Reviews! Reviews! Come' Get Your Reviews!

Or maybe not….as the case may be.

So me’ dears…I have watched these new comedy ‘remakes’ and ‘revivals….and wow…just wow. That’s not in a good way by the way….consider my flabber well and truly gasted…

I wasn’t even going to bother with any of it to be honest, there’s enough awkwardness and painful situations in my life as it is…without witnessing more for the sake of ‘entertainment.’
Then a friend kindly stated… ‘Weren’t you going to review them for your blog though?’ and then the train of realization hit me square in the metaphorical bollocks! Yes, I did…and as a true comedy connoisseur, I couldn’t not, as mentioned in my last blog, one of my many annoying personality traits is that even though I know something is going to be bad, I still have to follow it through and witness it for myself (story of my life, really.)

And I have followed it through, to the bitter, hanging, sore, groin grenching end…

And here…ladies and gentlemen…are the results…

(**NOTE** May contain many, many expletives…
**NOTE NOTE (A SERIOUS ONE…FOR A CHANGE) – I have been receiving a lot of messages and emails from people who were eagerly awaiting my thoughts and opinions of these revivals and that has actually taken me back a bit, that people actually care about my opinion (that’s about as rare as a nun in a brothel as it is) so, thank you…it shows that my views on comedy are appreciated and valued and all that time I’ve wasted, errr, I mean ‘spent’ watching, over analysing, over thinking and studying comedy, as well as for my performance degree, hasn’t all been a complete cacking waste of time, so thanks a lot ol’ beans. You’re all good un’s. :)

I shall start with the sheer bottom of the barrel and claw my way upwards…literally…

- Are You Being Served?

A load of shite? Yes, I’m afraid I am…on a platter!
This was by far the worst of the bunch! I don’t actually know how I made it through to the end to be honest, by biting on a wooden spoon and hoping death would come quickly mainly…okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration but it wasn’t far off.
It was just bad, I know that’s not a technical term or fancy or anything, but it was, it was just awful. It was so overdone it was fecking burned!
The innuendos were too childish, obvious and over used, to the point where it got awkward and too crude. The innuendos were too over the top and crude in themselves, so to over use them as well, was just a bad, bad idea.
The cast, despite most of them being very good and established actors, were just fish out of water. It felt like they were in a bad sketch show taking the piss most of the time, to be truly honest, they were so hammed up, the jewish would have run a mile! It was just painful to watch. Sherrie Hewson’s facial expressions made her look like a severe constipation patient suffering from a stroke…rather than Mollie Sudgen’s natural trademark looks and expressions.
But the award for the most cringeworthy, digging the nails into the eyeballs acting goes to the horrendous ‘Miss Brahms’ (Niky Wardley), who was just unwatchable. Her high pitched whines were enough to send you around the twist and stick hot coals in your ears! Again, it just felt like really bad sketch show acting.
& As for Jason Watkins as Mr Humphries, if he’d have gone any camper, he’d have turned into a pink van…!! It wasn’t natural, it didn't look right and it was actually a bit offensive to be honest, John Inman was a natural…this my friends, was far, far from natural, it was shite.
The only two saving graces (I'd make a pun there but I'm too disgusted) were Matthew Horne as the new Mr Grace, whose take on the 80’s business yuppie trying to bring Grace Bros into the present day was believable & funny.... and a long with the new arrival of Mr Conway, who again, was funny, natural and believable as a new starter; they were the two sane sandwiches in a very nutty, cringe worthy pinic basket. They should be proud of themselves for being the only watchable members of the cast.

ARE YOU BEING SERVED? I'D REALLY RATHER YOU DIDN'T.

