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Overview[]

The show was the creation of comedy-duo Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson. Unlike previous productions featuring the two, Bottom did not have any input from Ben Elton, who had co-created and written The Young Ones and Filthy, Rich and Catflap. Eighteen episodes were filmed between 1991 and 1995 over three series and aired on BBC2, with five live shows filmed between 1993 and 2003. The show incorporates the elements of a sitcom with violent slapstick, toilet humour and frequent use of the double entendre. All material was written by Rik and Ade, with the first two series being directed by legendary BBC director Ed Bye. A feature film based on the show titled Guest House Paradiso was released in 1999.

Cast & Characters[]

Main Cast

Recurring Characters

Concept & Creation[]

The idea for Bottom is said to have come about after Rik and Ade appeared together in the West End theatre production of Waiting For Godot. The dynamic between the two characters in the play formed a basis for the show, however Rik and Ade had already been working together for a very long time and the strong comedic relationship between the two was already present. The characters of Richie and Eddie are said to be based on their own real-life relationship, which was rife with one-upmanship, toilet humour, and a great comedy dynamic.

The show was originally intended to be called My Bottom, so as to frustrate continuity announcers on BBC2 introducing the show and to encourage people to say "did you see My Bottom last night?" This idea was dropped late on to simply Bottom to reflect it's low humour and that the main characters were living at the bottom of the social ladder. Each episode was roughly 35 minutes long, edited down to 30 for television broadcast. The missing minutes for each episode were restored for the DVD releases. The third episode of the first series "Contest" has long been thought by fans to have been the pilot for the series, as there are notable differences in the layout of the set, the quality of the recording and even the characterisation and appearance of Richie and Eddie.

After two series over 1991 and 1992, the show went on hiatus whilst Rik and Ade concentrated on other projects, which included the very successful 1993 stage show Bottom Live. The live show and the subsequent UK tour was so popular that a third series was written, filmed and broadcast in 1995. A fourth series was written, but not picked up by the BBC. Material for the un-filmed episodes was recycled for use in the following four live UK tours.

In 2012, Rik and Ade announced the intention to return to their Bottom characters with Hooligan's Island, based on the third live stage show. In 2013 however, Ade pulled out of the project. In an interview with The Mirror, Rik stated he was desperate to bring the characters back but Ade didn't want to. In the interview he states that Ade had this idea of catching up with Richie and Eddie when they were in their sixties in a nursing home, and instead of beating each other up with frying pans they used colostomy bags instead. With the untimely death of Rik Mayall in June 2014, the project has been shelved.

Bottom has been overlooked by critics and broadcasters alike, only truly achieving recognition in television repeats and following Rik Mayall's passing, where it has been described as a clever political commentary amidst the slapstick violence and toilet humour. The Guardian in particular has described it as "unfairly labelled as juvenile and tasteless, Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson's flat share comedy was one of the last sitcoms to boast political insight with the power to make you laugh uncontrollably."

The show has been released on VHS and DVD in various international territories, as full box sets or individual series or collections of episodes. The show has been available to download from YouTube and iTunes for several years, and was available to stream on Netflix until 2021 until it moved to Amazon Prime.

Seasons & Episodes[]

See Episodes

Live Shows[]

See Live Shows

Trivia[]

  1. Bottom was filmed in front of a live studio audience at Studio 1 at BBC Television Centre in the White City district of West London. Throughout filming, Rik and Ade often came on stage before the cameras rolled in full costume and warmed up the audience themselves with various jokes and comedy routines. They often interacted with the audience in between takes.
  2. Audience tickets for the first series had a still image of a scene from the pilot episode "Contest" printed on one side, and a small map with directions to the studio printed on the other.
  3. As to be expected during the filming of a sitcom, sometimes there were long breaks in play as cameras, equipment, and props needed to be rearranged and set up. During this downtime, the audience was entertained with clips of already-filmed Bottom episodes, and scenes from The Young Ones.
  4. An unconfirmed source suggests that the British Jamaican R&B singer Ruby Turner sometimes performed for the audience during breaks in play.
  5. Rik Mayall notoriously became very sweaty on stage. During the filming of Bottom, the studio lights and large audience made the environment very hot, and Rik Mayall frequently had to change his shirt in between takes.
  6. Some scenes were filmed out of sight of the audience (such as the bedroom scene in "Gas"). The audience reaction was captured by broadcasting the footage onto screens on the main stage.
  7. Lyricist Tim Rice has stated that he was inspired to write the Lion King classic "Hakuna Matata" after watching an episode of Bottom.
  8. The opening theme tune is a cover of jazz musician BB King's "BB Blues," and is performed by The Bum Notes.
  9. The closing theme tune is a cover of "Last Night" by the Mar-Keys, performed by The Bum Notes.
  10. Notable fans of the show include the American actor Mark Hamill (of Star Wars fame), and American film director Rian Johnson (Breaking Bad, Star Wars: The Last Jedi).
  11. The show has a considerable fanbase worldwide. The most active fans can be found on the Facebook group 'The Official Unofficial Bottom Fan Group Page', which has over 46,000 members.
  12. The Spanish title for the show is 'La Pareja Basura', which when translated into English means 'The Trash Couple.'
  13. In Croatia, the show is known as 'Šljam', which roughly translates to 'Scum'.

Accolades[]

  1. In 1992, won the Best New TV Comedy category at the British Comedy Awards.
  2. In 2008 was voted number 45 in "Britain's Best Sitcom."
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