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The Story of Music Hall (2011)
Character: Self
Michael Grade traces the raucous history of the music hall in a revelatory journey that takes him from venues such as Wilton's Music Hall in London to Glasgow's once-famous Britannia.
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I Was That Monster (1993)
Character: Himself
A selection of interviews with actors who have played the most famous monsters on Doctor Who.
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Bottom Mindless Violence (2004)
Character: Billy Balowski / Jerzei Balowski / Brian Damage (archive footage)
The only word to describe the amazing duo of Rik Mayall and Adrian Edminson is genius. For the past 25 years they have provided us with some unforgettable programs that left us on the floor such as The Young Ones, The Dangerous Brothers and of course, Bottom. The DVD contains the very best and violent bits from the live shows and TV programmes that have starred the two slapstick legends in the past 25 years. With the help of the great comedy writers such as Ben Elton, they have produced many great moments, such as the sprouts of doom and the towering inferno impression that went horrifically wrong. Here they are, all of the great moments on 1 disc. Here is what you can expect from the greatest compilation of slapstick moments of all time!!!
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The Strike (1988)
Character: Paul
Paul, a former miner, writes a hard-hitting screenplay about his own experiences of the 1984 miners' strike. However, the Hollywood production company that gets hold of his script turns it into a ludicrously sensationalist and anachronistic action film, starring Al Pacino as Arthur Scargill, and Meryl Streep as his wife.
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Gloves Off (2017)
Character: Algy
A talented fighter must save his beloved gym by training a gentle giant for a bare-knuckle fight.
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The Alexei Sayle Pirate Video (1983)
Character: Self
The real Alexei Sayle. Over 75 minutes. Live. Uncensored. Recorded in Manchester 1982. Warning: This video cassette contains language of an explicit nature that may give offence. This tape should not be played in the presence of minors
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Didn't You Kill My Brother? (1988)
Character: Carl Moss/Sterling Moss
Carl Moss leaves jail,where he has taken the rap for his evil twin Sterling,and has been declared a model prisoner. Pauline Sneek,his probation officer - and girlfriend - gets him community work teaching youngsters how to lead law-abiding lives. This displeases Sterling,as he needs the young delinquents for his bicycle stealing ring.
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Up Line (1987)
Character: Melvin Coombes
Three alternative comedians get involved in a pyramid-selling organization, Pathway, in order to finance their act. They gain great success by deploying their skills as entertainers, only to eventually discover the sinister purpose behind the Pathway organization.
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Spaghetti Hoops (1990)
Character: Mog
In a monochrome city that is shamelessly London although everybody acts as if it is Rome, banker Aldo Vini is on the run from Mafia boss Corelli, from whom he has embezzled two million. Corelli hires Mig and Mog, two inept hitmen to go after Vini, killing any witnesses as they go, but when they finally catch up with him, they have no idea what to do with him and confuse Corelli's instructions with their shopping list.
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Red Nose of Courage (1992)
Character: Dad
A clown is not happy with his job at his father's circus so he gets into politics, and some weeks later he is the Prime Minister John Major. But after his day job, he has to attend to his real job as Coco the Clown. He falls in love with the leader of the opposition party but she falls in love with Coco the Clown without knowing that he is in fact John Major, the Prime Minister.
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Queen of the Wild Frontier (1993)
Character: Inspector
Convicts Mick and Gary are being escorted to the dentist when their prison van has an accident and they wind up at a remote farmhouse occupied by Fiona and Susie, two sex-starved sisters who have been waiting to have babies with the right men, whilst these two may not be the right ones, they are certainly available.
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Tapping the Wire (2007)
Character: Self
Long-time Wire fan Charlie Brooker takes a journey to the mean streets of Baltimore to meet the cast and crew of the series, and undertakes a mission to explain what makes The Wire the best cop show ever made.
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The Fringe, Fame and Me (2022)
Character: Self
The Fringe, Fame and Me is the story of how a small Scottish arts festival that began 75 years ago this year became a national institution – a crucible where new stars are forged, careers made, and sometimes, dreams dashed. Told by the stars who first found fame at the Edinburgh Fringe, this is the inside story of what it takes to make a name here, from those who enjoyed overnight success to those who slogged for years to make it. Through their triumphs, favourite jokes, and sometimes painful failures, we’ll discover a hidden history of British comedy – revealing how the gags we find funny and the comedians we love reflect our changing culture.
