Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown
Encyclopedia
Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown is a short comedy film made by The Comic Strip
for the BBC
, first broadcast in the UK in 1993.
The film employs techniques of metafiction
al parody
to make overt critical comparisons between 1990s TV detective
shows and their 1970s counterparts. The editorial line taken throughout the film presents a very affectionate portrayal of several of these 1970s shows, despite acknowledging their use of styles and methods that had since become somewhat clichéd.
The title parodies the title of the 1988 film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
.
, which was itself a parody of The Professionals
.
As in the previous film, Bonehead and Foyle attach great importance to guns, witty one-liners and self-conscious efforts at looking un-self-consciously good on-screen. They manoeuvre and park their car – a Ford Capri
, as used in The Professionals – with almost exclusive use of handbrake turn
s, and during the film's climax they concentrate on seeking out piles of boxes to drive through or puddles to splash through, in order to make their shots appear more dynamic.
For the second half of the film they again appear without shirts and, finally, without trousers.
. He is played by Jim Broadbent
, and his portrayal is remarkably close to the original.
George uses London slang
extensively, shouts, chain-smokes
and insists on calling his commanding officer "guv". His detective methods involve visiting East End
"villains' drinkers
" in search of information. In common with Bonehead and Foyle he drives and parks his car – a 1970s Ford Granada
, as seen in The Sweeney – recklessly.
s Jason King
, and is played by Peter Richardson.
Shown to be running a 1970s retro clothes shop (Flares 'R' Us), Bentley dresses in red and purple crushed velvet suits that in retrospect appear identical to typical Austin Powers costumes, although that character would only make his film debut
four years after Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown was first broadcast.
In solving crimes, Bentley prefers to make no visible effort at all, since he anticipates that all the plot devices required to solve the case will arrive by themselves in due course.
Bentley drives a vintage Bentley
himself (like Jason King), relatively serenely since he always has a glass of claret
in one hand. He bemoans the fact that this may eventually become illegal.
and based on the eponymous lead character from Spender
.
In appearance, he is unshaven with untidy shoulder-length hair, but he wears "expensive Armani
suits". In action, he is dour, slow-moving and speaks very little, except in nostalgic non-sequiturs about shipbuilding on the Tyne
. Upon arrival at all locations he prefers to stand gazing out of an available window. The writers draw attention to the fact that he always sensibly parks and central-locks his Ford Sierra
.
There is some crossover between the parodying of the Spender character and the actor who played him, Jimmy Nail
, as when a musical number ends with a line from Nail's 1992 single
, "Ain't No Doubt".
's Pie in the Sky This is depicted as a crass cross-genre detective/cookery series ("two recipes and one murder per show"), whose lead character (played by Keith Allen) presents his recipe in a style that parodies Keith Floyd
. Allen's "on-screen" Gourmet Detective character is the epitome of politically correct
"new man" compassion, but the actor "off-screen" is shown to be an obnoxious, drug-taking womaniser. He is subsequently murdered – the second TV detective to be killed in six months – and the rest of the film involves the search for his assassin.
The police commander (played by Jim Carter) is exasperated that the detective assigned to the case, Dave Spanker, has come up with lots of "Northern nostalgia" but no leads. Cheesecloth
and the footprint of a 1970s platform shoe
are found at the scene, inspiring him to bring in 1970s-style detectives to help solve the crime – initially Bonehead, Foyle and George. When the platform shoe is revealed to be from the early 1970s, Jason Bentley is added to the team, and the commander insists that Bentley's methods alone are to be used ("no guns, no fast cars, no shouting"). Bentley consequently drives the detectives to a random country house, drinks copious claret, smokes endless cigarettes, and predictably gets nowhere with the case. The frustrated detectives have a punch-up while they are – on Bentley's advice – "waiting for a Mini Moke
to turn up".
The commander gives the team a dressing-down, and explains that, with the TV-cop-killer still at large, the production of various 1990s TV cop shows is under threat. In order to highlight further the writers' views of contemporary TV detective shows, he lists these as The Dull as Dishwater Detective, Detectives on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and The Whistling Detective Who Lives on a Barge. The Dull as Dishwater Detective is apparently in hiatus because "the actor's run abroad, he's scared" – a reference to the real TV series Inspector Morse
, whose lead actor John Thaw
was making A Year in Provence
at this time. Thaw had previously played Regan in The Sweeney.
