[Red1]

For fans of The Comic Strip presents........
The Paramount 2 channel are showing 'More Bad News'
tonight(10/01/05) and on wednesday(12/01/05)
They are showing 'The Bullshi**ers'.

Red1

[Cool-hand]

That sucks! I dont have that channel and I really enjoyed them the 1st time round!

ch

[JohnG]

Just spotted this myself, missed the start of it though
Let's hope they show it more than once !
Just checked DigiGuide and "Strike" is on 17th Jan, "Five Go Mad In Dorset" on 19th Jan - both at 11PM.

[Sick Boy]

[Joe Pineapples]

Just a word of warning; when the paramount channel show the 'minder' series, any bad language is cut out. No idea if it will be the same for comic strip, but the effect would be pretty dire.

[JohnG]

Dawn French said the word twit - but with an "a" instead of "i" last night and they didn't blank it out so it may be ok. The Minder episodes they showed were heavily cut, with words you don't associate with swear words taken out - I wonder if it was because they are shown during daytime as well ?

[Joe Pineapples]

maybe twit with an 'a' means something else in the states, like the word 'fanny'

[JohnG]

Five Go Mad On Mescalin on 24th Jan at 11PM

[JohnG]

"The Yob" - 31/01/2005 at 11PM

[Rawschach]

any chance of these coming out on DVD? Fistful of travellers chqs, GLC, Bull****ters are some of the best things i have seen. Can we petition someone?

[Toasty]

I used to love the comic strip presents.. Have they dated at all?

[JohnG]

"Four men in a car" 02/02/2005 at 11PM

[Sick Boy]

Originally Posted by JohnG

"Four men in a car" 02/02/2005 at 11PM

Indestructible, Indestructible, Indestructible, Indestructible...

[El_JimBob]

just spotted on Play.com - a box set coming out sometime in May containing all the comic strip episodes

[JohnG]

Oh yes woohoo
Great spot mate, I (and many others) have been waiting for this to come out for years. I can stop recording them on Paramount now !

[Confucius]

Who Dares, Gins!

[JohnG]

Cheers, I really must look at the DVD Forum more !

[JohnG]

Having watched these again on Paramount I think that they have dated. I also think that a lot of as are guilty of remembering them to be far better than they actually were (you remember the good bits and not the rest). There is some quite mediocre stuff amongs the good bits.

[JohnG]

A Fistful Of Travellers Cheques - tonight 11PM

..... "Where's them b d women"

[Sick Boy]

Have no idea why and can't find any other episodes on the tv guide this week, but UKTV G2 was showing GLC last night.

Staring Charles Bronson as Ken Livingstone

[Rawschach]

..... maybe.

NINE Discs for £35 ALL 43 episodes FANTASTIC!! Taken from Play.com website

July 04 release Including 1 disc packed with extras and all these episodes:

This fantastic box set contains all the Comic Strips efforts including 'Didn't You Kill My Brother', 'A fistful Of Travellers Cheques', 'Bad News' and many more classics.


1. Five Go Mad In Dorset (1982)
2. War (1983)
3. The Beat Generation (1983)
4. Bad News Tour (1983)
5. Summer School (1983)
6. Five Go Mad On Mescalin (1983)
7. Dirty Movie (1984)
8. Susie (1984)
9. A Fistful Of Travellers Cheques (1984)
10. Gino - Full Story and Pics 1984)
11. Eddie Monsoon- A Life? (1984)
12. Slags (1984)
13. The ********ters (1984)
14. The Supergrass (1984)
15. Consuela (1986)
16. Private Enterprise (1986)
17. The Strike (1988)
18. More Bad News (1988)
19. Mr Jolly Lives Next Door (1988)
20. The Yob (1988)
21. Didn't You Kill My Brother? (1988)
22. Funseekers (1988)
23. South Atlantic Raiders (1990)
24. South Atlantic Raiders Part II (1990)
25. GLC (1990)
26. Oxford (1990)
27 Spaghetti Hoops (1990)


28. Les Dogs (1990)
29. Red Nose Of Courage (1992)
30. The Crying Game (1992)
31. Wild Turkey (1992)
32. Detectives On The Edge Of A (1993)
33. Space Virgins From Planet Sex (1993)
34. Queen Of The Wild Frontier (1993)
35. Gregory - Diary of a Nutcase (1993)
36. Demonella (1993)
37. Jealousy (1993)
38. Four Men In a Car (1998)
39. Four Men In a Plane (2000)

[domtheone]

Originally Posted by Sick Boy

Indestructible, Indestructible, Indestructible, Indestructible...