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The Private Life of the Ford Cortina (1982)
Character: Self - Presenter
A ski run in Italy, a supermarket manager in Luton, a sandwich bar in London EC2, Arena opens the bonnet of the Ford Cortina, Britain's most popular, most stolen, and most misunderstood car. 'Dagenham dustbin'? 'Poor man's Rolls-Royce'? In the year that may well see the end of a legend, some of the motoring public, including Sir John Betjeman, Tom Robinson, Alexei Sayle, Sir Terence Beckett and Magnus Magnusson take apart the Ford Cortina: Life and Works 1962-1982.
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When Comedy Changed Forever (2006)
Character: Self
The history of British comedy from the 1970s to today, showing how the work of Reeves and Mortimer provided a link between old-style acts such as Bernard Manning and modern phenomena like Little Britain.
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My Dad Was a Communist (2008)
Character: Self
Comedian Alexei Sayle, playwright Arnold Wesker and writer David Aaronovitch recall fascinating episodes from their communist childhood.
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Censoring Palestine (2024)
Character: Self
Produced by award-winning Platform Films, this documentary examines how the truth is being censored in the mainstream and social media, in education and education and entertainment and how terrorism law is being used to silence dissent. With contributions from Ken Loach, Peter Oborne and Sarah Wilkinson.
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The Big Lie II: Starmer and the Genocide (2024)
Character: Narrator (voice)
The Big Lie II: Starmer and the Genocide' explores the impact of the Gaza conflict on British politics. It examines what lies behind the pro-Israel stance of the Labour Party under leader Keir Starmer, and documents the demonstrations, protests and direct actions which aim to end the complicity of the British establishment in genocide, and join the worldwide movement for peace and justice. The reaction to what’s happening in Palestine has been unparalleled in this country and throughout the world— the huge marches, protests, and direct actions have been massive. But at the same time, they have been outrageously minimised and misrepresented in the mainstream media.
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Moonlighters (1996)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Public information film. Animation warning children of the dangers of lighters.
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The Love Child (1988)
Character: The Voices
When he was a little boy, Dillon's rock musician father and hippie mother died in a traffic accident. Now in his twenties, Dillon wants nothing more than a normal, responsible life, working in an office and taking care of the grandmother who raised him. But his grandmother has other ideas, and Dillon finds himself lured into an alternate lifestyle of art, pleasure and rebellion.
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'Itch (1991)
Character: Rittblatt
A lone hitch hiker, marooned near a housing estate, has a dramatic effect on the lives of those around him.
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Don't Walk (2000)
Character: Uncle Henry
Larry, a young criminal, is taught to walk away from a crime scene and never run by his Uncle Henry, a hitman. However he is a purse snatcher and soon learns that it is better to run away instead.
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Repeater (1979)
Character: 2nd Detective
A deconstructed crime thriller, inspired by the French new wave, in which a woman’s confession of murder is not as simple as it seems.
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The Double Life of Saki (2007)
Character: Self
Drama-documentary which explores the life and work of the writer Hector Hugh Munro, better known by his pen name Saki, whose short stories satirised Edwardian society and culture.
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Amnesty International's Big 30 (1991)
Character: Self
In the tradition of the acclaimed series of British concerts known as The Secret Policemen's Ball, Amnesty International celebrates its 50th Anniversary live at Radio City Music Hall.
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30 Years of Comic Strip (2012)
Character: N/A
The cast and crew of The Comic Strip share anecdotes about the making of the show, recounting experiences marked by a playful disregard for health and safety.
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Bottom: Exposed (2024)
Character: Self
Adrian Edmondson gives a first-hand account of making the hit show "Bottom" with the late, great Rik Mayall. His account comes alongside contributions from a host of the show's cast, crew and fans.
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The Itch of the Golden Nit (2011)
Character: Planet Jimmy (voice)
Eleven-year-old Beanie's bland life is changed for ever when he is sent on a mission. Armed only with laser lip-gloss and a pair of blend-in pants he has to save his parents from Evil Stella and return the Golden Nit to its rightful place at the heart of the sun, thereby saving the universe.
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Night Voice (1990)
Character: Clarence Flamer
Clarence Flamer hosts a late-night talk show on regional radio station North Star Sound. A phone call he takes one night leads to his discovering a mortgage scam being run by a group of estate agents. His attempts to delve deeper have tragic consequences.
