I really enjoyed this series. This was obviously a transitional work for Ade and Rik. They are far enough from The Young Ones, although they are clearly playing with the deconstruction of the sitcom format, similarly to TYO. Rich and Eddie are slightly unpolished versions of Richard Richard and Edward Hitler (the same can be said for their characters from Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door from 1988. - a very Bottomesque episode of The Comic Strip Presents). This show surely paved the way for Bottom an at times is similar to Bottom Live shows.
The plots are interesting and there is a lot of fourth wall breaking, reminding the viewers that this is a sitcom (albeit deconstructed, but nevertheless funny). David Cross tried to play with the sitcom format in a similar manner with his Todd Margaret, but he failed miserably. This proves a point that it's really difficult to make this type of comedy work, but Rik and Ade are masters of this craft.
I agree with other reviewers who noticed that this show is still relevant today, with all the nobodies who appear on reality shows and "celebrities" with no talent who are flooding the media with their pay-per-view weddings and "leaked" porn videos. If only they were as hilarious as Rich! My favorite episode is definitely the fourth. I've seen it a few times and it makes me laugh just as hard on repeated viewings as it did the first time, especially the scene in the bar with Jumbo Whiffy. It's a shame that this show is nearly forgotten today.
