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‘We took the sitcom and blew it apart’: how The Young Ones changed comedy for ever

With flying eclairs, falling beds and exploding buses, the anarchic antics of Rick, Vyvyan, Neil and Mike shoved alternative comedy into the mainstream. Forty years on, we ask the show’s creators how they pulled it off

O N 9 November 1982, an unsuspecting UK was about to get an era-defining shock. A new comedy arrived on BBC Two, bringing a new generation with it. Rick (the late Rik Mayall), a sanctimonious sociology student, Vyvyan (Ade Edmondson), a violent punk, Neil (Nigel Planer), a morose hippy, and Mike (Christopher Ryan), a mysterious mature student, were undergraduates at Scumbag College. They lived in an indescribably filthy hovel owned by Alexei Sayle’s terrifying landlord Jerzei Balowski and traded in a brand of hyper-stimulated slapstick hilarity that seemed to update Punch & Judy for the post-punk era.

A sitcom it was; Terry and June it definitely was not. The Young Ones broke the fourth wall, endangered the physical wellbeing of its stars and put cool bands on the telly. They terrorised “Footlights College Oxbridge” on University Challenge, released a single with Cliff Richard and had their own Sinclair ZX Spectrum video game . The show became a touchstone and an inflection point of 80s comedy, making superstars of its cast in the process. But how did it come about?

Lise Mayer (co-creator and co-writer) I met Rik when I was at Manchester High School. He was my dad’s student [at the university]. Obviously I liked him, but I didn’t think: “This person will go far.” He was naughty. I wanted to be an archaeologist. After university, I had a travelling year and then came back to London. My friend told me about this new club that had started with Rik and a few others performing at it.

Alexei Sayle (Jerzei Balowski) The first time I met Rik and Ade was a night at [Soho venue] the Comedy Store when I chose to do a really ill-advised piece of material. I was drunk as well, and there was a journalist in from the Observer so it seemed important. And I died really badly, so it was upsetting to see how funny they were!

Nigel Planer (Neil) I was doing a show with Peter Richardson from which Neil comes. It was where Neil was launched. We were a double act and we met Rik, Ade and Alexei in the Comedy Store. That was when the gang formed.

Sayle When the Comedy Store opened it was kind of a circus, really. Rik and Ade started putting it on the path where it was noticeably different: it wasn’t just mad people; it was people with something identifiably different and identifiably good. And young.

Paul Jackson (producer and director ) The Comedy Store became hot very quickly. When I got there, the queue was round the block. Not because it was successful but because you could only access the place in this terrible, rickety old lift, which could only take four people at a time. I actually felt that helped it get lift-off. You associated the queue with the Comedy Store.

Mayer Paul Jackson was a young and thrusting producer. He’d done The Two Ronnies and quite a lot of mainstream stuff but he was interested in what was happening and he would come to the Comedy Store at a time when no one else did. Normal comedy was Footlights or musical stuff. He did a programme called Boom Boom, Out Go the Lights, which was Rik, Nigel and Alexei doing their standup acts on TV. They had to edit it so much that it lost the excitement of the live shows. Rik and I were talking about why it hadn’t worked and we decided that the only two formats that were made for television were the nature documentary and the sitcom. Rik said Ben [Elton] was good at writing plays and that he should join us.

Jackson I thought the Comedy Store was wonderful. So I went back to my boss at the time, a man called Robin Nash, and said: “I think there’s something happening here.” I’d gone initially out of professional interest but I went back for pleasure.

Mayer It very much felt like a punk thing. Instead of: “Here’s three chords, now go and form a band”, it was: “Here’s a microphone, now go and be a standup comedian.”

Jackson I got a pilot script from Rik. It was hand-written and had a coffee cup mark on the first page, and I loved it. And Robin basically said: “Really Paul? I’ve read it and I don’t understand. Are you sure this is what’s happening?” And I told him they were going to be big so we made a pilot. I saw the head of comedy in a corridor a few weeks later and they’d obviously been showing the pilot around and he said: “Don’t worry, Paul. Sometimes it doesn’t work … ” But, around that time, Channel 4 was launching and they showed Five Go Mad in Dorset [the Comic Strip film that starred many of the Comedy Store regulars]. That’s what changed it. I got a call almost immediately saying: “Can you get five more done? We want a series.”

Mayer Rik, Ben and I would meet and discuss the through-lines and so forth. And then we’d write two complete scripts: Ben would write a script and Rik and I would write one. And we’d push them together into one, then Alexei would have additional material, the stuff that he was doing. It would come out as an hour long or something. Then someone – usually me – would stay up all night editing it. We were determined to make them all really unpleasant. If you look at Fawlty Towers, none of them are really likable. The audience are predisposed to like main characters so you don’t actually have to make them sympathetic. We liked the idea that people would try and like these characters but every time they did, it would blow up in their face.

Jackson Vyvyan’s entry, crashing through the set on the wrecking ball, set the tone perfectly. It was the biggest entrance I can remember in a live sitcom. That was the moment when everyone there thought: “Hang on, this is going to be different!” And of course, in the studio, the audience just went berserk.

Planer I got a note saying would I go and audition for the part of Neil. And I said: “No, if you don’t cast me, you’ll have to take him out of the series. Because that’s my act.”

Sayle I was the first one to be on television in a substantial way – on OTT , which was a late-night version of the kids’ show Tiswas. But what I really needed was rather than being in a show that was at odds with my ethos, to be in something that was part of it. As soon I read the scripts for The Young Ones, I realised this was it. Rather than just us doing our acts, it deconstructed the sitcom. It took a TV form and blew it apart in the way that we’d done to cabaret at the Comedy Store. They didn’t need me, really. But I’d been the dad at the Comedy Store. So they were too frightened of me to exclude me!

Mayer Alexei was the person that everyone was in awe of. He was more senior and he was actually working class whereas everyone else was just pretending. Having his seal of approval helped. When Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders started doing standup, we wanted them in it, too. We were able to create employment. The only casting we did was for Mike; for everyone else, it was like, “Let’s give that part to so-and-so …”

Christopher Ryan (Mike) I was doing a play called Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! by Dario Fo. Maggie Steed was in it and Maggie’s partner at the time was Andy de la Tour, who was part of the alternative comedy scene. Peter Richardson wasn’t going to be involved so Andy suggested me. I went along and met Paul, Rik, Lise and Nigel. And I read and did a couple of improvisations and that was it.

Jackson Chris was a really good actor but he wasn’t part of the alternative circuit and he’s suddenly surrounded by all these young people. It was difficult and he coped really well.

Ryan Everyone involved was brilliant: witty, clever, energetic. I didn’t feel I really belonged. I wasn’t of their stable. Nothing against them because they were fantastic. But I never got hold of that character. People often say: “You must have had great fun; you must have really enjoyed it.” And I always say: “I wish I had.” It was brilliantly written. But I was never relaxed enough to enjoy it.

Planer Chris Ryan was very popular among us and absolutely brilliant in the show. My theory is: if you unpick that linchpin, the whole thing would collapse.

Mayer It’s sort of a family. A dysfunctional family. We were all still so near to being students. We’d just left so we were still imbued with the memory of living like that.

Jackson Ben used to write a play a week but they were all written at university. They all had ideas literally pouring out of them and threw them all down on the table.

Planer It’s in disguise but it is a structured, normal sitcom. You have Rick and Vyvyan, the quarrelling siblings, and you have Mum and Dad. Neil is obviously mum; he does all the cooking and complains a lot.

Jackson Vyvyan personifies the destructive, couldn’t-care-less side of it. He was the nihilist so he gave the show that cartoon violence: it’s no accident that it’s his head that got kicked along the railway line [after the character was decapitated in the University Challenge episode, Bambi]. Shooting that was just an absolute joy. We had to bury Ade up to his neck and swing a boot at him, just for that one shot on the railway line. If you think of The Young Ones without the manic, destructive energy of Vyvyan, it would be a completely different show and not a quarter as good.

Rik Mayall (Rick), speaking to the Guardian in 1987 Rick is just self-centred … He wants street cred, wants to be a rebel, to care about nothing and be an anarchist. But we all know he’s a hypocrite and that he’ll be a computer analyst by the time he’s 30, the little shit.

Planer Rik was a special person: infuriating and inspiring at the same time. There’s a video on YouTube of us doing the Who’s My Generation live [for a benefit show] – Ade, me, as Neil, Rowland Rivron on drums. But Rik as lead singer, is putting about 12 times more energy into it than is necessary or even desirable. It’s insane and really funny and epitomises what he could do that was so unique.

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Jackson Ade is a brilliant physical comic and his timing with Rik was extraordinary. You’ve got this lunatic with four studs drilled into his head but, in real life, he was much quieter than Rik. I’ve always found him really reassuring and solid and professional to work with.

Sayle If there was a star, it was Rik. I was very fond of him. He could be infuriating but he was naturally very funny. It came easily to him. He wasn’t ever going to do a sophisticated Broadway comedy, he just made you laugh. He was just full of life.

