Be sure to check the Message Board regularly. Often new news is posted there first.
Thanks to all who have contributed through the years!
If anyone hears of news or TV appearances that aren't listed here, please e-mail me.
TV LISTINGS
While I try my best to present accurate TV schedules, please always confirm the following information against your local listings.
Omitted - Year Over!
Omitted - Year Over!
Omitted - Year Over!
The 2005 News Archive
 Want an "official" (in our dreams!) BTHBTC Bookmark? If you haven't seen the bookcover yet (how could you miss it?), here it is. »»» The above listing of dates are courtesy of fans who've done web searches for them, and Harper Collins in the UK. If anyone hears of any dates that aren't listed here, please send them to me! |
Entry Date: December 26:
Play.com's TV commercial mentions Rik's book by name. Thanks to Jo for this.
At the December 14th British Comedy Awards, host Jonathan Ross was heard mentioning Rik's name as the show was coming out of a commercial break. It seems that the chatter wasn't supposed to be audible to the audience, and nothing's been said so far about the gaff.
The December 20th edition of the London Times mentioned Rik in an article on booksignings. According to the Times: "some authors indulge in diva-esque behaviour. Paul McCartney operates a no-kissing policy; Rik Mayall, by contrast, kisses all his female autograph-hunters. Thanks to Marie Koster for spotting this.
December 22nd's Chortle reports on an Independent article stating that more Comic Strip episodes may be made, with a focus on mixing yesterday and today's talent.
The December 24th edition of the Daily Mail gave Sex Actually 2 out of 5 stars and made a comment regarding the waste of "the vast pool of comedy talent" in it. Thanks to Feeb...hello? for this.
Entry Date: December 13:
Cast photos from Sex Actually appear in this week's Radio Times and What's on TV Christmas Special. Thanks to Steph Chambers and Hannah Davies for the scans.
Entry Date: December 12:
Due to many, many problems with our old message board host last week, we now have a new message board and a new host. It's located at http://www.orangeneko.invisionzone.com. Please update your bookmarks! The new board will be customized to look more Rikkish during the next week.
Rik's portrayal of Merlin was voted number 8 on MSN's list of "Top Wizards" on November 30th. We didn't know anyone saw this film but us fans! Thanks to Sarah Williamson for this.
The December 28th issue of TV Times includes a photo of the Sex Actually cast along with the following blurb:
The comedy team present their first new film since 2000's Four Men On A Plane. A young couple move to a seemingly quiet close, where they discover the previous occupants met a mysterious death involving a waterbed. It turns out their neighbours are part of a wife-swapping circle - but it remains to be seen whether any of them could be guilty of murder. Stars Rik Mayall, Nigel Planner, Doon Mackichan, Robert Bathurst, Sheridan Smith and Phil Cornwell.
Thanks to Sarah Williamson for the above blurb.
On November 26th, BBC Radio 2 featured a special on past comedies. They discussed The Young Ones and played a bit of their song with Cliff. Thanks to Amy Johnson for this.
Entry Date: November 29:
On December 1st at 11:40am, Rik will host a show on BBC 2 titled Making Sense of Health. Digiguide's description says:
Teeth and Eating
Rik Mayall narrates a programme that introduces the variety and purpose of teeth in humans and the animal kingdom, the importance of keeping teeth and gums healthy and the need for food and water and a varied diet.
The new Comic Strip episode, Sex Actually, will be broadcast on December 28th at 9:00pm on Channel 4. Thanks to Wilhelmenia J Edbrooke for this.
Some information as to the plot of Sex Actually is available here. However, the date of broadcast and the title are incorrect. Thanks to Hannah Davies for this.
King Arthur's Disasters will be released on DVD in the UK on February 20th. Thanks to Melttalk2 for this.
Rik has done some new kiddie story narration for broadcast on Heart 106.2 FM. Some of the shows have already been broadcast (The Aristocats and Toy Story), but Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas is still due to be broadcast on December 12th. More details are available at Heart's website. Thanks to Cathy Basham for this.
According to an article from Sunderland Today, Rik is in talks to do a voice for an upcoming animated special titled Santa's Little Super Heroes. Thanks to Marie Koster for this.
Carry on Columbus will be released on DVD on January 30th. Thanks to Melttalk2 for this.
Entry Date: November 10:
Decline and Fall, a radio special from last year that Rik narrated, will be officially released as an audio book on February 13, 2006. Thanks to Sarah Williamson for spotting this.
Sarah also spotted another bit of Rik news for us on November 8th. On GMTV that morning, Paul Bradly mentioned that Rik had gone to one of his band's concerts. Paul appeared in bit parts in both Bottom and The Young Ones and went to university with Rik and Ade.
Entry Date: November 3:
This website has been selected the Website of the Month by the UKTV Index. We always wondered when/if we'd get one of these web awards, and we're very happy that the first one is from UKTV!
Page 132 of Channel 4's teletext features a small writeup on the upcoming Sex Actually Comic Strip TV film. It doesn't reveal anything that hasn't been reported elsewhere. There was also a small article on MSN about the show, which described it as being about the "dark underbelly of middle-class suburbia". Thanks to Blake Neale and Ross Foad for this.
Entry Date: November 1:
The November 2nd Daily Mirror features the following about the upcoming Comic Strip special Sex Actually. Thanks to Marie Koster for this:
COMIC STRIP TV REUNION EXCLUSIVE
By Fiona Cummins
Cult favourite The Comic Strip is to return to our screens in a "swinging spoof".
It will reunite The Young Ones stars Rik Mayall and Nigel Planer on TV for the first time in 18 years.
The special - to be shown on Channel 4 - delves into the secrets of suburbia, including death by waterbed and wife-swapping.
Mayall appears as a self-important artist and Planer plays a nosy neighbour.
A Channel 4 insider said: "It's incredibly exciting to have this show back on TV."
The Comic Strip broke the comedy mould in the 80s and launched a string of big names, including Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
Today's Express included a photo of Rik in a feature on epilepsy. Rik's quad bike related illness was not discussed. Thanks to Claire Henson for this.
