Review of Believe Nothing

Introduction

Believe Nothing, the new comedy series from writers Marks and Gram stars Rik Mayall as Quadruple Professor Adonis Cnut. He`s a bored Oxford professor with absolutely nothing to do until one day he`s asked to join The Council for International Progress, a shadowy organisation which basically runs everything. Assisting A Cnut is his doggedly loyal servant Albuman (played very well by Michael Maloney who has all the best lines) who would practically die for his master. The subject of Cnut`s amour is the lovely Emily Bruni as Dr Hannah Awkward. Awkward by name...who is obsessed with such self-loathing that it`s very trying for Cnut to get his way with her.

Just what does a bored arrogant and egotistical quadruple professor get up to then?

Episode Summary:

Get Rich Quick
Professor Adonis Cnut is bored. He needs a new challenge to satisfy his mighty mind. Dr Hannah Awkward`s timely appearance rouses Adonis` spirits: he is mesmerised by her beauty and intent on seducing her. Dr Awkward reveals that she is hoping to be appointed to the new Chair of Pedantics at Queen Edward`s College. However, Adonis` vote against her and his insulting remarks in the college comments book, have left her appointment in jeopardy and still needing one vote to secure her position. She also displays an unnerving and deep-seated self-loathing, thus rebuffing all Adonis` advances.


Prepare to Meteor Maker
A meteor is enroute to destroy Earth and everything around us, it`s the imminent end of civilisation! Or Sir Richard Chutney would have you believe. He`s a meglomaniac with an ulterior motive...


Might As Well Face It - You`re Addicted To Fudge
In Adonis`s rooms at Queen Edward`s College, Oxford, Albumen applies the finishing touches to Adonis` transformation into a Cuban exile. Adonis (disguised as Gustavo Guacamole) from the Organisation of Cuban Exiles You Cross At Your Peril, meets President George W Shrub (Rory Bremner) in the Oval office. Adonis claims that his syndicate of Cuban exiles delivered Shrub the Florida vote in the last election and in return he wants the US to declare war on Cuba and depose Castro.
Back in Oxford, Hannah samples some of Albumen`s homemade fudge and is instantly addicted to it. Adonis returns to overhear Albumen telling Hannah that he has been arrested for upholding his patriotic beliefs and selling his fudge using Imperial measurementa, which goes against EU regulations.


Double First
Adonis and his academic rival Professor Sheridan Brinsley (Mike McShane) are being interviewed by Melvyn Bragg about the possibilities of human cloning. Adonis disagrees vehemently with Brinsley`s human cloning research. However, when asked to vote, the studio audience are unanimously in support of Brinsley`s cause. This doesn`t stop someone from knocking off Professor Sheridan and suspicions fall on Adonis` shoulders.


The Unhappy Eater
Adonis receives the Nobel Peace Prize, but is irritated when his achievement goes largely unacknowledged by the British Press. Adonis receives a visit from the blind Home Secretary, David Killjoy who claims that an epidemic of depression is sweeping the nation, however by reading Killjoy`s braille files, he ascertains that it is in fact the Prime Minister Tony Caring who is suffering from depression. Adonis` academic rival and convicted cannibal, Professor Edmund Bilyas, claims to have discovered a cure for depression and Killjoy wants Adonis to psyche Bilyas out. Adonis is willing to visit Bilyas, in return for a statue to commemorate his Nobel achievement.


Just A Minute
At a meeting of The Council for International Progress, Dr Henry Kissinger requests that the Council continue to suppress the debate on global warming in order to protect America`s industry.
Meanwhile, Adonis receives a letter from the BBC saying that the pilot episode of his television series "The Long History of Time" will be aired at 3am the following day, but has failed to be commissioned as a series. Albumen, who is feeling very unwell, offers to record the show for his master and leaves to collect the VCR from his room.

Video

Presented as fullframe 4:3 preserving the original aspect ratio, the quality is sharp and almost broadcast quality. Colours are well reproduced as is the level of detail and I couldn`t spot any technical problems marring playback. It`s a shame that some new series in this day and age are filmed and presented with a fullframe.

Audio

Functional audio for a dialogue driven series. It`s pretty much clear from centre and there`s no reason for any surround effects.

Features

Interviews with the cast and writers, and that`s it. The interviews take the form of questions for each cast member which you have to select in turn. There`s no play all feature and going through it manually one by one is a dull chore. There are no subtitles here either, and I think the omission of this is poor. Nothing else here on the disc.

Conclusion

Believe Nothing takes a satirical stab at modern day living. This is what the writers would have you believe at any rate. Believe absolutely nothing!

What do Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran think they`re playing at with this series? Marks and Gran have been responsible for the likes of Birds of a Feather and admittedly they`ve had the comic touch in the past with various other sitcom, but Believe Nothing is just average and limp. In total from the six episodes of series one, I laughed five times. And this is mainly at the behest of the marvellous Michael Maloney as Cnut`s put upon manservant (or valet if you prefer), Albumen.

Rik Mayall as the bored quadruple professor is rarely funny and this is down to the poor script. His attempts at getting into Dr. Hannah Awkward`s (Emily Bruni) panties is predictable and boring and his characters` arrogance is annoying. Mayall has done better things, though in my opinion nothing can top The New Statesmen. Even some of Bottom is funnier than Believe Nothing.

I know comedy isn`t easy to write, so I`m guessing that the few people out there that found the series funny would perhaps like this DVD. The only extras are interviews with the cast and writers, and even this part is tedious to navigate.

156 minutes of painfully average comedy on DVD is something I could well do without. I`d avoid this series unless you`ve seen the show and absolutely, positively have to have it. Keep it away!