Rest In Peace - Rik Mayall (The Young Ones)

Awe man, I used to Love watching The Young Ones.

Rest in Peace Rik.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27770266

Articled Spoilered for length

Spoiler

He played the obnoxious, poetry-writing anarchist Rick in The Young Ones alongside his friend Adrian Edmondson before the duo later went on to star in their sitcom Bottom.

Mayall also appeared in shows including Blackadder and The New Statesman.

He died at home in London. The Metropolitan Police said the death was not believed to be suspicious.

They said they were called to reports of a sudden death of a man in his 50s at 13:19 BST on Monday, in Barnes in south west London.

London Ambulance Service said "a man, aged in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene".

The actor, who was married with three children, was left seriously ill after a quad bike accident in 1998 which left him in a coma for several days.

Rik Mayall's hit comedies included The Young Ones and Bottom
His big break came at The Comic Strip Club, performing with comedy partner Adrian Edmondson as 20th Century Coyote in the 1980s, which led to cult television hit The Comic Strip Presents.

He co-wrote The Young Ones with Lise Mayer and Ben Elton, which ran for 12 episodes between 1982 and 1985. It shared cult status and schoolboy humour with later sitcom Bottom.

Mayall and Edmondson's slapstick comedy often involved fires, explosions, and hefty blows to the head with a frying pan.

The pair met at Manchester University before forming the on-stage comedy duo The Dangerous Brothers.

Mayall's film roles included the comedies Drop Dead Fred and Guest House Paradiso.

Anarchic characters
He also famously played the loud-mouthed and lecherous Lord Flashheart in BBC comedy series Blackadder, starring Rowan Atkinson.

The actor appeared in the second and fourth series, shouting catchphrases such as "woof!" and "let's do-oo-oo it!".

But his early, anarchic characters gave way to the smooth, scheming Conservative politician Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman, which ran on ITV from 1986 to 1992.

A statement from Mayall's management, Brunskill, said: "We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Rik Mayall who passed away this morning.

"We will be issuing a further statement in the fullness of time."

Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson
The sitcom Bottom was one of the fruits of Mayall and Edmondson's long comedy partnership
Blackadder producer and writer John Lloyd paid tribute, telling the BBC: "It's really a dreadful piece of news."

"He was the most extraordinarily good actor as well as being an amazing stand-up comic. Apart from being great company, he was a great professional," said Lloyd

Comedian David Walliams was among those paying tribute on Twitter

He wrote: "I am heartbroken that my comedy idol growing up Rik Mayall has died. He made me want to be a comedian."

Writer Caitlin Moran tweeted: "Oh, Lord Flashheart RIP. God I loved you so hard."

'Truly brilliant comedian'
Director Edgar Wright also paid tribute: "Shocked and saddened that a comedy hero is gone; for those who grew up on The Young Ones, Rik Mayall was one of funniest performers ever."

Speaking about his 1998 quad bike accident last year, Mayall said doctors had kept him alive on a life-support machine for five days and were about to turn it off when he began to show signs of life.

He used to mark the occasion by exchanging presents with his wife and children and said the near-death experience changed his life.

Mayall and Marsha Fitzalan as Alan and Sarah B'Stard in The New Statesman
Mayall and Marsha Fitzalan as Alan and Sarah B'Stard in The New Statesman
He said: "The main difference between now and before my accident is I'm just very glad to be alive.

"Other people get moody in their 40s and 50s - men get the male menopause. I missed the whole thing. I was just really happy."

Mayall had hoped he and Edmonson would reprise Bottom but despite rumours in 2012 that there would be a television adaptation of their 1997 tour Hooligan's Island, Edmonson decided against it.

Mayall told The Mirror in March last year: "I thought it would be fun and Ade thought it would be fun but then he had a change of heart. It's a shame."

Earlier this year Edmonson explained his decision to told The Daily Express.

"I started writing it. I just couldn't. It's not what I want to do," said Edmonson.

"I enjoy my life. I do a lot of different things now and we did what we did for about 30 years. I'm very proud of it. I just wanted to have a different life, I wanted to do different stuff.

Edmonson added: "It's caused a bit of a bad air between us, which is unfortunate. [Mayall] just doesn't understand why I don't want to do it really, as do a lot of people out there."

The BBC's director of television Danny Cohen called Mayall a "truly brilliant comedian".

"His comic timing was outstanding and his screen presence unique. For a generation of viewers he was a true comedy hero," said Cohen.

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