An Introduction To: Reeves and Mortimer

“Paul and Tony Baron”
Bang Bang, It’s Reeves And Mortimer

As the 1990s reached their conclusion, Reeves and Mortimer began working with a variety of different styles and formats. There was one more sketch-based series, 1999’s Bang Bang, It’s Reeves and Mortimer. This series was very similar in format to The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, but less successful in terms of audience, only lasting six episodes. It did, however, produce some of the pair’s finest work.

Sketches included an ongoing mock fly-on-the-wall documentary called “The Club,” featuring several of the pair’s most bizarre characters, some of whom would later feature in their 2004 “comedy-drama” series, Catterick. There was an attempt at a new panel quiz show, Families At War, which seemed to strive for more of a family-friendly mainstream audience, slightly cutting back on the pair’s trademark style of humor, removing the celebrity element, and ultimately ending up being far less successful than Shooting Stars.

They also took starring roles in a revival of the classic cult show Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), alongside former Doctor Who star Tom Baker. But towards the middle of the 2000s, they started working together less frequently, and began taking on solo projects. Vic Reeves presented a few documentary TV shows and a radio series by himself, while Mortimer hosted a relatively conventional panel show on his own.

Influences on the humor of Reeves and Mortimer are unsurprisingly difficult to pinpoint in any definitive sense. One of the most often suggested sources is the classic double act Morcambe and Wise. Morcambe and Wise were arguably the UK’s biggest TV stars at a certain point, their 1970s Christmas specials in particular reaching record audiences and establishing them as something of a cultural institution in Britain. Elements of their comedy are undeniably present in Reeves and Mortimer—song and dance, physical “slapstick” comedy, and occasional random silliness. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer also bear an at least passing physical resemblance to Eric Morcambe and Ernie Wise, respectively. But the comedy of Morcambe and Wise was much more traditional, making heavy use of Ernie Wise as a “straight man” (which, when present in Reeves and Mortimer’s work, is an interchangeable role) and rarely employing the kind of surreal element which Reeves and Mortimer use so frequently.

The anarchic style of Monty Python is also present, although it’s difficult to imagine any UK comedy act of the last 40 years which hasn’t felt some of their influence. Ultimately, no single influence really sums up the comedy of Reeves and Mortimer. Their gags can be at times silly, stupid, bizarre, or even as conventional as anything Abbott and Costello did. The one word that might best describe their material is “unfiltered.” There are many hits and misses in their comedy, and for the uninitiated it’s definitely a case where the “you’ll either love them or hate them” cliché applies. It’s clear that their comedy was made based primarily on what makes them laugh, as opposed to what they might have imagined most popular with an audience. They have this in common with most worthwhile creative endeavors.

Reeves and Mortimer, 2008

Presently, there seems to be something of a Reeves and Mortimer comeback in progress. They reunited for a 2008 Shooting Stars Christmas special, which led to an all-new series of the show that aired only months ago. There are rumors of further series, including a sitcom and possibly another sketch-based show. While they remain in something of a unique category from the rest of the comedy world, their influence can be seen in flashes of some more recent shows, such as The Mighty Boosh, or the very recent We Are Klang.

Regardless of what the future brings, Reeves and Mortimer have established themselves as a unique landmark on the landscape of British comedy. If all goes well, at the very least, their comedy should be keeping people very confused for many years to come.

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