Bonehead, Foyle and George insist they be allowed to proceed with the investigation their way, complete with fast cars and guns. The commander reluctantly agrees to give them 48 hours, and they gleefully wheel-spin away to a rendezvous at an East End drinking den. Meanwhile, a sheepish Bentley asks to see the original lab reports.
At the pub, George asks to see his informant, while Bonehead and Foyle order Babycham
s then storm the toilet cubicles the way they might storm an embassy
. However, Bentley provides the breakthrough. He reveals that the forensic report proves the platform shoes were bought in Newcastle upon Tyne
. After Spanker confesses that he committed the crimes due to TV ratings pressure, he makes his escape.
There ensues a 1970s-style high-speed car chase
involving all but Bentley, based mainly in a large yard where all three cars drive around somewhat pointlessly in circles. The repeated handbrake-turns wreck Foyle's gearbox and, in frustration at missing out on the car chase, Bonehead briefly considers leaving his partner. However, the chase continues on foot into London Docklands, where Spanker takes refuge.
Bonehead and Foyle – as is customary for them – remove their trousers for this final showdown, and then bemoan the Docklands redevelopment that has taken place since the 1970s: "where's all the wasteland and disused factories?". They nevertheless negotiate the area trouserlessly as if it is still full of rusty girders and rubble, to the bemusement of passing city workers.
Meanwhile, George attempts to talk Spanker into a surrender. Spanker complains that, with the increased realism in TV detective shows, he has missed out on the fast cars and the "shoot a man at a hundred yards crap" enjoyed by his 1970s counterparts. To prove the point, he feels no ill effects when George shoots him from this very distance as an apparent 1970s denouement to the scene. However, Bentley now magically appears exactly where the plot requires him to appear, right alongside Spanker. In a typically relaxed and tangential fashion, he manages to capture the detective effortlessly.
George devises a punishment for Spanker far worse than being shot at close range – Spanker will instead be "shot on tape
". He has his scruffy hair cut to a regulation police constable's length, in order to take his place as "a faceless copper in uniform - three nights a week". Spanker's suitably TV-based punishment is to become a member of the cast of The Bill
.
The film ends on an up-beat note, with Bonehead, Foyle, George, Bentley and the commander all drinking to
"the Seventies".
box set The Complete Collection (2005).
The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents.... The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders, with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, first broadcast in the UK in 1993.
The film employs techniques of metafiction
Metafiction
Metafiction, also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion...
al parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
to make overt critical comparisons between 1990s TV detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
shows and their 1970s counterparts. The editorial line taken throughout the film presents a very affectionate portrayal of several of these 1970s shows, despite acknowledging their use of styles and methods that had since become somewhat clichéd.
The title parodies the title of the 1988 film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a 1988 Spanish black comedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Carmen Maura and Antonio Banderas...
.
Bonehead and Foyle
Writer-directors Keith Allen and Peter Richardson revive their characters Bonehead and Foyle from the 1984 Comic Strip film The BullshittersThe Bullshitters: Roll Out The Gunbarrel
The Bullshitters: Roll Out The Gunbarrel was a spoof of The Professionals, first broadcast in 1984 on Channel 4. Although it was made by many people behind The Comic Strip, it did not feature the Comic Strip logo and is not considered by some to be part of the series...
, which was itself a parody of The Professionals
The Professionals (TV series)
The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon...
.
As in the previous film, Bonehead and Foyle attach great importance to guns, witty one-liners and self-conscious efforts at looking un-self-consciously good on-screen. They manoeuvre and park their car – a Ford Capri
Ford Capri
Ford Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three different automobile models. The Ford Consul Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Britain between 1961 and 1964. The Ford Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Europe from 1969 to 1986...
, as used in The Professionals – with almost exclusive use of handbrake turn
Handbrake turn
The handbrake turn is a driving technique used to deliberately slide a car sideways, either for the purpose of negotiating a very tight bend quickly, or for turning around well within the vehicle's own turning circle....
s, and during the film's climax they concentrate on seeking out piles of boxes to drive through or puddles to splash through, in order to make their shots appear more dynamic.
For the second half of the film they again appear without shirts and, finally, without trousers.
George
Introduced as "Shouting George from The Weeny", George is based on Jack Regan of The SweeneyThe Sweeney
The Sweeney is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London...
. He is played by Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
, and his portrayal is remarkably close to the original.
