Bambi (The Young Ones)

"Bambi" was the seventh episode of British sitcom The Young Ones. It was written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer, and directed by Geoff Posner. It was first aired on BBC2 on 8 May 1984. It is one of the most remembered episodes for its famous University Challenge scene.

Characters

As with all episodes of The Young Ones, the main four characters were student flatmates Mike (Christopher Ryan); Vyvyan (Adrian Edmondson); Rick (Rik Mayall); and Neil (Nigel Planer). Griff Rhys-Jones plays the title character, a parody of real-life University Challenge presenter Bamber Gascoigne, while Jones' partner-in-comedy Mel Smith has a cameo as the security guard. The opposing University Challenge team, from (the fictional) Footlights College, Oxbridge, comprises Lord Monty (Hugh Laurie); Lord Snot (Stephen Fry who had himself appeared on University Challenge while a student at Cambridge); Miss Money-Sterling (Emma Thompson); and Kendal Mintcake (Ben Elton). Alexei Sayle appears briefly as a train driver to deliver his trademark monologue.

Plot

Mike's concern over the quartet's hygiene prompts a first visit to the launderette in almost three years, a decision made all the more urgent, and obvious, by the escape - and subsequent murder - of one of Vyvyan's deadliest socks.

The washing session goes well until one of the washing machines spits out the quartet's putrid clothing and all other machines deny them access. Vyvyan decides to use a "special blend of psychology and extreme violence" to trick one of the machines: he mentions Felicity Kendal's underwear and then forces their laundry into a lustful machine. Unfortunately, the group realises that none of them has the 50 pence pieces required by the machines. Feeling discouraged, they all agree to remain dirty.

Suddenly Neil remembers the housemates are due to appear on University Challenge that very evening to represent Scumbag College. The group's hectic rush to catch the train (while Motörhead plays "Ace of Spades" in their living room) leads to an unsuccessful cross-country train ride, complete with last-ditch swotting from Neil and hissy fits from Rick. Vyvyan claims to have done his homework properly, and tries to show off by having Neil ask him questions from the literature he used, a hefty tome entitled "The Daily Mirror Book of Facts". The answer to both questions Neil asks (The world's record for stuffing marshmallows up one single nostril (604) and World's stickiest bogey is Toxteth O'Grady (USA).

Vyvyan's self-decapitation, having stuck his head out of the window (contrary to written warnings) as the train went into a tunnel, results in a muddy hitch-hike. After two weeks, they finally arrive at the studios, where Vyv tries to smuggle in a pig (which he describes as a ferret named "Bacon Sandwich") as their mascot. They also meet Mike's friend Bambi, the fawn from the Disney classic who is now grown up and has "lost a lot of fur" and is "walking on two legs," as Mike points out. Bambi is the show's host, but refuses Rick's request to let the quartet win.

During the game, their opponents – the well-to-do Footlights college team, from Oxbridge – take a commanding lead, as Neil becomes preoccupied with asking Bambi for permission to go to the toilet. Frustrated at not receiving questions they can answer, an angry Vyvyan obtains a World War II-era German stick grenade and blows up the rival students. Mike's quick answers begin Scumbag College's comeback, much to Vyvyan's dismay (having told Mike some of the answers earlier on the train), before a trick question from Bambi reveals Rick's shenanigans of swapping the question cards.

The affronted audience heckle the group, and begin to hurl items at them. They are suddenly squashed by a gigantic eclair dropped by a medical doctor (Robbie Coltrane), who has been observing the events of the episode as a culture under a microscope. The Doctor then feeds the eclair to Jumbo, his elephant subject, supposedly a horribly disfigured man, a reference to Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man.^[1]

References