Filthy Rich & Catflap

This series, which by the way is a brilliant satire on celebrity and the state of it, stars 1/3 of The Young Ones and was filmed in between that series and Bottom. This is not very (or at all) well known in the U.S. sadly. Although all Young Ones Fans would love it. Imagine BOTTOM and THE YOUNG ONES combined, shake em up a bit and FILTHY, RICH AND CATFLAP is what you'd get. The shows get better upon repeat viewings and the jokes don't beat you over the head (as on BOTTOM). Highly recommended for all fans of any comedy at all.

After reading a LOT of really negative comments about this series, I admit I was fully prepared to hate it. Nevertheless, I trawled thru my local DVD shop, found a copy, brought it home and settled down to watch the first ep. Three hours later, still giggling like a loon, I went around telling everyone they HAVE to watch this. I agree it's kinda like "The Young Ones" grown up, and could be Richard Richard and Eddie Hitler before they were quite such sad losers, but it's so much more. Okay, the satire isn't exactly biting but it's nibbling at least. If you're a fan of Rik and Ade, give this a try. It's a very underrated comedy that you have to make your own mind up about, but I don't think you'll be disappointed. I leave you with one of my fave quotes...

Richie: So you don't like the police, eh? Next time you've been beaten up, try calling an alternative comedian!

In the winter of 87' I first got acquainted with this wonderful group of comedians. I later watched the Young Ones and Bottom, but Filthy, Rich and Catflap remains my favorite by far.It is much more clever and funny, better written. This is my favorite comedy of all time. Difficult to believe it is so underestimated.The reason may be the harsh criticism on various BBC and show business stars. Moreover, they also criticized the BBC establishment. That was too much for some of those dinosaurs during that Thatcher era. I don't know if more episodes were necessary, since the six produced are masterpieces. I also understand that Rick Mayall was not pleased with the final result, and wanted more say in the show; to that I can only say- Rick you were marvelous, but the show was great too.

The fact that this brilliant show was so quickly forgotten, and so underestimated, is a dirty rotten shame!

Just like Bottom and The Young Ones this show is brilliant and offers you laugh after laugh. It's quite hard to say what went wrong, but only six episodes were produced and as far as I know only shown once on BBC and a few other channels. Just like Bottom and Young Ones can be purchased on DVD/VHS in stores worldwide, this show is only available on amazon.co.uk via 2nd hand.....it could look like someone's simply trying to wipe the show's existance off the face of the earth, which, to my hand, should be a punishable crime.

Watch this show if you can find it, it's brilliant!!!!

FR&C was an excellent follow-on from "The Young Ones" but I feel that too many people were too stuck in the past to appreciate it. Then, blow me down, a few years later along comes "Bottom" and everybody loves it?! FR&C was far superior to Bottom, better scripts, better plots and not 'dumbed down' like Bottom is. There was at least some plausible rationale why these disgusting characters were involved in each other lives. There were also a couple of brilliant celebrity slots by Midge Ure and the Nolans - the latter being so out of character for those clean living Irish girls.

I also loved the 'asides' to camera which I feel were an excellent way of inviting the audience into the plot. I could easily exceed the word limit singing the praises of this series, but I shall end with a quote from the first episode (which still makes me laugh out loud);

Ralph Filthy: "Richie - it doesn't matter how many milkmen you kill, it still won't become fashionable you know..."

Well worth while watching if you get the chance.