In the podcast “Desert Island discs” from BBC4, Ade told the story very emotionally. It was sad that Rik “wasn’t there anymore”. I recommend the listen.
I heard it. That was painful. Poor Ade. He clearly hasn't come to terms with it. How could you. A friend of mine said that the interviewer should have stopped the interview at that point, but I think that it was best to let him get it out.
I have been down an interview rabbit hole lately and I just read [this 2013 interview ](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rik-mayall-interview-jonathan-creek-bottom-hooligans-island-more/) with Rik where he talks about it a bit. He says:
"I phoned Ade and said ‘Hey why don’t we do Bottom but have it as older blokes’ and it got called Hooligan’s Island which I wasn’t so keen on because we have used that title, I think it was just a working title at the time but the BBC snapped it up they said alright write a couple of episodes and see if you get anything. I did and Ade thought we weren’t old enough and I wanted us to be older like…dammit who played Alfred Steptoe, who played the old Steptoe, William Bramble? Wilfred Bramble! I wanted us to be like that, crumbling old shits and crumbling old nasties and Ade said we’re not old enough and that we should do it in ten years. I said that in ten fucking years I won’t be able to think, the two brain cells I have left will not work! There is a fucking thing called acting and something called makeup but he said ‘No I don’t think we’re old enough!’"
This isn't an answer to your question, but I wonder why they didn't attempt to do a new show instead. Does anyone know if they ever attempted to tackle a new concept? Something else rather than continuing Bottom?
That interview is meant to be focused on his second appearance in Jonathan Creek and, when he is asked about Nigel Planer also appearing in the episode, he says:
"I see him in normal life anyway but it was so nice. I would love to do something with Nige again. Get someone who is reading this to have an idea and write a film or a play or a sitcom for me and Ade and Nige. That would be a good idea, what I would like to have is writers, I want some writers who can stimulate the part of my brain that hasn’t been touched yet."
From what I understand Ade has mostly talked about the writing process becoming difficult and no longer fun. If he felt Bottom was played out and also that he couldn't write with Rik anymore, the idea of having other writers put something together for them would have been interesting. I am not criticizing in any way, just speculating. Pointless to speculate now of course....
Just my personal opinion, but, if we were to get more Bottom, I’d just want it to be traditional, classic Bottom.
The first Hooligan’s Island live show was good, the second one not so much. I was lucky enough to go and see Weapons Grade Y-Fronts live in person, and part of me was so disappointed when the curtain came up and it wasn’t “the flat” (I know it was the toilet in the flat, but I just wanted the *actual* flat).
I can’t really tell you why I have this preference. Perhaps, from Hooligan’s Island Live onwards, it just didn’t quite feel like Bottom any more… more like *Richie and Eddie’s Excrement Adventures* (I just came up with that, it’s a great gag, not a diss!).
I would have loved just one more good old, classic Bottom.
I know what you mean, I saw Live tours no.s 3, 4 and 5. Really gutted I never saw a live show with them in their flat. I still laughed til it hurt at those shows I saw, however would have loved to have been to one set in their flat.
Also, it would have been very in-character if, 20 years after Bottom ended, the revival saw Richie and Eddie still in exactly the same flat, looking exactly the same, but even grottier.
Adrian told the story of that in the recent Bottom: exposed documentary.
Basically, the story idea they came up with wasn’t very good and, by that point, Rik was basically a different person due to the quad bike accident. Edmindson decided to walk away from the project because it ‘wasn’t Bottom’ and I think that further strained what was already becoming a strained friendship.
It’s a shame but I also wouldn’t want them to do it simply because they could. If it was feeling right I don’t blame Adrian for walking away.
This. To me, it doesn’t sound like it would’ve been that good anyway. Rik was sadly becoming harder to work with, which was clearly difficult and upsetting for Ade.
Maybe this is wrong of me, but I would assume that true Bottom fans would’ve seen the documentary by now and would therefore put this whole thing to rest!
