Britcom Goes To The Movies

In 1999, writer-director Justin Kerrigan took a meagre budget and a cast of relative unknowns and made a cult film for the turn of the millennium. Sure, slice-of-life comedies were nothing new, even ones with the kind of absurd flights of fancy Kerrigan employed, but very little on the big screen this side of the Atlantic had shone a light on late-’90s club culture the way this did. Still endlessly memed today, Human Traffic gave big boosts to the careers of both John Simm and Danny Dyer, and as we’ll be looking at the latter in more depth later in the series (watch this space), we’ve made this episode all about Simm. His TV career had been steadily building, and he’d made his breakthrough in the BBC sitcom Men of the World, starring opposite David Threlfall, which is the paired TV show for this episode. Joining Guy and Rob to discuss Human Traffic is writer, producer, podcaster and the man with the best Christopher Walken impression in the business, Dan Thomas. Will Dan’s memories of an enjoyable romp hold…

Now, we’ve dealt with small budgets in our time, but our film for episode two would give Powder Room a run for its money. In 2006, former stand-up comic Jamie Mathieson put pen to paper on his first film: a time-travel rom-com with nods to Alan Moore, Terry Pratchett and Back to the Future. But it took another three years for Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel to make it to the big screen, and you can find out all about that journey in this episode. Going it alone this time, Rob and Guy link FAQ About Time Travel to mid-noughties cult sitcom The Smoking Room, as both share a director, Gareth Carrivick. The two are stylistically similar, with a bottle-episode feel. The Smoking Room ran for two series on BBC Three and featured some of the most lauded comic actors around, including Robert Webb and Jeremy Swift, as well as giving a fresh showcase to classic sitcom stars like Paula Wilcox. So join us as we jump back a decade from Fighting with My Family and do a conga in the toilet to “Total Eclipse of…

We’re into our SEVENTH SERIES! It is hard to believe we’ve made it this far, but just as well, really, given the number of films we're still yet to cover. We begin this series with the heartwarming tale of a family, some with dodgy pasts, but all with a lovable lust for life. The fighting Knights from Norfolk were the subject of a 2011 Channel 4 documentary when son Zak and daughter Saraya were on the cusp of hitting the big time as wrestlers, hoping to join the promised land of WWE. One made it; the other did not. This documentary inspired arguably the most famous wrestler of all time, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, to retell the tale. Armed with the clout of WWE backing, a cast of BritCom stars, up-and-coming acting starlets, and already-legendary TV comedy writer/director Stephen Merchant, he hoped to transfer this real-life story to the big screen. The last time we heard from Merchant on this podcast, things were beginning to become considerably less rosy with longtime collaborator Ricky Gervais, after their…

Finding funny stuff on ITV since the turn of the century has been an arduous task. So it was quite the surprise to the 19-year-old Rob and Guy that late night on a Wednesday, one of the new darlings of British comedy, Rob Brydon, could be found as alter ego Peter De Lane performing fake director’s commentary on such classic Granada TV shows as Flambards, Only When I Laugh, and Mr and Mrs! As well as, for some reason, the classic US western TV show Bonanza, for which Brydon’s production company owned the rights to 32 episodes. This is a forgotten Brydon Classic. Shortly after the success of Marion and Geoff and Human Remains, the BBC turned down the opportunity for Brydon’s latest venture with collaborator Paul Duddridge, so their loss was Granada’s gain, and it would serve the dual purpose of giving ITV a comedy vehicle with the man everyone wanted a piece of as well as reminding audiences of some of their back catalogue. So for our second Rob Brydon-related round table episode, we’ve enlisted the help of…

To round off our BritPop Goes to the Movies mini-series, we jump to 2006, a simpler time when fledgling British pop-rockers McFly and their management could force themselves on an unsuspecting Hollywood. Lindsay Lohan (at the height of her fame) and Chris Pine (who Rob would argue is the best of the Chrises) on the come-up, star in an all-American, by-the-numbers romcom, which was sold in this country largely based on the already successful McFly's appearance. However, in America, Tom, Dougie, Harry and Danny were complete unknowns, and this was their only shot to crack the US market. This film differs in many ways from the previous two in the series, not least because it is a fully American production, but also because the band is very much the B-plot to a high-concept convolution in which Lohan and Pine continue to switch luck and status. There's still plenty of British pop music in it, though. Lots of McFly tracks but a lot of repetition of Five Colours in Her Hair. Joining Guy and Rob is fellow Film…

Episode two of BritPOP Goes to the Movies sees Guy and Rob joined by Catrin Lowe to discuss Spice World: The Movie. Kim Fuller, brother of the mogul behind the Spice Girls, Simon Fuller, wanted to make a genuine homage to our previous film A Hard Day's Night, and to do that he wanted to make this just as cynical and rich with meta-textual, self-referential craziness. Cramming in celebrity cameos (too many for his script editor) and musical set-pieces. Spice World certainly had that and a whole lot more. The film was put in motion before the five-piece had properly blown up worldwide, but by the time shooting had wrapped, they were truly a worldwide sensation. This movie broke all kinds of box-office records; despite being critically panned, it now sits as the most financially successful film about a real pop group ever. To believe the critics' initial reaction would do this subversive, bonkers and surprisingly well-acted film a disservice. Yes, there's the odd "what the hell were you thinking?!" moment, but…

