Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1980s 3 Mins Read

    Young Ones, The

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 2 – 1 9 8 4 (UK)
    12 x 35 minute episodes

    The Young Ones was one of the very first appearances of ideologically sound “alternative” comedy in Britain. Though named after a Cliff Richard song, there was nothing sweet or wholesome here . . .

    The Cliff Richard fanatic was Rik, a violent vegetarian who wrote very dodgy poetry and shared a house with three other students: Vyvyan, a punk with studs in his forehead and a pet hamster called SPG (for Special Patrol Group – The 80’s Bully Boys of the British police force), Neil (a hippie lentil-freak who did all the housework) and Mike, who was by far the weakest character and had no real personality to speak of (He certainly got all the crappiest lines).

    The Young Ones were students of course. They lived like students, they were poor like students and their house was the archetypical student digs.

    They argued frequently about who would do the cooking or tidy up, or who had eaten Rik’s half-eaten apple from the (empty) fridge. Left-over food usually became animated and had some of the best one-liners in the script.

    youngones

    Cartoon-style violence reigned as this quartet proceeded to kick the house (and each other) to pieces at every opportunity.

    The damage to the house was duly deducted from the rent by their Russian landlord, Jerzey Balowski (Alexei Sayle ostensibly playing himself as Jerzey and several other members of the Balowski family).

    A highlight was the weekly guest band playing live in the lounge room: Madness, The Damned, Motorhead, Rip, Rig + Panic, Dexys Midnight Runners and the sensational mod band Nine Below Zero (playing Eleven Plus Eleven in the debut episode).

    The jokes were either slapstick or very surreal. For example, the boys’ cleaning cupboard was actually a portal to Narnia a la The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

    youngones_2

    The Young Ones was superbly written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer. The 12 episodes featured many other members of the comedy cabaret circuit in guest roles, many appearing on TV for the first time.

    These included Mark Arden and Stephen Frost, Keith Allen, Helen Atkinson Wood, Jim Barclay, Chris Barrie, Arnold Brown, Robbie Coltrane, Lee Cornes, Andy de la Tour, co-writer Ben Elton, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Gareth Hale and Norman Pace, Lenny Henry, Helen Lederer, Norman Lovett, Pauline Melville, Paul Merton, Daniel Peacock, David Rappaport, Tony Robinson and Emma Thompson.

    Not The Nine O’Clock News stars Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones also appeared, as did, with a nod to the previous generation of young blades, Terry Jones from Monty Python.

    The younger generations loved the show and felt the series was right on their wavelength. More ‘mature’ critics were appalled at the wanton violence, infantile jokes and total disrespect for society; but many of these, too, were won over as the series progressed.

    youngones_372

    It was a series which certainly shook up television comedy and heralded the age of the “alternative” comedian.

    Indeed The Young Ones continued well beyond its 12 episodes, with Mayall and Edmondson’s later offerings Filthy, Rich & Catflap and Bottom being essentially extensions of the series.

    The Young Ones screened in the US on MTV in the late 80s and was an utter, utter, utter brilliant show. There was nothing like it before and there will be nothing like it again.

    “I bet you think it’s very clever to laugh, with 3 million people on the dole”

    Rik
    Rik Mayall
    Vyvyan 

    Adrian Edmondson
    Neil 

    Nigel Planer
    Mike 

    Christopher Ryan
    The Balowski Family 

    Alexei Sayle

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Sunshine
      Sunshine
      1 9 7 5 (USA) 13 x 30 minute episodes This Thursday night NBC sitcom was based on a CBS TV…
    • Hiller and Diller
      Hiller and Diller
      1 9 9 7 (USA) 14 x 30 minute episodes This ABC comedy series featured Ted Hiller and Neil Diller, friends…
    • Cannon and Ball
      Cannon and Ball
      1 9 7 9 - 1 9 8 8 (UK) 43 x 30 minute episodes 22 x 45 minute episodes 6…
    • Strike Force
      Strike Force
      1 9 8 1 - 1 9 8 2 (USA) 20 x 60 minute episodes Captain Frank Murphy (Robert The Untouchables Stack)…
    • Puddle Lane
      Puddle Lane
      1 9 8 5 - 1 9 8 9 (UK) 75 x 15 minute episodes This Yorkshire Television series for children…
    • If You See God, Tell Him
      If You See God, Tell Him
      1 9 9 3 (UK) 4 x 45 minute episodes Godfrey Spry (Richard Briers) receives brain damage when a barrow…
    • ITV Playhouse
      ITV Playhouse
      1 9 6 7 - 1 9 8 3 (UK) 254 x 90 minute/60 minute episodes ITV Playhouse debuted on…
    • Nesbitts Are Coming, The
      Nesbitts Are Coming, The
      1 9 8 0 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes The Nesbitts were a family of roving vagabonds and small-time crooks…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleDickie Henderson Show, The
    Next Article Young At Heart

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Pathfinders, The
      1 9 7 2 – 1 9 7 3 (UK) 13 x 60 minute episodes This series […]
    • Troubles and Strife
      1 9 8 5 – 1 9 8 6 (UK) 13 x 30 minute episodes A group of […]
    • Blockhouse, The (1973)
      The Blockhouse was based on a real-life horror story. In 1951 […]
    • Tim Hardin
      Only three weeks after the globally-discussed death of John […]
    • Parkin’s Patch
      1 9 6 9 – 1 9 7 0 (UK) 26 x 30 minute episodes “501 […]
    • Father Of The Bride
      1 9 6 1 – 1 9 6 2 (USA) 34 x 30 minute episodes Attorney […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😢
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    2 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    4 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    5 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.