Comedian Micky Flanagan is a proper Cockney geezer from London, having grown up in the East End of the city not too far from where I live now. So I feel some affinity with him, and I do enjoy his humour. Not to the same level as some of my absolute favourite comedians, I wouldn’t put him in my top 10. But he is funny, and having bought his new DVD that came out recently, I figured it was a good excuse to rewatch his earlier shows that I have in my collection as well, just like I’ve done with some other comedians previously.
The shows in this post have all been repeated on Sky during December (as the latest release was first broadcast last year, though I didn’t get around to seeing it at the time), and the first two are also on Netflix. But I like to have my own copies of shows on DVD, as it’s much more convenient than relying on TV schedules and streaming services, and there are a small selection of extras on Micky’s first few DVDs.
So with a warning that the videos in this post contain strong language and adult humour, I hope you enjoy this little set of reviews.
Contents
Out Out
Micky’s first show on DVD, lasting 1 hour 25 minutes, was filmed in Southend-on-Sea in front of an appreciative Essex audience, and it’s very funny. The title refers to his classic and accurate routine – which first came to prominence on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow – about different ways of going out, which is already so well known by this point that the audience cheer when a man in the front row gives him the opportunity to bring it up. He has some other fun interactions with people in the audience as well, and even when he fluffs a line they laugh too much when he tries to do a retake, so he just keeps it all in the edit.
My other favourite routine, crude though it may be, is about him getting ill when visiting India, because the way he describes the consequences of Delhi belly, coupled with his accent, makes it hilarious. And he’s very amusing when talking about various other things too, including how the middle class are changing the East End, shopping in Tesco, being a teacher, his theory about why teenage pregnancies have gone up, meeting his wife’s friends, what we do better than Americans, dating, being caught peeping at the neighbours, his attempts to be more mature and going to a restaurant.
He uses a great variety of music on the DVD as well, most of which are songs that I know. He uses Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees as the intro to the show and Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel over the credits, while the different menu screens use Badlands by Bruce Springsteen, That’s Entertainment by The Jam, Searching by Change (featuring Luther Vandross) and Babylon by David Gray. A lot of comedians just use bespoke or library music, or none at all, on their releases to save on licensing costs, so to have lengthy extracts from this many songs for a stand-up release is impressive, and gives a good flavour of his musical tastes.
Finally, the DVD extras are quite short, but they include a couple of nice interviews where we learn more about him:
- Let’s Go Down The Pub (11:25) – Micky takes us on a tour around his old stomping ground on the council estate where he grew up, finishing at his local pub The Birdcage, where he’s then interviewed about his recollections of the area, his life before becoming a comedian and how he met his wife.
- Meet My Mum & Dad (9:54) – Micky has an enjoyable chat with his parents, ranging from memories of his childhood to his success as a comedian. They have a good sense of humour like him.
- The ‘Out Out’ Dubstep Remix (2:05) – A pointless mashup of Micky’s most famous routine with a beat behind it.
Back In The Game
Micky’s second DVD, lasting 1½ hours, was filmed in London at the Hackney Empire. Some of my favourite routines and topics in this show are about him stealing from service stations, how women talk a lot, why dogs annoy him, his health (and his mates’ ailments), getting a prostate exam, and how he got “back in the game” after he upset his wife during their first year together, being saved thanks to a major news event.
He also talks about things like TV shows he won’t go on, religious people, his father, going to a nudist beach, listening to Magic FM and what you can’t do or say in front of your children now, among the various topics in his wide-ranging set. He’s very sincere in his gratitude to the audience at the end too, which is lovely.
Once again he uses some proper music on the disc, with Ain’t No Stopping Us Now by McFadden & Whitehead for all the menus and the introduction of the show, plus Get Here by Oleta Adams over the credits, the latter being a song I’m not familiar with but it’s ok.
As for extras, again there isn’t much, but the 2 bits he’s included are worth looking at:
- It’s All Changed Around Here (4:13) – Just like the tour on the previous DVD, this again starts on the council estate from Micky’s youth. But this time he takes a walk and a cab to the Hackney Empire, pointing out a few things that have changed over the years along the way, including the Well & Bucket pub where he had his first sight of a vagina, and York Hall Baths where he first learnt to swim. The feature is underscored by the classic disco track Good Times by Chic, another great choice
- Live At The Apollo 2010 (11:25) – Here we get his amusing set from the BBC’s stand-up showcase, which should have been on the previous DVD really. Apart from a little bit about his Cockney walk though, it doesn’t repeat routines from either of the first 2 DVDs, which is good, as he talks about making things in school, dating women in the 80s, bringing up a child and Thomas the Tank Engine.