As we eagerly await Series Seven in the autumn, how about treating ourselves to a mini-series during the bank holiday? What could be more fun than watching British pop groups trying to crack the movies? In our new mini-series, BritPop Goes To The Movies, Rob and Guy will be diving into exactly that over the next three days! We kick off our series with a huge first episode, featuring a returning friend of the show. Tyler Adams from Goon Pod is back for his third appearance, ready to help us explore a film that truly changed everything. Who better to guide us through how a business-savvy soundtrack tie-in became a cinematic masterpiece? Tyler helps us to start things off with A Hard Day’s Night. Originally commissioned by United Artists to get a Beatles soundtrack album, director Richard Lester and writer Alun Owen took a modest £189,000 budget and a tight schedule and turned it into something sharper, funnier, and more influential than anyone could have imagined. By moving away from the usual vehicles of…

Is the art of parody the sole reserve of Americans? Well, us Brits have had a few jolly good cracks at it. Most recently, Fackham Hall. The star-studded Downton Abbey send-up from 2025, written by the Dawson brothers (one of whom is an Inman) and the Carr brothers (one of whom is the UK’s biggest stand-up of the 21st century). To round off the sixth series of BritCom Goes to the Movies, Rob and Guy tackle their most recent film to date and have paired it with the other most valiant BritCom ZAZ-style attempt, A Touch of Cloth. The gloriously silly spoof of the police procedural dramas of the BBC and ITV. A programme that started life in creator Charlie Brooker’s spoof TV listings website TV Go Home. Series six has had our most guests ever, so it's only right to finish it with the original lineup. For this one, Guy and Rob go it alone. There’s also the matter of the Series Six quiz champion to decide, as scores are all level at 24-24 going into this episode. Join us for the last in the series at Fackham Hall!…

At BritCom Goes to the Movies, we are dipping back into the world of Armando Iannucci. Last we heard of him on this show, he’d just adapted his hit sitcom The Thick of It into big screen success In The Loop, and eight years later was turning his attention to a farcical retelling of an actual moment in history with The Death of Stalin. Based on a French graphic novel telling of the Soviet dictator’s demise, Iannucci reassembled some of his most trusted writers and performers to tell this story in a very Thick of It way, without the need for comedy Russian accents. Ian Martin and David Schneider, longtime Iannucci collaborators, would help write, and while the cast had familiar Britcom faces, there would also be a sprinkling of Hollywood with Steve Buscemi and Jeffrey Tambor as well as the cream of theater in Simon Russell Beale as the terrifying Beria. We dip not only into this 2017 movie but also the critically acclaimed 2001 sketch show, The Armando Iannucci Shows, which was one of the few TV series that…

Get on your dancing shoes and join Guy and Rob (because it only takes two to tango) for 2014’s Cuban Fury. Something of a passion project for Nick Frost, who basically wanted to learn how to dance and probably wanted to be the main character in a wish-fulfillment Rom Com. There’s some transatlantic crossover here as Rashida Jones of The Office, Parks and Rec, and being the daughter of famous people, joined the mainly British and Irish cast. We’ve covered Nick Frost before, of course, but never as a leading man, and while he teamed up with Nira Park and Big Talk once again, there was no trace of Edgar Wright here, but just the tiniest bit of Simon Pegg. To pair a TV show with this, it made sense to pick the first time Frost had a lead role in a sitcom as well, the divisive Hyperdrive. Starting in 2006 and running for two series, this was Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley’s (them again) venture into the unknown, for a space set sci-fi sitcom with just a few echoes of the two big hitters that came before it. To find…

Episode Seven began life as a thread on Bluesky by our guest Tim Worthington. The font of all obscure pop culture knowledge was discussing with followers what the most obscure BritCom they'd seen at the cinema was. Needless to say, a lot of the answers were on our long list, but not Tim's choice. The Young Poisoner's Handbook is the darkest of all the dark comedies we've covered so far. Based on, but the filmmakers must stress, not a biopic of The Teacup Poisoner Graham Young, who killed several people in the 60s and 70s. A film full of familiar Britcom faces, including Roger Lloyd Pack, Charlotte Coleman, John Thompson, and Simon Kunz. Still, it's the central performance from Irish actor Hugh O'Connor that really stole the show. Co-writer Jeff Rawle was at the height of his Drop the Dead Donkey fame when this film was released in 1995, so the topical newsroom sitcom by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin was the obvious choice for our "source material" and was a joy to revisit. Join Rob, Guy, and Tim for the Young…

Last time Kat Hughes joined Rob and Guy, the horror writer and critic had the misfortune of dissecting the Christmas family mess Nativity! This time she’s much more in her wheelhouse as we discuss Bloodbath at the House of Death. A vehicle for Britain’s best loved DJ Kenny Everett to take his brand of spoofing, innuendo and larger than life characters to the big screen after the success on both ITV and BBC with his Video Show/Television Show. It cannot be underestimated just what a huge cultural phenomenon Kenny Everett was. As one of Britain’s most popular Radio and TV personalities in the early 80s, he could make careers of pop stars and bands and was able to attract some of the biggest names to guest on his TV shows. However, just when it looked like Kenny might hit the big time on the big screen, a controversial incident at the Young Conservatives conference of 1984 was publicity suicide for Bloodbath and it crashed and burned at the box office. However, as was often the case in the mid-80s, VHS came…

Now that’s enough of the 1970s, let’s move this series into the 20th century. Well, actually, our story for this icon of BritCom begins at the end of the 20th. Harry Hill won the Perrier award in 1992 and was quickly on TV and radio soon after. Rob and Guy take a particular look at The Harry Hill Show…or rather just Harry Hill as it was known on Channel 4 in the late 90s. To join the chaps is Harry Hill superfan, internet sensation, and comedy writer Ruth Husko. As it turns out, both Ruth and Rob saw an early Harry Hill tour as their first forays into live comedy. Guy, however, still needed some convincing of the wonder of Hill’s own brand of surreal silliness. Could he be won over? Well, the chances are that would not be done by watching the universally panned Harry Hill Movie from 2013. Held up as one of the cases that most proves the rule that big-screen adaptations of small-screen comedy don’t work, but is it really that bad? There’s only one way to find out…FIIIIFGHTT! Or just have a listen to the…

