It's a new series! Most actors are fortunate if they have just one role people love them for. Rik embodied so many iconic and memorable characters that people adore. Kicking things off is a look at one of his early incarnations - self-styled "Investigative Journalist" and son of Redditch, Kevin Turvey in "A Kick up the Eighties" and "The Man Behind the Green Door." The Talking Bottom is out now! “Oh God! This is real!" To order a copy follow this link: https://linktr.ee/talkingbottom And please ...
Jul 03, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 62
“That was quite a LOCK IN, wasn’t it??” A short while ago our great mate Jeffers @PodcastoCatflappo asked to interview us about the writing process behind ‘Talking Bottom: A Guide to the Cult Sitcom’ and what Bottom fans can expect to uncover when flicking through its weighty folds. Listen to our sickeningly lovely chat with the top bloke that is Jeff - and then give his podcast a listen and follow him on socials @PodcastoCatflappo - his pod has featured loads of faaaaantastic names in alternati...
Jun 26, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 61
Talking Bottom is BACK and LIVE - and what better place to do our FIRST EVER live show than at the innagural Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in Rik's old home town of Droitwich? We were joined by legendary Bottom director and Producer Ed Bye at the Norbury Theatre on the very stage upon which Rik first ever performed and where he used to operate the lights. To a sold-out crowd, Ed shared memories of directing Bottom, working with Rik and Ade and his very favourite Bottom moments - watching them along...
Jun 20, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 60
This ep sees an update on our book, Talking Bottom: A Guide to The Cult Sitcom, snatched (ooh errr) from the jaws of defeat to be published on July 3rd. We wang on about why it took f*cking aaaages and how book backers can get their grubby hands on the book on July 3rd while others wait for their postman to unload his sack. We also chat about our upcoming live podcast on May 31st, on stage in Rik's home town of Droitwich as part of the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival, where we will be joined by a VER...
May 02, 2025•24 min•Ep. 59
Talking Bottom returns with a visit to the 2025 Slapstick Festival in Bristol, where Ange and Mat attended "That's Really Heavy, Man: The Comic Incarnations of Nigel Planer" (Nigel Planer in Conversation with Robin Ince) and "Rik! The Anarchic Genius of Rik Mayall" (Ben Elton and Nigel Planer, chaired by Robin Ince). The pair regale Paul with stories from the talks about Nigel's career before, during and after The Young Ones, the U.S. Young Ones pilot that may finally see the light of day, Ben's...
Apr 26, 2025•51 min•Ep. 58
Finally, a documentary about Bottom! A look at Bottom: Exposed - a fantastic retrospective of Bottom on UKTV channel Gold. The doc features contributions from load of people who worked on the sitcom, including Ade himself! We discuss the stories and facts unearthed by the programme, and how we came to pop up on it ourselves! The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://t.co/G677or4Xgw
Apr 18, 2024•42 min•Ep. 57
Our guest for this very special episode is a titan of entertainment and one of the key figures in the rise of alternative comedy in the UK. He's an actor, director, writer and comedian who created The Comic Strip and is the man behind The Comic Strip Presents... series of shows and films that currently total 5 films and 42 episodes including Bad News, Mr Jolly Lives Next Door, A Fistful of Travellers Cheques, The Bullshitters, Four Men in A Car and The Hunt for Tony Blair. It's Peter Richardson!...
May 11, 2023•59 min•Ep. 56
This weeks guest is the First Lady of Bottom. She's a comedian, author and actor who was part of the Comedy Store scene and whose credits include The Young Ones, Absolutely Fabulous, Saturday Live, Girls on Top, One Foot in the Grave, Naked Video and Happy Families. But Bottom fans know her best as Moldovan Princess Lady Natasha Letitia Sarah Jane Wellesley Obstromsky Ponsonsky Smythe Smythe Smythe Smythe Smythe Oblomov Boblomov Dob. It's Helen Lederer! Helen tells us about her early years getti...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 55
This weeks guest quite literally wrote the book on Rik Mayall. He's a journalist, writer, film critic and broadcaster who's worked for Heat, Entertainment Focus, New Empress Film Magazine, Screenjabber and BBC Suffolk. He's the author of biography "Rik Mayall: Comedy Genius"... It's Mark Searby! We discuss stories from Rik's life that Mark discovered while writing the book, how much work went into it, Rik's place in comedy history, unheard Bottom trivia, Rik filming Drop Dead Fred, seeing secret...
Nov 26, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 54
Imagine being able to literally create the world that Richie and Eddie inhabit. This week's guest has done just that, working as a Production Designer on series 3 of Bottom, plus on The League of Gentlemen, French and Saunders, Spiceworld, Episodes, Rev, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Roland Rat, Fat Slags and The End of the F***ing World. It's Grenville Horner! Emmy winner Grenville shares how he started in the industry, working on series 3 of Bottom including creating the legendary cattle prod and f...
