Britcom Goes To The Movies

It’s time for the second instalment of our Morecambe and Wise trilogy. Don’t get too excited! You may remember from a couple of series ago how much we disliked The Intelligence Men , a real challenger for the bottom spot in our league table. However, returning guest and M&W movie apologist A.J. Black, of the Film Stories church, has a lot of affection for Eric and Ernie’s second outing, That Riviera Touch (1966). So much so that he assured us last time out that we’d enjoy it, or at the very least, enjoy it more than The Intelligence Men , which, let’s face it, should be like shooting fish in a barrel. We also wrap up our viewing of Morecambe and Wise’s ITV years in this episode. Two of a Kind became The Morecambe and Wise Show in 1966, and we begin to see a glimmer of what everyone regards as their superior BBC work, though not without some lazy, dated set pieces and borderline scandalous off-colour jokes. None of which is to say we didn’t have a ruddy good time recording this episode. It’s just a shame we couldn’t go to the south of France to do it like Eric and Ernie. Morecambe and Wise - Two of a Kind series 5 https://youtu.be/PnoFNrveJMo?is=-gTgTn5h0CCQPQTW That Riviera Touch - Trailer https://youtu.be/6sdB_I6ZtzI?si=K1WcOz6xXl6hYxyR That Riviera Touch - Now That You're Here https://youtu.be/l_-6cFYI-7A?si=e5BQXOMJcfXPvGBr That Riviera Touch - Full Film https://youtu.be/Tg-5BcVXLU8?si=wVadrloD2BWbO8mz Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1999, writer-director Justin Kerrigan took a meagre budget and a cast of relative unknowns and made a cult film for the turn of the millennium. Sure, slice-of-life comedies were nothing new, even ones with the kind of absurd flights of fancy Kerrigan employed, but very little on the big screen this side of the Atlantic had shone a light on late-’90s club culture the way this did. Still endlessly memed today, Human Traffic gave big boosts to the careers of both John Simm and Danny Dyer, and as we’ll be looking at the latter in more depth later in the series (watch this space), we’ve made this episode all about Simm. His TV career had been steadily building, and he’d made his breakthrough in the BBC sitcom Men of the World , starring opposite David Threlfall, which is the paired TV show for this episode. Joining Guy and Rob to discuss Human Traffic is writer, producer, podcaster and the man with the best Christopher Walken impression in the business, Dan Thomas. Will Dan’s memories of an enjoyable romp hold up, or has it aged like one of Moff’s dodgy disco biscuits? Men of the World - series 1 episode 1 https://youtu.be/79TddcShAJ4?si=PKcXYQBMetPOFpYl Comic Strip Presents... - The Yob https://youtu.be/2-o9TV1AGdk?si=ZNMmCJ-WWq8zklU5 John Simm in Spaced https://youtu.be/QBiXW-W_V1Y?si=8Ahp_ewQaSgG2gOM Daniel Peacock’s Cavegirl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1HL4cgoAcA Bill Hicks on Waco https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2EqZ4-enx8 Human Traffic trailer https://youtu.be/PqY6eAro1QY?si=yZDfSzuHD-lTPf3u Human Traffic - Nice one Bruva https://youtu.be/qksndNDMDOw?si=rQ4vtWGi1GM0wVre Human Traffic - Got any Jungle? https://youtu.be/h5hnbUcJKP4?si=CnZpeisCYZgSzj3l Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now, we’ve dealt with small budgets in our time, but our film for episode two would give Powder Room a run for its money. In 2006, former stand-up comic Jamie Mathieson put pen to paper on his first film: a time-travel rom-com with nods to Alan Moore, Terry Pratchett and Back to the Future . But it took another three years for Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel to make it to the big screen, and you can find out all about that journey in this episode. Going it alone this time, Rob and Guy link FAQ About Time Travel to mid-noughties cult sitcom The Smoking Room , as both share a director, Gareth Carrivick. The two are stylistically similar, with a bottle-episode feel. The Smoking Room ran for two series on BBC Three and featured some of the most lauded comic actors around, including Robert Webb and Jeremy Swift, as well as giving a fresh showcase to classic sitcom stars like Paula Wilcox. So join us as we jump back a decade from Fighting with My Family and do a conga in the toilet to “Total Eclipse of the Heart”! The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse with Jeremy Dyson tickets https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/cinema/league-gentlemens-apocalypse-15-jeremy-dyson Anna Faris in Just Friends https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOV48dDK0aw Drop It Like Its Close to Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsIVMAsQPL4 Dame Edna on Cilla Black (This was meant for this ep, but I put it on the last one!