Bottom

Richie Richard (socially awkward, sexually inexperienced) and Eddie Hitler (carefree alcoholic ) are two social outcasts living on the dole. Trapped together in a squalid flat in Hammersmith, London they are perpetually skint, bored and sexually frustrated. They spend their days scheming, bickering, and being nasty and sadistic to each other.

Bottom (1991-1995) is a British dark comedy series created by Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson for BBC Two. Rik Mayall plays Richie Richard, a socially awkward, sexually inexperienced would-be actor, and Adrian Edmondson plays Eddie Hitler, a carefree alcoholic. The two are social outcasts living on the dole in a squalid flat in Hammersmith, London, perpetually broke, bored and frustrated. Their engine is the constant scheming for money, sex and small comforts, and every episode is built from petty scams, failed schemes and bickering that quickly turns cruel and sadistic. The show runs three seasons of six episodes each, a compact run in which the central pair's relationship is the whole story. Its slapstick is anarchic and violent, and it frequently breaks the fourth wall, drawing on the alternative comedy tradition that Mayall and Edmondson helped establish. The tone is abrasive, bleak and absurd, with a grubby 1990s British working class atmosphere. Fans of The Young Ones, Father Ted and Peep Show will find resonance in its cringe comedy, its chaotic flatmate dynamic and its unapologetically nasty humor.

Viewers broadly acclaim the show as a fiercely anarchic, sharply written comedy whose two leads' venomous chemistry makes its cruelty and squalor consistently funny.

• The Young Onesshared dark anarchic slapstick, bickering flatmate dynamic, transgressive working class absurdism
• Father Tedshared chaotic cringe comedy, abrasive characters trapped in squalid domestic settings, nihilistic humor
• Peep Showshared mean spirited buddy comedy, two flawed men scheming against each other, bleak sexual frustration humor

Created by

Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson

Release Date

1991-09-17

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

8.3 / 10 (151)

What is Bottom about?

Two broke, sexually frustrated outcasts trapped in a squalid London flat spend their days scheming and tormenting each other.

What is Bottom like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bottom as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.

Is Bottom violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Bottom as moderate.

What did critics think of Bottom?

Viewers broadly acclaim the show as a fiercely anarchic, sharply written comedy whose two leads' venomous chemistry makes its cruelty and squalor consistently funny.

Which shows are like Bottom?

Shows with a similar feel include The Young Ones, Father Ted, and Peep Show.

How long is Bottom?

Bottom: 3 seasons, 18 episodes.

Is Bottom still running?

No, Bottom has ended.

Where can I watch Bottom?

In United States, Bottom streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.