“Once in every lifetime, comes a lot like this….” The Young Ones is one of those seminal British comedy series. Coming at a time when young, alternative comedians were on the rise, four such young men, including Nigel Planer, Rik Mayall, Alexei Sayle, and Adrian Edmondson, banded together with actor Christopher Ryan to craft a sitcom like no other. Following the traditional format but filled with violent slapstick, non-sequiturs, and even musical guests, the Young Ones proved a hit with real young people all over the United Kingdom. It also proved to be a helpful vehicle for several of the group’s alternative comedy colleagues. Join us for a tour off the cliff of fascinating facts about one of the best comedy shows on British TV.

I Know that Face

As mentioned, the Young Ones also featured many up-and-coming alternative comics and actors, as well as some of the group’s own comedy heroes. Just a few names guest-starring in the series include Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane, Mel Smith, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ben Elton, and Tony Robinson. Some of them would go on to produce their own highly regarded comedy shows, such as A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Blackadder, and Absolutely Fabulous.

Our Wives and Co-Creators—May They Never Meet!

Rik Mayall co-created the Young Ones with his then-girlfriend, Lise Meyer. Adrian Edmondson also had his girlfriend, Jennifer Saunders, in two different roles on the show before they married in 1985.

Cue the Music!

If you ever wondered why musical acts such as Madness, Motorhead, and Dexy’s Midnight Runners showed up on the program, it all had to do with the budget. The BBC was desperate to get the group signed to a deal before Channel 4, so they offered them a sitcom—despite not having any more money in the budget for sitcoms. Instead, the Young Ones was classified as “light entertainment”, similar to variety shows.

Mane Man

And speaking of the light entertainment budget, if you ever wondered why Mike opens the door to a lion tamer in his bedroom, it’s because the man had to be hired as a guest to keep the show’s budget.

This is Madness

The ska band Madness actually makes two appearances on the show, playing their songs “House of Fun” and “Our House”. They even interact a little with the group, such as when Rick requests Cliff Richard’s “Summer Holiday” only to be threatened by the frontman Suggs. The reason for this was the BBC was considering giving the group their own sitcom, ala The Monkees, but it never came to be.

CLIFF!

The title of the series comes from the song of the same name by Cliff Richard. Rik Mayall himself was a huge Richard fan, a trait shared by his character, Rick. Several other references are also made to the single, including the series finale’s literal cliffhanger. While the show was in production, Cliff Richard made the music video for his song “Living Doll” and included the group as their characters.

Doctor Who?

Alexei Sayle and Christopher Ryan have both made appearances on Doctor Who in the 1980s. Ryan would later return as another Sontaran when the show was revived in 2005.

Doctor Who Again?

Colin Baker was supposed to make an appearance in one episode as the evil Count Dustbag, but his scene was cut from the final product.

Forget It, He’s Rolling

Alexei Sayle was certainly an interesting case when it came to the show. In addition to playing all members of the Balowski family, he pretty much ad-libbed all his appearances. Sayle didn’t rehearse with the others, so oftentimes, the script would just say “Alexei does his bit,” and the other actors would literally have no idea what he was going to do until it happened. Sayle himself isn’t terribly fond of the show’s best-known episode, Bambi, because he saw Laurie, Elton, Fry, and Thompson as the sort of college-educated twits they were mocking.

One Name Only

Every episode title is only one word, except for the series finale “Summer Holiday.”