Stars: Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer, Christopher Ryan, Alexei Sayle, Madness, The Damned

Director: Geoffrey Posner

Summary: All six episodes from the second series of the classic TV comedy: 'Bambi', 'Cash', 'Nasty', 'Time', 'Sick' and 'Summer Holiday'.

Originally broadcast in 1984, the second series of THE YOUNG ONES continues in exactly the same vein as the first, courtesy of the inspired writing of Ben Elton (Blackadder, The Thin Blue Line) and Lise Mayer. That means more anarchic, surreal comedy revolving around the empty lives of a household of students who will do anything rather than go to lectures, except maybe their laundry! Not only are the demonstrations of apathy, anger and nihilism indicative of youth in the Thatcher era, but each episode acts as document of pop music history by featuring a performance from the likes of Madness, The Damned and most notably Motorhead with their classic "Ace Of Spades."

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"A horrible, vile, disgusting sitcom about four students who live in the most revolting house in Britain", The Young Onesbecame an instant BBC comedy landmark in 1982 by launching an all-out assault on the moribund sitcom, mixing Monty Python-esque madness with post-punk anarchy. There are no real stories, only a succession of often hysterically funny scenes as ingenious gags collide with deliberately corny lines, cartoon-like ultra-violence, pop music breaks, surreal interludes with characters ranging from the Three Bears to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and gross-out moments based on various bodily functions and substances.

Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan are the four housemates: Rick (Cliff Richard-worshipping radical sociology student), Vyvan (violence-loving punk medical student), Neil (put-upon suicidal hippie) and Mike (self-styled cool guy). Alexei Sayle appears regularly playing various mad Russians. Taking a cue from National Lampoon's Animal House(1978) the show now seems to anticipate the teen gross-out flicks of the late 1990s but to far more amusing effect. In retrospect The Young Onesis cheerfully un-politically correct in a way which may shock more now than 20 years ago; certainly some of the insults and drug-taking would have trouble getting on TV today. The first series was followed by a second equally hilarious series; Mayall and Edmondson played essentially similar characters in Filthy, Rich and Catflap(1987) and Bottom(1991-5).

On the DVD:The Young Oneson disc has disappointingly no extra features except optional English subtitles. The sound is full, clear mono and the 4:3 picture is as good as can be expected from a 1980s BBC comedy shot on video and certainly far better than the show appeared when it was broadcast.--Gary S Dalkin

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1984
Release Date:	August 18, 2003
Runtime:	210 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	B B C D V D 1171
Keywords:	Comedy, Ones, General, Young, Series, Tv
Genre:	Comedy