“Whoops Apocalypse” (1982) is a six-part television sitcom by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, made by London Weekend Television for ITV. The series details the chaotic and increasingly unstable geopolitical situation leading up to the Apocalypse. The chain of events are precipitated by naive and highly unpopular Republican U.S. President Johnny Cyclops (Barry Morse) who is unwisely advised by an insane right-wing fundamentalist security advisor, called The Deacon, who claims to have a direct hotline to God (the writers claimed not to know at the time that Alexander Haig, Reagan’s first Secretary of State, was known among White House staff as The Vicar).
“The Magic Christian” (1969) is a British satire directed by Joseph McGrath and loosely adapted from the 1959 novel of the same name by Terry Southern, who co-wrote the screenplay with McGrath. Peter Sellers stars as billionaire Sir Guy Grand, who adopts a homeless man (Ringo Starr) and demonstrates to his new heir how virtually everyone in the world can be bought through an escalating series of pranks. Cameo appearances are made by John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Raquel Welch, Spike Milligan, Christopher Lee, Richard Attenborough and Yul Brynner among others.
“How to Get Ahead in Advertising” (1989) is a British comedy written and directed by Bruce Robinson (Withnail and I) and starring Richard E. Grant and Rachel Ward. Grant plays Denis Dimbleby Bagley, a cold but effective ad executive who suffers a nervous breakdown due to a crisis of conscience while brainstorming a promotional campaign for acne cream. His anxiety manifests in a boil which escalates the breakdown as it increases in size. Rachel Ward stars as Julia, Denis’ long-suffering wife who becomes increasingly alarmed by the sudden and drastic changes his personality undergoes.
I was surprised and saddened to hear the news that counterculture comedian Rik Mayall died in his home in London yesterday. The cause of death hasn’t been released but Scotland Yard reported that it was not believed to be suspicious. Mayall was best known for his memorable roles in cult comedy shows such as “The Young Ones”, “Black Adder”, “The New Statesman” and “Bottom”. In a tribute published by The Guardian yesterday, some of his Young Ones colleagues had this to say about him:
“very, very sad and upset that we’ve lost Rik, who was inspirational, bonkers, and a great life force… a brilliant comedian and someone who made everyone else’s lives more fun. He will be really, really missed”. – Nigel Planer
“Comedy is truly great is when it comes out of nothing, and the greatest of comedians, like Rik, have that rare ability to conjure laugh after laugh, not from endless words, but from a single look or one absurd gesture … It was in his bones. Sweet Rik, much loved – what a loss.” – Alexei Sayle
“There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing. They were some of the most carefree, stupid days I ever had, and I feel privileged to have shared them with him. And now he’s died for real. Without me. Selfish bastard.” – Adrian Edmonson
Not sure exactly when this live performance was recorded, but though it seems to be early in his career it captures the manic energy of some of Mayall’s later roles:
Rik Mayall’s second-to-the-last televised work before his death was as the narrator of the following animation for Channel 4 written and produced by Louis Hudson and Ian Ravenscroft called Don’t Fear Death:
The following is a clip from One By One, an intriguing but difficult to find feature film directed by Diane Jessie Miller and featuring one of Mayall’s final performances:
After the Crash 