Whoops Apocalypse: The Complete Apocalypse (Series & Film) (2 Discs)

Andrew Marshall and David Renwick followed up their brilliant sketch show 'End Of Part One' with this witty satire of the Cold War. It is easy to forget now just how close the possibility of mutually assured destruction seemed with sabre rattling on all sides. Reagan denounced Russia as the 'evil empire' ( he can talk. His own country was hardly the focus for all the good in the world ), while Thatcher earned herself the nickname of 'Cold War Maggie' ( later changed to 'The Iron Lady' not because she was iron-strong, but because she couldn't make a speech without referencing the Iron Curtain ). The show had a great cast including Barry Morse as the Reagan-like President Johnny Cyclops, John Barron as his advisor, the Bible-thumping 'The Deacon', John Cleese as the terrorist 'Lacrobat' ( his first television role since 'Basil Fawlty' ), Peter Jones as Labour Prime Minister 'Kevin Pork' ( the writers' predictions were slightly awry. As the Thatcher Government in power at the time was… more »

Andrew Marshall and David Renwick followed up their brilliant sketch show 'End Of Part One' with this witty satire of the Cold War. It is easy to forget now just how close the possibility of mutually assured destruction seemed with sabre rattling on all sides. Reagan denounced Russia as the 'evil empire' ( he can talk. His own country was hardly the focus for all the good in the world ), while Thatcher earned herself the nickname of 'Cold War Maggie' ( later changed to 'The Iron Lady' not because she was iron-strong, but because she couldn't make a speech without referencing the Iron Curtain ). The show had a great cast including Barry Morse as the Reagan-like President Johnny Cyclops, John Barron as his advisor, the Bible-thumping 'The Deacon', John Cleese as the terrorist 'Lacrobat' ( his first television role since 'Basil Fawlty' ), Peter Jones as Labour Prime Minister 'Kevin Pork' ( the writers' predictions were slightly awry. As the Thatcher Government in power at the time was about as popular as piles, they must have assumed that a Labour victory in 1983 was inevitable ). Pork thinks he is 'Superman'. Which is not far off what Thatcher thought of herself at the time. Richard Griffiths is the Soviet Premier 'Dubienko' ( in a running gag, he keeps dropping dead and being replaced by robot lookalikes! ). Best of all is Ed Bishop as U.S. newsreader 'Jay Garrick' popping up with spoof headlines. The show was criticised at the time for making fun of nuclear war, but there is nothing crass and funny about the ending. I joined C.N.D. shortly after the series went out. The D.V.D. comes with the film version, which is okay ( Loretta Swit and Peter Cook starred ) but the series outclasses it. Young people interested in the '80's owe it to themselves to buy it.