Line #6 Series/UpPompeii


1	[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pompeii21.jpg]]
2
3	[[TheSeventies 1970s]] British {{sitcom}} ostensibly about the humorous misadventures of a Roman slave, Lurcio, before Vesuvius erupted. In reality, it was merely a vehicle for comedian and actor Creator/FrankieHowerd, who would frequently drop out of character to speak to the audience and complain about the quality of the scripts, plots, acting and even the audience themselves.
4
5	Based on ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'', itself based on the Roman comedies of Plautus and Terence, which were in turn based on the Greek New Comedy of Menander.
6
7	The series got a film adaptation in 1971. The film was followed by two sequels, ''Film/UpTheChastityBelt'' and ''Film/UpTheFront'', which also starred Howerd and relocated the setting to Medieval England and World War I France respectively.
8	----
9	!!This show provides examples of:
10
11	* ActingForTwo: One episode centres around an assassination attempt on Caesar - who coincidentally looks exactly like Lurcio, Naturally, Frankie Howerd does not miss a single opportunity to lampshade this and is constantly stepping out of character to comment on his own incredible acting skills in playing two different characters.[[invoked]]
12	* AmbiguouslyGay: Howerd played his usual faintly camp character, though any gayness was quite well buried; Lurcio was not above throwing an admiring glance at a nubile Roman maiden. Nausius, the son of the household, was ''ragingly'' camp, but also rather virginal and innocent.
13	* BathingBeauty: Ammonia, mother of the household, thoroughly enjoyed bathing in asses’ milk.
14	* BathtubScene: Ammonia, mother of the household, had a few of these.
15	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Lurcio/Howerd's asides to the audience.
16	* BritishBrevity: Only 13 regular episodes were ever made (2 series), plus a pilot and two (much) [[SequelGap later]] one-off episodes. Is an unusually concentrated example even for this trope, as all 13 aired within a single year, 1970. The second series was made and broadcast just ''four months'' after the first.
17	* CharacterCatchphrase:
18	** Several, most enduringly "Titter ye not", as Lurcio would admonish the audience after another DoubleEntendre.
19	** And "The Prologue" (which he never quite finishes, and sometimes barely starts).
20	* DoubleEntendre: Frankie Howerd’s humour made quite a lot of use of this trope.
21	* {{Fanservice}}: Basically, all the female characters wore FanserviceCostumes — diaphonous gowns with low necklines. Ammonia, the mother of the household, was as much of a ShamelessFanserviceGirl as the show’s tineslot permitted; her daughter Erotica seemed a bit more {{innocent\|FanserviceGirl}} — although she had a ''lot'' of boyfriends, it was eventually confirmed that she wasn’t actually sleeping with any of them.
22	* FinalSeasonCasting: The final series saw Ludicrus Sextus recast from Max Adrian to Wallas Eaton, while Creator/WillieRushton was dropped altogether.
23	* IdenticalGrandson: At least two canonical examples -- Sir Lurkalot in ''Film/UpTheChastityBelt'', and Private Lurk in ''Film/UpTheFront'' -- and an implied third, namely the museum curator in the present-day epilogue of the ''Film/UpPompeii'' film.
24	* TheMovie: Which replaced nearly all of the cast, barring Frankie Howerd, with different actors.
25	* PunnyName: Ludicrus Sextus, Ammonia, Erotica, Nausius... Though they're barely puns, more just jokes.
26	* RunningGag: Lurcio's inability to finish his prologue.
27	* ServileSnarker: Lurcio
28	* SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion: Nausius' odes.
29

Context Series / UpPompeii