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmLaIrjjS_I Bjork - Bachelerotte https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNJv-Ebi67I Allstars - Land of Make Believe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2rtK8gyhrs The Smoking Room - SE1 Ep1 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0F8A0065462CF0DB The Smoking Room - Barry’s Crossword https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF4k72uUf2k Johnny Briggs Theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq212jZi1yk Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBV340x3GcA Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel - Morrissey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOr28eNTw_Q Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re into our SEVENTH SERIES! It is hard to believe we’ve made it this far, but just as well, really, given the number of films we're still yet to cover. We begin this series with the heartwarming tale of a family, some with dodgy pasts, but all with a lovable lust for life. The fighting Knights from Norfolk were the subject of a 2011 Channel 4 documentary when son Zak and daughter Saraya were on the cusp of hitting the big time as wrestlers, hoping to join the promised land of WWE. One made it; the other did not. This documentary inspired arguably the most famous wrestler of all time, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, to retell the tale. Armed with the clout of WWE backing, a cast of BritCom stars, up-and-coming acting starlets, and already-legendary TV comedy writer/director Stephen Merchant, he hoped to transfer this real-life story to the big screen. The last time we heard from Merchant on this podcast, things were beginning to become considerably less rosy with longtime collaborator Ricky Gervais, after their venture into the coming-of-age com Cemetery Junction was met with the lukest of lukewarm receptions in 2010. We pick up their tale again with their last TV stand as a partnership: the Warwick Davis vehicle Life’s Too Short , also from 2011. Joining Rob and Guy for this one, all the way from The House of Splain , is confessed wrestling fan and Gervais... anti-fan Ben Baker. He helps our hosts make a bit more sense of the wrestling aspect of Fighting with My Family , which is the first film ever to be covered on BritCom Goes to the Movies that was adapted from a documentary. We’ve had plenty of fun dissecting Mindhorn and Smashie and Nicey with fellow ’Splainer Ricardo Autobahn, so it seemed only fair to give his podcasting other half a crack at the whip! Gervais, Merchant and Davis as Gervais, Crouch and Rooney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDH8RKhwCkc Life’s Too Short - Bookcase slapstick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OJiB2BGaoc Jack Lowden Irn Bru ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5ocaypgRHM Dame Edna Cilla Black https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmLaIrjjS_I The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family - Full Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2dlO_e_HhU&t=20s Fighting With My Family Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqF3VTv0cqU Fighting With My Family - My Dream Too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_PPRNXd5yk Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finding funny stuff on ITV since the turn of the century has been an arduous task. So it was quite the surprise to the 19-year-old Rob and Guy that late night on a Wednesday, one of the new darlings of British comedy, Rob Brydon, could be found as alter ego Peter De Lane performing fake director’s commentary on such classic Granada TV shows as Flambards, Only When I Laugh, and Mr and Mrs! As well as, for some reason, the classic US western TV show Bonanza, for which Brydon’s production company owned the rights to 32 episodes. This is a forgotten Brydon Classic. Shortly after the success of Marion and Geoff and Human Remains, the BBC turned down the opportunity for Brydon’s latest venture with collaborator Paul Duddridge, so their loss was Granada’s gain, and it would serve the dual purpose of giving ITV a comedy vehicle with the man everyone wanted a piece of as well as reminding audiences of some of their back catalogue. So for our second Rob Brydon-related round table episode, we’ve enlisted the help of two of our favourite former guests to make up a classic De Lane Four. Alison Dennison and Nina Buckley returned to discuss their love (in one case) and disdain (in the other) for a show that neither had previously remembered. Join the four of us for a deep dive into the world of Peter De Lane, Denny Hall and Lord Cheggers of Oddbins, and we’ll also discuss our favourite real-life director's commentaries and lots more to boot. Thanks as always to our payingest Patreon, Andrew Greenwood! Eurovision 1977 - Stewart Morris Talkback https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTgCLfYdRo4 Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes and Quentin Tarantino director’s commentary on Spaced https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWOQH76BZbQ Mike Scully calls John Schwartzwelder on the Simpsons commentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAWE0Kjn8ac&t=1s Director’s Commentary - The Duchess of Duke Street https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXVB_tW_KXQ Director’s Commentary - Flambards https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Df03uATMM Grace Jones at the Golden Jubilee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIicwZrkEhY&list=RDkIicwZrkEhY&start_radio=1 The Staggering Stories of Ferdinand De Burgos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v 37 TG6uG3c Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode two of BritPOP Goes to the Movies sees Guy and Rob joined by Catrin Lowe to discuss Spice World: The Movie. Kim Fuller, brother of the mogul behind the Spice Girls, Simon Fuller, wanted to make a genuine homage to our previous film A Hard Day's Night, and to do that he wanted to make this just as cynical and rich with meta-textual, self-referential craziness. Cramming in celebrity cameos (too many for his script editor) and musical set-pieces. Spice World certainly had that and a whole lot more. The film was put in motion before the five-piece had properly blown up worldwide, but by the time shooting had wrapped, they were truly a worldwide sensation. This movie broke all kinds of box-office records; despite being critically panned, it now sits as the most financially successful film about a real pop group ever. To believe the critics' initial reaction would do this subversive, bonkers and surprisingly well-acted film a disservice. Yes, there's the odd "what the hell were you thinking?!" moment, but for every Michael Barrymore and Gary Glitter (yes, Gary Glitter!) there's an Alan Cumming and Bob Hoskins. Sit back and listen to the gang wax lyrical and get all nostalgic about the era of Spice. With clear dividing lines about what the Spice Girls meant to their teenage girl and teenage boy fan clubs! There's even a little inside scoop from a familiar voice who appeared in the movie. So Stop! Say you’ll be there with us for a cracking episode that hopefully you won’t find Too Much… …..Goodbye! Spice Girls - Wannabe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJLIiF15wjQ Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ro0FW9Qt-4 Spice Girls - Too Much on Top of the Pops https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iyQBxSbvqg Spice World - Teaser Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1Ne8oBpQQY Spice World - American Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmSBtOHzGPM Spice World Aliens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzxxc5KnBOE Spice World - Boy in coma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_8fYanJk88 Peter Sissons on Ann Robinson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7PuKPiTT_4 Geri - A Film By Molly Dineen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8bnx0YcFBo Spice World - Gary Glitter deleted scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYRHoQP75-g Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbAWc_pQDjk All Spice Girls Adverts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw54uEniaZg Waynes World - Sponsor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjB6r-HDDI0 Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To round off our BritPop Goes to the Movies mini-series, we jump to 2006, a simpler time when fledgling British pop-rockers McFly and their management could force themselves on an unsuspecting Hollywood. Lindsay Lohan (at the height of her fame) and Chris Pine (who Rob would argue is the best of the Chrises) on the come-up, star in an all-American, by-the-numbers romcom, which was sold in this country largely based on the already successful McFly's appearance. However, in America, Tom, Dougie, Harry and Danny were complete unknowns, and this was their only shot to crack the US market. This film differs in many ways from the previous two in the series, not least because it is a fully American production, but also because the band is very much the B-plot to a high-concept convolution in which Lohan and Pine continue to switch luck and status. There's still plenty of British pop music in it, though. Lots of McFly tracks but a lot of repetition of Five Colours in Her Hair. Joining Guy and Rob is fellow Film Stories Podcast Network host Dev Elson of Chucky Vision and At The Movies in the Noughties. He did more than his fair share of superfluous research by listening to every McFly album. Is this film as bad as we are making it sound, though? Well, you’ll just have to finish the trilogy to find out. Five Colours In Her Hair - McFly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h76uVRSJ5bc Obviously - McFly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiyF3K7hFqM Harry Judd Wins Strictly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb_s2RHVBdY Chris Pine in Smokin' Aces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-tGV96ceBM&t=148s Chris Pine - The Otley Run https://x.com/CapitalOfficial/status/1641409178387324934 Just My Luck Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClDQ4SLDDOw Just My Luck - Central Park Scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZz6l8MCFFY Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we eagerly await Series Seven in