Madness The Pilot

almost lost media that took me years to find
All rights go to Madness

[@skelkankaos]

Somehow this had the same energy as an amateur KZbin comedy sketch from 2008. It's terrible but I can stop watching... Thanks so much for the upload, anything with Madness in it makes my day

[@sirfizz6518]

That energy is the eternal soul of DIY 😊

[@GenericPerson7]

I think a madness series could have worked better as a sketch show similar to something like monty python's flying Circus

[@AlexMackenzie-nx5qq]

Only time ive seen Suggs and Chas with that much hair

[@renhoek3590]

wow...what a find. I'm in the "so bad it's bad" camp, but still, great to see all the same!

[@peterrobertnixon2243]

Quite good actually. Bit of a beatles - help vibe about it.

[@wd4020]

Yes! Absolutely does!

[@EnchantedEssays]

Apparently, it was supposed to be their version of the Monkees. As a fan, I can definitely see the similarities

[@csurname]

Ahead of its time. Not Going Out's run 13 series of this kind of material

[@tarantulagirl]

This is so bad. I bet they feel really embarrassed, no wonder Barso fucked off if this is the kind of tripe they were being encouraged to make. Record labels will do anything to wring out a brand.

[@wd4020]

To be honest I quite like it. Think it's so bad it's good. They're definitely embarrassed but this has nothing to do with Mike leaving. Mike left before this and probably didn't even know it was being made.

[@Putner]

Not strictly true. Off the back of their appearances on BBC sit-com, The Young Ones, the lads were offered an opportunity by writers, Ben Elton and Richard Curtis to make a sitcom pilot of their own. It was supposed to be an updated version of The Monkees, but it was never to be. Not everything is touched by the cold hand of cynical financial gain.

[@tarantulagirl]

@@wd4020 yeah I know this isn’t why he left, he left quite a bit before this, but they were being used up and pushed into a lot of none music related projects, to maximise and cash off their popularity

[@amarnaitaissa5290]

Bravo pour cette archive !!

[@callimero2010]

Cool

[@alexandrebaillod369]

Nice !

[@victoroladuja2416]

I guess Barso was having none of it for obvious reasons. Well it’s not exactly The Monkees is it? Nice to see the band looking so young though. But I really expected The Young Ones writer Ben Elton to come up with something better than this.

[@wd4020]

Yeah, Barso had already left by then. It isnt amazing but i love it because it's just so bad its good 😭🤣

[@KenLieck]

Actually, the comedy in the Monkees' Heart & Soul (1987) and Justus (1997) video releases is about at this same level. Lots of goofy faces and improvised zaniness...

[@frankyuptown]

it became BBC2 the young ones?

[@wd4020]

Hahaha no. The young ones was 82 I believe. This was 85 or 86

[@SoulStylistJukeBox]

I think I once read that this was filmed during 1983 or 1984.

[@carlhartwell7978]

My opinion of Madness will not change...but that was cringe af. No disrespect to the up-loader though...I wouldn't shoot the messenger! I wanted to see it, fully expected it to be terrible! Just a pity that such a great writer as Elton was responsible 🤣(well according to an un-cited 'fact' on his wiki page anyway, so I can't be sure).

[@bigbuddhaiswatching...101]

Check the credits, him and Richard Curtis; the writing team behind Blackadder no less.

[@KenLieck]

Well , at least now I'm not nearly as embarrassed as I was about the comedy TV pilot I made for Saxon... (kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4KXhKeCideFf8Usi=3-vS5-XK8CsBFoVe)

[@laurentburcet30160]

Where's Mike Barson ?

[@wd4020]

Left by then

[@laurentburcet30160]

It's a shame. I love Mike and his songs !@@wd4020

[@ZeldaFitz]

The sad reality is that by 1984 madness we’re on the decline commercially and should have put an end to it after the release of one better day, unfortunately they stumbled on for another two years with ever diminishing returns. Not many bands know when to quit when they are ahead, The Jam are probably the only ones from that era who bailed out at their peak.

