Fist of Fun
| Fist of Fun | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Genre | Comedy |
| Starring | Stewart Lee Richard Herring |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC2 |
| Original run | 1995 – 1996 |
Fist of Fun was a popular British comedy television and radio programme, written by and starring Lee and Herring (the comedians Stewart Lee and Richard Herring). A lot of the show's comic material was adapted from Lee and Herring's radio programme Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World.
Each episode of Fist of Fun featured several disparate sketches and situations. Fist of Fun began as a BBC Radio 1 series in 1993, before becoming commissioned as a television series on BBC2 in early 1995.
It was broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday nights, and was successful, but not a major ratings-winner. The second series was aired on Friday nights, and although its ratings were relatively good, the show suffered from a lack of preparation and poor promotion.[citation needed] The show was not given a third series, and Lee and Herring went on to write This Morning With Richard Not Judy, for BBC Two.
Many other comedians who appeared in the series went on to fame themselves, including the actor Kevin Eldon, Peter Baynham, Ronni Ancona, Alistair McGowan, Al Murray, John Thomson, Rebecca Front, Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins, Ben Moor & Sally Phillips.
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[edit] Major characters
- Simon Quinlank, a self proclaimed "Hobby Lion" and "King of all hobbies". In each episode, he presents a slot (filmed on camcorder by an unseen assistant) relating to his latest invented hobby. He is known for his maniacal laughter, frequent cries of "Answer me!", and loathing for never-seen rival Neil Petark. He also has a fondness for "weak lemon drink". Played by the actor Kevin Eldon.
- "Rod Hull", a recurring character who claims to be the genuine Rod Hull but is in fact an obvious fraud. He has an obsession with jelly (possibly the reason for his attempted imitation is a belief that the real Rod Hull would receive gifts of jelly[citation needed]), and has a false arm. He persistently claims that the false arm is real despite the fact that he has an actual real arm tucked inside his shirt. Also played by the actor Kevin Eldon.
- Peter, a 31-year old Welsh virgin from Balham who provides lifestyle tips from his unique perspective, usually cheap (and revolting) alternatives to well known recipes. Played (and written) by Peter Baynham.
[edit] DVD release
The series was never released by the BBC on either VHS or DVD, despite repeated pleas from fans. In May 2011 Stewart Lee announced that the rights to the show have been purchased by independent distributor Go Faster Stripe - who would be releasing both series in the near future.[1] The first series was released in early-December 2011[2]. In January 2012, Richard Herring tweeted that series 2 will also be getting a DVD release.
[edit] References
- ^ "Fist Of Fun to be released on DVD". Chortle. http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2011/05/04/13222/fist_of_fun_to_be_released_on_dvd. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ "Fist Of Fun to be released on DVD". Gofasterstripe. http://www.gofasterstripe.com/pdf/fof.pdf. Retrieved 30 Nov 2011.
[edit] External links
- Fist of Fun.net fansite, includes downloads of their radio shows and live performances, episode guides, interviews, etc.
- Fist of Fun at the Internet Movie Database
- Lee and Herring.com
- Official Stewart Lee website
- Official Richard Herring website
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