For the uninitiated, The Mighty Boosh is a hilariously quirky sit-com about glam rock punk Vince Noir (Noel Fielding), and his down at heel friend, the jazz maverick Howard Moon (Julian Barratt). Together they have had some absurd adventures, ranging from boxing killer kangaroos, to falling in love with coconuts whilst stranded on a desert island. Along the way, many monstrously memorable characters have been introduced too, such as Naboo the Shaman, Bollo the Gorilla, Old Greg the funky merman and the Hitcher with solo polo vision. If you think this sounds like a mixed bag of the downright bizarre, you'd be absolutely right!
New Series – What To Expect
Anyone who attended the live shows last year was given a sneak preview of what to expect from series number three. The action has been relocated to a second hand shop, which provides a fantastic environment to frame the comedy, and brings to mind parallels with Mr Ben, the classic children's cartoon. Mr Ben would go into a fancy dress shop, try on an outfit and be magically transported to another world where he would have an adventure in character as whatever he had dressed up as. Hopefully this third series of the Boosh will reward us with a similar combination of the magical, the surreal and the downright silly.
How Does it Work?
The beauty of the Boosh is in the creation of a carefully orchestrated land of make-believe. In a single episode an actor might play several roles, and with a supporting cast of regulars that includes fellow comedians Matt Berry, Rich Fulcher and Richard Ayoade, part of the fun is guessing who's who. It's not always easy to spot either, due to the amazing homemade costumes used for each character. These outfits are reminiscent of the creature features of the 1970s; the sort of costumes George Peppard used to appear in as Hannibal in the A-team. There's a certain shoddiness about them, but a knowingly shambolic look is part of The Mighty Boosh's charm.
Where It All Began
The Mighty Boosh was a successful Radio 4 series before transferring to TV. Initially based in a zoo (the Zooniverse) our hapless heroes were provided with the perfect environment to shine. Vince revealed his Mowgli like gift for talking to the animals, whereas Howard was given countless opportunities to make a fool of himself. Like so many icons of situation comedy, Tony Hancock, Basil Fawlty and Rigsby to name but three, Howard Moon is a character constantly caught out by his own self expectations. Never willing to admit failure, he is the perfect comedy foil to heap problems on. The general premise of an episode is thus... Howard wants to prove himself, but he fails miserably, Vince comes to his aid, but Howard refuses his help until, begrudgingly, he is forced to accept it and the episode is resolved.
Come With Us Now On A Journey Through Time And Space
Each episode is punctuated by songs, penned by Barratt, and often features Fielding's surreal animations. It's a beautifully strange comedy experience, quite unlike anything that's gone before it. However, if the Boosh were under the impression that they were merely a cult comedy, this notion was shattered by their hugely successful live tour last year. Fans came to the gigs dressed as their favourite characters from the show, and screamed their support as if the boys were rock gods.
Reference: The Mighty Boosh, series three, first broadcast on British TV, BBC3, 10.30pm, 15th November 2007.
Further Reading: The Mighty Boosh Live Tour - Round-up and review.
Fans of The Mighty Boosh might also enjoy the irreverent humour of Flight of the Conchords. This article about Conchords star Jermaine Clement's offbeat new film may be of interest: Eagle vs Shark Film Review
Michelle Strozykowski - Michelle Strozykowski lives in a small brewing town smack bang in the middle of England. She loves films, especially arty European ones ...
