History Series / Absolutely1989

* CatchPhrase: Surprisingly for a character-based sketch show, they were largely avoided. Exceptions included Morwenna Banks' 'Little Girl' who started every monologue with 'Yes I do know what is a.....[theme of the sketch]" and ended with 'Yes it is....it's true!!!!"

''Absolutely'' is a British SketchShow which ran between 1989 and 1993. It owed something of its style to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' (consisting of six writer/performers, weird animation sequences and sketches running into each other), but relied more on recurring characters than the Creator/MontyPython team did. Although it was never a particular ratings winner, it is still fondly remembered and can, in retrospect, be seen as a forerunner to similar character-based sketch shows such as ''Series/TheFastShow'' and ''Series/LittleBritain''. The six performers were the Scottish Jack Docherty, Gordon Kennedy, Moray Hunter and Peter Baikie, with the Welsh John Sparkes and the Cornish Morwenna Banks.

* [=MacGlashan=] - a rabid Scots nationalist (played by Jack Docherty). A spin-off pilot (called “Mac”) was made, but the series wasn’t picked up. The pilot can be found [[https://youtu.be/txHQJyQKNok here]].

''Absolutely'' is a British SketchShow which ran between 1989 and 1993. It owed something of its style to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' (consisting of six writer/performers, weird animation sequences and sketches running into each other), but relied more on recurring characters than the Creator/MontyPython team did. Although it was never a particular ratings winner, it is still fondly remembered and can, in retrospect, be seen as a forerunner to similar character-based sketch shows such as ''Series/TheFastShow'' and ''Series/LittleBritain''. The six performers were the Scottish Jack Docherty, Gordon Kennedy, Moray Hunter and Peter Baikie, with the Welsh John Sparkes and the (honorary Celt) Cornish Morwenna Banks.

* [=MacGlashan=] - a rabid Scots nationalist (played by Jack Docherty)

* Calum Gilhooley - Introduced as 'the most boring man in Scotland' (played by Moray Hunter). In the first series he would always annoy his neighbour about his love for anoraks and Honda motorbikes, before pestering everyone else he spoke to in later series

Recurring characters included;

Absolutely is a British SketchShow which ran between 1989 and 1993. It owed something of its style to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' (consisting of six writer/performers, weird animation sequences and sketches running into each other), but relied more on recurring characters than the Creator/MontyPython team did. Although it was never a particular ratings winner, it is still fondly remembered and can, in retrospect, be seen as a forerunner to similar character-based sketch shows such as ''Series/TheFastShow'' and ''Series/LittleBritain''. The six performers were the Scottish Jack Docherty, Gordon Kennedy, Moray Hunter and Peter Baikie, with the Welsh John Sparkes and the (honorary Celt) Cornish Morwenna Banks.

Absolutely is a British SketchShow which ran between 1989 and 1993. It owed something of its style to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' (consisting of six writer/performers, weird animation sequences and sketches running into each other), but relied more on recurring characters than the Creator/MontyPython team did. Although it was never a particular ratings winner, it is still fondly remembered by most people who saw it and can, in retrospect, be seen as a forerunner to similar character based sketch shows such as ''Series/TheFastShow'' and ''Series/LittleBritain''. The six performers were the Scottish Jack Docherty, Gordon Kennedy, Moray Hunter and Peter Baikie, with the Welsh John Sparkes and the (honorary Celt) cornish Morwenna Banks.

* The Nice Family - Ridiculously bland and beige lower-middle class family; ruled by Dochertys strangely-accented patriarch, to whom being Sensible and Tidy are the highest virtues, and consisting of Eldest Son (Sparkes), Daughter (Banks), the Twins (Hunter and Baikie), and Mother (played by Gordon Kennedy [[TheFaceless with his back to the camera at all times]])
* Stoneybridge Town Council - A gaggle of squeaky-voiced Scots (played by the whole cast), running a small town whose only point of any interest is its eponymous stone bridge. A parody of the outsized self-importance of parochial politics, with most sketches revolving around the over-ambitious schemes of megalomanicial council chairman Brucie (Kennedy) for the town to host the Olympics, declare itself a sovereign nation, etc.

* AuthorFilibuster: In-universe. [=MacGlashan=] is spectacularly unsuccesful as a writer, largely because everything he writes is an excuse to have a go at the English.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: Quite often used, but a particularly strong example was used at the end of Series three which featured a character in a sketch whose false beard comes loose..he then confesses that he is just a character in a sketch wearing a costume. This is followed by a montage of all the characters in that episode removing their costumes.

** The middle-class Peter & Jennifer Wells whenever they try anything involved with a charity (for example, joining Amnesty International and complaining about getting involved with the ANC).

* DrivingADesk: Parodied in the sketch where the Nice Family go out for a picnic. In the interior shot of the car, Father constantly wrenches the steering wheel back and forth in the usual manner while the back projection remains straight - Then in an exterior location shot of the car, it's weaving from side to side right across the road.