According to this week's Radio Times, All About George didn't quite make 4 million viewers in the ratings, and the magazine questioned the future of shows such as George. Thanks to Steph Chambers for this.
This week's Sun TV Guide's featured a complimentary letter for All About George. Thanks to Sarah Williamson for transcribing this:
First Class Mayall
When I first saw ITV1's All About George advertised, I didn't think Rik Mayall had it in him to play the role of a family man. But I was wrong. I love the series. I feel really sorry for George when he gets things wrong because he is trying so hard to please everybody all of the time. I do hope there is a second series.
Helen M Hall, Tyne & Wear
Entry Date: October 28:
Yesterday's Sun reported that Rik played a bit of a prank about the National Television Awards. Thanks to Shabba and Carl for this:
Peter Kay was left red-faced after Rik Mayall told him that he had scooped the best comedy award.
Rik, 47 - who presented the gong - saw Peter back stage and suggested that Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere had won.
Excited Peter, 32 rushed back to his table and told pals. An insider said "Rik thought it would be hilarious to wind Peter up. "He saw the funny side after a while.
Filthy Rich & Catflap is being released on DVD in Australia on November 17th. Thanks to Steve Butler for this.
Entry Date: October 26:
Rik attended the National Television Awards ceremony and also presented the award for the best comedy series to Little Britain. Photos can be found at Wire Image and Rex Features. Rik is sporting a new, thin John Waters' style mustache. Thanks to the numerous people who let us know about this.
A picture of Rik is appears on page 78 of Now magazine. Thanks to Jane Sallis for this.
Entry Date: October 25:
A clip of Rick from The Young Ones was shown on VH1's I Love the 80s:3D 1982 edition. Rick's "does anybody here like The Human League?" was shown at the beginning of the video spotlight on The Human League. VH1 repeats these specials all the time, so check your local listings for airings. The segment appears during the first 10 minutes of the show.
Entry Date: October 23:
We just found out that at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, Rik mentioned that he'd just done a voiceover for Spongebob Squarepants three days earlier. Thanks to James Winkle for this.
Valiant will be released on DVD in the UK on November 7th. There will be extras included such as bloopers, a game, footage of the UK premiere, interviews, a making of feature, recording sessions and the trailer. Thanks to Steph Chambers for this.
Entry Date: October 20:
For those trying to access the message board, you'll have noticed there have been outages for about 3 days now. This is due to a flood in Forumhoster's data center. They're working on fixing the problem and hope to get things back to normal soon. Keep checking back periodically to see if the board is back up.
Entry Date: October 13:
The audio book of Bigger than Hitler Better Than Christ has been delayed, as all of you who have ordered it know. The new release date is March 3, 2006. Thanks to Amy Lloyd for this.
A letter about Rik appears in this week's What's On TV. Thanks to Julie for this:
A YOUNG ONE GROWS UP
Rik Mayall is great in ITV's All About George. What a relief to see him in a show where he isn't being hit over the head, kicked around or being generally beaten up by Adrian Edmondson. It's about time that he took on a serious role, as Adrian had already done in Holby City. I know some people would prefer to see his slapstick, but I like seeing him doing something different.
Linda James, Sale, Greater Manchester.
Sarah Williamson reports the following appeared on page 9 of this week's TV Times "You Like Some, You Don't" column: "All About George - a promising new comedy-drama which attracted over 5 million viewers". The same issue also featured a letter about Rik:
GEORGE IS A FAMILY JEWEL
All About George is, on the surface, another attempt to occupy the comfy family sitcom niche. But the twist is that the family here is suitably dysfunctional and perfectly suited to our times. Rik Mayall may not be everyone's idea of a father figure, but he pulls off the role. This is a thoroughly modern sitcom and makes a pretty good stab of revealing what family life can be like in 2005.
E. Pow, West London
Entry Date: October 11:
More press has appeared regarding the The New Statesman play. An article appeared in today's Daily Express. The only new thing this article revealed is that Alan B'Stard may eventually return to the small screen as well as the stage. Thanks to Claire Henson for this news and the scan.
There was also a short article in The Mirror yesterday. Thanks to Hannah Davies for this.
Entry Date: October 10:
Rik will appear in a radio play titled A Higher Education on BBC 7 on October 17 & 18. It's not clear if this is a two parter or just a premiere and a repeat (the latter is probably correct). You can listen live at the BBC 7 website.
The Paramount Comedy Channel published an article today stating that Rik only revealed the news about the The New Statesman play at the Cheltenham Literature Festival yesterday. This is not news to Rik's fans. News first broke about this play back around July, and Rik hasn't exactly been loose lipped about this project either. Thanks to Marie Koster for this.
Lyndsey Allen reports that Rik's October 3rd comments on the BBC have gotten him some more snarky feedback from the UK papers. This time around, the "Andrea on TV" column in the October 9th News of the World stated:
Rik Mayall, below, was ranting about the BBC this week, claiming he was banned for being straight. He then mistakenly blamed the demise of BOTTOM on this, rather than the fact that it was puerile drivel. Now Rik's back on tv with IT'S ALL ABOUT GEORGE (ITV1), a family comedy desperately in need of a one-legged, black lesbian.
A DVD box set of the first and second series of Shoebox Zoo will be released on October 31st. Thanks to Anne-Sophie Pottier for this.
Entry Date: October 9:
At Rik's appearance at the Cheltenham Literary Festival this evening, he said that The New Statesman play would take place in January. That may be jumping the gun a bit, as all other sources have said it will be in the spring. He also said that he and Ade have decided on their next project together, but didn't give any information as to the theme or timeframe. Rik also took questions and met with fans at the event. And he wore a kilt to the event! Thanks to Hedgehog for letting us know about this!
The October 6th edition of The Daily Mail featured a short, snarky rebuttal to Rik's latest soundbite concerning the state of BBC TV politics today. Thanks to Kate for this.