We’re on a roll with the 70s sitcom spin-offs. Hot on the heels of George and Mildred and Mutiny On The Buses comes 1971’s Please Sir! This is, in no small part, down to our guest this week, Jason Hazeley, being the world’s loudest cheerleader for this film and its preceding sitcom. We didn’t even need to show him the list; he was straight in there for a personal favourite since his youth. But never two to hold back, would Rob and Guy’s thoughts on Please Sir! align with Jason’s? Certainly, the ingredients were there for that not to be the case. Some dated attitudes, men and women in their 20s playing teenagers, a rushed release capitalising on the success of its TV predecessor, and our old favourite, a flimsy pretext to get the cast to a holiday camp. Having said that, both Rob and Guy come to this fresh. Neither had ever seen as much as an episode of this once-beloved sitcom, but both were aware of the all-round entertainment chops of the cast. Not least Deryck Guyler, in whose washboarding hands anyone…

After some time away, we’re ready to dip back into the On The Busesverse. Our resident expert in all things Butler and Blakey, John Rain, returns to discuss the Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy. It’s time for Mutiny on the Buses. A mere year after the first film and backed by a (slightly) bigger budget, none of which the actors saw, the Ronalds, Chesney, and Wolf had forged a screenplay with much more of a semblance of a plot and some new characters to boot. There’s all the usual fun (at Blakey’s expense mainly) as well as naked protest, Arthur joining the depot, a huge fire extinguisher leak, and fun and frolics in Windsor Safari Park in which Reg Varney shits himself with a chimp on his lap. Great to welcome back John Rain and his unique brand of analysis and even tee up the promise of Holiday on the Buses to come…but one instalment at a time, eh? Morris Bright’s Elstree On The Buses Documentary https://youtu.be/luKxuhVxNGQ?si=pZduxvq7pY1CLk5c Mutiny on the Buses Filming Locations…

Time to get our teeth into another straight spin-off. It’s a significant one at that. The final of the ITC/EMI/Hammer spin-offs of ITV sitcoms, which many credit as the death of the genre altogether. That’s right, it is the 1980 big-screen adaptation of the long-running sitcom that in itself was a spin-off. George and Mildred. Long-time listeners will know that in the first series, Rob and Guy were pleasantly surprised by Man About the House...if not the movie, the sitcom itself. So there’s every chance that George and Mildred could follow suit. As we always end up repeating, this show is all about expectations, which would obviously be on the floor with the reputation this film has preceding it. So things could only look up, right?….RIGHT?! Joining us to find out is comedian Alison Dennison, so committed to the G&M cause she’d already watched every episode ever made in preparation. With attention to detail like this, episode two of series six would prove to be one of the best we’d ever made. A tale of…

No sooner are we gone than we’re back with a brand-new series. In series six, we’ll pass 60 films viewed and reviewed for a project that still has plenty of legs in it yet! But we begin this brand new series by embracing the familiar. Tom Salinsky returns to BritCom Goes to the Movies for the first time since episode six, and not only does he join for a film all three of us have seen before, all three of us love it! The film in question is the 1955 classic Ealing comedy, The Ladykillers, a real contender for the top ten of our table and beyond. But how will we link this to the small screen, I hear you ask? The answer is…we won’t. We’re going down the Sellers route. As this was one of Peter Sellers’ earliest big-screen appearances, we’ve decided to match it with one of his earliest radio appearances and the rather forgotten, if not prolific, Ray’s A Laugh from the 1950s BBC radio. Ray’s A Laugh was exactly the kind of broadcast variety/comedy that Sellers and co would go on to blow out of the water with the…

Happy St David’s Day! To mark the occasion here at Britcom Goes to the Movies, we are celebrating one of Wales’ most beloved comedy sons, Rob Brydon, and…actually, it is just a ham-fisted way of doing a round table episode on Cruise of the Gods! This TV film was written by Tim Firth (remember him from our Blackball episode?) and contained not only some Britcom heavyweights of the time, but also ground zero for the careers of some of the most controversial Britcommers of the 21st century, including Russell Brand, David Walliams, and James Corden. Despite all that, its stars Brydon and Steve Coogan, along with its premise of forgotten 80s kids sci-fi being celebrated by nerds on a cruise, made it a firm favourite for Rob and Guy, and they welcomed back returning guests Steve Dunne and Stuart Laws, neither of whom had seen the film before. So how would this have aged, and would our guests immediately be regretting their decision? Only one way to find out. Join us in Leicester, 1982… Cruise of the Gods - Full…

Here at BritCom Goes to the Movies, we love each and every one of our listeners. That is why we’re giving you this Valentine’s present. Rob & Guy discuss their favourite British sketches of all time. To make sure there were no clashes, notes were compared before, duplicates removed, and of course, the arbitrary rule of no more than one sketch from one show per host. These two top-ten lists have a little something for everyone. A good mixture of styles, eras, tones, and formats. So settle in for nearly two hours of discussion of some of the greatest sketches in the history of British comedy! Of course, there are some obvious omissions, and some of you may want to take to the socials to share your favourites or give us grief for ours. Both are encouraged! You can find links to every sketch discussed below, but of course, these are in no particular order to avoid spoilers. Bit of a Chat - Peter Cook & Dudley Moore https://videopress.com/v/IBVjIA8I ⁠ Dirty Fork - Monty Python…