the autumn, how about treating ourselves to a mini-series during the bank holiday? What could be more fun than watching British pop groups trying to crack the movies? In our new mini-series, BritPop Goes To The Movies, Rob and Guy will be diving into exactly that over the next three days! We kick off our series with a huge first episode, featuring a returning friend of the show. Tyler Adams from Goon Pod is back for his third appearance, ready to help us explore a film that truly changed everything. Who better to guide us through how a business-savvy soundtrack tie-in became a cinematic masterpiece? Tyler helps us to start things off with A Hard Day’s Night. Originally commissioned by United Artists to get a Beatles soundtrack album, director Richard Lester and writer Alun Owen took a modest £189,000 budget and a tight schedule and turned it into something sharper, funnier, and more influential than anyone could have imagined. By moving away from the usual vehicles of Elvis and Cliff Richard, John, Paul, George, and Ringo really shine on screen, playing heightened versions of themselves. They are supported by a fantastic cast of British character actors, including Wilfred Bramble, Victor Spinetti, and Norman Rossington, who add a sharp edge to the film’s satire on age, class, and authority. Come along with us as we get stuck into Beatlemania and the birth of the modern music video as we explore A Hard Day’s Night! Running, Jumping, Standing Still film - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScwV_yIGZ5Y It’s Trad Dad (trailer) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk8ad0u0URw A Hard Days Night Press Conference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9VJ7GZYcWU George Harrison funny scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QREeweMWTZk Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the art of parody the sole reserve of Americans? Well, us Brits have had a few jolly good cracks at it. Most recently, Fackham Hall. The star-studded Downton Abbey send-up from 2025, written by the Dawson brothers (one of whom is an Inman) and the Carr brothers (one of whom is the UK’s biggest stand-up of the 21st century). To round off the sixth series of BritCom Goes to the Movies, Rob and Guy tackle their most recent film to date and have paired it with the other most valiant BritCom ZAZ-style attempt, A Touch of Cloth. The gloriously silly spoof of the police procedural dramas of the BBC and ITV. A programme that started life in creator Charlie Brooker’s spoof TV listings website TV Go Home. Series six has had our most guests ever, so it's only right to finish it with the original lineup. For this one, Guy and Rob go it alone. There’s also the matter of the Series Six quiz champion to decide, as scores are all level at 24-24 going into this episode. Join us for the last in the series at Fackham Hall! TV Go Home http://www.ntk.net/tvgohome/190399.html A Touch of Cloth - It was 1996 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrOnQG-ZYyM A Touch of Cloth - I cam As Soon As I Heard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4RKGels8Wo&pp=ygUQYSB0b3VjaCBvZiBjbG90aA%3D%3D&pbjreload=102 Fackham Hall - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWrZCkL8Kqs Fackham Hall - Jimmy Carr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XhP-mmIPDY Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At BritCom Goes to the Movies, we are dipping back into the world of Armando Iannucci. Last we heard of him on this show, he’d just adapted his hit sitcom The Thick of It into big screen success In The Loop, and eight years later was turning his attention to a farcical retelling of an actual moment in history with The Death of Stalin. Based on a French graphic novel telling of the Soviet dictator’s demise, Iannucci reassembled some of his most trusted writers and performers to tell this story in a very Thick of It way, without the need for comedy Russian accents. Ian Martin and David Schneider, longtime Iannucci collaborators, would help write, and while the cast had familiar Britcom faces, there would also be a sprinkling of Hollywood with Steve Buscemi and Jeffrey Tambor as well as the cream of theater in Simon Russell Beale as the terrifying Beria. We dip not only into this 2017 movie but also the critically acclaimed 2001 sketch show, The Armando Iannucci Shows, which was one of the few TV series that Armando wrote and produced, which he also took the lead in performing. This is a second episode in a row in which we feature a TV show written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (amongst others), and (spoiler alert) we enjoyed their work here much more than we did Hyperdrive. Joining Guy and Rob is the brilliant comedian, writer, and historian Eleanor Morton, who jumped at the chance to talk about one of her favourite films of the 2010s. But would Rob and Guy be quite so effusive? This episode would also represent Guy’s chance to put the quiz competition to bed with one episode remaining. Going into episode nine, Guy had a two-point lead. If he could