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IMDbPro

The New Statesman

  • TV Series
  • 1987–1994
  • TV-14
  • 1h 10m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
3K
YOUR RATING
Rik Mayall in The New Statesman (1987)
Dark ComedyParodySatireSitcomComedy

Ultra-right-wing Alan B'Stard, the most selfish, greedy, dishonest, sadistic, sociopathic Conservative MP of all, plots to achieve his megalomaniacal ambitions.Ultra-right-wing Alan B'Stard, the most selfish, greedy, dishonest, sadistic, sociopathic Conservative MP of all, plots to achieve his megalomaniacal ambitions.Ultra-right-wing Alan B'Stard, the most selfish, greedy, dishonest, sadistic, sociopathic Conservative MP of all, plots to achieve his megalomaniacal ambitions.

  • Creators
    • Maurice Gran
    • Laurence Marks
  • Stars
    • Rik Mayall
    • Michael Troughton
    • Marsha Fitzalan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Creators
      • Maurice Gran
      • Laurence Marks
    • Stars
      • Rik Mayall
      • Michael Troughton
      • Marsha Fitzalan
    • 14User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 BAFTA Award
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Episodes29

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    Photos81

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    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Rik Mayall
    Rik Mayall
    • Alan B'Stard
    • 1987–1994
    Michael Troughton
    Michael Troughton
    • Piers Fletcher-Dervish
    • 1987–1992
    Marsha Fitzalan
    Marsha Fitzalan
    • Sarah B'Stard
    • 1987–1992
    Terence Alexander
    Terence Alexander
    • Sir Greville McDonald…
    • 1989–1992
    Rowena Cooper
    • Norman Bormann
    • 1987
    John Nettleton
    John Nettleton
    • Sir Stephen Baxter
    • 1987–1989
    Berwick Kaler
    Berwick Kaler
    • Geoff Dicquead…
    • 1989–1990
    Nick Stringer
    Nick Stringer
    • Crippen…
    • 1987–1989
    Victor Lucas
    Victor Lucas
    • Mr Speaker…
    • 1989
    Steve Nallon
    Steve Nallon
    • Margaret Thatcher…
    • 1987–1990
    Vivien Heilbron
    Vivien Heilbron
    • Beatrice Protheroe
    • 1987
    Benjamin Whitrow
    Benjamin Whitrow
    • Paddy O'Rourke
    • 1991–1992
    Brigitte Kahn
    • Frau Kleist…
    • 1987–1992
    Adam Wide
    • Messenger…
    • 1987–1991
    John Carlin
    • House of Commons Speaker
    • 1987
    John Warnaby
    • Auctioneer…
    • 1992
    Alan Hardwick
    • Newscaster
    • 1989–1990
    Charles Gray
    Charles Gray
    • Roland Gidleigh-Park
    • 1987
    • Creators
      • Maurice Gran
      • Laurence Marks
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    7.83K
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    Featured reviews

    Mac Styran

    One of the two great British comedies

    The New Statesman and Black Adder.

    Two brilliant pieces of work everybody should see.

    (Btw. Rik Mayall stars in both of those series. He's Lord Flashheart in Bladders)

    New Statesman sometimes seems to me as if it is Black Adder 5: Present Politics... (or something like that)

    It's distinguished, utterly funny and just GOOD.

    Go, buy it, see it.
    smarty-11

    Brilliant but Evil

    I used to watch this years ago in Australia... It started out airing at 11:30 pm but was moved to some crazy time like four in the morning because it was so controversial. It's a nastily accurate skewering of a Thatcher-ite backbencher more evil than Satan himself. If you ever get a chance to see it, do!
    drunkenmonkey2

    Alan B'stard indeed!...

    This is a hilarious political-cum comedy, this series reminds me instantly of the political bits in Little Britain.

    Rik mayall at his best, TNS has more of an intellectual side than his usual fast witted comedies boyish humour and innuendo's aplenty, which is quite political correct in this respect! :p

    A sheer classic, lots of fun and humor to be had, just don't watch it in front of your inlaws, unless they like the show of course! Beg borrow but don't steal a copy! watch it, laugh it and you're gonna really enjoy it!

    In fact, all this talk has got those memories flooding back again, i'm gonna order the DVD set now! ;) 10/10
    9fibreoptic

    Still good after all these years.

    I watched this when i was a kid, i didn't really like politics but i liked this and Spitting Image. One of the reasons i think i watched this was because it was on on a sunday night and my mum let me stay up to watch it. I found it hilarious though and still do. I recently watched Series 1 and it dawned upon me that Alan B'Stard is infact a more evil version of Blackadder which is probably why i liked The New Statesman so much. I get more of the political jokes now but they are out of date and redundant but there's more to it than that. Will never be considered a classic due to it being about British politics but was one of the few great comedy sitcoms that appeared on ITV because most of the greats appeared on the BBC. I'd like to see it repeated so i hope some ITV or Sky executive reads this and sorts it out.
    Mmyers2003

    Rik Mayall always suceeds in comedy.

    Rik Mayall always makes me laugh i don't think hes ever done a single duff sitcom or comedy routine. Its one of the rare ocassions hes not working along side Ade Edmundson but he still manages to do well. Its a shame theres no reruns of this but then i'm buying them on DVD. I guess we'll have to wait until The tories come back into power before we'll see this rerun. Someone should maybe try the same thing with the labour party.

    TC Raymond, Benny hill and the carry on films are old hat and out of date. You'll have to accept that and move along. In my opinion they were boring and i'm glad we've left that era. You don't seem to like alot of comedy do you? Oh well your choice I guess.

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    Related interests

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    Dark Comedy
    Bill Pullman, John Candy, Joan Rivers, Daphne Zuniga, and Lorene Yarnell Jansson in La Folle Histoire de l'espace (1987)
    Parody
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    Satire
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    Sitcom
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    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Rowena Cooper was credited as R. R. Cooper to keep her gender dubious for the first 6 episodes of season 1
    • Quotes

      Alan: Why should we, the country that produced Shakespeare, Christopher Wren, and those are just the people on our banknotes for Christ's sake, cower down to the countries that produced Hitler, Napoleon, the Mafia, and the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the Smurfs!

    • Connections
      Featured in A Night of Comic Relief 2 (1989)

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    FAQ18

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 13, 1987 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Parlamentets svarta får
    • Filming locations
      • Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Alomo Productions
      • SelecTV
      • Yorkshire Television (YTV)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 10m(70 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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