 

-        -  Till’ Death Us Do Part

My god, death would have been a release to get away from this. This is only a slight notch up from the shite that was ‘Are You Being Served?’ and I mean, only a fecking slight notch!
The set was okay, Simon Day was trying his best, despite being a very wrong choice for the role in my opinion, you could tell he was nervous and very, very wooden. At one point I forgot what I was watching and thought I was viewing him in a very bad, unfunny Fast Show sketch, which would have been more forgivable than this pile of trash.
The script was okay, typical Alf Garnett stuff, but now with less racism for obvious ‘PC’ reasons… and instead we were objected to random, boring, dated filler ramblings about bloody fish and chips, which painfully tried to fill an half hour slot and fell flat on it’s miserable, slow paced, unfunny arse!
The rest of the ‘actors’ were appalling, the originally bubbly, at least a tiny bit interesting characters of Rita and Mike where absolutely mind bogglingly boring and wooden and sounded like they'd only learned their lines the night before...and two bricks would have exuded more character, energy and wit…you know, don’t be honoured that you’ve been given the opportunity to play two classic characters from a much loved sitcom, no, just sit there and rhyme your lines off like you can’t be arsed and sit there thinking about your  pay cheque instead! The actress playing Elsie looked and seemed promising at first, but then it was like she got bored half way through and stopped trying…which again, just isn’t acceptable when you’ve got the chance and the role of a lifetime! The script was fine; the acting was appalling, simple as that.

Till’ Death Us Do Part? Let’s f**king hope death comes quickly then.

- Young Hyacinth

I’m very mixed on this, but it’s not something I wish to witness again if I’m truly honest.
‘Keeping Up Appearances’ is something very dear to my little comedy geek heart and it was the staple of my childhood, me and my sister were huge fans and it was just brilliantly done in my opinion, yes, it can seem dated and corny now, but still stands as one of the best sitcoms of all time, with outstanding comic acting from the original cast.
This, I’m afraid, was just not up to the par it could have been. All the characters from the original show were extreme, so I was afraid it might be another case of ‘hammer time’ acting again, but to be honest, it was under done rather than overdone.
It was like it had been turned into some boring, Sunday night 'Heartbeat-esque' drama. I think Roy Clarke couldn’t be arsed writing anything new and this was a script he had stuck in a drawer somewhere about something completely different and decided to throw that at the BBC and tell them it was about Hyacinth and her sisters instead, because it genuinely felt that way to me.
However, I did think that Kerry Howard (Hyacinth) was really good; I totally believed she was Hyacinth, her voice and her mannerisms were amazing at times, she really gave it her all, it did get a bit forced and grating at some points, but for the most part, I thought she was really good. Patricia Routledge is a wonderful, bonkers, eccentric woman and it would be extremely hard to try and match that if you weren't as equally bonkers, but she did a great job none the less.
& Despite Mark Addy not even slightly resembling a young ‘Daddy’, I still believed him to be so.
However, as for the others, again, it was like they couldn’t be bothered and probably hadn’t even seen an episode of Keeping Up Appearances in their life.
& I'm sorry, but no way in god’s green earth, was that Daisy! No freakin' way!!! I didn’t believe any of them. Daisy was far from the cute, funny, fun loving, passionate, silly woman she was in the original show. She was as flat as a pancake…and obviously, the writer thought throwing in a shot of her whacking a TV would somehow make it more believable (of course! *huge eye rolls*)
She was completely re-written, which again, re-enforces my belief that Roy Clarke threw a completely different script in and called it Hyacinth.  Rose had gone from the sad, desperate (yet funny and endearing) love chasing femme fetale she was, to a boring, unlikable, personality devoid whore.

So, despite a stellar performance from the leading lady and a surprisingly believable regenerated ‘Daddy’…the rest of the ‘actors’ again, severely let them down and looked like they just didn’t want to be there, which again, is just offensive and damn right shite. To be given that wonderful opportunity and not even to be seemingly trying to do it justice, is just not acceptable.
Roy Clarke also needs to take some of the blame, most of the blame actually... as the script and characters were terrible; he shot his own golden foot and he deserves any harsh criticism he gets for it. There was so much he could have done with those wonderful characters he originally created, he had the chance of creating a wonderful origin story for them…a chance that not many writers get and completely blew it.
Let’s hope Young Hyacinth stays where she belongs, in the past…well away from the original series.

