================================== B R I T C O M E D Y D I G E S T ================================== VOL. 2 STEPHEN FRY'S CONFUSED WEB WANDERINGS JULY 1995 No. 1 HUGH GRANT SLUMMING IT A monthly electronic newsletter on British comedies. What's Inside ============= * FINALLY: DEATH FISH II * TAKE THE "FISH CALLED WANDA" QUIZ! * "BLACK ADDER" PILOT SYNOPSIS & REVIEW * A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF A FRED NAMED SPIKE MILLIGAN * OP/ED: LETTERMAN IN LONDON * TOURS IN THE UK Regular Departments: =================== Mailbox Britcomedy News BD Recommends NEW! Spotted on the Internet NEW! Quote-o'-the-Month etc. Circulation/Back Issues Staff ===== Managing Editor..................Melinda 'Bob' Casino Contributing Editor..............Michelle Street Slacker..........................James Kew Copy Editor......................Cynthia Edwards Velocity girl....................Michelle Casino Contributing writers: Vincent Golden, Steve Phillip, Rob Putnam, Steve Roberts, Kristin C. Sabo. HTML logo by Nathan Gasser. Britcomedy Digest (ISSN 1077-6680) Copyright (c) 1995 by Melinda Casino. Reproduction for personal and non-profit use is permitted only if this copyright notice is retained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission. Britcomedy Digest may be uploaded without the editor's permission to bulletin boards. MAILBOX ======= Spotted this in the latest Britcomedy Digest: "It's hard to name a British comedian who *hasn't* appeared in commercials or at least done voice-overs..." ("Newsquirks," vol. 1 no. 13). One British comedian who doesn't do commercials is Ben Elton. Pam Wells Southend-on-Sea, Essex Vacuous Tarts Incorporated - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Just finished reading the latest edition of the Digest. I enjoyed it very much. Well done! That said, I did notice one omission in the digest. When you were listing Rik Mayall's appearances, you only listed his first appearance on "Blackadder." He also was in the fourth series, "Private Plane," again as Lord Flashheart. Bette Llewellyn Cary, North Carolina - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The series of films about the constitution ("Cleese Ad Deemed Unsuitable for Children," News, v. 1 no. 13) had nothing whatsoever to do with Cleese's non-smoking ad's which, at a guess, where being paid for by the Department of Health -- who are hardly likely to want to be responsible for a series critising the government. D.J. Ford EDITOR'S RESPONSE: Thank you for the correction. Several readers wrote in about this error; it was due to an editorial mistake, not the news staff's doing. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In Kingsley Amis's _Memoirs_ (Summit Books, 1991, p. 180), the author writes: "[Peter Sellers] told me that the whole resurgence or whatever it was of British humour had been started or invented by the Goons in their radio show of 1951-1960... It occurred to me too late that _essentially_ the Goons (with Major Bloodnok) had derived from ITMA (with Colonel Chinstrap), and so had much else besides." Do any Britcomedy Digest readers know what "ITMA" was? Ricky Fluke Roosevelt Dimes, Fort Worth, TX EDITOR's RESPONSE: "ITMA" stands for "It's That Man Again," a popular radio series in the UK during the 1950's. Any readers who know more about this show are encouraged to write to BD. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - With regard to the remaining lost episodes of "Q5" (see "Letters," v. 1 no. 13), it now seems unlikely that the collector has the rest after all... However, Spike Milligan fans will be pleased to know that the BBC are producing a 90-minute documentary about his life and work, which will feature many obscure clips. Spike was also able to view one of the returned "Q5's" at a recent screening at the National Film Theatre. As far as BBC Web pages go, I think you will begin to see more. Although slow to get off the ground, the BBC is now taking the 'net very seriously, so I think it will flourish. As with all these things, positive feedback to their efforts so far is the best way to encourage them. Steve Roberts BBC - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Very nice job on the Digest. Regarding Spike Milligan's laudatory comments about the Pythons, he should remember there are SIX geniuses in the troupe, not FIVE. My faves are Python and "Are You Being Served?". Just now getting into "Keeping Up Appearances" ([I] never see ANYTHING written on that show anywhere on the 'net). Question: How come no one ever writes anything about "Dave Allen at Large"? (And NO wisecracks for answers to that question!) Keep up the great work. Bill Siwicki Chicago, Illinois EDITOR'S RESONSE: I'll restrain myself from making wisecracks... There haven't been any articles about Dave Allen for the simple reason that you're the first to ask. With so many Britcoms out there, I tend to cover whatever the readers request. Thank you for writing -- I hope to cover this wonderful comedian in the future. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I surfed all your pages and links... where is the important message that the opening night will be December 8 at the Hammersmith Apollo Theatre for a new "Bottom" show... This could really be (for me and my 5 devoted fans) a great oppertunity to meet other "Bottom" fans from the 'net in real life. How about some sort of happening? Well Byeeeeee Christopher Lxfdahl Denmark EDITOR'S RESPONSE: The "Big Number Two Tour" dates are included in this issue, along with Alexei Sayle's tour dates. And I've extended an open invitation for a get-together to those who'd like to meet fellow Internet Bottom fans (see "etc."). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Saw Britcomedy Digest on alt.tv.red-dwarf. Brilliant, the URL is now in my bookmark. I do have a question re: "In 1965 he made a much-publicized conversion to Christianity." ("Cliff Richard Gets Knighted," News, v. 1 no.13) I thought his conversion came much later -- as in circa 1980. Am I confused? I base the above on the fact that I moved to the US (from Kenya) in 1979, and the music I remember him producing at the time was decidedly secular. As the article points out Cliff Richard is almost completely unknown in the US so I did not hear about him for a while. It seems to me that the next time I heard anything about him was the great conversion, heralded by a song with a title like "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?" Or something like that. Sami Mikhail EDITOR'S RESPONSE: Yikes. Has BD made another embarrassing mistake? Readers, write in and enlighten both myself and Sami on this one. