson as Foyle; Scum's Julian Firth; Esther Freud as a backstage floozy, and Elvis Costello as an A&R man); 'The Strike' (following the miners' strike, this appeared - three Allens (Keith, Kevin, Ronald) and the loud Scouser Alexei Sayle); the wonderful 'Mr Jolly Lives Next Door' (Peter Cook, Nicholas Parsons, and I seem to remember Rowland Rivron in this?); and 'The Yob' (Keith Allen again; Julian Firth as a coke addict; Warren Clarke; Gary Olsen; and Derrick Branche).

By the mid-1990s though the series was looking tired - a new generation of comedians was starting to appear and the Comic Strip gang were all heading into their 40s and beyond. Some went on to greater things, some disappeared. I doubt a series like this would survive for nearly twenty years if it started now, with largely the same core cast. 'The Comic Strip Presents ...' was groundbreaking and largely a lot of fun.

Many episodes of 'The Comic Strip Presents' were parodies of specific films or TV shows, or parodies of film/TV genres. The episode transmitted 3 November 1984 was titled 'The Bullsh**ters', and it's an hilarious parody of the ITV action series 'The Professionals' in particular and thick-ear matey action shows in general.

The crime-fighting partners in 'The Professionals' were named Bodie and Doyle, so here in 'The Bullsh**ters' we have Keith Allen and Peter Richardson (both of whom also wrote the script) as Bonehead and Foyle, taking orders from their commanding officer, hilariously played by Robbie Coltrane. Bodie and Doyle, of course, had an expensive car with all sorts of gizmos ... but Bonehead and Foyle have to make do with bus passes as they rush from headquarters to their deadly missions.

Coltrane has one very funny set-piece routine, in which he shows Bonehead and Foyle the proper way for a TV action hero to get into a car. Elvis Costello is also funny in a brief turn as a deaf man. Alana Pellay and Jimmy Fagg (don't ask) play themselves.

unique, hilarious parodies of cliche-ridden entertainment by a semiregular group of brits. I particularly remember their spoofs of spaghetti westerns ('a fistful of travelers checks') and post-apocalyptic flicks ('the slags'), as well as shots at kids shows, Rebecca, back-to-the-wilderness retreats, and a pre-Spinal Tap metal band's misfortunes. the Slags featured a young Anthony Stewart Head (Giles on Buffy tVS) as the leader of a gang called the Hawaiians ('that's not...nice!'). my personal favorite is the 'Travelers Checks' episode; the music and scenery and camera work would have made a perfectly good movie of the genre (especially the guitar-and-whistle music); and who could forget 'Billy Balfour, the Man with No Name'?! some of the regulars (Ade Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer) played in the bizzare 'Young Ones' series.

9 discs of the entire cast of The Young Ones and French and Saunders before they hit their stride. From the opening night of Channel 4 in 1982, to mid-nineties burnout. "Hit 'n miss" is the best description for this collection, but you will have to sit through every episode to find the few you agree with (keep in mind they are over an hour long each, with some at feature length). Each (with the exception of the Famous Five, Bad News and Bullshitters reprises) is completely different, and range from bold and original, to unfunny, or unbearable.

Personal favourites include:

Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door - resides somewhere between Rick and Viv, Bottom and the movie Guest House Paradiso. No-brow humor that will only appeal to those born with a penis. And depends on whether you find Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson screaming "Nicholas, Bloody, Parsons! You BASTARD!" funny. Most will.

Bad News / More Bad News - Predated Spinal Tap. As this is made by actual Brits, it gets right a lot of what Tap got wrong.

The Strike / GLC - Brilliant send-up of pretty much everything, the real highlight of the collection and espoused by all. You will never view a British film in quite the same way after seeing this.

Four Men in a Car/Plane - One-offs independent of the series, and the comedians at the height of their maturity. The best each has to offer.

Spaghetti Hoops - Not laugh-out-loud funny, but not meant to be. Toward the end they were finally able to make the art house short they were aiming for.

Private Enterprise and Gino don't have belly laughs, but they do have an enjoyable forward momentum. Whilst others will make you ask "what the hell were they thinking?" The entire series was timely and topical, which means that all the short films are incredibly dated. And most will no doubt play better in the mind's eye than actually watching them again. Making the first few discs write-offs on repeat viewing. Even at their worst, you have to admire their originality.