Jemblog

Flipside on Sky 217: Justin Lee Collins

I first wrote about Flipside back in November. Now shorn of 30 mins, relocated on the EPG to channel 217, and still giving away the same old phone; 'thanks to the Carphone Warehouse" every single night, its still astonishing TV.

I'm still watching other blokes (and its mostly boorish blokes) watching TV 'on my behalf' most nights.

Unfortunately it varies, inevitably, according to the quality of its presenter (s). Richard Bacon (good), but - anyone else (bad) and its guests of which only Boyd Hilton, Sam Delaney (12 year old editor at large of Nuts), James Brown and last Thursday (the best in its run with a fine excerpt of spaghetti snorting being the highlight) Stuart Maconie are actually doing anythng other than hanging on for dear life especially when its hosted (quite often) by the crazed ramblings of Justin Lee Collins, its XFM DJ of a presenter.

Now he's the funniest man on TV. The ugliest one too mind but blimey. He comes from Bristol and dubs every celebrity a noun; The 'vorderman', the 'richard', the 'judy'; that sort of thing and has taken to downing glasses of wine in plastic cups half way through the 90 minutes.

He doesn't actually say 'yes flipping, yes flipping' when they go into ad breaks (they don't have ad breaks)
and anyway it sounds odd so they wouldn't but lovers of the real best sitcom of all time will get my point.

Flipside has a terrible spam-heavy message board of a website; Flipside.TV

UPDATE: Filpside was axed at the end of May sadly although on the last (v.fine) episode Iain Lee suggested that it was being hawked round as a concept to other channels. An unlikely outcome I would have thought. Justin Lee Collins, of course, is now a proper TV star what with his role as the presenter of BBC Three's Strictly Come Dancing spin off. I saw it for 2 minutes once. He'd washed his hair.

Justin Lee Collins: "the bastard child of Silent Bob and Jennifer Aniston"

The best (brit)com of all time

"In the chocolate box of life the top layer has already gone...and someone has nicked the orange cream from the bottom!" - Bob Ferris.

(Whatever Happened to) The Likely Lads inevitably struggled to only 27 in this.. despite having the surely the best haircut (Thelma/Bridget Forsyth), the best theme tune (by Mike Hugg from Manfred Mann), and the best local ("The Fat Ox").

The excellent Mark Lewisohn and others have nailed what is essentially its la frenais/clement written working - middle class tensions in the early 70s. But really its a spot on depiction of two men failing. Again and again. One doomed to a life of the pub, dead end jobs (forklift driver - sacked, taxi driver - car stolen, selling washing powder - sacked) and drinking milk from the bottle. The other, seemingly happy with life, but railing against a new world of the badminton club,
the elm lodge housing estate and, in the final, christmas episode a beard.

Bob - "Did you take her home ? Terry - "Well I put my slippers on and walked her to the bus stop"

Yep it has the best football episode ("No Hiding Place"), best 'extended' Christmas episode, and best film adaptation of any sitcom. (1976, directed by Michael Tuchner who had previously 'helmed' the excellent britcrime gangster thing thats not Get Carter; Villain.)

but Terry would never ever catch that bus...
Now look at him. Born and Bred and New Tricks. Good grief.

The Likely Lads (1976) IMDB entry.

The Likely Lads (1964) BBC Comedy Guide entry.

Magpie (rpm records) This compilation has the Mike Hugg penned theme tune.

For some reason you can't buy the complete series on DVD. Just this random selection of episodes.. Mystifying as, unlike the 60s series they haven't been wiped.

It'll never be over for me

Timi Yuro: 1940 - 2004
"What's A Matter Baby" and "It'll never be over for me". 2 of the finest.

Obituary: The Independent.
RPM have the 2 best compilations.