Podcasto Catflappo

A chat with Polly Highton, known to fans of Filthy Rich & Catflap as 'the Checkout Girl' in episode three's amazing supermarket scene. Polly shares her memories of the role, plus her earlier appearance on Happy Families with Ade and Jennifer Saunders. We also chat about her career in the biz, starting from her 1970s uni days to her recent work in The Responder with Martin Freeman. Enjoy!

Part 2 of the 'A to Z of Filthy Rich & Catflap' covers the letters I to Q. Listen in to discover why L is for Lavatory, and P is for Priz! Here's the full list: I is for Ivor Whopper J is for the Judge ... John Wells K is for Ketchup L is for Lavatory M is for Milkmen N is for the Noles! O is for Ooer Sounds a Bit Rude P is for Priz Q is for Queer    

A chat with the meme-master from All Things Rik And Ade, Tim Reading. His posts are a hit with fans of Rik Mayall & Ade Edmondson worldwide, but what are Tim's personal favourite moments from his comedy heroes? Jeffers decided to find out, and asked him the hard questions (and don't say oo-er).

A deep dive into ep 3 of Filthy Rich & Catflap (aka Dinner Party) with tons of new info! Cut scenes, missing sub-plots, heaps of triv, and answers to long-standing questions, like: How much meat was in Eddie's trousers? Who were those mysterious people in that hole in the wall after the oven exploded? Who threw the cabbage at Richie's head in the peepshow? Take a seat at Richie's table and tuck in, looby!

Terence Blacker, the editor of 'Bachelor Boys: The Young Ones Book' and co-author of 'Neil's Book of the Dead' shares the story of how those books were created, plus his own experiences as an author and latterly a singer-songwriter! Here's a link to Terence on X (Twitter) and a link to his website. It's a good old natter about how it was working with Nigel Planer and writing in Neil's voice, plus getting reams of wild stuff from a prolific Ben Elton (and advice on how to handle it from Rik and Lise).  Oh, and have a link to Terence's YouTube channel! 

A bootleg Alexei Sayle gig tape recorded in 1991 at the Regal Theatre, Perth. Recorded by a then-17-year-old Jeffers and now released as a Podcasto Catflappo episode in November 2024. Be warned, it has industrial-strength swearing ;)   Enjoy!

Michael Redfern (1943-2022) worked with our beloved Catflap favourites on many shows including Dangerous Brothers, The Young Ones, Bottom, and 4 of 6 episodes of Filthy Rich & Catflap. In this pod ep, author Mark Searby shares the audio of his chat with Mr Redfern, recorded while researching his book 'Rik Mayall: Comedy Genius'. Mark also chats with Jeffers about plenty of Rik stuff, the process of writing the book, and it all becomes suitably Catflappian!  Follow Mark on X @Mark_Searby 

In this ep Dona Di Stefano, the Assistant Floor Manager on Filthy Rich & Catflap, chats with Jeffers about the show to share nifty anecdotes, reveal production processes and patiently respond to his increasingly obscure questions.  Dona enjoyed a 48-year career in TV and Theatre, becoming part of the Paul Jackson teams that worked on Happy Families, Catflap and Red Dwarf. In the 1990s she joined the BBC newsroom in Manchester working for many years on North West Tonight. Tune in to find out which items on the set of Catflap came from Dona's house, what props she kept, and was it her that made all the door-buzzer farty sounds? Plus there really is SO MUCH MORE. Enjoy!

Jon Auty from Behind the Stunts chats with Jeffers about Filthy Rich & Catflap's stunt pieces and stunt performers, including Nick Gillard, Denise Ryan, Peter Diamond, Gareth Milne, Paul Heasman and Spencer Collins. Here's Jon's LINKTREE to check out more Behind The Stunts! The cover image of Nigel Planer in rehearsal is thanks to Dona Di Stefano (Assistant Floor Manager for Catflap) who allowed us to use the photo. It's great! Follow @PodCatflappo on X to stay up-to-date Cheers ;)

Jeffers chats to Goon Pod's Tyler Adams about 16 guest stars of Filthy Rich & Catflap, as they re-enact the 'Best Catflap Guest Role' tournament of January 2024. Performers discussed include: Helen Lederer, Chris Barrie, Mel Smith, Lee Cornes, Polly Highton , Hugh Laurie, Cheryl Taylor, Arthur Smith, Stephen Fry, John Bird, Ken Parry, Harry Enfield, Lynda Bellingham, Norman Pace, Gareth Hale, Michael Redfern and Barbara Windsor. Tyler's fabulous Goon Pod can be found HERE and it's a treat for fans of UK comedy, Goon Show aficinados and just about everyone else. Enjoy!  

