I'm Old Greeeeegg. Do you love me?
In "The Legend of Old Gregg", Howard and Vince go on a holiday in the country after a particularly hostile audience at a gig forces them out of town. They end up in a lakeside town in a bar full of fisherman, who encourage them to go out fishing.On the lake, by the light of the full moon, Howard grows frustrated at Vince's success at fishing and makes him leave. Once alone, Howard reels a man-fish named Old Gregg, who takes him back to his submarine lair and holds him captive while trying to woo him with Bailey's and his watercolors. In the cave, Old Gregg reveals the secret of The Funk, a bizarre alien that is the source of all funkiness via its milk, who Old Gregg just happens to have.
Meanwhile, Vince, beloved by the fishermen, learns the secret of Old Gregg and contacts Naboo for help. Together, they rescue Howard from Old Gregg, and take the Funk with them.
The Mighty Boosh episode "The Legend of Old Gregg" contains these tropes:
- Abduction Is Love: Old Gregg kidnaps Howard, claims to be in love with him, and demands that Howard love him back.
- And Now You Must Marry Me: Old Gregg kidnaps Howard in order to force him to marry him.
- "Awkward Silence" Entrance: Parodied. Howard and Vince walk into a fisherman's bar, and the previously lively and musical crowd of fisherman instantly fall silent, presumably to highlight how different the Boosh are from the grizzled seamen. But then the bartender winds a music box style crank and the whole bar springs back to life.
- Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: According to this episode, Bootsy Collins was a country music-loving hick farmer until he was visited by The Funk, a bizarre alien made of titties, which allowed him to become funky. At least if you believe Old Gregg.
- Broken-Window Warning: After Vince and Howard's show, an angry mob of attendees sends a brick through the window of their apartment to tell them how bad they were and to force them out of town.
- Drink-Based Characterization: Campy Dandy Vince tries to order a flirtini, a "champagne cocktail with a hint of pineapple", at a tough fisherman's bar. He and Howard are coldly rebuffed by the locals, but once everyone accepts Vince as a fisherman, everyone starts drinking flirtinis.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Old Gregg is a green-skinned fish person, but his whole look and character is awfully reminiscent of Blackface. He has bright red, exaggerated lips, seaweed hair that resembles dreadlocks, and a twangy accent reminiscent of a bad African American drawl. He is also literally the master of Funk, and ends up paired with Howard, who is repeatedly called out in the episode for being too white.
- The Dreaded: Everyone in the town is terrified of Old Gregg, who is the subject of many legends.
- The End... Or Is It?: The episode ends with Howard seemingly escaping from Old Gregg with the Funk with no consequences, but the episode ends with a shot of Old Gregg in his wedding dress, screaming on top of their van...
- Father Neptune: Parodied. The pub Vince and Howard visit is filled with nothing but grizzled old fishermen who sing sea shanties, smoke pipes, and spin yarns.
- Fish People: Old Gregg, a green-skinned humanoid with webbed hands and feet and seaweed for hair."Old Gregg. Legendary fish. Some say he's half man, half fish. Others say it's more of a 70-30 split. Whatever the percentage, he's one fishy bastard."
- Hammerspace: Naboo somehow has an entire submarine stored in his attic.
- Lens Flare Censor: When Old Gregg shows Howard his "mangina", a beam of light emanates from his tutu, obscuring anything the viewers might see.
- Like a Duck Takes to Water: Despite having never fished before, Vince reels in a haul as soon as he starts fishing, as all the fish are drawn in by his natural charisma. And even though, as a flamboyant urbanite, he's the opposite of the grizzled fishermen, they all instantly accept him as one of their own.
- Marriage of Convenience: Howard agrees to marry Old Gregg because this will get him out of the cave and on a world musical tour, not out of love.
- Not So Above It All: First Naboo and then Vince yell at Bollo to pay attention to navigating the submarine, but each in turn then get immediately distracted by helping him play Pac-Man on the navigation controller.
- Ominous Fog: When Old Gregg appears in Howard's boat, the lake becomes shrouded in spooky mist, highlighting the threat of the situation.
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Most of the fishermen at the fishermen's bar haven't fished in years. One of them has never fished. As one of them puts it, being a fisherman isn't about catching fish, it's about spinning yarns.
- Sea Dog Beard: Every single person in the fisherman's bar has an enormous, scraggly beard. They even offer Vince one once he's accepted as one of them and starts spinning his yarn.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Howard, after Gregg first asks if he loves him.Gregg: Do you love me?Howard: Oh dear...
- Trademark Favorite Drink: Old Gregg drinks nothing but Bailey's. Mmm, creamy.
