Mental Health in "Takin Over the Asylum"

[@rizahawkeyepierce1380]

Oh, I also thought it was interesting that the show portrays the people Eddie knows outside the psych hospital with socially acceptable mental health issues - like Eddie's boss is obviously unwell, but because he channels all his energy into work, he gets a pass from society. I do wish we'd had a scene from Campbell's father later on, though - it'd be nice to see his reaction to Campbell's success.

[@rizahawkeyepierce1380]

There's a playlist of the show on KZbin, if anyone's interested. I started watching it for David Tennant, but kept watching it for the plot.

[@LuneAnimations]

Same

[@imatiredpotato]

Sameee yes it’s so goodd

[@alexioteach]

For a 90s show about mental health the representation is actually great, this show would not slide in the 2020's but they did a darn good job back then!

[@bacolotl9234]

This is honestly one of my favorite shows rn, it's crazy how good the representation is considering its from the NINETIES

[@sallyatticum]

Donna Franceschild and her brother both had been hospitalized for mental health issues. She said many of the characters were based on people she knew, including her brother.

[@jparker7424]

I found this when I was 16 and going through some stuff. Let’s just say I was in a dark place. And well this program practically saved my life I now am hoping to work as runner for the BBC because of this show.

[@theocdenby]

I wish you the best with your dream-job. This show was why I got into radio, so I hope that you, too, can find a dream-job thru this show.

[@imatiredpotato]

That’s amazing! I hope that you achieve your dream and that you’re doing a lot better now! :)

[@musettedybala9557]

As someone with Severe OCD who has been residentialized in the past. I personally say the whole way they view the asylum and Rosie’s condition is really incredible for the time. My favorite part for Rosie was the showing of her cleaning products she has a “need” for and the use on her skin. And I think the most important part is the way they show the effect OCD has on relationships and living arrangements along with a fear of medications for the idea that lessening your symptoms might put you in danger of germs and not being able to “fight” them. So all in all I love Rosie’s representation.

[@musettedybala9557]

I feel like the thing that could have helped Campbell’s character would be actually showing a depressive episode of have the manic episode not be faked since it would have been a prime time for a manic episode anyway. But I see why they did it and I won’t complain.

[@battykatty985]

i recently finished this show and i LOVED it. honestly as a person with mental health, i honestly was supeerr shocked at the rep! it definitely followed a LOT of tropes and stuff, but it honestly wasnt terrible for the time. i was so excited seeing this video because ive never seen anyone talk about it :)

[@muffin._.milk.]

god i love takin' over the asylum, this is a super good review and i completely agree, honestly a few years ago i had massive misconceptions about a lot of the portrayed disorders and nowadays feel horrible for how i had viewed it. This show is moving and powerful, and i think is important for many people to see

[@Naoolya]

Started for David Tennant, Rewatched for Fergus and started to have a heavy hyperfixation on Angus MacFadyen

[@kukalakana]

Watched this show recently again on KZbin. I think it's super cool. One other thing I'd say -- "quirky" characters tend to be a feature of a lot of British shows and movies, especially comedies. So it doesn't surprise me that these would be similar. I love the interplay between Campbell who is so young and idealistic, and Eddie who is so jaded basically being pulled along. And especially Spike Milligan's cameo as well. Don't know how much Americans and Canadians know about Spike Milligan but he's basically an icon in the industry.

[@nat9915]

this is so underrated show and i think more people should see it, it can help see kind of history of mental hospitals and how they treated people in it but also how the patients feel etc.

[@bananatiergod]

Watched it back when I first got into the Good Omens fandom and everyone was on a hype to watch David and Michael's filmography for the funsies. It's definitely a roller-coaster of emotions and some characters are just begging to get a punch in the face (f*cking Stuart), but they handled the subject with a surprising amount of realism and respect, Eddy and Campbell's bromance was super wholesome and I love that the ending was bittersweet. We knew it was going to happen, but at least some of the characters for their happy ends.