[@AlexMackenzie-nx5qq]

Grrrr we sdont wanna hear that shit Madess have beena huge part of my life since I was 8 in 1980, so just shut up and go away its not always about profit its about the fans and the enjoyment of being Madness doing Madness

[@manushareghi4462]

Bollocks😂

[@texluh]

As regards madness there were three singles maybe not so good from mad not mad, but waiting for the ghost train was excellent

[@Winsomelosesome777]

This is one of the greatest and shittest things I've ever seen

[@bazza-e9t]

I reckon this was made a couple of months after the Michael Caine video. Their hair was a bit shorter there, never seen Carls or Suggs like this.

[@deleted2935]

we couldve had an entire tv series im so upset 😭

[@wd4020]

Not gonna lie I would’ve loved to have see a whole series

[@woody5831]

No.this was more than enough 😂

[@wd4020]

@@woody5831 Woody 👀 what was it like working as the Madness drummer 🤣🤣

[@kevinstuart1966]

This is great. Cant believe their hair. Wonderful well found.

[@wd4020]

I saw it had been taken off KZbin so I just had to find it and put it back up ☺️

[@caesarorzell600]

Right, right?! Suggs looks so good with longer hair!!! 😤😤

[@victoroladuja2416]

Suggs with a fringe!

[@robleary3353]

Glad they stuck to singing and making music!...... 🤣🤣

[@carbonsiliconnn]

Suggs with a wedge ? Shocking footage

[@Tommorows-Dream]

This is so rubbishly made, that its honestly good. Its just got such a madness feel to it, something you'd expect from them and i love it.

[@tonelemoan]

Camden when it was still nice and grotty. Yeah this is Ben Elton's work - the VO at the start is his being a giveaway! Interesting for historical reasons if nothing else.

[@Declan50]

I just realized how much Woody looks like Roddy McDowell.

[@wd4020]

Hey, you're right!

[@melgrant7404]

Can't see it myself.

[@v8cool231]

I bet this was right up Lee's street.

[@melgrant7404]

Suggs looks better with shorter hair.

[@davidwhiting5630]

So cringing I couldn't watch to the end. Did I miss anything like the acting?

[@paulcarbonaro6748]

It could have been a British 'Monkees' tv show.

[@frederexier3319]

If Mike is not in it, this bit must be from 1986 or later, after he left. But it looks older than that, though. Anyone knows the year it was made and the reason why Mike's not in it?

[@wd4020]

@frederexier3319 1984 it says online and I think Mike had left by then

[@Tommorows-Dream]

Yeah, 1984 - 1985 cuz Behind The 8 Ball was playing and Suggs has longer hair, which was about that period.

[@scottandrewbrass1931]

Wow!😂

[@satansalley6526]

Made me laugh😅

[@leejones8582]

Oscar winners these lot arent

[@texluh]

It's rubbish, but they're actually much funnier when they are performing ie talking in front of the camera in interviews etc. They'd probably be good actors mostly. But the writing is terrible, and nidtjh6 the writing is to blame

[@gabrielafranzetti3851]

Gracias gracias gracias

[@gregprouse1173]

Denada denada denada love from Beni :) lol

[@bigbuddhaiswatching...101]

Anyone know what year this was?

[@wd4020]

1984, i think

[@victoroladuja2416]

Probably around 82 or 83

[@wd4020]

@@victoroladuja2416 no Mike so definitely 84/85

[@caesarorzell600]

Let's hope it stays up this time!

[@SpicyJohn69]

Thanks for the upload! I'd hazard a guess and say it was filmed in 1985. The Central Cafe was on Parkway in Camden Town, to the left of what is today, the Earl of Camden pub and just a stone's throw from the Dublin Castle pub where Madness had their early gigs about 7 years earlier.

[@wd4020]

Definitely 1985 :)