The October 5th Richard and Judy show featured a poll which focused on how men and women laugh at different things. A sample of participants were shown Smack The Pony, Bottom and Catherine Tate. The women laughed more at the other shows than Bottom. The women also said they didn't really like Bottom as they can't relate to it. They also didn't care for the violence in the show and didn't find it funny. Thanks to Hannah for this.
Entry Date: October 4:
A rather humorous "Celebrity Twins" item featuring Rik appears in this week's What's on TV. We think the editor needs new glasses! Thanks to Aimee for this and for the scan.
Entry Date: October 3:
Today's edition of The Sun featured a short article on Rik which claims that the BBC destroyed the chance for Bottom to enjoy a 4th series on TV. In the article, he accuses the controller of BBC2 of being too PC to allow Bottom to return. He also says that the BBC has rejected his proposed The Murderers series. The Bottom DVD Box was released in the UK today, so were these statements just a clever play for publicity? Thanks to Andy G. and the others who alerted us to this!
Entry Date: October 2:
The premiere episode of All About George was watched by 5.31 million viewers, according to Digital Spy. Thanks to XYL for this. Prior to it's premiere, The Sun and the Glasgow Record gave it the thumbs up. Metro gave it a thumbs down.
The Scotsman.com, The Mirror and the Daily Mail have all had fairly positive opinions of All About George. The Observer review wasn't as kind.
The latest issue of Reveal magazine features an article on the top 10 things you don't know about Rik. Unfortunately, most of these facts are things that are already very well known to his fans! Thanks to Charlotte Kirk for this.
The Sunday Herald reports that a film version of Shoebox Zoo is in pre-production right now. The producers are saying it will rival Harry Potter in popularity (nice goal!). Thanks to Allison Whitebread for finding this.
The second series of Shoebox Zoo will premiere in Canada on October 16th.
The Times reports that Rik's audio version of Kate Umansky's children's book The Silver Spoon of Solomon Snow won the Spoken Book Awards prize for best Over-8's Fiction. Finding this audiobook for sale is another matter! Thanks to Allison Whitebread for this.
For those who have Rik's book, does the blurb on the back cover look familiar? We thought so.
Entry Date: September 28:
Rik will appear sometime from 6:00-9:00am September 29th on BBC Radio London. You can listen live on the web if you're not in the broadcast area. Thanks to Cathy Basham for this.
Rik appears in three new UPS UK radio commercials. Thanks to Anne-Sophie Pottier for discovering this.
Rik's appearance on the Paul O'Grady show was taped earlier today and will be aired tomorrow.
Bottom Series 1 will be released on DVD in Australia on October 6th. Thanks to Katrina Oxley for this.
Entry Date: September 27:
ITV is doing more frequent promos for All About George, and radio commercial is also playing. That one has been heard on Capital FM so far.
Press in various newspapers and magazines has steadily continued for All About George. Keep your eyes peeled because Rik is appearing in the TV section of many publications right now!
Entry Date: September 25:
The Mirror reported yesterday that Rik's proposed TV series The Murderers may not see the light of day after all. Thanks to Allison Whitebread for the transcription below:
Rik Mayall is more than a little bit miffed. Why? He's bothered to write a comedy series but no one will put it on the telly.
According to modest Mayall, The Murderers is "the best piece of television that has ever been written in the history of mankind".
"The broadcasters say it's too extreme, but I see it as a naked and very funny attack on television. It's so anti-television - it's not just biting the hand that feeds it, it's mutilating it."
The BBC were apparently "too frightened" of the comedy and even the Americans said no.
Rik fumes: "I feel sorry for the nation that the people controlling TV output are not letting them see it."
Murders co-writer Max Kinnings told Marie Koster a while ago that if the series doesn't come to television, they'd try and do it as a film.
A September 16th article on BBC.co.uk mentions Rik and hats (it will make sense if you read it!). Thanks to Steph Chambers for this.
Entry Date: September 22:
A compilation of news from when I was away last week:
Rik will appear on the Paul O'Grady Show on September 29th at 5:00pm on ITV.
Rik was supposed to appear on the ITV evening news on September 12th, but the interview was cancelled due to sports news taking precedence. However, the ITV News Channel ran the interview that day at lunchtime instead. It was about 7 minutes long. Rik discussed his book, All About George, and compared himself to Jesus. They also showed an old clip of him and Rosie at a film premiere. Thanks to Claire Henson and Darren W. for this.
Features on All About George have appeared in this week's Radio Times , TV Times and Heat. There are also bits in other TV related magazines. Be sure to check out your local magazine shop!
A commercial for All About George is now airing on ITV.
Rik appeared on the Steve Wright radio show last week to promote his book. According to an inside source at the BBC, the version of the interview that was broadcast was greatly edited.
There have been a few new interviews and articles on Rik recently. Please see the Library for anything new. One item of note revealed in a Sunday Herald interview from September 18th is that the idea for Rik's book came about when he met a Harper Collins executive at a dinner party.
Rik's book has been steadily climbing the online sales charts at play.com and amazon.co.uk. The rankings change daily, but the highest the book has done (that we know of) on the play.com book charts is number 3. And the highest the book has risen on the amazon.co.uk overall sales list is number 21.
A clip from The New Statesman was shown on an ITV 50 Greatest Shows special. Thanks to Hannah Davies for this. ITV's Avenue of Stars also showed a clip from The New Statesman at the begining of the show. A E4s TV Moments from Hell showed a Young Ones clip. Thanks to Nemo for this.
Tickets for Rik's appearance at the Cheltenham Literary Festival on October 9th are sold out already (see September 8th's news for details). Rik will be talking for at least an hour, from 6:00-7:00pm. There will be a Q&A with fans at the end of the talk. Thanks to Al Alsworth and Marie Koster for this addional info.
Entry Date: September 9:
Rik was interviewed on the Simon Mayo radio show on September 7th. You can listen to it online here. The interview starts about 20 minutes into the show. Thanks to Claire Henson for finding this!
Rik was mentioned very briefly in a Financial Times article about a hatmaker. Thanks to Marie Koster for this.
