Nostalgia TV

[JayzusB.Christ]

Been rewatching This Morning With Richard not Judy on YouTube - an old Stewart Lee and Richard Herring Sunday lunchtime show.

Some of the recorded sketches don't hold up, but a lot of it remains absolutely hilarious.  The Jesus and Apostles sketches are some of my favourite comedy sketches of all time.

I'm still not entirely sure how they got away with the blasphemy, the explicit references to wanking and bestiality, the use of the word 'tw*t' (not twit or twot) and a few very thinly disguised f-bombs on BBC2 on a Sunday afternoon, in 1998. Also a very early joke about Jimmy Saville's alleged necrophilia.

Great to see the two of them are still going strong, if looking a bit shook these days - i prefer Stew as a shabby old curmudgeon than as a vain young fop.  I've met him once, and he's a far nicer and friendlier chap than he pretends to be on stage.

[Barrington Boots]

Huge fan of this as well. It's amazing what they got away with on daytime TV. Used to watch this every week with my gf and some mates and I remember when 'Rod Hull' dropped his pesky meddling twats line we were all shocked and delighted.

Some of it has definitely dated and I don't know if it's the nostalgia but some of it is still amazingly funny. I still make Histors Eye jokes to this very day. And cress.

[Funt Solo]

Growing up, I always thought twat was just a synonym for idiot. Now living in the US, it's very clearly a synonym for c*nt, and is therefore one of the Words You Cannot Say. (Well, you could, but you'd shock your relatives and get disciplined by your colleagues.)

[JayzusB.Christ]

This takes me back to when I was 14 and my English teacher organised a class debate, and a young lad publicly announced his opposition to 'dildoes like Kylie Minogue'. Unlike him,  I had recently learned that 'dildo' wasn't just a synonym for 'dumbo', and had a knowing chuckle to myself (the teacher let it go).

I still can't work out how TMWRNJ wasn't immediately pounced on and shut down when 'twat' was shouted, or when Rich introduced the 'King' by singing 'Fa fa fa fa fa fa - King' then getting the audience to chant 'fa-king' over and over again. Or how a character said 'fuck all', barely muffled at all by his mouthful of donut. 

A lot of potential viewers back then in this country at least would have just come back from Mass and been getting the Sunday dinner ready. In fact I remember having to quickly switch over from one of the Jesus bits as my mate's Opus Dei parents came in the driveway.

[Barrington Boots]

One king. Wan-King!
I think they got in more hot water for the apostles sketches than the sneaky swearing. I'm sure one of the most complained about things they did was the sketch where someone slaps Jesus (although that might have been on Fist of Fun).

My wife, who didn't see it at the time, hates it: she doesn't like the fact that by the time you're a few episodes in, half the jokes rely on repetition of earlier jokes. This is one of my favourite things about it.

[nxylas]

Growing up, I always thought twat was just a synonym for idiot. Now living in the US, it's very clearly a synonym for c*nt, and is therefore one of the Words You Cannot Say. (Well, you could, but you'd shock your relatives and get disciplined by your colleagues.)

I think it's a lot more frowned on in the US than it is in the UK. I had BBC America when I lived over there, and they dipped the sound for it in the same way they did for real swear words.

[Funt Solo]

would have just come back from Mass

I understand a similar solution existed in Lewis on a Sunday. How could you see me going into the pub if you were supposed to be at Church?

Which reminds me of an old law whereby you could only drink in a hotel on a Sunday if you were a bona fide traveler. So, all the folk from Town A got on a bus to Town B, and vice versa.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Growing up, I always thought twat was just a synonym for idiot. Now living in the US, it's very clearly a synonym for c*nt, and is therefore one of the Words You Cannot Say. (Well, you could, but you'd shock your relatives and get disciplined by your colleagues.)

I think it's a lot more frowned on in the US than it is in the UK. I had BBC America when I lived over there, and they dipped the sound for it in the same way they did for real swear words.

I thought it was considered a swear word over this side of the pond too. I could be wrong though.  Lee and Herring were the first people I heard use 'arse' and 'piss' before the watershed too both in the same sketch where Anthony Hopkins is excitedly expressing his sexual fantasies to a female penfriend.  'P.S. I am (BEEP)king as I write this.'

[nxylas]

I thought it was considered a swear word over this side of the pond too.

It is, but a relatively mild one, or was. Red Dwarf had the "let's get out there and twat it" line, and although it was on after the watershed, most of the home video releases were rated PG.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Fair enough.  I haven't really watched 'normal' telly, with a watershed at 9pm, for a very long time.  I expect I'd be surprised at what gets through the net these days.
I'll tell you who I like to get through a net, though - that old Tony Blairs.

[Fortnight]

You see that Tony Blair? That's you that is. That's your mum. That's your mum on a good day.

[JayzusB.Christ]

You see that Tony Blair? That's you that is. That's your mum. That's your mum on a good day.

You wouldn't let it lie.

[Funt Solo]

Bob, I've hurt me knee!

[nxylas]

And in case you haven't heard it, here's Stew interviewing He Who Knows The Score: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lblq9

[The Legendary Shark]

Cheers, I enjoyed that!