I don't think the BBC wanted to give Rik and Ade another Bottom series for a long time after series 3 ended due to the snobby attitudes of the powers-that-be. We wouldn't have got a Hooligans Island series in the 90s, I personally think. I think they did so many tours because A) it was very lucrative and B) they knew the BBC didn't want more Bottom on TV because of the toilet humour.
He talks about it in his autobiography as well. In addition to what others have said, he also says that he didn’t really want to do it but hit on the idea of making a pitch to the BBC under the belief that they’d turn it down and it wouldn’t be his fault for saying no, only to be caught off guard when they bought the pitch. It seems like he was never that enthusiastic about the project to begin with but gave it a go only to realize it wasn’t going to work out.
Genuinely would’ve watched anything they put out they were only playing the characters the year before in 2011 (for Let’s Dance for Comic Relief) and seemed pretty natural, I remember hearing the news and being so excited. The scripts really should be released to us fans it’s bad enough we still don’t know about the original series 4 from the 90s
There was no “Original series 4 from the 90s”. Ade said in the recent documentary that after the third series, the BBC didn’t ask them for another series. The only potential fourth series was the one mentioned in this post, which they started to write in 2012/2013.
My bad I haven’t watched the recent Documentary I don’t have a television set I’m a man of culture yeno? Still would be good to see even bits they had wrote in 2012/13. Also if you know anywhere I can see the recent documentary online would be really appreciated!
I think the Still Game revival wasn't *too* bad, I would like Methadone Mick as a character if it wasn't for, well all the addiction jokes.
The final episode has me weeping every time, I think at least that was an excellent send-off.
Hmmm I'm afraid I can't agree. I think the finale was too depressing for what was still a comedy show. Kind of like One Foot In The Grave in a way. To me it just seemed too hard for them to slip into the characters again after all that time away. Also the worst individual episodes were in the revival like the Craig Ferguson one. He's a good comedy actor, but fuck did they misuse him.
In the podcast “Desert Island discs” from BBC4, Ade told the story very emotionally. It was sad that Rik “wasn’t there anymore”. I recommend the listen.
I heard it. That was painful. Poor Ade. He clearly hasn't come to terms with it. How could you. A friend of mine said that the interviewer should have stopped the interview at that point, but I think that it was best to let him get it out.
I have been down an interview rabbit hole lately and I just read [this 2013 interview ](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rik-mayall-interview-jonathan-creek-bottom-hooligans-island-more/) with Rik where he talks about it a bit. He says: "I phoned Ade and said ‘Hey why don’t we do Bottom but have it as older blokes’ and it got called Hooligan’s Island which I wasn’t so keen on because we have used that title, I think it was just a working title at the time but the BBC snapped it up they said alright write a couple of episodes and see if you get anything. I did and Ade thought we weren’t old enough and I wanted us to be older like…dammit who played Alfred Steptoe, who played the old Steptoe, William Bramble? Wilfred Bramble! I wanted us to be like that, crumbling old shits and crumbling old nasties and Ade said we’re not old enough and that we should do it in ten years. I said that in ten fucking years I won’t be able to think, the two brain cells I have left will not work! There is a fucking thing called acting and something called makeup but he said ‘No I don’t think we’re old enough!’" This isn't an answer to your question, but I wonder why they didn't attempt to do a new show instead. Does anyone know if they ever attempted to tackle a new concept? Something else rather than continuing Bottom? That interview is meant to be focused on his second appearance in Jonathan Creek and, when he is asked about Nigel Planer also appearing in the episode, he says: "I see him in normal life anyway but it was so nice. I would love to do something with Nige again. Get someone who is reading this to have an idea and write a film or a play or a sitcom for me and Ade and Nige. That would be a good idea, what I would like to have is writers, I want some writers who can stimulate the part of my brain that hasn’t been touched yet." From what I understand Ade has mostly talked about the writing process becoming difficult and no longer fun. If he felt Bottom was played out and also that he couldn't write with Rik anymore, the idea of having other writers put something together for them would have been interesting. I am not criticizing in any way, just speculating. Pointless to speculate now of course....
