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Asylum

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1996–
  • 21m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
303
YOUR RATING
Asylum (1996)
Dark ComedyParodySitcomComedy

Surreal black comedy following an eccentric group committed to an asylum run by questionable staff who imprison a pizza boy. As patients attempt bizarre escapes, it's uncertain if it's an ex... Read allSurreal black comedy following an eccentric group committed to an asylum run by questionable staff who imprison a pizza boy. As patients attempt bizarre escapes, it's uncertain if it's an experiment or cruel prank.Surreal black comedy following an eccentric group committed to an asylum run by questionable staff who imprison a pizza boy. As patients attempt bizarre escapes, it's uncertain if it's an experiment or cruel prank.

  • Stars
    • Julian Barratt
    • Adam Bloom
    • Norman Lovett
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    303
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Julian Barratt
      • Adam Bloom
      • Norman Lovett
    • 3User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Episodes6

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated1 season1996

    Photos7

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    Top cast16

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    Julian Barratt
    Julian Barratt
    • Victor Munro
    • 1996
    Adam Bloom
    • Adam
    • 1996
    Norman Lovett
    Norman Lovett
    • Dr. Lovett
    • 1996
    Paul Morocco
    • Paul
    • 1996
    Mick O'Connor
    • Nobby Shanks
    • 1996
    Simon Pegg
    Simon Pegg
    • Simon
    • 1996
    Jessica Hynes
    Jessica Hynes
    • Martha…
    • 1996
    David Devant and his Spirit Wife
    • Themselves
    • 1996
    Andy Parsons
    Andy Parsons
    • Patient
    • 1996
    Henry Naylor
    • Patient
    • 1996
    David Walliams
    David Walliams
    • Cockney Film Star
    • 1996
    Bill Bailey
    Bill Bailey
    • Patient
    • 1996
    Paul Tonkinson
    • Patient
    • 1996
    John Moloney
    • Doctor…
    • 1996
    Howard Haigh
    • Duelling Guitarist
    • 1996
    Michael O'Connor
    • Nobby Shanks
    • 1996
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews3

    6.7303
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    10

    Featured reviews

    3Bored_Dragon

    I couldn't do it...

    The television mini-series of six twenty-minute episodes, from the very beginning of Edgar Wright's career, turned out to be, at least for me, completely unwatchable. I watched some of his even earlier works and enjoyed them, but this surreal comedy was not funny to me at all, nor did I find anything worthy of attention in it. Not even the charismatic Simon Pegg pulls it off.

    3/10
    9funky_giraffe

    Extremely funny!

    This seems to be a forgotten gem, it was only by chance that i came across this series on YouTube, i hope it comes out on DVD one day...so many great actors in one place!!! I love Julian as Howard Moon, but i love seeing him playing different characters like in this and (un)natural acts. Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes are also a great duo, of whom i am a big fan, basically if you love surreal stuff like 'The Mighty Boosh' and 'Spaced' etc, this show will probably be right up your street! One thing i'm not a fan of in some of the episodes is the random songs. Usually i like musical intervals, but in some parts it just seems unnecessary and out of place. This is of course apart from Bill Bailey's snip it, he is just awesome.
    8ericjcant-1

    If you love the weird stuff, this is the far edge of bizarre alternative non-PC humor.

    No contemporary cable tv channel would dare to play a show like this anymore, and it's not an easy video series to find in good quality, as it has never been released on DVD. It is on Youtube, but it is a low quality transfer from VHS- but even on Youtube yo have to search for it under "Asylum Simon Pegg" otherwise you won't easily find it.

    Back in the early days of cable I could imagine this short-lived British tv production being shown after midnight on the Comedy Channel. Asylum, when it is at its best, is something roughly close to the level of weirdness as Garth Marenghi's Dark Place (which if you haven't watched, do so immediately), although not as consistent. The non-PC aspect of the show is that it uses mental illness as its comedic premise (not humorous in real life, of course) but if you can look past the irreverent treatment of its subject matter, Asylum is a bizarre piece of work, and worthwhile if only for segments featuring Julian Barrett, Simon Pegg, and Jessica Hynes. Large portions of this show, particularly in episode one, featuring monologues by Adam Bloom are too over the top and not all that that funny, much in the same way as early stand-up comedy by Robin Williams is often an incoherent barrage of verbal acrobatics. Also, the musical segments while good, are an odd fit for this type of production.

    The basic premise of the show is that a pizza delivery guy (Simon Pegg) is incarcerated in an asylum while making a delivery, merely because the asylum needs more patients, and the asylum staff are as crazy as the inmates. If you just want to taste test one episode, I would suggest episode two, as large portions of episode one are best left on fast forward for the reasons stated previously.

    If you like obscure weird comedy, this has some great moments, but it's not consistent in quality from one comedy segment to another. If you are ok to zip past the monologues and watch the Julian Barrett and Simon Pegg scenes, Asylum is often witty comedy with irreverent twists and an indie edge.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After the show's initial broadcast, it never aired again on TV and also had no home video release. Only bootleg copies of the show exist on the internet.
    • Connections
      Featured in Skip to the End (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Ginger
      Performed by David Devant and his Spirit Wife

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    FAQ16

    • How many seasons does Asylum have?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • 1996 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Production company
      • Paramount Comedy Channel
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      21 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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