Rowland Rivron
This documentary explores the legacy of one of the most notorious British sitcoms of all time. Launching alternative comedy onto our screens, the show made household names of its performers and writers and proved to be a huge influence, despite the BBC reportedly being baffled by what they'd commissioned back in 1982. Never before had a flagship comedy show contained so much violence, depravity and anarchy - it was a shot across the bow to mainstream comedians that things would never be the same again.
If you don’t know about The Ruts, you should. A pivotal UK punk band, Henry Rollins frequently refers to their album The Crack as the “best album ever made” and the band make frequent appearances on his radio show, Harmony In My Head. Guitarist Paul Fox of the legendary punk band The Ruts was diagnosed with cancer, and members of the music community rallied to London to perform a one-night only benefit concert to raise funds to help with Paul’s medical bills. The show, held on July 16, 2007 featured the remaining members of the band (lead singer Malcolm Owen died in 1980) regrouped with Henry Rollins taking over the lead. Additional performances by Tom Robinson, The Damned, Misty in Roots, UK Subs, Splodge, John Otway and the Peafish House Band which featured Lee Harris, (The Blockheads), Tony Barber of The Buzzcocks and Rowland Rivron , who backed Edward Tudor-Pole and TV Smith (Wikipedia.com).
It is 1997 and Adrian is now 30 and the Head Chef in a top Soho restaurant. He currently lives in the upstairs room of the restaurant; the rest of his family remain in Ashby-de-la-Zouch. He is estranged from his wife Jo Jo, a Nigerian woman who has returned to her home country following their separation, and they are in the middle of a divorce. The real love of Adrian's life is, as ever, Pandora, who is now standing for Labour MP of Ashby-de-la-Zouch and tipped for power as one of Blair's Babes in the New Labour government that follows.
There's No Business... is a 1994 British partially improvised comedy film directed by Kevin Molony and produced by Claudia Lloyd for Prospect Pictures. It stars Raw Sex (Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron) as Ken Bishop and his stepson Duane, and Lee Cornes as their musical agent Dickie Valentino, in their attempt to remake a track by Ken's old band, 'The Nice Twelve' for a TV advert for 'Pinkies', a brand of kitchen gloves made by Mort Clayton (Mac McDonald). Alexander Armstrong (Tim) and Sam Graham (Fergus) work for the fictional advertising agency Sprote and Sprote. The film takes its name from the 1954 film There's No Business Like Show Business which itself borrowed the 1946 song of the same name by Irving Berlin, written for the musical Annie Get Your Gun.
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders perform a live comedy show in London's West End at the world famous Shaftesbury Theatre, in front of a hugely appreciative sell-out audience. Over an hour of hilarious sketches and gags, with support provided by Raw Sex (Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron as Ken and Duane Bishop).
An eccentric documentarian encounters a naked Martian and decides to show him around London.
Set during the political upheaval following Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power in Iran, Les Blair's gripping work tells the story of Shahin Mohamedi, a young Iranian woman studying in London. When the cheques her father sends from home are intercepted by the Khomeini government, she is threatened with repatriation by vicious British immigration officers. To remain in England she must be granted 'Leave To Remain'. Enter Jimmy Johnstone, an English wide-boy strapped for cash and willing to perform the paper marriage that will ensure Shahin's freedom. Jimmy wants to build on the relationship, but Shahin's heart is a thousand miles away with her old fiance.
After the criticisms of the 1987 show’s disproportionate focus on music - and the financial disaster of its music-only Festival Of Youth weekend concert in 1988, Amnesty returned to the original formula that had been so successful in the 1976-1981 era with a primary focus on comedy. Pat Duffy was dropped from organising any further benefit events for Amnesty and for the 1989 show, Amnesty hired producer Judith Holder.
A couple of bored escorts find themselves suddenly involved with a hit-gang and an ax-murderer - Mr. Jolly. Gratuitous violence, rivers of blood and maximum hilarity, all rolled into one.
A funny remake of "The Prisoner" - with a 1980's twist to it 'The Laughing Prisoner' is a remake (or homage) of (to) the Kafkaesque 1960's television show 'The Prisoner' with Patrick McGoohan in the lead role. This time it is a successful television presenter (Jools Holland) who decides to quit at the height of his stardom. He is abducted from his apartment and brought to the village, where number 2 (a young Stephen Fry) is questioning him. The whole show has a cosy 1980's feel to it, with several bands from that period performing their music.
Alex is a disgruntled waiter at a snobby exclusive restaurant who falls on hard times. Forced to deal with the contempt and disgust of the upper class, Alex & cohorts attempt to go on a rampage. Meanwhile, General Karprov and Spider plot to involve the inept anarchists into their plans to derail the prime-minister-to-be's campaign.
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents... which was labelled as an example of alternative comedy. The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders and Alexei Sayle with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and others.