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MAILBOX: Send letters to with the subject heading "Letter to the Editor." Include your full name and location. BRITCOMEDY NEWS --------------- HUGH GRANT FACES THE MUSIC "What the hell were you thinking?" With that question, American chat show host Jay Leno kicked off Hugh Grant's first television interview since "the incident." Much to his credit, Grant didn't skirt the issue, and although he seemed uncomfortable at times and tired, his natural charm served him well. "I think you know in life pretty much what's a good thing to do and what's a bad thing. I did a bad thing and there you have it," he told Leno. For those of you who may have been on holiday in Outer Mongolia, the star of "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was arrested in Los Angeles last month for "lewd conduct" with a prostitute named Divine Brown. Though it looks as if he won't be serving any jail time, the publicity surrounding the arrest could not have come at a worse time. His girlfriend, actress/model Elizabeth Hurley, had just signed a contract to promote Estee Lauder products and Grant's new movie, "Nine Months," is opening in the States this week. However, judging from the reaction of the studio audience, Grant's troubles will more than likely soon be forgotten. The audience greeted him with massive cheering and applause and the buzz on "Nine Months," which also stars Tom Arnold and Robin Williams, is exceptionally good. Grant seemed genuinely remorseful about having hurt the people he cares about the most. In regards to his relationship with his girlfriend his only comment was that "we're going to try and work it out." "MELCHETT" HAS A HOME PAGE It's common knowledge that there are a lot of celebrities hooked up to the net. Jodie Foster is said to lurk on alt.showbiz.gossip and some people claim that she even posts under an assumed name. Others such as Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and Dave Barry have been known to post using their true identities. Stephen Fry, however, has gone everyone else one better and created his own homepage, which can be found at http://www.phantom.com/~stephenf. Entitled "SJF's Confused Wanderings," it enables net surfers to download a picture of the great man, e-mail him, and hey, he even takes the time to thank you for stopping by. (And yes, he *does* answer his e-mail, but please be patient as it sometimes takes him a couple of days.--ed.) No, thank *you* Stephen, for creating such a lovely web site and giving us the opportunity to join you in your "confused wanderings." Now tell us, how do we get "Britcomedy Digest" added to your hotlist, huh? :) Can we grovel enough to get you to contribute an article? You know where to reach us. :) STEVE COOGAN SHOOTING NEXT SERIES Steve Coogan has teamed up with his "Knowing Me, Knowing You" colleague Patrick Marber for a new series set in the Lancastrian town of Ottle. Coogan's familiar Lancastrian creations "Paul Calf" and "Pauline Calf" will be joined by new ones in his first attempt at "narrational comedy." According to an interview in The Guardian (July 10), the as of yet unnamed series will be strongly character-driven, and each episode will be directed in a completely different style by Geoff Posner. Posner has worked with Harry Enfield, French and Saunders, Victoria Wood and Josie Lawrence. Watch for a review of this BBC 2 series in upcoming issues of BD. BRAVO TO BRAVO Viewers of the Bravo network are being treated this month to classic British comedy from the vaults of Ealing Studio. Friday nights in July have been reserved for such memorable films as "The Lady-killers," with Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers, "The Green Man" with Alastair Sim, "The Lavender Hill Mob" with Alec Guinness, plus "School For Scoundrels" with Ian Carmichael and Terry-Thomas. Sadly, films are no longer made at Ealing but set your VCR and you'll be able to preserve for posterity classic comedy from this once-great studio. MORECAMBE TO BE SITE OF COMEDY MUSEUM Continuing our series "Unsung Heroes of British Comedy," we have the story of Jeremy Gomm, editor-in-chief of Lancaster and Morecambe newspapers. Mr. Gomm has devised a plan for Britain's first National Museum of Comedy and Laughter. A charitable trust has been established to obtain and administer funding for this multi-million pound celebration of the British sense of humour. Much of the money is expected to come from the Arts Council, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, and the Millenium Commission. "Comedy is an essential element of the British way of life," Mr. Gomm said. "It is part of our national character and deserves a place in the nation's heritage. Yet there is no national archive of comedy material, no centre of comic studies, nowhere to learn about our comic heritage. The National Museum of Comedy will change all that." The proposed museum will be associated with Lancaster University, whose honorary graduates include Eric Morecambe, Thora Hird, and Victoria Wood. The plan has the support of the university officials as well as the local council and, if all goes well, will be located on the Morecambe sea front. DONALD SINCLAIR DIES Donald Sinclair, the man who was the basis for the character of "Siegfried Farnon" in James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small," died Wednesday, July 5, at the age of 84. James Herriot passed away only four months earlier. -------> Send news items to Michelle Street . E D I T O R I A L / O P I N I O N P A G E =========================================== DAVID LETTERMAN, WHIPPING-BOY FOR REC.ARTS.TV.UK by Kristin C. Sabo Letterman went continental recently. And true to the new CBS Dave, "The Late Show" caravan rolled into London