# Comedian/actor Rik Mayall dead at 56 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [June 9, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410 "2014-06-09T15:15:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/41 "2014-06-10T02:34:12Z")
☹ The People’s Poet is Dead! For those who are fans of _Bottom_, do check out the live stage show DVDs, because they are epic. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/42 "2014-06-10T02:38:05Z")
Still no word on cause of death, only that the police don’t believe it’s suspicious. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/43 "2014-06-11T01:49:01Z")
They still don’t know what happened yet, but [it appears to have been some sort of seizure](http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27776568). ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/44 "2018-02-03T20:48:41Z")
Still very much missed. A new Blackadder would be nothing without Flashheart. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/45 "2018-02-04T12:44:28Z")
Funny this thread should resurface now. We’ve found all the old \*Young Ones \*episodes on youtube and have been re-watching them. I had forgotten just how hysterical, manic and surreal they were. All the guys’ characters were funny, but Rik’s was the best. We watched the episode with the “University Challenge” bit last night. Hysterical! ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/46 "2018-02-05T03:26:34Z")
Only know him from “Drop Dead Fred,” which was not good. Good to see he had quite a body of work that people enjoy. I will try to check some of those out. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/47 "2018-02-05T03:31:14Z")
cobwebs ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/48 "2018-02-05T03:37:18Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Funny this thread should resurface now. We’ve found all the old \*Young Ones \*episodes on youtube and have been re-watching them. I had forgotten just how hysterical, manic and surreal they were. All the guys’ characters were funny, but Rik’s was the best. > > We watched the episode with the “University Challenge” bit last night. Hysterical! An excellent episode featuring Motor-freeking-head! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YOAz4nPNvLI/hqdefault.jpg "Motorhead on the Young Ones") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOAz4nPNvLI) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/49 "2018-02-05T04:08:26Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Funny this thread should resurface now. We’ve found all the old \*Young Ones \*episodes on youtube and have been re-watching them. i have [Every Stoopid Episode](https://smile.amazon.com/Young-Ones-Every-Stoopid-Episode/dp/B00006AUH9/) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/50 "2018-02-06T20:17:06Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > I guess you can commit suicide by laxatives. It just takes awhile. It’s better than committing suicide by crucifixion. As Rik himself put it in _Young Ones_, “There’s just no way to get that last nail in.” Still miss ya, Flashheart. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/51 "2018-02-06T20:58:46Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > It’s better than committing suicide by crucifixion. As Rik himself put it in _Young Ones_, “There’s just no way to get that last nail in.” > > Still miss ya, Flashheart. Rik Mayall was one of those people whose name I recognized, but didn’t know any more about him than that. Sounds like I’ve been missing something worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/52 "2018-02-06T21:16:47Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > It’s better than committing suicide by crucifixion. As Rik himself put it in _Young Ones_, “There’s just no way to get that last nail in.” That was Neil’s line. It was Rik up on the cross. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/53 "2018-02-06T22:28:29Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > … > Sounds like I’ve been missing something worth checking out. By all means! Here’s a random clip: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-ocngVQ4XaE/hqdefault.jpg "It's my room! - The Young Ones - BBC") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ocngVQ4XaE) (They’re moving into a new place here, and fighting over who gets which bedroom.) ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/54 "2018-02-07T02:08:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > i have [Every Stoopid Episode](https://smile.amazon.com/Young-Ones-Every-Stoopid-Episode/dp/B00006AUH9/) 🙂 I still have my vinyl copy of the [Bad News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_News_(band)) album. The Comic Strip whole output is hugely worth checking out, and [the original Bad News mockumentary from 1983 is on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awxrMOvVAIc): it was hugely over-shadowed by the similarly themed _Spinal Tap_, which was released the following year - and like most of the Comic Strip has Peter Richardson rather than Christopher Ryan, but for Young Ones fans it’s well worth your time. Also they covered [Bohemian Rhapsody, to spectacular effect](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb3D7SfgKm4). Brian May even produced the track, and played the utterly terrible guitar. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/55 "2018-02-07T03:34:34Z")
Seeing this get bumped made me sad again. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/56 "2018-02-07T19:47:27Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That was Neil’s line. It was Rik up on the cross. My bad. It’s been a while. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![pythonzzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@pythonzzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pythonzzz)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410/57 "2018-02-09T03:26:21Z")
A classic story about Rik being Rik (sniff): Check out "Man Down" - classic Rik in the first season along with Tony Robinson (Baldrick!) in later seasons. Search for “Violent Nation” for more bittersweet goodness. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedian-actor-rik-mayall-dead-at-56/690410.md?page=2)