Long running show featuring members of England’s Comic Strip Comedy Club. Episodes are half hour films that can be about almost anything. It takes getting used to.
Typical episode: “Five Go Mad In Dorset” w/Jennifer Saunders and Robbie Coltrane. Adults play ten year olds. Dick, Julian and their sisters Anne (Jennifer Saunders) and George are on holiday and visit their Aunt Fanny. She tells them their Uncle Quentin has been kidnapped for the second time in two months.
They get their bicycles and their dog Timmy and set out for adventure. Stopping to eat they see two men behind them burying something. Along comes a car and a man tosses poisoned meat to Timmy. They leave him and ride into town for some ice cream.
The shopkeeper is Robbie Coltrane in drag. They see a newspaper with the headline that two scientists have been kidnapped. Into the store walks the richest kid in town, Toby. He’s a brat. Outside he asks to join the gang and they let him. Another stop and Julian is tired of Toby and slugs him. That leaves Dick and Toby by the river.
Dick jumps in and behind him Toby is kidnapped. Dick joins the others as they ride to Dirty Dick’s place. He’s the one always poisioning Timmy. He’s also Toby’s father’s bodyguard. His partner in crime thinks they’ve been caught and shoots himself.
On the road they meet up with a Gypsy (Robbie Coltrane) who warns them about danger. They proceed anyway to the ruins of a castle on Kneecap Hill.
Jennifer Saunders became a huge star by creating and starring in “Absolutely Fabulous”. She played Edna.
Robbie Coltrane is know the world over for his tv and movie roles. He appeared in two James Bond films and played Rebeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter series. One of his many TV roles was as “Cracker.”
“Private Enterprise” w/Jennifer Saunders – Very funny send up of the music business. Keith is on parole and makes deliveries for a stationary company. He’s skimming inventory. While making a delivery to a recording studio a band called Toy Department is making a demo. They’re terrible. Keith steals a cassette.
He goes to Hard Core Records. They’re listening to cassettes for the next big thing. Keith says he’s Brian Epstein’s brother. He’s shown the door since he’s the 47th one to claim that. Company rep Derek changes his mind and calls Keith back.
His girlfriend Debbie (Jennifer Saunders) is concerned that his friend Brian is over at their place since Keith is not supposed to associate with criminal types. Keith goes to see Derek. Derek says the band would make a good tax loss and wants to do a recording session. Keith and Brian go to find them and discover the lead singer quit and the band is off to Sweden.
He tells Derek that they should be marketed as a mystery band. Let everyone think whatever they like as to their identity. A single comes out and they’re a hit. Keith tells Derek about his other band Toy Department and arranges for them to have a tour keeping them out of the country so they don’t know what’s going on.
Derek books a concert tour for the mystery band. Keith has Brian help him in blowing up the concert halls where they’ve been booked. That way he keeps his secret and also gets a cancellation fee. Now Derek books a press conference. He and Brian disguise themselves as band members.
Their parole officer Miss Naylor catches on and Keith offers her a bribe. She doesn’t take it. That just the beginning of the unraveling. Can Keith still get away with it? This is a good satire that comedy and music fans will really like.