amid pomp, press, and paparazzi. By the time Dave began broadcasting across the pond, there were few in Great Britain who hadn't heard that a week of Letterman in London was underway. I haven't a clue as to the exact number of Britains that actually tuned DL in, but a reasonably large amount of regulars in the rec.arts.tv.uk forum on USENET certainly took a gander at Diamond Dave. Apparently they did not like what they saw for the most part -- at least those who voiced an opinion right away definitely didn't. "Letterman in London was dire", the subject line pronounced. Having seen a bit of the imported Dave myself, I read the follow-up comments in hope of finding an explanation for the judgment. Oh boy... Did I just say "comments"? Comments would have been appropriate. After all, USENET is an open forum, fielding opinions and fostering communication and discussion among a wide range of international computer users. Consensus is not necessarily the goal of a dialogue on USENET. Understanding reason and motivation certainly is, and as the majority of USENET participants are college educated, one expects for the most part a certain rationality in a post. This at least in theory, and one is usually rewarded in practice. Such were my expectations regarding the UK rec.arts.tv.uk analysis of Dave-Across-The-Pond. What I actually saw there completely shocked me. Initial reaction slammed old Dave big-time. Well, everyone's entitled to their opinion... but I wasn't prepared for such severe negativity, often levelled without explanation or rationale. Then it got nasty. "What a waste of the [tv] license fee", and "I cannot believe Americans watch this crap." Nasty became ugly. One British gentleman stated that if Letterman was America's idea of humor, then it was best that we Americans keep stabbing and killing one another in the streets. Another writer claimed that DL was incredibly racist -- she couldn't see how we could tolerate such a bigot. A yet different thread preached the arguable "fact" that Americans have taken the British version of irony and crudely shoved it well over the top, and in fact we do this with *everything* we get our American hands upon... The tirade was at best snobbish and hostile, at worst hypocritical. And amazingly popular, based on the number of those who jumped on the bandwagon. Oh no, we've never seen the British make racist jokes about the French, Italians, Americans, Germans, and even the Welsh, have we? Nor do the British have anything even approaching the 'in-jokiness' of "The Late Show"... right? In fact, UK television has had its own "Late Show," a horrid little thing called "Noel's House Party." You want your continental Letterman, insipid in-jokes and all? Check out Mr. Noel Edmonds sometime. Yes, America has its share of garbage television, but we aren't the only ones, mate. Other USENET posts asserted that all of America tunes into "The Late Show". In reality, Dave typically garners a 4.5 share -- about 4 million viewers, you can do the math to determine what percent of US televisions are actually watching our national in-joke. Meanwhile, Noel had one of five UK sets tuned in. That's 20% of all UK televisions. Bad as so many of the 'netters claimed the House Party was, a substantial fraction of the UK viewing public watched it. Now, I find the attraction of "Noel's House Party" completely incomprehensible, but I would never extrapolate about the British television industry based solely upon "Noel's House Party". And wishing the deaths of Britains based upon a perceived impaired national sense of humor? (much less wishing anyone's expiration, period) Uh huh... one might as well slap a big, neon sign reading "egotistical paranoid lunatic" on one's forehead. To witness rec.arts.tv.uk use David Letterman as an excuse to air their anti-American sentiments was frustrating. There were actually a few posts that contained discussion and analysis- some actually admitted they liked Letterman- but for the most part, nobody pointed out that a shark-feeding thread, with Americans as bait, had begun. So on it went. I realize DL will have limited appeal to a foreign audience. Heck, it's not exactly hurting me if no one likes DL a bit. Yet I fail to realize why one show caused such an unfounded outburst of hostility towards Americans. It's fairly clear that the King of Late Night's appearance in London certainly wasn't the direct cause of the tirade, just appeared to be a good excuse to unleash it. And I wonder why... why all this anger from people who share far more with us than they care to admit at times? I have quite a few friends on the other side of the pond; I admire many an aspect of British culture as do others over here. Witness the popularity of UK television and the pledges it generates month after month on PBS. Then there is the American preoccupation with the Royals, the popularity an actor with 'the accent' often achieves in American media... and on and on. America likes Great Britain -- a lot. For some reason I believed the sentiment to be mutual. The wildly- escalating USENET attack upon 'the Americans' hurt, confused, and disappointed me. And I do not understand it; I expect I never will. And so one has to wonder, what might cause this monster to rear its head again? ### Britcomedy Digest welcomes contrasting views. Mail rebuttals and editorials to with the subject "EDITORIAL". Finally: Death Fish II ;-) By Rob Putnam The long awaited follow-up film to John Cleese's 1990 hit "A Fish Called Wanda" is finally underway. Cleese, along with Wanda stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin, began filming "Fierce Creatures," this spring. The script has been over two years in the writing. Although this is referred to by many as a sequel to "Wanda" (read "Death Fish II"), it is, in Kline's words, "an equal, not a sequel." I don't mind saying I'm glad that Cleese, in his wisdom, saw fit to leave "Wanda" well enough alone. I count it among my favorite films, and I wouldn't like to see its memory detracted from by trying to enhance an already perfect story. But I digress. Perhaps in a conscious effort to disassociate "Fierce Creatures" from "Wanda," Cleese has taken pains to cast the actors in