Mayer We often had to defend the show on moral grounds. We got called in once by [BBC executive] Jim Moir who said that we couldn’t have a scene with Vyvyan fucking the floor. It was actually a scene where he was doing press-ups at a party to try and impress girls. They thought it was obscene even when it wasn’t!

Planer They had to pull a shot when Rik is playing with a tampon. He finds it in a girl’s bag and pulls it out and pretends it’s a mouse. And as I recall, he popped it into her glass of red wine and it swelled up and came out red. And that was the only point when the BBC felt it had gone too far.

Mayer More or less every other week, there was a visit to A&E. We had these crazy, inventive special effects guys who had a whole department in North Acton. We’d say: “Can we have a sofa that turns into a coffin”, or whatever. “A giant eclair that falls from the ceiling?” And they’d make them.

Planer There wasn’t much health and safety. Things were falling on our heads! I had to go to the osteopath after the episode with the giant eclair! I’m the tallest so I took the weight of it. We actually had a live elephant in the studio. There’s a scene where Rik and Ade are fighting on the bed and the floor caves in. And on the actual set, the floor caved in! They fell 15 feet on a bed. They both jarred their spines. They carried on acting but that was certainly one of the narrow escapes.

Jackson The designer, Graeme Storey, was brilliant. We said to him: it’s part Steptoe and Son and part student house. Graham did a brilliant job of designing this grotty, grungy place. When you’ve got a situation where you need two actors to be able to literally fall through the floor, that’s a massive rig. And those things are expensive.

Planer We quite deliberately made it look crap! By then, everyone was straining to get hi-tech special effects involved in things. We wanted it to look cheap, like they’d made a mistake hiring us. You know that graffiti spray paint? Before I went on, they’d spray me from head to toe in brown to make me look dirtier. I can still smell that show now.

Jackson You couldn’t have made The Young Ones on a sitcom budget. It was expensive. We liked having the music and we liked having the bands. But one of the reasons we had them on was so we would qualify as an entertainment show and get a bigger budget.

Mayer Mainly me and Rik chose the bands. The Damned and Motörhead were really sweet. The naughtiest person we had on – and you probably wouldn’t even notice it was her – was Andi Oliver, when she was in Rip Rig & Panic.

Andi Oliver (Rip Rig & Panic) I was about 19. When I see it I look like a small child. I think Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders were on that episode because I just remember them being hilariously funny. Gareth Sager [Rip Rig & Panic frontman] decided that we weren’t going to have proper instruments so they were playing washing-up liquid bottles and stuff. There was a lot of alcohol involved. Years later, I saw Lise Mayer and she was like: “God, you guys were wild!”

Sayle It was Rik, Lise and Ben’s obsession that they were only going to do 12 episodes. I was sad that we didn’t do a bit more. It was popular, and that was a struggle for me. Because my own work was abrasive and challenging in some ways, I struggled with popularity. The Young Ones delivered me a kind of popularity by proxy which I appreciated.

Jackson If 12 episodes was enough for John Cleese, it’s enough for us. Everybody knew that was it. And to be very sure, they were absolutely and completely murdered. We put them in a bus and drove it off a cliff. It hit the ground and then, nothing! So we were left with the terrible dilemma of whether we approached it because it was full of explosives. There were conversations about how to detonate it. And that’s when we put the little: “Phew, that was close!” voiceover in [before the bus eventually explodes]. Because the shot we wanted, of it hitting the ground and exploding, just didn’t happen.

Sayle When you’re in the middle of a thing like that, you don’t understand the impact. You’re the one group of people who isn’t part of that conversation. You don’t get to say: “Wow, did you see The Young Ones?” For years, I probably paid no attention to it at all, really; it’s only in the last 10 years or so that I’ve looked at the episodes. But it’s very evocative to watch them. We were happy and young.

Planer When The Young Ones came out, there were only three channels. [Channel 4 launched just a week before the first episode.] You could watch that or a heartwarming comedy drama or a soap. There wasn’t a lot going down. There’s a wonderful feeling about all watching the same thing at the same time. It’s not just the giving of pleasure to other people, it’s the collective experience.

Sayle It’s about being fresh to something. If you don’t know the rules, you can’t conform to them. But the BBC was definitely a braver organisation back then. The people who were commissioning then had been programme makers themselves. They weren’t just bureaucrats.

Ryan I can be anywhere and people will bring it up. Just today, I was walking down the street and someone told me they knew me. People smile when they talk about The Young Ones.

Mayer Watching it at the time, all I could see were the bits that didn’t quite come out right. Now, even though lots of it doesn’t work, it’s got so much in it. So many ideas in it. There’s something about the verve of doing things when you have no idea what you’re doing. You’re making mistakes in public but you also invent things. Punk wouldn’t be punk if it wasn’t rough around the edges. If you tried to tidy up The Young Ones, you’d ruin it.

This article was amended on 14 March 2023 to clarify that by the time The Young Ones aired, there were four terrestrial channels in the UK.

The Young Ones: The Complete Collection 40th Anniversary Edition is out on Blu-ray on 28 November .

• Alexei Sayle
• Adrian Edmondson
• Nigel Planer

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Well Eye Never

Visually impaired accessibility advocate, culture vulture & London explorer

The Young Ones – 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Review

Once in every lifetime, comes a show like this. The anarchic sitcom The Young Ones crashed on to our screens in November 1982, followed by a second series in 1984. And for its 40th anniversary they’ve brought out a special Blu-ray edition of both series, which is the first time it’s been released in that format, so I eagerly snapped it up.

The episodes are uncut, and there’s a ton of bonus material that’s been unearthed and produced by Richard Latto , with lots of brand-new extras in addition to those carried over from the previous DVD. Some of the new material also gives credit to TV playout director John Hoare , who writes extensively researched articles about The Young Ones and other comedy shows on his Dirty Feed blog, which are genuinely fascinating to read.

So this lengthy post contains my reviews of the episodes and the bonus material in the set (which in short is awesome). And it isn’t sponsored or gifted, I’ve got no connection with anybody involved with the show, I’m just a big fan. I hope you enjoy!

Introduction

Commentaries, extra features, online material.

The Young Ones has a little bit in common with Fawlty Towers , in the sense that it only had 12 episodes, yet it still had a massive impact and is remembered as one of the all-time classics. But that’s where any similarities end. It’s safe to say it was completely unlike anything that had been on TV before, propelling its stars and the genre of alternative comedy into the mainstream. Sure, there had been some crazy comedy shows prior to it, which no doubt had some degree of influence upon its creators, but this really pushed the boundaries and took things to another level.

The show is basically about four students who share a house together and live a squalid existence. Every episode is full of wonderful surrealism, slapstick and cartoon-style violence, as the characters try to get on with their lazy lives while being distracted and hampered by bizarre situations, their own disdain for one another, and their own sheer incompetence. And that’s just scratching the surface of what the show entails.

The students are a despicable but hilarious quartet. Rick ( Rik Mayall ) is desperate for attention, wants to start a revolution and is a fan of Cliff Richard . Vyvyan ( Adrian Edmondson ) doesn’t give a damn about anything and enjoys being mindlessly destructive. Neil ( Nigel Planer ) is a depressed vegetarian hippy who does all the chores and gets no respect from the others. And Mike ( Christopher Ryan ) thinks he’s cool and attractive, likes to come up with money-making schemes, and is the relatively sensible straight man in the group that the others look up to. The chemistry and interplay between them all works perfectly, and Rik & Ade are of course very much in their element whenever they bicker and fight. There are also several characters played by Alexei Sayle across all the episodes, mainly members of the Balowski family, of whom Jerzei is the landlord of the students’ house. And there is a fifth housemate hidden in the background in some episodes, but they never do anything or get mentioned.

The menu on each disc reveals all 4 of the students, plus Alexei’s Mussolini character and Vyvyan’s hamster SPG (Special Patrol Group), zooming in on each in turn, all in front of a Union Jack while the theme tune plays. Likewise, the Blu-ray packaging contains images of each of the characters, 3 of them being revealed when you take out the discs. And the discs themselves contain the same image of the show’s title and the characters in front of the flag.

But as well as the students and the central storyline in each episode, there are lots of other random elements thrown in as well, as the show stuck two fingers up to the normal conventions of TV sitcoms without a care in the world. Every episode is extremely busy and packed full of stuff.

There are a myriad of other characters that pop up for a start, played by an impressive roster of guest stars, many of whom were also from the comedy circuit as well as some other great actors, including:

• Ben Elton , who co-wrote the series with Rik Mayall & Lise Mayer .
• Comedy double acts Dawn French &  Jennifer Saunders , Gareth Hale & Norman Pace ,  Stephen Fry &  Hugh Laurie , Mel Smith &  Griff Rhys Jones and Stephen Frost & Mark Arden .
• Other performers including Terry Jones ,  Chris Barrie ,  Norman Lovett ,  Lenny Henry ,  Robbie Coltrane ,  Tony Robinson ,  Emma Thompson , Helen Lederer , Jools Holland , Anthony Sharp ,  David Rappaport and Andy De La Tour .

