[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_steam_video_company.jpg]]

''The Steam Video Company'' was a 1984 comedy series produced by Thames Television for ITV written by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick.

The six episode series was a low budget spoof of the horror genre, intermingled with spoofs on contemporary television programmes, such as ''Nationwide''. The programmes starred the same repertory cast of comic actors in a variety of roles. The cast included: William Franklyn, Barry Cryer, Creator/AnnaDawson, Bob Todd, Creator/MadelineSmith, and Jimmy Mulville. The title is thought to be a reference to 'the golden age of steam railways', with the 'steam video' apparently a spoof on the multitude of low-budget horror and exploitation films available during the early days of the British home video boom.

Falling between the plot-driven nuclear insanity of ''Series/WhoopsApocalypse'' and the newspaper satire of ''Series/HotMetal'', it looks as if the writers were letting their hair down and just having fun with this series.

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!!''The Steam Video Company'' contains examples of:

* BritishBrevity: The entire series consists of six episodes.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Unless somebody can persuade Network DVD, which released the other two series mentioned above, to issue this one as well.
* PaperThinDisguise: A RunningJoke as every week an exasperated cast member would express dismay at the shoddiness of Bob Todd's disguise.
* ThrowThePin: A a variation where a soldier pulls the pin on a grenade then opens a can of Coke, throws the can and puts the grenade to his mouth.
* VisualPun: From the third episode, we get this exchange.
-->'''Waiter:''' There's a queue outside for the alphabet soup.
-->'''Chef:''' Bring them in!
-->''(waiter brings gigantic Q over)''
-->'''Chef:''' Oh, jolly good. ''(puts it in a saucepan -- music starts)'' Ah! It was a Q for a song!
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