Comic Strip Presents (DVD)

In the mid 80's in West London we used to get back from the pub on a Friday night and watch a friends well worn video of a 'fist full of travellers cheques' For the older readers mongst you it became our modern ITMA (It's That Man Again)as we soon got to know all of the script and would quote the punchlines to each other at other gatherings confusing strangers and non FFOTC's fans alike. "I am from Argentine", "Don't these deserts make you want to piss a lot" and "Got any Mandys" to name but a few.
Most of the other Comic Strip episodes were also brilliant especially the Hollywood version of the GLC with the gang playing the roles of big Hollywood actors (Stallone, Swartzenager etc)playing 80's British politicians. (Livingston, Thatcher etc)Very clever.
The Comic strip was a very new concept for us, (in our mid twenties) as we'd been brought up on Cannon and Ball, Morcombe and Wise and the like. It blew us all away and the starts became, (and still are) our generations comedy heroes.
I haven't seen a Comic Strip episode for years (can't understand why they don't show them on one of the dozens of free channels that I flick through every night)So have been really please to spot one on e Bay. (My first sucessful bid by the way)
Many happy hours of viewing now lay ahead. -- "You want Hotel 'gay boy'" and more!!
Cheers,
Mike C.

Although I think it is worth buying this collection for 'Five Go Mad In Dorset' alone, which is as funny today as it was then; on the basis of the other episodes I have watched so far, I am inclined to think that what was hilarious in 1983 isn't necessarily so in 2008. There is no doubting the talent of the whole Comic Strip team, and there are many good moments, I just found I wasn't laughing as much as I recall I did when they were first shown. Many episodes were very topical at the time, and some of the humour is so entrenched in the 80's you have to remember what these episodes were based on. 'The Professionals', the Miners' Strike, etc would have little meaning to many young people now. However, if like me, you have fond memories of the Comic Strip as part of your formative years it is well worth a revisit, if only to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane back to the decade of very bad hair!

I'd like to think this 9 disc collection will have to be revised one day, with further Comic Strip adventures hitting our screens. So how is it so far? Well pretty good if what we have here is anything to go by. There are a few duds of course "Wild Turkey" and "Demonella" are possibly the worst two, with a couple of others not far behind. Though fortunately we have a massive 9 discs of 38 episodes to choose from.
There are the classics of course from the first series such as 'Five go mad in Dorset' and 'Bad News tour' and to see Dawn French almost slim is a revelation worth seeing in itself. For those of you who never knew of her before French & Saunders threw their patchy sketches at our screens.

Everyone has a fave episode and i have to say i cant choose between 'Strike' 'The Yob' and the classic 'Fist full of travelers cheques' but if i were pushed for one i'd have to go for 'The Yob', as I am a big Keith Allen fan. So if they ever do get back together id love to see Keith included in the mix.

The ninth dvd has two documentaries on it. A great Julien Temple, doc from the early days of the comic strip in 1981. Then a two parter Retrospective made in 2005 for the release of this box set. If your a comic strip fan then you may have them on tape (but not all of them, eh ?) so you should buy this anyway. If only to have the episodes all in one place. If you are too young to have been there when they were doing it originally from the early 1980s. Then buy it anyway and watch in awe at the mighty skills of Pete Richardson. (dont you DARE think "Pete who?")

For anyone who watched the Comic Strip show they are all here, in a great collection, although it may take you some time to sit and relive those moments again, plus there will also be the one's you missed.

The biggest sad feature about the collection is that none of the disc's have subtitles, and due to my wife being deaf this is something that I will most likely watch on my own

best regards

brilliant comedy from the 80s and 90s, this set the bar for many comedians that followed. It is also amusing to see established comics in their early days

Well it was a real blast from the past and for anyone who loves French and Saunders, The Young Ones or Bottom, it's a must!
I felt about 14 again, belly laughing at the inuendo's and realising just how risque some of the episodes were for the time they were produced! Now that French and Saunders are drawing to a close (this Red Nose Day I believe) this set of DVD's keeps their devious, edgy and great comedy alive. Long live Comic Strip Presents!
I think I will be having many cosy nights of belly laughter for some time to come!

I was a big fan of The Comic Strip's output, particularly classics like Bad News Tour, Fistful of Travellers Cheques and Mr Jolly Lives Next Door, and was looking forward to a comprehensive release. This box set isn't it though, I'm sorry to report. Episodes have been inexplicably edited, often extensively. I would recommend avoiding this release and lobbying the distributor for uncut episodes.