Naked Video
Encyclopedia
Naked Video was a BBC Scotland
comedy
series, broadcast between 1986 and 1991 on BBC2, the series was created by Colin Gilbert who also created A Kick Up the Eighties
and Naked Radio.
and started its ten year run on 22 January 1981. The show cover all aspect of Scottish society and contain a lot of Topical satire material rather than parody. The Series starred Gregor Fisher
, Andy Gray
, Elaine C. Smith
, Tony Roper
, Jonathan Watson
, John Sparkes
, Kate Donnelly, Louise Beattie, Ron Bain
, and Helen Lederer
(although Lederer and Sparkes were not part of the radio version). The series was produced by Colin Gilbert
and the script editor was Philip Differ.
Naked Radio proved a popular part of the local schedule, and in 1985 the cast mounted the show on stage at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Gilbert realised it had potential for television and Naked Video was born. It proved popular at a time when alternative comedy
was at its peak. Naked Radio series finished in 1991, when it was axed along with Naked video.
, Paul Whitehouse
, Charlie Higson
, Nigel Planer
, Helen Lederer
, Ian Pattison
, John Sparkes
, Steve Coogan
, Jennifer Saunders
and Rik Mayall
.
.
To Date series 4 and 5 have not been released.
presented a documentary in the 'Radio Roots' season on Radio Scotland
about the show. It looked at how it "sprouted a generation of TV writing and performing talent". http://www.comedyunit.co.uk/radio_shows_list.asp
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
series, broadcast between 1986 and 1991 on BBC2, the series was created by Colin Gilbert who also created A Kick Up the Eighties
A Kick Up the Eighties
A Kick Up the Eighties was a 1981-1984 BBC Scotland sketch show starring Robbie Coltrane, Tracey Ullman, Richard Stilgoe, Miriam Margolyes, Rik Mayall, Ron Bain and Roger Sloman....
and Naked Radio.
Naked Radio
Naked Radio is a radio sketch show which broadcast on BBC Radio ScotlandBBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
and started its ten year run on 22 January 1981. The show cover all aspect of Scottish society and contain a lot of Topical satire material rather than parody. The Series starred Gregor Fisher
Gregor Fisher
Gregor Fisher is a Scottish comedian and actor.-Early life:Fisher was born in Glasgow and following the death of his parents was brought up in Edinburgh, Langholm and Neilston and attended Barrhead High School...
, Andy Gray
Andy Gray (actor)
Andy Gray is a Scottish actor and comedy writer. He co-wrote and co-starred in the BBC Radio Scotland sketch show Naked Radio, and its later television counterpart Naked Video, before becoming well known as the appropriately named "Chancer", best friend and source of problems to Willie Melvin in...
, Elaine C. Smith
Elaine C. Smith
Elaine Constance Smith is a Scottish actress and comedienne. She was born in Baillieston in Glasgow, and she continues to live in the city. She was awarded the honourary degree of Doctor of The University by The University of Glasgow in 2008...
, Tony Roper
Tony Roper (actor)
Tony Roper is a Scottish actor, comedian, playwright and writer.His first major starring role was in Scotch and Wry. He wrote the classic comedy-drama The Steamie in 1988. He achieved even greater fame in Naked Video and in the spin off series Rab C Nesbitt, in which he played Rab's...
, Jonathan Watson
Jonathan Watson
Jonathan Watson is a Scottish comedian and impressionist best known for his comedy sketch show Only an Excuse?, which parodies people and events from the world of Scottish football. Watson also regularly appeared on Tam Cowan's Offside television programme on BBC One Scotland where he performed a...
, John Sparkes
John Sparkes
John Sparkes is a Welsh comedian born in Swansea and is more commonly known on Welsh television as Barry Welsh, in the award-winning series Barry Welsh is Coming....
, Kate Donnelly, Louise Beattie, Ron Bain
Ron Bain
Ron Bain is a Scottish television actor, director, producer, comedian and former stage actor who now focuses primarily on directing. He is known for his work with comedian Rikki Fulton, with whom he first worked while performing Molliere's The Miser at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh in 1971,...
, and Helen Lederer
Helen Lederer
Helen Lederer is a Welsh comedienne, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s.-Career:...
(although Lederer and Sparkes were not part of the radio version). The series was produced by Colin Gilbert
Colin Gilbert
Colin Gilbert is a Glasgow-born television producer and outgoing senior creative director of The Comedy Unit.-Career:Gilbert began his career in comedy writing jokes for the radio shows Weekending and The News Huddlines. He joined BBC Scotland as an Assistant Floor Manager in 1975 and continued...
and the script editor was Philip Differ.
Naked Radio proved a popular part of the local schedule, and in 1985 the cast mounted the show on stage at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Gilbert realised it had potential for television and Naked Video was born. It proved popular at a time when alternative comedy
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...
was at its peak. Naked Radio series finished in 1991, when it was axed along with Naked video.
Regular characters
Naked Video featured:- Drunk Sloane, (played by Helen Lederer) An attractive but stupid woman who props up the wine bar and delivers monologues to camera.
- Bernard and Miriam, (played by Gregor Fisher and Helen Lederer) a repressed middle-aged couple.
- Bitter Divorcee Lizzie, (played by Elaine C Smith) an attractive 30-something woman who (like Drunk Sloane) delivers monologues about her divorce, only from her bedroom, not a wine bar.
