Comedy channel Gold will celebrate Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall’s much-loved sitcom Bottom with a brand new retrospective special…
In Bottom: Exposed, Gold delves deep into the story behind the sitcom, which spanned eighteen episodes across three series from 1991 to 1995, as well as five sell-out stage shows. Co-creator and star Adrian Edmondson will give his first-hand account of making the hit show with the late, great Rik Mayall, alongside contributions from a host of the show’s cast, crew and famous fans, plus narration from Stephen Fry.
Adrian Edmondson:
“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*** 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. 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 one-off two hours feature will explore the show from its anarchic production to its enormous success both on screen and on stage, right through to its legacy and the relationship between Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall at its centre. Bottom: Exposed will also uncover a treasure-trove of rarities giving a unique behind-the-scenes insight into Bottom, with footage that has never been broadcast and exclusive stories from the set.
Producer and series director Ed Bye, former Bottom cast members Helen Lederer, Kevin McNally, Roger Sloman, Lisa Maxwell and Paul Bradley, and famous fans such as Alexei Sayle, Chris McCausland and Maisie Adam will reflect on the show and its monumental impact on the sitcom genre.
Jason Dawson, commissioning executive, UKTV:
“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.”
Bottom: Exposed will air on Gold later this year. The Bottom boxset will also be available on Sky, Virgin and NOW.