extend this into episode ten, it would surely be curtains for Rob. Armando Iannucci - OJ Simpson on the Saturday Night Armistice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKfEtYYqSl4 The Armando Iannucci Shows - Hello Hugh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqmjWCk36C8 The Armando Iannucci Shows - Chronic fatigue syndrome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDhoM_vhIeo Death of Stalin - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9eAshaPvYw Death of Stalin - Rupert Friend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN-mq2RPAto Death of Stalin - Best of Zhukov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNbvepjd46A Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get on your dancing shoes and join Guy and Rob (because it only takes two to tango) for 2014’s Cuban Fury. Something of a passion project for Nick Frost, who basically wanted to learn how to dance and probably wanted to be the main character in a wish-fulfillment Rom Com. There’s some transatlantic crossover here as Rashida Jones of The Office, Parks and Rec, and being the daughter of famous people, joined the mainly British and Irish cast. We’ve covered Nick Frost before, of course, but never as a leading man, and while he teamed up with Nira Park and Big Talk once again, there was no trace of Edgar Wright here, but just the tiniest bit of Simon Pegg. To pair a TV show with this, it made sense to pick the first time Frost had a lead role in a sitcom as well, the divisive Hyperdrive. Starting in 2006 and running for two series, this was Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley’s (them again) venture into the unknown, for a space set sci-fi sitcom with just a few echoes of the two big hitters that came before it. To find out if Rob and Guy liked either Hyperdrive or Cuban Fury, you’ll need to tune in for episode seven, which, in a series laden with guests, stands out as one for the purists. Can Rob claw back the quiz deficit? Will Guy mention The Beatles? Will we have a challenger for the upper or lower places in the league table? Only one way to know for sure! Hyperdrive Series 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz-1c2o1Dxw&list=PL2907664D333F4F02 Hyperdrive - Starting Therapy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNbKr4cm1-8 Cuban Fury - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFSP9iO71AE Cuban Fury - Kayvan Novak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrllJthntlE Cuban Fury - Al Pacino Impression https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVaVICJF_gQ Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Seven began life as a thread on Bluesky by our guest Tim Worthington. The font of all obscure pop culture knowledge was discussing with followers what the most obscure BritCom they'd seen at the cinema was. Needless to say, a lot of the answers were on our long list, but not Tim's choice. The Young Poisoner's Handbook is the darkest of all the dark comedies we've covered so far. Based on, but the filmmakers must stress, not a biopic of The Teacup Poisoner Graham Young, who killed several people in the 60s and 70s. A film full of familiar Britcom faces, including Roger Lloyd Pack, Charlotte Coleman, John Thompson, and Simon Kunz. Still, it's the central performance from Irish actor Hugh O'Connor that really stole the show. Co-writer Jeff Rawle was at the height of his Drop the Dead Donkey fame when this film was released in 1995, so the topical newsroom sitcom by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin was the obvious choice for our "source material" and was a joy to revisit. Join Rob, Guy, and Tim for the Young Poisoner's Handbook. Damien Gets High On The Field - Drop The Dead Donkey https://youtu.be/JfeQyp0PihM?si=t0cIRk2zFHKVfNZq Teddy Bear Disaster - Drop The Dead Donkey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip0sLEMCEdY How To Announce a War - Drop The Dead Donkey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErktQhN6TvM Episode One - Educating Marmalade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGeHsjfVptk Marmalade Atkins joins MI5 - Danger: Marmalade at Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHBCxewUANM The Young Poisoner's Handbook - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7_e79Ik3Vs The Young Poisoner's Handbook - Full Movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ndiGKuUkt0&t=1012s Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time Kat Hughes joined Rob and Guy, the horror writer and critic had the misfortune of dissecting the Christmas family mess Nativity! This time she’s much more in her wheelhouse as we discuss Bloodbath at the House of Death. A vehicle for Britain’s best loved DJ Kenny Everett to take his brand of spoofing, innuendo and larger than life characters to the big screen after the success on both ITV and BBC with his Video Show/Television Show. It cannot be underestimated just what a huge cultural phenomenon Kenny Everett was. As one of Britain’s most popular Radio and TV personalities in the early 80s, he