- Goodnight Sweetheart

This is where it gets much better for me (thankfully, some sweet relief.) I was a fan and an avid watcher of the original series and I thought this just carried on where it left off completely effortlessly, it was like it had never been off our screens! It was a nostalgia fest for me and I loved it, to be honest. I have a soft spot for Nicholas Lynhurst anyway, just because I always see him as Rodney Trotter, so that helps :)
The actors all seemingly slotted right back into their original roles with ease and it was very enjoyable to catch up with all the old characters and see what had become of them. This series was always very far-fetched and corny anyway, but it was just a bit of fun, what you see is always what you get with this and it was the same for the revival. This is all fair and good. The cards were on the table before it even started and in some ways, I think that’s what made it successful.
Some things did not sit right with me however, the opening titles have gone all emo on us and I didn’t like it at all, nearly made me turn off before it had even started…& they could have made more of the fact that he’d come into a completely different world than the one he left behind in 1999, so much has changed in that time and I think more could have been done with that concept, rather than just having him looking so confused and bamboozled at it all at first and then seemingly being adjusted and alright with it all after just 20 minutes (but I realise that time retraints of an half an hour slot may have had a lot to do with that) & also, his daughter was a terrible character, with an equally terrible actress playing her. Do we really need another posh 'mummy and daddy won't give me what I want so I'm going to be a brat' character on TV? I've never found that to be a funny or likable scenerio for a character.
But, overall, it was an enjoyable half hour and I was glad to see it back and on good form
I’m actually hoping for more!
Sweet Dreams from Goodnight Sweetheart. Thumbs up!  :)

- Porridge

This, my friends, was a huge saving grace for me. It was like an ice cube on a burned arse.
It was funny, well-acted, true to the original and very enjoyable.  Kevin Bishop did a wonderful job as ‘Fletch’ – he was energetic, likable, endearing and threw in lots of nods to the wonderful Ronnie B, with his facial expressions and mannerisms. His cheeky, cocky wit was a joy to watch and his supporting cast were just as good. They were fully believable and watchable, despite being in a farcicle situation (take note 'Are You Being Served?' *ahem*) and actually looked like they were enjoying themselves and relishing the opportunity they had been given….(*AHEM* take note Till Death Do Us Part and Young Hyacinth.) Which, in contrast to all the others, was just a very refreshing light in a great big tunnel of shite.
& Officer Meekie, was a brilliant hats off to Fulton Mackay’s original, fearsome Mr Mackay.
You could tell the cast had done their homework and were enjoying every minute of bringing this wonderful sitcom back to life. Yes, it was a bit flat in places and it lacked some of the warmth that the original series had, but to be honest, that is going to be a given when you’re re-creating such a loved, classic sitcom which featured such legendary comic actors, but, for the most part, it was a wonderful, respectful and worthy tribute. The script was also on top form from the original writers and I think they did a great job of bringing it into the present day, which couldn’t have been an easy task, especially along with writing for a complete new set of actors... *AHEM AHEM* I'm looking at you Roy Clarke!!
I, for one, would be excited to see where they could take this, if it were given a full series. I think there's lots of potential here and it would wholeheartedly deserve it the chance.
So, in short, Porridge was surprisingly very palatable…and edible…with far less lumps than the rest… & it didn't make me choke half as much as Are You Being Served?...then again, I doubt much would...thumbs up guys, thumbs up! :)

and there you have it (finally)… I think I’ve said all I can stomach (and be bothered) to say…not all bad, granted, but not all good either. A very nutty mixed bag of lazy, slightly infuriating BBC scheduling.

However, we still have Hancock’s Half Hour and Steptoe and Son to go….but I may have fled the country by then…we shall see. Stay tuned…if you can handle it. :)

Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below, if the mood takes you :)
Laters! :)

If The Laughter Ain’t Broke, Please Don’t Fix it!

I’m back again! Two entries so close together (oooerr), with my comedy babbles, I’m really spoiling you…or torturing, depends on your angle.

I feel I should take a bit more of a serious tone with this ere’ bloooog entry, because it’s something that’s really nutted me off!

Can I just say….?

ALL THESE BLOODY REMAKES!!!!!

Classic comedies, ‘Are You Being Served?’, ‘Keeping Up Appearances’, ‘Till Death Us Do Part’, ‘Porridge’, ‘Steptoe and Son’…and that’s just to name a few, don’t tamper with the classics or anything? Dear god.