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Selling Hitler (1993)
Character: Konrad 'Conny' Fischer
In 1981, Gerd Heidemann, a war correspondent and reporter with the German magazine Stern, makes what he believes is the literary and historical scoop of the century: the personal diaries of Adolf Hitler. Over the next two years, Heidemann and the senior management figures at Stern secretly pay 10 million German marks to a mysterious 'Dr Fischer' for the sixty volumes of 'Hitler's diaries'. However, to the dismay of all, it is discovered after the publication of first extract that the diaries are crude forgeries, faked by Stuttgart criminal Konrad Kujau.
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The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1982)
Character: Self
Following the success of the 1979 show and the financial benefits accruing to Amnesty from the spin-off movie, TV special and record albums – Cleese, Lewis and Walker planned the next show to be a more spectacular event. Cleese focused on broadening the comedic talent to be presented at the show. In addition to the Amnesty show stalwarts drawn from the Oxbridge/Monty Python/Beyond The Fringe orbit, he invited newcomers such as Rowan Atkinson’s colleagues from the BBC TV show Not the Nine O'Clock News including Pamela Stephenson and Griff Rhys Jones; comedian Victoria Wood and regional comic Jasper Carrott. Lewis secured a return appearance by Billy Connolly and a debut appearance by "alternative" comedian Alexei Sayle who Lewis had recently discovered and was managing. Building on the success of Pete Townshend's 1979 appearance Lewis recruited other rock musicians to perform at the 1981 show including Sting, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Donovan and Bob Geldof.
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Mr. Corbett's Ghost (1987)
Character: Toll Gate Keeper
Mr Corbett is a cruel employer to Ben Partridge. One night on New Years Eve Ben is sent out to deliver some medicine. Along the way he wishes his master was dead, little knowing that the man he is delivering to is the Collector of Souls.
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Sorry About Last Night (1995)
Character: Andy Carolides
A romantic comedy written by and starring Alexei Sayle. A couple on a first date in London are determined to find a drink after closing time, to prove to themselves that they are not careworn and middle-aged. What follows is a series of misadventures
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Character: Sultan
In 1938, an art collector appeals to eminent archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones to embark on a search for the Holy Grail. Indy learns that a medieval historian has vanished while searching for it, and the missing man is his own father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr.. He sets out to rescue his father by following clues in the old man's notebook, which his father had mailed to him before he went missing. Indy arrives in Venice, where he enlists the help of a beautiful academic, Dr. Elsa Schneider, along with Marcus Brody and Sallah. Together they must stop the Nazis from recovering the power of eternal life and taking over the world!
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Doctor Who: Revelation of the Daleks (1985)
Character: DJ
At the Tranquil Repose mortuary, the Doctor and Peri uncover a sinister plot to create a new breed of Daleks under the supervision of the mysterious Great Healer.
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Robin Williams: Laugh Until You Cry (2022)
Character: Self
Robin Williams. The comic genius with an electric mind, with a range of talent that left us breathless. The one who amazed and kept us entertained until the very end, and whose sole purpose in life was to make people laugh. Living life to the fullest, he went from one memorable film role to the other. But behind the upbeat, frenzied facade of Robin Williams was a sensitive and vulnerable man, deeply plagued by depression and haunted by his demons. Few comedians have ever been as beloved as Robin Williams. His story is full of tragic moments. It inspires us to look past the mask of those people who seem to have a perfect life. His legacy, reaching way beyond his body of work, lives on. We look back at the journey and tragic loss of a unique comic legend...and one of the greatest comedians of all time.
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The Supergrass (1985)
Character: Motorbike Cop
While taking a holiday in the country with his mother, Dennis hits on a scheme to impress a girl so that she'll go away on a trip with him as his girlfriend. Although he fails to gain any interest from the girl, the police take a great interest in his story. From this point on, Dennis digs a deeper hole for himself at every turn
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Curaçao (1993)
Character: Seemuller
Cornelius Wettering and Stephen Guerin are expatriates living in Curaçao. They're bound together by an understanding that each is hiding from a dangerous past.
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Swing (1999)
Character: Mighty Mac
When Martin Luxford leaves jail, he decides to form a swing band, having been taught to play the saxophone by his cellmate Jack. Returning to his native Liverpool, Martin pulls together a backing band of misfits and loners, and recruits his ex-girlfriend Joan as a singer. Things are complicated somewhat by the fact that Joan is now married to the policeman who arrested Martin, and when the band's first gig - at a heavy metal pub - goes badly, it seems as though the road to musical success may be a rocky one.
