History Series / Bottom

Sadly a year later Rik Mayall died aged 56, thus putting an end to any thoughts of a revival for good and leading to a great WhatMightHaveBeen moment in British comedy.

* ChessWithDeath: Parodied when Eddie — as part of a ploy to trick Richie into letting him back into the flat after being kicked out — plays on Richie's recent fortune-teller inspired paranoia about dying by dressing up as Death. Richie challenges him to the standard game of chess, which hits a snag when 'Death' admits he doesn't know the rules. Richie then suggests Cluedo, which hits a snag when 'Death' reveals that he knows perfectly well that Richie always cheats by looking at the mystery cards. They settle on I-Spy, which hits yet another snag when 'Death' betrays an inability to spell.

--> '''Richie:''' That's not cress, it's the yogurt you started during the Gulf war.
--> '''Eddie:''' You could have told me. Might as well finish it.

* BirthdayEpisode: [[{{Recap/BottomAccident}} Accident]], in which Richie repeatedly sings "Happy Birthday to Me".

* IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow: There's a joke like this in practically every episode.

* HorribleHousing: Subverted. Though at first glance their two-bedroom home (at 11 Mafeking Parade, Hammersmith) is rather unsightly and run-down, it's actually quite spacious (occupying two stories above a newsagent) and in reasonable shape, complete with a greenhouse-style kitchen enclosed in glass. (Only in one episode, "Apocalypse," does the flat show any ''real'' sign of dilapidation.) Most of the apartment's ugliness and filth is a byproduct of Richie and Eddie themselves.

* IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine: Christopher Ryan — who played the suave Mike alongside Adrian Edmondson and Creator/RikMayall in ''Series/TheYoungOnes'' — occasionally shows up as Dave Hedgehog. Sadly, Nigel Planer turned down the role of Spudgun, thus denying us a whole cast reunion. (Not to mention reuniting the cast of ''Series/FilthyRichAndCatflap'').

'''Richie''': No, but I know how to ride a bike, so I'm sure I'll pick it up pretty quickly. Just tell me which pieces are mine, which way around the board we go... do we get any money or anything?\\

* OneLiner: A typical sitcom staple, both Richie and Eddie dispense plenty of these during the episodes. It's alwayd played straight until the third series, where the trope is occasionally lampshaded.

'''Eddie''': Right you are. [on the phone] Yes, hello, I'd like to blackmail the Prime Minister... Uhm, Richard Richard!\\

-->'''Eddie:''' ''[tearfully]'' She's not! ''She's not!''

* VitriolicBestBuds: At a glance, ''Bottom'' appears to be playing this trope straight. When the series is at its best, however, ''Bottom'' is able to subvert this trope repeatedly in spectacular fashion, extracting its humour from the darkest depths of human nature. Richie and Eddie don't spend their entire lives together out of choice––they ''need'' each other, and not only are they both aware of their symbiosis, their mutual resentment of it is always bubbling just beneath the surface. Richie and Eddie ''truly despise'' each other, and they delight in causing each other all kinds of pain, anguish, hardship, and trauma––both physical and emotional––at every chance they get. Not only is this the only way they know how to function, the series makes it very clear that this is the life Richie and Eddie both ''deserve'', and quite rightly so.

* StylisticSuck: The stage shows feature [[InvokedTrope deliberately]] terrible plots, stages and props, with both actors often (apparently) forgetting their cues and lines, {{Corpsing}} and BreakingTheFourthWall to insult each other and the audience. These often form [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXLKKYEzjd8 some of the funniest moments in the production.]] Though reportedly the suck wasn't always stylised; in later interviews Edmondson admitted that one of the reasons they eventually stopped during the shows was that Mayall's ability to remember his lines was gradually getting worse, especially after his infamous quad bike accident which resulted in a severe head injury, and this became quite frustrating for both.

-->'''Spudgun:''' I see they've changed the title to ''Emmerdale Farm''. It's just called ''Series/{{Emmerdale}}'' now. Doesn't take so long to read. Gives them a lot more time to do other things. Pack a lot more story in. ''(from "Holy")''

'''Eddie:''' ''[[{{Corpsing}} (Brief struggle to avoid laughing)]]'' Stick with what ''works'', that's my motto!

* StylisticSuck: The stage shows feature deliberately terrible plots, stages and props, with both actors often (apparently) forgetting their cues and lines, {{Corpsing}} and BreakingTheFourthWall to insult each other and the audience. These often form [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXLKKYEzjd8 some of the funniest moments in the production.]] Though reportedly the suck wasn't always stylised; in later interviews Edmondson admitted that one of the reasons they eventually stopped during the shows was that Mayall's ability to remember his lines was gradually getting worse, especially after his infamous quad bike accident which resulted in a severe head injury, and this became quite frustrating for both.

* {{Corpsing}}: Rik Mayall and Ade Edmonson were [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZVkLF7UbR8&feature=player_detailpage#t=390s infamous]] for their corpsing in the ''Bottom Live'' shows. From ''Hooligan's Island'':
-->'''Richie''': Eddie! What on Earth is that?!\\
'''Eddie''': It's a Japanese army Second World War medical kit, in mint condition!\\
'''Richie''': Wow! But Eddie, where on Earth did you--''(turns back to see a door was left swinging open, sporting a Japanese WWII war flag)''\\
''(They both stammer, and after being prompted by Richie, Eddie runs over and slams the door shut while the crowd laughs and cheers. You can actually see tears on Rik's cheeks as he curls into a ball to cover his laughter.)''\\
'''Eddie''': ''(flipping off the crowd while Rik stammers over his next words)'' There was a little mistake there, wasn't there? Did you spot it? Fucking bastards...
** In Bottom Live, Richie reveals that he has decided to commit suicide, but due to the expression on Eddie's face he loses it immediately.
-->'''Richie''': Eddie, now look here! I have some sad and tragic ne-pftftft!!!\\
'''Eddie''': You've got what!?!\\
'''Richie''': (In pain, trying not to laugh) ...Sad... and.. tragic... news...\\
'''Eddie''': I have to say, you were a lot more broken up about it [[BreakingTheFourthWall in rehearsal!]]\\
'''Richie''': (Bright pink in the face, but attempts to turn back to the audience to continue)\\
'''Eddie''': (To the audience) You know, he even made *me* cry!\\
'''Richie''': (Curls up into a ball, tears streaming down his face)

* BolivianArmyEnding: The series habitually goes one step further — the punch is thrown, connects, freeze frame, roll credits. [[spoiler:In the finale of the TV series, this is turned UpToEleven by the pair being surrounded by an SAS squad in their flat who start start firing, bullets connect, blood pops, freeze frame, roll credits.]]

** Spudgun claims to have one. Give him a potato and he'll show you.

-->'''Richie:''' But if they find him, they hide with him! And they snog him! [sees the uncomfortable looks of Eddie, Hedgehog and Spudgun] ...if they're a bird. Which we're not, so we probably won't. Well, why not give it a try... Ahem, no! We won't give it a try!

* CannotTalkToWomen: Richie, who always gives it a try anyway.

'''Eddie''': I have to say, you were a lot more broken up about it in rehersal!