Naked Video
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Naked Video was a BBC Scotland comedy series, broadcast between 1986 and 1991 on national BBC2. It was a television version of the BBC Radio Scotland comedy Naked Radio, starring Gregor Fisher, Andy Gray, Elaine C. Smith, Tony Roper, Jonathan Watson, John Sparkes, Kate Donnelly, Louise Beattie, Ron Bain, and Helen Lederer (although Lederer and Sparkes were not part of the radio version). The series was produced by Colin Gilbert and the script editor was Philip Differ.
Naked Radio proved to be a popular part of the local schedule, and in 1985 the cast successfully mounted the show on stage at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Colin Gilbert realised that it had the visual potential for television and so Naked Video was born. Naked Video proved hugely popular with the viewing public at a time when the alternative comedy scene was at its peak, and soared up massive audience figures when first aired.
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[edit] Regular Characters
Naked Video featured a host of memorable characters such as:
- Drunk Sloane, (played by Helen Lederer) An attractive but ultimately stupid woman who props up the wine bar and delivers monologues to the camera.
- Bernard and Miriam, (played by Gregor Fisher and Helen Lederer) a repressed middle aged couple.
- Bitter Divorcee Lizzie, (played by Elaine C Smith) an attractive thirtysomething woman who (much like Drunk Sloane) delivers monologues to camera about her divorce, only from her bedroom, not a wine bar.
- Highlander Angus, (played by Gregor Fisher) A Gaelic TV presenter for the OHBC (Outer Hebrides Broadcasting Corporation).
- The Baldy Man, (played by Gregor Fisher) a vain halfwit with but a few strands of hair across his head. The character was spun off into a separate series.
- Siadwell, (played by John Sparkes) a geeky Welsh poet. (He had appeared previously in the Radio 4 show, Bodgers Banks and Sparkes.)
- Rab C Nesbitt, (played by Gregor Fisher) an alcoholic Glaswegian stereotype who wears a string vest, a pinstripe suit and a grubby headband. He was arguably the most popular character, and also received his own series.
[edit] Writers
Writers for Naked Video included the likes of Harry Enfield, Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Nigel Planer, Helen Lederer, John Sparkes, Steve Coogan, Jennifer Saunders and Rik Mayall.
[edit] Episode Guide
There were 30 episodes made over its 6 year run. Each was 25 mins long, all shown on BBC2
- Series One 12 May-16 June 1986
- Series Two 16 Apr-21 May 1987
- Series Three 19 Jan-23 Feb 1989
- Series Four 29 Sep-3 Nov 1989
- Series Five 14 Oct-18 Nov 1991
[edit] DVD
There are three Naked Video DVD available.
- Series 1 release as of 17 July 2006.
- Series 2 was released on 9th October 2006.
- Series 3 was released on 29th January 2007.
[edit] Reunion
In 2000, the cast were reunited for a theatre show and radio broadcast. [1][2]
[edit] Radio documentary
In 2005, Gerard Kelly presented a documentary in the 'Radio Roots' season on Radio Scotland about the show. It looked at how it "sprouted a generation of TV writing and performing talent". [3]
[edit] References in popular culture
- Ray McCooney, the Scottish hotelier in Little Britain, mentions in one sketch of "watching Naked Video on the television".
[edit] External links
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