1 9 8 6 – 1 9 9 1 (UK)
1 9 9 4 – 1 9 9 6 (UK)
62 x 30 minute episodes
4 x 40 minute episodes
15 x 30 minute episodes
Abbot came to the BBC in 1986 with a bigger budget and some new characters, but he also kept many of the the old favourites from his ITV series, Russ Abbot’s Madhouse.
Memorable characters included C U Jimmy, a tartan-clad lout with an impenetrable accent whose catchphrase “see you Jimmy” was the only coherent part of his speech (pictured below right); suave but stupid secret agent Basildon Bond (pictured below left); Spanish heartthrob Julio Doubleglazias; portly opera singer Fatman; RAF doubletalk speaker and flying ace Dirk Handlebar-Moustache (pictured at left); and manic composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Each show overflowed with quickfire gags and elaborate slapstick, and Abbot was supported by his regular troupe of players and some newcomers.
The BBC eventually failed to renew his contract, considering him too corny. He returned to the ITV in 1994 for a Granada version of The Russ Abbot Show.
