The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything is a collection of television comedy sketches, produced in 1999, broadcast in two parts on 2 and 4 January 2000 on BBC One. Based on well-known historical events, it took its title and concept from the 1969 London Weekend Television series The Complete and Utter History of Britain.
Contents
Cast
The Ages of Man
A version of the class sketch which had previously been broadcast as part of the BBC Millennium programme on 31 December 1999.
Ronnie Barker – Renaissance Man
Ronnie Corbett – Medieval Man
Stephen Fry – Modern Man
1066
The Battle of Hastings staged and described in the style of a modern football match, a version of a sketch from The Complete and Utter History of Britain.
Clive Anderson – Archbishop of Canterbury
Ray Clemence – Ray Clemence the Younger
George Cohen – Master George Cohen
James Fleet – William of Normandy
Archie Gemmill – Archie Gemmill, currently in exile
David Gower – Lord Gower
Ricky Grover – Aberforth
Alan Hansen – Lord Alan Hansen
Geoff Hurst – Sir Geoffrey of Hurst
Gary Lineker – Lord Gary Lineker
Rory McGrath – King Harold II
Peter Osgood – Squire Peter Osgoode
Martin Peters – Lord Martin Peters
Steve Punt – French soldier
Peter Shilton – Peter of Shilton
Rupert Vansittart – Bishop of Cardiff
Geordie of the Antarctic
A parody of Scott of the Antarctic.
Amanda Holden – Geordie's girlfriend
Bob Mortimer – Geordie
Vic Reeves – Captain Scott
The First Spin Doctor
Martin Clunes – King Henry V
Angus Deayton – Peter Mandelson
Martin Trenaman
Treaty of Westphalia
Patrick Barlow – Advisor
Robert Bathurst – English Ambassador
James Dreyfus – Swedish Ambassador
Stephen Fry – Ambassador
Hugh Laurie – French Ambassador
Marriage Guidance
Brian Blessed – King Henry VIII
Jack Dee – Marriage guidance counsellor
Julia Sawalha – Catherine Parr
The Nice-But-Dim Family
Adam Blackwood – Norman
Richard Briers – Highway robbery victim
Tim Brooke-Taylor – Earl of Sandwich
Peter Davison – Duke of Wellington
Harry Enfield – Tim Norse-But-Dim / Sir Timothy Nice-Butte D'imme / Sir Timothy the Lionbrain / Dim Turpin / Major-General Sir Timothy Nice-But-Dim / Midshipman Nice-But-Dim
Jessica Stevenson – Woman with Black Death Victim
Natasha Little – Lady Lionbrain
Spike Milligan – Admiral Lord Nelson
Nigel Planer – Lord Cardigan
Steve Punt – Lord Tampax
Barbara Windsor – Highway robbery victim
Philosophy of a Hairdresser
Thora Hird – Ida
Victoria Wood – Moira
Body Zone
Joan Bakewell – Herself
Dawn French – Egg
Jennifer Saunders – Egg
A Victorian Evening
James Fleet – Mr Parsons
Geraldine McNulty – Mrs Richards
Trevor Peacock – Colonel
Caroline Quentin – Lady Butterworth
Explorers Explorers Explorers
Robert Bathurst – Francis Drake
Peter Davison – Ferdinand Magellan
Angus Deayton – Sir Walter Raleigh
Holby Village Hospital
Jack Dee – Dr Barber
Gary Olsen – Mr Baker
Early British Comedy
Matthew Ashforde – Reginald
Helena Bonham Carter – Lily
Neil Morrissey – Director
Caroline Quentin – Marcia Bournemouth
Richard Wilson – Monty DeLauncy
When Columbo discovered America
Gareth Hale – Christopher Columbo
Norman Pace – King Ferdinand
Looking Forwards
Lenny Henry – Deakus
Clive Mantle – Dr Mike Barrat