George uses London slang
London slang
London slang is a mixture of words and phrases from around the globe. It reflects the diverse ethnic and cultural makeup of the city's population. Because London occupies such a dominant economic position in the United Kingdom, slang originally unique to the city has spread across the UK....
extensively, shouts, chain-smokes
Chain smoking
Chain smoking is the practice of lighting a new cigarette for personal consumption immediately after one that is finished, sometimes using the finished cigarette to light the next one. It is a common form of addiction.-Causes:...
and insists on calling his commanding officer "guv". His detective methods involve visiting East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
"villains' drinkers
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
" in search of information. In common with Bonehead and Foyle he drives and parks his car – a 1970s Ford Granada
Ford Granada (Europe)
The March 1972 released Granada succeeded the British Ford Zephyr, and the German P7-series as Ford's European executive car offering. At first, lower models in the range were called the Ford Consul, but from 1975 on they were all called Granadas. The car soon became popular for taxi, fleet and...
, as seen in The Sweeney – recklessly.
Jason Bentley
Jason Bentley of Department Z is a parody of Department SDepartment S
Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst...
s Jason King
Jason King (TV series)
Jason King was a British television series produced from 1971 to 1972. Each episode was one hour in duration , and the series had a run of one season of 26 episodes. As well as its native UK, the series was also screened in countries as far afield as Australia, Norway, Argentina and Peru...
, and is played by Peter Richardson.
Shown to be running a 1970s retro clothes shop (Flares 'R' Us), Bentley dresses in red and purple crushed velvet suits that in retrospect appear identical to typical Austin Powers costumes, although that character would only make his film debut
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a 1997 American science fiction/action-comedy film and the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
four years after Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown was first broadcast.
In solving crimes, Bentley prefers to make no visible effort at all, since he anticipates that all the plot devices required to solve the case will arrive by themselves in due course.
Bentley drives a vintage Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
himself (like Jason King), relatively serenely since he always has a glass of claret
Claret
Claret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.-Usage:Claret derives from the French clairet, a now uncommon dark rosé and the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century...
in one hand. He bemoans the fact that this may eventually become illegal.
Dave Spanker
TV detectives of the 1990s are principally represented on-screen by Dave Spanker, played by Phil CornwellPhil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell is an English comedian, actor, impressionist and writer. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers television and radio series...
and based on the eponymous lead character from Spender
Spender
Spender is a BBC television drama set in Newcastle upon Tyne, written by Ian La Frenais and Jimmy Nail, who also starred. The series was produced by Martin McKeand . The series was broadcast on BBC between 1991 and 1993...
.
In appearance, he is unshaven with untidy shoulder-length hair, but he wears "expensive Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...
suits". In action, he is dour, slow-moving and speaks very little, except in nostalgic non-sequiturs about shipbuilding on the Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
. Upon arrival at all locations he prefers to stand gazing out of an available window. The writers draw attention to the fact that he always sensibly parks and central-locks his Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
.
There is some crossover between the parodying of the Spender character and the actor who played him, Jimmy Nail
Jimmy Nail
James Bradford "Jimmy" Nail is an English singer-songwriter, actor, musician, film producer, film score composer and television writer....
, as when a musical number ends with a line from Nail's 1992 single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Ain't No Doubt".
Plot summary
The film opens on the studio set of a fictional 1990s TV show, The Gourmet Detective, a spoof on Richard GriffithRichard Griffith
Richard Clewin Griffith was a British chess player, author and editor. He was educated at Charterhouse School....
's Pie in the Sky This is depicted as a crass cross-genre detective/cookery series ("two recipes and one murder per show"), whose lead character (played by Keith Allen) presents his recipe in a style that parodies Keith Floyd
Keith Floyd
Keith Floyd was a British celebrity chef, television personality and restaurateur, who hosted cooking shows for the BBC and published many books combining cookery and travel...
. Allen's "on-screen" Gourmet Detective character is the epitome of politically correct
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
"new man" compassion, but the actor "off-screen" is shown to be an obnoxious, drug-taking womaniser. He is subsequently murdered – the second TV detective to be killed in six months – and the rest of the film involves the search for his assassin.