Merry Christmas to our beloved BritCom Goes to the Movies listeners! Thanks for seeing in the festive period with us. This is our third Christmas episode, and while our previous two were a bit of a mixed bag, we’ve finally found a film we can all agree on: the 2009 classic, Nativity! Writer and director Debbie Isitt was already the pride of the West Midlands theatre scene before turning to film. Her previous feature, Confetti, boasted the cream of British comic talent, even if some of the cast later tried to disavow the experience! For her first festive foray, Isitt enlisted everyone’s favourite wise-cracking sitcom star, Martin Freeman, at a point in his career where he was firmly transitioning into a leading man. He’s joined by oddball comedian Marc Wootton as Mr. Poppy, Extras star Ashley Jensen and a whole host of familiar British faces, as well as an ocean of charming, non-theatre-school kids. Joining Guy and Rob to discuss Nativity! (and Martin Freeman’s forgotten early-2000s sitcom Hardware) is writer…

1991 was the year for beloved British comedy performers to try and make their names stateside. We already heard about Rik Mayall’s experience with Drop Dead Fred, but the same year, Lenny Henry, riding high off the success of Live & Unleashed, was able to take advantage of a spot on a high-concept comedy caper vacated by Eddie Murphy (and others) called True Identity.  Were the Americans ready for Lenny? Well, as it turned out, no, they weren’t. But that wasn’t necessarily down to him, as we’ll find out in this episode. It was a troubled production with rather large amounts of meddling from Disney execs, throwing Henry and his director, the highly sought-after Charles Lane, under a bus. (One of those big American school buses, no doubt.)  For an American take on this British hope gone wrong, we invited the incomparable Tessa and Nicole from Doom Generation, themselves huge fans of British comedy, to join us and discuss not just this film, but Lenny Henry’s career leading up to it. New territory for the…

There are a few entries from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant on our long list at Britcom Goes to the Movies, but we start with perhaps their least remembered and least successful offering, the period coming-of-age comedy/drama Cemetery Junction. In contrast, the pair’s second sitcom offering, Extras, is in the annals of the all-time great British comedy shows. A by-product of a newfound celebrity and the connections it brought with it in 2005. Guest stars galore and a version of what might have been if The Office didn’t have the freedom to be itself. Cemetery Junction was Gervais and Merchant’s first foray into cinema after Extras and is still the only film they have co-written and directed. Based on an idea they’d had for a 70s set sitcom, Ricky and Steve turned “The Men At The Pru” into a feature-length offering, with only small roles for themselves and focussing on the journeys of three young men in 1970s Berkshire. They made it clear as possible that this would be a departure and for audiences to…

We follow up a Goon-centric episodewith another Goon-centric episode! Hot on the heels of Spike Milligan’s Postman’s Knock comes Peter Sellers’ Two Way Stretch from 1960. A prison heist movie (our second after Get Santa), which has a little whiff of Porridge, just 15 years before. This is our 50th film profiled on the main series, and we couldn’t let such an important landmark go past without enlisting the help of a very special guest. Step forward, Neil Mullarkey! Neil is a comedy writer, performer, and improv king with a big love for all things Sellers, especially this film, which he’d watched relentlessly as a child and young man. We also spoke about Sellers’ 1959 album Songs for Swinging Sellers, which came out just before this film and, of course, before superstardom beckoned with Dr Strangelove. Join Rob, Guy, and Neil, who talk all things not only Sellers but also a cast with an abundance of comic talent, including Lionel Jeffries, Irene Handl, Bernard Cribbins, and, of course, Wilfred Hyde-White.…

On Britcom Goes to the Movies, you are never too far from the next Goon-related movie. We last spoke in depth about Spike Milligan on our episode about The Bed Sitting Room. We’re going full Milligan again for his first starring role in a British movie, Postman’s Knock, and it is quite the departure for Spike. A role that perhaps you might expect somebody of the more Norman Wisdom persuasion to be inhabiting. This 1962 crime caper farce was the first of what was meant to be a five-picture British MGM deal for Spike. Even the sound of the word “Wisdom”, even knowing that he wasn’t in the film, was enough to send a shiver down Guy’s spine, so to help us dissect this oddity, we brought back the Goon Oracle, Tyler Adams. This is the second appearance of the host of Goon Pod to share his all-encompassing knowledge and love for all things Milligan and lend this episode that little bit more authenticity. As well as Postman’s Knock, we discuss Spike’s Australian radio show, Idiot Weekly, not to be confused with The…

What can you do during Covid Lockdown if you want some outdoor time but need to isolate? Go Medieval! That’s what Andy Riley, writer of Year of the Rabbit, Veep, and books such as the Bunny Suicides and Action Dude did, and guess what? It led directly to his first solo feature film screenplay, Seize Them! Riley, who had forged an incredibly successful writing partnership with Kevin Cecil, went it alone on this one. The script was lapped up by Britcom super-producer Damian Jones, and with a cast of established comedy stars and some of the hottest recent talent, what could go wrong? Join Guy and Rob as they discuss Riley and Cecil’s Victorian cop comedy, Year of the Rabbit, with Matt Berry, and get into the newest of our films so far, Seize Them! We’re also now six episodes in, and Guy is looking good in the series quiz stakes. What can Rob do to turn the tide? Find out by having a listen! Year of the Rabbit - The Elephant Man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3-hPr4HQsI Year of the Rabbit - Prince and Princess…

Where can you find the cream of Hollywood, rock and roll, and football punditry all on one suburban street? Surbiton, that’s where…or at least Shepherd’s Bush masquerading as Surbiton. We’re taking a trip to Stella Street on Britcom Goes to the Movies! That’s right, this late 90s cult, small-budget, and even smaller cast-list comedy had a 2004 big-screen adaptation! Something that seemed to pass a lot of British comedy fans by, not least Rob Heath. The genius mind of Peter Richardson, that brought us Comic Strip Presents, was busy in 1997 harnessing the comedy and impersonation talents of the then little-known Phil Cornwell and John Sessions to make an anarchic, foul-mouthed, and downright hilarious mockusoap about some huge stars descending on suburban London. Stella Street saw Michael Caine narrating, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards running the local corner shop, as well as Joe Pesci putting the Psycho in Psychotherapy. Cornwell and Sessions would play all manner of celebrity inhabitants as well as some…