In addition, almost every episode includes a musical performance by a guest artist and/or Alexei Sayle, with just one episode featuring a lion tamer instead. Some are better than others, naturally, but none are awful. They’re loosely shoehorned into the plot in some way, and were included so that the show could be classified as a variety series instead of a standard sitcom. This gave them a higher budget and allowed them to spend two days filming in the studio instead of one, so they could get a lot more done.

Extracts of songs by various other artists, from a surprising variety of genres and time periods, can also be heard during the series, and they’re always good choices. And Peter Brewis deserves a lot of credit for the opening theme (a great reworking of Cliff Richard’s hit performed by the cast), the closing theme and other incidental music he composed for the show. You can hear clean copies of some of his music in the extra features.

Some of the music had to be cut on early VHS & DVD releases, but thankfully they were all restored for the 2007 DVD, and are all present on this new Blu-ray as well. I’ll mention the key tracks during my episode reviews below, but John Hoare over at Dirty Feed has written wonderfully comprehensive lists of the music for Series 1 & Series 2 , and I’ve included several tracks from the show in a Youtube playlist I’ve put together of clips, music, interviews and other rarities relating to the series.

Furthermore, and sometimes involving the guest stars above, there are regular cutaways to other people, or puppets of animals, food, furniture and other objects, that talk or perform in some way. And in Series 2 there are random flash frames inserted as well, in response to the fear of subliminal messaging at the time, and to give people with VCRs a reward if they could pause to see them. These additions often have little or no connection to the main plot or characters, but are still integrated in a clever way. I won’t mention most of them in the reviews below, as there are far too many, but they’re always worth looking out for. There are just a couple of minor anomalies that I mention in my reviews below, relating to a flash frame in Time (which they couldn’t include) and a couple of amorous bears in Nasty (which are in the extras instead), but ultimately all the episodes are uncut, just as they were when originally broadcast.

The show is also notorious for breaking the fourth wall to great effect on a regular basis, with characters turning away from the action to make jokes or remarks directly to the viewer. Alexei Sayle in particular usually drops the accent of the character he’s playing to do some kind of humorous, ranting monologue. There are also occasions where characters react to or acknowledge the scene transition effects, the physical presence of the cameras or the general fact that they’re in a TV studio set. They weren’t the first comedy show to mess around with the fourth wall of course, and many have done it since, but the way they went about it was particularly fun, and I’ve yet to see anyone do it better.

Finally, it’s worth noting and celebrating the fact that the series appears to be completely uncensored on this Blu-ray, evidenced in particular by the inclusion of the racist policeman scene in the Boring episode, which is usually edited out of TV repeats and was cut from early commercial releases. There are also a few other terms of abuse uttered during the series that would never be used on TV today.

But that’s how things were back then, and it’s important for the series to represent the political, social and cultural landscape of its day, otherwise it wouldn’t work so well or make sense. The back of the Blu-ray does carry a message that “The content was originally broadcast in 1982 & 1984 and reflects the language and attitudes of the time” , which is becoming quite common on releases of old shows nowadays, and I think the overwhelming majority of people who watch this set already understand that. We know that attitudes have changed considerably in the past 4 decades. And while some references may seem dated or unfamiliar to audiences now, that doesn’t stop the show being riotously funny, as the underlying joke is always clear within the context that it’s presented.

So altogether there’s a huge amount to see and enjoy in the series, and when you rewatch episodes there can often be little details you spot that you missed before, as they crammed so much in. The episodes aren’t in crisp high definition with every little thing visible in sharp detail of course, and we shouldn’t expect that given their age and the video tapes on which they were recorded (with occasional use of film instead). But they have been remastered and upscaled, and do seem to look as good as it’s possible for them to be, and the sound quality is great as well. There will be others out there who can analyse the picture and sound properly of course, but I’m very happy with the quality personally, and I love the fact that there are lots of extras as well. So let’s get on and dig through it all.

Disc 1 contains the entire first series of 6 episodes, which ran weekly from 9 November to 14 December 1982. A detailed list of music used in the series can be found on the Dirty Feed website .

The production team got rare permission from the BBC to have episodes up to 35 minutes in duration at the time, hence they’re all longer than the traditional half hour:

• Demolition (33:23)
• Oil (32:37)
• Boring (35:08)
• Bomb (35:11)
• Interesting (31:54)
• Flood (30:28)

Total Runtime = 3:18:41

1. Demolition

Running Time = 33:23

This opening episode, where the guys discover their house is about to be demolished, was originally filmed as a pilot, but was kept as the first episode of the main series. It’s a solid start with great introductions to the characters, especially with Vyvyan crashing through the wall on to the dinner table, which is a fantastic entrance, and is part of his plan to decimate the house from within. Neil, meanwhile, tries to find a way to kill himself, Rick writes protest poems , Mike tries to keep everyone calm, their landlord Jerzei turns up demanding rent, and we meet Vyvyan’s hamster SPG (Special Patrol Group). Plus, among other random things, there’s a very hot lentil casserole, talking rats, a lot of rubbish in Mike’s magazine, and a new programme for young adults called Nozin’ Around’ (a parody of the Oxford Road Show , with Ben Elton playing the host Baz).

The music performance is 11+11 by Nine Below Zero , which isn’t an amazing song, but has the right energy for the show. We also hear a bit of Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets when Neil tries to hang himself, and a version of Morning Has Broken by John Gregory when demolition day dawns, though a plane crash does the job for the council anyway.

Running Time = 32:37

This is a brilliant and very busy episode where the lads settle into their new home. Rick & Vyv fight over a bedroom to begin with, before setting fire to it and giving it to Neil. But Mike gets quite a surprise in his room, with Buddy Holly hanging upside down from the ceiling, having parachuted out from the plane that crashed many years earlier – a tasteless gag perhaps, but a brilliant one nonetheless. He plays part of a song he’s composed about the diet of insects he’s survived on called Coo, Coo, Daddy Longlegs, which has since been covered by a few artists including The Cheats , One Ton Drunk and an extended version by A Couple Of Squirts . Buddy was played in the show by Ronnie Golden (born Tony De Meur), and he’s since spoken about playing the role during an online interview .

The episode’s title, meanwhile, refers to Vyvyan’s claim that he’s discovered oil in the cellar, which leads him and Mike to force Rick and Neil to help dig for it , only for Vyvyan to end up with an axe through his head. Rick then organises a benefit gig in the drawing room for the ‘oppressed workers’ – i.e. just him and Neil -as Alexei Balowski does a silly song about Dr. Martens boots. Alexei Sayle released a recording of the song on his album Cak! , and performed it live on various occasions, including on music show The Tube .

And apart from all that, we also see Rick thrown back by a huge cooker explosion (which wakes up 2 people hallucinating they’re at sea in the cellar), Neil causes another explosion by sneezing in the broom cupboard, and the guys watch the dot on the TV after programmes have finished for the night.

Other music in the episode includes Travellin’ Light by Cliff Richard (when they arrive at the house), Skin Tight by Paul Keogh (during a roller disco that’s been set up in Rick’s bedroom) and I’m Busting My Rocks by Roy C (while the guys dig for oil in the cellar). The Cliff Richard and Roy C tracks had been edited out of some older releases, to the point where the cast had to re-record dialogue for their initial arrival scene, but the songs and original dialogue are thankfully preserved here.

Running Time = 35:08

In this episode, which is anything but dull for the viewer, the guys are bored to death and are trying to find ways to fill the time. Vyvyan seems to make the most effort, as he enters a competition to win a car, modifies the rules to Monopoly and does an ill-judged magic trick involving his fingers. Mad Billy Balowski also turns up with a message and drinks from the goldfish bowl to everyone’s bewilderment.

But such is the tedium of the day that the students are oblivious to a lot of things. When Neil is digging a grave for himself, he has no idea that beneath the ground is a world full of so much variety that the King of that land is bored with how incredibly interesting it is. The guys also fail to notice an armed siege taking place behind them while watching the news about it on TV, a devil called Ftumch who is trying to kill them after being accidentally summoned from Hell, and a UFO floating over their house at the end.

They are also completely unaware that Vyvyan has actually won the car competition, as the man who comes to the door is killed by Ftumch – but only after the guy is verbally abused by a policeman who mistakes him for a black man because he’s looking at him through dark sunglasses. The scene is included in its entirety here on the Blu-ray with all the slurs intact, unlike some of the older releases or TV repeats, which I think is perfectly fine as the scene is taking aim at the racist attitudes of the police at the time.

In terms of music, the legendary Madness perform House Of Fun at the start of a great scene in the Kebab & Calculator pub, where the students discover Vyvyan’s mother ( Pauline Melville ) working behind the bar. We also hear Good Day Sunshine by The Beatles (as we see what goes on in the house before the students get up), Fire by The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown & Bermuda Triangle by Barry Manilow (during the scene in Hell), and Teddy Bears’ Picnic by Henry Hall & His Orchestra (when Goldilocks and The Three Bears are in the house). There are even a couple of classical pieces used briefly as well, with The Skater’s Waltz by Émile Waldteufel (when the carrot and chip are dancing together) and Infernal Galop by Jacques Offenbach (in the land of very interesting things). So there’s quite a variety of decent music in this particular episode.

