h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Nice article

Some of my favourite sketches:

The one in which they took the micky out of Monty Python's The Life Of Brian. "This new film, the Life Of Jesus. It's exactly like the Life Of Brian! ... Come on, they even have the same initials - John Cleese, Jesus Christ. ... "

The one with the boy in the office. "'My aunt, who I live with, had a parrot called Polly. Polly died...' Do you think I am some sort of cretin, Smith?!?!? Didn't you think I would have NOTICED?!?!? IT'S 'MY AUNT, *WITH WHOM I LIVE*'!!!!!!!!!!!"

You didn't mention the Gramophone sketch, which I have never seen, only heard on one of their records.
I have thought that it might be amusing to update it to CDs or something, but only in really, really drunk moments.

My website, Alternative Car Park, was named after Rowan Atkinson's mime character in a NTNOCN sketch. Just thought I'd mention it.
"I am a mime. My body is my tool."

I haven't seen that either. (seen your website though, I laughed and laughed....)
I should go and watch some of their videos I suppose.

"and if you drive like that you deserve to be called a raving maniac!"
not sure if that's NTNOCN or not, or even if it's completely accurate, but it's definitely Griff saying it.

Thanks for the article E.V !!!

I'm sure the comedic actors involved were more than a little embarrassed when the BBC dragged that programme kicking & scream out of the archives !!!

Still, it's nice to know they learnt from their mid 60s experiences & actually retained it...

M.K*

My favourite moments were the "American Express?" sketches, parodying the AE ads of the time...

Griff: American Express?
Pamela (opening blouse): That'll do nicely. And would you like to feel my tits as well?

Griff: American Express?
Rowan (dressed as Indian waiter): That'll do nicely. (Lies down)
Griff proceeds to tread on him as Mel does voice-over: "Walk all over greasy foreigners with American Express"

I seem to remeber a lot of NTNOCN sketches were based around "spoof discussion shows" such as:

The talking gorilla (Gerald ?) - a favourite of mine.
General Synod's "Life of Christ" - as mentioned before
(we do after all live in what is still a Python worshipping country !)
What to do with soccer hooligans - the unanimous solutions was to "Cut off their goolies".
The politician who suddenly dies mid arguement, to be immediately mourned by his adversary.

Does anyone remember the other shows, which followed NTNOCN ?
( such as "A kick up the 80's", "Three of a kind", and I suppose much later Radio 4's "Mary Whitehouse Experience".)

I still find myself using all sorts of figures of speech from sources such as the NTNOCN, Monty-Python, The original H2G2 and blackadder etc... (They must have made a deep impression on me.)

I remember "The Mary Whitehouse Experience" I loved it.
There was also something called "Hello Mum" on for a while, which was mildly amusing.
I do find myself still quoting these programs. Which is sad, and really I should get myself into today's world.
~falls off chair laughing~

I didn't see "Kick up the Eighties", but I have a couple of Kevin Turvy videos, and I think that's the show that he was in.
"and the same to you with bogies wrapped round it".
They just don't make them like that anymore.

Does anyone remember "Absolutely"? Bizarre Channel 4 sketch show with Jack Docherty and a load of other people whose names I can't remember...

Yes the talking gorilla sketch was a classic.

David Attenborough type guy (Mel Smith) - "Yes when I caught Gerald he was totally wild"

Gorilla (Rowan Atkinson) - "Wild? I was bloody furious".


Talking of Police sketches (arresting a guy for walking on the cracks in the pavement) does anyone remember the sketch where some cops are planning a raid, only to find that officer Rhys Jones will not do it unless he can put the "Whoo Whoo's" on, on his police car. Funny as hell.

Then there was Rowan Atkinson walking along a road, he turns and notices a camera opposite, then starts waving before walking head first into a tree (sound s**t but actually very funny), the sequal sketch has him about to walk into a tree, then he walks around it wagging his finger at the camera, before disapperaing down a manhole.

Also there was the Janet Street Porter impression by Pamela!!!!! Nearly forgot about that one!!!!

BBC should release them all on dvd!!! Can you buy them on video?

Damon, I remembered all of those sketches now that you mentioned them. I haven't got any NTNOCN on video, but I've got some Alas Smith and Jones that I recoreded from the TV. I must go and watch them.

I remember Absolutely, I didn't like it much. Donald and George first appeared on Saturday Live (although it might have been Friday Night Live by then), which was a great program and deserved lots of praise and hugs and kisses.

Long live NTNOCN!. I watched the repeats on Sunday nights and after being told the political situations at the time(I was born in '86 you see) I couldn't stop laughing!. It was a brilliant program and I often found myself shouting, "take that Thatcher!". Great humour and a comedy which everyone should see.
RedWills-STILL Imprisoned

Thank you for making me feel extremely old.

Don't worry Ev, you're a baby next to me, and I don't feel old at all. Just lucky that I wasn't born into the cobblers they have to watch today.
(I'm not that old - stop sniggering at the back!)

Please define "satirical". At a rough estimate, I would say that David Frost and "At last the 1948 show" were born between the mid-sixties and mid-seventies. How would you define them? Or is my chronology haywire?

(I am referring to the first sentence of the article)

Hmmmmm. Sarcasm: "use of ridicule or sarcasm to expose vice or folly"... At Last The 1948 Show was a kind of middle ground between That Was The Week That Was and Monty Python, so I suppose it could qualify. Python wasn't really satirical, although the had a stock group of political figures whose names they seemed to drop in at random points. Actually, I've never managed to see At Last The 1948 Show, was it satirical?

Heh. That should of course have read:
Satire: "use of ridicule or sarcasm to expose vice or folly"
(Or was I being satirical? )

Absolutely was a superb and inventive show starring:
Jack Docherty
Moray Hunter
Gordon Kennedy
Morwenna Banks
John Sparkes
Pete Baikie
Available on Video, or as the Stoneybridgers call it, "Vido".

You could also mention in this context the largely forgotten but worthy "Alfresco", the first TV outing for:
Stephen Fry
Hugh Laurie
Ben Elton
Emma Thompson
Siobhan Redmond
Which wasn't perfect but showed their potential sufficiently for them all to have significant carrers afterwards (for those of you who don't remember Siobhan, she was in Tutti Frutti and Between The Lines).

My pleasure. Im 30 next year and feel it after seeing this forum. I was watching Duran Duran the other day on the Dave Lettermann show and they looked ancient. The Eighties will soon be the "Sixties" of a whole new bunch of old foggies I guess.

You can also tell your getting old by checking to see if the "Dr Who" you watched as a kid is still alive. I grew up watching Tom Baker and he will be the next to snuff it. AGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Haven't seen Alfresco although I have heard of it.
What about Hysteria?
I think that was mainly video though, and the Secret Policeman's balls, they were good.