could make careers of pop stars and bands and was able to attract some of the biggest names to guest on his TV shows. However, just when it looked like Kenny might hit the big time on the big screen, a controversial incident at the Young Conservatives conference of 1984 was publicity suicide for Bloodbath and it crashed and burned at the box office. However, as was often the case in the mid-80s, VHS came somewhat to its rescue, and now the film is even on Netflix…but was it any good? Could a supporting cast of such huge BritCom names as Pamela Stephenson, Don Warrington and John Fortune elevate this film beyond Everett’s more disposable TV sketches? Could Vincent Price give it some Hollywood clout and horror credibility? Writer Barry Cryer and writer director Ray Cameron had been working with Everett for years, but the big screen was fairly new to them as well. We discuss all of the above and more in episode six, so join us as we take a trip to The House of Death. Kenny Everett Video Show - Best of VHS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HeX1CPQf9k Kenny Everett Television Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecqQBG9q3Ok Charley Says Always Tell Your Mummy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDu7yYHxZr0 The Prodigy - Charly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSTBFZ-To2E Pamela Stephenson - England My Leotard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMXIro1P_7g Pamela Stephenson - Shrink Wrap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZodTyEoFRZQ Bloodbath at the House of Death - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6zmvE-uEu0 Bloodbath at the House of Death - Best of Vincent Price https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyLWS_CjI1M Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now that’s enough of the 1970s, let’s move this series into the 20th century. Well, actually, our story for this icon of BritCom begins at the end of the 20th. Harry Hill won the Perrier award in 1992 and was quickly on TV and radio soon after. Rob and Guy take a particular look at The Harry Hill Show…or rather just Harry Hill as it was known on Channel 4 in the late 90s. To join the chaps is Harry Hill superfan, internet sensation, and comedy writer Ruth Husko. As it turns out, both Ruth and Rob saw an early Harry Hill tour as their first forays into live comedy. Guy, however, still needed some convincing of the wonder of Hill’s own brand of surreal silliness. Could he be won over? Well, the chances are that would not be done by watching the universally panned Harry Hill Movie from 2013. Held up as one of the cases that most proves the rule that big-screen adaptations of small-screen comedy don’t work, but is it really that bad? There’s only one way to find out…FIIIIFGHTT! Or just have a listen to the latest episode of BritCom Goes to the Movies. Harry Hill - Fruit Fancies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlIGkKUxWak Harry Hill - Fruit Corner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOkh8ffqko Harry Hill - Channel 4 - SE1 Ep1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUS_EPSNNtY&list=PLVEP6KjsyeTd9sScdD-KH4ZTvvWuW17V5 Harry Hill and Stoofer - 7 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeW61GTxe-Q TV Burp - Ear Cataracts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswiFD8qSgI Harry Hill Movie - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywarD9fcZGQ Harry Hill Movie - Blackpool https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg1AxAHJBJg Shooting Stars - Billy Elliott https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN-ASY9X1dU Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re on a roll with the 70s sitcom spin-offs. Hot on the heels of George and Mildred and Mutiny On The Buses comes 1971’s Please Sir! This is, in no small part, down to our guest this week, Jason Hazeley, being the world’s loudest cheerleader for this film and its preceding sitcom. We didn’t even need to show him the list; he was straight in there for a personal favourite since his youth. But never two to hold back, would Rob and Guy’s thoughts on Please Sir! align with Jason’s? Certainly, the ingredients were there for that not to be the case. Some dated attitudes, men and women in their 20s playing teenagers, a rushed release capitalising on the success of its TV predecessor, and our old favourite, a flimsy pretext to get the cast to a holiday camp. Having said that, both Rob and Guy come to this fresh. Neither had ever seen as much as an episode of this once-beloved sitcom, but both were aware of the all-round entertainment chops of the cast. Not least Deryck Guyler, in whose washboarding hands anyone could feel at ease. Join us as we delve into one of the last ITV sitcom spin-offs left to cover, which could well prove the best of the lot. Please Sir! SE1 Ep1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8PVA-TDeYw Deryck Guyler on the Washboard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWKHTcC-I8k&list=RDGWKHTcC-I8k&start_radio=1 Derrick Geyler Scotch Tape