There are many reports of people having difficulty finding Rik's book in stores. Amazon.co.uk and play.com have sent notices saying there will be delays in sending out books. One person even received an email saying his book order was being cancelled as the book was not available at all. There's no official word as to why this is happening, but the bottom line is, if you can find the book, buy it!
Rik was schedule to appear on the This Morning show today, but he wasn't on the show, nor was he mentioned as an upcoming guest.
Entry Date: September 8:
Will Rik be doing more signings? Someone at a Books Etc. in London told Anne-Sophie Pottier that Rik will do a signing at the Books Etc. at Cabot Place in London.
Also, Anne-Sophie also found that Rik will appear at the Cheltenham Literary Festival on October 9th. Not much information is available at the moment, but this search page leads to some dead links -- one of which mentions a lunch with Rik. And a PDF on the site gives some information about a talk (?) Rik will be doing that day. Either search for his name within Adobe, or scroll until you see his photo.
Harper Collins has a contest to win a signed copy of Rik's book. You can enter here. Thanks to Hannah Davies for this.
Entry Date: September 7:
Some photos on Wire Image (search for Rik's name) show him at the Ivy the evening of September 5th. It looks as if Rik celebrated the release of his book in style! Thanks to Kate for this.
icThewharf.co.uk has a contest to win a signed Rik book. Give it a go! Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for finding this.
Entry Date: September 6:
Rik's book is currently number 174 on Amazon.co.uk's sales list. Unfortunately, many people are reporting trouble finding the book in stores, and both Amazon and Play.com haven't shipped copies of the book out yet.
At the September 5th book signing, Rik fan Becky asked if he'd be appearing in the new Comic Strip film Sex Actually. Rik's reply was: "Yes I will - and we start filming next month. Thanks, Becky!
Photos of Rik's first signing in London and the laser building projections have popped up on Rex Features. Thanks to Jane Sallis for this.
Entry Date: September 5:
Rik's book was released today. Be sure to buy your copy!
Rik did his first booksigning in London today. We'll have photos up very soon. If you've taken photos at any of Rik's signings and would like to have them published on this site, please email them to me.
According to Media Week, Rik will do 30 second radio commercials for the book on Xfm, Virgin Radio and LBC. The front cover of the book will also be laser projected onto the side of Battersea Power Station and Orion House. It's not clear from the Media Week article whether this will just take place tonight or several nights in a row. Thanks to Marie Koster for this!
Rik told Claire Henson at today's book signing that he's currently reading the script for the New Statesman play and it will probably happen in the spring.
Entry Date: August 30:
On August 28th we reported that Oh Marbella will be released on DVD in Germany on September 8th. Thanks to some detective work by Marie Koster, we can report that the UK DVD and video release of this film will come on February 1, 2006.
Small clips of Rik have popped up on UK TV these past few days. A show on August 29th about politicians showed a clip of Rik as Alan B'Stard for about 90 seconds. An interviewee said there should be more Alan B'Stards in British politics because we need them. Then, a few days ago, a documentary on Stephen Fry titled From Merton to Enfield showed clips from The Young Ones and the Cell Mates play. The September 3rd edition of From Merton to Enfield will feature Ben Elton, so Rik may be mentioned again. Thanks to Sarah Williamson and Steph Chambers for this.
Entry Date: August 28:
According to Amazon.de, Oh Marbella will be released on DVD in Germany on September 8th. There's no information on a UK release anywhere. If you read German, there's also a page with info at DVD-Galaxis. Thanks to Marie Koster for discovering this.
An article in Peter Richardson in the August 27th Telegraph mentions the upcoming Sex Actually project he's writing with Rik. It turns out that it's actually an upcoming Comic Strip episode and is due to air around Christmas. Thanks to Steph Chambers for this:
He's writing and directing a Cornish western called The Wreckers, as well as working on a Comic Strip special about wife-swapping in suburbia, which is due to be shown on Channel 4 at Christmas.
Looking back at the cutting-edge daring of many of the 37 Comic Strip films (the tabloids were forever harrumphing at their irreverence), it's surprising to realise that the naughtiness was never of a sexual nature.
"It's true," says Richardson.
"We haven't tackled the subject before." And the title? "I want to call it Sex Actually."
Jonathan Halliday spotted an advertisement in the WHSmith window for the Rik signing in Newcastle. You can see the photos here. If you're near Newcastle and can't get to the signing, pay special attention to the last photo!
The first sign of official promotion for Rik's book has popped up in the form of a scheduled This Morning appearance by Rik on September 9th. Be sure to tune in!
The cover of the upcoming Bottom DVD box set has been posted on play.com. Thanks to Hannah Davies for this.
Valiant came in at number 9 on the top grossing films list in the US this weekend. It took in $3.35 million dollars.
Entry Date: August 25:
All About George will premiere on September 29th on ITV. Thanks to Holly for this.
Entry Date: August 23:
This week's issue of Heat magazine mentions Rik in their "Spotted" feature. It says: "Rik Mayall and family building an enormous sandcastle with a garden spade on Bantham Beach in Devon". Thanks to Claire Henson for this.
Eat the Rich will be released on DVD in North America on September 27th. Thanks to Marie Koster for finding this.
Entry Date: August 21:
Rik voices the new Cornflakes commercial which advertises their free Horrible Histories CD. Rik doesn't narrate the CD, just the commercial. Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for this.
Jake Davis reports that the Young Ones and Cliff's Living Doll came in at number 9 on VH1's Funniest Music Videos special.
ITV has started running commercials for All About George. Thanks to Andrea Munns for spotting this.
Valiant came in at number 7 on the top grossing films list in the US this weekend. It took in $6.1 million dollars.
Entry Date: August 16:
A very small article on Rik appear ed in today 's Daily Express. You can view it here thanks to Claire Henson.
Claire also found a slightly different additional description of Rik's book at Country Bookshop. The synopsis is the same as on other websites, but the author information section has some info not seen on other sites.
Entry Date: August 15:
Rik's Horrible Science magazine TV advertisement is now being shown in Australia. Thanks to Katrina Oxley for this.