Running Time = 35:11

It’s another boring day for the lads, as Neil’s collapsing alarm clock finally gets them up in the early afternoon, he spends some time comforting the kettle when it explodes, and Vyv tries to help him retrieve some lentils from behind a teetering mound of crockery. Meanwhile Rick writes a poem about pollution, the characters on a Cornflakes packet argue with each other , the lads discover that all the TV shows have been replaced by the test card , Vyv has to eat the TV when the license detector man comes knocking, and we see a fly on the wall documentary being made with actual flies.

Oh, and there’s a large atom bomb in front of the fridge all this time. And when they eventually notice it they all react very differently. Vyv tries to make it go off by smashing things against it and swinging through the wall on a wrecking ball, Mike tries to call Colonel Gaddafi, Rick tries to send a telegram to the Prime Minister, Neil takes some rather useless advice from the Protect & Survive manual, and Reggie Balowski pops round to see if he can deal with it. But when it does finally tick down to its big moment, it’s revealed to be a large bomb-shaped egg, that cracks open to reveal a tiny drone that flies away.

The musical centrepiece is provided by Dexys Midnight Runners performing Jackie Wilson Said (a cover of the Van Morrison song ) in the bathroom. We also hear I’m Not A Juvenile Delinquent by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers as Rick strides down the street and flicks the V sign at a policeman, before discovering some old ladies vandalising a phone box. Plus Rik Mayall & Nigel Planer sing a song as Dicky & Dino in a cutaway Rat Pack sketch.

5. Interesting

Running Time = 31:54

Another superb episode where the guys are preparing for a party, though of course it doesn’t go well. For a start, Vyvyan tears up the floorboards and sucks up a friend of Neil’s (also called Neil) with his souped-up hoover, with the second Neil being shoved into the fridge afterwards (accompanied by an on-screen warning that it’s a bloody stupid thing to do!). The damage to the floor is covered up, however, by a giant sandwich that is dropped onto the house by one of The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, which squashes a persistent preacher (played by Dawn French ). It’s a brilliant moment made all the more hilarious by Rick’s reaction – “well, that’s just typical!”

Once the guests arrive, including Jennifer Saunders , things continue to be chaotic. The police smash up the stereo as soon as it starts playing, Neil flies off into space when he tries an exotic drug, Vyv tries to impress the girls with push-ups, Mike takes Cinderella back to his room where she turns into a pumpkin, Tommy Balowski turns up very drunk, and a couple of wannabe gatecrashers discover a chimney sweep and Santa when they try to sneak in via the roof. But the funniest moment for me is when Rick finds a tampon in a girl’s bag , not realising what it is until he reads the box it came from!

Rip Rig + Panic perform You’re My Kind Of Climate at the party, with vocals by Andi Oliver , instead of Neneh Cherry as on the single version (of which there’s also a Party Mix ). It’s not one of the best songs in the series, but it’s catchy suitable for the occasion. There’s lots of other music heard in the episode too, including a song performed by Audrienne Ferguson as a tomato (just before Neil’s friend is bundled into the fridge), The Things That Dreams Are Made Of by The Human League (when the police smash up the stereo) and Cinderella Rockefella by Alan Moorhouse & His Bond Street Brigade (as the horse and carriage pulls up). And when a lot more people turn up for the party, in the background they play Ain’t Nothin’ But A House Party by Paper Dolls , It’s My Party by Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin , You’ll Always Find Me In The Kitchen at Parties by Jona Lewie and Mama Told Me Not to Come by Three Dog Night . There’s also a quote from Space Oddity by David Bowie while Neil’s up in space. It’s a pretty good selection altogether.

Running Time = 30:28

This episode opens with a medieval prisoner about to be executed in a graveyard, before Neil walks past, smacks himself in the face with a frying pan, and enters the house. And here again the lads are trying to pass the time, as they stay indoors away from the rain. Rick & Vyv argue over a comic and items they have stored in the fridge , while Neil has to be persuaded to go out to the shops to get some food. They also play a game of hide and seek , where Vyvyan discovers Narnia in the wardrobe.

Rick also discovers a lion tamer in his room, performing to a recording of The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Tight Fit , and this sequence is used instead of a musical guest for the episode. We also hear a soundalike version of The Everly Brothers hit All I Have To Do Is Dream (when Rick imagines himself in a comic strip as The People’s Poet), and The Day The Rains Came by Helen Shapiro (when Neil ventures out into the rain).

Things get even crazier when landlord Jerzei comes in though, and unwittingly drinks Vyv’s new potion that turns him into an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. He’s eventually lured into the room with the lions, but by this point the guys are now trapped by a flood that has engulfed the house, which gives them more reason to panic. The floodwaters begin to recede at the end of the episode though, as we see Vyv’s hamster SPG – who had been thrown out into the flood after a fight – floating on a drink can with an olive branch in his mouth, while a completely different closing theme plays that isn’t used in any other episode.

Disc 2 contains the entire second series of 6 episodes, originally broadcast weekly from 8 May to 19 June 1984. A detailed list of music used in the series can be found on the Dirty Feed website .

This series includes occasional random flash frames in every episode, in response to people’s concerns at the time about subliminal messaging , and to give audience members with VCRs an extra treat that they could pause to see (and it’s now easier than ever to freeze them on Blu-ray of course). They include the ending caption from the film Carry On Cowboy , a flying white tern (not a dove as many think), a leaping frog, a dripping tap and a skier.

They ended up causing controversy at the time though, thanks to Spitting Image over on ITV responding with a flash frame of their own that got them into trouble, and subsequently meant The Young Ones were ordered not to include the flash frames in Summer Holiday that they wanted to. It’s a very complicated state of affairs that are brilliantly explained in an article over on Dirty Feed that’s well worth a read.

Again they were able to have episodes that were longer than usual compared to other sitcoms, so these are all close to 35 minutes in length:

• Bambi (34:50)
• Cash (33:58)
• Nasty (34:55)
• Time (34:07)
• Sick (34:38)
• Summer Holiday (35:01)

Total Runtime = 3:27:31

Running Time = 34:50

This is arguably the best episode of The Young Ones, where the guys are invited to go on University Challenge , representing Scumbag College, against the posh students of Footlights College Oxbridge played by Stephen Fry , Hugh Laurie , Ben Elton & Emma Thompson . The host of the show is a parody of Bamber Gascoigne played by Griff Rhys Jones , here called Bambi because he was previously the deer in the Disney film and had gone on to do an X-rated sequel. And Mel Smith , playing a security guard who stops them at the TV studio reception desk, has to deal with the pig that Vyvyan has brought along as a mascot. The quiz scene is a lot of fun to watch, as the posh team cheat their way to victory, in response to which the Scumbag team violently eliminate their opponents before being squashed by a giant chocolate eclair.

Prior to all that, however, before they even learn about the show, it becomes apparent that they need to visit the launderette, having not done any washing for ages . They have to catch one of Vyvyan’s socks that tries to escape, and then there’s a fun moment where they switch characters when coming downstairs, so it’s fun to see them adopting each other’s costumes and mannerisms. They return to normal when they arrive at the launderette of course, but the washing machines refuse to take their disgusting apparel until Vyv tricks one of them into it, and the guys then realise they have no money for the machines away.

When they get home and Neil finally announces their TV appearance, they have to make a mad dash to the railway station, while the mighty Motörhead perform Ace Of Spades in their living room (the only major piece of music in the episode, apart from a cover of the University Challenge theme).

They then set about revising and testing each other on the train, only for Vyvyan to stick his head out of a window and be decapitated , in another highly amusing and cleverly filmed scene. He then kicks his head down the tracks in annoyance, while the train driver (Alexei Sayle) is held up by a Mexican bandit, before the guys have to walk the rest of the way to the TV studio.

Running Time = 33:58

It’s freezing with snow outside in this episode, so Vyv is burning everything in the house to keep everyone warm. Unaware of this at first, Neil tries to nail plates to the table, believing that a phantom is taking them, and when Mike tries to help he nails his own legs to the table as well. We then see 2 beheaded ghosts arguing with each other as Mike is tended to by his friends.

In an attempt to get some money, therefore, they all help Neil to write a letter to his bank manager . But as that gets thrown on the fire as fuel, they have to look for a job instead. Vyv rules himself out by announcing he’s pregnant, so Neil tries to join the Army. But when he’s refused a job for being a pacifist, he goes to the police station instead, where he’s recruited by Alexei’s character, who is rather like Mussolini.

Neil is then sent to arrest people at a party where lots of drugs are involved, before discovering that his friends back at home have become rich thanks to a lorry carrying everything they need crashing into the front room. But they can’t enjoy their new-found wealth for long, as Vyvyan’s ‘pregnancy’ turns out to be an extreme case of trapped wind, and a spark from a lighter causes the entire house to explode!

