The Comic Strip Presents – tape 819

Here’s the first few episodes of (I think) the first BBC produced series of The Comic Strip Presents which opens with South Atlantic Raiders, in two parts.

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are two researchers working on the Falkland Islands.

Dawn starts talking over short wave radio to Nigel Planer, playing his usual sad sack type, a security guard.

His colleague is Ade Edmondson, more interested in military matters. His choice of reading is Yomps and Yomping magazine.

On the radio to Dawn, Planer hears screaming. Former General Galtieri has, apparently, reinvaded. So the boys decide to go to the Falklands and rescue them. But first they need money, so they try kidnapping the wife of the local bank manager, Kathy Burke.

Robbie Coltrane plays the bank manager.

While they’re holding him up, Peter Richardson is there, as a posh burglar.

Three of them get arrested, while Planer has to spring them from prison. Lenny Henry plays a prison guard.

There’s a really unpleasant Gay Panic joke featuring Eastender’s Ron Tarr.

The programme ends with the group heading for Heathrow in an ice cream van.

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 1st February 1990 – 21:00

Part 2 starts after a time jump, with General Galtieri actually on the Falklands, and Planer and French condemned to death, at which point, Planer tells the story.

Lemmy from Motorhead plays one of Galtieri’s men.

Planer and gang pose as cabin crew to take over a Jumbo Jet heading for Vancouver, and fly it to the Falklands.

Meanwhile, Dawn’s colleague (Jennifer Saunders) turns out to be a bit of a psycho, and tries to kill Dawn.

She pretends to be Dawn when Planer arrives, but he realises it’s not her, so she runs off after failing to kill him, and we learn she’s been working undercover for General Galtieri all along in his plot to retake the islands.

It gets even sillier, as Edmondson, Coltrane and Richardson have to defeat the Argentinians on their own.

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 8th February 1990 – 21:00

The next episode is GLC, a nominal follow-up to Strike! Robbie Coltrane plays Charles Bronson playing Ken Livingston.

Dawn French plays Cher playing Joan Ruddock.

Leslie Phillips plays the conservative Horace Cutler.

Jennifer Saunders plays Brigitte Nielsen playing Margaret Thatcher.

Rik Mayall plays the Mayor of London

Peter Richardson plays Lee Van Cleef playing Tony Benn.

Ade Edmondson plays the Prince of Wales.

Another appearance from Ron Tarr.

Derren Nesbitt plays Neil Kinnock. Shot in the back by Tony Benn.

This is not really as successful as Strike! but it does, in its favour, have a soundtrack composed by Kate Bush, and a very silly reference to Carrie at the end.

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 15th February 1990 – 21:00

The next episode is Oxford. Jennifer Saunders plays an American who wants to study at Oxford at all costs.

Lenny Henry plays an American comedian who’s in Oxford to make a comedy movie.

Comic Strip favourite Ronald Allen plays a professor.

Graham Crowden plays another professor – and it looks like Lionel Jeffries next to him, although he’s not in the credits so perhaps it just looks like him.

Also Ronald Pickup.

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 22nd February 1990 – 21:00

After this, there’s a brief presentation glitch.

Then, the last episode here, Spaghetti Hoops. Nigel Planer plays Aldo Vini, crooked chairman of an Italian bank. Jennifer Saunders is his wife. The reception for this recording was vary poor, lots of picture tearing.

Alexei Sayle and Tim McInerney are trained killers.

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 1st March 1990 – 21:00

After this, there’s a trailer for Blazing Saddles.

Then, 40 Minutes starts with Safe Sex for a Safe Seat, looking at the selection process for a new Conservative candidate in High Peak, Buxton, and whether a woman would be selected. The tape ends during this programme, but Wikipedia suggests a woman wasn’t selected.