The Young Ones
The Young Ones crystallized the explosion in Alternative Comedy that had been brewing in clubs and on radio and the fringes of television. Set in a studenty flat and starring Rik Mayall as Rick, Adrian Edmondson as Vyvyan, Nigel Planer as Neil, Christopher Ryan as Mike, the show appeared to disregard structural conventions and its energy - and the fact that it was profoundly funny - breathed life into the sitcom format. It also played with the fourth wall concept by having a band play in the house each week, notable visitors including Madness and Dexy's Midnight Runners.
It was produced by Paul Jackson and directed (apart from two episodes) by Geoff Posner.
The Young Ones
Series 1
Show 1
"Demolition"
First Tx. 09/11/1982, BBC2 21.00-21.30
Fascist oiks at the Town Hall want to demolish the house. Why bother with Vyv around to do the business for them
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan Basterd | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil Pye | Nigel Planer |
Mike The Cool Person | Christopher Ryan |
and | |
Jerzy Balowski / Balowski Family | Alexei Sayle |
Additional cast | |
Pilot | Paul Bradley |
Co-pilot | Andy De La Tour |
TV Presenter | Ben Elton |
Bus Passenger | Pauline Melville |
and featuring | Nine Below Zero |
Show 2
"Oil"
First Tx. 16/11/1982, BBC2 21.00-21.30
As Rik, Vyv, Neil and Mike move into their new house, the talking statue at the front door begins an odyssey of zaniness that is to culminate in a worker's revolution and a fully-fledged benefit concert in the front room.
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
Additional cast | |
Doorman | Robbie Coltrane |
and featuring | Radical Posture |
(including) | Alexei Sayle |
Show 3
"Boring"
First Tx. 23/11/1982, BBC2 21.00-21.30
A terrorist siege in their own house; a visitation from hell; a fairytale world that flourishes while they are asleep - what more entertainment could four students possibly want? Yet they are so B-O-R-E-D that Neil is driven to dig himself a grave and Vyv chops his finger off
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
Additional cast | |
1st Policeman | Mark Arden |
2nd Policeman | Steve Frost |
Orgo | Roger Ashton-Griffiths |
Ftumch | David Rappaport |
Vyvyan’s Mother | Pauline Melville |
and featuring | Madness |
Show 4
"Bomb"
First Tx. 30/11/1982, BBC2 21.00-21.30
A potentially explosive situation erupts when a bomb falls on the house. But worse! The TV licence man calls...
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
Additional cast | |
Cornflakes Box dad | Mark Arden |
and featuring | Dexy’s Midnight Runners |
Show 5
"Interesting"
First Tx. 7/12/1982, BBC2 21.00-21.30
It's party time! Where else could you mingle with the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, a giant sandwich and a singing tomato? Pretty amazing stuff, eh? Just ignore Neil's boring hippy friend chilling out in the fridge...
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
Additional cast | |
Pestilence | Keith Allen |
Lecturer | Nicholas Ball |
Warlock | Paul Bradley |
Religious Visitor | Dawn French |
Sue the Party Guest | Jennifer Saunders |
2nd Gatecrasher | Steve Frost |
and featuring | Rip, Rig and Panic |
with | Neneh Cherry |
Show 6
"Flood"
First Tx. 14/12/1982, BBC2 21.00-21.30
While London floods Rik tries to elevate proceedings with a game of hide-and-seek. Meanwhile his sociology file is set on fire by Vyv, Mike's room is occupied by a pride of lions, and landlord Alexei Sayle turns into an axe-wielding homicidal maniac.
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
Additional cast | |
1st Police Victim | Mark Arden |
2nd Police Victim | Steve Frost |
Criminal | Arnold Brown |
Blind DJ | Ben Elton |
1st Medieval Guard | Gareth Hale |
2nd Medieval Guard | Norman Pace |
Shirley | David Rappaport |
Landlord | Alexei Sayle |
Written by | Rik Mayall |
Ben Elton | |
Lise Mayer | |
Directed by | Geoff Posner |
produced by | Paul Jackson |
Series 2
Show 1
"Bambi"
First Tx. 08/05/1984, BBC2 21.00-21.30
Who produced the world's stickiest bogey and the world's stupidest bottom-burp? Who's smashing the oiks on University Challenge and who's swotting away for teacher like a total spasmo?