I might be tempted to get the box set.

I don't think I've hardly seen any of them before with the exception of Four Men in a Plane/Car

The Car one had me laughing so hard I think I fell of my chair

[Battlestar]

right, tried to link to the site but for some reason could not get it to work.

hope this is not tomuch info!


from the region 2 project.












The Complete Collection 1982 - 2000

One of the most notorious UK comedy creations is finally available on DVD on July 4th 2005

Widely acknowledged as the founding fathers of alternative comedy, The Comic Strip Presents… launched the careers of some of our best-loved comedians including Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Rik Mayall, Alexei Sayle, Ade Edmondson, Peter Richardson, Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and Nigel Planer.

The then unknown entertainers came together on stage in a strip joint in Soho sharing a unique sense of humour, which earned them a cult following throughout the capital. As the hottest ticket in town, visitors from the US including Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson would drop by, and Robin Williams even joined the group on stage!

Approached by the artists, Channel 4 was convinced to take a chance and commission a TV series. Launched the same day as the Channel itself in November 1982, this political and social satire became an instant hit, changing the face of UK comedy forever.

Over 20 years after the first transmission, Channel 4 Video is, for the first time, bringing together all 39 episodes of the ground-breaking comedy in a 9-disc collectors box set. Classics include: Five Go Mad in Dorset - the parody of the Famous Five stories washed down with lashings of ginger beer, Golden Rose of Montreux winning Strike! - an over the top Hollywood pastiche about the 1984 miners strike, and Bad News - a send up of a touring rock band - the original Spinal Tap!

The 9th disc is loaded with an extensive array of extras for fans of this cult series with a running time of over two hours. Included is a brand new exclusive retrospective of the Comic Strip presents….comprising of interviews with Dawn French, Adrian Edmondson, Peter Richardson, Alexei Sayle, Nigel Planer, Pete Richens, Lenny Henry, Leslie Philips, Julie T Wallace, Gary Beadle and Phil Cornwell about their Comic Strip experiences. Julien Temple's 1981 tongue in cheek look at what went on behind the scenes of the original stage show The Comic Strip, and cast interviews from 1998 make up disc 9.

Without doubt The Comic Strip Presents… was radical, different and very funny. It grew to be part of our history - in 1985 the group had a best selling book, and the highest rating youth TV programme. It became an integral part of life for 80s and 90s youth -- as Monty Python had been for their parents. And now, at long last, this uniquely successful comedy great is coming to DVD courtesy of Channel 4 DVD in a must-own collectors box set!

Release Date: July 4th 2005 TBC
Running Time: over 27 hours
Certificate: 18 (TBC)
RRP £49.99

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Peter Richardson

Peter Richardson is one of the most important figures in British comedy. He opened the alternative alternative comedy club in 1980 (The Comedy Store) and with it launched the careers of Rik Mayall and Ade Edmonson, French and Saunders, Nigel Planer, Robbie Coltrane, Keith Allen and Alexei Sayle amongst others!

The Comic Strip Presents... was the first comedy programme on the new Channel 4 in 1982 and became the defining British comedy of the 1980s. Peter is responsible for writing over 20 of The Comic Strip Presents... episodes, alongside Pete Richens, including Montreux Golden Rose winning The Strike (in which he also took the male lead and directed) and the Five Go Mad… episodes. He starred in almost all of The Comic Strip Presents... episodes, and is responsible for directing over ten.

Richardson's humour is as fresh and original today as it was when he first put it on film. He continues to create groundbreaking humour such as the Stella Street TV series, which Richardson developed into a feature length version in 2004 picking up a US Comedy Arts Festival prize. His feature film Churchill: The Hollywood Years - a spoof of British eccentricities and American excesses was released in December 2004.

Adrian Edmondson

Adrian trained in studio drama at Manchester University, where he met Rik Mayall and formed the partnership that was to become Twentieth Century Coyote. In 1977 he took a one-man show to the National Student Drama Festival, and Twentieth Century Coyote appeared at the Edinburgh Festival to great critical acclaim and media interest; the show was recorded for Radio 4.