A chat with Diana Mather, who played Dingo Wucka's secretary in ep 6 of Filthy Rich & Catflap and also had plenty of TV experience as a presenter & newsreader for the BBC, ATV and more, including a few continuity links just like Richie Rich!  Diana shares nifty anecdotes about her television career and becoming a prolific author and etiquette expert. Diana's website: www.dianamather.com Here's a link to Diana's Song for the World on YouTube.  

A long lost Rik Mayall live gig audio recording surfaced in Western Australia in January 2024, taken from a Rik & Ben Elton gig on 17 May 1986 in Perth. Podcasto Catflappo got the scoop and is making Dingo Wucker proud by breaking the story and giving you exclusive access to this 45-minute audio treat before it gets released to the world at  RikMayallScrapbook.com You'll also be able to find it at their YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@rikmayallscrapbook  Presented with sincere thanks to our anonymous source, plus Lucy at Rik Mayall Scrapbook and the wonderful Mayall family. Enjoy.

Richie Rich is the star around whom Filthy Rich & Catflap revolves, so Jeffers & Dave talk about Richie for 3 hours, plus segments with guests! We ask the question: What do we actually KNOW about Gertrude Richard Rich? As it turns out, we know loads but plenty of it is contradictory! We document all the Richie-related evidence from on-screen events, count the Richie stats, find out what the creators said about him, and use that Richie knowledge to speculate on answers to all the questions that remain. Our co-host for the special is Dave Robinson from 60MW Podcast ...and our guests include: FRC's Costume Designer Inez Nordell Vard Scott Weaver Shaun Gibson Dayna TG! The exclusive cover image is a recently unearthed continuity polaroid taken in 1986 by Dona Di Stefano (Catflap's Assistant Floor Manager) which she kindly supplied! Check out our deep-dive into Rik Mayall's best character ;)

Well-known upholsterer and TV identity Craig Hughes joins us for a chat about seeing the recording of Filthy Rich & Catflap in 1986, and then Red Dwarf, while living in Manchester. Craig was also a sound engineer and promoter in the Madchester music scene, balancing that with his restoration work which later saw him become a specialist regular on TV's 'Salvage Hunters' and 'Salvage Hunters: The Restorers'. You can follow Craig on Twitter-X, Instagram, Youtube and at his website.  

Paul Jackson, producer and director of Filthy Rich & Catflap, is our special guest for the Xmas 2023 edition of the podcast.   Paul chats about the show's genesis, gives his take on the series nearly 40 years later, and recalls some of the great folks who worked on the series but are no longer with us. It's a very special interview so dive on in! Thanks to 'Red Dwarf Quarantine' for the screencap used in this episode's cover image. Check 'em out on YouTube. A big thank you to Paul Jackson for being part of the show!

A chat with autograph collector John Heffernan who just completed the 'holy grail' of Filthy Rich & Catflap signature pieces. John tells the story of meeting Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Ben Elton and (almost) Ade Edmondson in a two-decade sig pursuit! Jeffers and John also chat about the lack of Catflap collectables and whether that could be a good thing.    

A dive into Filthy Rich & Catflap, going letter by letter, where D is for Davro, G is for 'Game Show Formula' and B is for Benny Hill! This ep reveals a few cut scenes and does the dirty work of counting how many stiffy gags Catflap contains - plus much more. We answer questions like: Is the scene where Eddie attacks Richie with an axe a bit un-catflappian? What are Richie, Eddie and Filthy's best fourth-wall breaks? What state was Bulgy McBulgy's trouser furniture in during his act? Which top-flite muso played the Catflap theme melody? Follow us on X @PodCatflappo    

Emulating the great Eddie Catflap is a feat few people are brave enough to try, but Zoe Read nailed it in June 2023. In this chat Zoe tells us how to get the Eddie look, and talks about cosplaying as Neil, Alan B'Stard, and Colin Grigson from Bad News! We also cover her 'Bastard Collection' of stuff relating to The Young Ones, The Comic Strip Presents, The New Statesman, Filthy Rich & Catflap and more! Zoe's Catflap set on Instagram Zoe on X (Twitter)   

Tune in to hear the tale of David Read, a lucky lad who got to bunk off school to watch Rik and Ade rehearse Catflap in Manchester in 1986! David's story involves Terry Jones of Python fame, a very late train, and silent elevator ride with Nigel Planer. Thanks to @SquidyUK   

Remembering the RIK CON events with co-organiser Duane Smith, who gives us the lowdown on those funtastic fan gatherings which took place in 2015-16! Link to Rik Mayall Marathon Events page on Facebook Link to THE REJECTS Rik Mayall Marathon Originals group on Facebook Thanks to Duane, Penny and Bex!  