In terms of music, a great version of Subterranean Homesick Blues is performed by Ken Bishop’s Nice Twelve (including Jools Holland ) on the street as Neil is taken to the army recruitment office. Thankfully that song (a cover of the Bob Dylan track ) is included on the Blu-ray, as it was sometimes cut in old releases. There are also snippets from Move It by Cliff Richard (which Rick is listening to on his record player), At The Sign Of The Swinging Cymbal by Brass Incorporated (the Pick Of The Pops theme that’s played during Alan Freeman’s fleeting cutaway as God), and Electrick Gypsies by Steve Hillage (which Neil brings to an abrupt halt during his drugs bust – “Oh no, Steve Hillage!” ). And Alexei’s character performs a song for Eurovision about stupid noises – which, let’s be honest, is no more weird than some of the songs we get in that contest!

Running Time = 34:55

This is a thrilling horror-themed episode, complete with its own unique title music as well. The plot centres around a new VCR that Vyvyan and Mike have got hold of, in order to watch some video nasties, and Vyv becomes exasperated at the constant excitement of whoever finds out (“Yes, we’ve got a video!!!” ). But they can’t get it to work, until Neil points out that it isn’t plugged in. The lead won’t reach the socket, but Vyv gets around that by going outside and pushing the front wall inwards, so that the socket is closer. Vyv doesn’t just think outside the box, but outside the house, quite literally. He’s quite clever and inventive in many ways really, considering what he comes up with.

They don’t get to watch much of the tape though, apart from a period pain advert at the start. Because they also receive a delivery through their exploding front door from an overacting postman (who ends his cameo by making reference to an advert Ade Edmondson did for national Westminster Bank ). The package contains a vampire (played by Alexei) who chases them around the house – pausing at one point in the bathroom to do a monologue and promote a Pot Noodle snack – before he’s killed by the sunlight and put into a coffin. He then wakes up in the graveyard where the students are about to bury him, and reveals himself to be the guy from the video store.

There are lots of other things to enjoy along the way too of course. In the cemetery, Terry Jones from Monty Python plays a drunk vicar , while Hale & Pace are gravediggers who get excited when they spot the TV cameras. Meanwhile back at home, Neil has a bath in some very dirty water, in which he discovers a bike before falling out of the window, and then has to wear a dress he finds in Rick’s room as he can’t get into his own.

Rick is also nearly cut in half by an electric saw that Vyv has put in his bed as a prank. But we don’t see the shagging bears just before that, and their exclusion from certain home releases has confused or irritated some fans. But my understanding is that they haven’t been cut, because they were never broadcast on TV in the first place. They first appeared on the VHS release, which used a different edit of the episode for some unknown reason, and that version was replicated on the 2002 DVD. But when the 25th anniversary DVD set was released in 2007, the original broadcast version of the episode was restored to its full uncut glory, and so the bears disappeared again. And it’s those broadcast versions we have on this Blu-ray too. However, the bears have been included amongst the extras on this new release, along with other deleted material.

Music-wise, the one major song in the episode is Nasty by The Damned , when the guys are being chased by the vampire. And not only is it a great track, it’s also significant for being the only song that was written by a group specifically for an episode of the series. The band issued it as the B-side to Thanks For The Night , and it later appeared on compilations they released as well. Apart from that, Rick sings a bit of Ashes To Ashes by David Bowie during the funeral scene, while in the bath Neil sings the opening line from The Sound Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel (which had sometimes been cut on earlier releases).

Running Time = 34:07

This episode opens with an great parody of Dallas , including a special title sequence, which turns out to be a dream of Neil’s. That segment was shot on film instead of videotape to give it the right look, so the picture quality is particularly good there.

When Neil wakes up, we discover that it’s the day after a party, with Vyv bashing his head repeatedly to try and get rid of his hangover. Rick wakes up with a girl (played by Jennifer Saunders ), completely unaware of how she got there, but attempts to persuade the others that he slept with her.

When she comes downstairs though, revealing that her name is Helen Mucus and that Rick is lying about what happened, Vyv sets about chasing him all over the house until he admits he’s still a virgin. It’s arguably Rik & Ade’s best ever fight sequence given its length and variety, and includes the big stunt where they crash through the ceiling into the kitchen while on Rick’s bed! Helen then turns out to be an escaped murderer, who tries to kill them – but is squashed by a horse who knocks down the front door, as the guys discover their house has been transported back to the Middle Ages for reasons that are never explained.

Amongst all of this, Dawn French appears as the Easter bunny who’s got the date wrong, there’s a fleeting nod to the Monty Python cheese shop sketch, we see a one-eyed pirate ( Robbie Coltrane ) who takes offence at any reference to his singular vision, there’s a torture game show on a medieval TV station presented by Jester Balowski (a parody of the discussion programme Did You See…? ), and Paul Merton makes his first ever TV appearance by playing one of the three yokels (credited under his real name of Paul Martin, as this was before he had to pick a different name when joining Equity ).

The only major musical number comes courtesy of Amazulu performing Moonlight Romance , as Helen attacks Mike while Vyv and Rick try to get Neil to change a light bulb. But Greensleeves is also heard during one of the medieval scenes.

This episode contains the only trim in the set – which is an incredibly minor one with no impact on the episode whatsoever – as producer Richard Latto has confirmed that the flash frame of a gurning lady is absent. In response John Hoare from Dirty Feed has promised to tell the complicated story about it in an article early next year, so that should be interesting!

Running Time = 34:38

This episode is certainly ‘sick’ in modern youth speak, in terms of being brilliant. The gang are all laid up with bad colds in their bedrooms to begin with, accompanied by the sound of Twist & Shout by Brian Poole & The Tremeloes . But Vyvyan gets so fed up of Rick and Neil shouting at each other that he lobs a petrol bomb across the hall . That only causes more arguments of course, including outrage at the suggestion that they clean the toilet!

The messier immediate problem, however, is Neil sneezing uncontrollably and firing snot in every direction – including out of the window, where it starts a street riot that escalates throughout the episode. In a bid to stop Neil sneezing, Vyvyan attempts acupuncture with large nails, while Mike pops down to the chemist. Madness play Our House on the pavement during this segment of the show, before getting tangled up in the rioting as well. Madness were the only band who appeared on the show twice.

Neil’s sneezes are finally cured, however, by the arrival of Brian Damage Balowski, who has escaped from a police van during the riot and forced his way into their home. But he’s not the only unexpected arrival, as Vyvyan’s mother ( Pauline Melville ) turns up briefly to give her son a prank gift, before Neil suddenly remembers that his parents are coming over for tea (played by Brian Oulton  &  Peggy Thorpe-Bates , who were married in real life). So the students all try to tidy up a bit, while Brian Damage polishes his shotgun.

Things get delightfully meta from this point, as Neil’s parents express their shame and disapproval at his involvement in the TV show, his mother complains about the state of the furniture while smashing a stunt chair, and there’s a very amusing parody of school drama Grange Hill with Ben Elton and Perry Benson . Vyvyan then angrily rips apart the title sequence of sitcom The Good Life when it starts playing, and launches into a huge rant about how sickeningly nice it is , while Rick, Neil and Neil’s father defend its star Felicity Kendal , who was indeed very attractive in her role. And it was also a great sitcom as well.

Anyway, the guys end up working in the back garden, where Rick gets annoyed by Neil’s repetitive explanation of sowing seeds and knocks him out. He wrongly believes he’s killed him, feeling deep remorse as a result, and has Neil buried under some fertiliser that Mike had ordered. But it’s such powerful stuff that it grows 2 clones of Neil, so Rick is horrified when all 3 Neils come after him. The set then suddenly pulls apart to reveal Brian Damage with Neil’s parents waving goodbye in front of some glittery showbiz curtains, while a modified version of the end theme plays over the credits.

6. Summer Holiday

Running Time = 35:01

It’s the end of term as we reach the end of the series. Mike is relaxing and reading in a deckchair, Vyv is bored out of his skull, Rick is excited for the summer and Neil is depressed about his final exam. Neil also gets angry when the guys abuse him and imagines turning into the Incredible Hulk, but has to skulk away in embarrassment when he comes back to reality and finds himself half naked. Rick tries to get Vyv & Mike to play some games to pass the time, but when they can’t get the hang of Botticelli , where you have to guess a famous person’s name, they decide to play cricket with Rick as the stumps instead.

Neil tries 3 times to draw attention to the fact that he’s got a cake – on the second occasion getting smacked in the face by the cricket bat – and reveals that it’s his birthday. The other guys don’t really care about that, and nor does one of the production team who draws all over the picture. Upon being told to wipe it off, they inadvertently scrub the whole image, leaving the space clear for Elephant Head to come on and sing a cover of Stop In The Name Of Love by Diana Ross & The Supremes .

Neil’s party is very dull and uneventful, which soon results in more arguing, before they discover that there’s nothing on TV, Rick’s parents are dead, 3D glasses are great for seeing pop-up monsters, and they’re being evicted by landlord Jerzei. So they end up on the streets, listening to John Otway performing Body Talk , before a postman ( Lenny Henry ) delivers their exam results. Jools Holland  and  Norman Lovett  cameo as bank customers.  Stephen Frost  also makes an appearance, playing the bank manager. DJ  Alan Freeman  plays God while sitting at a radio mixing desk, for the second time in the series.