I mean, what exactly are they trying to achieve? This is just opinion, but to me, it’s just a lazy attempt at filling up their autumn schedule and passing it off as ‘tribute’ or ‘nostalgia’, well,  it ain’t, it’s just plain lazy!!

These comedies are so well loved and are ‘classics’ for a reason, you can’t just throw a bunch of new actors together and expect it to work! A lot of them are ‘of their time’ and the jokes simply just wouldn’t work now, especially without the original talent to go with it. I am expecting major ‘cringe value’ and not much else.

And to prove my point entirely…The only reason ‘Allo’ Allo’’ has escaped this tragedy is because they are scared that the Nazi officers are going to ‘offend’ people…jesus Christ on a bike with bells on, honestly! That just takes the biscuits with raisins on top!!! Classics like that wouldn’t get past the first stage of production now, because everyone is so f**king offended all the time! Get a grip! It’s 2016 and no one can say or do a fecking thing anymore!!! It’s infuriating…no one can just get on with anything anymore without being offended or being worried about offending others!

Well, now I’m offended…by the sheer patheticness (yes, that is a word) of it all.

And yes, I am aware that some have got a good cast lined up or they’ve got ‘lost’ original scripts…but please, if that’s the case, just PUBLISH THE SCRIPTS and then the rest can be left up to the imagination, whilst still appreciating the jokes and the clever writing…don’t bloody drive a tank all over it and ruin it forever….some things are better off ‘lost’ in my opinion (like, your marbles for example.)

Take an iconic character like Victor Meldrew, for instance( the hugest bestest of wishes to Richard Wilson by the way, after suffering a heart attack, get well soon fella, we don’t want to lose any more to the great big comedy god in the sky.) If David Renwick wrote an episode of One Foot In The Grave and got someone else to play Victor…would it be the same? Even though it’s the same writer? Of course it wouldn’t…wrong casting and it bombs anyway, just like a good performer won’t make bad writing any better, they have to complement each other and I’m afraid, that can happen only once in a blue moon…and it certainly won’t happen by people trying to be something they’re not.

All this PC stuff now, is not going to make it any better…it just won’t….see the Allo’ Allo’ example for a start. People have always been offended by Germans, what makes now any different?
And I’m sure if the Carry On films were done now, Sid James (or the so called equivalent) would be arrested for sexual assault 10 minutes into the film. End of Film.

The only one I’m kind of willing to give a shot is the Porridge remake, because Kevin Bishop is going to be playing Fletcher’s grandson, so it’s more of a sequel that way, rather than him actually playing Fletcher…which is okay for me, it’s bearable, it’s more of a tribute that way in my eyes. That’s how I felt with ‘Still Open All Hours’ , it felt like it was just catching up with Granville and it still (surprisingly) had a lot of the original cast around. So that was a nice tribute as well, it wasn’t other people trying to be them, it was just like catching up with old friends…and that’s okay.

But I’m afraid all what’s coming up, isn’t okay, not for a huge, raving comedy geek like me, in fact, its three buses, a taxi ride and a 10 mile walk from ‘okay.’

However, one of my many brain squeezingly annoying traits is that, I always have to give something the benefit of the doubt, especially where comedy is concerned, even though I know that deep in my black hole of a gut, that it’s all going to be groin grabbingly excruciating for me to witness (I’m actually worried I may need a new TV in case it ‘accidently’ fires itself through my bedroom window), that I’m going to watch it all anyway, just to see, just to see if there’s any slight hope of any of it being good. I want to be proven wrong, that’s thing, and I just know I won’t, but we’ll see.

I still want to give the new Dad’s Army film a go, even though I have it on good authority from someone who is just as much of a sad comedy noob as me, that it’s a huge steaming  pile of shite…I still have to torture myself and eventually witness it for myself one day soon. But that’s a whole other annoyance for another day….