an altogether different light than they appeared in "Wanda." Cleese plays an ex-Hong Kong police officer, who, in his words, "has got a lot more balls than old Archie had in 'Wanda,' but isn't really very romantic in his attitudes" (Willman, 1994). Palin, in an about-face, is cast as a person who seems to never stop chattering; Curtis is cast as a hot-shot executive, and Kline has dual roles of rich guy and his marketing professional nephew. Beyond this, I will reveal nothing of the plot (largely because that's all I know of it). In fact, I will actively avoid learning more of it, as I love surprises. I've come to expect some wonderful surprises from him, and so far, I haven't been let down. Some of you may recall that "Wanda" operated at a budget of $7.5 million. In view of it's $190 million international earnings, I'd call that money well spent. "Fierce Creatures" is written by John Cleese and Iain Johnstone, and co-produced by Michael Shamberg (who past works include "Wanda" and "Pulp Fiction"). Interestingly, "Fierce Creatures" is directed by Robert Young, who has directed Cleese in over 50 television commercials. "Wanda" director Charles Crichton, now aged 85, is helping with the script. "Fierce Creatures" is being produced by MGM/Universal. ### Rob Putnam's chief claim to fame is that his sig is in this issue. Test your Wanda smarts: Take the Wanda Trivia Quiz! =================================================== 1. Who was Ilene Cody, and where did she live? 2. What was the name of Portia's horse? 3. What was the pseudonym that Otto assumed upon meeting Wendy Leech? 4. Where did George move the stolen diamonds to? 5. How much were the diamonds worth (in pounds)? 6. Who does George quote during the robbery planning scene? 7. Where did George live? 8. What were the names of the people that interrupted Archie and Wanda in the flat at 2B honest? 9. What were Otto's three misconceptions that Wanda corrected him on? 10. What actor/comedian does Otto knock over the head after distracting with the line "Look--the Queen!"? 11. What happens to Otto after Archie and Wanda leave for South America? 12. What language, besides Italian, turns Wanda on? ====================== Answers in back of BD. ====================== References: Chris Willman, "Los Angeles TImes," November 25, 1994, Section F, Page 1, Column 2. ### BD RECOMMENDS ============= Capsule reviews on radio programs, television, and stage. THUMB SIDEWAYS Feature Review: The Other Side of Chris Barrie June 20-29, 1995 I caught Chris Barrie's one-man show at the Reading Hexagon -- a night he'd probably like to forget. Amongst microphone problems and faulty pre-recorded music, Barrie ("Red Dwarf," "The Brittas Empire") managed to plod through 2 hours of skits, song, and stand-up. Supported by an excellent cast of three women (one of whom is his girlfriend) and one man, the troupe managed to entertain even when the gags were predictable and fell flat. There were three songs, the most audience-pleasing being the finale when Barrie came out dressed as "Gordon Brittas" and sang (and danced!) about the benefits of exercise. The cast even tried, in vain, to get the audience out of their seats to participate in the aerobics. Another highlight came during one of the three stand-up bits. I say "stand-up" but it was really much more rough than that; Barrie talked to the audience in an intimate way that didn't feel like the pat spiel of a stand-up comedian. Barrie opened, "A lot of people have been coming up to me after the show and asking why there hasn't been any Red Dwarf in the show." (Huge audience applause.) "Well, it's a little difficult to transport an entire set and cast onto the stage of the Reading Hexagon ..." But he responded to audience cheers by doing a hilarious routine (which seemed off-the-cuff) where he performed a typical plot, poking fun at the predictability of each character's lines. It went *roughly* like this: KRYTEN: "Sir," (audience cheers/laughs) "Sir, there is an extra-terrestrial being approaching the ship. What should we do?" RIMMER: "KRYTEN!" [Chris breaks in with a smile, "That's me."] "KRYTEN! We've got to destroy it before it destroys us!" CAT: "OOOOOOOOWWWW!" [twirling around] "A new life form? Let's see if I can have SEX with it! Yeah, I'm so excited, all SIX of my nipples are *tingling*..." LISTER: "Hol, can you give us a reading on it?" HOLLY: "Oh... wot? Uh..." KRYTEN: "Holly, I thought you'd left after season 2 ..." [Barrie: "Probably the biggest mistake of his career." Audience laughs, then realizes how mean that is, and Barrie winces along with them.] All in all, I'm not sure the night was worth it; if you're not a "Red Dwarf"/"Brittas Empire" fan (and this is not an either/or stipulation -- you must be wildly into *both*), save your tenner and rent a movie instead. Watching "the other side of Barrie" with anything less than a oh-my-god-I'm-seeing-him-live-in-the-flesh mind-set is just not worth it. NOTE: Britcomedy Digest is offering a free color 6"x8" flyer promoting "The Other Side of Chris Barrie." Contact the editor for details. Offer good for those outside the UK only. While supplies last. THUMBS UP Men Behaving Badly 9:30 PM Thursdays BBC 1 The first series this show ran, everyone said it was crap. Now it's the darling of the comedy line-up Thursday nights. The show takes a tired format -- two loser bachelor boys and their misguided attempts at running their lives -- and actually makes it feel new, partly due to the writing and partly due to the wonderful actors. Tune in for an instant self-esteem boost. THUMBS UP Terry Pratchett's "The Wyrd Sisters" 11 PM Thursdays Radio 4 With Sheila Hancock, Lynda Baron, and Deborah Berlin. This is the first radio-adaptation of a Terry Pratchett novel; so far, this series is doing the disc-world novel justice. Don't miss it and turn the lights off for a creepy experience. THUMBS UP The All-New Alexei Sayle Show 2 9:30 PM Fridays BBC2 Alexei Sayle is actually funny in this series, as he relies more on an adept supporting cast and writers than on dominating the show with his walking/talking to the camera format that he's relied on in the past. One episode spoofs comic-book hero Superman by plunking him