In a last desperate attempt for money, the guys attempt to rob the Fascist Pig Bank (including Jools Holland  and  Norman Lovett playing a couple of customers), and by chance they end up with a sack of money filled by another robber who was there before them. Vyvyan crashes his car as they attempt to get away though, killing his hamster SPG, so Rick steals a double-decker bus instead. They’re very chuffed with themselves as they drive away, singing Summer Holiday by Cliff Richard as they consider what to do with all the cash, but they fail to notice a cliff and plummet to an explosive death in a quarry . It feels like a very apt and strangely moving way to end the series. The closing credits, with a special one-off theme tune, then list everyone involved in the show in alphabetical order, instead of splitting them up by cast and production roles.

Audio commentaries are provided for every episode in this set. The previous DVD release only had commentaries on the very first and last episodes, and they’re included here, while the commentaries on the other 10 episodes are brand new recordings exclusive to this set.

Director & Producer Commentaries

• Series 1 Episode 1 (Demolition)
• Series 2 Episode 6 (Summer Holiday)
• Series 1 Episodes 2, 4 & 6 (Oil, Bomb & Flood)
• Series 2 Episode 4 (Time)

These are fascinating and very entertaining, as the guys are clearly enjoying the episodes, and they fill the time really well with a lot of neat insights and funny stories about the making of the show. They talk about the cast & characters, guest stars, music acts, set design (including various details I’d never picked up on before), studio vs location filming, camerawork, visual effects, fights & stunts, puppets & cutaway scenes, editing, the language they couldn’t use today, how the show was commissioned and allowed to run longer than 30 minutes, why they only did 2 series, dealing with concerns from BBC executives, the controversial flash frames, the disastrous American pilot , and so on. A few anecdotes from the two older commentaries are inevitably repeated in the newer recordings, as they won’t have remembered what was said before, but that’s fine, it doesn’t happen often.

Writer & Actor Commentaries

• Series 1 Episode 5 (Interesting)
• Series 2 Episodes 1, 2 & 3 (Bambi, Cash & Nasty)

These are lovely to have, but they don’t flow as well or contain as much detail as the director commentaries, because the three of them tend to get absorbed in watching the episodes and making little observations. However, they’re well worth sticking with for some of the anecdotes and recollections they do come out with every so often, including Lise Mayer’s insights into the writing and how she responded to some of the BBC’s concerns, and the memories of Neil and Alexei about the filming, costumes, jokes, etc. So there is some amusing and interesting stuff in here, it’s just not as frequent as in the other commentaries – which is why one of these chats has an added bonus tagged on to it, as noted below.

Other Commentaries :

• Series 1 Episode 3 (Boring) – This is anything but boring, as Blu-ray producer Richard Latto interviews videotape editor Ed Wooden about editing the show, outside broadcast filming, the flash frames he added to the episodes, the blooper reel he created for Series 2 (included in the extras), using Quantel software, a Christmas thank you card from the team, other shows he’s worked on (including Filthy, Rich & Catflap and Bottom ), and the attitudes of the time in relation to the racist policeman scene. Paul Jackson & Ed Bye also pop in to surprise their colleague at the end, as a result of which we briefly learn about Ed Wooden’s work on the sound in the show.
• Paul Jackson interviewing Ben Elton in October 1999, from a series called In Conversation With , about how he became involved with the show and his approach to writing.
• Lee Mack interviewing Ade Edmondson on a brilliant episode of Chain Reaction in August 2010 , which is well worth listening to in full if it’s still available when you read this. He talks about the excitement of working on the show, the critics’ reaction to it, how they got things past the BBC executives, and a letter they got from Bill Oddie.
• Rik Mayall & Ade Edmondson being interviewed on Steve Wright In The Afternoon on Radio 1 in 1991, talking about the anarchic style of The Young Ones and other comedies they were influenced by. They have a good laugh throughout, it’s quite fun.
• Series 2 Episode 5 (Sick) – For the first half of this enjoyable commentary, radio presenter Geoff Lloyd has a great conversation with Suggs , the lead singer of Madness , about how he got involved with the show, filming their song on the street and taking part in the rioting, the failed sitcom pilot written for Madness by Richard Curtis & Ben Elton , and how fans around the world have reacted to his appearance on the show. Then, when Neil’s parents arrive in the episode, Geoff chats with Richard Latto about the cast members, the higher budget spent on Series 2, the prop makers and other talents who brought the show to life, alternative comedy in general, and how people had more freedom to do what they wanted on TV back then (a sentiment echoed in other commentaries too).

We really have been spoiled with the bonus material on this release. As well as the commentaries mentioned above, there’s also a third disc with nearly 6 hours of extra material! A few features are carried over from the previous DVD, but the vast majority of it has never been officially released before. Richard Latto and his colleagues have really put a lot of effort into digging out as much as they can from the BBC archives.

• Video Nasties From The Young Ones (23:38) – This is a great selection of film inserts from the series, which have been rescanned in high definition and thus look very good. They’re presented with clean audio – i.e. without audience noise, as they were pre-recorded segments to be played into the studio. The scenes include underwater footage from Flood, extended footage of the exploding house in Cash, the graveyard scenes (with deleted dialogue) and the ship cutaway from Nasty, the excellent Dallas parody from Time, street interviews for Sick that were never used, and the final bus scenes from Summer Holiday (including cut dialogue, plus additional footage as visual effects designer Graham Brown explains how the explosion didn’t go to plan).
• The Making Of The Young Ones (50:31) – A comprehensive documentary made for the 25th anniversary DVD release, where Nigel Planer , Alexei Sayle , Lise Mayer , Paul Jackson , Geoff Posner , Ed Bye , Mark Arden & Andy De La Tour talk at length about the genesis, development and production of the show. There are loads of interesting details and enjoyable recollections here, and even fleeting clips of a few of the stars from earlier in their comedy careers. So altogether it gives a brilliant overview and appreciation of how much work went into the show.
• Series 2 Blooper Reel (26:59) – This brilliant compilation was made by videotape editor Ed Wooden to show at the series wrap party, mixing series highlights with bloopers, alternate takes and unused material. It focuses primarily on the main cast of course, but also includes some outtakes of Alan Freeman and other guest stars, along with the legendary shagging bears. It’s all wonderfully edited and in really good quality, with very few visual or sound glitches, and above all it’s very funny. There is a copy on Youtube , but it’s in far better quality on the Blu-ray.
• Studio Footage : Nasty (1:03:56) & Cash (41:35) – Here we get raw footage from the first day of recording for each of these 2 episodes, as the cast and crew film scenes requiring special effects. These scenes would then be played in at appropriate moments during the live recording in front of an audience the following day. Despite being lengthy and low quality VHS copies (as the original studio tapes were sadly wiped), these are still watchable and very compelling, as we see how the effects were achieved, multiple takes of scenes including bloopers, and Paul Jackson’s occasional anger at people not being quiet! So it amply illustrates just how seriously they took their craft. The scenes from Nasty include the electric saw in Rick’s bed, Neil in the bath, the explorers, Rik boarding up Vyv’s door, Neil getting electrocuted, the period pain advert, the vampire, the shagging bears, the backstage cutaway and the hamster SPG. Meanwhile for Cash we see the headless ghosts, Vyv and the neighbour, the road safety advert, the lorry crash, the madman cutaway, Rick sliding through the spindles on the staircase and the talking dogs.

• Sick: Workprint Edit (34:49) – This is a low quality (but again very watchable) VHS copy of an early version of the episode, allowing you to see how things were rearranged and tightened up for the final cut. Some of the differences to the final version are very subtle, but others are much more noticeable. It’s particularly apparent around the performance of Our House, where the joke about it being Madness instead of The Cure is at the start (it’s a shame that gag doesn’t get the laugh it deserves), and the scene with Mike at the chemist is extended. There’s also a longer than expected pause on the upstairs landing early in the episode, the scene of the gang tidying up before Neil’s parents arrive is done in real time instead of being sped-up with music, there are some sound effects missing from the episode, and the ending with Neil’s parents in front of the glittery curtains is shown without the credits over the top.
• Fundamental Frolics (3:23) – A brief but fun clip from this 1981 charity comedy & music event , where Rik Mayall delivers a poem about theatre and Vanessa Redgrave , demonstrating where the angry poetry in his Young Ones character originated from. It’s an extract from the 20th Century Coyote segment he did with Ade Edmondson, so it’s a pity they haven’t included all of it (but they do perform together in the second Boom Boom episode below).
• Boom Boom… Out Go The Lights: Episode 1 (31:06) & Episode 2 (32:24) – Producer Paul Jackson introduces each of these cabaret-style specials, from 1980 and 1981 respectively, that gave a platform to alternative comedians on British TV for the first time. As Paul himself admits, they’re not amazing shows, but they are historically important and interesting, and they do have a few amusing moments. Of most note and relevance are the performances by Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Nigel Planer and Alexei Sayle, with Rik reciting poems about Vanessa Redgrave and doing a Dangerous Brothers routine with Ade as part of their 20th Century Coyote partnership , Nigel attempting to play songs as his pre-Young Ones version of Neil, and typically crazy monologues by Alexei. Other stars include Peter Richardson (who was originally considered for Mike in the Young Ones), plus Keith Allen , Tony Allen ,  Pauline Melville , Andy De La Tour & Dexys Midnight Runners (who all went on to have guest roles in the sitcom), and a blues band who perform a few songs. There are also some outtakes included during Paul’s intro to the second episode, which is a nice addition. So they’re lovely rarities to have.
• Alternative Rebellion (13:25) & The Guest Stars (11:22) – These were recorded at the same time as the 25th anniversary Making Of documentary above, so they involve the same people and were also on the previous DVD set. They’re nice little featurettes discussing the rise of alternative comedy along with the many bands and comedy friends they invited to be part of the show.
• TV Promos (5:10) – A nice little compilation featuring a couple of trailers that were specially filmed by the cast, promo spots showing clips from the series, and continuity announcements that mention the show.