After Edinburgh came a period of touring with various two-man shows throughout Britain, until Adrian joined the number of talented artists then appearing at London's Comedy Store. Throughout 1979 and 1980 Adrian made numerous appearances on the growing comedy circuit before going on to co-found the Comic Strip at the Boulevard Theatre in late 1980. He appeared in 29 episodes of The Comic Strip Presents... second only to creator Peter Richardson, playing different roles including Dick in the Five Go Mad… episodes and Vim Fuego, lead singer of Bad News - the subject of two send-up documentaries setting the scene for Spinal Tap!

Edmondson turned his hand to writing, penning six of the episodes, including the Bad News documentaries - the second of which he directed. He also directed Private Enterprise.

He went on to create the iconic character of Vyvyan Basterd in The Young Ones and teamed up once again with Rik Mayall to create the hugely successful BBC comedy Bottom. This partnership continued with the feature film Guest House Paradiso in 1999 and a series of Bottom live tours. Married to his Comic Strip co-star Jennifer Saunders, Adrian continued his long-term support of Comic Relief by appearing in 2005's Comic Relief does Fame Academy.

Dawn French

Dawn trained as a drama teacher at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Here she met Jennifer Saunders, and the rest is history. In 1980 they successfully applied as a duo to an advert for comediennes at The Comedy Store, which brought them to the attention of the nation. Dawn appeared in all of the first 17 Comic Strips, and continued to feature regularly throughout. She also showed her writing skills, penning the fifth episode of the first series, Summer School and also the opener of the third series Consuela, which she co-wrote with her long-time friend Jennifer Saunders. In 1987 they went on to do their own TV sketch show - the creatively titled French and Saunders.

At the beginning of the 90's Dawn and Jennifer began to explore solo projects alongside their joint work. Dawn was offered the lead role in comedy drama series Murder Most Horrid, and later made the title role of The Vicar of Dibley her own, receiving 3 BAFTA TV, and 2 National Television Award nominations for her role as the boisterous female vicar. It is safe to say that Dawn has earned her reputation as one of Britain's national treasures.

She now has a significant role in the managing of her fashion business for 'big girls', Sixteen47, and their designer range French and Teague. Dawn has also been involved with Comic Relief from day one and has continued to present and perform various sketches every other year on Red Nose Day including the infamous Hugh Grant snog in 1995. Her charity work continued in 2005 when she had the audience at a tsunami fundraiser in hysterics as a result of her take-off of Welsh superstar Catherine Zeta-Jones!

Dawn lives with her husband Lenny Henry and their daughter in Berkshire.

Jennifer Saunders

Jennifer Saunders trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, where she met Dawn French. Jennifer and Dawn successfully applied as a duo to an advert for comediennes at The Comedy Store, which would bring them to the attention of the nation. Jennifer was a regular in the TV series, appearing in over 25 episodes of The Comic Strip Presents... and took the lead in Golden Rose of Montreux-winning The Strike playing the role of a neurotic Meryl Streep in a Hollywood pastiche on the 1984 Miners Strike! She also wrote two of the episodes of The Comic Strip Presents... - the final episode of the second series - Slags, and the first of the third - Consuela, which she co-wrote with Dawn French.

In 1987 the TV sketch show French and Saunders was created with her friend and long time
comedy partner Dawn French. It was out of a French and Saunders sketch that, in 1992, Jennifer Saunders developed possibly her most successful work, Absolutely Fabulous. Saunders both writes and stars in the hugely popular series, which has won a string of awards including an International Emmy, BAFTA TV and British Comedy awards.

Ab Fab brought Jennifer to international attention leading to appearances on the US television shows Roseanne and Friends, and an American version of her hugely successful UK sit-com.

In 2003, she was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest people in British comedy and she voiced the Fairy Godmother in the biggest movie of 2004 Shrek 2 showing that she was more than capable of holding a song!

Jennifer Saunders is married to fellow comedian Adrian Edmondson, with whom she has three daughters.

Rik Mayall

In the late 1970s, Rik and Adrian Edmondson formed a comedy group called "Twentieth Century Coyote" while attending college together in Manchester. Originally a five-man team, Twentieth Century Coyote eventually became a partnership between just Rik and Ade. That partnership exists to this present day and is one of the most enduring and successful partnerships in modern British comedy. The duo appeared often on Saturday nights during open mike time at The Comedy Store. Once they had joined The Comic Strip Presents... team, Rik became part of the alternative comedians "legend". He continued to appear in 15 episodes of The Comic Strip Presents... and also co-wrote a number of episodes with his long-term comedy partner, Edmondson, including Mr Jolly Lives Next Door and Dirty Movie.

