“Brilliant!” fans of 90s comedy might shout again, as the Fast Show is to return to TV for a one-off special to be broadcast on UKTV’s Gold.
The “retrospective with a twist”, titled The Fast Show: Just A Load Of Blooming Catchphrases, will feature its stars Paul Whitehouse, Arabella Weir, John Thomson, Charlie Higson, Mark Williams and Simon Day being interviewed about the programme’s history and legacy while in character.
Originally launched in 1994, The Fast Show ran until 1999, introducing audiences to sketches including the travels of the over-enthusiastic youth known as Brilliant Kid, the awkward friendship of groundskeeper Ted and aristocrat Ralph, the innuendo-loving “suits you, sir” tailors, and sleazy car dealer Swiss Toni.
The programme was resurrected by beer company Foster’s for an online series in 2011, with the sketches later repackaged into two specials for the BBC in 2014. This will be its first return since the death in 2016 of one of its stars, Caroline Aherne.
In a statement, Whitehouse and Higson said: “It’s 26 years since the first episode of The Fast Show went out. We didn’t manage to celebrate our 25th anniversary but we are marking it now.”
Iain Coyle, head of comedy entertainment for UKTV added: “The Fast Show is one of those shows, it’s a defining moment in comedy history. No sketch show has come close to having its impact, in my TV life, and no show has come anywhere near to creating as many unforgettable characters.”