You all know the rules by now, here’s your Starter for Ten. What could be more British than University Challenge? One of the longest-running quiz shows ever on British TV, it has associations of class, difficulty, and unmitigated stress. The perfect setting for a rom-com then, or at least David Nicholls thought so. Long before One Day, the screenwriter was floundering somewhat with the small screen and so turned his attentions to the page. Always a fan of University Challenge, Nicholls penned a semi-autobiographical novel set around a 1980s University of Bristol team and a central coming-of-age rom-com conceit. Through the unlikely help of Tom Hanks, this well-received novel then became a screenplay, and Starter for Ten the Movie was born. In 2006, not too much was known about James McEvoy, Rebecca Hall, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alice Eve, but all four went on to have hugely successful Hollywood careers. Join Rob and Guy as they discuss Starter for Ten and its origins. They dive into University Challenge…

Who fancies a Piltdown Glory? Guy and Rob return to Tony Hancock territory for a second time, and this time they’re joined by some proper experts. Tim Elms, Martin Gibbons, and Jon Street from the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society, as well as the presenters of the Very Nearly An Armful official Tony Hancock podcast, join us to discuss The Punch and Judy Man, the 1963 film that marked a significant departure for Hancock. For the first time, The Lad is not The Lad. Hancock plays the titular puppeteer, not named Tony Hancock, but Wally Pinner. This departure in name, character, tone, and filmmaking came as a shock to fans and critics alike in 1963. The Punch and Judy Man was not a success at the time and has long been considered one of Britcom’s great flops. But is that reputation entirely fair? Or have the intervening years been kind to a misunderstood gem? We’ll also explore Hancock’s move to ITV in the early '60s. That programme, simply titled Hancock, saw him leave behind not only the familiar Railway…

Could we finally have a contender for bottom of the league? Bottom of the barrel? Most certainly. Keith Lemon: The Film is widely regarded by critics as one of the worst British comedy movies of all time. Completely mauled upon its release and a disappointment at the box office in 2012, Leigh Francis (AKA Keith Lemon) was nevertheless and remains one of the most popular comedians on the small screen. So what went wrong? To discuss this in great length with Rob and Guy is one of the funniest people on social media, Nina Buckley. Nina went above and beyond for Britcom Goes to the Movies, watching this monstrosity on no fewer than five (FIVE) occasions before recording, to really get to the heart of what made this film not work. We get deep into the character of Keith Lemon, who first appeared to South East ITV audiences in 2000 and has been one of Leigh Francis’ go-to characters for the intervening quarter of a century. Celebrity Juice, Very Brilliant World Tour, The Keith and Paddy Picture Show and of course…

How time flies. It doesn’t seem feasible that we should be on series five already, but here we are. We begin with a huge figure in the British comedy landscape, The Banana Box. You may know it as Rising Damp, but Eric Chappel’s beloved sitcom began life as a stage play with this rather more visceral title. Indeed, everyone’s (least) favourite landlord Rigsby, although always portrayed by the magnificent Leonard Rossiter from stage to small screen to big screen, was originally known as Rooksby. Rob and Guy have had mixed experiences with 1970s straight spin-offs in the past, but surely a sitcom widely regarded as ITV’s best-ever could not diminish in quality too much in adaptation. Even if Chappel’s tactic of reworking multiple episode scripts to fit a film was reminiscent of a couple of other noticeable failures, surely it wouldn’t claim the good name of Rising Damp?! Joining our regular team to discuss this comedy institution is Jake Yapp. The writer, producer, performer, and broadcaster has a huge fondness…

On the 17th Sep 25, an event happened of such earth-shattering proportions that it would shatter the earth to its very core. Yes, BritCom goes to the Movies, did a Smashie and Nicey: End of an Era mid-season special. Harry Enfield's beloved characters (well, not by Radio 1 DJs) were to be retired after a changing of the guard at the BBC's flagship music station rendered their very specific brand of satire almost irrelevant. Some of these new DJs coming through the door at the broadcasting house were so young they were still in their thirties. But messers Smash and Nice wouldn't go out without a fight, and what transpired was one of the greatest stand-alone pieces of British television comedy history. Using the Matthew Bannister-led cull of out-of-touch disc jockeys as a backdrop, End of an Era recounted the history of Smashie and Nicey's careers, poking fun at just about every real-life radio presenter ever to take the mic in the UK up to that point in the process. Joining Rob and Guy for this cultural high…

Here we are at the end of our St Trinian's bank holiday treat. The final episode sees Rob and Guy tackle the reboot(s) of the mid-00s. A kind of back to basics, borrowing heavily from Belles but with an updated 00s sensibility, which depressingly probably means more sexism if anything. An embarrassment of riches of a cast. Early roles for the likes of Gemma Arterton and Juno Temple, plus old hands like Colin Firth and Rupert Everett. All tied together with the rather large elephant in the room of Russell Brand as Flash Harry, set to a malaise of Girls Allowed and Landfill Indie. Along with 2007's St Trinian's, we also briefly discuss the 2009 sequel: Legend of Fritton's Gold and any possible legacy and future for the IP. Guy had been waiting for the films to be more about the students, and on the face of it this reboot would deliver. Tune in to find out if it did. St Trinian's - Trailer https://youtu.be/JJQ1pAW4uU8?si=5Vw-kwNNwVNWCBBD St Trinian's - Premiere https://youtu.be/Rtx43qThERk?si=rtDofxBgOnJd3tDr…

