Britainology 6: Carry On Films (Based Anglovibes)

hopefully moonraker (1979) eased the loss of the horny british film set in space … and if you’re still planning a post-punk episode (!), please include This Heat https://thisheat.bandcamp.com/album/deceit-2

If we're talking insane British game shows from the 1970's try explaining 3-2-1 I'm convinced the handful of episodes I saw were fever dreams.

When I lived in the UK I would watch re-runs of 'Crystal Maze' hosted by Richard O'Brien with utter fascination. That era of 90s TV (maybe bleeding into the early 00s) was just before my time but seemed to contain mysteries about the popular culture I could never quite understand. Maybe also Bo Selecta is in there, something I find compelling but cannot quite get.

I would love to listen to an episode charting the singular cultural contributions of Mr Danny Dyer. If a faux-film gangster discovering he's vaguely related to royalty and using that springboard to reinvent himself as Dad of the Year 2018, an Eastenders' staple AND spend Saturday shouting "BAWS" at a 'waw' isn't British class culture at its' finest and most inbred, I just don't know what is.

Small episode suggestions from me: 1. Edinburgh Fringe festival and how weirdly into it everyone is (never go to the royal mile in August. You'll be trapped forever. 2. Comedies that got remade for US audiences. E.G The office, I.T. Crowd, shameless etc. and looking at why it does or doesn't work. 3. That weird moment in 2008 where Doctor Who, Sherlock and Harry Potter were peek British. 4. Glasgow. I hope those work for the show format. Been enjoying all the episodes!

Question from the colonies. "You couldn't make X movie today" is normally nonsense but is it true for 'Carry On Up the Khyber'? Could you mock the British Army that much? Or the Blitz? I think that would be about the same time span.

Squaddies, when I lived in England I was baffled by how much everyone in the pub I worked in hated them but put up with their shit.

Brit-pop and cool Brittania? Weird shit that happens in the countryside? WASSAIL!

A panto episode would be awesome.

There is honestly a bottomless pit of possibilities with this series.

100% need an episode on Top Gear and middle class fash car dads

An episode on Britain’s deeply cursed views of Ireland/Irish people and general ignorance about Northern Ireland would be a fascinating listen. Some deep psychology going on there for sure. Topical too with Brexit around the corner.

An episode on the North would be great

UK Garage and People Just Do Nothing would be such a good episode.

I’d love an Ab-Fab episode

I'd love to hear an episode about Brits Abroad and the cursed enclaves they tend to set up and hunker down in. Also this may be a little smaller but I'd enjoy an episode about Spaced and/or the Cornetto Trilogy featuring Simon Pegg which I have always felt had intense British energy.

brirish American Pie?

shit is this where the 'keep calm and carry on' thing came from? (asking from one of the colonies)

My tips would be any of: 1) Falklands, 2) Brits on holiday/abroad, 3) UK Cuisine, 4) batshit Unionists and Republicans in Northern Ireland (maybe need a special guest with local knowledge?)

"Half man half biscuit" awakened some deeply cursed and buried memories of songs about blue disability parking badges

I would love an episode on regional British foods (Cornish Pasties, Deep Fried Mars Bars, Parmos, Wigan Kebabs etc) Though that could be a series all on its own.

Please can we get a Madchester episode - as a Salfordian born and raised, Manchester has a serious geezer problem that afflicts only that pocket of the north.

I will personally volunteer to do a Westcountry episode, because I would enjoy showcasing all the cursed aspects of life in Cornwall & Devon. We've got Q Anon aligned farmers, lib Dem surfer guys, mullets, business scammers, "lest we forget" flags & sculptures everywhere, and Drum & Bass parties on Dartmoor. Being a musician & general nerd, I've got my own audio equipment, so just say the word, 😁 Otherwise I'm 100% for a Post Punk episode. I've been listening to Throbbing Gristle, Gang of Four & Joy Division a lot recently, so hook it to my veins! 😆

I agree on the porn thing, too. British porn is uniquely cursed & depressing. It just oozes this kind of bleakness as you see multiple tired silicon enhanced people over describe what they're doing (to the point of essentially talking about bowels movements 😲) while shunting away at it in a dogshit country house somewhere. 🙄 It's why I'm surprised stuff like Fake Taxi is as popular as it is (who is even watching it, like seriously?). It's also convinced me that cockney is the least sexy & most irritating accent in the whole country. Nothing kills the mood more than someone saying "cheeky" in a nasal cockney voice 😆 Only silver lining is Alexxa Vice being a comrade.

Just googled "David Baddiel blackface", & was genuinely horrified. That motherfucker can never lecture anyone on race when this is the shit he does. Everyone should just tweet those pics at him from now on, every time he acts up.

Another vote for the Falklands. The reaction to the death of Princess Diana is a must too, as I’m pretty sure it’s the point the UK became totally unmoored from reality and started its transition into Normal Island ™

Literally every idea listed at the end of this would be great. Of all of them though: Falklands and UK Jungle

Great stuff. Unfortunately, about half way through, I started to hear everything as double entendre. Once you've heard come across Jim Davidson, it can't be unheard. On that subject, I would not downplay how unbelievably, brutally racist British comedy off the TV was even until the 80s. My Britainology pitch would be Games Workshop. A bit specialised maybe but it has everything - how shit the 80s were, class politics on all kinds of levels, weird attitudes to sex, levels of irony totally lost on foreigners and the bulk of the audience, an accidentally massively influential intellectual property squandered by British mismanagement and vicious copyright lawyers, and even a recent line go up stock market renaissance.

Falklands war would be a great episode. In addition I think an episode on British holidays through the specific kind of shit British seaside resort/town would be cool. So like Butlins/Pontins and places like Weston-super-Mare.

I remember walking up Snowden on a school trip to Wales and passing some of the sets left behind from the filming of the Khyber Pass for this movie

The part about the kilts kinda reminded me of the premise of Terry Pratchett's Monsterous Regiment

would honestly love a reverse britainology where milo watches blazing saddles

+1 for Falkland Islands war next.

Milo pronounces "double entendre" as "dooble entendre" about a dozen times in this - is that a Cockney thing?

I subbed for this series and I'd love to hear Falklands war next!

I actually subscribed specifically to hear the Dave Courtney episode, so keep going. I'd really like one on Viz comics.

Really enjoying this. I'd seen the Mitchell and Webb horny hospital sketch before, and this provides helpful context. I'd love to hear a Falklands War episode at some point. My knowledge of it doesn't really go beyond that one gag on The Simpsons and an Argentinian propaganda cartoon subtitled by an obnoxious Brit who keeps editorializing.

The best Carry On gag was from "Carry on Cleo" when Caesar (Kenneth Williams) becomes aware of the plot against him and says "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in infamy!"