Ads https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL3mpzAvHFA Michael Winner Esure Ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efl5pFTFnBU Victor Lewis Smith pranks Michael Winner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTGc1PKVrH0 Please Sir! (1971) Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhhiqg0aKOM Please Sir! Full Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa0CL4bhlH8 Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After some time away, we’re ready to dip back into the On The Busesverse. Our resident expert in all things Butler and Blakey, John Rain, returns to discuss the Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy. It’s time for Mutiny on the Buses. A mere year after the first film and backed by a (slightly) bigger budget, none of which the actors saw, the Ronalds, Chesney, and Wolf had forged a screenplay with much more of a semblance of a plot and some new characters to boot. There’s all the usual fun (at Blakey’s expense mainly) as well as naked protest, Arthur joining the depot, a huge fire extinguisher leak, and fun and frolics in Windsor Safari Park in which Reg Varney shits himself with a chimp on his lap. Great to welcome back John Rain and his unique brand of analysis and even tee up the promise of Holiday on the Buses to come…but one instalment at a time, eh? Morris Bright’s Elstree On The Buses Documentary https://youtu.be/luKxuhVxNGQ?si=pZduxvq7pY1CLk5c Mutiny on the Buses Filming Locations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9dv6flrmW4 Mutiny on the Buses Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LQbflW--q4 Mutiny on the Buses - Radio Control https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECzCL97E28w Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time to get our teeth into another straight spin-off. It’s a significant one at that. The final of the ITC/EMI/Hammer spin-offs of ITV sitcoms, which many credit as the death of the genre altogether. That’s right, it is the 1980 big-screen adaptation of the long-running sitcom that in itself was a spin-off. George and Mildred. Long-time listeners will know that in the first series, Rob and Guy were pleasantly surprised by Man About the House...if not the movie, the sitcom itself. So there’s every chance that George and Mildred could follow suit. As we always end up repeating, this show is all about expectations, which would obviously be on the floor with the reputation this film has preceding it. So things could only look up, right?….RIGHT?! Joining us to find out is comedian Alison Dennison, so committed to the G&M cause she’d already watched every episode ever made in preparation. With attention to detail like this, episode two of series six would prove to be one of the best we’d ever made. A tale of comedy and tragedy, life and death, both metaphorical and literal. Join us for George and Mildred! George and Mildred Opening theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ygWHpvoFE Best of George Roper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2YQtqXTktY George and Mildred Last Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE-3utPaAdU George and Mildred Movie in Full https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAaNz1DW1DY Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No sooner are we gone than we’re back with a brand-new series. In series six, we’ll pass 60 films viewed and reviewed for a project that still has plenty of legs in it yet! But we begin this brand new series by embracing the familiar. Tom Salinsky returns to BritCom Goes to the Movies for the first time since episode six, and not only does he join for a film all three of us have seen before, all three of us love it! The film in question is the 1955 classic Ealing comedy, The Ladykillers, a real contender for the top ten of our table and beyond. But how will we link this to the small screen, I hear you ask? The answer is…we won’t. We’re going down the Sellers route. As this was one of Peter Sellers’ earliest big-screen appearances, we’ve decided to match it with one of his earliest radio appearances and the rather forgotten, if not prolific, Ray’s A Laugh from the 1950s BBC radio. Ray’s A Laugh was exactly the kind of broadcast variety/comedy that Sellers and co would go on to blow out of the water with the pioneering Goon Show. While a fair few episodes still exist on BBC Sounds and YouTube, you can hear the star quality of Sellers rising above what was already a pretty tired format in the early 1950s. Then, of course, the film itself. Widely considered not just the best Ealing Comedy (and the three of us will offer some of our other favourites) but also one of the greatest British comedy films of all time. A heist/farce with some career-best performances, not least from Alec Guinness, Katie Johnson, and many of the supporting cast. But how will it hold up against the top echelons of the BritCom Goes to the Movies league? Tom has already had one table-topper with The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer, but could he have