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Mrs Merton and Malcolm

This deliciously dark Late 90’s comedy metamorphoses Caroline Aherns (spoof chat show host Mrs Merton) into a sitcom mum, who looks after her grown up, hapless son Malcolm. It was an early outing for the comedy duo before they went on to create The Royal Family, which the BBC announced would be back on our screens this year for an Xmas special.

The show is based around the twisted relationship between a mother and son, with borderline senile neighbour Arthur Capstick joining them every day for a cup of tea and to visit the bed-bound Mr Merton, who is never actually seen throughout the series. The duo have created a world where the 50’s still seems commonplace, although set in the present day with Airfix models, apple bobbing and potted beef sandwiches. Central to this parallel universe is a mother who still amusingly treats her adult son as a child, and his backwardness in craving it.

 

At the time the show was criticised for those who felt the allusions to incest and the exploitation of learning difficulties went too far - so much so that plans for a second series and an Xmas special were ditched. It’s speculated that the fact their latest venture survived the axe came down to the shows overwhelming popularity, indicated by an audience of over 7,000,000. Compared with the likes of Gervais/Brand's offence-driven humour today, this comedy is saintly and any offence is sugar coated with Mrs Merton’s, flawless delivery and unthreatening demureness.

 

Craig Cash once again plays the simple bloke with far too much ease, but Caroline Ahern steals the show as the grey-haired pensioner Mrs Merton. Cute yet cutting she goes around her highly structured life, trying to see the best in every situation. Arthur plays a stereotypical old man, earning his laughs from a tendency to repeat himself. Predictably this does get tiresome, although some relief is gained from Mrs Merton’s handling of the comments. She also ends each show with a dialogue to Mr Merton who remains invisible and silent as she casts over the day just past.

 

 

 

One episode includes Mrs Merton setting Malcolm against the neighbour (aged seven) in an escalating competition of childish games to prove that her Malcolm is the best, while another sees Mrs Merton setting Malcolm up with the pharmacist's assistant. In between are the other day-to-day activities that weave together the tapestry of her life.

 

This is not for those who like their comedy ‘canned’ nor for those with a tendency towards feeling guilty for laughing at jokes about the aforementioned topics. It’s for those who appreciate such precursors to a whole genre of dark, shocking, subdued British comedies such as Nighty Night, The Office and Peep Show. The Royal Family has a similar ability to tap into a certain vein of British culture and illustrate it perfectly, deriving fantastic humour from the arising scenarios. It is much ‘fluffier’ than Mrs Merton and you can see that the two landed themselves in hot water for being too risky and chose a safer line in order to make their names in television.

 

The DVD is out now and consists of six episodes. RRP £14.99.

Beautiful People

This DVD series sees you enter a world of colourful characters in a charming tale of a teenager’s dreams to escape his bonkers family and live amongst the glitz and glamour of the 'Beautiful People’.

The story encapsulates the innocent side of gay life, when it impacts your curiosity of life, before progressing to an actual attraction towards the same sex. Simon and Kylie’s lives are enriched by musicals, Dynasty, Posh Spice and a beguiling new teacher, played by Francis Barber who makes a stunning guest appearance in one episode.

 

But it's not all a bed of roses for Simon, who has a sheer disdain for the fact he is stuck living with his plumber dad and barmaid mum, uncouth sister and blind lodger in working-class Reading; something anyone living in a town known simply for the fact it is main rail intersection will relate to.

 

Each tale is told, wrapped in a prologue and afterthought by modern day Simon, now living as a window dresser in New York. While this links the series together and comforts the viewer with a routinely happy ending, I couldn’t wait for it to end and the true story to begin. Based on the memoirs of Simon Doonan - writer and former head window dresser at Barneys - it is particularly effective in pin pointing the gay angst of growing up in British suburbia and longing for a life in London with the Beautiful People.

 

Gloriously camp at times, complete with riotous characters, this series has you laughing out loud as you draw parallels with your own youth. This appeal is helped along with impromptu singing and dancing incorporated in to the storyline, climaxing in a joyous Joseph vs. Annie sing/dance off in the street.

Typical to form, Simons mum, played by Olivia Newton (Peep Show), is a major character in the show and Simon’s life. A fabulous cocktail of attributes - blonde, argumentative, loving, eccentric to name a few - she cannot help but get involved in the affairs of those close to her. Meera Syal gives a top performance as the ex-junkie, uncouth, blind, feminist Aunt Hayley. It is her first comic role since The Kumars and, pulling off blind jokes 100 times better than Carlos on Desperate Housewives, it has to be one of her best.

 

Maximum praise must be reserved for the young actors who pull off Simon and Kylie to great effect. Luke Ward-Wilkinson plays the overly sensitive, mums-dress-wearing “special boy” Simon flawlessly. Side kick neighbour and wannabe ghetto queen Kylie, played (or rather performed) by Layton, blows the campo meter off the Richter Scale with a performance that fully embraces his feminine side, (or being a “right little batty boy” as his mum sees it). Fans of Beautiful People are in for a pleasant surprise, with Mama Cass making an appearance as the local rum swigging, pink-haired hairdresser.

 

Like most of the comedies from Auntie, it’s a series of six episodes, short and sweet but definitely a must for any self-respecting gay man’s DVD collection. If you’re in to that genre, then it’s like bounty time with Rick and Steve, also hot off the press after its terrestrial showing, also out now. DVD Extras includes a telling behind the scenes, providing a great overview to the cast and production team (mostly gay) in bringing the series to fruition. Less fulfilling is a quick glance at the book signing and chat from original author- and that’s your lot. Released on DVD now, Beautiful People is priced £19.99 and is available from all major UK retailers.

Get ready to laugh..Family Guy Season 7 released 10th November

With the world teetering on the brink of economic disaster, we're preciously short of humour anywhere at the moment. However, we've discovered a cure, courtesy of the irrepressible Griffin family and their friends and neighbours from Quahog, Rhode Island and it comes in the form of 3 DVD discs.

For those of you who've not encountered the show before, its the creation of Emmy Award-winning executive producer Seth MacFarlane and follows the adventures of the middle class Griffins. Peter and Lois have three kids: 16-year-old Meg, who wants to be noticed; 13-year-old Chris, sweet but a little simple and one-year-old Stewie, hellbent on world domination and who steals the show along with Brian, the family's talking dog (who has more intelligence than all of them).

Irreverence abounds and political correctness is shot to pieces every episode as the Griffins find themselves in all sorts of predicaments. Season 7 highlights include: Lois becoming Mayor of Quahog and realising that politics is a dirty game, Peter and Meg open a restaurant and manage to declare war on the disabled community and Stewie finally manages to secure world domination (albeit briefly).

The DVD release of Season 7 also includes a whole host of extras - deleted scenes, the Making of the 100th Episode and Favourite Scenes. So plenty to keep you laughing for days and days.

Family Guy Season 7 is released on DVD on November 10th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment with an RRP of £28.99. Family Guy is currently show nightly on BBC Three. For more information on the show (including loads of great clips) check out www.familyguy.com