FILTHY, RICH & CATFLAP (Obscure Observations)

Review of the sitcom Rik Mayall & Ade Edmondson did between The Young Ones and Bottom. A satire of showbiz in 1980s Britain, it has "written by Ben Elton" written all over it!
/ dupondtdalton
Filthy Rich & Catflap (1987)
Written by Ben Elton
Directed by Paul Jackson
Starring:
Rik Mayall (Richie Rich)
Adrian Edmondson (Eddie Catflap)
Nigel Planer (Ralph Filthy)

[@vaughancapstick9961]

The performers and writers were at the height of their powers. One of the unpolished jewels of British comedy.Tarnished and uncompromising. A true gem.

[@themysteriouscatperson9483]

No one gets angry like Chris Barrie

[@fraserthomson5766]

No, unscripted spontaneity!!!!

[@TreVader1378]

By far, in my opinion, the greatest comedy show ever, my brother and I still recite this show to each other every time we get together.

[@1886JB]

FR&C was how I discovered Rik Mayall in 1987 when I was 11. Really loved the series and still do, especially their constant breaking of the 4th wall which I had never seen before. Good review of the series, glad you got to appreciate it.

[@growlerthe2nd712]

This and Mr Jolly lives next door are their crowning achievements 😂

[@acsaudiodramas]

This review deserves far more likes. In fact most of the TV tropes page for this series was based on your video and your humor. Shows there aren't many creative people who even know these 6 episodes.

[@napolean71]

Saw it when first broadcast in '87. Loved it. F, R & C remains my favourite comedy series. Thanks for reviewing it. God bless, look after Mum, some dates still available…as Ritchie says.

[@rowanc88]

I actually find FR&C funnier than The Young Ones and Bottom. Also, you would not believe that Filthy is the same guy who played Neil. Planer is an incredible actor.

[@davidcoombsbestmegadethalb9780]

i respect your opinion but young one and bottom were better this is still funny and underrated

[@Simcardinthesinkbla-ui1qm]

It’s as insane and funny as Bottom and The Young Ones but it wouldn’t be as much of a hit like those shame it got cancelled so quick. It will unlikely it would come back but Matt Berry would be great as Richie Rich

[@learningpianoat61]

In my opinion Filthy, Rich & Catflap is the best comedy ever written. (Yes, better than Fawlty Towers and any other names you care to mention.) It's perfect and I still watch it every week even today. Every moment is a gem.

[@asbocazbo]

Very underated. Still got my vhs pride of place x

[@johnyoung1167]

I never “got it” when I was young. I re-discovered it in the 2010s and it turns out it’s actually my favourite Rik and Ade show.

[@slimpixie2404]

Utterly superb and literally dripping (oo~err!) with totally brilliant quotes :)

[@kms1308]

Proper mindless humour, with obvious toilet humour names. Poo farty and knobend…….simple but genius, rick trying to pick eddies pocket, and being told the wallet was nailed to his bottom is just genius. Very under rated series, it still makes me howl with laughter.

[@emmajones9391]

I’m glad I gave this another go. Very clever and funny. Not enough of Rik to go around now he’s gone.

[@markmurphy4667]

I dipped into this, during my second lock down....I forgot how good it was... because the first time l saw this l was hanging around a mate's place 'cos l was trying to get off with his Sister...great days ..be lucky, Look after yourselves out there...x .

[@TheMiseryIndex]

I'm in the mood for Richie, he's not titchy! 😂

[@HyperBiker]

...........but is positively well endowed. Brilliant

[@fraserthomson5766]

Any more problems just call Transvestite Plumbers, and we'll be round in a flash. lol

[@albertvisser7492]

Come on girls, hop on in. The water is lovely and so am I .... the best Rik and Ade series ever!

[@josephmarrison4606]

Thanks for introducing me to this show mate. I find it funny and it is one of my favourites now, next to Young Ones and Bottom.

[@sohailchaudhry4820]

glad your tried it again i love it!

[@kieranbolton4826]

Great video. Great memories. What I found was the more times you watch it, the more you see and the funnier it gets. Some of Rik’s funniest faces ever. The Noles episode is one of the funniest comedy episodes ever in tv history. I loved it and still do (although the dvd edited episodes are missing some great moments).

[@AlohaBlade]

I love your analysis! I’ve watched this about 10 times. I’d like to learn more about the even vs odd episodes thing. I’ve watched all of them dozens of times and like them all.