From this experience with The Comic Strip Presents... he went on to co-write and star in The Young Ones with Ben Elton and Lise Meyer. He played Rick, the political anarchist studying Sociology (or was it Domestic Science?) who was a poetic genius, adored Cliff Richard and rude words. This show forever sealed his fame as a performer. It's since become a cult hit that's known all over the world.

S
ince doing The Young Ones, Rik has appeared in numerous television shows and films. Some of the most famous are Bottom, which rivals The Young Ones for its cult status; The New Statesman, in which Rik portrayed Tory MP Alan B'Stard with a wicked sense of satire; and the films Drop Dead Fred and Guest House Paradiso.

Robbie Coltrane

Robbie was born in Rutherglen, Scotland, and graduated from Glasgow School of Art. During
the late 70's, he rose to prominence as an improvisational comedian on the nightclub circuit before moving into films when debuting in Death Watch (1980). Despite a smattering of small film roles he became a recognisable figure in alternative comedy and was a frequent participant in The Comic Strip Presents... appearing in the first ever episode Five Go Mad in Dorset and over 15 more episodes including The Strike and GLC where he took the lead as Ken Livingstone trying to foil the evil plot of " The Ice Maiden" Margaret Thatcher (Jennifer Saunders) to behead Prince Charles (Adrian Edmondson)

Coltrane won notice for his turn as Bob Hoskin's mechanic pal in Mona Lisa (1986) and in Derek Jarman's Caravaggio (1986). In the 1990's, he continued his cinema career with performances in comedies such as Nuns on the Run (1990) and The Pope Must Die (1991), and had a cameo role in the James Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and The World is Not Enough (1999) as Russian gangster Valentin Zukovsky. In 1993 he won a legion of new fans when he appeared as the kindly gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter films and continues to star in the globally famous films.

Among awards for this talented actor and comedian are a 1994 CableACE award for Best Actor, and BAFTA TV Best Actor awards in three consecutive years 1994-1996. Each of these awards honoured Coltrane's work as police psychologist Fitz in ITV's detective series Cracker. Coltrane also received BAFTA Film nominations for his role in the first of the Harry Potter series of films.

Keith Allen

Keith was born in Swansea, Wales in 1953 and has since become successful on the UK stand-up circuit. In addition to starring in many of The Comic Strip Presents... episodes, he also wrote episodes including The ********ters, The Crying Game, Detectives on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and The Yob.

He has also worked on a very wide range of film, TV and music projects with credits including appearances in The Others, Adrian Mole - The Cappuccino Years, 24 Hour Party People and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London. Allen has also made appearances in Trainspotting and Shallow Grave.

Keith has also been involved with iconic music moments including forming one third of the band Fat Les who released the anthem to England's Euro 2000 campaign, Vindaloo and appeared on stage with Blur at Glastonbury after appearing in the video to their single Country House. He is also good friends with shock-artist Damien Hirst, firming placing him at the centre of the Cool Britannia.

Nigel Planer

Nigel trained in drama at the LAMDA before becoming a founding member of The Comic Strip group, which brought him to the fore of the burgeoning alternative comedy scene at the beginning of the 1980s. He was a constant regular throughout The Comic Strip Presents... run, appearing in over 20 episodes, including playing Bad News band member Den Dennis and taking the lead role of Aldo Vini in Spaghetti Hoops. Planer is also credited with writing Funseekers in 1988.

With fellow Stripers Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson and Alexei Sayle, Planer teamed up with Christopher Ryan on the hugely successful BAFTA winning The Young Ones. Nigel played lentil-loving hippy Neil Pye in the house of mis-matched students that regularly slipped into Python-esque surreal sketches. His musical achievements progressed from his performances with the Bad News band in the Comic Strip days with a Top of the Pops performance of his / Neil's song Hole in My Shoe which made the top 10 in 1984.

Following this success, Planer went on to star in a number of TV shows including Filthy Rich
and Catflap and The Grimleys. He also provides the narration and all voices for The New Magic Roundabout. More recently, Nigel has been treading the boards in London's West End appearing in musicals such as Evita and Chicago. He is currently appearing in We Will Rock You - the musical inspired by Queen.

Alexei Sayle

A left wing Scouser, Alexei Sayle came to The Comedy Store as compère after art school and an obligatory series of odd-jobs including filing clerk, drama teacher and dinner lady. He went on to appear in later episodes of The Comic Strip Presents... including playing John Major's Dad in Red Nose of Courage and the lead role of Carl Moss in Didn't You Kill My Brother, which he also co-wrote.

