“It just isn’t on - these documents will never pass. Look at this: ‘Please let this man through’, signed Hitler. I mean, really...”

Running for two series in the early 1980s, Alfresco was the same quickfi re combination of anarchic sketches and musical items that made Not the Nine O’Clock News, The Two Ronnies and Monty Python’s Flying Circus so successful. Featuring six young comedians who were destined to become household names within a few years of its transmission, Alfresco starred Ben Elton (who did the bulk of the writing), Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane and Siobhan Redmond. Alfresco set the seeds for future shows like A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Ben Elton’s The Man from Auntie and Saturday Live.

Everything was fair game and a target for their humour - chat shows, effeminacy, British WWII films, Shakespeare and private health care, to name a few. So, whether you’re interested in seeing Ben Elton looking young enough to still be in school, a radical examination of Peterborough’s arts scene or the blistering sight of Hugh Laurie dancing to the theme tune of Tales of the Unexpected, this DVD is for you!

Special Feature:

There’s Nothing to Worry About! - all three episodes of the Granada region-only prequel series.