It’s actually surprising how manically angry all this has made me, you’d think I’d have more to worry about (and oooooh, believe me, I do…life is just…. wrong at the moment…*waves arms* all of this, it’s all gone bad now…all of *this*) but it really does…comedy means a lot of me (well, crush a grape, I bet you’d have never have guessed!) and a lot of these comedies are what caused me to be the way I am…(so you could say they have a lot to answer for anyway) and they’re very much loved and dear to me, like old friends….and I don’t want my friends to be strung up and kicked in the bollocks, because that’s how it feels…

There must be loads of new young comedy writers out there itching to get their ideas seen and developed *cough*me*cough*. No really, I have had an idea for a comedy series for a good number of years now and I’ve been told it’s a very good and a very feasible idea…but I also know myself and the chances of me actually getting it refined and written and ‘ready’ is anyone’s fecking guess…but there must be more people out there, like me (who aren’t lazy bastards) who has a good idea and are willing to do the work to get it out to the public…but no, obviously not.

And so, we have to put up with his oncoming comedy car crash instead…well, whoopee shit! I’m preparing myself, that’s all I’m saying…and if I’m like this now, imagine what I’m going to be like afterwards, after it’s all been witnessed? It’s just going to be a page of expletives and not much else….(what’s new?)

R.I.P Good old fashioned comedy…where germans didn’t offend people…. quite as much….

Dr. Comedy Will See You Now!

Oh my gawwwd, look at the state of this place...soooo many skeletons...so many lives wasted...*shrugs* oh well...

Hello dear readers, that is, if there is any of you left (AND if there was any of you to begin with!)
My, it’s been a while...all this used to be fields the last time I was here...oh wait, no, that’s something else entirely...where I live actually (No, I don’t live in a field, contrary to popular belief, not anymore anyway, that is my past and it shall stay there, alright?)

Anyway, I digress (as always), yes, it’s been a while. I have not updated this ere’ bloggery since the dear f**king  Rik Mayall died last year. Maybe it’s kind of poignant that I took a break after such a loss to the comedy world, (I can already hear him in my head calling me a lazy bastard for using him as the excuse!)
However, I feel that now is a good a time as any to update, because, something really wonderful has happened lately (no, no, not that...sadly) – my love for comedy has kind of been reinforced if you will, these past few years have been quite dramatic and far from funny (well, unless you’ve been a distant observer with a grudge...or life itself, that always likes a good giggle at me) and a lot of my well ‘ground in’ (is that a technical term?) beliefs in things and various ‘stuff’ has been tested to its limit, some have fell by the wayside in a suitably, cheesy 70’s drama, dramatic death form and some have hid in the bushes and waited...like the very suspect bloke from down the street, who you try to avoid...
And comedy, my dear friends, has been the bloke in the bushes….. he hid away in the background until I was ready to dance with him in the moonlight again (getting my metaphors a bit mixed up here).

You see, without going too morbid on your arses (as much as I like being on all your arses...or ‘asses’ if you’re American), since I last updated, my mum passed away and it was quite sudden and very much unexpected... *awkward silence* It was a huge shock to me and my family, long story short, she had been ill for a while but she was obviously much worse than we all thought, we never dreamed of losing her, put it that way, as you never do, losing your Mum, who was also your best friend and fellow comedy aficionado at 27 years of age never even crossed my mind, until a chest infection suddenly turned into Pneumonia and took her within two weeks. I also have to add that I lost my cat, Basil, (also very suddenly, from a heart attack) in February this year...so yeah, my life hasn’t exactly been a barrel of laughs since the last time we communicated. I haven’t exactly been in the ‘funny’ kind of mood....well, I’ve been in some ‘funny’ moods...but not funny ‘ha-ha’, more ‘funny neurotic who wants to chuck herself off a high precipice’) But I did say I wasn’t going to go morbid on you...and I lied...obviously...I do apologise...but you know… my mother…my cat child...just saying...

But recently, without getting ahead of myself (because we can’t be too positive, that would be nuts), I feel like I’ve been in a healing process.
Well, the start line of one anyway...there are certain comedies that my Mum introduced me to and that we always watched together, without fail...Father Ted, Morecambe and Wise, Count Arthur Strong, just to name a very small few.
But there is a certain one that we both loved very dearly...it was ‘our’ comedy, if you will. This would be the wonderfully written, brilliantly funny and wickedly dark ‘One Foot In The Grave.’
Now, I haven’t been able to watch this until recently, for obvious reasons, but a week or two ago, I was brave, got out my box set and started from the beginning and I swear to god, it’s been like god damn fecking counselling! With Victor Meldrew as my therapist (imagine that, if you will.)

