Gas (Bottom episode)
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| Bottom episode | |
|---|---|
| “Gas” | |
| Episode no. | Series One Episode 002 |
| Writer(s) | Ade Edmondson & Rik Mayall |
| Producer | Ed Bye |
| Director | Ed Bye |
| Original broadcast | September 24, 1991 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| “Smells” | “Contest” |
Gas is the second episode of the first series of British sitcom Bottom. It was first broadcast on Tuesday September 24, 1991.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
After nearly killing the Gas Man, Richie and Eddie must remove an illegal gas connection without disturbing their violent neighbour.
[edit] Plot
The episode begins with Richie and Eddie operating several gas-fuelled household appliances in their very warm flat. It is revealed that their gas meter is not attached to their pipe, but to another illegal pipe. There is a knock at the door, which Richie answers. He is distressed to find it is the gas man, who informs him that someone in the street has been complaining of an unusually large gas bill. While Richie distracts the gas man, Eddie tears out the illegal gas pipe out and hides it.
The gas man comes in and reads the meter, despite Eddie and Richie's attempts to stop him. He is puzzled as to why the meter reads zero. Richie and Eddie attempt to convince him that they do not use gas and they do not know what it is. They attempt to stall him so that he will clock off before he has a chance to inspect next door's meter - where they have set up an illegal gas connection to steal gas (Such as threateningly offering him a cup of tea, 'the best tea in London', which is actually cold as they fail to convince the gasman that they can still successfully make a nice hot cup of tea without the use of gas). When their stalling tactics fail, Richie repeatedly punches the gasman & Eddie beats him to death with a frying pan. Realising what they have done, they attempt to dispose of the body - hiding it under the carpet, trying to eat it and finally, trying to stick it on top of a passing bus (writing in his log that he was pursuing his hobby of "bus surfing"). Before they have a chance to throw him out of the window the gas man comes around, and they send him on his way while still very disorientated.
They then attempt to get into their neighbour's house, the problem being, Mr. Rottweiler is an angry and hostile man who loathes Richie and Eddie. To make matters worse, he is in love and under no circumstances does he want to be disturbed. Unable to simply walk in, Richie and Eddie must break through the connection wall with a sledgehammer, accidentally entering Rottweilers bedroom where he and his girlfriend are sleeping. Eddie goes to the kitchen to remove the gas-pipe, while Richie stays in the bedroom attempting to clean up the rubble and taking photographs of Rottweiler's girlfriend. Meanwhile, Eddie becomes distracted eating all of Rottweiler's food.
Having polished off the contents of the fridge, Eddie sets about his work. However, tearing down the pipe causes a great deal of gas to leak into the kitchen. In the bedroom, Richie hears a large explosion and runs into the now destroyed kitchen, where a badly burnt Eddie claims he had simply attempted to "burn off" the excess gas. They attempt to escape out of the front door, but are confronted by the confused but seemingly recovered gas-man. They then escape through the hole in the bedroom wall.
Having discovered his kitchen in ruins, Rottweiler is informed by the gas man that Richie and Eddie have been in his house. The episode ends with Rottweiler breaking through the wall and choking his neighbours.
[edit] Notes
- Mayall had previously starred alongside Brian Glover in An American Werewolf in London
- The screeching noise of Richie moving Rottweiler's chest of draws is re-used in "Dough" as Richie opens the jar of olives.
- The same noise is used when Eddie is giving Richie a Chinese burn and when Eddie is disconnecting the illegal gas pipe in Rottweilers house.
[edit] Continuity and Production Errors
- When Eddie is hitting the gas man over the head, he hands the frying pan to the gasman, but in the next shot it is back in his hand.
- When Eddie hands the frying pan to the unconscious gas man, the gas man grips onto the pan, even though he's supposed to be knocked out.
- When Eddie & Richie try to stop the gasman from leaving by beating him to death, he seemingly tips his tea down the sink, then his mug disappears.
- The gasman could never be thrown out of the window because he still has the fork firmly stuck in his crotch.