The second ep of Filthy Rich & Catflap is considered by many fans to be the best of the series. In addition to its stars Ade, Rik and Nigel, there are appearances from Gareth Hale, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and David Baddiel. Jeffers has investigated and is sharing all the nifty info with his fellow Catflappers! There's a ton of cuts and bits of previously unknown dialogue from Ben Elton's script to discuss, plus the low-down on the 'Ooer Sounds A Bit Rude' game show panellists. Thanks to our special guests! Inez Nordell Vard Mark Winthrope Tina Rogers Dave Robinson Cheers, loobies ;)

What would a Rik Mayall convention be like? Jeffers asks three experts about the possibilities of a hypothetical Rik-fest. Where would it be? When? Who are the guests? ...and which panels would they be on? How could it satisfy fans of The Young Ones, Filthy Rich & Catflap, Bottom, Drop Dead Fred and more? Our guests are: Lucy Brocklesby of the Rik Mayall Scrapbook, rikmayallscrapbook.com Mark Searby, author of Rik Mayall: Comedy Genius - marksearby.com Ian Kubiak, convener of Cygnus Alpha events - cygnusalpha.org Thanks guys! 

Ben Relton was part of the Catflap studio audience for the recording of episode 2 back in late 1986, and he joins Jeffers for a chat about his memories of that unforgettable evening!  Ben and his sister got to witness Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson and Nigel Planer in all their glory, plus Hugh Laurie as N'Bend and Stephen Fry as P'farty. What a night! You can find Ben's band Kingsway Flyers on their Facebook page.

Nigel Planer narrates Filthy's Night Before Christmas, a tale of merry mischief featuring Ralph Filthy, Richie Rich and Eddie Catflap, with appearances from Huge Simon and Father Christmas. Presented with great fondness and good cheer to all of Filthy Rich & Catflap's fans, creators, cast and crew.  Massive thanks to:  Nigel Planer for narrating. Glenn Linke for the cover artwork. Dave Robinson of the @60MWpodcast for the idea of adapting Twas The Night Before Christmas (nice one Dave) and also for writing additional material. Alan Lawson for writing additional material. Tina Rogers for reading the credits. The adaptation was written by Jeffers, with help from his elves Dave and Alan :) The music is titled Happy Christmas Background Music For Videos, performed by Morning Light Music on YouTube You can find Podcasto Catflappo on Twitter @PodCatflappo and on Facebook here, and on our website. Thanks for listening, Loobies!

Ed Bye chats about his work on directing the film sequences for Filthy Rich & Catflap. He also talks about The Young Ones, plus his colleagues like visual effects guru Peter Wragg, set designer Mel Bibby and AFM Dona DiStefano, whom Ed also worked with while producing and directing Red Dwarf. There's mention of The Two Ronnies, Happy Families, Murder They Hope and more, plus we solve a few Catflap mysteries. Thanks Ed!  Filthy Rich & Catflap was a 1987 sitcom written by Ben Elton, starring Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson and Nigel Planer. It was produced and directed by Paul Jackson.  

The Young Ones' 40th anniversary is here and a special Blu-ray box set to mark the special occasion is due soon, so the set's producer Richard Latto (BBC) joins Jeffers for a chat about all the treats in store! The special features on this release sound amazing, including 10 new commentaries featuring folks like Alexi Sayle, Lise Mayer, Nigel Planer, Ed Wooden, Ed Bye and Paul Jackson. The restoration means you'll see Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan all in crisp glorious quality! The Blu-ray set is available to preorder now on Amazon. Check out Richard's show Stereo Underground on BBC Sounds.

A chat with the costume designer for Filthy Rich & Catflap, the wonderful Inez Nordell Vard. Inez shares her memories of creating costumes for the show and working with the cast and production team. We also hear about her wider career (including The Grand with Russell T Davies and Coronation Street) and much more! Inez hand-painted Ivor Whopper's tie, chose Richie's teddy bear, stuffed his Shakespeare pantaloons and went shopping with Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie :) Her website is www.showbizartist.com

A chat with actor Yusuf Sultan about his appearance in episode 5 of Filthy Rich & Catflap, in the classic 'tortoise and the donkey' Indian restaurant scene with Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson. Yusuf also chats about starting his acting career with Roger Moore on the Bond film Octopussy, plus roles in The Bill, Dempsey & Makepeace, King of Bollywood and The League of Gentlemen. You can read more about Yusuf's career at his website. Follow Podcasto Catflappo on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.  