[@sturmklinge9642]

Very happy that Yt recommended me this video out of nowhere. Like many people the first time I heard about takin over the asylum was thanks to David Tennant and I watched it mostly because of him. But thanks to it's honest, down to earth portrayal of mental health it I still think back on it fondly. This video really reminded me why I liked the show!

[@aquacat5552]

I love this show sm! so glad that people love it too, no-one i know irl has ever heard of this

[@littlefox7694]

What do you mean I never knew? I've been loving it for ten years now!

[@theocdenby]

I’m glad to see so many people DO know about this series. I’ve seen many fans of David Tennant only just discovering this over the years. It’s definitely not one of his most popular roles, but it has been gaining more fans over the years, which is great.

[@linshanhsiang]

Yes Tennant. But the entire show is well wrtten and all the actors are excellent! Its both funny and amusing.

[@theocdenby]

I definitely agree. I love the entire cast of this show. Takin Over the Asylum is a show I revisit often because it’s so good, overall.

[@Charl3y3]

bold of you to assume i havent watched it lmaooo

[@theocdenby]

It is a favorite of mine but I have yet to really meet another soul that has seen it. You may be one of the first I've met that know about this series, haha!

[@Charl3y3]

@@theocdenby same, i love it but thought nobody watches it anymore :/

[@Maybe_youre_quicksand]

@@Charl3y3 I have good news

[@Maybe_youre_quicksand]

@@Charl3y3 Well, not 'good' news but non-negative news nonetheless

[@amritasengupta5251]

​@@theocdenbyI have too.

[@elagomcas]

Gracias a ti conocí esta serie y me encanto!! Adoro a David Tennant

[@Dr.Loony0-0]

to be frank i was worried you’d just be shitting on it ngl 😅 i’m very glad there’s many people who enjoyed it as much as me 😊

[@ΑγγελικήΣταματίου]

Love this video 💞 in the middle of watching the show

[@tea-g1t]

I personally feel like the fact that they don't focus on Eddie's mental health feels stratigic. (Even though it's probably not) Most people won't focus on people, especially men's mental health unless your diagnosed with something. Even though people who are mental are out-casts, they're mental health is more focused on than the common man. Most men during that time and even today suffer silently and are never checked up on unless they try to kill themselves. Idk just a thought.

[@sassylittleprophet]

I don't know, I suffer from BPD (which isn't the same as Bipolar Disorder, but both disorders have a lot of overlapping symptoms). I've been able to be productive when I'm in a manic state, so I think that part of Campbell's experience was portrayed quite accurately. The part that I felt was missing from his story was the crash, because you always crash after a manic episode. You can't sustain that level of energy forever. I just assume it happened offscreen, but it still would've been nice to see (not "nice," but you know).

[@squishycatfish2577]

AURGH I LOVE THIS SHOW :DDDD

[@nichtsreimtsichaufcolin]

I like how there's no music in this video and U talk slowly

[@StubbyandShifu]

I did. It's very funny and sad.

[@imatiredpotato]

I loved the show so much. It’s funny and silly, but very sad and realistic at the same time. And it has good representation of different mental health issues as well as you talked about here. And it has David Tennant in it. It’s just the most perfect show! It’s my comfort show now and I’ll probably rewatch it soon xD. Thank you for this video btw you’re so underrated wtf?

[@theocdenby]

It has been a huge comfort show of mine for years now. From my original viewing to “check out old projects by David Tennant” to now, it’s introduced me to a lot of different actors, and even concepts. Im glad that someone else can find a similar concept in this great little show from the 90s. 😊

[@imatiredpotato]

@@theocdenby ikr it’s amazing! And your video was so good too I loved it! It was perfect to watch after a stressful exam :D

[@Makjaoiuewhxkjs]

I didn't fully understand your point in a "double edged sword". Do you mean that showing the characters themselves and ppl around them use their mental health issues as an advantage may be a bad representation? I didn't get exactly what "this" you mean when you say "However this could also be explained by few other explanations". I'm not trying to criticize, I just find your point here a little bit unclear and I didn't understand which part exactly are you pointing to be a bad representation.