Nov 19, 2021•35 min•Ep. 53
Many of us grew up watching Rik and Ade's work. For many of us it was George's Marvellous Medicine and Bottom, for others The Dangerous Brothers and The Young Ones. But this week's guest got to grow up - for the duration of filming anyway - whilst working with Rik and Ade on the film Guest House Paradiso aged 9. She's an actress with a CV including Cider with Rosie, The Gathering, Casualty, Los Dos Bros, Magic Grandad and the role of Charlene Nice, a member of the family that checks into Guest H...
Nov 12, 2021•20 min•Ep. 52
Matt Lucas calls him "the Godfather of TV comedy" and he's certainly got one of the most impressive CV's in the industry. Since joining the BBC in 1980, he's been instrumental in producing the very best of British sketch comedy including A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Smith and Jones, French and Saunders, This Morning with Richard Not Judy, Little Britain and The League of Gentlemen. As a head honcho at the Beeb, he brought The Vicar of Dibley, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Goodness Gracious Me, Absolutely Fabul...
Nov 04, 2021•59 min•Ep. 51
We've inputted the data for this weeks guest and while her character in Bottom is a bit raggy round the edges, in real life she's an absolute cracker. She's a stage, screen and comedy veteren who's appeared in The Dark Crystal, In Deep, The Bill, The Russ Abbot and Les Dennis shows and at 27 landed her own prime time BBC1 sketch show. It's our favourite love bureau matchmaker Lily Lineker herself; it's Lisa Maxwell! Lisa discusses her training at Italia Conte and entry into entertainment, altern...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 50
To round off this special 30th anniversary series, we take a look at the moments that make the show special to you. Using the 100% scientific method of asking people on social media, we delve into the fans favourite series, episodes, lines, moments and characters. Oh god, there's so much to choose from! The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://t.co/G677or4Xgw
Oct 28, 2021•41 min•Ep. 49
To accompany our episode on Waiting for Godot, we chat with Mark Young, a photographer who, in 1991 photographed Rik Mayall, Ade Edmonsdon and Christopher Ryan during their run of the show at the Queen's theatre, London. The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the occasional connection drop out. The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at: https://t.co/G677or4Xgw
Oct 21, 2021•19 min•Ep. 47
"Ello Boys!" Talking Bottom's guest this week is a veteran of stage and screen, recognisable from The Young Ones, Kevin Turvey, Blackadder, Cracker, Nuts in May, Eastenders and Inside Number 9. To us he will always be Hammermith's own Rachman, fuming at spending money on his mother's cremation, Richie and Eddie's landlord Mr Harrison. It's Roger Sloman! Roger discusses how he got into acting, his work on Kevin Turvey and The Young Ones, how his role in Bottom came about, working with Rik and Ade...
Oct 21, 2021•37 min•Ep. 48
Wanky analysis alert! Ok, actually Bottom has had numerous comparisons to Waiting for Godot over the years. Rik and Ade performed the play at uni and then more famously starred in a 1991 run in the West End at the same time Bottom debuted on TV. So, like A' Level students, here's our ill-informed attempt to "compare and contrast". Angela, Paul and Mat discuss the history of Waiting for Godot, its different interpretations, the Emperor's new clothes, bewildered actors and how even the writer didn...
Oct 21, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 46
"Very droll sir, I've never heard that one before." One of the UK's busiest and best character actors sits down with Talking Bottom. This gent has not only embodied Tony Hancock and Captain Mainwaring but also starred in all of the Pirates of the Carribbean films. Bottom fans of course know him best as the man who supplies men of science with pheremone sex spray... It's Kevin McNally! Kevin tells us about his early career, getting into alternative comedy, working on The New Statesman, having ver...
Oct 14, 2021•51 min•Ep. 44
Richie and Eddie's end goal in life is the gratification of their base needs and carnal desires. What they want more than anything is a slap up grill, a lock in at the Lamb and Flag and shaggy shaggy shag with acres and acres of ladies... Paul, Mat and Angela discuss Maslow's Hierachy of Needs (yes, really), Richie and Eddie's perversions, virgins, incels, sophomoric humour, the female comedy fan perspective, a breakdown of what drives each Bottom episode and a diversion into Red Dwarf. The book...
Oct 14, 2021•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 45
"I took Harrison's Point single handed." Talking Bottom chats with The Falkland's most famous veteran. He's a comedian, actor, writer, presenter, champion of green energy, Red Dwarf's series 4000 mechanoid Kryten and most importantly; Mr N. Stiles, the man who smashed Richie's face in while legless on a bar stool. It's Robert Llewellyn! Robert talks about his early career in alternative comedy with theatre group The Joeys, living in squats, the rise of alternative comedy, getting headhunted for ...