Hot on the heels of the Belles for St Trinian's, Rob and Guy are back and have skipped through the next two movies of the franchise (Blue Murder at St Trinian's and The Pure Hell of St Trinian's) to 12 years later and the midst of the Swinging Sixties for The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery. This just so happens to be a childhood favourite of Mr Film Stories Podcast Network A.J. Black, so Tony joined us once more to discuss a new breed of St Trinian's students, the new Headmistress, played by Dora Bryan, and the new villain played by Frankie Howerd. Of its time, it includes jokes about the Wilson Government, James Bond, The Beatles, and some rather unfortunate use of boot polish. Train Robbery is a new era for St Trinian's and a real departure from the 50s versions. But is that all for the bad, or will there be redeeming features? Tune in to find out. ...and if that hasn't sold you...it has Reg Varney in it! The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery - Trailer https://youtu.be/DWVyGvMz8-g?si=tBSzd4JpfcMTgodp The…

The St Trinian's films were one of the first names on the long list when we first came up with the concept of this podcast, but even with the most tenuous and creative of thinking, we weren't able to link them to the small screen. So much like Carry On last summer, we decided a three-episode mini-series would be the best way to tackle the issue. We start at the very beginning with the first St Trinian's films, The Belle's of St Trinian's from 1954 with Alastair Sim popularising what could now be known as The Tyler Perry, playing both Headmistress Millicent Fritton and her no-good brother. This being the first time Ronald Searle's schoolgirl characters were brought to life, it was perhaps a surprise to see the grown-ups take centre stage, but not without plenty of chaotic school set pieces with the students and a surprisingly complicated plot for a family film! Join Rob and Guy as both of them start their St Trinian's journey with the O.G. of the franchise. Will this movie have aged like a fine wine, or a…

We're at the end of series four already. Our second series as part of The Film Stories Podcast Network, so to celebrate we're joined by Mr FSPN himself, A.J. Black, to talk about one of the biggest BritCom institutions ever, Morecambe and Wise. The inimitable double act made three movies before joining the BBC from ITV, and we'll start at the beginning with the first instalment, the spy pastiche, Intelligence Men. It is hard to imagine Morecambe and Wise before the BBC series and Christmas specials that endure in the memories of all Brits of a certain age, but the pair had been going long before The Stripper, long before Andre Previn, Angela Ripon, and Glenda Jackson, and The Intelligence Men is very much part of a different era. As well as the film, we'll dive deep into Two of a Kind, the Morecambe and Wise ITV series of the 1960s. As if that wasn't enough, all three of us count down our top three British comedy double acts. All this, plus the culmination of the series four quiz. Join us for the first in a…

It's only from 12 years ago, yet Powder Room is not a British indie that sticks in the memory. Indeed, it didn't exactly perform at the box office. Only 2,100 people went to see it in British cinemas, making it the least successful film we've profiled so far.A micro-budget adaptation of a hit Edinburgh play, starring some big and up-and-coming names from British TV, as well as a pop star! But chief amongst Powder Room's cast was Sheridan Smith. Now a huge West End and television star, but at the time, she was known primarily for Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.The early 21st-century three-camera studio sitcom has been the butt of many a sneering industry joke, but was incredibly popular and ran for over a decade. Its creator, Susan Nickson, was something of a prodigy. She started writing Two Pints at the age of 18, having already seen success in short film competitions. An unsung heroine of British comedy, episode nine will do its best to honour an undeniable and prolific talent. Susan Nickson on…

It's another visit back to the old school this week. We go all the way back to 1970 for a rom-com...of sorts. The Jonathan Miller-directed Take A Girl Like You. As it is directed by Miller, we're also going to talk about his comedy breakthrough Beyond the Fringe. A show without which we might not have any modern comedy. So for extreme old-school source material, it made sense to have a new school comedian on the show to discuss the origins of her craft. The hilarious Jain Edwards joined Rob and Guy to assess the lasting impact of Beyond the Fringe, as well as the, let's say, dated attitudes of Take A Girl Like You. A standout cast of Hayley Mills and Oliver Reed, as well as supporting roles of the British kings of satire John Bird and John Fortune, this sex comedy couldn't be all that bad... could it?! Oliver Reed on the Word https://youtu.be/EvCh6bbSQDg?si=6W7dHB7jmAqRkiCb Hayley Mills at Disney https://youtu.be/zeAmQ2zmVoY?si=M1XVL-Jbll6_r3t1 Hayley Mills in Twisted Nerve - Trailer…

For episode seven, we have another movie from 2024. Wicked Little Letters is Jonny Sweet's retelling of the curious case of the Littlehampton Letters. A falling out involving some incredibly creative, foul-mouthed penwomanship. As the film is written by Jonny Sweet, it made sense to also talk about his similar time-period sitcom Chickens, which he co-wrote with Simon Bird and Joe Thomas. Joining Guy and Rob to discuss both these works was Tracy Milnes. Herself already a big fan of the film, could she convert Rob and Guy to the Church of Wicked Little Letters? There'll be plenty of Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley and Timothy Spall chat and some suspicious quiz scoring. Check out episode seven! Johnny Sweet in When Boris met Dave https://youtu.be/KiM3uUqsO7E?si=VzIXB-87kVDhMITv Olivia Colman in bruiser https://youtu.be/MA6ksn6oNYk?si=daNVOzPUw6tc5r1z Olivia Colman in Peep Show https://youtu.be/3l1mbCSUw-0?si=mq5-7M5mtj-nJqTc Olivia Colman in Look Around You https://youtu.be/g7JrUGhfcTI?si=K8N0npre5iAlnunS Jessie…