[@theocdenby]

As a tl;dr at the top of this response: yes, I am uncomfortable with the idea of these mental illnesses being portrayed as “positive” within the show, especially in these situations in an in-patient setting. I’ve known many people that have real opinions that these positives are all that’s behind these disorders, and something to be celebrated. To hopefully be more clear in-depth: By “double edged sword” I was meaning that often in real life I have seen people try to insist that mental illness HAS to have a positive/is a sort of “secret superpower”, not the illness and often disability that it is. I have seen people insist that OCD, for example, is “actually a good thing because you must clean all the time!” Or that because you “know you can do anything” when you’re manic, to take a quote from Campbell, that only good things come from mania. There’s no acknowledgement by these people irl that there are bad aspects to these disorders, and that often these illnesses can cause a lot of pain and issues in the patient’s life. I’m not saying that mental illness is or should only be causing pain. However, states such as mania or compulsions from OCD should be handled carefully. It just personally put me off a little bit to see, for example, Campbell taking advantage of Rosalie’s cleaning compulsions (which should be minimized/working towards stopping compulsions altogether), as this does ultimately fuel Rosalie’s mental illness more. (As well as the idea of faking a manic episode.) So while most of the representation is great and shows mental illness off in a potentially informative light, while still being fun, the “taking advantage of mental illness” parts put me off a little. The reason I said that this (the idea that the show highlights negative as well as “”positive” aspects of mental illness) could also be explained away by other things, such as the writing of Campbells character, is that Campbell, being one of the youngest characters in the series, may not know the potential harm he is causing by encouraging Rosalie’s compulsions and his own mania (real or faked). Also the idea that Rosalie, while uncomfortable around her intrusive thoughts of germs, is okay with being asked/used to clean and organize (taking advantage of her compulsions for the “good of the station”), could be a nuance of her character. (She is seemingly more comfortable with her compulsions ruling her life than, say, going back home or meds/therapy improving her symptoms. This part of OCD as an illness is something which I have seen and experienced w my own OCD, though I know it’s not a good thing to encourage staying within those compulsive thoughts/habits/ways of being.) So basically as good as this representation is, I just don’t want people to take away ideas that all these disorders are is “secretly good things”. I am glad that TOtA portrays these patients as people. I just think there are two sides to every story and every portrayal. So I’m hesitant of the “taking advantage of how illness is Actually Secretly Good” as story beats. I hope this helps further explain. If there are further questions about these, or other points made, please ask away.

[@Makjaoiuewhxkjs]

Thank you for your answer I kinda didn't expect you will! I get your point thanks to this explanation. Now that I think about it the bad aspects shown in the show mostly come from the stigma that comes with mental illness, not from the illness itself. In Rosalie's and Campbell's case anyway. And I think for Fergus too. And while we are on Fergus, you mention Cambell is young and he is not aware that his actions may end up hurting others in the long run, I think Eddie also takes some blame for Fergus. After all his lie was what gave Fergus hope and then later on that hope was ripped away from him. I think it was naive to assume that Fergus can hide his illness forever. I think the show does focus more on the outside bad side of the illnesses, instead of the bad that comes from the illnesses themselves. I think you make a very good point. As for why they decide to do it like this, idk. Maybe because the show is rather lighthearted in tone even if it discusses heavy topics. Maybe because it's how Eddie sees it, or maybe they wanted to "warm" audiences to mental illness, educate them that shunning mentally ill ppl makes everything worse, and raise some empathy. All in all, I feel that's a fair critique, thank you! I didn't think about it like this before. P.S. I don't really have any experience with bipolar but I feel like using their illness to get what they want is something a teen totally would do. I'm not saying it's good or smart, but teenagers tend to do stupid things. Maybe I'm wrong here. (Also a lot of ppl speculate if he was really faking it)