TV Series of the Month – Bottom

This month’s TV series: Bottom (1991-1995)

The British comedy series is about best friends Edward and Richard (Eddie and Richie) who share a flat together, living off the government and doing nothing with their time. These episodes showcase their hijinks.

The series is created by its stars Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall (who star in and write all eighteen episodes), Ed Bye produces the show.

Bottom is the third series with Edmondson and Mayall. The first is the brilliant The Young Ones (Christopher Ryan from that show also shows up in a few episodes of Bottom) and the second Filthy Rich & Catflap (which I have only seen the pilot of, as it is included on The Young Ones’ DVD set). Bottom lasted three seasons before Edmondson and Mayall took the characters to the stage performing live shows. While The Young Ones is probably the best of the three series, Bottom is also incredibly funny and is a must-see for fans of that show.

Trailer: Here (well, really, the first episode)

Available on: DVD and Video On-Demand

TV Series of the Month – The Young Ones

This month’s TV series is The Young Ones (1982, 1984).

The British comedy is about four college students who live together – a punk, a hippie, an anarchist, and a gigolo. It was created by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer, with additional writing from Alexei Sayle. The cast is a brilliant mix of comedians, coming from performing at the Comedy Store (now The Comedy Strip) in London. It stars Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall (who were college friends and perform together as 20^th Century Coyote), Nigel Planer, Christopher Ryan, and Alexei Sayle. The series also features cameos from Robbie Coltrane, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, and Emma Thompson. While being one of the funniest shows of all-time, The Young Ones has had a huge influence on the British sitcom. Even though it is about four male students living together, it still manages to create the family dynamic with the father, mother and two children. The show also features musical guests including Motorhead, Madness, The Damned, and more. It is a must-see for fans of comedy series, especially British comedy. It is probably my favorite comedy series. Check out the trailer.

Available on DVD and Streaming