An’ Another Fing
Having taken a year out – which he talks about during the show, including how he managed to persuade his wife to let him – Micky packs out the massive O2 Arena for his third DVD. Once again the recording lasts just under an hour and a half, and this time the theme tune is Let’s Go Round Again by Average White Band, another cool song. The music on the menu is also a disco-style instrumental.
He begins by talking about how much his life has changed, from growing up on a council estate to being rich and famous. And there are other reflections during the show where he compares life in the 70s and 80s to today, including the behaviour of teenagers and the consumption of pornography. I also enjoyed his routines about a myriad of other topics too, including going to France, shopping for groceries and greeting cards, getting a dog, going camping, going to the pub, thick people on TV, watching TV with his wife, how his body has changed as he’s got older, and going on a Saga holiday at the age of 50. There’s also a light-hearted routine about Gregg Wallace on the show Eat Well For Less, which I imagine he wouldn’t do in that way today given what we now know about Gregg’s behaviour.
The only extra on the disc is a funny 3-minute outtake where he messes up his line about olives on pizza, and the audience make it hard for him to retake it by cheering when he gets it right.
If Ever We Needed It…
A lot less effort has been put into Micky’s new release this year, as it’s just an hour long, doesn’t use any music and is devoid of any extras. So it’s disappointing in that regard. And I don’t think the show is quite as good as his earlier ones.
But he is still funny, so it is worth watching and adding to the collection. Filmed at the Utilita Arena, Cardiff in late 2023, he reflects on the fact that it’s been 5 years since his previous tour, in large part thanks to the Covid lockdowns, which of course he has a routine about. So we hear his thoughts on Boris Johnson, people who wore masks incorrectly and being stuck at home with his wife. There’s plenty of other material about his home life as well, from calling across the house to looking after the dog.
He also gives his thoughts on how men have been ‘broken’ by women, and how people’s approaches to romance and sex are different compared to when he was young, including some jokes about the TV show Naked Attraction. And he explores how the comedy scene has changed, with people becoming ‘triggered’ and offended by things more easily, while also giving an example of a news report that triggered him. Plus he talks about other things including playing sports at school, uncivil people, cutting down on alcohol, and a story that involves him doing an African accent at one point, after which he jokes about whether or not it’ll make the edit.
TV Shows
As well as the DVDs, I also had a quick look at a few of his TV shows that have been repeated recently on Sky or are available on catchup:
- Peeping Behind The Curtain – This is a 90-minute documentary from 2020 looking back over Micky’s life and career. It’s quite interesting, as he reflects on growing up in the East End, going to America, how to win over audiences, how he developed his on-stage comedy persona, his experience of touring, going on chat shows, and the popularity of his ‘out out’ routine, among other things. His family, agent and fellow comedians are also interviewed along the way. So it’s good, although I’m not bothered about getting the DVD, as it’s not something I’d watch repeatedly. It would have made more sense if it had been a bonus feature on one of his stand-up DVDs, there’s easily enough room.
- Micky Flanagan’s Christmas – This is an amusing, laid-back, hour-long special where Micky talks and jokes about various aspects of the festive season, including how he does Christmas at home, how Christmas has changed since he was a child, what it’s like having family round, buying gifts for people, over-indulging on food and drink, watching Christmas TV and the short life of Christmas trees, among other things. Along the way he plays around with the graphics in the green screen studio where he’s being interviewed, frustrates the teacher at a Santa school by making inappropriate jokes, attends a boom cycle class, and makes his own Christmas advert for a small newsagent. So it’s just a bit of silly festive fun overall really, nothing special but a nice enough way to kill an hour.
- Detour de France – This is a 4-episode series, also available with a bonus episode on DVD, where Micky and his mate Noel Lynch go on a cycling adventure around France, roughly following the route of the Tour de France, but often deviating as the mood takes them. I had a look at the first episode on Sky’s catch-up service, but didn’t find it particularly interesting, so I’m not going to watch the rest of it. I much prefer Micky’s stand-up shows.
Conclusion
And that’s it, I’ve got myself up to date with another of the comedians in my extensive collection. It’s been good to catch up with Micky’s shows, as it’s been quite a while since I last watched them, so I’d forgotten quite a lot of the material. And even though his newest DVD doesn’t quite match the high bar set by his earlier shows, it’s still good. So I hope you enjoyed that little set of reviews, and I’ll see you for more posts very soon. Until then, over and ‘out out’.
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