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 43
Richie and Eddie's Hammersmith is a unique world not only in comedy, but all of fiction. Where else are dogs served up in kebabs, amputees prosthetic legs stolen and the annual riot sees both the police and the local schoolkids participate? Mat, Paul and Angela discuss fictional universes, the uniquely named characters of Bottom, comparisons to Dickensian London, other sitcoms, a reading from a mystery book, the League of Gentlemen and encountering a fresh turd in ON a toilet seat in a Wetherspo...
Oct 07, 2021•55 min•Ep. 42
What - and I'll repeat that - what a guest we have this week! "No, don't laugh." Well, actually do, because this gent was a lynchpin in the alternative comedy and scene and has appeared in more of our favourite comedies than he's served Pernods in The Lamb and Flag. He's been in (amongst LOADS of other stuff) Filthy, Rich and Catflap, Toast of London, The Comic Strip Presents (as Arch Crippledick), French and Saunders, three series of Blackadder, two episodes of The Young Ones and was Paranoia i...
Sep 30, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 41
The costumes of Bottom are such an important part of the show's identity. All fans recognise Eddie's hat and glasses and Richie's voluminous pants and belt pulled up too high. Plus of course... Halloween. Angela, Paul and Mat talk about costume making character, specially making clothes, how costume shows social status (class again? We did that last week!), going to fancy dress parties as a talking Halloween banana and a devil (in either pre-shitted or post-shitted tights), what the supporting c...
Sep 30, 2021•50 min•Ep. 40
Talking Bottom is thrilled to be joined by legend of British comedy, Paul Jackson. He brought alternative comedy to the masses and was the man who got The Young Ones on TV (which he also directed), changing the face of sitcoms forever. Amongst working on a plethora of great shows he also gave us Filthy, Rich and Catflap, Red Dwarf and the pilot episode of Bottom. In part 1, Paul chats about his entry into TV and his early years rising to become a producer, his comedy influences, working with the...
Sep 23, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 37
Talking Bottom's interview with TV titan Paul Jackson continues as he discusses making Filthy, Rich and Catflap, seeing Rik and Ade in Waiting for Godot, slapstick, working with writers, special effects in sitcoms, producing TV in the US and Australia, working with Ant and Dec, chairing Comic Relief, the American remake of The Young Ones, Heil Honey I'm Home!, pathos in comedy, the current lack of political satire and being thanked by Rik on stage at Exeter Uni, Plus of course lots about Bottom ...
Sep 23, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 38
Three media twats pontificate on class in sitcoms and the importance of it and poverty in Bottom. Paul, Mat and Angela talk about the classifications of class, sitcoms and sketches where class plays an important part. They cover Richie and Eddie's place in society, possible history and education. Numerous other sitcoms are discussed including Only Fools and Horses, Red Dwarf and Gavin and Stacy, plus shooting multi camera format vs single camera. Also, feminist chat! The book "Talking Bottom: A ...
Sep 23, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 39
HELLO MR GAS MAN! Talking Bottom prepares the steaming cold tea for a very special guest. Olivier award nominated veteren of stage and screen, Mark Lambert brings his frying pan and joins us for a chat. He tells all about his career, early days at Uni with Rik, working as a character actor, plummeting from a building in Cracker, having "Gas Man" yelled at him and of course, his role as quite possibly Bottom's most memorable guest star. The conversation took place over Zoom so please forgive the ...
Sep 16, 2021•58 min•Ep. 35
30 years ago today Bottom expolded onto British TV! To celebrate three decades of the world's best sitcom we are looking at some of the themes that make the show what it is. That's right, we're over-analysing it to fuck! First up is physical comedy. Mat, Paul and Angela discuss its history, evolution, rules, legends and international appeal. We look at examples in British comedy and, of course many moments in Bottom and Rik and Ade's other work. The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitc...
Sep 16, 2021•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 36
In the final live show, Eddie's locked himself away in the toilet and Richie finds he's been inventing gadgets. The pair embark on an adventure through time and space on-board Eddie's time machine "The Turdis" which is a toilet cubicle. Angela, Paul and Mat discuss plot holes, crowdpleasing, repurposing old material, absurdist humour, the Only Fools and Horses musical and dad jokes. Plus the final Talking Bottom quiz! The book "Talking Bottom: A guide to the cult sitcom" can be found to order at...
Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 34
Richie and Eddie are back and still on the desert island. Searching for a means to escape, their desire to reach the theatre bar blurs the lines between fiction and reality as things get very meta and everything builds to a musical finale. Paul, Mat and Angela discuss long synopses, "have a wank", pervy silhouettes, nob gags, meta performances, deliberate fuckups, DVD features, TV references, local jokes and musical numbers. Plus some incredibly detailed knowledge is required in the Talking Bott...
Sep 03, 2021•58 min•Ep. 33