The police commander (played by Jim Carter) is exasperated that the detective assigned to the case, Dave Spanker, has come up with lots of "Northern nostalgia" but no leads. Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is a loosewoven gauze-like cotton cloth used primarily in cheese making and cooking.Cheesecloth is available in at least seven different grades, from open to extra-fine weave. Grades are distinguished by the number of threads per inch in each direction.- Uses :The primary use of...
and the footprint of a 1970s platform shoe
Platform shoe
Platform shoes are shoes, boots, or sandals with thick soles at least four inches in height, often made of cork, plastic, rubber, or wood...
are found at the scene, inspiring him to bring in 1970s-style detectives to help solve the crime – initially Bonehead, Foyle and George. When the platform shoe is revealed to be from the early 1970s, Jason Bentley is added to the team, and the commander insists that Bentley's methods alone are to be used ("no guns, no fast cars, no shouting"). Bentley consequently drives the detectives to a random country house, drinks copious claret, smokes endless cigarettes, and predictably gets nowhere with the case. The frustrated detectives have a punch-up while they are – on Bentley's advice – "waiting for a Mini Moke
Mini Moke
The Mini Moke is a vehicle based on the Mini and designed for the British Motor Corporation by Sir Alec Issigonis. The name comes from "Mini"—the car with which the Moke shares many parts—and "Moke", which is an archaic dialect term for donkey...
to turn up".
The commander gives the team a dressing-down, and explains that, with the TV-cop-killer still at large, the production of various 1990s TV cop shows is under threat. In order to highlight further the writers' views of contemporary TV detective shows, he lists these as The Dull as Dishwater Detective, Detectives on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and The Whistling Detective Who Lives on a Barge. The Dull as Dishwater Detective is apparently in hiatus because "the actor's run abroad, he's scared" – a reference to the real TV series Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse (TV series)
Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Dexter makes a cameo appearance in all but three of the episodes....
, whose lead actor John Thaw
John Thaw
John Edward Thaw, CBE was an English actor, who appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles, his most popular being police and legal dramas such as Redcap, The Sweeney, Inspector Morse and Kavanagh QC.-Early life:Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Gorton,...
was making A Year in Provence
A Year in Provence
A Year in Provence is a 1989 bestselling autobiographical novel by Peter Mayle about his first year in Provence, and the local events and customs. It was adapted into a television miniseries starring John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan. Reviewers praised its honest style, wit and its refreshing humor...
at this time. Thaw had previously played Regan in The Sweeney.
Bonehead, Foyle and George insist they be allowed to proceed with the investigation their way, complete with fast cars and guns. The commander reluctantly agrees to give them 48 hours, and they gleefully wheel-spin away to a rendezvous at an East End drinking den. Meanwhile, a sheepish Bentley asks to see the original lab reports.
At the pub, George asks to see his informant, while Bonehead and Foyle order Babycham
Babycham
Babycham is the trade name of a light, sparkling perry invented by Francis Edwin Showering , a brewer in Shepton Mallet in Somerset, England; the name is now owned by Constellation Europe Limited. Launched in the United Kingdom in 1953, the drink was marketed with pioneering television...
s then storm the toilet cubicles the way they might storm an embassy
Iranian Embassy Siege
The Iranian Embassy siege took place from 30 April to 5 May 1980, after a group of six armed men stormed the Iranian embassy in South Kensington, London. The gunmen took 26 people hostage—mostly embassy staff, but several visitors and a police officer, who had been guarding the embassy, were also...
. However, Bentley provides the breakthrough. He reveals that the forensic report proves the platform shoes were bought in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. After Spanker confesses that he committed the crimes due to TV ratings pressure, he makes his escape.
There ensues a 1970s-style high-speed car chase
Car chase
A car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...
involving all but Bentley, based mainly in a large yard where all three cars drive around somewhat pointlessly in circles. The repeated handbrake-turns wreck Foyle's gearbox and, in frustration at missing out on the car chase, Bonehead briefly considers leaving his partner. However, the chase continues on foot into London Docklands, where Spanker takes refuge.
Bonehead and Foyle – as is customary for them – remove their trousers for this final showdown, and then bemoan the Docklands redevelopment that has taken place since the 1970s: "where's all the wasteland and disused factories?". They nevertheless negotiate the area trouserlessly as if it is still full of rusty girders and rubble, to the bemusement of passing city workers.