He appeared in episodes of The Young Ones alongside other veterans of the Comic Strip - Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson and Nigel Planer. His own stand up show: Alexei Sayle's Stuff ran for three series from 1988 to great critical acclaim for its Pythonesque surrealism which sometimes fell into the realms of sheer weirdness! The All-New Alexei Sayle Show, which ran in 1994, earned him the Bronze Rose at the Montreux Festival that year. More recently, he appeared in TV movie The Legend of the Tamworth Two and has written a number of successful short story collections including Barcelona Plates and Overtaken.

The Complete Collection 1982 - 2000 DVD Episode Guide

Disc One Episodes 1 - 6 Duration 179 mins

1. Five Go Mad In Dorset tx: 1982 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Peter Richardson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Robbie Coltrane

Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Tim appeared on the opening night of Channel 4 in 1982 and launched the Comic Strip presents. Taking a satirical look at outdated gender roles and old-fashioned value systems, this send up of Enid Blyton's childrens adventures, follows the famous five as they set out on a bicycle ride through the country, having a ripping time on their summer hols, with picnics aplenty, and exposing heinous crimes that fall into their path….all washed down with lashings of ginger beer!

2. War 1983 stars: Robbie Coltrane, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders

Its 1985 and the Communist Warsaw Pact countries have seized control of England. A young married couple retreats to a countryside cottage, but due to circumstances way beyond their control, they soon find themselves separated and swept up in the chaos of a war-torn nation.

3. The Beat Generation 1983 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders, Keith Allen

A group of Beatnik artists and poets convene for a weekend of debauchery, destructive behaviour, and clever conversation at the house of naïve young wannabe Desmond while his parents are out of town.

4. Bad News Tour 1983 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders

Often compared with Spinal Tap, this rockumentary follows fifth-rate heavy metal band Bad News as they set out on their biggest tour to date. Band members Vim Fuego, Den Dennis, Colin Grigson, and Spider Webb hope to find lager, gigs, and schoolgirls on the road.

5. Summer School 1983 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Dawn French, Peter Richardson, Robbie Coltrane

Summer school students taking a course on the Iron Age construct a primitive village in the centre of a university campus, where they must learn to fend for themselves without modern conveniences.

6. Five Go Mad On Mescalin 1983 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders, Robbie Coltrane

The follow up to Five Go Mad in Dorset sees Julian, Dick, George, Anne, and their dog Timmy return to the countryside for the holidays and set out to unlock the mysteries of love island.

Disc Two Episodes 7 - 11 Duration 162 mins

7. Dirty Movie 1984 stars: Robbie Coltrane, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson

A cinema owner expectantly waits for the mail to deliver his dirty movie, and once it arrives, he faces the additional trauma of finding somewhere private to watch, away from him wife, the porn squad, the postman and a lobster.

8. Susie 1984 stars: Robbie Coltrane, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders

A lascivious schoolteacher has grown hopelessly bored with her bland small-town existence and her indifferent but steady husband. Her world takes a sudden turn, however, when a wealthy pop star moves to town to get a taste of country life. Suddenly, she must choose between her tedious but adoring other half, and this intriguing, unpredictable new man in her life.

9. A Fistful Of Travellers' Cheques 1984 stars: Keith Allen, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders

Carlos and Miguel are Englishmen obsessed with the mystique of the Old West and long to take on the role of gunmen in search of a brawl. Travelling the countryside by public rail on a fantasy holiday, in costumes straight out of a Spaghetti Western, they hook up with spunky Australian tourists, a hippie hitchhiker, and a mass-murderer who works in an abattoir but dresses as a matador.

10. Gino - Full Story and Pics 1984 stars: Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders

Gino's life takes a major turn for the worse when he is framed for murder by a homicidal housewife, and is built up by the media to sound like an infamous criminal mastermind. Every step he takes carries him further into a life of crime. Pursued by over-zealous police officers masquerading as milkmen and postmen, it looks like there's no way out for Gino….. until he teams up with a gutsy typist on the run from her own unfulfilling life, and the two of them find a way to turn the media attention to their advantage.

11. Eddie Monsoon- A Life? 1984 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders

Relentless alcoholic, drug addict and fame-obsessed TV personality Eddie Monsoon from South Africa is the subject of a Channel 4 expose that looks back over his life and loves, while he lies bedridden in a rehab hospital.

