A Kick Up the Eighties (1981–1984) User Reviews (2)

"Kevin's 'ere"!

[ShadeGrenade · 8/10 · 29 June 2006]

A number of B.B.C. sketch shows appeared in the wake of 'Not The Nine O'Clock News', all attempting to recapture the original's healthy disrespect for authority and revelling in sheer bad taste for the sake of it. Made by B.B.C. Scotland, and executive produced by Sean Hardie, 'A Kick Up The Eighties' is today best remembered for bringing the then-unknown Rik Mayall ( credited as Kevin Turvey ) to a mass audience. Turvey, a Brummie idiot who fancied himself as an investigative reporter, delivered surreal monologues to camera which he concluded by saying: "Kevin's 'ere!", whilst touching his left ear. Turvey became a cult character, leading to him getting his own one-off show: 'Kevin Turvey - The Man Behind The Green Door'.

One or two sketches concerned then-topical subjects such as the cold war, the prospect of nuclear war, unemployment, sexual equality, and even the boom in home ( video ) entertainment. Among the writers were 'Rab C.Nesbitt' author Ian Pattison, and Doug Naylor and Rob Grant, creators of 'Red Dwarf'. The regular cast in the first season were Ron Bain, Miriam Margolyes, Roger Sloman, Tracey Ullman ( fresh from 'Three Of A Kind' ), with Richard Stilgoe providing witty 'Frost Report'-style linking material. The second season saw Stilgoe replaced by Robbie Coltrane ( whom I thought at the time had probably been cast due to his physical resemblance to Mel Smith! ). Some of Coltrane's characters, particularly the stand-up comedian who is nowhere near as funny as he thinks he is, would reappear in 'Laugh? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee!'.

Although 'Eighties' did upset some viewers - particularly a sketch in the fifth show in the first season in which Miriam Margolyes' nurse unplugs a patient's life support machine in order to be able to use her vacuum cleaner - there was no repetition of the furore that greeted 'Carrott's Lib' when Jasper joked about the deaf. Another sick sketch had surgeons casually tossing a patient's innards onto a floor where they were then eaten by a dog. But the nastiest item of all was, appropriately enough, set in a video rental shop ( which were everywhere in those days ) where characters from so-called 'video nasties' ( a term coined by the right-wing media to describe horror movies such as 'Driller Killer' and 'I Spit On Your Grave' ) engaged in a musical number. Anyone who shared the Thatcher Government's view of such films ( that they should be banned outright ) would have had their prejudices confirmed by the gruesome sketch.

Tracey Ullman spoofed the controversial Channel 4 show 'The Mini Pops' on one edition. As she sang 'Knick Knack Paddy Wack, a gang of dirty old men in grubby macs lusted after her. She also did brilliant take-offs of Janette Tough of 'The Krankies', and 'Toyah Wilcox'. The song 'I am Angry' was a send-up of 'I Want To Be Free'.

The title sequence of the first season featured caricatures of Thatcher, Reagan, Charles and Di et al, culminating in a foot going through a television set. The second season's titles guyed the film 'Blade Runner', which had gone on release the year before.

'Eighties' was repeated on 'U.K. Gold' in the late '80's/early '90's, but has yet to appear on D.V.D. It goes without saying that the show looks like a product of its time, especially with its Quantel effects and synth theme tune by David McNiven ( used on the second season ). It was hit and miss stuff, but served a purpose in laying the groundwork for the superior 'Naked Video'.

''Good evening, armchair Britain. My name is Kevin Turvey.''

[Rabical-91 · 10/10 · 14 September 2015]

This underrated BBC Scotland sketch show 'A Kick Up The Eighties' is notable today for bringing the then unknown ( and very much missed ) Rik Mayall to national prominence. Here Mayall appeared in sketches as Kevin Turvey, a boorish investigative reporter from Redditch. To try and maintain the illusion that his alter ego really existed, Mayall's name did not appear in the cast credits whereas Turvey's did, though Mayall's name did appear in the writer's credits. Turvey struck a chord with the public and later appeared in his own one-off show - 'Kevin Turvey - The Man Behind The Green Door'. Rik was not the only one to benefit from the show though. Robbie Coltrane and the gorgeous Tracey Ullman also profited.

Richard Stilgoe appeared in between sketches delivering linking material, however this was dispensed with in series two when Stilgoe left and was replaced by Robbie Coltrane. The second series was shorter in length than the first, being reduced to four episodes rather than six.

Some of the sketches could be sick, such as an old woman being catapulted into the air and shot by a clay pigeon shooter. Another sketch saw a man showing his son how to commit suicide and another saw a man's life support machine being unplugged by a hospital cleaner in order to be able to use her vacuum cleaner.

Robbie Coltrane and Tracey Ullman were particularly outstanding in their guises. Coltrane did a wonderful sketch as a disgruntled man who denounces those who criticise British Rail for their inefficiency and below-par buffet car food - ''I've been eating buffet car food for well on eighteen months now and I shall continue to eat buffet car food until my connection arrives!''. The applause from the studio audience spoke volumes of how popular British Rail were at that time. Tracey Ullman did a hilarious parody of the controversial Channel 4 show 'The Mini Pops' with a musical item entitled 'Knick Knack Paddy Wack' in which a group of dirty old men in grubby raincoats leered at her as she pranced around in suggestive clothing! Unsurprisingly, 'The Mini Pops' was axed not long after. It was Mayall's Kevin Turvey sketches what made the show so special though.

TURVEY: I went round to Teresa Kelly's house yesterday and her mum said she was out walking the dog. I know she was lying because their dog died in 1977 and I know that because its buried under the onions I grow in my garden. So how could she possibly have been walking the dog? Unless it's had puppies, but then I would have noticed that the onions would have been disturbed!

It would be unfair to give Rik, Robbie and Tracey all the credit though. Ron Bain, Roger Sloman and Miriam Margolyes were also great with what they were given and some of Richard Stilgoe's linking items were undeniably hilarious.

Some of the sketches were a chore to sit through ( such as those featuring Coltrane as an incoherent Glasweigan thug - who allegedly 'Rab C. Nesbitt' was based on ) but overall they were well written for the most part.

Both series ran on UK Gold sometime in the early '90's but it has not seen the light of day since. Its legacy lasted for years however, in the form of 'Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee' and 'Naked Video'.