Entry Date: August 10:
Rik has begun the promotional trail for his book and upcoming ITV show All About George. Two articles on Rik appeared today. One was on Teletext. The other was on the Manchester Online website. Thanks to Lyndsey Allen and Benton for this!
Entry Date: August 9:
Rik will be in London tomorrow to film a BBC interview for the upcoming The Last Laugh series. The Last Laugh will be shown on BBC Three and then BBC One in September/October. Rik will discuss Marks and Gran and his Alan B'stard role. A number of other comedians have also filmed interviews. Thanks to the BBC for the following information:
BBC Three has launched the biggest ever nationwide sitcom script writing competition called The Last Laugh. We’ve signed up 8 top UK sitcom writers including Marks & Gran, Paul Mayhew Archer, Bain & Armstrong, Carla Lane Jonathan Harvey and Trix Worrell who have each written the first 20 minutes of a new sitcom… And we have invited the public to finish them. Hosted by award winning comedian Dara O'Briain, the 8 part series follows the competition process, the best in celebrity guests and the funniest sitcom moments. The show will reveal the eventual winners in autumn 2005. The overall winner will have their sitcom made into a pilot on BBC Three. The shows will be repeated on BBC One. Rather than making the 8 shows the very typical "I Love the 70's"- we are broaching different subjects and themes within the eight shows. This series follows hot on the heels of END OF STORY a short story writing competition launched by BBC Three and BBC Two earlier this year. This project is now the UK’s largest writing competition and has had over 17,000 entrants. The unique nationwide venture encouraged previously unpublished writers to complete a short story written by one of eight best-selling international authors: Sue Townsend, Ian Rankin, Ed McBain, Marian Keyes, Fay Weldon, Joanne Harris, Alexei Sayle and Shaun Hutson.
It is because of this immense public interest that we are planning to continue the success of this series with The Last Laugh. The series will work in a similar vein to END OF STORY. We will whip the nation into a writing frenzy; profiling the 8 top writers/writing teams involved and teasing their sitcom scripts by dramatising selected scenes. There will be inspirational sections and lots of entertaining stories about the world of sitcom script writing; getting behind the scenes of UK and US sitcoms as well as talking to the actors involved in some of the UK’s best loved situation comedies.
Entry Date: August 8:
A DVD box set of the entire Bottom TV series will be released in the UK on October 3rd. For those who are still waiting for the series 3 DVD and don't care about the box set, series 3 is out on August 8th. The US box set was released about two years ago. Thanks to Hannah for finding this!
An contactmusic.com article from April 2nd claims Rik received a 5 figure sum to write his autobiography.
We received a nice promotional email about Valiant from New Media Strategies today. It includes links to video files and photos. You can view the information here. For those in North America, don't forget that Valiant opens on August 19th.
Entry Date: August 7:
Bigger than Hitler Better than Christ is number 16 on the Askews Library Service list of the top 20 pre-published biographies for September. Thanks to Marie Koster for this.
The second series of Shoebox Zoo will be released on DVD in the UK on October 31. Thanks to Melttalk2 for this.
Lyndsey Allen found a site for SMG Television Sales which published a fact sheet of upcoming shows. Included in the list is a summary of Rik's upcoming All About George:
All About George
RIK MAYALL
All About George is the new six part comedy drama series for ITV1 from Cold Feet and Life Begins writer Mike Bullen. Multi-award-winning Rik Mayall (Bottom, The Young Ones, The New Statesman, The Comic Strip) plays George – father, stepfather, grandfather, grandson and lynchpin of the Kinsey family. Married to Annie (Julia Ford – Island At War) and divorced from Evelyn (Penny Downey – Sherlock Holmes and The Case Of the Silk Stocking), George’s life is far from straightforward. Set across five generations of the Kinsey family, All About George shows how life’s lessons can be uncannily similar - whether you are one or 81. From great-great granny to the most recently born member of the family, we see the Kinseys' perpetual struggle to embrace what life in a large family throws at them. Whether it's parents' marital disputes, his bewildered daughter’s struggle to cope with parenthood or his step-son’s perplexed querying of his sexuality, George somehow always ends up in the midst of the storm.The ensemble cast includes Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones’s Diary) and Jack Shepherd (Wycliffe, Silent Witness) as George’s parents Kay and Gordan, Edna Dore (Eastenders) as George’s grandmother Lily, Aidan McArdle (Not Only But Always) as George’s errant brother Dave, Sian Brooke (Dinotopia) as new mum Laura and Christopher Simpson (State of Play, White Teeth) as her boyfriend Ash, who seems more interested in beer bottles than baby bottles...
Entry Date: August 3:
This week's TV Times has a feature on TV in 1986, and Saturday Live is mentioned. A photo of Rik and Ade as the Dangerous Brothers is also included. Thanks to Claire Henson for this.
Entry Date: July 29:
According to Brunskill, Rik will indeed be doing some book signings when his bio is released. At the present time, no date or venue information is available. As soon as any news is available, it will be posted here. Thanks to Becky for contacting Brunskill about this!
Entry Date: July 28:
Rik's unreleased film Alone in the Dark has had a name change; it's now being released under the title The Raven. It will be released in early 2006. The film also stars Steven Craine, Norman Wisdom, Jason Donovan, Robin Askwith and Eileen Daly. It's narrated by Christopher Walken. The special effects were done by Alan Whibley of The Shining fame. It was written, produced and directed by Richard Driscoll. Thanks to Darren Moore for filling us in!
Rik was featured in Skyonline's "Fancy a Funny Guy" feature at number 7 on their list. Ade was also listed, at number 17. Thanks to Teresa for this!
An official website for the Comic Strip Presents box set has been launched. It mainly exists to promote the DVD set, but it does feature a contest to win a signed box set. Thanks to Andy G. for finding this!
Entry Date: July 24:
The July 4th edition of the Times Online featured an article on Marks & Gran (writers of The New Statesman and Believe Nothing). The following is contained in the very last paragraph of the article, and is of particular interest to Rik fans:
There is another play on the stocks and a tour of the stage version of their political satire The New Statesman — with its star Rik Mayall — is planned for later in the year.