down in a coal mining town (Superman gets out of a phone booth and promptly spits on the ground.) Other highlights include "Drunk in Time," a paparazzi skit, and "Menstral Cycles" (a bicycle program for lesbians). ### BLACK ADDER: THE PILOT -- a summary and review ---------------------------------------------- by Steve Roberts , Steve Phillips , and Michelle Street . Incredible as it may seem, the pilot of "Blackadder" was actually recorded thirteen years ago. Though not rip-roaringly funny, it is nevertheless a fascinating television document in its own right and definitely worthy of a television showing or video release. The script, credited to Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, begins with the following narration: "It is Europe, 400 years ago. In Spain, war rages, as Christians from every land fight off the threatening terror of Turkish invasion. The French... are in uneasy peace. But in England, under the tutelage of a powerful king, the Ship of State ploughs a steady course as the court awaits the Queen's birthday and the return of a Scottish hero from the war... " The show then opens with Prince Henry, the King, and the Queen discussing the war with the Spanish. They hope it will soon be over so they can get on with fighting the French. The Queen is in high spirits, as it is her birthday and she has been given the county of Shropshire as a present. Prince Edmund is in his chambers with his servants Percy and Baldrick. He is clearly unhappy about the task he has been given, which is to arrange the festivities for both the Queen's birthday and the return of the Scottish hero McAngus to the court. He refers to his brother Henry as "the bastard." Baldrick points out that if Henry actually was a bastard, Edmund would one day be King. When he finds out that the eunuchs scheduled to appear have cancelled, Edmund decides to have them executed. ("This is a Royal command performance -- there are only two options. Either you do it, or you don't do it. If you do it, you don't get paid. If you don't do it, you get beheaded.") Later -- the main hall. The Scottish hero, McAngus, appears. It is clear that Edmund treats him with contempt, feeling that slaughtering a few Turks is not very heroic. He is stunned when the King gives all Edmund's lands in Scotland to McAngus. Edmund's Chambers -- Edmund is furious. He, Percy and Baldrick plot to kill McAngus. Percy warns that the King will cut Edmund off if he thinks he has deliberately killed McAngus, so they agree to make it look like an accident. Baldrick suggests putting McAngus's head in the mouth of a cannon and firing it, but Edmund dismisses this as feeble. McAngus's Room -- Edmund enters looking for McAngus, but the room is empty. He finds a spiked Turkish helmet on the table and tries it on, but it gets stuck. Hearing someone approaching, he hides behind the door. McAngus enters, followed by the Queen. McAngus tells the Queen that his father sends her his regards -- they used to know each other very well! The Queen leaves, and McAngus discovers Edmund. They manage to get the helmet off, and Edmund invites McAngus to act as the Scotsman in the play "The Death of the Scotsman," to be performed for the Queens birthday. The main hall, later that evening -- They are about to start the play, when they discover that McAngus is drunk. Percy and Baldrick begin the play, and are later joined by Edmund and McAngus. In the play, McAngus insults the Queen, then stabs Edmund with a fake telescopic sword. He is sentenced to be hung from the gallows. Leaving the stage, Edmund instructs Percy and Baldrick to remove the safety hook from the gallows, and warns them that whatever happens, if the Scotsman lives, they will die. Off-stage, McAngus tells Edmund about hidden love letters from the Queen to McAngus's father, casting doubts on the lineage of Prince Henry. McAngus is back on stage about to be hanged before Edmund realises he needs him alive to show him the letters. He tries to stop the hanging from off-stage by cutting the noose with a spear, but it fails, so in a last-ditch attempt, he throws a sheet over his head, and enters the stage as the ghost of the Prince. He pleads mercy for the Scotsman, but Percy and Baldrick, mindful of his previous threat, are determined to carry out the execution. A comic fight sequence ensues, which ends with Edmund inadvertently hanging McAngus himself, but then holding him up to stop him choking. Later, in McAngus's room -- A gleeful Edmund is shown the love letters that his mother wrote. He instructs Baldrick to have the court assembled in the morning. The main hall, the following morning -- Edmund tells everyone about the letters, which are dated November and December 1526. He begins to falter as he realises that this was nine months AFTER Henry's birth, but nine months BEFORE his own -- it is he who is the bastard, not Henry! McAngus is as surprised at this revelation as Edmund is. Edmund tries to pretend that McAngus has forged the letters, and challenges him to a duel -- to the death. Edmund instructs Baldrick to get the fake telescopic sword, but Percy gives Edmund the fake instead. There is a big fight, which culminates in Edmund stabbing McAngus with the fake sword. On finding out that Edmund tried to set him up with the fake sword, McAngus is furious and is about to kill Edmund, when the King begs him for clemency. McAngus agrees, but only if Edmund begs for mercy, which he does. Later, in the King's chambers -- The King, Queen and Henry are discussing the letters, which apparently turned out to be French forgeries. Edmund and McAngus are now supposed to be the best of friends. However, up on the tower, McAngus is peering down the barrel of a large cannon, at Edmund's request. Back in the King's chambers, a loud bang is heard. Edmund comes rushing in to announce that there has been a terrible accident -- as everyone else leaves the room, he turns to the camera, and waves both fists in triumph... Closing Credits: "The Black Adder" by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson Prince Edmund............Rowan Atkinson The King.................John Savident The Queen................Elspet Gray Prince Henry.............Robert