Gas (Bottom)

"Gas" is the second episode of the first series of British sitcom Bottom. It was first broadcast on Tuesday 24 September 1991.^[1]

Synopsis

After nearly killing the Gas Man, Richie and Eddie must remove an illegal gas connection from next door without disturbing their violent neighbour.^[2]

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 illegally to another pipe. There is a knock at the door, which Richie answers. He is distressed to find it is the gas man (Mark Lambert), who informs him that someone in the street has been complaining of an unusually large gas bill. While Richie distracts the gas man causing him to think Richie is insane, Eddie turns off the gas.

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 don't use gas—they don't even know what it is! They attempt to stall him (including 'making' tea using cold water) so he'll clock off before he has a chance to inspect next door's meter - where they have set up an illegal connection to steal gas. When their stalling tactics fail, Richie repeatedly punches the gas man and 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 trying to throw 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 the window, the gas man comes around, and they send him on his way while he's still very disorientated.

They then attempt to get into their neighbour's house. The problem: Mr. Rottweiler (Brian Glover) is an angry, 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. Aiming for the kitchen, they fail and accidentally enter Rottweiler's bedroom where he and his girlfriend (Gabi Valenti) 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 flat. The episode ends with Rottweiler breaking through the wall and choking his neighbours.

Continuity and Production Errors

It is often referenced, mainly in the stage shows, that Eddie is unable to read or write. However, in this episode, he is shown writing his version of the Gas man's activities for that day in the Gas man's pocket book. (No problem with the meter in this flat. Don't check for another 300 years...etc.)

When Richie is in Mr Rottweiler's bedroom, he lifts up the duvet to have a glance at his neighbour's sleeping girlfriend. When the camera switches to his astonished face his hair is brushed much further back than it was in the immediately preceding shot.

The gas man also seemingly visits Mr Rottweiler's flat in the middle of the night to read his meter, unless Richie and Eddie spend around seventeen hours there, although this may be a reference to the confusion caused by his head injury.

When Eddie puts the frying pan in the Gas Man's hand, the Gas Man's hand slightly moves.

A few seconds later the pan is back in Eddie's hand as he clouts Richie round the head while telling him to calm down.

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Gas

• "Gas" at BBC Programmes
• "Gas" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Gas" at TV.com