So many reasons as to why, not just because it was mine and my Mum’s ‘thing’ and it brings back some great (although sometimes, gut grabbingly painful, with nails dug in for good measure) memories. But because of the wonderful writing and acting in general. It’s full of amazing, clever and Philosophical monologues on life, that are delivered beautifully by the actors (particularly the lovely Annette Crosbie) that just make you go from laughing your hair off one minute, to pain-stakingly thinking about the meaning of it all the next...and more importantly, agreeing with it all! It kind of makes you realise that we are all in the same boat, no matter how bad or good things seem to be, we’re all on the same road and we’re just trying to make it through this weird scum bucket of life...or sun bucket if you’re one of the lucky few.
I found myself agreeing with Victor so much more than I did when I was younger and watching it for the first time, I remember always feeling sorry for Margaret, having to put up with Victor’s ramblings all the time, but now, I fully and wholeheartedly agree with the sad, moaning old sod...!!! And if that means that I am now a sad moaning old sod myself...then so be it (secretly cries into my Holicks...not really,  I hate the stuff...but any ‘old sod drink’ that you can think of).
He has it all ‘right’...he’s a happy person, or wants to be...and he’s a good man, but the people around him are incompetent idiots...and he’s obviously too intelligent to be able to just lie down and take it (oooeerr)! So he fights back and gets frustrated...like any normal, human, intelligent being would do, the way I see it, you’re either an idiot or you’re the moaning old sod...take your pick, but I know what side I’m on (don’t say I’m an idiot, because I’m not, honest.)

What gets me the most about this though, is the fact that the people who matter to him most, for example, Margaret...or even the fabulous Mrs Warboys (I still can’t hear ‘Wild Boys’ by Duran Duran, without thinking of her, ever since my Dad announced one time, that it sounded like they were chanting ‘Warboys’ instead of Wild Boys.) they love Victor and put up with him for exactly who he is, because although they probably get frustrated with him, deep down, they know he’s right, and more importantly, they love and care for him, so therefore, they accept him and his ways… and that’s how you know who really cares for you.  I believe that you can be the most annoying, soul crushing, ‘want to smash your repeatedly head through a television screen’ kind of person...in fact, you can be anything (even the bloke in the bushes) and the people who matter the most to you, or care for you the most, will always love you...for you...and that’s how you sort the men from the boys (and the blokes from the bushes.)

Without sounding pretentious, I’ve been on a journey through watching through this wonderful series again, a journey that has been strangely cathartic and healing, I’ve been laughing one minute, deep thinking life itself the next minute and then in bits on the floor, bawling my eyes into my carpet the next...(I’m actually being serious there, for once.) It has been immensely healing, so healing...more healing than a healer on a healing carpet, on top of a healing mountain... (or precipice, if you want to see a posh word again.) It’s astounded me, to be honest....what I’ve gained from it...as stupid as I may sound..more stupid than usual. (Did I mention it was healing?)

My point being is (yes, finally), I have gained more healing surrounding my grief, family and general mortality issues from re-watching one series of a very beautifully written and acted comedy, than I have from any counsellor, therapist, doctor, pill or alcohol based beverage...
That is what has cemented comedy well and truly back into my cold, black, frosty, clown like heart.

And that my loves, Is what I think is so f**king wonderful about it...
(pardon my French...why do we say that, by the way? why is it French? Do all French people swear all the time? Is that what their language really is, secret swearing?)

I always will and always have thought that, hence my un-natural interest and love of it all.
That is what is so wonderful about comedy to me and the healing power of laughing in general...or making someone else laugh, it’s all an act of healing, no matter what you believe (it would explain why a lot of comedians used to be doctors...Graham Chapman, Harry Hill, think about it?)
 I really should have remembered that from the time in 2009, when Laurel and Hardy single handlely...or double handedly I should say, got me through a horrible time of bad health problems and anxiety...watching them, I mean...they weren’t nursing me or anything...although that would be been ace...apart from the whole thing of them being dead and all’.