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Just Like That! (1989)
Character: Self
Just Like That! is a celebration of the comic genius of Tommy Cooper - just like that! But nobody could do it just like that apart from the unique Mr Cooper himself, and despite his claim never to have used those words. Was Tommy really Henry Coper's brother? Can Tommy's performance as Hamlet, clown prince, compare with the greats? Was Tommy a ventriloquist at heart? Rare and classic routines and contributions from famous fans help solve the mystery. The friends and fans who take part (many of them confirming that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery) include Adrian Edmondson, Lenny Henry, Henry Cooper, former Goons Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan, writer Dick Hills, Tommy's brother David Cooper (who has himself sadly since died), alternative comedian Steve Murray, The Wow Show and magician Paul Scott. A title montage sequence features further impersonations of the great man from Alexei Sayle, Bob Todd, Patricia Hayes, and Jess Conrad.
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Sometimes Always Never (2019)
Character: Bill
Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of Scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family.
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Meeting Venus (1991)
Character: Von Schneider (dubbing - voice only) (uncredited)
Celebrated Swedish opera star Karin Anderson is slated to appear in an internationally-telecast production of Tannhauser. Ms. Anderson balks at the notion of working with obscure Hungarian conductor Zoltan Szanto. The much-anticipated production may never get off the ground, thanks to labor-management difficulties, intramural jealousies, and clashing egos. Amidst all this chaos, the mismatched Anderson and Szanto fall in love.
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Siesta (1987)
Character: Cabbie
American Claire wakes up blood-soaked and bruised at the end of a runway in Spain. As she tries to account for her state, she has flashbacks from the past few days. She thinks she's killed someone, but isn't sure, and now she's wandering the Spanish streets without money or a clear memory.
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Two Minutes (1997)
Character: Bernie
An hilariously funny one-off comic sitcom in which some mates attempt to rob a pub of its takings.
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Red Top (2016)
Character: Colin Goodman
Comic fantasy telling the story of Rebekah, an innocent and beguiling Northern girl who accidentally becomes Chief Executive of News International and gets caught up in a seventies Watergate-style scandal.
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Gorky Park (1983)
Character: Golodkin
Police Inspector Renko tries to solve the case of three bodies found in Moscow's Gorky Park but finds his attempts to solve the crime impeded by his superiors. Working on his own, Renko seeks out more information and stumbles across a conspiracy involving the highest levels of the government.
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The Comic Strip (1981)
Character: N/A
A tongue-in-cheek "behind the scenes" look at the Comic Strip comedy club in the early 1980s, which gave rise to 'The Comic Strip Presents'
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Les Dogs (1990)
Character: Bride's Father
Les Dogs are the band playing in a large marquee to celebrate the wedding of Geoffrey and Angela. During the reception, the fathers of the groom and bride exchange insults and a gun battle ensues in which many guests - and Les Dogs - are casualties though the happy couple escape. Victor, who has wandered in on the scene, is asked to take wedding photographs and has a series of dreamlike fantasies all based around his infatuation with Angela.
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Carry On Columbus (1992)
Character: Achmed
Christopher Columbus believes he can find an alternative route to the far East and persuades the King and Queen of Spain to finance his expedition...
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The Caucasian Chalk Circle (1985)
Character: Lavrenti
The hardships faced by a woman trying to survive a bloody civil war while caring for the abandoned child of the deposed former ruler.
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How The Young Ones Changed Comedy (2018)
Character: N/A
This documentary explores the legacy of one of the most notorious British sitcoms of all time. Launching alternative comedy onto our screens, the show made household names of its performers and writers and proved to be a huge influence, despite the BBC reportedly being baffled by what they'd commissioned back in 1982. Never before had a flagship comedy show contained so much violence, depravity and anarchy - it was a shot across the bow to mainstream comedians that things would never be the same again.
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Jake's Journey (1988)
Character: Head torturer
A normal teenager is transported to a Monty Pythonesque medieval fantasy land where an odd, adamant knight takes him on a quest.
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Oh Jeremy Corbyn - The Big Lie (2023)
Character: Narrator
In 2017, with the support of an extraordinary grassroots movement, British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn came close to becoming prime minister. The establishment trembled. Britain stood on the threshold of huge political change. But within three years all, it seemed, was lost. What happened and why?