another? Tune in and find out. Ray’s a Laugh - 1954 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBQ7YrPNx9A Ray’s a Laugh - 1949 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s77ZhWxf9JU The Ladykillers - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDVMD8dktKI The Ladykillers - Such Pretty Windows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuIvga5t_Hc Alec Guinness as George Smiley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCm3IrscqH8 Tom Salinsky - All British Comedy Explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kFktzEvNuI&list=PLmJSdGQRAwRyQjtWhrtFtDpOLo6iaRmpX Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy St David’s Day! To mark the occasion here at Britcom Goes to the Movies, we are celebrating one of Wales’ most beloved comedy sons, Rob Brydon, and…actually, it is just a ham-fisted way of doing a round table episode on Cruise of the Gods! This TV film was written by Tim Firth (remember him from our Blackball episode?) and contained not only some Britcom heavyweights of the time, but also ground zero for the careers of some of the most controversial Britcommers of the 21st century, including Russell Brand, David Walliams, and James Corden. Despite all that, its stars Brydon and Steve Coogan, along with its premise of forgotten 80s kids sci-fi being celebrated by nerds on a cruise, made it a firm favourite for Rob and Guy, and they welcomed back returning guests Steve Dunne and Stuart Laws, neither of whom had seen the film before. So how would this have aged, and would our guests immediately be regretting their decision? Only one way to find out. Join us in Leicester, 1982… Cruise of the Gods - Full Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uPsHGPKnWk Children of Castor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPOMIHJHPks Sherlock Holmes in Miami https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj8A3OEicBg Human Remains - Swingers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVAqWMGyqH0 Marion and Geoff - Student House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5V60QG0mJ0 You’re a Star - New Faces theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMfzr2Bufkk Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here at BritCom Goes to the Movies, we love each and every one of our listeners. That is why we’re giving you this Valentine’s present. Rob & Guy discuss their favourite British sketches of all time. To make sure there were no clashes, notes were compared before, duplicates removed, and of course, the arbitrary rule of no more than one sketch from one show per host. These two top-ten lists have a little something for everyone. A good mixture of styles, eras, tones, and formats. So settle in for nearly two hours of discussion of some of the greatest sketches in the history of British comedy! Of course, there are some obvious omissions, and some of you may want to take to the socials to share your favourites or give us grief for ours. Both are encouraged! You can find links to every sketch discussed below, but of course, these are in no particular order to avoid spoilers. Bit of a Chat - Peter Cook & Dudley Moore https://videopress.com/v/IBVjIA8I ⁠ Dirty Fork - Monty Python https://youtu.be/Z9VLwV48OHs?si=rYfeDwrAXXrrzwkc Jackson Jeffrey Jackson - The Fast Show https://youtu.be/LwbJ-N8rrek?si=U0qdYsRvlkKwOF4r Tory Conference - Not The Nine O’clock News https://youtu.be/qB0ZOu_EZ2M?si=lpBupRZ8w36a7Gsb Billie Piper - Big Train https://youtu.be/4_3oU-Z4Vxo?si=Hva6PalUR40g82-h Yoker - Limmy https://youtu.be/0YfRbNipdOg?si=ON_QecbOTrcnKXgs Wedding Registry - Smack The Pony https://www.facebook.com/Channel4Homes/videos/1101703119964373/?vh=e&fs=e&mibextid=wwXIfr Credit Card Application - Armstrong & Miller https://youtu.be/loaP46f8Lhw?si=7YILcGPHTANVCHxu Vape Doms - Ellie & Natasia https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0c9983q/ellie-natasia-series-1-episode-4 Balham Gateway to the South - Peter Sellers https://youtu.be/8RTWk9QIKS0?si=ABCE1fZbTsR3QgxG French and Saunders - Silence of the Lambs. https://share.google/xvd7XeKyrdR2O0d2R The Two Ninnies - not the 9 o clock news https://youtu.be/IbC3Fdv5wKU?si=MPY4UulwEDyfBvZs Adam and Joe - People Place https://youtu.be/s1myCos0xXI?si=Ge42ZkfXXHrTY-Xb Goodness Gracious Me - Going for an English https://youtu.be/H-uEx_hEXAM?si=wG8IWxZzjWSL0KhG Brass Eye - Oh Me Oh Myra https://youtu.be/wVibsNPXBx0?si=ySFCFVmy2LiMBtf_ Alistair Green - Punk Squirrel IPA https://youtu.be/-wP3BjTdogY?si=G_jh4OGM7Up8OMDe The Peter serafinowicz show - Brian Butterfield diet plan https://youtu.be/1NjTWvl8x-U?si=TSC31Jkk3JLvyFyK Vic and Bob - BBC licence advert https://youtu.be/xhPVP8cghN4?si=hasgqfSIRU8Gzy8V Two Ronnies - Mastermind https://youtu.be/y0C59pI_ypQ?si=7krxJroa1tFKxi4X Fast Show - Monkfish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_ohQ7yP0-I&list=PLu_1AWOleoaWWstu62EEnWzDGhOwo1GtD Part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: https://filmstories.co.uk/film-stories-podcast-network-shows/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.