• Photo Gallery (12:24) – Two extras for the price of one here. Firstly, we get to see lots of wonderful pictures from the series, including an audience ticket, set continuity photos, special effects designs, location filming, group and individual photos of the cast members, and images from the recording of various episodes. And they’re all accompanied by clean copies of music from the series by Peter Brewis , including the original pilot version of the theme tune (which is interesting but I’m glad they changed it), a few variations of the end credits music , the Nasty theme tune, the parody themes for Dallas, University Challenge & The Good Life, the backing track for Stupid Noises, the music used for a ship cutaway, and more. It’s a great way to finish the set.

Total Extras Runtime = 5:50:42 (nearly 6 hours on one disc is remarkably good value!)

There are various other bits and pieces online that aren’t mentioned above of course. I’m not going to list absolutely everything, but here are some of the more fun and interesting items out there. They’re all included on my playlist , along with some other relevant videos too.

Living Doll

The one major omission from the Blu-ray set for copyright reasons is Living Doll by The Young Ones & Cliff Richard from 1986. The juxtaposition between the clean-living pop star and the despicable quartet made for a very funny new version of Cliff’s hit song , on which they were joined by legendary guitarist Hank Marvin as well. It was released as a single that got to Number 1 in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, alongside an extended 12″ version called The Disco Funk Get Up Get Down Go To The Lavatory Mix, and an equally great B-side without Cliff & Hank called All The Little Flowers Are Happy .

It was produced for the charity Comic Relief , to raise money for Sudan and Ethiopia, resulting in the group’s fantastic live appearance on the show , where Rik opened with an energetic and rude solo routine, before the gang got together to perform Living Doll with Cliff . It’s such a classic slice of TV comedy that never gets old. You can also see Rik being interviewed by Wogan about the single.

Neil’s Heavy Concept Album

Two years prior to that, in 1984, Nigel Planer had success of his own with Neil’s Heavy Concept Album , a nicely constructed and humorous record where Neil performs a mix of cover songs and comedy material , even featuring Stephen Fry and Dawn French on a couple of tracks. Neil also filmed a TV commercial to promote it.

The album includes the single Hole In My Shoe , a cover of the Traffic song , which impressively stayed at Number 2 in the UK chart for 3 weeks (sandwiched between Two Tribes and Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood at Numbers 1 & 3 respectively). Neil promoted the song and the album during his enjoyable appearances on Top Of The Pops and Saturday Superstore in the UK, and Countdown in Australia. It also won Best Comedy Record at the BRITS in 1985 , with Billy Connolly making the presentation to Nigel Planer.

There was also a fun 12″ Paranoid Version of the song, including a nod to the long note at the end of Day In The Life by The Beatles , and a backwards message which, when played in reverse, says “Don’t do that, you’ll scratch the record!” . And there was a single issued for the catchy track My White Bicycle as well, that rather unfairly only charted at Number 97 , with a 12″ version that included an Extended Mix and a Christmas Rip-Off Mix . So there’s quite a lot of his stuff to listen to.

Other Rarities

• Fundamental Frolics – This is a 1½ hour charity gig from 1981 in aid of Mencap that surfaces online every so often, featuring comedy and music by Rik Mayall , Ade Edmondson , Alexei Sayle , Rowan Atkinson , Mel Smith ,  Griff Rhys Jones , Chris Langham , Pamela Stephenson , Chas & Dave , Ian Dury , Elvis Costello , Neil Innes , Alan Price , Hot Gossip and other stars . It’s a mixed bag by its nature, and I did skip some of the music acts as I was looking through it, but it’s quite fun and is another interesting opportunity to see early performances by the various comedians on the bill. Rik & Ade, Smith & Jones and Rowan Atkinson are particularly good, as are Chas & Dave and Ian Dury in terms of the music. So it’s worth looking up. I’m not linking to it here as it has a tendency to get taken down due to copyright strikes.
• My Generation – A suitably chaotic live version of The Who’s classic song , at the Too Hot To Handle benefit gig in 1983, by Rick, Vyvyan and Neil as The Bastard Squad.

• Adverts for the series in Australia (featuring Rick), the video game (see the Wikipedia page for details), Natwest (featuring Vyvyan), Friends Provident (with Vyvyan & Neil), and other adverts featuring Neil for the Live Aid book , BBC Knowledge & Castrol .

• Rik Mayall interviewed about the series on Terry Wogan in 1984 (including a stand-up spot beforehand), Sounds With Donnie Sutherland in 1986 (in Australia with Ben Elton), and Laughing At The 80s in 2011 (where he and Ben Elton act out a bit of the original pilot script during their chat).

• Ade Edmondson in interviews that mention the series by ABC News in Australia in 2013 & ITV News in 2018 (with Nigel Planer).

• Nigel Planer doing interviews that mention the series by Where Are They Now? in Australia in 2007 , The Sarah O’Connell Show in 2018 , V&Z in 2020 & Richard Herring in 2021 .

• BFI: In Conversation With… – A 40-minute Q&A from 2018 in front of a live audience, featuring actors Nigel Planer & Alexei Sayle, producer Paul Jackson and co-writer Lise Mayer.

And that’s it, we finally made it to the end, well done if you made it this far. I’m extremely impressed with how much they’ve packed into the Blu-ray set, it’s more than I’d ever expected us to get. If you watch all the episodes, all the commentaries and all the bonus features, as I’ve done, then that takes over 12½ hours (12:36:54) by my reckoning! That’s colossal, and none of the time feels wasted, with all of the hilarious comedy, fascinating insights into the making of the show, and all the other rarities. If in future they could do similar sets for follow-up programmes like Filthy, Rich & Catflap (which has long been crying out for an uncut edition) and Bottom , that would be incredible. I’m not expecting miracles, but one can hope given the effort put into this set. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoyed all of that, and thanks for reading!

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Author: Glen

Love London, love a laugh, love life. Visually impaired blogger, culture vulture & accessibility advocate, with aniridia & nystagmus, posting about my experiences & adventures. View all posts by Glen

5 thoughts on “The Young Ones – 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Review”

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Hello, Is this the best release of The young ones to get? I wanna buy the set where all episodes are fully uncut adn with all random flash frames. Like the nasty episode is sometimes cut. So I think this and the 2007 dvd release are the ones to get. Am I right?

Yes, it’s the best you can possibly get. There’s a flash frame of a gurning man in Time that they couldn’t include (the story behind that is ridiculously complicated), and the shagging bears in Nasty are absent (because they weren’t in the broadcast version, only appearing on some home video releases, but they are included in a blooper reel in the extras). Those 2 anomalies aside, however, everything is uncut.

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Set in the future when water is hard to find, a teenage boy sets out to protect his family and survive. Set in the future when water is hard to find, a teenage boy sets out to protect his family and survive. Set in the future when water is hard to find, a teenage boy sets out to protect his family and survive.

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• 2 wins & 1 nomination

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• Trivia The robot donkey is a Boston Dynamics 'Big Dog'. The company was owned by Google when the movie was made.
• Goofs The movie focuses on them needing a robot to transport water, but the main character is later seen driving around in a pickup truck much larger than the robot. The robot, and the donkey before it, was apparently needed to reach camps in the mountains where vehicles couldn't go, and they were transporting alcohol and supplies, not water.

Ernest Holm : Yeah, that is all I am saying. You do not gotta marry her. You don't wanna wait around thinking something is gonna come. Waitin' is a fucking disease. Think something? Feel something? You should *do* something. Alright?

• Connections Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Shailene Woodley/Michael Shannon/Eric Church (2014)
• Soundtracks Lost Her Love On Our Last Date Written by Conway Twitty & Floyd Cramer © 1972 Performed by Floyd Cramer Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing Ltd. Courtesy of Sony Music

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" Time " is the tenth episode of The Young Ones, and the fourth episode of series 2. It was first aired on BBC2 on 5 June 1984.