[@valiantv2897]

their finest work, by a mile

[@stephenfreestone7956]

Filthy Rich and Catflap was the best thing they ever did.

[@alanlawson8213]

I love this show, definitely my favourite thing Rik and Ade did. Episode 1 is the weakest one, so I kinda understand you not rushing back to it after that - which, with the benefit of hindsight, was a big mistake, as it really hits its stride in episode 2, the first 10 minutes or so of which (the "Blankety Blank" spoof "Oo-er, Sounds a Bit Rude") is possibly my favourite ten minutes of telly ever. Episodes 2, 3 and 4 are my favourites - the quality dips slightly in the final two. But only slightly. I suspect the main reasons F, R and C doesn't get the credit it's due are (1) many viewers at the time wanted "The Young Ones" mk 2, and turned off in disappointment when they got something very different and (2) people coming to it years after they were made (like yourself) may well be somewhat bemused by regular references to long-forgotten z-listers like Debbie Greenwood, Andrew Gardiner, Arthur Mullard, Leslie Crowther, Tom O'Connor, Gary Wilmott, Kenny Lynch, Maggie Philbin, Marti Caine and Benny from "Crossroads". Plus I don't think it was ever repeated on mainstream terrestrial telly until many years later. And I don't think the BBC has shown it again at all since 1987. I think they were quite embarrassed by it - it does have several digs at the Beeb!

[@billfordham3776]

It was so clever. Knocking the shit out of the light entertainment industry. At the end of series one, bbc announcer said 'and filthy rich and cat flap will be back in the autumn.....' It never came back. Gutted

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

I'm glad I binged it like I did, otherwise I might not have picked up on the "Ooer, sounds a bit rude!" running gag. My favourite is one of the last ones, from Trivial Pursuit night: "It's coming, it's coming, and don't say ooer!" Additionally, l never heard the doorbell as a fart, more like a car horn or ship horn. It makes it fall a bit flat(ulence). You could say l think the joke stinks. Okay, those were rotten like a fart, but still better than what Richie cooked up, figuratively and literally.

[@mordaciousfilms]

I feel this show is funnier, sillier and more upbeat than BOTTOM (which can get pretty grim), and it's a bit more focused than YOUNG ONES (which I love), so it's a good balance between the two.

[@Ameland50]

I saw this in the eighties and the game of triv was the highlight of my live.

[@JamieBoy-ij2ri]

Filthy Rich and Catflap was one of Rik and Ade's best... but I love the Young ones and Bottom too, also have you heard or seen the most recent comedy by Ben Elton called Upstart Crow? That's a good comedy I recommend to you.

[@eyeseer1]

Mayall, Edmondson, and Planer are the British excels of The Three Stooges. Anarchic, absurd, yet strangely sophisticated, surreal and esoteric.

[@willgibb5067]

A tremendous series, woefully under appreciated.

[@nadiajasminebaki4318]

Love it. So underrated

[@stingaaa1251]

Thanks for the video.

[@tombaxter6228]

According to Rik Mayall, he and Ade were supposed to be contributing much more to the script writing, but were somewhat surprised and annoyed that Ben Elton had not only written the whole thing in their absence, but submitted the scripts before they had a chance to see them. Which probably explains why they went their separate ways afterwards. FR&C is a step up, character-wise, from The Young Ones, but it's not quite Rik and Ade at the height of their powers. Nigel Planer is brilliant, though.

[@BritishComedyUK69]

Awesome!

[@owenfitzgerald8944]

I liked all of them. The axe to the bollocks was genius 🤣 I liked that they took the pissed out of show too.

[@andyscott6315]

i saw spitting image and Saturday live in the intro? will you be doing a video on them?

[@TheKipperRunsAgain]

One of those shows I'd had my eye on for ages but have never gotten around to watching. Your review has definitely motivated me to check it out soon. Looks like my kind of thing. :) I like how at the beginning you include a little montage of other titles the cast and writer have worked on. Most of them are obvious (to me, at least), but one I'm struggling with is Press Gang. How is that connected?

[@JeffreyKitsch]

Edmondson was in one episode of Press Gang. I could have included Blackadder since the cast all made an appearance and Elton was heavily involved - but I felt it would be more suitable to give a nod to a series most people (including myself) didn't know existed.

