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Regular
Price $59.98
Starring:
Rik Mayall,
Adrian Edmondson,
Nigel Planer,
Christopher Ryan,
Alexei Sayle,
Directed By:
Ed Bye,
Geoff Posner,
Paul Jackson,
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Release Date: 1998-04-23
Studio: BBC Warner
Format:
AC-3,
Box set,
Color,
Dolby,
DVD-Video,
Subtitled,
NTSC,
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Editorial Reviews and
DVD Information about The Young Ones: Every Stoopid Episode
Amazon.com
"Anything could happen!" declares Rik Mayall, co-writer and co-star of British TV show The Young Ones--and he's right. Though this manic comedy series centered around the petty bickering of four layabouts living in a communal house in London--paranoid, hyperactive new waver Rick (Mayall), dense punk rocker Vyvyan (Adrian "Ade" Edmondson), lugubrious hippied Neil (Nigel Planer), and would-be sharp guy Mike (Christopher Ryan)--at any moment the show could switch to kibbitzing rats or romantic vegetables, or Buddy Holly could be discovered hanging from a parachute in the attic. Bands (as varied as Madness and Motorhead) suddenly appear in their living room and pound out a pop hit. It all seems a bit spastic at first, but the frenzy grows infectious, becoming funnier the more you watch it (in sharp contrast to most sitcoms). The Young Ones aspires to have the elastic energy and surreality of a living cartoon and comes pretty close to the mark. Guest stars include Emma Thompson, Terry Jones of Monty Python, and Jennifer Saunders of Absolutely Fabulous. This compilation also includes a few documentary features and a couple of episodes from other sitcoms starring Mayall, Edmondson, and Planer (Filthy Rich & Catflap and Bottom). --Bret Fetzer
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Customer Reviews for The Young Ones: Every Stoopid Episode
Quoteable lines and endures rewatching
This is quite simply a unique comedy series. The spontinaety and nihilism displayed in this collection shows how politically correct the world has become in more recent times. The second series gets even more interesting as surrealist elements start to creep in further and further. In the end, the most disappointing episode is the last one - which comes across almost like a filler after some of the highlights of earlier pieces ("Sick" and "Bambi" being classic episodes). Alexi Sayles cameos and live bands playing as a mock intermission just add to the mahem. A great work which didn't make the mistake of taking a good yarn to too many episodes (12 altogether).The Young Ones: Every Stoopid Episode
An acquired taste...very funny at times...but not for everyone
The differences between American and British humor become very apparent in this show. Personally, I love this Britcom, but I can see where it would be hard for some Americans to swallow. Mostly written by Ric Mayall, Ben Elton and Lise Mayer, but occasional references are made to other writers. The show features 4 college students who are all on grants, but none of them seem to ever make it into a classroom. They are all best friends, although they all hate each other. They constantly argue and often try to kill each other. Ric Mayall plays Rick, the geek that no one likes even though he calls himself The People's Poet and a big Cliff Richard fan. Adrian Edmondson plays Vyvian, the medical student punk rocker who believes 'why open a door when you can blow it up instead?' Nigel Planer is Neil, the hippie who is into love, peace and killing himself. And Christopher Ryan plays Mike, the self-professed cool guy and lady's man, the only one of the 4 than anyone respects, but still he got real nervous when a vampire got loose in the house and he was reminded that vampires only attack virgins. Alexei Sayle also joins the cast as various members of the Balowski family (including the landlord). He usually sticks around only long enough to set up a premise where he is allowed to spew out a quick stand-up comedy routine that he wrote himself. Then, he disappears. Apparently, the show got permission to put musical acts in the show, so they could get variety show funding. Usually a band such as Madness, Dexy's Midnight Runners or some '80s band that never made it over here in The States gets to lip-sync one song that has nothing to do with the plot, then they disappear. The show often drifts off the plot into strange scenes that make no sense. Some would say it adds to the shows charm. Others would find it aggravating. I find that once you watch the show a few times, it really starts to grow on you. As I said, I love this show...but it's appeal is not universal. It's full of fun and mayhem, violence, demolition, arguing and attempted suicide....all done with an '80s youthful British flare. What could be funnier?
The Young Ones: Every Stoopid Episode
An Excellent Premise with Minor Reservations
I get the sense in reading some others' reviews that this show has a lot of nostalgic appeal for many. I'm writing this, however, just having seen it for the first time. And, I'll say that it's a clever bit of business but not the be-all-end-all of comedy.
Here's the truth: the show has a funny set-up. The Young Ones is about four mismatched college students sharing a flat: Rick, the militant socialist (or, at least he poses as one); Vyvyan, the blindly-destructive punk; Mike, the skirt-chasing young capitalist; Neil, the depressed hippie. The characters are all well-acted (especially Rick & Neil), very distinct and excellently crafted. And, whenever the show focuses on their characters and the in-fighting that must necessarily arise, it's pretty excellent.
However, the show too often allows itself to follow its variety-show tangents, to stand-up comedy by a not-very-funny Alexei Sayle, other one-shot sketches, or to guest musical acts. None of these distractions are as funny, or satisfying, as the core material, and they ultimately take away from the show. (I understand that these asides were partially due to the show's origins in England's Comedy Clubs, and partly to secure a larger BBC budget by being able to describe itself as "variety"... but 20+ years later, those reasons do not matter so much to the viewer as the end result.)
Also, I don't know what to account this to exactly, but the show's first series is its pinnacle -- the second series doesn't quite measure up, and is noticeably flagging by the last couple of episodes. It seems hard for me to believe that they should have ever run short of material, here, but then again, the characters are never allowed to grow or change, so the show was bound eventually to grow stale, sooner or later.
Shortcomings aside, at its best the show is very entertaining, and the main four are instant icons. It's easy to see why the show has maintained cult appeal for all this time, and can be recommended for all fans of culty-british humor without hesitation.
Four stars.The Young Ones: Every Stoopid Episode
Young Ones Never Get Old
This stuff is classic British over the edge take no prisoners humor. Right Viv!!! Many great tv comedies get their start in the U.K. such as "The Office", "All in the Family" and "I Love Lucy" which all stole their premises from great British comedies. The Young Ones would never make it in the U.S. because americans aren't ready for the brutally physical comedy, and wry British humor. That would be way too advanced for tv watchers across the pond in the U.S. Therefore, I love this DVD set. Nothing is sacred and Political Correctness is thrown out the window of a passing train like yesterdays garbage. Great stuff.The Young Ones: Every Stoopid Episode
Be Warned: There's a such thing as overload.
I love "The Young Ones" but after watching two hours straight I started going through overload and really began to hate Rik... Man, hasn't everyone known a person a lot like that character? Man, he's annoying. Typically, that's where a lot of the humour came from. I think that two straight hours of Rik is just too much for me.
Great set of "The Young Ones" here. Pretty nice bonuses also.The Young Ones: Every Stoopid Episode
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