No other information about this alleged stage show seems to be available anywhere. Whether it's set in stone or is just in the talking stages is a mystery. If we hear anything about this, we'll be sure to post it here as soon as possible! Thanks to Naftalie Vader for finding this!
Entry Date: July 20:
ITV ran a special on Sunday, July 17th called The Story of ITV. The special highlighted the past 50 years of ITV programming. Rik's portrayal of Alan B'Stard being whipped by a prostitute was shown during the show. Thanks to Claire Henson for spotting this.
Entry Date: July 5:
Rik has gone to the toilet! Toilet Duck, that is. He is narrating a new Toilet Duck commercial on UK TV. Between this and the Andrex commercials, he seems to have the entire toilet industry covered. Thanks to Hannah for spotting the commercial.
Play.com is now showing the cover for the upcoming UK Bottom Series 3 DVD set, due on August 8th.
The Daily Mirror and Scotsman.com have both reported that Jackanory is being revived after being off the air 10 years. It's not known if Rik will appear on the new version, but judging from the past, it's likely that he may pop up on it sometime. Thanks to Marc Hammond and Kate for this.
Some interesting things on Rik can be found at the new British Film Institute website. Thanks to Andy G. for this link.
Ade Edmondson appeared on This Morning yesterday. He spoke of his past and future appearances on Holby City, and also discussed Bottom. He mentioned having been sent to casualty after a few live performances, and also mentioned that he and Rik are taking "a break" from doing any more shows. Thanks to Andy G. for this.
Entry Date: July 3:
Amazon.co.uk now has a listing for a poster of Rik's book. It's not sure if this will be a mass produced poster or just a promotional poster available to libraries and book stores.
Entry Date: June 26:
According to Oh Marbella co-writer Darryn Welch, the DVD/video release of the film is now expected sometime after the summer. The DVD is expected to include a 20 minute interview with Rik, as well a section called "Rik's Bits". There will also be some other extras. Thanks to Marie Koster for this info!
Rik has done another Andrex toilet paper commercial. It's at least his 7th for the company.
Our 15th website poll asked "Which of Rik's Characters Would You Like to Hangout With?" For the results, please click here.
Entry Date: June 16:
There was a small feature on Rik's upcoming All About George in last week's TV Times. You can see it here, courtesy of Claire Henson. The same issue also featured small items on Nigel Planer, Ade Edmondson and a brief mention of The Young Ones cast.
C21 Media reports that Shoebox Zoo has been sold to a number of countries, including the US and Australia. It also discusses an upcoming second DVD of the show, plus other merchandising. Thanks to Melttalk for this information.
Entry Date: June 6:
Rik was at the Eve Club in London this past June 4th. Photos are on the Club Wizard website (click on London/Eve/June 4th), or you can view all four of them here, edited courtesy of Jane Sallis. Thanks so much to Emma Greene for letting us know about this!
Entry Date: May 29:
An article about Rik's upcoming series, All About George, appears in this weeks TV Magazine from The Sun newspaper. The photo, courtesy of Claire Henson, can be seen here. And the text of the article is below, courtesy of Kim:
ARE YOU SERIOUS?
Comedian Rik Mayall is playing it straight in his first big TV role in years Rik Mayall is back on the box in his first leading dramatic role in a decade.Our exclusive picture shows Rik playing sensible family man George Kinsley in comedy-drama All About George.
Rik became a household name playing madcap roles in eighties comedy The Young Ones and 1990's sitcom Bottom, in which he constantly scrapped with co-star Ade Edmondson's character.
Rik was hurt for real in 1998 after a near-fatal quad bike crash. He still suffers from epileptic attacks as a result, but it doesnt stop him acting.
His new role sees him taking responsibility for ensuring everyone from his grandma to his new born granddaughter gets along.
And hes always at loggerheads with is younger brother. But cheeky Dave (Aidan McArdie) is probably the least of put-upon George's worries.
"George lands in the middle of every storm in the Kinsley family." say a show insider. "His parents have marital disputes. His daughter struggles to cope with being a mum. His stepson is unsure about his sexuality and his brother refuses to grow up."
The six part series comes to ITV1 later this year.
Entry Date: May 22:
Some news from while I was away.....
To read the official press release for the upcoming Comic Strip Presents DVD box set, click here. It's in Word format.
Amazon.co.uk confims that Rik wil read the audio version of his upcoming autobiography. They also list the paperback version of the book as being released on May 6, 2006.
The BBC Shop confirms that Bottom Series 3 will be released on DVD in the UK on August 8th. Thanks to Kayleigh for this.
The May 21st issue of NME features an article on someone named Ben Bailey which includes a photo of Rik from The Young Ones. Thanks to Natalie for the news and the scan.
A show titled MPs on the Box, which focused on political satire on TV, was shown on BBC 4 May 19th. A few clips of Rik as Alan B'Stard were shown. Thanks to Steph for this.
King Arthur's Disaster will return for a second series according to an article from Worldscreen.com. The article also states that the show’s first season will air on the Cartoon Network in France, Benelux and Russia. Thanks to Teresa for this.
Entry Date: May 1:
Rik's New Statesman character, Alan B'Stard, was voted number 10 in a yougov.com poll asking which movie or TV politician people would vote for. Thanks to Lauren Burton for pointing us to the article on this!
Entry Date: April 26:
A book cover for Rik's upcoming Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ autobiography has just been posted on Amazon.co.uk. Thanks to theduck for spotting this.
Valient will premiere in cinemas in the US on August 19th.
According to play.com and HMV stores, the Comic Strip box set has been delayed yet again and will now be out on July 4th. Thanks to Kate for this information.
