The Young Ones is a batshit insane and anarchic comedy with a few unfortunate flaws that make it a little more dull than it should be at times.

The show is at its best when it follows Rick, Vyvyan and Neil's slapstick sharehouse antics cut between surreal non sequitur skits, but unfortunately the other two regulars don't fit very well into this format in my opinion. Mike acting as the de facto leader/cool guy/ladies man/straight man is just played too normal for my tastes, it's like he belongs in some other tacky sitcom of the time, perhaps something less punk. That being said, in the second season he is depicted a little more stupid and desperate and a little less Fonzie in order to fit in with the other characters. My biggest issue is Alexei Sayle, who steals the spotlight every episode for uninterrupted nonsense standup that feels totally improvised and extremely unfunny. I wouldn't mind his inclusion if it were lessened but it feels a bit like a clash of egos prevented him from remaining a side character. I much prefer the cutaway gags featuring guest stars to fill this kind of role.
In essence, I feel like the episodes drag on a bit long at over 30 minutes, and frankly I think if the 10 minutes that Sayle and Ryan take up were cut from each episode it would be a nearly flawless show.


I don't mean to rag on it too much, Young Ones does hold a special place in my heart and still brings me a lot of laughs. A lot of praise has been sung for this show and I definitely agree with it. I like it, and I appreciate its Monty Python-style legacy for British sitcoms. It's just a shame to remember that there's always at least one point in each episode where I get bored.