Disc Three Episodes 12-15 Duration 201 mins

12. Slags 1984 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders, Emma Thompson

Feared street leaders Passion and Little Sister are released from prison, whereupon they learn that their gang the Slags has disbanded during their incarceration, having been driven out of its territory by rival gang The Hawaiians. Bent on revenge, they reunite the Slags for a rumble with The Hawaiians to reclaim their turf. This grim tale set in a bizarre, apocalyptic world is West Side Story with a gruesome twist.

13. The ********ters 1984 stars: Keith Allen, Peter Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Elvis Costello

BONEHEAD and FOYLE are the flashiest, fastest and most under dressed detectives to be kicked out of DI5. But when the guv'nor's daughter is kidnapped the duo are called back in. With a Magnum in one hand and a bus pass in the other, THE ********TERS, set out to track down the criminals and get some good close-ups. However as every good TV cop knows, not all is as it seems!

14. The Supergrass 1984 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Peter Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Nigel Planer, Keith Allen, Dawn French, Alexei Sayle, Michael Elphick

In an effort to impress the girl of his dreams, compulsive liar Dennis Carter contrives a far-fetched story, professing his involvement in an international drug ring. When the police take his claims seriously, he finds there are considerable benefits to the pampered life of a supergrass.

15. Consuela 1986 stars: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Adrian Edmondson, Peter Richardson, Rik Mayall

n this parody of Rebecca, a young bride arrives at her husband's vast estate to find that she is left to fend for herself, at the mercy of a mysterious and sinister Spanish maid who she suspects does not have her best interests at heart.

Disc Four Episodes 16-19 Duration 193 mins

16. Private Enterprise 1986 stars: Peter Richardson, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Rowland Rivron, Keith Allen

When a toilet paper delivery van driver and small-time con man chances upon a demo tape by a defunct no-name band, he decides to pass himself off as a rock musician, in his most enterprising moneymaking scheme yet.

17. The Strike 1988 stars: Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders, Alexei Sayle, Dawn French, Nigel Planer, Robbie Coltrane, Adrian Edmondson, Keith Allen, Rik Mayall

Al Pacino (Peter Richardson) and Meryl Streep (Jennifer Saunders) star as Arthur Scargill and his wife in an overly dramatized Hollywood epic about the 1984 miners' strike.

Winner of the Golden Rose award at the Montreux Festival in 1988.

18. More Bad News 1988 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French

Five years after their far-from-amicable break-up, the members of heavy metal band Bad News reunite when they are offered a record deal and a chance to play the festival at Castle Donington.

19. Mr Jolly Lives Next Door 1988 stars: Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Peter Cook, Peter Richardson, Nicholas Parsons, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French

Two boozers who run the Dreamytime Escort agency are in for the night of their lives when they accept a job to "take out" popular TV entertainer Nicholas Parsons.

Disc Five Episodes 20-22 Duration 158 mins

20. The Yob 1988 stars: Keith Allen, Warren Clarke, Adrian Edmondson, Peter Richardson

A trendy music video director has his brain crossed with that of a football hooligan in a freak accident resulting when he mistakes a cerebral teleportation machine for a portable toilet. He begins a slow and painful transition from artsy high-fashion connoisseur to violent Neanderthal thug, finding himself physically incapable of suppressing his newfound urges to drink lager and vandalize public lavatories. This episode pays tribute to David Cronenberg's film classic The Fly.

21. Didn't You Kill My Brother? 1988 stars: Alexei Sayle, Beryl Reid, Peter Richardson,

Carl Moss, a convicted murderer, is released early from prison with over 200 university degrees and a Liverpool accent, and is confronted by his twin brother who framed him. Further confusion ensues as his probation officer falls in love with him!

22. Funseekers 1988 stars: Keith Allen, Kathy Burke, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson,

It's high season in Ibiza, and yet another party of 18-30's holiday-makers have arrived for their annual binge of donkey rides, discos and drinking….and leave realising that there is more to Spain than beach barbecues!

Disc Six Episodes 23-27 Duration 170 mins

23. South Atlantic Raiders 1990 stars: Robbie Coltrane, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders, Kathy Burke, Lenny Henry

A security service driver for a British bank meets and falls in love over the radio with a woman stranded on a bird watching expedition in the South Atlantic. When he is tricked into thinking the Falklands are under attack by an enemy army, he takes drastic measures to finance a rescue mission to save his new girlfriend.

