The Dangerous Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Dangerous Brothers was a stage and TV act by anarchic comedy duo Rik Mayall
and Ade Edmondson
, performing respectively as "Richard Dangerous" and "Sir (or occasionally Lady) Adrian Dangerous". Although originating before the show, they appeared in a number of brief sketches in the 1980s TV programme Saturday Live. Eventually being banned for being "too sexy and too violent", they staged a protest by returning as 'The Ben Elton Brothers', and blowing up the car park at LWT Studios.
The act was, in essence, a prototype of the career which the pair were to forge over the next twenty years in such shows as Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
; Filthy, Rich and Catflap; and Bottom- two low-life loser perverts hitting each other in spectacular slapstick ways. It was arguably more hazardous than much of the material which was to follow in later incarnations - stage props in the brief run included a live (and very large, although apparently lethargic) crocodile
, blank-firing submachine gun
s, and Edmondson apparently consuming Vim
, a well-known UK brand of powder toilet cleaner. One of the early sketches went wrong when a stunt to set fire to Edmondson's trousers left him with serious burns - although much of this was left on the broadcast version.
Sketches included
One of the final sketches prepared for Saturday Live was entitled 'Kinky Sex'. This fell foul of Channel 4
censors who banned it. The duo responded in the sketch Dangervision by apparently hijacking the programme and blowing up the wall on which the show's logo
was painted in graffiti
art. The banned sketch, which by modern standards seems fairly tame, was finally released on a compilation video The Dangerous Brothers present: World of Danger.
Several Dangerous Brothers sketches are also included on the DVD
compilation Saturday Live: The Best of Series One (2007).
Rik Mayall
Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
and Ade Edmondson
Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was...
, performing respectively as "Richard Dangerous" and "Sir (or occasionally Lady) Adrian Dangerous". Although originating before the show, they appeared in a number of brief sketches in the 1980s TV programme Saturday Live. Eventually being banned for being "too sexy and too violent", they staged a protest by returning as 'The Ben Elton Brothers', and blowing up the car park at LWT Studios.
The act was, in essence, a prototype of the career which the pair were to forge over the next twenty years in such shows as Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door is a 1987 comedy film made for British television as part of The Comic Strip Presents... series and was originally broadcast on Channel 4.-Plot:...
; Filthy, Rich and Catflap; and Bottom- two low-life loser perverts hitting each other in spectacular slapstick ways. It was arguably more hazardous than much of the material which was to follow in later incarnations - stage props in the brief run included a live (and very large, although apparently lethargic) crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
, blank-firing submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
s, and Edmondson apparently consuming Vim
Vim (cleaning product)
Vim is the name of a range of household cleaning products originally produced by Lever Brothers. The Vim brand is currently owned by European multi-national Spotless Group.-History:...
, a well-known UK brand of powder toilet cleaner. One of the early sketches went wrong when a stunt to set fire to Edmondson's trousers left him with serious burns - although much of this was left on the broadcast version.
Sketches included
- World Of Danger (AKA The Towering Inferno)
- Big Stunt
- Torture - featuring Norman LovettNorman LovettNorman Lovett is an English stand-up comedian and actor, best known for the role of Holly in Red Dwarf during the first, second, seventh and eighth series. His comedy has a quiet, dead-pan surrealism, and in 2000 he made a successful stand up tour, co-headlining with Chris Barrie, who played...
- Crocodile Snogging (which featured a live crocodile)
- Flying Zebra
- Exploding Politicians (in which Richard Dangerous attempts to become the 41stGeorge H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
President of the United States of America) - How To Get Off With A Lady - featuring Edmondson's wife Jennifer SaundersJennifer SaundersJennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
- Babysitting - featuring Morwenna BanksMorwenna BanksMorwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...
as the wife and John BirdJohn BirdJohn Bird may refer to:* John Bird , British actor and comedian* John Bird , founder of The Big Issue* John Bird , British astronomer and instrument designer...
as the husband. - Dangervision - featuring Hugh LaurieHugh LaurieJames Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
and Stephen FryStephen FryStephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
. - Kinky Sex
One of the final sketches prepared for Saturday Live was entitled 'Kinky Sex'. This fell foul of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
censors who banned it. The duo responded in the sketch Dangervision by apparently hijacking the programme and blowing up the wall on which the show's logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
was painted in graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
art. The banned sketch, which by modern standards seems fairly tame, was finally released on a compilation video The Dangerous Brothers present: World of Danger.
Several Dangerous Brothers sketches are also included on the DVD
DVD
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....
compilation Saturday Live: The Best of Series One (2007).
Catchphrases
- Dynamite down the pants, explodo!
- Unusually dangerous, I trust you'll agree.
- Adrian riding a bike onstage and exclaiming proudly: I have got no brakes! I have got NO brakes!
- Richard torturing Adrian by threatening to cut off his genitals - Adrian protesting: I will NOT talk!
- both in turn yelling "ha ha! crocodile snogging!"
- (In Kinky Sex episode) Sir Richard Dangerous- "er, the house tipped up!"