[@HyperBiker]

What are you on about? The scenes around the Trivial Pursuit section is some of the best observational and obscure comedy in the whole series. I must have watched an episode of this series at least once every two months since it was broadcast. The only comedy I can watch without getting board. More so than even Blackadder.

[@garymitchell5899]

Indeed. Plus buying the rat poison, and at the BBC with Jumbo, and the night before TV AM, and Poo-Farty and N'obend, etc etc. Pure genius writing and acting.

[@camramanjames3739]

I noticed the blake's 7 federation guard

[@jamesatkinsonja]

22:40 Rik did make guest spots in Ben Elton's Blackadder goes 4th in 1989 [alongside Ade for a scene] and Blackadder Back and Forth in 1999 and was planned to be in the two Blackadder revival ideas that got somewhat fleshed out-The Blackadder 5 in the 60's [with Rik as the lead singer] and Red adder in the Russia revolution [as Rasputin] so I'm not sure if they did fall out. I guess Ben Elton wasn't involved in Botton as it was basically an extension of the 'Dangerous Brothers' but we'll never know Rik's side of the story now sadly. [Ben Elton has said he wrote the scripts expecting Rik to re-write and collaborate but his script basically were unaltered and were used in the finished show so it wasn't as good as it could have been].

[@diamondjoltva]

Ooh,New video.

[@TheBarrymanfan]

Great video. Thank you. you mentioned the titles of episodes of bottom being one word... quite right But technically bottom's up and bottom's out were an added on apostrophe a letter and word :) so it wasn't sup it was.. 's up and not sout it was 's out bottom' s up bottom' s out that's the only exceptions though they probably would have used one word only for the clever inclusion of the bottom name. Also the judge in last Filthy Rich and Catflap episode was also the doctor who wanted Champagne for his daughter's birthday in the bottom's up episode. I enjoyed this show not as much as other Rik and Ade shows. the music at start of sitcom is very good I always liked it.

[@jgdsghreviews5655]

Are you doing a video on Kevin Turvy?

[@princeofdaftness]

Recorded onto vhs on the first broadcast and still have the series somewhere, brilliant brilliant, hello mums, hello dads, god bless the dog and tarby, better than bottom, but this was before bottom anyway.

[@bobcobbler9661]

Great series. Shame they only made the 1 series

[@asbocazbo]

Tory Britain - the show draws parallels to even today

[@thepofmeister]

Loved the show when it first aired, VHS recorded the lot off the telly, pissed myself during many beer and video night return views! Bought the sell thru VHSes and DVD on their releases, and can honestly say, it's the funniest thing they ever did. Absolutely genius. I wish there'd been a second even third series and even today, it gets regular outings as a binge watch or episode here and there for some laughs before bed. Anyone that doesn't like it is an Michael Barrymore brained twat, and for all those whom followed it from the start; we are Richie's Remedials! Well done! We are still sexy! Thank God for us!

[@HyperBiker]

You need to have an understanding of 80s British TV and politics to really get into this series. Then it all makes sense. If you loved Tarby and Cannon and Ball and their ilk, you will find this series unpleasant. As a teenager when this was released, it all made perfect sense. For me it was the perfect follow on from The Young Ones and when Bottom came along, I just thought it was a character copy of this series. Most people I know have never heard of this yet find Bottom hilarious but I think the obscure comedy is the same but in different settings.

[@leowilson7835]

When are you going to review Bottom?

[@leejones8582]

I never found this funny either Bottom is the masterpiece

[@TreVader1378]

Are you mad, this is the best one.

[@garymitchell5899]

The breakfast scene in Paradiso is sublime. And Drop Dead Fred is better than it gets credit for - it suffers from being classed as a child's movie.

[@garymitchell5899]

There's obviously no connection or progression between the Young Ones and FRaC. Totally different characters, even allowing for the passage of time. Also, there's no clear rationale for there being a connection - it wouldn't enhance anything either way; but people seem obsessed with it being so.

[@pennywise146]

This was comedy genius....the end!

[@josephmarrison4606]

This is my third favourite sitcom with Rik and Ade. Here are their sitcoms in the order I like them. 1. Bottom. 2. The Young Ones. 3. Filthy Rich and Catflap. 4. The Dangerous Brothers.

