This Review is from August 2025

Remember those early days of Channel 4 when it was really good? Those of a certain vintage will also recall the 80s explosion of alternative comedy, the likes of Adrian Edmondson, Peter Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Channel 4 put those folks on screen on its opening night, presenting the Famous Five parody, The Comic Strip Presents… Five Go Mad in Dorset. (1982).

The Supergrass (1985) was a Comic Strip feature film co-written, co-starring and directed by Comic Strip founder, Peter Richardson. Following tonight’s screening of the movie, we were treated to a Q&A featuring Richardson, Alexei Sayle and Robin Ince.

The movie was great, the Comic Strip at its best, and hold ups well forty years after its release. The Q&A however, was chaotic, with Ince arriving late, bickering with Alexei Sayle – with poor Peter Richardson trying to interrupt them to talk about the movie. A one on one with Richardson and a host that wanted to be there might have been more enlightening.

We were then treated to a later Richardson directed Comic Strip episode, Red Nose of Courage (1992), featuring the true story of Coco the Clown, real name John Major, running away from the circus to become Prime Minister.

A version of this review appears on Episode 4 of the On the Mic: Five a Day podcast.