Meanwhile, George attempts to talk Spanker into a surrender. Spanker complains that, with the increased realism in TV detective shows, he has missed out on the fast cars and the "shoot a man at a hundred yards crap" enjoyed by his 1970s counterparts. To prove the point, he feels no ill effects when George shoots him from this very distance as an apparent 1970s denouement to the scene. However, Bentley now magically appears exactly where the plot requires him to appear, right alongside Spanker. In a typically relaxed and tangential fashion, he manages to capture the detective effortlessly.
George devises a punishment for Spanker far worse than being shot at close range – Spanker will instead be "shot on tape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
". He has his scruffy hair cut to a regulation police constable's length, in order to take his place as "a faceless copper in uniform - three nights a week". Spanker's suitably TV-based punishment is to become a member of the cast of The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
.
The film ends on an up-beat note, with Bonehead, Foyle, George, Bentley and the commander all drinking to
Toast (honor)
A toast is a ritual in which a drink is taken as an expression of honor or goodwill. The term may be applied to the person or thing so honored, the drink taken, or the verbal expression accompanying the drink. Thus, a person could be "the toast of the evening," for whom someone "proposes a toast"...
"the Seventies".
Quotes
- George: "Listen guv, I'm a ten-guv-a-day copper, always have been, always will be. If you want me to work on this case, I'm going to be calling you "guv" all day long. It's all I know and it's all you need to know, guv."
- Spanker: "You do it your way, and I'll do it my way."
- Foyle: "Good detectives don't wash their hands - it wastes time, and film."
- George: "There's no towel for Christ's sake. Can't a copper dry his hands any more? I've got wet hands here and they need drying. This place is a bloody khazi!"
- Spanker: About Bonehead and Foyle, "They're in the toilet, sorting out their sexuality."
- Bonehead: "I wanna be driving round in circles, Foyle, like them."
- Spanker: "I wanted fast cars too. I was ten years too late. All I got was marriage problems in a Northern atmosphere."
- George: "I had marriage problems as well, Spanker... I had nervous tension as well. I didn't send people to sleep like you do."
- George: "Shut it!"
Cast and crew
- Keith Allen – Bonehead/The Gourmet Detective
- Peter Richardson – Foyle/Jason Bentley
- Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
– George - Phil CornwellPhil CornwellPhil Cornwell is an English comedian, actor, impressionist and writer. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers television and radio series...
– Dave Spanker - Jim Carter – Commander
- Gary BeadleGary BeadleGary Beadle is an English actor, best known for playing Paul Trueman in EastEnders and Gary Barwick in Operation Good Guys....
– Ronnie - John ForgehamJohn ForgehamJohn Forgeham is a British actor who is probably best known for playing businessman Frank Laslett in the ITV series Footballers' Wives....
– Sergeant - Sara StockbridgeSara StockbridgeSara Stockbridge is an English model and actress who achieved a certain level of high fashion notoriety in the mid to late 1980s as the muse of designer Vivenne Westwood...
– Sonia - Virginia Fiol – Mandy
- Michael WhiteMichael White (producer)Michael White is a British theatrical impresario and film producer.Theatre impresario and film producer Michael White was born in Scotland on 16 January 1936, and educated at the Sorbonne in Paris....
– TV executive - Howie Nicol – TV executive
- Mark Caven – TV producer
- George Yiasoumi – Writer
- Doon MackichanDoon MackichanDoon Mackichan is an English comedienne and actress.-Biography:Born in London, Mackichan was brought up in Surrey until the age of 9 when she moved with her family to Upper Largo, Fife. She is a graduate of Manchester University...
– Journalist - Emma Bernard – Journalist
- Jimmy FaggJimmy FaggJimmy Fagg Jimmy Fagg Jimmy Fagg (born 1929 in Gravesend, Kent is an English stand-up comedian, musician and actor. He is most notable for his roles in the Comic Strip Presents.. and separate roles in other British comedy films....
– East End drinker landlord - Kevin AllenKevin Allen (actor)Kevin Allen is a British screenwriter, film director, film producer and actor. He is best known for writing and directing the cult black comedy feature Twin Town set in Swansea . He also directed the films The Big Tease and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London and hit UK TV series Benidorm...
– Man in East End drinker (uncredited) - Richard VernonRichard VernonRichard Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles...
– Suspect at country house (uncredited)
- Written and directed by Keith Allen and Peter Richardson
- Producer – Lolli Kimpton
- Executive Producer – Michael White
DVD availability
The film is included on the Comic Strip DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
box set The Complete Collection (2005).