Entry Date: April 20:
A small article about Rik's work in King Arthur's Disasters is featured in this week's What's on TV magazine. Here's the article, courtesy of Hannah:
KING RIK
He's best known for playing comical social misfits like Rick in The Young Ones and Richie in Bottom. So that might explain why Rik Mayall has let his latest job go to his head! He's the voice of King Arthur in ITV1's cartoon series King Arthurs Disasters which also features the voices of Morwenna Banks, Phill Cornwell and Matt Lucas."Being the sexiest most glamorous and modest actor that I am made me the perfect choice to play Arthur," he laughs. "Obviously we share many characteristics!" Rik is still not happy however. He's convinced that his co-star, Dead Ringers comedian Phill Cornwell got the better deal.
"Phil got the part I wanted," he says. "Robin Hood! But you could say I had the edge because I played Robin Hood in Blackadder Back and Forth and I got to kiss Kate Moss who played Maid Marian!"
Entry Date: April 11:
According to the British Board of film Classification website, the upcoming Comic Strip box set includes about half an hour of DVD extras -- including some sort of appearance by Rik. Thanks to Steph for finding this! (Please see the March 10th news entry for earlier questioning on whether Rik would be included in the DVD extras).
On the April 9th episode of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, a female impressionist did a (reportedly bad) impression of Rik as part of her act. She won the talent contest she was in against two other acts on the show, so someone out there in TV land appreciated her work. Thanks to Lucy Bailey for this.
On April 11th's The Top 50 Eighties Moments TV special on Five, Rik related projects ranked as follows:
Alan B'stard from The New Statesman was number 31 on the list
The Comic Strip Presents series came in at number 7
The Young Ones singing Living Doll was number 5
Rik wasn't interviewed, but Nigel Planer was. Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for this.
Entry Date: April 5:
King Arthur's Disasters will premiere on ITV1 on Monday, April 11th. Thanks to Wilhelmina Edbrooke and Sarah Williamson for letting us know.
On the April 4th UK edition of The Weakest Link, the following question was asked about Rik: "In the TV show Shoebox Zoo, what is the name of the comic actor and star of The Young Ones who voices the character "Edwin the Eagle"? Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for this information.
Entry Date: March 29:
According to both amazon.co.uk and amazon.ca, Rik's upcoming Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ autobiography will also be released as an audio book. Both the book and the audio book are listed as having the same September 5th release date. However, according to the March 5th Daily Mail interview with Rik, he hasn't even begun writing his book yet. With only 5 months to go until the current release date, it's a possibility that the book and audio book may be delayed. Thanks to Marie Koster for discovering the audio book listing.
An TV ad for the upcoming King Arthur's Disasters series which features the voices of Rik and Matt Lucas is now being shown in the UK. Thanks to Kim for letting us know about this.
Entry Date: March 20:
According to the new TV Guide that came with The Sun, Rik's upcoming ITV show, It Happens is being renamed All About George. Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for spotting this.
The mystery surrounding the banking commercial that was mentioned in the February 15th news entry has been solved! It's not a banking commercial at all -- it's actually one of Rik's Which Magazine commercials. We have a video of this commercial available thanks to Becky Clark. Be warned -- the video is small as this was filmed with a camera phone.
A new TV show being filmed for BBC Three is being touted as "The Female Young Ones". Before you get worried -- it appears they're simply using this description as a catch phrase and this will not be a remake of The Young Ones. The full article is here. Thanks to Teresa for finding this.
Claire Henson posted screenshots from the second Violent Nation show. Thanks, Claire! (June 26 update - the screenshots have been moved to the Photos section)
Entry Date: March 16:
On the March 14th episode of Lenny Henry's Comedy Heroes, Rik and Ade were mentioned, clips from Bottom were shown, and brief interviews with Rik were shown. It's possible that other Rik interviews will be shown during the rest of the series, so please check your eyes peeled. The series is being shown on Channel Five. Thanks to Nat for letting us know about this.
On last week's Comic Relief Does Fame Academy, Ade was asked if he'd heard from Rik lately, and Ade said "no, he's not really up on technology, probably wouldn't know how to text and he doesn't even have a mobile phone.". Ade also said that the idea to do a swing version of Anarchy in the UK came to him while he and Rik were on their tour bus. Thanks The Duck for this.
Entry Date: March 10:
The HMV website has information on the upcoming Comic Strip box set. It lists everything which will be included, though it leaves Rik out of the interviews section. Whether he really will be in the set or not remains to be seen. Also of note is that Eat the Rich is not included in the set. Thanks to Kayleigh for this!
Entry Date: March 8:
Marie Koster emailed the Oh Marbella website to ask about the UK DVD release of the film. She was told that the DVD will finally be coming out in May (after previous delays). Let's keep our fingers crossed that it really is available in May!
A few people have mentioned that the March 7th issue of The Sun used a recent quote of Rik's to dredge up the old "The Old Ones" TV show rumor. The full text (thanks to Becky) reads:
Rik mayall wants to bring back cult comedy The Young Ones. The comedian has made up with pal Ade Edmondson - who recently broke up their partnership.
Rik who is 47 today, played student Rick in 1980's BBC1 show. He said "I'm sure when we're old enough we'll do 'The Old Ones'".Rik is also mentioned in The Sun's horoscope section for that day.
Lyndsey Allen spotted Rik's birthday mentioned in the Sheffield Star (with a photo). And Joanne Ostrowski spotted the same sort of thing in the Coventry Evening Telegragh. I'm sure his birthday was mentioned in several other papers birthday/horoscope sections as well.
According to a listing on Ebay, the upcoming Comic Strip box set will contain 9 DVDs -- 8 with episodes and 1 bonus disc with extras (rare footage and commentary -- including some by Rik). Thanks to Ross Foad for spotting this.
For the long overdue results of our 14th website poll, which asked: "Which of these projects would you like to see turned into an animated feature?", please click here.
Andy G. found this soundbyte of Rowan Atkinson talking about Rik.
Entry Date: March 7:
Happy 47th Birthday to Rik today!
Entry Date: March 6:
The magazine that came with the March 5th issue of the Daily Mail featured a 3 page article on Rik. Among the noteworthy things he revealed, Rik said that he purposely took 2004 off (finally, an explanation!); and he was offered, and has apparently accepted, the lead role in the play Private Lives on the West End. Minnie Driver supposely will co-star. It wasn't said whether or not this play will premiere in 2005 or 2006. This interview will eventually appear in the Library section of this site, but for now, if you would like to read it, a scanned copy has been posted on the message board by Claire Henson. Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for first posting about this article.