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
Additional cast | |
Dr. Carlisle | Robbie Coltrane |
Mr. Kendall Mintcake | Ben Elton |
Lord Snot | Stephen Fry |
Lord Monty | Hugh Laurie |
Miss Money-Sterling | Emma Thompson |
Dr Not The Nine O’Clock News | Tony Robinson |
Commissionaire | Mel Smith |
Bambi | Griff Rhys Jones |
and featuring | Motörhead |
Show 2
"Cash"
First Tx. 15/05/1984, BBC2 21.00-21.30
Hey man! It's really weird! Strange things keep happening. Like plates disappearing and the tables keep, well, shrinking. Looks like there's a poltergeist in the house...
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
Additional cast | |
1st Headless Ghost | Mark Arden |
2nd Headless Ghost | Steve Frost |
Warlock | Paul Bradley |
Road Safety Announcer | Andy De La Tour |
God | Alan Freeman |
and featuring | |
Ken Bishop’s Nice Twelve | Jools Holland |
Stewart Copeland | |
Derek Griffiths | |
Chris Difford | |
Simon Brint | |
Roland Rivron |
Show 3
"Nasty"
First Tx. 29/05/1984, BBC2 21.00-21.30
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, Vyv is now a video head and Neil's wearing a dress because some really selfish negative vibe merchant boarded up his bedroom. Only pop music can save them now.
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
Additional cast | |
1st Spy | Mark Arden |
2nd Spy | Steve Frost |
Painkiller Advert Woman | Helen Atkinson-Wood |
Painkiller Advert Devil | Dawn French |
Ship’s Captain | Chris Barrie |
Chess Player | Arnold Brown |
Wall-Poster Convict | Ron Cook |
Wall-Poster Convict | Andy De La Tour |
1st Gravedigger | Gareth Hale |
2nd Gravedigger | Norman Pace |
Stabbed Man | Daniel Peacock |
Vicar | Terry Jones |
and featuring | The Damned |
Show 4
"Sick"
First Tx. 05/05/1984, BBC2 21.00-21.30
There's bogeys on the blankets and snot on the sheets when Neil and the others come down with the worst colds in the history of civilisation!
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
1st Manure Deliverer | Mark Arden |
2nd Manure Deliverer | Steve Frost |
Campaigning Schoolboy | Ben Elton |
Vyvyan’s Mother | Pauline Melville |
and featuring | Madness |
Show 5
"Time"
First Tx. 12/06/1984, BBC2 21.00-21.30
Vyv's being violently and copiously sick because Rick's like scored with a chick and the whole house has like gone through some kind of time warp
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
DJs Servant | Gary Beadle |
Pirate DJ | Robbie Coltrane |
Easter Bunny | Dawn French |
Helen Mucus | Jennifer Saunders |
1st Yokel | Gareth Hale |
2nd Yokel | Norman Pace |
3rd Yokel | Paul Merton |
Gwendolyn | Helen Lederer |
and featuring | Amazulu |
Show 6
"Summer Holiday"
First Tx. 19/06/1984, BBC2 21.00-21.30
Hey, everybody! School's out! Hurray! Hurray! Except, like there's nothing to do, man, apart from getting on a big red bus and having a really explosive trip. It should be pretty good fun, actually.
Starring | |
Rick | Rik Mayall |
Vyvyan | Adrian Edmondson |
Neil | Nigel Planer |
Mike | Christopher Ryan |
Additional cast | |
Lager Advert drinker | Ben Elton |
Bank Manager | Steve Frost |
God | Alan Freeman |
Postman | Lenny Henry |
Punk in Bank | Jools Holland |
Bank Teller | Helen Lederer |
Penny Arcade Owner | Norman Lovett |
and featuring | John Otway |
Also appearing in series | |
Jim Barclay | |
Peter Laxton | |
Michael Redfern | |
Peter Greene | |
Lise Mayer | |
Kilian McKenna | |
Roger Sloman | |
Maggie Steed | |
Peter Wear | |
Patrick Newell | |
Cindy Shelley | |
Lee Cornes | |
Brian Croucher | |
Written by | Ben Elton |
Rik Mayall | |
Lise Mayer | |
with additional material by | Alexei Sayle |
Original Music | |
Directed by | Geoff Posner |
Produced by | Paul Jackson |
The Young Ones
The Young Ones has a massive internet footprint. You can read more about The Young Ones on the BBC website here
You can buy the DVD of series 1 here and indeed, you can find series 2 here
Both have just been released in a new DVD which you can find by clicking here
And, yep, there's even the book, "Bachelor Boys". Which is extremely funny... you could buy it here