* JustAStupidAccent: The accent and lyrical languge of Braid Scots turns out to be Gordon Kennedy saying a few key phrases ('Oh, it cannot be') in a totally exaggerated Scottish accent.

* LoveDodecahedron: One sketch featured this with a group of Bohemian characters attending the funeral of a companion. So involved are all their relationships that even they have forgotten who was supoosed to be married to whom and who slept with whom.

* ReunionShow: The cast (minus Docherty due to schedule conflicts) got together in 2013 to perform a mixture of new and old sketches for the [=BBC=] radio show ''Sketchorama''. The passage of time was lampshaded in the opening sketch, with Brucie announcing that the Stoneybridge Town Council Annual meeting was "The first one for twenty years. Owing to... a reason."
* TheTalk: The Nice family children receive this from their father. The entire conversation is at cross purposes, with him advising them on jobs and pensions, whilst they ask about flagellation and reveal they've all had sex with Derek the Scoutmaster. At the end, Father, who does not appear to have been hearing his children at all, stands up and announces to the camera:

* ToiletHumour: Literally with John Sparke's 'Frank Hovis' who delivered a monologue from a toilet seat, largely about his problems with various lavatorial functions.
* WhatKindofLamePowerIsHeartAnyway?: 'Schedule D Man' - who has the power to get his tax returns in on time.

Absolutely is a British SketchShow which ran between 1989 and 1993. It owed something of its style to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' (consisting of six writer/performers, weird animation sequences and sketches running into each other), but relied more on recurring characters than the Creator/MontyPython team did. Although it was never a particular ratings winner, it is still fondly remembered by most people who saw it and can, in retrospect, be seen as a forerunner to similar character based sketch shows such as the Fast Show and Little Britain. The six performers were the Scottish Jack Docherty, Gordon Kennedy, Moray Hunter and Peter Baikie, with the Welsh John Sparkes and the (honorary Celt) cornish Morwenna Banks.

* IsThisThingStillOn: After one Calum Gilhooley sketch 'ends', MichaelGrade (then chief executive of Channel 4) enters the set to show some gormless [=VIPs=] around. After Moray and Jack are forced to make awkward small talk until the [=VIPs=] leave:

-->'''[=McMinn=]:''' Oh yes, 'Traveller in Time', markedly different - Scotsman invents a time machine, travels back to 1965 and shoots [[TheWorldCup Geoff Hurst]].

* CloudCuckooLander: Don & George
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: The middle-class Peter & Jennifer Wells whenever they try anything involved with a charity (for example, joining Amnesty International and complaining about getting involved with the ANC).

* HoYay: Oh so much with Don & George
---> "What will we do if we want to take a bath?"
---> "What we normally do. You take the tap end and I..."
---> [[BreakingTheFourthWall (To the audience)]] "Don't listen to him, he's lying"

-->'''Sparkes:''' "Listen! You can do anything you want as long as you've got a parting!"
-->'''Docherty:''' "You can murder your wife!"
-->'''Sparkes:''' "You can eat ''babies''!"
-->'''Docherty:''' "Just as long as you've got a parting!"

-->'''Docherty:''' "Okay, he may have started World War Two. He may have been responsible for the Holocaust. BUT YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN HIM HOME TO MEET YOUR PARENTS!"

* BerserkButton: The English for MacGlashan (especially English sports presenters for some reason).

* CatchPhrase: Surprisingly for a character-based sketch show, they were largely avoided. Exceptions included Morwenna Banks' 'Little Girl' who started every monologue with 'Yes I do know what is a.....[theme of the sketch" and ended with 'Yes it is....it's true!!!!"

Absolutely is a British SketchShow which ran between 1989 and 1993. It owed something of its style to ''MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' (consisting of six writer/performers, weird animation sequences and sketches running into each other), but relied more on recurring characters than the MontyPython team did. Although it was never a particular ratings winner, it is still fondly remembered by most people who saw it and can, in retrospect, be seen as a forerunner to similar character based sketch shows such as the Fast Show and Little Britain. The six performers were the Scottish Jack Docherty, Gordon Kennedy, Moray Hunter and Peter Baikie, with the Welsh John Sparkes and the (honorary Celt) cornish Morwenna Banks.

* Bert Bastard - Highly unsavoury yet strangely sympathetic [[DirtyOldMan dirty old man]], played by Sparkes and based largely on his experiences working as a carer for the elderly

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: The middle-class Peter & Jennifer Wells whenever they try anything involved with a charity (for example, joining Amnesty International and complaining about getting involved with the ANC).

* DependingOnTheWriter: The Don & George sketches were written either by Jack Docherty or Moray Hunter separately. The writers have commented on how you can tell which is which (Jack's sketches were all about weird situations, Moray's sketches were streams of jokes).