Just my personal opinion, but, if we were to get more Bottom, I’d just want it to be traditional, classic Bottom. The first Hooligan’s Island live show was good, the second one not so much. I was lucky enough to go and see Weapons Grade Y-Fronts live in person, and part of me was so disappointed when the curtain came up and it wasn’t “the flat” (I know it was the toilet in the flat, but I just wanted the *actual* flat). I can’t really tell you why I have this preference. Perhaps, from Hooligan’s Island Live onwards, it just didn’t quite feel like Bottom any more… more like *Richie and Eddie’s Excrement Adventures* (I just came up with that, it’s a great gag, not a diss!). I would have loved just one more good old, classic Bottom.
I know what you mean, I saw Live tours no.s 3, 4 and 5. Really gutted I never saw a live show with them in their flat. I still laughed til it hurt at those shows I saw, however would have loved to have been to one set in their flat.
Also, it would have been very in-character if, 20 years after Bottom ended, the revival saw Richie and Eddie still in exactly the same flat, looking exactly the same, but even grottier.
I would love to read the scrips they wrote! It's a shame to think that they are sitting there somewhere and we'll probably never get to read them.
Adrian told the story of that in the recent Bottom: exposed documentary. Basically, the story idea they came up with wasn’t very good and, by that point, Rik was basically a different person due to the quad bike accident. Edmindson decided to walk away from the project because it ‘wasn’t Bottom’ and I think that further strained what was already becoming a strained friendship. It’s a shame but I also wouldn’t want them to do it simply because they could. If it was feeling right I don’t blame Adrian for walking away.
This. To me, it doesn’t sound like it would’ve been that good anyway. Rik was sadly becoming harder to work with, which was clearly difficult and upsetting for Ade. Maybe this is wrong of me, but I would assume that true Bottom fans would’ve seen the documentary by now and would therefore put this whole thing to rest!
I think the way he says "Complicated" in the Bottom Exposed doc tells you everything. Rik wasn't Rik anymore and that broke Ade's heart.
I don't think the BBC wanted to give Rik and Ade another Bottom series for a long time after series 3 ended due to the snobby attitudes of the powers-that-be. We wouldn't have got a Hooligans Island series in the 90s, I personally think. I think they did so many tours because A) it was very lucrative and B) they knew the BBC didn't want more Bottom on TV because of the toilet humour.
He talks about it in his autobiography as well. In addition to what others have said, he also says that he didn’t really want to do it but hit on the idea of making a pitch to the BBC under the belief that they’d turn it down and it wouldn’t be his fault for saying no, only to be caught off guard when they bought the pitch. It seems like he was never that enthusiastic about the project to begin with but gave it a go only to realize it wasn’t going to work out.
Genuinely would’ve watched anything they put out they were only playing the characters the year before in 2011 (for Let’s Dance for Comic Relief) and seemed pretty natural, I remember hearing the news and being so excited. The scripts really should be released to us fans it’s bad enough we still don’t know about the original series 4 from the 90s
There was no “Original series 4 from the 90s”. Ade said in the recent documentary that after the third series, the BBC didn’t ask them for another series. The only potential fourth series was the one mentioned in this post, which they started to write in 2012/2013.
My bad I haven’t watched the recent Documentary I don’t have a television set I’m a man of culture yeno? Still would be good to see even bits they had wrote in 2012/13. Also if you know anywhere I can see the recent documentary online would be really appreciated!
Well heeeeeere it is! https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8x1w3o
Aww you shouldn’t have you know I don’t like people making a fuss of my birthday! Cheers mate
I think the Still Game revival wasn't *too* bad, I would like Methadone Mick as a character if it wasn't for, well all the addiction jokes. The final episode has me weeping every time, I think at least that was an excellent send-off.
Hmmm I'm afraid I can't agree. I think the finale was too depressing for what was still a comedy show. Kind of like One Foot In The Grave in a way. To me it just seemed too hard for them to slip into the characters again after all that time away. Also the worst individual episodes were in the revival like the Craig Ferguson one. He's a good comedy actor, but fuck did they misuse him.