I think I even have a script for that.
Awesome! simply divine!
Simon, have you ever thought of a series or film?
BOFH logo telephone with devil's horns I’m on high alert in Mission Control. It’s 11:30am, I’ve not seen the PFY all morning and there’s a cold, half eaten chicken kebab sitting on the PFY’s keyboard. There’s a faint beeping noise from his desktop machine as the password field of his login is overflowing with H characters, …
"I was thinking more of a Young Ones meets IT Crowd... Viv as the PFY anybody?"
Indeed, as has been mentioned, Viv may well be a bit a lot to old for the Y, however in the style of Edward from bottom, he'd make a good BoFH. Beer, violence and IT, the character is almost two thirds of the way there already!
Sadly, I don’t think Richard E Grant is quite “scruffy” enough these days to quite be the BOFH (back in the Withnail days, perhaps so, but a little too young then). Sadly, I think Peter Capaldi is just very slightly too old for this role now. I could see Simon Pegg as the BOFH, however?
Mackenzie Crook is very much the obvious (too obvious, typecast?) person to be the PFY, indeed.
Stephen Fry would definitely be ideal as the boss (but may be unamused by previous references to him in The Register!), or maybe Chris Barrie?
Plus numerous well known guests, who in acting the parts of various HR goons, finance ac*nts, management, sales guys, etc., demonstrate the practical uses of carpet, lime and a map of nearby forests, or how windows on second floors and above need proper locking mechanisms, or the use of over powered electric cattle prods on parts of the body.
You know guests like Piers Morgan, Simon Cowell, Nigel Farage, members of the Cabinet and government (How is she still PM TMay, BoJo the Clown, Precious JRM, Twinkletoes Fox, Hunt the C*nt, and many others) who wish to resurrect their political careers if, unfortunately, not in person.......
I've been trying to sell a TV series based on the BOFH for ages now - after getting the OK from Simon to draw on his stuff, I completed seven scripts and tried to get production companies interested. I even managed to get a couple of celebrity endorsements, including one from the actor who would be the ideal Simon.
And after spending a fortune on postage I ended up with enough rejection letters to wallpaper my lavatory. I did get a couple of nibbles along the way but no bites. I got the impression that commissioning suits didn't like the idea of a series where manglement were the butt of the jokes.
About that time, a few life issues intervened and I put it on the back burner. But I'm thinking that I should try again. I've got enough material and ideas for about 24 episodes, plus a Christmas special.
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"No unsolicited scripts. What a surprise."
Now think what the BOFH would do in that situation. He'd tell a Brit commissioning editor that Netflix were interested but taking their time and there was a small window of opportunity if the editor could make up their mind before the pubs open.
Oh don't ...
let a crew in for 'credits' and still haven't had the time to replace the load bearing wall that the set guy from LA said wasn't! [temp support only a year later when son pointed out the sag]
Producer/writer found out only so much good will out there when crowd-sourced financing maybe covered half of costs ....
Why did I expect that the cast/crew would be any better than government contractors ...
Damn sign painter stole my nice, big, golf umbrella to boot ... imagine her walking for the 'cause' under the Callaway logo ...
I've been trying to sell a TV series based on the BOFH for ages now - after getting the OK from Simon to draw on his stuff, I completed seven scripts and tried to get production companies interested
Ooh! Good luck with that. I wonder what level of cliqueiness you're up against with the production companies that have the ear of telly commissioners?
For me to make suggestions is probably a case of teaching granny to suck eggs, but ... have you tried thinking through your customer's mindset? For example, making Simon's alter ego a female would tick a huge box with the BBC in terms of representing women in central roles, without seriously impacting on the story lines. Just wondering!
"For example, making Simon's alter ego a female would tick a huge box with the BBC in terms of representing women in central roles, without seriously impacting on the story lines."
Very true, but - I spent a long time trying that out, and it just didn't work; as Steven is subordinate to Simon, it was difficult to get anywhere without overtones of sexism and bullying creeping in. Same with the KZEEEERT - the stories worked better with that strictly rationed. There are other outbreaks of violence to compensate, though :-)
There is a female central role, and she's on the same level as Simon. Similar attitude to corporate silliness too, which makes for a good relationship. She's just as intimidating as Simon, but in a different way.
Yeah but these Fokkers were Messerschmitts
Only after they hit the ground in an uncontrolled fashion.*
*I heard an old radio from the War, the smooth British presenter intones solemnly: "And there after crashing into the ground was a Messerchmit." Followed by loud laughter from the crew.
@TRT
Yes, and there's plenty of opportunity for using the word Fokker in his presentation to the board.
Reminds me of an old joke with a radio interview of a WW II fighter ace nicknamed "Swede."
ANNOUNCER: So tell us about the day you became an ace, Swede.
SWEDE: Well,I was flying patrol, and I saw this Fokker coming at me from the right and above, so I turned toward him, and just then saw another Fokker coming up from below, so...
ANNOUNCER: Swede, just let me interrupt and let the audience know that a Fokker is a type of German airplane, right?
SWEDE: Well, ya, but these Fokkers were flying Messerschmits.