Vic Reeves' Big Night Out
The surreal, anarchic and bizarre TV debut of comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. First screened on Channel 4 in 1990, it started a resurgence in a brand of absurd cabaret humour long obscured by satirical stand up.
Vic and Bob created a status for themselves, "An alternatives to alternative comedy", which to this still manages to exert an influence on British comedy.
Jim Moir started performing comedy under various pseudonyms, eventually arriving at Vic Reeves, "The North-East's Top Light Entertainer". His original show called Vic Reeves' Variety Palladium and in 1986 he moved the show to the Goldsmiths Tavern, New Cross and renamed it Vic Reeves' Big Night Out where it became a regular, and popular, gig.
Soon "Vic" was joined on stage by fan, Bob Mortimer, the show was spotted by Channel 4 and sixth form common rooms up and down the land were full of students shouting 'You wouldn't let it lie!' and 'What's on the end of the stick, Vic?'!
Les
Les was Vic's bald headed, dribbling, mute, lab coat wearing assistant. Played by Fred Aylward. Les cannot help but raise a smile whenever he sees a spirit level and he has a terrible fear of chives.
The Man With The Stick
A large paper helmet which covers his face, wielding a long stick, the end of which holds an object obscured by a bag. "What's on the end of the stick, Vic?".
The Ponderers
Vic and Bob's Swiss counterparts who wear only their underpants, white perms and very large fake chins. Each week they would be seen on their own 'Swiss Night Out' pondering, for instance, whether or not to inject ink into a battenberg cake.
Graham Lister
Vic's arch-rival with a black curly wig, brown mac and horn-rimmed glasses, Lister is described as an acquaintance and admirer of doctors, dentists and architects. Each week he would enter Novelty Island with increasingly pathetic novelty acts.
Judge Nutmeg
Judge Lionel Nutmeg would preside over "That's Justice!" where a random member of the audience is tried for a list of random and nonsensical crimes. The punishment is decided by spin-spin-spinning the hairy Wheel of Justice, "see how fast the b@$%@&d spins!".
The Aromatherapists
No matter how weird the ailment, Dr Richard Slater and Dr Richard Slater would prescribe a random smell as a cure. "Smell to get well!"
Morrissey - The Consumer Monkey
A monkey puppet with the face of Morrissey, giving consumer advice on shoddy or unsafe consumer goods, usually these items were manufactured and sold by Reeves & Mortimer Products.
At the time it was reported that Morrissey took offence to this character, much to the delight of Vic and Bob.
The Stotts
Redundant, jittery, bickering Northern brothers with black insulation tape moustaches, poorly applied bald-wigs, big silly clown shoes and high-pitched voices. For reasons best kept to himself, Davey (Vic) wears a kilt. Donald (Bob) is the slightly more sensible one in a grey leather jacket, but he is prone to "antique incidents." The pair are also frequently startled. They host talk shows (well they interview each other), game shows (including party games such as "Pass the Fat" and "Guess What's On Les's Back") and magic shows. Usually however, they just argue, give up and leave the set before their spot is supposed to finish.
The Stotts were one of the very few characters from Vic Reeves Big Night Out to return in later Reeves & Mortimer series'. They appeared in the second series of The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer and Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer as talk show hosts again, often interviewing celebrities such as Sting and Damon Hill.
Tinker's Rucksack
The genial, bearded, anorak wearing ramblers, but "it's not all walking."
The Living Carpets
They would sit in Les' Lunch Club and make increasingly outrageous claims, such as being responsible for "colouring in the black bits on Friesian cows with a special Biro", or "filling in the coloured bits in pilau rice" before accusing each other of being a "lying get!".
Wavey Davey
Waves at people, things and celebrities, in an increasingly malevolent way.
Talc & Turnips
Ridiculous leotards, silly wigs and big false teeth, wielding bits of wood, buckets, hoops with tomatoes attached to them and big placards announcing such things as "Squirrel in bucket of hot trout = racial harmony."
Action! Image! Exchange!
Performance art?! Sean Connery or Jimmy Hill masks performaing "The Facelessness of Bureaucracy." or "A Pensioner Being Attacked By Some Police Officers."
Mr. Dennis
A jumper-wearing, rather dull but highly strung newsagent and tobacconist, who doesn't stock Curly Wurlies as "they are far too elaborate". He is in cahoots with Lister, and they are both the co-founders of a consumer-product safety and hygiene standards group, NIPS.
Vic Reeves' Vast Book of World Knowledge
Vic Reeves - the only man ever to have met King Kong - sees things differently from you and me. This book takes us on an irresistible visual romp through his world - from exploding jellyfish to revolving toupées. Dive in at random, and you will find that everything you thought you knew turns out to have been just that little bit wrong. Vic Reeves' Vast Book of World Knowledge is an education - with pictures! - a revelation, a celebration, a pontification, and an entirely magnificent aberration... Prepare to go where no-one has been before - prepare to enter the world of Vic Reeves...