[@albertmccarthy7232]

The dangerous brothers were sketches

[@kevindelivers]

He said he stopped watching because it didn't make him laugh as much as bottom. Filthy rich and catflap was on television about 6 or 7 years before bottom

[@JeffreyKitsch]

I was born in 1992

[@icarusandtherabbit]

Because the gen pub don’t really remember Filthy, Rich & Catflap and me watching it religiously on my own VHS copy I bloody flipping love this show. And much like the other comments on here, I prefer it to The Young Ones (as I was too young and some of that 80’s music is dodgy af) This is pure Rik up there with Comic Strip Presents Bad News, More Bad News and Mr Jolly Lives Next Door. Like Filthy, Rich no one really knows these shows so he’s all mine. Well me and some other bastards apparently 😊

[@ChubbyChecker182]

Episode 2 is outstanding (Oo-Errrr, Nolan's, etc). It's a great series equally as good or better than Bottom ... All six episodes on KZbin (in one go too).

[@thevioletskull8158]

Is it bad that i haven't herad of any of these shows?

[@gargantuk]

If you had no TV growing up, are British and was born in the seventies, the answer is yes!

[@kenianpark2216]

I thought F,R+C was OK, better than 3rd series of Bottom and Guest house paradiso.

[@niallsheridan1441]

Wasn't ever into Rik M but I like Adrian, Nigel. Christopher was okay, F,R,C was okay not as good as the The Young Ones and Bottom. Guest House Paradiso was an improvement over Drop Dead Fred

[@angrya4pacific738]

Please could you do spitting image next

[@tonymarshall3978]

Please do supergrass I would love you forever

[@JoshuaCraigStrain]

OOH-ERR !! THAT WAS A BIT RUDE !!

[@georgehislop4440]

11:21 I've got that on VHS.

[@tonyb5884]

two things that i remember making me laugh out the loudest growing up in the 80's when first aired on tv were the Batman and Robin scene in OFAH and pick pocket scene in FR and C. i don't agree with a lot of your analysing like the comparison of even and odd episodes, wtf? but i agree with what you said about Filthy being a great character and liked your in depth look at the supporting cast...Enormous Derek didnt get a credit though i don't think...but what do i know?, extra extra, im an extra!

[@nickmoranis2865]

When Ben Elton was talented. This and Blackadder 4 are genius. What happened to him? Maybe he died like McCartney.

[@thephilpott2194]

I liked it at the time then loved it 10 years later. It's possible to over-analyse. Ben Elton saw an opportunity to generate more comedy while slipping cutting satire under the radar. The fuck-ups and corruption within the BBC, pension fund management, government got hit hard, along with the greed of corporate retail outlets and the substandard pedestrian stand-up comics and TV hosts who proliferated in the seventies and eighties. There's a reference to Jimmy Savile also; more obscure than John Lydon's direct reference to him being a pervert, but there for a good reason. Note that none of these guys were trusted to go on BBC Blankety Blank, 'cos they weren't mainstream and weren't trusted....This explains the spoof of the show. Now i've over analysed after telling YOU not to. Bloody farty big jobs, i hate it when that happens.

[@disaray3575]

PooFarty

[@richhughes7450]

This was a poor follow on to the Young Uns. They should have made more series of the Young Uns. In this Richie and Eddie have the same names as they do in Bottom. Why is that?

[@niallsheridan545]

MR Jumbo was a great jerk character😀

[@Calculon1712]

Also David Baddiel of Fantasy Football League fame had a small role in this too

[@appleturnover519]

I find FR&C funnier than Bottom.

[@JaredGriffiths2000]

I like Guest House Paradiso, Drop Dead Fred and the last 2 Bottom live shows but I respect your opinion.

[@JeffreyKitsch]

I don't dislike the Bottom movie or Bottom Live 4 + 5. However I'm not a fan of Drop Dead Fred, which is surprising considering I consider myself a big Rik Mayall fan.

[@JaredGriffiths2000]

@@JeffreyKitsch Okay, fair enough.

[@garymitchell5899]

In fact, Eddie is mostly sober, which he obviously needs to be. Ok, I'm out - the 'analysis', such as it is, is lazy, trite, and just plain wrong.

[@niallsheridan545]

That series was only alright I thought Nigel and Adrian did a better job on acting in this one. The surreal and black comedy wasn't too bad and would have been a good idea that the BBC should made a second series

[@billywhizz1984]

Ben Elton's left wing bias.. "look, I've just about had enough of this left wing soap box rhetoric for one week, next time you get beaten up try calling an alternative comedian