Claire Henson kindly posted several screenshots of the first Violent Nation show. Thanks, Claire! (June 26 update - the screenshots have been moved to the Photos section)
Entry Date: March 1:
The Discovery Channel has just put up a short webpage for Violent Nation. It's got some information on the show and some new photos of Rik as well. Thanks to Micky B for this.
There's an article on Violent Nation in the new What's on TV magazine. Thanks to Hannah for finding this.
Entry Date: February 28:
The was an article on Rik titled Rik Mayall: Rik's Heart of Darkness in today's issue of the Independent newspaper. He talks about his new projects and also mentions that the news of his professional split from Ade was news to him (literally). Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for finding this!
The release date of the The Comic Strip Presents DVD box set has been pushed back from May 9th to June 6th. Thanks to Hannah for spotting this.
The February 26th We Love Telly magazine that came with that days Daily Mirror newspaper included the following "Separated at Birth" photo of Rik and Anthony Cotton. Claire Henson has provided us with a scan of it so we can all shake our heads at it in unison.
Entry Date: February 23:
On August 30, 2004, we reported that Rik was doing a new series for the Discovery Channel UK titled Violent Nation. Well, the series will finally begin airing on March 6th at 8:00pm. Thanks to Aimee for spotting this in the new Sky Magazine! Be sure and keep an eye on the Discovery Channel website for any information on the show. There's nothing there on the series yet, but I'm sure there will be something soon.
As reported many months ago, the long awaited UK re-release date of Simon Gray's Fat Chance book is March 7th. However, it turns out that the book has already been re-released in Australia and is available for sale right now. So heads up to Rik's Aussie fans! Thanks to Katrina Oxley for this discovery!
Entry Date: February 19:
According to the IMDB, Rik will be lending his voice to another animated film. It's titled Valiant and will be released in the UK on March 25th. The film is about Great Britain's Royal Air Force Homing Pidgeon Service during World War II. Rik will voice a character called "Cufflingk". Thanks to Marie Koster for spotting this!
Rik's new TV show, It Happens, was mentioned in today's Daily Mirror. Thanks to Claire Henson for the scan!
Entry Date: February 15:
Some "delayed" news from while I was away:
The February 4th issue of The Daily Mail reported the following: "Rik Mayall and Julia Ford, will star in It Happens, the new comedy drama from Granada TV. Mayall’s fictional character loses his job and is forced to move himself - and his family - back in with his parents. The project is the brainchild of Mike Bullen. The guy behind Life Begins and Cold Feet." Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for this!
Rik has done a new TV commercial, this time for a loan/banking company. Details on this one are a bit sketchy at the moment, but when we find out more info, it'll be posted here. Thanks to Becky for letting us know about this.
Rik was mentioned in Heat magazine's February 12th - 18th "Spotted" column. The blurb read: "Rik Mayall dining with his family at Tootsies in Holland Park, west London." Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for spotting this.
Channel Five is running a vote/contest called TV Moments in which several of Rik's past shows are in the running. The contest is only open to UK residents and the results of the vote will be shown on a future TV broadcast. Thanks to Lyndsey Allen for this.
Entry Date: February 2:
Rik's Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ book has been confirmed as an autobiography by the publisher. Supposedly it will be a straight forward bio on Rik's life.
On another note, whoever at Rik's publishing company wrote the synopsis of the book for Amazon.co.uk has liberally "borrowed" from this website's Rik biography. Er, we're flattered.....umm, we think.
Entry Date: January 24:
Two new audio books narrated by Rik will be released in 2005. Both are children's books written by Tony Mitton. The first is Spookyrumpus and the second is Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaurumpus. More details can be found here. Thanks to Anne-Sophie Pottier for finding this!
Anne-Sophie also found a site with many photos of Rik taken during his time filming the "Merlando" spots for Nickelodeon UK.
Entry Date: January 21:
Is Rik writing his autobiography?? According to Amazon.co.uk, a book written by Rik titled Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ is due to be released on September 5th. While there's no information available at this time, Amazon's "search for similar books" link asks if you'd like to search for other autobiographies.
Whether or not this is an autobiography or a work of fiction, a project of this type would explain why Rik's been absent from the public eye for so long. Thanks to Katie for finding this!
Entry Date: January 18:
Churchill: The Hollywood Years will be out on DVD and video in the UK on March 28th. This news has been reported before, but it's now being confirmed through Amazon.co.uk and play.com.
In other good DVD release news, play.com is showing The Comic Strip Presents DVD box set as finally being a reality and not just a rumor! According to play, it should be released on May 9th in the UK. Thanks to Aimee for this!
Entry Date: January 17:
Rik will be interviewed on The Greatest Kids TV Moments on channel Five tonight at 9:00pm. This may be a recent interview. Thanks to Katie for this.
Entry Date: January 13:
Rik's drunken appearance on an old episode of The Tube showed up early this morning on The Best of the Tube on UKTV G2. Keep an eye on the UKTV website for repeats. Other guests on that show were Tina Turner and The Dream Academy. Thanks to Jessica for spotting this!
Entry Date: January 12:
Rik does the voiceover for the new Horrible Science magazine TV commercial. He's also done another Andrex commercial as the voice of the Andex puppy. Thanks to Claire Henson for discovering these!
Entry Date: January 3:
(original text lost).... an tv program on January 1st. This countdown special was shown on UK television. The list was compiled through a poll of more than 300 British and American industry people. Peter Cook was voted number 1.
A new documentary titled 25 Years of the Comedy Store: a Personal History by Paul Merton will be premiering on BBC 1 on January 10th. It will also be on on the 11th. It's likely that Rik will be shown at least once during the special. See the TV Listings to the left for time information.
There's also a show on Paramount 2 titled Comedy Store that may or may not feature a mention of Rik. Click here for broadcast times.