Anyway, babbling aside and point being made...(I said, finally) I sincerely hope that I keep that in mind this time, the healing power of comedy and laughter can be extremely powerful,  no matter what life throws at me, I think I have endured some of the worst now anyway (*waits for world to collapse around me*)...and I hope it never has to go hiding away in the bushes ever again.  :)

The People's Poet is Dead

*moves away cobwebs from a big, wonky wingback chair and sits down*

Hello fellow comedy brethren, I do apologise for not updating for such a long, long time, but I got kidnapped by some ‘things’ – not sure who or what they were, but they wore hats with flowers in and they were all called ‘Derek’ – they’ve been good to me but I’m hoping they won’t want me back anytime soon, they’re a bit ‘nasally.’
Anyway, they kindly let me go so I could update this here blog in honour of a very special person who the comedy world lost recently, the wonderful, funny, gorgeous, genius that was Rik Mayall.
I was told this news by a friend whilst I was on the phone to them and I instantly started to cry like a nun in a brothel. In all seriousness, it was a genuine, horrible shock to know that this wonderful man had left our planet.

I have watched him since being a very small child, as I did with most of my comedy heroes, most of you will know now that I watched and loved comedy from a very young age (if not, why don’t you? It’s only a few entries back, don’t be bloody lazy and have a look) and Rik and his partner in crime, Ade Edmondson were one of the favourites during my childhood, I loved them both but Rik was always a favourite of mine, his cheeky smile, devilish humour and amazing comic performances always awe struck me, I just thought he was Mr. Wonderful…and that’s because, dear reader, he was.
He was just a joy to watch, everything about him seemed to draw you in and he seemed to have this spark or sparkle around him that was just a joy to eyes.

(Apologies in advance for the following crudeness but I’m sure Rik would approve and agree) If you a were a male comedy fan, you probably wanted to be him, if you were a female comedy fan, you probably wanted to be on him…which was natural, as he had such a natural charm and inspired so many people. I know he has always inspired me greatly and I loved him, not in a creepy, celebrity obsessed stalker way, but in the way I loved most comedians when I was a kid, I loved him because he made me laugh, he made my dark days brighter and he inspired me to do what I’m doing today (not lazing around, all the acting and comedy writing and stuff I do….I do, do it….honest)
From the attention and comments I’ve seen spattered about in the press and social media, it seems that I was truly not alone in my love for this great comedy devil, he was truly loved…and loved for who he was, he wasn’t fake or full of airs and graces, he always just seemed to be himself and everyone clearly adored him, whether it be his family and friends or his fans, he was truly admired.
(and I personally thought he was bloody gorgeous! Woof!)

It’s still very weird to think he’s gone, I know only a few weeks have passed since his death but I know in a good few years down the line, it’ll STILL feel weird to think he isn’t around anymore. He was so full of life and talent and he just didn’t seem the type to die. Death comes to us all, but there’s some people who you believe will outlive the planet itself and Rik was one of those people.
He’s a huge, huge loss to the comedy world and I’m sure it won’t stop mourning him for a very long time yet, as with his family, friends, fans, and anyone else his talent and ‘spark’ reached.
His death has brought a lot of people together and I’m sure he’ll continue to inspire people for many, many years to come and I’m sure wherever he is now (hopefully there’s a heaven for really great comedy geniuses’ and that way I can hang around outside it when I die and stalk them all…mwuahahahaha), he’s causing equal mayhem there as he did down here and I’m sure he’s already being adored there too.

I’m extremely sad that I will now never get the chance to meet him and tell him how he inspired me, I’m sure he heard it from enough people, but I would have sincerely loved to have had a chat with him one day…and maybe, in the heights of delusion, maybe even work with him one day.

And now I will get out of here before the Derek Flower Folk come back for me….
So here’s to you, dear, beautiful foul mouthed Rik, you will never be forgotten and your mad talent and gorgeous, sexy, smile  (Woof! ) will live on in many people’s (flash) hearts (see what I did there?), so for this, in a way you have indeed suited your style and become immortal….you crafty bastard! ;)

Goodbye Rik, thanks for the laughs. We f**king love you.

‘All the grown-ups will say, "But why are the kids crying?" And the kids will say, "Haven't you heard? Rik is dead! The People's Poet is dead!"

In tribute to Rik Mayall – (1958 – 2014)