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The Thief Lord (2006)
Character: Barbarossa
A tale about two young boys, Prosper and Bo, who flee to Venice after being orphaned and dumped in the care of a cruel auntie. Hiding in the canals and alleyways of the city, the boys are befriended by a gang of young urchins and their enigmatic leader, the Thief Lord. From their home base of an old cinema theater, the children steal from the rich to support themselves and soon capture the interest of a bumbling detective. However, a greater threat to the children is something from a forgotten past - a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself
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Solarbabies (1986)
Character: Malice
In a future in which most water has disappeared from the Earth, we find a group of children, mostly teenagers, who are living at an orphanage, run by the despotic rulers of the new Earth. The group in question plays a hockey based game on roller skates and is quite good. It has given them a unity that transcends the attempts to bring them to heel by the government. Finding an orb of special power, they find it has unusual effects on them. They escape from the orphanage (on skates) and try to cross the wasteland looking for a place they can live free as the storm-troopers search for them and the orb.
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Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball? (2004)
Character: Self
The Secret Policeman benefit shows for Amnesty International brought together comedy grand masters - from Python and Beyond the Fringe - and performers then relatively unknown, like Rowan Atkinson. Narrated by Dawn French, the programme includes interviews with many of the comedians and musicians who took part: John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Michael Palin, Sting, Lenny Henry and many more. The shows and their stars had a huge effect on modern British comedy. There are few comics today whose careers have not been heavily influenced by the anarchic and surreal humour of these events.
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Reckless Kelly (1993)
Character: Major Wib
A satirical take on a modern day Ned Kelly who is forced to Hollywood in order to make enough money to save his family's land. As it goes against his belief, he cannot simply rob banks for his own benefit (all money goes to the poor). Ned is forced to find another way to come up with the $1 million required to save his family island.
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Hospital! (1997)
Character: X Ray Operator
Comedy about a brilliant young brain surgeon set in an unorthodox hospital. A "Naked Gun" type comedy from Britain, this one-off special was made specifically for the launch of Channel 5 in 1997.
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How to Build a Girl (2020)
Character: Karl Marx
The journey of Midlands teenager Johanna Morrigan, who reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde: fast-talking, lady sex-adventurer, moves to London, and gets a job as music critic in the hope of saving her poverty stricken family in Wolverhampton. Based on Caitlin Moran's bestselling semi-autobiographical novel.
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Whoops Apocalypse (1986)
Character: Alexei Sayle in a Hawaiian Shirt
When a small British owned island in the Caribbean is invaded and the world's most dangerous terrorist kidnaps a member of the Royal family, the countdown to World War 3 begins. If anyone can prevent the oncoming apocalypse it's the American President, but her closest ally the British Prime Minister appears to have gone stark raving mad.
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Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule (2014)
Character: Self
Comedian Rik Mayall died suddenly on 9 June 2014. Mayall's blend of rocket-fuelled physical comedy, surrealism, subversive satire and pompous punk wit left a body of work that spanned four decades. Mayall's characters include the Black Country's investigative nerd Kevin Turvey, Felicity Kendal-adoring student and 'People's Poet' Rik in The Young Ones, ruthless MP Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman, seedy loser Richie in Bottom and larger-than-life characters Robin Hood and flying ace Lord Flashheart from Blackadder. Narrated by Simon Callow, this programme salutes Rik Mayall and celebrates his part in the UK's comedy history using rare and unseen archive footage. It also features contributions from people who knew or admired him, including Michael Palin, Simon Pegg, Lenny Henry, Ben Elton, Alexei Sayle, Christopher Ryan, Tim McInnerny, Jools Holland, Ruby Wax and Greg Davies.
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The Bride (1985)
Character: Magar
Doctor Frankenstein creates a mate for his monster, a woman called Eva, who promptly rejects the male creature. In turn, the doctor becomes obsessed with Eva, and tries to make her a perfect Victorian woman.
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The Legend of the Tamworth Two (2004)
Character: Newspaper Editor
Based on a true story, the movie tells the story of two pigs, named Butch and Sundance, who staged a dramatic escape from an abattoir in January 1998 and remained at large for a week ...
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What's a Carry On? (1998)
Character: Achmed (archive footage) (uncredited)
Documentary commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 'Carry On' comedy film series. Archive clips and out-takes are mixed with interviews with the cast.
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