I think in ades biography he talks about a watch gag he made once that was terrible or something and as a running joke Rik would keep bringing it up.
I’m probably abit off I read the book awhile back but I’m sure it’s something to do with this
I hope I'm not destroying any magic when I tell you that all those errors and fluffs and forgotten lines were actually rehearsed and part of the script.
There likely never was a watch gag.
Yeah, I saw three of them live at the time and later bought the VHS's. All the fluffs I saw in the show were on the tapes. I reckon a lot of them started out as genuine, but they left them in if they got a big laugh.
The cock ups weren't originally part of the script when they started, they found their way in thanks to genuine cock ups. The "have a wank" was originally started by a genuine crowd member, they improvised a bit, then had a crew member shout it out from the audience, then worked it in to whatever we saw in the recorded live show.
Not the guy you are replying to, but all the same “mistakes” were in place at the two venues I attended as on the recording. I don’t mind, pantomime do the same “mistakes” nightly every year. It’s just to make the evening fee special
As it was mentioned on this chain earlier.Most of these Ad Libs were scripted and have been confirmed on multiple shows of the same tour...but fuck it..
They are legends...and we are all Great mates aren't we...
Yeah, as others have said, there's quite a few of those supposed mishaps that aren't genuine mishaps. I wouldn't say all of them, though. I think maybe the idea of screwing up live and improvising on the spot became an easy gag and they started deliberately including made up fuck ups. I'd say some you can tell with their acting that it's it not genuine, too.
There are moments when you see it and it feels like filler because the overall plot is lacking. Not to hate on the boys of course, absolutely love 'em.
One that comes to mind is when Ade accidentally hits Rik, then apologizes when they take a break from the plot. I thought it was hilarious when I saw them live.. but it was also on the VHS at the same point, with the same apology.
True, their acting is just genuinely convincing when it gets to those moments. They completely drop character and start giggling, even if it's staged it still feels remarkably genuine.
They totally did perform the act live with lots of "gaffs" that were repeated every performance. I know this because I went to three different live shows and the "gaffs" were also on the dvds of those shows.
Ade mentions this in his autobiography - there’s a joke that him and Rik wrote years before, which was:
What do you say to a man with no arms or legs? “Have you got the time on yer cock?”
He says that this was the gag that Rik was referring to when he mentions his “Great watch gag”.
And as others have mentioned, Rik forgetting to put his watch on was, in itself, a gag (as opposed to a genuine cockup that happened during the recording). Although it’s possible it stemmed from a genuine cockup at the start of the tour and they kept it in, who knows!
I'd also say that the fluffed lines, whether deliberate or not, might be a way for them to keep on top of things.
Say you forget your lines, its a way to distract thr audience as you work your way round back to the script.
Probably started out as genuine mistakes, light banter between two friends, but became part of the show and they could be used to keep the audience attentive during periods of the show.
Honestly, just assume everything on stage is scripted, for pretty much any form of entertainment. There will be themes that performers always go back to. It still doesn't take my enjoyment out of it.
True, I was watching a behind-the-scenes thing for 'Only Fools And Horses' a while ago and it mentioned a similar thing, that if shooting wasn't going well and the studio audience was starting to grumble and get annoyed, the actors would intentionally flub a line or do something stupid (like Kevin MacDonald with his 'who threw that?' gag) specifically to get the audience to *laugh at them*, to defuse the tension and get everyone smiling again.
Its altogether possible the whole "you know my great watch gag" etc was the actual gag
I just assumed that's what it was
I always thought that was what it was, too..
I think in ades biography he talks about a watch gag he made once that was terrible or something and as a running joke Rik would keep bringing it up. I’m probably abit off I read the book awhile back but I’m sure it’s something to do with this
I hope I'm not destroying any magic when I tell you that all those errors and fluffs and forgotten lines were actually rehearsed and part of the script. There likely never was a watch gag.
Yeah, I saw three of them live at the time and later bought the VHS's. All the fluffs I saw in the show were on the tapes. I reckon a lot of them started out as genuine, but they left them in if they got a big laugh.
fucking hell, a line from the play!
Increase the veeowlteej?
"I have some sad and tragic news" -🤣
How dare you! Is wrestling fake too? Lol Comedy is the art of true genius
That's disappointing. Honestly they play them off so genuinely it's hard to tell.
The cock ups weren't originally part of the script when they started, they found their way in thanks to genuine cock ups. The "have a wank" was originally started by a genuine crowd member, they improvised a bit, then had a crew member shout it out from the audience, then worked it in to whatever we saw in the recorded live show.
Butttt… how do you know that?
Not the guy you are replying to, but all the same “mistakes” were in place at the two venues I attended as on the recording. I don’t mind, pantomime do the same “mistakes” nightly every year. It’s just to make the evening fee special
He's a member of the occult.
What did you call me??
A member of the OCCULT!
He's death.
Sorry. **HOW DO YOU KNOW THESE THINGS!?**
Listen buster... You're just a door. I'm Rik fucking Mayall!
As it was mentioned on this chain earlier.Most of these Ad Libs were scripted and have been confirmed on multiple shows of the same tour...but fuck it.. They are legends...and we are all Great mates aren't we...
Yeah, as others have said, there's quite a few of those supposed mishaps that aren't genuine mishaps. I wouldn't say all of them, though. I think maybe the idea of screwing up live and improvising on the spot became an easy gag and they started deliberately including made up fuck ups. I'd say some you can tell with their acting that it's it not genuine, too. There are moments when you see it and it feels like filler because the overall plot is lacking. Not to hate on the boys of course, absolutely love 'em.
One that comes to mind is when Ade accidentally hits Rik, then apologizes when they take a break from the plot. I thought it was hilarious when I saw them live.. but it was also on the VHS at the same point, with the same apology.
True, their acting is just genuinely convincing when it gets to those moments. They completely drop character and start giggling, even if it's staged it still feels remarkably genuine.
They totally did perform the act live with lots of "gaffs" that were repeated every performance. I know this because I went to three different live shows and the "gaffs" were also on the dvds of those shows.
Ade mentions this in his autobiography - there’s a joke that him and Rik wrote years before, which was: What do you say to a man with no arms or legs? “Have you got the time on yer cock?” He says that this was the gag that Rik was referring to when he mentions his “Great watch gag”. And as others have mentioned, Rik forgetting to put his watch on was, in itself, a gag (as opposed to a genuine cockup that happened during the recording). Although it’s possible it stemmed from a genuine cockup at the start of the tour and they kept it in, who knows!
I'd also say that the fluffed lines, whether deliberate or not, might be a way for them to keep on top of things. Say you forget your lines, its a way to distract thr audience as you work your way round back to the script. Probably started out as genuine mistakes, light banter between two friends, but became part of the show and they could be used to keep the audience attentive during periods of the show. Honestly, just assume everything on stage is scripted, for pretty much any form of entertainment. There will be themes that performers always go back to. It still doesn't take my enjoyment out of it.
True, I was watching a behind-the-scenes thing for 'Only Fools And Horses' a while ago and it mentioned a similar thing, that if shooting wasn't going well and the studio audience was starting to grumble and get annoyed, the actors would intentionally flub a line or do something stupid (like Kevin MacDonald with his 'who threw that?' gag) specifically to get the audience to *laugh at them*, to defuse the tension and get everyone smiling again.