Good start, but then it gets ruined

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Not only in this show but also in his other works Rik is always so enthusiastic and knowing what he is doing.

When Rik Mayall died a couple of months ago, the BBC, by way of a tribute, repeated both 'The Young Ones' and 'Bottom', while ITV gave us reruns of 'The New Statesman' and 'Rik Mayall Presents'. As I was snowed under with work obligations at the time, I did not get to see the reruns but managed when I had some spare time to watch some of the late star's stuff on DVD. Having recently been re-watching episodes of 'Bottom', I was reminded how wonderful a comedy actor Rik Mayall really was. One of his greatest assets was his rubber-like face which through a plethora of hilarious expressions could go from being strikingly handsome to hideously ugly within a matter of seconds.By the late '80's, Mayall had established himself as one of Britain's most popular comedy stars, thanks to 'A Kick Up The Eighties', 'The Young Ones' and 'The Comic Strip Presents'. His first leading role was in Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran's witty political sitcom 'The New Statesman' ( in which he played corrupt Tory MP Alan B'Stard ). In 1991, Mayall felt it was time for him to return to his old roots and so teamed up once again with long time comedy partner Ade Edmondson to construct a show together. The net result being 'Bottom', which featured the duo as Richie Richard and Eddie Hitler, two deranged morons who when not getting drunk or chasing women are trying to knock ten bells out of one another. Their only friends are Spudgun ( Steven O'Donnell ) and Dave Hedgehog ( Christopher Ryan ). Most of the action takes place in their run-down council flat though some episodes saw them in more isolated surroundings, such as when the two were trapped at the top of a ferris wheel at a funfair.'Bottom' was unashamedly crude, contrived, violent and over the top but was absolutely hilarious. Rik and Ade had planned to name the show 'Your Bottom', so viewers could be heard to say things like ''I saw 'Your Bottom' on telly last night!'' but instead settled on 'Bottom' to suit the episode titles such as 'Bottom Smells' and 'Bottom's Up'. As a mark of the show's popularity, five stage shows were made - 'Bottom Live' ( 1993 ), 'Bottom Live 2: The Big Number. 2 Tour' ( 1995 ), 'Bottom Live 3: Hooligan's Island' ( 1997 ), 'Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity' and 'Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts'. A feature film went on release in 1999 entitled 'Guest House Paradiso' in which Richie and Eddie were running a squalid hotel. The film was not popular with the critics but was considerably well received by fans of Rik and Ade.The final episode of series two, 'Bottom's Out', in which Richie and Eddie have an encounter with a flasher whilst camping on Wimbledon Common, was not shown on UK television until nearly three years after its planned transmission date as the episode's subject matter coincided with the murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common in 1992. It is now regarded, rightly, as one of the best ever episodes.Three series of 'Bottom' were made. A fourth series was written in the late '90's but did not get made as the BBC refused to go ahead with it. A revival was planned in 2013 in which the setting from the 'Hooligan's Island' stage show ( Richie and Eddie were marooned on a tropical island ) was to be used as the new premise. Again, it never got past the production stage due to artistic difficulties between Mayall and Edmondson. Probably just as well. After all, why spoil something that is already perfect.

It seemed strange that, after the witty satirical farce 'The New Statesman', Rik Mayall should choose to return to the ultra-crude, knockabout comedy of 'The Young Ones'. He and Adrian Edmondson starred as 'Richie Richard' and 'Eddie Hitler', two natural-born losers who when not railing against the world are at each other's throats. The show's violence is pitched at the level of 'The Three Stooges'. It was at its funniest when the characters were in isolation; in their disgusting flat, trapped on a fun-fair ferris wheel, or watching cricket whilst sunbathing on the roof of a shop. Here they could work off their aggression verbally. Steven O'Donnell and Christopher Ryan were hilarious as Richie and Eddie's deranged friends 'Spudgun' and 'Dave Hedgehog'. Mayall and Edmondson were right to limit 'Richie' and 'Eddie' to two seasons, but made a terrible mistake in bringing them to the big screen; the result was the frightful and best forgotten 'Guest House Paradiso'.

Bottom is one of those shows that polarise people's opinions and this is largely due to Rik Mayall always playing the same type of character.Ade Edmonson carries the show as Eddie Elizabeth Hitler and makes an otherwise boring comedy into something that I enjoy watching.The theatre tour videos make the TV show look tame and are even better than the show IMO.The TV show was made into a rather poor film called Guest House Paradiso which is like faulty towers meets Bottom.10 / 10 - The TV show never fails to make me laugh - If you like this try Filthy, Rich & Catflap or Young Ones.