- Highlander Angus, (played by Gregor Fisher) A Gaelic TV presenter for the OHBC (Outer HebridesOuter HebridesThe Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
Broadcasting Corporation).
- The Baldy ManBaldy ManThe Baldy Man is a television series starring Gregor Fisher, a Scottish comedian. It was broadcast in two series comprising thirteen episodes on ITV, screening in 1995 and 1997, was made by The Comedy Unit/. The character's chief attribute is his comb over hairstyle as well as his bumbling nature...
, (played by Gregor Fisher) a vain halfwit with but a few strands of hair across his head. The character was spun off into a separate series. The show was produced and drected by Colin GilbertColin GilbertColin Gilbert is a Glasgow-born television producer and outgoing senior creative director of The Comedy Unit.-Career:Gilbert began his career in comedy writing jokes for the radio shows Weekending and The News Huddlines. He joined BBC Scotland as an Assistant Floor Manager in 1975 and continued...
who was also working with Fisher on Rab C. NesbittRab C. NesbittRab C. Nesbitt is a Scottish sitcom which began in 1988. Produced by BBC Scotland, it stars Gregor Fisher as an alcoholic Glaswegian who believed unemployment was the life for him...
.
- Siadwell, (played by John Sparkes) a geeky WelshWelsh peopleThe Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
poet. (He had appeared previously in the Radio 4 show, Bodgers Banks and Sparkes.)
- Rab C Nesbitt, (played by Gregor Fisher) an alcoholic Glaswegian stereotype who wears a string vest, a pinstripe suit and a grubby headband. He was arguably the most popular character, and also received his own series and became Scotland's most successful sitcom. The show was produced and directed by Colin GilbertColin GilbertColin Gilbert is a Glasgow-born television producer and outgoing senior creative director of The Comedy Unit.-Career:Gilbert began his career in comedy writing jokes for the radio shows Weekending and The News Huddlines. He joined BBC Scotland as an Assistant Floor Manager in 1975 and continued...
and written by Ian PattisonIan PattisonIan Pattison is a Scottish writer who lives in Glasgow, most famous for writing the 10 series of the sitcom Rab C Nesbitt. He also wrote the 1995 to 1996 sitcom Atletico Partick; the six-episode series Breeze Block starring Tim Healy which aired on BBC Choice in 2002, and he created and co-wrote...
.
Writers
Writers for Naked Video included Harry EnfieldHarry Enfield
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
, Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, The Fast Show. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders...
, Charlie Higson
Charlie Higson
Charles Murray Higson , more commonly known as Charlie Higson - also Switch - is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer...
, Nigel Planer
Nigel Planer
Nigel George Planer is an English actor, comedian, novelist and playwright.Planer is perhaps best known for his role as Neil Pye in the cult BBC comedy The Young Ones. He has appeared in many West End musicals, including Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked and Hairspray...
, Helen Lederer
Helen Lederer
Helen Lederer is a Welsh comedienne, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s.-Career:...
, Ian Pattison
Ian Pattison
Ian Pattison is a Scottish writer who lives in Glasgow, most famous for writing the 10 series of the sitcom Rab C Nesbitt. He also wrote the 1995 to 1996 sitcom Atletico Partick; the six-episode series Breeze Block starring Tim Healy which aired on BBC Choice in 2002, and he created and co-wrote...
, John Sparkes
John Sparkes
John Sparkes is a Welsh comedian born in Swansea and is more commonly known on Welsh television as Barry Welsh, in the award-winning series Barry Welsh is Coming....
, Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
, Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
and Rik Mayall
Rik Mayall
Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
.
Episode guide
There were 30 episodes made over its 6 year run. Each was 25 minutes long, all shown on BBC2- Series One 12 May-16 June 1986
- Series Two 16 Apr-21 May 1987
- Series Three 19 Jan-23 Feb 1989
- Series Four 29 Sep-3 Nov 1989
- Series Five 14 Oct-18 Nov 1991
DVD
To date the first three series of Naked Video have been released on DVD by 2 Entertain2 Entertain
2 Entertain is a British video and music publisher, formed by the merger of BBC Video and Video Collection International in 2004....
.
- Series 1 released on 17 July 2006.
- Series 2 released on 9 October 2006.
- Series 3 released on 29 January 2007.
To Date series 4 and 5 have not been released.
Reunion
In 2000, the cast were reunited for a theatre show and radio broadcast. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20000416/ai_n13947642/pg_1http://www.comedyunit.co.uk/radio_shows_list.asp#v1Radio documentary
In 2005, Gerard KellyGerard Kelly
Paul "Gerard" Kelly was a Scottish actor who appeared in many comedies, most notably in City Lights, Rab C Nesbitt, and Scotch and Wry. He had more serious roles, including PC David Gallagher in Juliet Bravo , villain Jimmy in EastEnders and the villainous Callum Finnegan on Brookside...
presented a documentary in the 'Radio Roots' season on Radio Scotland
Radio Scotland
Radio Scotland was an offshore pirate radio station broadcasting on 1241 kHz mediumwave , created by Tommy Shields in 1965. The station was located on the former lightship M.V...
about the show. It looked at how it "sprouted a generation of TV writing and performing talent". http://www.comedyunit.co.uk/radio_shows_list.asp
External links
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204773/
- http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1363459/index.html
- http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/11021
- Daily Record article