A Kick Up The Eighties

Best remembered for giving early exposure to the still little-known Rik Mayall, A Kick Up the Eighties had little other connection to the alternative comedy boom. The series' roots were much older, its format lifted from '60s satirical show The Frost Report (BBC, 1966-67), with former Nationwide (BBC, 1969-84) presenter and humorist Richard Stilgoe in the David Frost role. Each edition featured a series of sketches around a particular social theme (work, death, sex, television), threaded togeth…