24. South Atlantic Raiders Part II 1990 stars: Robbie Coltrane, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders, Kathy Burke

Having robbed a bank and hijacked a plane to travel to the South Atlantic to protect Frances, the woman he loves,

Stan finds himself at the mercy of Argentinean soldiers plotting to recapture the Falkland Islands.
25. GLC 1990 stars: Robbie Coltrane, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Adrian Edmondson, Leslie Phillips, Peter Richardson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Keith Allen,

Charles Bronson (Robbie Coltrane) stars in a big-budget Hollywood film as Ken Livingstone, a man of the people and elected leader of the GLC. After successfully preventing the Tories from flooding South London to turn it into a yacht club, Livingstone makes it his one-man mission to stop "The Ice Maiden" Margaret Thatcher from beheading the Prince of Wales and taking over the kingdom.

26. Oxford 1990 stars: Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Lenny Henry, Leslie Philips, Nigel Planer, Adrian Edmondson, Peter Richardson

Hannah is a street-wise American woman with a passion for Lord Byron's poetry who is prepared to do anything it takes to get into a course at Oxford, and she means anything. Also eager to study Byron is Caroline, the quiet-natured girlfriend of narcissistic mega-star comedian Steve "Zoo Zoo Zoo Off Come My Pants" Wild. When he disapproves of her aspirations, Caroline must go behind her boyfriend's back to take the course, unaware that she's not the only one doing the deceiving.

27 Spaghetti Hoops 1990 stars: Nigel Planer, Alexei Sayle, Tim McInnerny, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Peter Richardson, Keith Allen.

Bank chairman Aldo Vini, who is suspected of embezzling $200 million from his bank in Rome, is pursued across Europe by incompetent assassins.

This episode was filmed in black and white.

Disc Seven Episodes 28-33 Duration 208 mins

28. Les Dogs 1990 stars: Kate Bush, Adrian Edmondson, Miranda Richardson, Alexei Sayle, Tim McInnerny, Peter Richardson, Alexei Sayle, Peter Richardson, Keith Allen

A wedding between feuding upper-class families turns into an all-out war zone. In the midst of the chaos and bloodshed, the wedding photographer becomes enraptured by the bride's stunning beauty, and the story drifts into the surreal realm of his imagination, where the lines between fantasy, dream, and reality become hopelessly blurred.

29. Red Nose Of Courage 1992 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Alexei Sayle, Robbie Coltrane, Rik Mayall, Jennifer Saunders, Peter Richardson, Nigel Planer, Keith Allen

John Major rises above his humble beginnings as a mediocre clown in a circus family when he sets out to pursue his dream of becoming a Tory bureaucrat and forges a career in the political circus. Torn between two worlds, his life becomes a balancing act.

30. The Crying Game 1992 stars: Keith Allen, Peter Richardson, Nigel Planer

All Roy Brush wants is to be the greatest footballer in the world. When he rises to national hero status after saving a young man from drowning and secures a European Cup Final trophy for England, it seems the sky is the limit to the fame he can achieve. But one painful secret-- and one astute newspaper reporter from The Scum-- stand between him and his goal.

31. Wild Turkey 1992 stars: Ruby Wax, Jennifer Saunders, Peter Richardson, Mike McShane

It's approaching Christmas and when a couple get their festive bird back home, they realise that all is not what it seems as the turkey is not dead! The bird takes them hostage demanding a ransom of freedom for all turkeys everywhere!

32. Detectives On The Edge Of A Nervous Breakdown 1993

In a sequel to The ********ters, Bonehead and Foyle are called in to solve a 70s-style murder. Unfortunately, so are 70s detectives Shouting George of The Weeney and Jason Bentley of Department Z, and 90s Northern detective Dave Spanker.

33. Space Virgins From Planet Sex 1993

Beautiful space aliens on a mission to repopulate their planet use their feminine wiles to capture healthy, intelligent specimens of Earthmen as sex slaves. It's up to decidedly non-feminist secret agent James Blond to shut down the Space Rats' baby factory and free the captives from unspeakable sexual oppression.

Disc Eight Episodes 34-39 Duration 193 mins

34. Queen Of The Wild Frontier 1993

Two escaped convicts hide in a country house owned by two women.

35. Gregory - Diary of a Nutcase 1993 stars: Adrian Edmondson, Keith Allen, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Kate Robbins, Phil Cornwell

In this none-too-subtle parody of the film The Silence of the Lambs, a rookie police cadet falls prey to the sexual allure of imprisoned cannibalistic serial killer Dr Ghengis; meanwhile, aspiring serial killer Gregory Dawson makes a video diary of his botched attempts to stalk and imprison a woman in his homemade torture chamber.

