I was 11 when I first watched The Young Ones, my mum bought me a video. (Yes, we’ve got a video!) It was the most exciting thing I’d ever seen in my life: diverse characters, cartoon violence, political references, and it was well funnier than Ever Decreasing Circles.
Even better than each episode was walking through school the next day and hearing everyone mimicking lines from it across the playground.
And above all the brilliantly silly characters, Rik was the best of the lot.
About two years ago I overheard two lads who must have been about 12 years old on the train. One had obviously just discovered The Young Ones the night before and was telling his mate like he’d seen the face of God.
“So there’s a hippy called Neil and this guy Rik is always hitting him in the head and doing poetry, I’ve never seen anything like it, you have to watch it.” Hearing this made my day.
And don’t even get me started on Lord Flashheart. His 45 second cameo on Blackadder II remains my favourite piece of television. My brother, dad and me watched that so many times we broke the tape. (Me and our Alex also once watched the 'Chess' episode of Bottom about 15 times in one blag sick day off school.)
Thanks Rik. For entertaining us not just while we were watching you, but for the countless hours that my friends and family spent reciting your most famous lines and howling with laughter along the way. RIP.
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Even better than each episode was walking through school the next day and hearing everyone mimicking lines from it across the playground.
And above all the brilliantly silly characters, Rik was the best of the lot.
About two years ago I overheard two lads who must have been about 12 years old on the train. One had obviously just discovered The Young Ones the night before and was telling his mate like he’d seen the face of God.
“So there’s a hippy called Neil and this guy Rik is always hitting him in the head and doing poetry, I’ve never seen anything like it, you have to watch it.” Hearing this made my day.
And don’t even get me started on Lord Flashheart. His 45 second cameo on Blackadder II remains my favourite piece of television. My brother, dad and me watched that so many times we broke the tape. (Me and our Alex also once watched the 'Chess' episode of Bottom about 15 times in one blag sick day off school.)
Thanks Rik. For entertaining us not just while we were watching you, but for the countless hours that my friends and family spent reciting your most famous lines and howling with laughter along the way. RIP.
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