Just who exactly is Eddie Catflap? In this special we investigate the evidence, crunch the numbers and find out! Jeffers is joined by Dave Robinson (of 60MW podcast) and other Catflap fans in paying tribute to Smelly Eddie, as played by Adrian Edmondson. To whiff him is to love him! The ep is in five segments: 00:06:10 Eddie Evidence 00:54:35 Fan Fave Eddie Moments 01:05:50 Eddie by the numbers (stats) 01:18:20 Eddie Quiz (with Garry Azzaro) 01:31:40 Pontification and Speculation Here's the social links to our guests! Find Dave at 60MW podcast's website: https://60minuteswith.co.uk/ Zoe Read on Twitter and on Instagram Toby Hadoke narrated Alan Lawson's comments on Eddie. You can find Toby's excellent Dr Who podcasts here: https://tobyhadoke.podbean.com/ Garry Azzaro's game boards are here: https://www.internationalridicule.co.uk/ Cheers Loobi!

An interview with Frank Jakeman who appeared in episode 4 of Filthy Rich & Catflap as one of the tough-guy leather boys from the gay pub. Frank shares memories of his day on the set of Catflap, plus plenty of film anecdotes (A View to A Kill, Brazil, Top Secret) and how he went from being a young Zookeeper at London Zoo to being an actor, including his role as a Vale Lord in the final Game of Thrones episode! Many thanks to Frank and Sharon! You can watch some of Frank's leading roles in indie films on Amazon Prime and Netflix.

Enormous Derek a.k.a. Tank James chats with Jeffers about Catflap episode 2, sledgehammers and chainsaws, Andre the Giant, his Sugar Frosties commercial and plenty more! He fondly recalls working with Nigel Planer, Rik Mayall, Ben Elton and Ade Edmondson in Filthy Rich & Catflap episode 2, and Tank has worked with many other famous UK comedy figures and actors. Tank's live gig dates on drums with Silverback are available at their Lemonrock page. Thanks to the folks at Ugly.org agency! Talk to us at Podcasto Catflappo on Twitter and Instagram.

A chat with Nigel Peever, who appeared in Filthy Rich & Catflap's episode 3 'Supermarket Scene' as an extra and plenty more besides! Nigel played a pallbearer to Alan B'Stard (Rik Mayall) in The New Statesman plus gave a big thumbs-up to Rimmer (Chris Barrie) in the very first episode of Red Dwarf. We chat about his experiences as a supporting artist and an actor, often straying into Doctor Who fan territory. You can find Nigel on Twitter @NigelPeever or at his website https://www.nigelpeever.co.uk/ Come and join in the Catflappo action on Facebook for cool exclusive stuff and updates on releases 

A detailed peek into the pants of Episode 1 of Filthy Rich and Catflap, from January 1987, starring Ade Edmondson, Nigel Planer and Rik Mayall, written by Ben Elton. How many milkmen bit the dust? Which bits of script didn't make the broadcast? Where did the bodies get dumped in the canal? Jeffers will tell you all about it, so tuck in! With audio contributions from: Rebecca Vaughn @smashing_blouses  Simon Wratten from the Official Unofficial Filthy Rich and Catflap Group  You can read cool things at John Hoare's Dirty Feed Blog  Thanks to Richard Herring for the clip, and to the Talking Bottom podcast for same! Come and follow us on Twitter @PodCatflappo   

An interview with David Lloyd, who appeared in Filthy Rich & Catflap as Rocky from the gay pub. He's also had memorable turns in The Young Ones and Bottom, enjoying being on screen alongside Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Adrian Edmondson. David's prime TV role was in Maid Marian and her Merry Men, starring alongside Tony Robinson and Kate Lonergan. His career transitioned from acting to writing (for Eastenders, Doctors and other shows) which allowed him to care for his wife and spend time with his family. Many thanks to Dave for chatting with us at Podcasto Catflappo!  

A bonus episode talking about Filthy Rich & Catflap's debut on Australian TV, how it fits into the Catflap timeline and what it was like experiencing it as a 13 year old kid. We dive into ABC's repeats of The Young Ones leading up to Catflap's first ep being broadcast on 30th April 1987 and how it was followed by The Comic Strip Presents. We also look at what our heroes Nigel Planer, Ade Edmonson and Rik Mayall were up to in 1987!  

An interview with the great Nigel Planer who chats about Filthy Ralph, Nicholas Craig, Rik, Ade and Ben, plus Bottom and his new book 'Jeremiah Bourne In Time'. Huge thanks to Nigel for being Catflappo's first guest! The crowdfunding link to pledge a copy of Nigel's book is at: https://unbound.com/books/jeremiah-bourne-in-time/ We also have a quick round of 'Mentch on the next Proge' (however you spell it). Cheers, Loobies!  Keep watching Filthy Rich & Catflap at every opportunity :)

A preview and feed test for the new 'Filthy Rich & Catflap' podcast titled Podcasto Catflappo. Features clips of interviews from actors Nigel Planer (Filthy Ralph) and David Lloyd (Rocky from the gay pub) plus a quiz and more!