Alexei Sayle's Stuff (BBC-2 1988-1992, Alexei Sayle, Mark Williams)

Comedy. Alexei Sayle is one of the most instantly recognisable TV comics in his trademark agressiveness, ill fitting suit and skinhead crop, which is quite funny really when you consider that he was one of the leading members of the alternative movement of the 1980’s which sought to bring down the old comedy establishment much as Punk had done to the dinosaurs of rock n roll and despite his tendancy to try and involve political comment in much of his humour his brand of surreal and subversive sketch comedy is very funny.

The tone of the series can be judged by the sketches in which the country almost comes to its knees when their is a film critics strike (the army are called out and have to present Film 89) or the one where socialist writers George Bernard Shaw and Bertold Brecht advertise beauty products. Sayle was also supported by a high quality group of co-horts who include Angus Deayton, Mark Williams and the very excellent Tony Millan.