Adrian Edmondson celebrates classic Rik Mayall comedy in Bottom: Exposed doc
The two-hour documentary will air later this year on Gold.
UKTV channel Gold has announced that it will air a two-hour documentary celebrating Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall’s much-loved sitcom Bottom.
The one-off documentary, called Bottom: Exposed, will air later this year, and will be narrated by Stephen Fry. It will see co-creator and star Edmondson giving his first-hand account of making the show with Mayall, while other contributors will include the show's cast, crew and famous fans.
Those speaking to the programme about Bottom's impact on the sitcom genre will be producer and series director Ed Bye, former cast members Helen Lederer, Kevin McNally, Roger Sloman, Lisa Maxwell and Paul Bradley, and famous fans such as Chris McCausland and Maisie Adam.
Edmondson said: "A long time ago, deep in the mists of time, two blokes – I was one of them, Rik Mayall was the other – decided to make a career out of beating the s**t out of each other.
"It was a tempestuous, an anarchic and occasionally quite a dangerous time – we both required hospital treatment on occasion – but above all, it was bloody good fun.
He continued: "We made each other laugh, and luckily for us, we made audiences laugh. This programme seeks to get to the bottom of why it worked."
The documentary will also uncover behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of Bottom which has never been broadcast, and include exclusive stories from the set.
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Senior commissioning editor for comedy and entertainment at UKTV, Jason Dawson, said: "We are delighted to be working with Studio Crook and Adrian Edmondson to commemorate this inimitable series with a brand-new documentary.
"With reams of unseen footage and contributions from beloved alumni and famous fans, audiences are in for a treat."
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When the documentary arrives, The Bottom boxset will also be available to stream in full on Sky, Virgin and NOW.
Bottom originally ran for three series between 1991 and 1995, and focused on Mayall's Richard 'Richie' Richard and Edmondson's Edward Elizabeth 'Eddie' Hitler, two flatmates living in London.
Bottom: Exposed will air on Gold later this year. Looking for something else to watch? Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
