Bottom Burglary (1991–1995) Online

Reviewing episodes of 'Bottom' is somewhat difficult as there is very few episodes to be objective about. One or two episodes such as 'Contest' ( from series one ) and 'Parade' ( from this series ) are pretty below par ( though not without laughs ) but more often than not there are some right crackers such as 'Bottom's Up', 'Bottom's Out', 'Terror', 'Gas', 'Carnival' and this.

'Burglary' starts with Eddie arriving home, blind drunk. A furious Richie stands at the ironing board scowling at him, demanding to know where he has been. He had sent out Eddie to get two fish suppers for tea four hours previous. Richie is disappointed though not surprised at Eddie for squandering the money on booze.

After getting Eddie ready for bed, Richie hears a commotion downstairs. Finding a burglar downstairs, they overpower him and sellotape him to a chair ( as they have no rope ). They try acting like detectives by interrogating him but they are completely hopeless at it. Finding his swag bag full of money and jewels, they decide to try and kill him and make off with his ill gotten gains. It won't be easy as neither are capable nor clever enough to carry out the task. Furthermore, they are unaware that 'Mr. Burglar' has a truncheon wielding accomplice concealing himself on the ledge outside their kitchen window...

A little gem of an episode helped by the excellent performance from Paul Bradley as the burglar. Bradley earlier worked with Rik and Ade on several episodes of 'The Young Ones' and has appeared in countless other comedy shows such as 'Red Dwarf', 'The Kate Robbins Show' and 'Hale & Pace' but is better known for playing bumbling Nigel Bates in 'Eastenders'. The 'interrogation' scene is priceless. Ade Edmondson, in particular, steals the scene with the 'Emmerdale Farm' reference.

Johnathan Stratt appears as a hot headed police sergeant whilst the late stuntman Tip Tipping ( who tragically died in a parachuting accident in 1993 ) appears as the burglar's accomplice who coshes Richie and Eddie over the head.

Funniest moment - Richie and Eddie ( sans clothes ) tied up to chairs, their flat having been ransacked, with mousetraps placed under their genitals. Can you possibly work out what happens next?

An excellent second episode in season two of "Bottom" Plot In A Paragraph: When Eddie returns home all drunk on a bottle of Old Spice, Richie and Eddie find their flat being burgled and Richie manages to catch one of the burglars. When Richie and Eddie ties up the Burglar with sellotape, Richie and Eddie tries to think what to do with him and the loot he has burgled from other houses. Should they kill the Burglar than hand him over to the local police? or kill him or should they keep the loot for themselves and move away to the Bahamas? decisions, decisions.

Watching all these old episodes with my young son (who is nine) reminds me of what a talent we have lost in Rik Myall.