The Glam Metal Detectives
Encyclopedia
The Glam Metal Detectives is a comedy show produced by the BBC
in 1995. Shown on BBC2 on Thursday nights at 9pm—a slot renowned as a breeding ground for new and more experimental comedy—it combined both sketch and sitcom elements,
As with other shows launched in this timeslot, The Glam Metal Detectives attempted to innovate and combine genres, resulting in an off-the-wall mix of the sublime and the surreal which broke new ground with its 'multimedia' approach. The show consists of a single series of seven episodes.
The scripts were written by the cast, and director Peter Richardson, and the series starred Gary Beadle
, Phil Cornwell
, Doon Mackichan
(playing most of the female roles), Sara Stockbridge
, George Yiasoumi, and Mark Caven.
The show was designed to appear as if the viewer was channel surfing
through a multi-channel wasteland, happening upon spoof adverts, short sketches, and recurring show elements. Like other BBC content of the mid-1990s (such as KYTV), it often lampooned the harsh and low-quality satellite television
available in the UK at the time.
to accompany the series.
The one shot magazine special was published by Marvel UK to coincide with the launch of the show. It mirrored the channel hopping style of the show by featuring various magazine formats and comic book styles. The Special was co-written by Peter Richardson, Robert Popper
, the cast of the show and the mag's editor, David Leach. It featured the artwork of - among others - Lew Stringer
, David Leach and Art Wetherell. The Magazine also used the same artwork for its cover that was used for the show's opening titles and subsequent video release. The special was intended to test the waters for a regular title should the show have been a success, but it wasn't, so no more issues were made.
The first three episodes of the series were later released on VHS video.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1995. Shown on BBC2 on Thursday nights at 9pm—a slot renowned as a breeding ground for new and more experimental comedy—it combined both sketch and sitcom elements,
As with other shows launched in this timeslot, The Glam Metal Detectives attempted to innovate and combine genres, resulting in an off-the-wall mix of the sublime and the surreal which broke new ground with its 'multimedia' approach. The show consists of a single series of seven episodes.
The scripts were written by the cast, and director Peter Richardson, and the series starred Gary Beadle
Gary Beadle
Gary Beadle is an English actor, best known for playing Paul Trueman in EastEnders and Gary Barwick in Operation Good Guys....
, Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell is an English comedian, actor, impressionist and writer. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers television and radio series...
, Doon Mackichan
Doon Mackichan
Doon Mackichan is an English comedienne and actress.-Biography:Born in London, Mackichan was brought up in Surrey until the age of 9 when she moved with her family to Upper Largo, Fife. She is a graduate of Manchester University...
(playing most of the female roles), Sara Stockbridge
Sara Stockbridge
Sara Stockbridge is an English model and actress who achieved a certain level of high fashion notoriety in the mid to late 1980s as the muse of designer Vivenne Westwood...
, George Yiasoumi, and Mark Caven.
The show was designed to appear as if the viewer was channel surfing
Channel surfing
Channel surfing is the practice of quickly scanning through different television channels or radio frequencies in order to find something interesting to watch or listen to. Modern viewers, who may have cable or satellite services beaming down dozens if not hundreds or thousands of channels, are...
through a multi-channel wasteland, happening upon spoof adverts, short sketches, and recurring show elements. Like other BBC content of the mid-1990s (such as KYTV), it often lampooned the harsh and low-quality satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
available in the UK at the time.
Content
Show segments included:- The Glam Metal Detectives themselves. A rock group charged with the mission of "saving the planet's ecologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
with your top-selling records", they would fight the evil media mogul Royston Brocade in between gigs. This segment combined elements of the cultish, kitsch and televisual trash in an unpredictable manner. - Betty's Mad Dash - a 1930s-style adventure serialSerial (film)Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
about two flapperFlapperFlapper in the 1920s was a term applied to a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior...
s, Betty and Maisie, who are on the run from the police. Each episode involved hiding from the police in some period location and robbing from people at gunGunA gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
point. - Bloodsports - a short segment portraying violent UK topics such as ram raiding as if they were recognised sports, complete with commentators. Often ended with the offenders messing up in some way and getting arrested.
- Running From Death - an innovative attempt at self-parody, which saw the group running from the Grim Reaper. Each episode would include this sequence, which always bore a remarkable similarity to the chase sequence in the Betty's Mad Dash section, ending with the group robbing the Grim Reaper at gunpoint. The appearance of the Grim Reaper in the show is said to have been inspired by that of the director's friend Allan Yates.
- The Big Me - a chat showTalk showA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
parody featuring Morag, who was extremely self-obsessed and egomanaical, ignoring her guests and instead talking about herself. - Colin Corleone - a nondescript Londoner who acted like a mafiaMafiaThe Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
godfather, complete with henchmen; for example, when his doleSocial securitySocial security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
is cut off because he refuses to work in Do It AllDo It All- History :Do It All was originally created by WH Smith in 1979 when the company acquired a DIY chain.Fierce competition in the 1980s saw the chain struggle, and in 1990 it was merged with the rival Payless DIY chain, owned by the Boots Group. The combined group - in which WH Smith and Boots both...
, he arranges a 'hit' on the DSSDepartment of Social SecurityThe Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
office worker, shooting him with a water pistol while he has his lunch.
In other media
A CD single ("Everybody Up!"), soundtrack album and magazine was produced by Marvel UKMarvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US produced stories for the British weekly comic market, though it later did produce original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Grant Morrison.Panini Comics obtained the...
to accompany the series.
The one shot magazine special was published by Marvel UK to coincide with the launch of the show. It mirrored the channel hopping style of the show by featuring various magazine formats and comic book styles. The Special was co-written by Peter Richardson, Robert Popper
Robert Popper
Robert Popper is a BAFTA winning comedy producer, writer and actor, best known as co-creator of the mock BBC documentary Look Around You, in which he also plays the part of Jack Morgan...
, the cast of the show and the mag's editor, David Leach. It featured the artwork of - among others - Lew Stringer
Lew Stringer
-Biography:Stringer began his career from the late 1970s with a series of fanzines, many featuring his popular Brickman character; these were read by several pro creators who encouraged Stringer to try comics as a profession and Stringer recalls that "Alan Moore actually introduced me to one of...
, David Leach and Art Wetherell. The Magazine also used the same artwork for its cover that was used for the show's opening titles and subsequent video release. The special was intended to test the waters for a regular title should the show have been a success, but it wasn't, so no more issues were made.
The first three episodes of the series were later released on VHS video.