Time for a good old-fashioned Rom-Com, although not as old-fashioned as you’d think from a 1970s spin-off. Rob and Guy delve deep into ITV sitcom The Lovers, a show neither of our hosts knew much, if anything, about before the other week! A very young Richard Beckinsale and Paula Wilcox landed their first leading TV roles in a will-they/won’t-they kitchen sink sitcom, set against the permissive society making its way to Manchester. Written by Coronation Street writer and creator of London’s Burning Jack Rosenthal, this forgotten gem (well, by anyone under the age of 50 anyway) is not as widely lauded as many of its 1970s contemporaries, and we get right to the heart of just whether that’s fair or not. After two series, there was the inevitable 1973 movie spin-off. With a lavish premiere, sweeping rooftop shots of the Manchester skyline, and a liberal amount of Old Trafford football and cricket stadiums, this adaptation took the sitcom from its more humble studio roots to show off the burgeoning metropolis in…

Episode five and time to talk about a BritCom legend. Paul Kaye was at the cutting edge of a new wave of punk comedy in the 90s thanks to his unforgettable character Dennis Pennis, who was incredibly first seen by audiences in the middle of the ruddy day on BBC2's The Sunday Show. A few specials later and Pennis was on everyone's lips (Yeah, that's right.) Before jumping the shark, Kaye ditched the character that allowed him to hit the big time, in favour of branching out. We discuss one such role, his first cinematic lead in fact, as we take on 2003's Blackball. The Mel Smith-directed, National Lampoon’s affiliated, sports rom-com set in the dangerous world of Devonian bowls. Where else could you hope to find Johnny Vegas and Vince Vaughn share a screen? To help us dissect this curiously gentle comedy, one of the best British comic talents of recent years and a cinephile extraordinaire, Stuart Laws. So if you are a Paul Kaye fan, or just wondering how it is Blackball came to be, check out episode five!…

As we near the midway point of series four, it's time to really step up our punctuality with a good time keeper's worst nightmare. Yes, Rob and Guy have taken a trip to 1986 for the Michael Frayn farce Clockwise. We've enlisted the help of co-hosts of the wonderful, Don't You Want Me podcast: Catrin Lowe and Rich Nelson to not only run the rule over Clockwise, but arguably Britain's best-loved sitcom Fawlty Towers. We'll hear how a Fawlty film was close to production (something that would have suited this podcast down to ground) but never came to pass. We'll also hear some inside insight into the making of the iconic comedy series from someone very close to the cast. But Clockwise notwithstanding, could Frayn's knack for making Swiss watch stage farces translate to the big screen, with one of Britain's brightest comedy stars front and centre? Join all four of us to find out. Fawlty Towers - Irish Builder https://youtu.be/O4X_bdJox8w?si=yK86qSgj4niBdtKv Fawlty Towers - Waldorf Salad…

As we hit episode three of the series, Rob and Guy tackle their most recent film to date, 2024’s Swede Caroline. Starring mainstay of British film and television Jo Hartley, and supported by a talented array of comedians, thesps, and character actors. The film looks at the world of competitive giant vegetable-growing and what happens when proceedings are rocked by scandal. We also take a look at forgotten sitcom Bliss starring Stephen Mangan, Hartley, and Heather Graham. The show was created by American comedian David Cross and followed the trials and tribulations of a man trying to balance life with two families in the same city. Not adverse to controversial comedies, will Bliss leave us wanting more or wishing we’d not bothered in the first place? You’ll have to give the episode a listen to find out! Swede Caroline - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHhIHzOpl4k&ab_channel=BritFlicks Swede Caroline - Jo Hartley interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lmyBQ3TRh8&ab_channel=Channel4News Bliss -…

For episode two, we fast-forward two decades to 2017 and Mindhorn. Written by and starring Julian Barrett and frequent collaborator Simon Farnaby. If you're a fan of Bergerac, you'll love Mindhorn, the 80s sci-fi cop who can see the truth. Someone who is a big fan of this film is musician, producer, and podcaster Ricardo Autobahn, AKA John Matthews, who joined us to discuss his love for the Isle-of-Man-com. As well as Mindhorn, we chatted at length about 00s cult sitcom Nathan Barley, which, of course, starred Julian Barrett and was ahead of its time, to say the very least. So strap in for Geek Pies, Sugar Apes, and Trashbats, as well as Windjammers, Moonshafts, and Nutmegs. It's time for Mindhorn! Mindhorn trailer https://youtu.be/lA5njebTiZY?si=5KAU2Ij3jWBvcuKk Mindhorn show intro https://youtu.be/hnb04jAXwUM?si=WfMsS1EhOyLY1S7O Mindhorn - Minge coming out of our arse https://youtu.be/DibRKH2S2K8?si=R3xfa_g4Ic2gbjzt Nathan Barley Geek Pie https://youtu.be/5PY_8nkEOeM?si=4k4I93AZiSt3rWRa Nathan Barley -…

It’s series 4 and we are back with a transatlantic bang. Joining Rob and Guy to kick us off is a legend of comedy writing. Bill Oakley was writer and showrunner on The Simpsons throughout the golden period and has gone on to create more such greats as Mission Hill and Space 1969. But Bill, like a lot of American comedy writers, is also a huge fan of British comedy. From the early days of Python and Benny Hill, through Blackadder and surprisingly perhaps an avid watcher of Gogglebox! But when we sent him our list, Bill was immediately drawn to another of his favourites, Mr Bean, which of course has fans all around the world, but despite going to see the 1997 spin-off Bean at the cinema, had no recollection. So, we are on hand to provide that. As we’ve seen in past episodes, a straight small to big screen transformation can be a difficult thing to achieve, but perhaps even more so with this character, famed for his lack of speech. But as with a lot of big screen outings for Britcom characters, 1997’s Bean…