Bathurst Percy....................Tim McInnery Baldrick.................Philip Fox McAngus..................Alex Norton Rudkin...................Simon Gipps Kent Jesuit...................Oengus Macnamara Music....................Howard Goodall Fight Arranger...........Malcolm Ranson Senior Cameraman.........Pete Ware Vision Mixer.............Angela Wilson Properties Buyer.........Tricia Ruddell Visual Effects...........John Brace, Simon Taylor V.T. Editor..............Graham Hutchings Technical Manager........Dave Hare Graphic Designer.........Marc Ortmans Costume Designer.........Richard Croft Make-up Artist...........Jill Sharlow Production Team..........Camilla Howard, Hilary Bevan Jones Lighting.................Peter Winn Sound....................Richard Chamberlain Production Manager.......Michael Leggo Designers................Roger Cann, Philip Lindley Producer.................Geoff Posner The final shot is of the family coat of arms, inscribed with the motto: "Veni Vidi Castratavi Illegitimos." This very roughly translates as: "I came, I saw, I castrated the bastards!" No Director credit is given, presumably this was also Posner. This episode was re-made as "Born to be King," which is fairly similar to the pilot. However, in the transmitted version, McAngus clearly realises that the letters cast doubt over Edmund rather than Henry (Harry) and is deliberately setting him up, whereas in the pilot it comes as a complete surprise to him. Atkinson's performance as Edmund is somewhere between the portrayal in series one and that of the latter series, although the strong sarcasm is missing. If you realise that what makes the series 2-4 character work *is* the sarcastic/sardonic attitude, you'll see that the character here is rather thinly drawn and ambiguous. In fitting with the harsher, brasher image -- gone is the pudding-basin haircut, to be replaced by tight curls. Such is the change in the character that the idiocy of the head-stuck-in-the-helmet slapstick, whilst fine for the re-make, is out of place here. The biggest let-down by far in this pilot is the actor playing Baldrick. Tony Robinson is not exactly Olivier but having somebody else play the part reveals just how missed he is. The blonde-haired Philip Fox fails miserably on every level but the character is only weakly sketched in the script so he cannot be blamed for all the shortcomings. The other major casting change is the King's part. Instead of Brian Blessed, John Savalent turns in a more reserved and thoughtful performance (I was never a fan of Blessed's stock-in-trade "shouting kings" anyhow). A criticism, which can also be levelled at most of the first series proper, is that the plot is over-complicated. Indeed, during the performance of "The Death Of A Scotsman" play, it's quite difficult to work out what is going on. The production team must have realised this, hence the re-working and simplifying of this scene prior to the re-make. The pilot also suffers from not having the dramatic theme music of the first series, although the opening silhouetted castle graphics are quite effective. Despite these criticisms, people who like the approach of the latter three series will feel much more at home with the character of Blackadder here than a random dip into any of the series one episodes. ### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Bibliography of a Fred named Spike Milligan. 1.0 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Vincent Golden The following is an excerpt from the new "Spike Milligan Bibliography of Printed Works." The full document can be found at: http://www.cathouse.org/BritishComedy/SpikeMilligan/Milligan_Bibliography.txt ____________ INTRODUCTION Spike Milligan is best known for writing and starring in the 1950's radio show, "The Goon Show," with Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe. This show influenced later comics such as Peter Cook, the members of Monty Python, and "The Goodies." After the end of "The Goon Show," Spike created the "Q" series for the BBC and wrote a play, "The Bed-Sitting Room." He has also appeared in other stage plays and movies. He started writing books in the 1960s and has accumulated more than 84 books to his writing resume. These include children's books, parodies, autobiography, letters, novels, scripts, and poetry. _______________ ABOUT THIS LIST The following is a list of books authored or edited by Spike Milligan through the first part of 1995. This bibliography was compiled by combing through some on-line databases; the British Library printed catalogue through 1987; and Whitaker's British Books in Print for the past 35 years. This list does not contain recordings or publications where Spike Milligan was a contributor. Those editions marked with an * are listed as still in print in the 1995 edition of Whitaker's British Books in Print. ____________________________________________________________ Adolf Hitler : my part in his downfall. (War autobiography, vol. 1) London: Michael Joseph, 1971. ISBN: 0718108663 *Harmondsworth, Eng.: Penguin, 1972. paperback ISBN: 0140035206 Oxford: ISIS Large Print, 1987 (Mainstream series) ISBN: 1850891966 London: Book Club Assoc., 1972 New York: Harper's Magazine Press, 1974 ISBN: 006126380X Badjelly the witch : a fairy story [written in his own handwriting, reproduced from manuscript] Walton-on-Thames: M. and J. Hobbs ; London: Joseph, 1973 ISBN: 0718111125 London: Target Books, 1974 paperback ISBN: 0426105672 The bedside Milligan, or, Read yourself to insomnia Walton-on-Thames: Margaret and Jack Hobbs, 1968 ISBN: 0851380042 London: Tandem, 1971 ISBN: 0426069471 ISBN: 0426054776 1972 paperback Walton-on-Thames: Hobbs in association with Michael Joseph, 1983 ISBN: 0718122275 Star Books, 1979 ISBN: 0352306270 (written with John Antrobus) The bed-sitting room Walton-on-Thames: Margaret and Jack Hobbs, 1970 ISBN: 0851380123 London: Tandem, 1972 ISBN: 0426068599, 0426158008 The Bible : the Old Testament according to Spike Milligan London: Michael Joseph, 1993 ISBN: 0718137361 *London: Penguin, 1994 paperback ISBN: 0140239707 The book of the Goons : incorporating a new selection of Spike Milligan's Goon Show scripts and, by courtesy of Whacklow, Futtle & Crun (Commissioniers for Oaths, threats issued), the authentic, unexpurgated inter-Goonal correspondence of certain naughty gentlemen and sundry others, alias Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan including photographs by Snowdon and drawings by the Goons. London: Robson Books, 1974 ISBN: 0903895269 London: Corgi, 1975 ISBN: 0552999563 *London: Robson, 1984 paperback ISBN: 086051286X New York: St. Martin's Press, 1975 NOTE: The following scripts are in the book: - The terrible revenge of Fred Fumanchu - The great string robberies - The Spon Plague - Tales of men's shirts - Robin's post Chill air [Leicester]: New Broom Press, 1981 ISBN: 0901870498 NOTE: Drawing by Rigby Graham. Limited edition of 150 copies. Cyclists please dismount : and other photographs from Kodak Limited's "Humour '70" exhibition. London: Angus & Robertson, 1971 ISBN: 0207954402 Dear Robert, Dear Spike : the Graves-Milligan correspondence Stroud, Gloucestershire: A. Sutton, 1991 ISBN: 0862996481 (with Anthony W. Clare) Depression and how to survive it. *Ebury, 1993 ISBN: 009177019X *London: Arrow, 1994 paperback ISBN: 0099858304 A dustbin of Milligan London: D. Dobson, 1961 ISBN: 0234775688 London: Louvain Landsborough, 1963 London: Tandem Books, 1965 ISBN: 0426042719 Star Books, 1979 ISBN: 0352306297 (and Tracey Boyd) Floored masterpieces with worse verse London: Macmillan, 1985 paperback ISBN: 333393147 Get in the Q annual Walton-on-Thames, Surrey: London: M & J Hobbs ; M. Joseph, 1980 ISBN: 0718119622 Good-bye soldier London: M. Joseph in association with J. Hobbs, 1986 (War biography, vol. 6) ISBN: 0718125045 *Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1987 paperback ISBN: 0140103384 The Goon cartoons London: M. Joseph in association with M. & J. Hobbs, 1982 ISBN: 0718122003 The Goon Show scripts London: Woburn Press, 1972 ISBN: 0713000767 London: Sphere Books, 1973 ISBN: 0722160585 London: Sphere, 1976 paperback ISBN: 0722160747 New York: St. Martin's Press, 1972 ISBN: 0713000767 Melbourne: Lansdowne, 1972 ISBN: 070180047X NOTE: The following scripts are in the book: - The dreaded batter pudding hurler - The phantom head-shaver - The affair of the lone banana - The canal - Napoleon's piano - Foiled by President Fred - The mighty wurlitzer - The Hastings flyer - The house of teeth (with Jack Hobbs) The great McGonagall scrap book Walton-on-Thames: London: M. and J. Hobbs; Joseph, 1975 ISBN: 071811258X Hidden words : collected poems *London: Michael Joseph, 1993 ISBN: 0718136152 Indefinite articles : culled from his newspaper writings and Scunthorpe London: M & J Hobbs in association with Michael Joseph, 1981 ISBN: 0718120787 London: Sphere, 1983 (paperback) ISBN: 0722161115 London: M. & J. Hobbs in association with M. Joseph, 1981 [Special late royal wedding ed.] ISBN: 0718120787 It ends with magic : a Milligan family story *London: M. Joseph, 1990 ISBN: 071813432X *London: Penguin, 1991 paperback ISBN: 0140139125 Lady Chatterley's lover : according to Spike Milligan *London: M. Joseph, 1994 ISBN: 0718138120 *London: Penguin, 1995 ISBN: 0140242996 paperback The lost Goon Shows London: Robson Books, 1987 ISBN: 0860514609 London: Penguin, 1988 paperback ISBN: 0140114173 *London: Robson, 1993 paperback ISBN: 0860518876 The Melting Pot London: Robson Books, 1983 ISBN: 0860511952 NOTE: A script of a recorded television program which was never aired. The Milligan book of records: games, cartoons and commercials Walton-on-Thames: London: M. and J. Hobbs; Joseph, 1975 ISBN: 0718113772 Star Books, 1977 ISBN: 0352396407 (and Jack Hobbs, editors) Milligan's ark Walton-on-Thames: London: Hobbs; Distributed by M. Joseph, 1971 ISBN: 0851380174 London: Sphere, 1977 paperback ISBN: 0722160801 NOTE: Foreword by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Milligan's war : the selected war memoirs of Spike Milligan London: Joseph, 1988 ISBN: 0718130359 *Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1989 paperback ISBN: 0140110828 Monty, his part in my victory (War autobiography, vol. 3) London: Joseph, 1976 ISBN: 0718115317 *Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1978 paperback ISBN: 0140045031 London: Book Club Associates, 1977 More Goon cartoons [Walton-on-Thames]: M. & J. Hobbs in association with Joseph, 1983 ISBN: 0718123417 (edited by Norma Farnes) More Spike Milligan letters London: M. & J. Hobbs in association with M. Joseph, 1984 ISBN: 0718124367 Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1985 (paperback) ISBN: 0140081631 Peace work (Peace/war autobiography, vol. 7) London: Michael Joseph, 1991 ISBN: 0718135334 *London: Penguin, 1992 paperback ISBN: 0140149708 The 'Q' annual London: M. Joseph in association with M. &. J. Hobbs, 1979 ISBN: 0718118707 Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1980 ISBN: 0140056491 NOTE: 'Based on material for the BBC Television "Q" series by Spike Milligan and Neil Shand.' "Rommel?"-"Gunner Who?" : a confrontation in the desert (War autobiography, vol. 2) London: Joseph, 1974 ISBN: 0718107330 London: Book Club Associates, 1975 Harmondsworth: Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1976 paperback ISBN: 0140041079 Silly verse for kids and animals Walton-on-Thames: M. & J. Hobbs in association with M. Jackson, 1984 ISBN: 0718124049 Small dreams of a scorpion : poems Walton-on-Thames: London: M. and J. Hobbs, Joseph, 1972 ISBN: 0718110498 Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1973 paperback ISBN: 0140035648 Spike Milligan -- paintings, drawings, manuscripts and recordings: [catalogue of an exhibition held] 5th December -- 23rd December 1972 London: Whitechapel Art Gallery, 1973 ISBN: 0854880127 There's lot of it about! London: M. & J. Hobbs in association with M. Joseph, 1983 ISBN: 0718122437 NOTE: Based on material written for the BBC Television series. Twelve poems that made December colder Leicester: New Broom Private Press, 1979 ISBN: 0901870374 NOTE: Limited ed. of 90 numbered copies Where have all the bullets gone? (War autobiography, vol. 5) Walton-on-Thames: M. & J. Hobbs in association with M. Joseph, 1985 ISBN: 0718124308 *Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1986 paperback ISBN: 014008892X (with Jack