Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11873 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-09-05
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 174 minutes

Synopsis
Alternative humour from comedian and surrealist Alexei Sayle.

Customer Reviews

Very good Pythonesque show
It doesn't happen very often that a sketch series gets a full release on DVD.
They are often edited down to what someone believes to be "The Best Of" the programme,
and then there are often most of the best sketches missing or edited (like on the
Not the Nine o'clock News compilations).
Thankfully, in this case, we get the full first series of
an often very good sketch show, now that's more like it!!!

Linked by monologues of the great Alexei Sayle himself, there are some weird and surreal
sketches like "The Noble Art of Verbal Abuse" or the "Sir Freddy Kruger interview".
Features some good performers (like Angus Deayton) and funny writing (Marshall & Renwick, Sayle).
Now let's hope they bring on the other Sayle series as well, and put out complete series of
other great shows like "Bit Of Fry & Laurie" and "Alas Smith & Jones". No more compilations please!!

Rantingly Funny
This is a very exciting (and rather unexpected) release. I had dim memories of seeing Alexei Sayle's series on TV in the early 1990s and they don't seem to be in favour with those who decide on repeats on the BBC. Personally I'd rather see Alexei back, than the millionth repeat of 'Keeping Up Appearances' or other such dross.

The first series of Stuff is a strange experience. It's often very much of its time, with plenty of great (and furious) anti Thatcher outbursts and references to other late 1980s politicians, and it veers from his trademark tightly written absurdist monologues to some very hit and miss sketches. Almost every one of the monologues is brilliant, and these are what makes the programme a success. Also present is a well known gag about God moving in mysterious ways...

It would be nice to see 'The All New Alexei Sayle Show' out too, which I think was a bit more polished than the energetic hit and miss here.

All 6 episodes are here in full, but without extras. Still, well worth a revisit.

Sometimes dated, but insanely funny!
In the states, this series was ran on my PBS affiliate - only once. I've been waiting forever to get it on DVD. So I just did. I always enjoyed the bizarre wackiness of the show's format, combined with political bashing and double-entendre laden humor. The dry wit never comes amiss either. Mind you, some of it is a tad on the silly side (Alexei's moments of pretending to be uber-drunk and prancing about like a hyper 5 year old, but that's part of the series' identity and I certainly can't fault it, even if I like to find things to find fault about. Try saying that when sober...)

Having re-watched the episodes, it's amazing at what is still just as goofy and funny as ever, and what is dated (1988) yet still as goofy and funny as ever because people tell me I like to live in the 70s... But the brilliance and edginess of this show is there.

And while topical, the political razing never ceases to induce uncontrollable fits of laughter. One can never have enough Thatcher jokes.

Well, some of it is a bit puerile, but who am I to notice? I'm a yank, we're all stark raving bonkers over here... :)

But I digressed. It's definitely great to see all 3 series of Alexei Sayle's Stuff finally out. It may never get to region 1 properly, but at least it's actually out for people to enjoy. And on the plus side, if you're not a yank, you won't have to worry about price translation and extra postage fees! :D But, again, I'm a yank. Money means nothing to us! :D

DVD quality is good, especially the video quality and compression level.

Definitely recommended, even if you had to suffer through paragraphs of inanity just to get to this recommendation.

And of all the shows the US has 'borrowed' in an attempt to mold and market them to the Americans, I'm surprised "Alexei Sayle's Stuff" hasn't been one of them. Pity I'm not a TV producer... or an actor... at least officially, some people call me a drama queen... (oh dear, I've digressed again. Where are we? Oh yes, that's right. Buy this DVD now!)