36. Demonella 1993

A struggling music producer accepts a song from the Devil that is guaranteed to win him riches and fame. In exchange, he must obtain his mother's top-secret chicken soup recipe so the Devil can impress finicky dinner guests in Hell.

37. Jealousy 1993

A jealous husband is consumed to the point of madness with suspicions about his wife's extracurricular activities.

38. Four Men In a Car 1998

Four salesman share a hellish journey to a sales conference where only one of them will achieve promotion.

39. Four Men In a Plane 2000

The four salesmen from the previous film go on a sales conference abroad and decide that rather than take a ten hour coach ride across the desert to the conference centre, they'll hire their own small plane, with its own mad pilot, to get them there. Unfortunately the pilot dies, crashes the plane and leaves them to fend for themselves in the desert.

Disc Nine Extras Duration: over 2 hours

A brand new one-hour documentary: Comic Strip - A Retrospective (2005)

Exclusive new interviews with Dawn French, Adrian Edmondson, Peter Richardson, Alexei Sayle, Nigel Planer, Pete Richens, Lenny Henry, Leslie Philips, Julie T Wallace, Gary Beadle and Phil Cornwell about their Comic Strip experiences.

The Comic Strip - Live (1981)

Julien Temple's burlesque 'behind the scenes' look at the original stage show, starring all of the original cast, and compèred by Alexei Sayle

Two original 'First on Four' documentaries (1988)

The original Channel 4 cast and crew interviews from 1998, offering insight into how the Comic Strip Presents…phenomena came about.

[krish]

New one-off in the works for Ch4
- Comic Strip returns to C4 with The Hunt for Tony Blair - Channel 4 - Info - Press

Head of Comedy Shane Allen announced the return of the Comic Strip team for a one off with The Hunt for Tony Blair, as a 50s style ‘fugitive' film noir spoof.

The 60minute film is penned by Peter Richardson and Pete Richens and follows Prime Minister Tony Blair (Stephen Mangan), wanted for murder and on the run. Escaping from Number 10 and leaving behind his adoring wife Cherie (Catherine Shepherd), Tony vows to clear his name no matter what the consequences.

But on a foggy London night, Tony has few friends willing to harbour a wanted man and with front pages demanding his capture, Blair has no choice but to go on the run, with Inspector Hutton (Robbie Coltrane) and his sidekick (James Buckley) hot on his trail. The chase unfolds thanks to evidence gleaned from his ‘allies' Mandelson (Nigel Planer) and Brown (Ford Kiernan), as well as an unlikely encounter with Margaret Thatcher (Jennifer Saunders - a la Bette Davies in ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane'). Surely Tony's an innocent man, pursued for a crime he didn't commit?

The cast also include Harry Enfield as Alistair Campbell, Rik Mayall as Professor Predictor, Morgana Robinson as Carol Caplin, John Sessions as Thatcher's butler and Ross Noble as an ‘old Labour' Tramp.

Revenge, betrayal, the women and of course the enemies (and there are a few) all add to the melodrama in this steamy action packed thriller.

Chief Creative Officer, Jay Hunt said: ‘Comic Strip defined comedy for a generation and it's a real coup to have the team back tackling one of the most controversial subjects of our time in a way that only they can. Tony Blair on the run, Jennifer Saunders as Margaret Thatcher, a stellar cast and hotbed of political intrigue - I can't wait to see the rushes.'

Shane Allen, Head of Comedy said: ‘An irresistibly hilarious script from the godfathers of modern comedy. Brilliantly conceived, we race through Blair's past as he's the wronged man (in his own head) on the run for mass murder. So many juicy parts for the big comedy hitters of the comic strip team alongside some newer C4 comedy talents, it promises to be a very daring and utterly irreverent romp.'

Comic Strip: The Hunt for Tony Blair is produced by Great Western Features.

Btw the 9 disc boxset is currently going for £12.27 @ Amazon.co.uk
- Comic Strip Presents - Complete Collection [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson: Film & TV (The Comic Strip Presents - Complete Collection DVD - Compare Prices at Find-DVD.co.uk)

[domtheone]

Sounds great.

[unique]

when i looked at this i thought it was a new comic strip called "alert" and then saw posts from six years ago!

nigel planer just got an honorary doctor of arts the other day btw


University recognises Young Ones actor | Edinburgh News | STV Local