Hobbs) William McGonagall meets George Gershwin : a Scottish fantasy London: Joseph, 1988 ISBN: 0718131274 *Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1989 paperback ISBN: 0140119353 Wuthering Heights *London: Michael Joseph, 1994 ISBN: 0718137876 ____________________________________________________________ "The Spike Milligan Bibliography of Printed Works" compilation copyright (c) 1995 by Vincent Golden. This document is FREE, and should not be used by anyone for monetary gain. Reproductions without written permission are forbidden, except for individual use. FEEDBACK WELCOME! If you know of other editions, titles, or find any mistakes, please let me know. If you can, mail me a photocopy of the title page and the verso (that's the back side of the title page) -- it would help in updating the list. Vincent Golden 1117 Austin Dr. Urbana, IL 61801 ### ===================================== THE "FISH CALLED WANDA" QUIZ ANSWERS: ===================================== 1. Ilene Cody was the primary witness placing George at the scene of the robbery. She lived at 69 Basil Street. 2. Phantom 3. Harvey Man-frin-st.john-sen 4. Cathcart Towers Hotel 5. 13 million 6. Oscar Wilde 7. Kipling Mansions, Murray Road, London W9 8. Hazel & Ian Johnson 9. Aristotle was not Belgian; the central message of Buddhism is not every man for himself; and the London Underground is not a political movement. 10. Stephen Fry 11. He emigrates to South Africa to become the Minister for Justice. 12. Russian. SPOTTED ON THE INTERNET ======================= A Black Adder-inspired sig? ************************************************************************** Rob Putnam, University of Chicago rputnam@midway.uchicago.edu ,.;. Squirrels: a source of campus nutrition |\__/| .~ ~. /o=o'`./ .' Recipe for squirrel au vin: {o__, \ { Ingredients: / . . ) \ 1 squirrel (remove hair) `-` '-' \ } 1 bottle of Boones Strawberry Hill .( _( )_.' To prepare: :. '---.~_ _ _| Get really drunk, eat the squirrel. ************************************************************************** QUOTE-O'-THE-MONTH: =================== Dedicated to Hugh Grant. "To Err Is Human To Forgive, Divine" (or perhaps it should be dedicated to Liz Hurley...) TOUR GUIDE ========== If you know of someone taking the show on the road, do let us know! Phil McIntyre presents Alexei Sayle =================================== Tickets: £9.50/£11.50/£13.50 Subject to booking fee. Oct. 8 Aylesbury Civic Centre Oct. 10 Newcastle City Hall Oct. 11 Bristol Colston Hall Oct. 12 Cambridge Corn Exchange Oct. 14 Oxford Apollo Oct. 15 Liverpool Empire Oct. 16 Preston Guildhall Oct. 17 Nottingham Royal Centre Oct. 18 Edinburgh Festival Theatre Oct. 20 York Barbican Oct. 21 Wolverhampton Civic Hall Oct. 22 Southampton Mayflower Oct. 24 Glasgow Pavilion Oct. 25 Sheffield City Hall Oct. 27 Hull City Hall Oct. 28 Manchester Apollo Oct. 29 London Palladium Oct. 30 Brighton Dome Oct. 31 Birmingham Symphony Hall Nov. 1 Plymouth Pavilions Nov. 2 Cardiff St. David's Hall Nov. 3 Reading Hexagon Nov. 4 Ipswich Regent BOTTOM -- "THE BIG NUMBER TWO TOUR" LIVE! "Following the success of their sell out 1993 tour, Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson return in a brand new 2-hour stage show based on the award winning BBC2 TV series." Tickets: #10.50/12.50/14.50. (available from Box Offices and all usual agents subject to booking fee.) SEPT. 18-23 Bristol Hippodrome SEPT. 25-27 Woking New Victoria Theatre SEPT. 28 Wolverhampton Civic Hall OCT. 1 Bournemouth BIC OCT. 5-6 Plymouth Pavilions OCT. 9-11 Oxford Apollo OCT. 16-17 Brighton Dome OCT. 18 Manchester Apollo OCT. 19-20 Edinburgh Festival Theatre OCT. 23-25 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall OCT. 27-28 Portsmouth Guildhall OCT. 30 - NOV. 4 Leeds Grand Theatre NOV. 6-11 Birmingham Hippodrome NOV. 12-14 Cardiff St. David's NOV. 16-17 Manchester Apollo NOV. 19 Nottingham Royal Concert Hall NOV. 20 Leicester De Montfort Hall NOV. 21-23 Ipswich Regent NOV. 25 Blackburn King George's Hall NOV. 26-28 Newcastle City Hall NOV. 29 Hull City Hall DEC. 1-3 Wolverhampton Civic Hall DEC. 5-6 Sheffield City Hall DEC. 8-9 Hammersmith Apollo DEC. 11-13 Liverpool Empire DEC. 18 Scarborough Futurist DEC. 19-20 Nottingham Royal Centre __________________________________________________________________________ etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc __________________________________________________________________________ Mike Phillips has a decent collection of BRITCOMS--Red Dwarf, 10%ers, The Brittas Empire, Bottom, and more! Looking to trade. Write him at: 2377 Apollo Rd #324, Garland TX 75044. __________________________________________________________________________ US video catalog SIGNALS offers the first and second series of "ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS" Telephone: 1-800-669-9696. Mail: Signals, WGBH Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 64428, St. Paul, MN 55164-0428. __________________________________________________________________________ "BOTTOM" fans interested in meeting other like-minded netters are invited to email the editor for the Hammersmith performance of "THE BIG NUMBER TWO" Tour. RSVP . __________________________________________________________________________ CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTIONS: ========================== Britcomedy Digest (ISSN 1077-6680) is a free electronic newsletter posted monthly to alt.comedy.british and rec.arts.tv.uk.comedy. DELPHI: In the "UK-American Connexion" forum, cf171. GENIE: In the "Showbiz" roundtable, page 185. SUBSCRIPTIONS: To receive an issue every month, send your email address to with the word "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject header. BACK ISSUES: ============ WWW: [US] http://www.cathouse.org/BritishComedy/BD/ [UK] http://paul.acorn.co.uk:8080/Britcom/ FTP: Log on as "anonymous," giving your email account as your password. ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/BritComedy ftp://ftp.cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/british.humour/britcomedy.digest GOPHER: gopher://gopher.etext.org/11/Zines/BritComedy gopher://cathouse.org:6969/11/british.humour/britcomedy.digest