Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Goodnight, Rik

I was woken to the news that Rik Mayall had passed away.

I cried.

Anybody who knows me knows that I still quote "The Young Ones" ad nauseum, even now, 30 years after the twelve episodes came to air.

After posting a goodbye on my facebook page, the number of friends who came back with,"I remember watching The Young Ones with you", or "You got me into that stupid show," or my sister pointing out that I can't peel an orange without saying "Neil, Neil, orange peel..." (A few years ago I was posting every three minutes as episodes were played on one of the digital channels.

I've bonded with many people over a common love of Rik, Vyvyan, Neil and Mike.

Yep, I was a teenager of the eighties. I had to sneak out of bed to watch The Young Ones. My parents wouldn't let me watch it. They thought it was daft - and it was on past my bedtime. One of my first acts of teenage rebellion (one of the few)

I sang along to the Damned and Motorhead, bounced about the Jerzy Bolowski, wondered what women found attractive in Mike the Cool Guy and I sorta wanted a hamster called Special Patrol Group.

I am a proud Young Ones nutter.

Rik (with a silent P) you are going to be sorely missed.

I leave you with a few of my favourite bits.



Oh, and I have to put in this scene from Bambi, because I love it. (Plus it has a very young Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in it)


And a little bit of Jerzy Bolowski for good measure.




As a friend said today, the world just got a little less funny today.

3 comments:

MedicatedMoo said...

I *was* allowed to watch it, but only because my Dad liked it too.

He'll always be Lord Flashheart - esp from Series 2 - from Blackadder for me.

RIP Rik.

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Pand,

I was going to write a tribute post too.

I was a student when the Young Ones was on so it was more like real life to me.

I loved The Young Ones, and Bottom, and The New Statesman.

This is such a shocking death for me.

:0(

PM

Jackie K said...

Such a shock and so sad. Hard to believe. My sister and I watched The Young Ones and mum with us - we all loved Rik the best. And we loved Filthy Rich and Catflap and The New Statesman. And of course Blackadder. Comic genius.