Obviously, with such good writers there are an enourmous amount of good sketches but what still haunts you from this fantastic show?
I personally loved Ray the man with the sarcastic voice especially when Ray goes to a funeral. "Oh, no it's so sad your wife has died. Oh boo-hoo-hoo."
I loved the send up they did of "The Crystal Maze". The contests on it I think were trying to either make a cup of tea or wire up a plug, if my memory serves me correct. The "History Today" sketches was good as well.
What do I do!?! put it in the cup...not don't put the cup in the kettle...come out comeout!
Yes that's a true classic but what about the vet sketch with Dennis & punt, where hugh comes out dressed as the terminator and says Hasta la vista..puppy, then the dog goes for his throat.
David - If these tomatoes get too tall, the stalk will break and they can die. Rob - Oh my god that's horrible. They'll die and all the other plants in the greenhouse will get upset & commit suicide!! David - no don't worry we can use this stick to hold it up. Rob - YESSS!?! [puts fists through greenhouse roof] THEY'LL LIVE!
The best "what do I pay you for" had to be the shakespear's sister one. With David dressed as Marcella Detroit and Rob as Siobhan Fahey. David's best performance I fear. Rob's face though was fried gold as his face contorted while a fog horn went off for his part of "stay".
Rob didn't destroy his career though, The "New Lad" culture did. Rob has always been the gent. David succeded due to the fact he said things were crap, drank beer and did knob gags. I still see rob every now and again. He even bought my mate a house warming present!
usted vive encendido en nuestras memorias, mi amigo Eddie Guerrero 1967-2005
I'll ask him next time I see him but you can help by writing to the Beeb and getting them to create a boxset of MWHE. punt & denis are on dvd but why no Newman and baddiel I just can't fathom.
usted vive encendido en nuestras memorias, mi amigo Eddie Guerrero 1967-2005
I seem to remember a great parody of "Catchphrase" where one of the guys was Roy "it's-good-but it's-not-right" Walker. David Baddiel was posing as one of the contestants and on the Catchphrase screen came a picture of the front of a house, garden, gate etc. with above the words: "UP THE GARDEN...".
Baddiel says doubtfully: "Up the garden... banana?"
The BBC should consider releasing it to DVD, I'd love to see how it stacks up to today's comedies. Baddiel is still a big name (almost unbelievably). One other thing I remember is one of my schoolmates wrote into the show, and they read out his letter! I recall it started: "Dear The Hairy White Mouse Experience..."
There are too many to mention but the following stick in my mind-Ray,Milky Milky,Dancing Dad("It's got a good beat"),The Cure("I know a fat old policeman..),Rachel(David dressed as Rob,"Masterchef" with Hugh as Hannibal Lector(this idea was used by Reeves and Mortimer in one of their shows a few years later actually),The Sad Experience("having to spend one more night in on my own), the list goes on. Luckily I have both series on vhs as I taped them at the time but they are 15 and 14 years old so I would love to have clear dvd copies-doesn't look like that would happen.I was also luckily anough to go and see two episodes from the second series and that was tremendous fun. OK, so a few bits are dated but what isn't-I showed few episodes to my cousin's kids(both 14) and they loved it so I guess good comedy never dies. Incidently, Rob is doing some great work at the moment and continues to perform-go see because his material now is some of the best he's done(and he may throw in the odd impression from yester year)-and he's a real gent. Punt and Dennis are also always on tv and radio and their stuff is fab. Only David has moved away from perfoming and writes for magazines and papers. The MWE was a classic and deserves to be recognised as such.
Kermit the Frog's stag party always made me laugh. "Four and twenty tadpoles came down from Inverness!....." etc and an unfortunate scene with a beer glass.
Also the sketch "someone's turned up the volume on your house", about how its impossible to creep back in late at night without disturbing people.
I have a few eps of this on tape and it's still funny but definitely very 90's. Very few comedies don't date though, so I see no reason to exclude a DVD release. It certainly beats stuff like Reeves and Mortimer for me.
The poltergeist "I know I'll switch the Telly on..." "They'll be frightened and confused and... Oh blimey thats a bit scary"
Also the Paul Daniels magic sketch, the one with the witchfinder general...
The Gameboy with Mario getting rid of all his porn
The embaressing dad
I saw a show earlier on in the year on the ABC (I now live in Australia) about Rob Newman writing a book and trying to get it published. It had his entrance from the live video (on the skateboard). I always found it kind of sad, that guy had so much talent was definately the funniest of the group (his painting by numbers was amazing, also his trip to Northern England... "P*ss off you southern bastids")
I was about 14 when I first saw it and Hannibal Lecter, The Cure, Shakespeare's Sister, Mr Strange, Ray and "It's all got a bit tricky now!" are all still there in the memory banks, would love to have this on dvd.
Anyway, just wanted to reiterate that Rob is alive and kicking. I've seen him perform twice in the last year and he was brilliant (albeit ill the second time round) and he had a show on More4 just last week which was culled from his live shows of last year. He does a mean Johnny Rotten..
The poltergeist was from 'Newman and Baddiel in Pieces' wasn't it? (Another great show) I have DVD rips of both series of TMWE (including pilot) I got off eBay. And mp3s of all the radio shows.
I saw Rob on tour last year (with Mark Thomas - another comedy great!) and he's still one of the best around. He has a DVD out, 'From Caliban to the Taliban' - well recommended, if you can find it.
You see that Peter Beardsley?....That's your girlfriend that is. Funniest sketch i've seen in years. (I'm only 19 so i had to youtube most of the vids. I just ordered a dvd of both series on ebay too!)
Get away from me! I don't want to catch the menopause!
I loved the happy mondays bit- they have the guy doing his funny backwards/forwards dance bit, then rob says "what do I pay you for exactly??"
Rob's hilarious and accurate impersonation of Ben Elton "...and all the time I'm going on and on about the multi nationals, don't you think...Dont you Think! SMALL PENIS!!!"
Crystal Maze sketch was one of my favourites, I still quote it today "I can't see what I've got to dooo!"
Anyone still got their Mary Whitehouse Encyclopedia? "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Unless you're on Blockbusters, then a little knowledge might get you to the Gold Run"
All this reminiscing, I so need to see this again. I loved Absolutely but it made me feel dirty in the same way Benidorm does. I remember MWE so fondly. Plus Newman was damn sexy.