It’s Red Nose Day! The 40th anniversary of Comic Relief, no less, so Rob and Guy took time from their busy schedule prepping series 4 of Britcom Goes to the Movies to release a Red Nose Day special in which they run down their top five Comic Relief comedy moments. There have been so many great sketches and live comedy moments over the course of the last 40 years since Richard Curtis and Lenny Henry set up the charity. Who can forget Dawn French snogging Hugh Grant, Billy Connolly dancing around Trafalgar Square in the buff, and of course, Hale and Pace putting a red nose on their conks and performing The Stonk? Unfortunately, none of those moments made our top five, but you can find out what did by listening to the show! You can find all the sketches mentioned below, but if you don’t want to spoil the experience, look away now! —————————————————— Call the Midwife - One Born Every Minute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSOGQmidkyc Kurupt FM with Ed Sheeran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIQFHcChNfw Only…

Merry Christmas from everyone at BritCom Goes to the Movies. Our present to you is the finale of series three. Comedian and internet sensation Rob Gilroy joins Guy and Rob to discuss the criminally lesser-known Get Santa. Jim Broadbent and Rafe Spall star in the first family comedy on our list, directed by Chris Smith, more known for his horror prowess and exec produced by Ridley Scott, no less! There's a lot of Rafe Spall chat, kicked off with our profiling of another undervalued comedy, Pete Vs Life. Which ran for two series in the early 2010s. Join us for festive merriment with plenty of laughs and even a few tears. Pete Vs Life - In love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpET7Pccxu4 Pete Vs Life - Finding words to break up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_-KKpnHn2M Cheaters - Series One Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnyYl7GeiOE Adam Buxton - Help The Police (Rush Hour) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrofVsNc790 Frankie Boyle - Policeman (Rush Hour) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv49EfV_m1g…

Uncharted territory for Rob and Guy as they tackle their first sequel. There's also uncharted territory for The Inbetweeners in their second movie installment, as the boys head down under and encounter Peter Andre-Mobiles, slip-sliding turds, and sensitive rape alarms. Sounds a bit much, but is it? To discuss, the chaps are joined by content creator Gabi Thorogood, herself a massive Inbetweeners fan. Between them, our trio will navigate series 3 of the Channel 4 TV show, the infamous US remake, and of course, the 2014 feature-length movie. By 2014, was Inbetweeners fatigue a thing? If so, is it indeed still a thing ten years later? Of course there's the age-old question of how a sequel holds up against the first film. So strap in for the last non-festive episode of series three! Inbetweeners series 3 - Bottle bank https://youtu.be/AfLTpbyaXm8?si=QqxYdRlxzAZRmbz3 Inbetweeners series 3 - Tent Puke https://youtu.be/s8_isWJAiT8?si=IzbM2W_uF8vTK8m8 Christmas at the Holly Day Inn - Trailer…

We are back with a roundhouse kick to the face. Episode 9 is all about the work of 2020s writing/directing sensation Nida Manzoor. First came the semi-biographical, musical sitcom We Are Ladyparts, about the trials and tribulations of a young, female, Muslim punk band trying to gain a following, which was multi-award-winning, gaining acclaim on both sides of the pond, and then came the feature-length debut. Polite Society is our most recent film to date. From 2023, it tells the tale of sisterly love, high school angst, and sinister goings-on, all punctuated with some of the best fight sequences we’re certainly ever likely to find on our list. Can’t imagine Reg Varney packing a punch in anywhere near the same way. A new writer/director and an almost completely unknown cast make for plenty of incredible moments in this film, but just how funny is it? Find out by giving episode 9 a listen as Rob and Guy talk all things Nida Manzoor, We Are Ladyparts, and Polite Society. We Are Lady Parts – Trailer…

Booyakasha! It didn’t seem that long ago that you couldn’t walk 10 metres without someone doing an Ali G impression in your face, but it’s over a quarter of a century since this cultural phenomenon of a character first graced our late-night Channel 4 screens as part of the anarchic topical comedy the 11 O’ Clock Show. Originally a tool to poke the pomposity of politicians, religious figures, and artists, the boy from Staines became so much more, having his own spin-off shows, appearing in a Madonna music video, and eventually his own film in 2002. In this episode, Guy and Rob talk all things Ali G and Sacha Baron Cohen, whilst being ever so careful to leave Borat and Bruno for a later date. Plus a mini dive into the 11 O'Clock Show and all the comedy talent that particularly divisive programme gave the world. This may well also end up being the most represented film in our Spotify playlist, as the amount of Hip-Hop had Rob unable to contain his excitement, as did the line delivery of Charles Dance, but what…

How do you follow a massive film with a fantastic and well-informed guest? Do another one straight away! This week we are joined by the brilliant TV writer, journalist, podcaster, and comedian Mollie Goodfellow to talk about one of the greatest sitcoms of the 21st century, The Thick of It, and the film it spawned, In The Loop. Make sure young ears are out of shot because this is a sweary one… and that’s just Rob and Guy’s thoughts on Alistair Campbell! We look at Armando Iannucci’s magnum opus as the man behind so many enduring TV comedy classics of the 90s. With inspiration from endorsing Yes Minister on Britain’s Best Sitcom in 2004, he took on the political establishment, turning it into his big-screen directorial debut and subsequently hit HBO political comedy Veep. Not since Michael Rimmer have we tackled satire. We ask if there is any weight to the claim that you can’t make this kind of comedy anymore because of the state of politics today and whether New Labour 2.0 would even allow itself to be sent…