The episode begins with a parody of the popular American soap opera Dallas . Neil , being referred to as "E.T. Fairfax" (an obvious parody of J. R. Ewing) is running a Texas oil company called Global Oil. Rick as an American client (an obvious parody of Bobby Ewing), who is furious at Neil's way of business - signing over oil wells and giving away money to the public. Neil is woken from this dream by a deeply hungover Vyvyan yelling at the Sunday bellringers to be quiet. Rick wakes up next to an attractive but unknown lady, fully clothed. His initial shock and confusion (he has no memory of how she got there) is tempered by his realisation that he can boast about a sexual conquest to the others. His description of the act, when pressed by the others, prompts Vyvyan to vomit and Mike to make a genuine attempt to seduce the girl in question, who calls herself Helen Mucous. However, when she reveals that she merely went to sleep in an empty bed, the others turn on Rick. Neil calls him a liar and Vyvyan accuses him of still being a virgin, sparking hefty denials from Rick. This argument leads to an escalating confrontation between the two, which spreads around the house.

Meanwhile, the radio has revealed Helen is an escaped murderess, and so she decides to kill the four, beginning with Mike. He mistakes her violent actions to him as rough foreplay. The appearance of a medieval knight sends the front door crashing on top of Helen. This confuses the quartet, who soon discover the house has gone through a time warp. Neil is concussed and kidnapped, along with Helen, by the knight who takes him outside to some Middle Ages hutkeepers, to offer them as maidens. Having been thrown off the knight's horse, Neil regains consciousness and starts a conversation with the villagers, but their hut blows up from a howitzer shot poorly aimed by Vyvyan at Rick in the "virgin" argument. Neil is chased back to the house, after being accused of sorcery, and, with Rick promising to have a T-shirt confirming his virginity printed, the four quickly check the television to see if programming has been altered by their time loop. They watch a programme called Medieval Torture Hour. Rick begins to freak out about the time warp, asking what they're going to do, to which Vyvyan responds "Oh, who cares?", which begins the credit roll. During the credits, the boys settle down to a game of cards, while around them, all of the episode's characters enter the house. As a stinger, Neil gets hit on the head with a giant bone by one of the peasants, which only seems to annoy Neil more than anything.

Basic information [ ]

• As with all episodes of The Young Ones, the main four characters were student flatmates Mike (Christopher Ryan); Vyvyan (Adrian Edmondson); Rick (Rik Mayall) and Neil (Nigel Planer). Alexei Sayle starred as a medieval jester (and, extremely briefly, a cheese shop customer). Jennifer Saunders (who later married Adrian Edmondson in 1985) plays the murderess Helen Mucus, while Helen Lederer plays the female sidekick of the jester's show. Hale and Pace play peasants. This episode also features a very brief role from Paul Merton who plays one of the three yokels in his first television appearance before shooting to fame with Have I Got News For You. Dawn French also appears briefly as the Easter Bunny.
• The episode features a performance of "Moonlight Romance" by the reggae band Amazulu.
• The Dallas parody title sequence utilizes music from the closing credits of the (untransmitted) original pilot edit of the first episode of The Young Ones, "Demolition."

Transcript [ ]

Click here for transcript to this episode.

• 1 Vyvyan Basterd

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The best things to do and places to visit in Moscow, Russia

Updated On 14th October, 2021

While Moscow isn’t always at the top of everyone’s Europe bucket list , it’s certainly one of the best places to visit in Europe if you’re looking for a more alternative adventure! In this blog post I plan on sharing some of the free things to do in Moscow, as well as the best places to visit in Moscow, so that you can enjoy some of the best things to do in Russia! 

Moscow, the capital of Russia, sits in the European part of the country. It’s an incredibly beautiful city, which I personally found to be more beautiful than Saint Petersburg (which is often people’s preference). The capital is certainly a lot busier, and less laid back than Saint Petersburg , but it’s a much more colourful and vibrant city, full of stunning and unique architecture.

Visiting famous landmarks such as The Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral, enjoying some of the green space in Gorky Park, watching a ballet in the Bolshoi Theatre… these are just a few reasons that you should visit Moscow! On top of that, because of visa restrictions (we’ll get onto that later), it’s also one of the most unique destinations in Europe. 

There is a common misconception that Moscow is a dangerous city, but now that I’ve visited, I don’t believe this to be true. I would say the same rules apply here as to other large cities: avoid walking in dark areas alone at night, keep an eye on your belongings on public transport, and be streetwise. There’s no reason to avoid visiting this energetic city and miss out on these amazing things to do in Moscow! 

It would take months if you wanted to truly explore Moscow because it’s a huge city, but I’m going to share some of my favourite things to do in Moscow and places to visit in Moscow so that you can prepare for your upcoming adventure! Even if you’re only there for a few days, you should be able to fit in these highlights from my trip. 

Other blog posts you might be interested in...

• The best things to do in St Petersburg
• A 2-week Norway road trip
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Where is Moscow?

If you’re wondering ‘Where is Moscow, Russia?’ then you’ve come to the right place! Moscow in in west Russia, the European part, and it’s the capital city. 

How do you get to Moscow?

Getting a visa for moscow:.

To get into Russia, you need to get a visa. The processing time is approximately 20 days, and you’ll need to have your fingerprints taken at a visa centre in London , Edinburgh or Manchester. You can find out more about getting a visa for Russia here.  

Getting to Moscow:

Once you’ve got your visa, the easiest way to get to Moscow from the UK is by flying. Direct flights between London and Moscow take just under four hours, and with an airport layover you’re looking at a 6-7 hour trip. You can also fly in from many other major European and international cities. 

Top tip: Check out flights to and from Copenhagen on  Skyscanner here.

Check out how to pack a weekend away in a carry-on suitcase here.

16 best places to visit in Moscow...

1. st basil’s cathedral.

The most iconic building in Russia and one of the most iconic buildings in the world. St Basil’s Cathedral is one of the best places to visit in Moscow, if not the best! 

St Basil’s is situated on Red Square, where you’ll also find many other popular places to visit in Moscow. In my opinion this still stands out against them all. There’s something about the multi coloured domes against the Moscow skyline that I found quite spectacular. 

Although I’d already been in Russia for several days, it wasn’t until I was at this amazing piece of architecture that I really felt I was in Russia.

The cathedral was built by order of Ivan the Terrible, and apparently after the architect completed it, Ivan blinded him so that he could never build anything more beautiful. Whether or not this story is true, it certainly adds a bittersweet feeling as you stand admiring the beauty of St Basil’s Cathedral.

Inside is a museum displaying many historic items once used at the cathedral, which costs 700 rubles to enter. In my opinion it’s worth the entry fee, as simply seeing the ornate interior walls is a spectacle in itself.

2. The Kremlin

This historic fortress that sits on Red Square is probably the largest landmark and one of the most popular places to visit in Moscow. It’s the official residence of the President, although he doesn’t actually live there. It’s been rebuilt many times since it was first constructed in 1147 out of wood, before Ivan III the Great ordered it to be made from stone, which is the Kremlin you’ll recognise today. 

This place is huge, and there’s quite a lot to see. The first problem I had was finding where the entrance was. Even though I had a pre-booked ticket, I was then told I still had to visit the ticket office to exchange it for another ticket. I also needed my passport, so make sure you have yours if you plan to visit the Kremlin. After a lengthy queue I finally had a ticket I could use to enter the Kremlin, and had to go through security. The security here is thorough, so make sure you don’t take too much in with you. I had my pockets full, and it was a nightmare emptying them and explaining each item, before I was finally allowed in. Once inside you can pay for extra tickets to visit the various museums, however there’s also quite a lot to see simply on the grounds if you don’t want to spend too much. 

See more tips for travelling on a budget here. 

There’s so much to see here, including The Assumption Cathedral, Ivan the Great Bell Tower Complex, the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Armoury Chamber and Diamond Fund. There is also the Tsar Cannon (a huge artillery cannon), and the Tsar Bell. The Tsar Bell is the largest bell in the world. An incident with a fire and water being poured over the bell caused it to crack and for a slab to break off from it, which can now be seen propped up next to it.

As you walk around the grounds you’ll hear the sound of whistles. The guards patrolling the area will blow a whistle at anyone walking where they shouldn’t. Even if it’s just on the grass, or towards more restricted areas. This can sometimes be funny to watch, as often the tourists will be in a world of their own whilst a guard is blowing a whistle at them. Sometimes a guard will be stood face to face with a tourist angrily blowing their whistle before the tourist realises they need to get back onto the main path.

This is perhaps one of the more unusual places to visit in Moscow! Gum is a huge department store situated on Red Square. It’s an interesting department store to walk around, with several levels, although the shops inside are certainly quite pricey. It’s a beautiful building when it’s lit up at night, and it seems to fit in nicely amongst the other famous sights on Red Square. Even if you don’t plan to buy anything here, one of the best things to do in Moscow is to take a quick look inside, although bear in mind there are usually security checks before entering.

4. State Historical Museum

The large crimson building on Red Square is now the State Historical Museum. It was originally the first pharmacy in Russia, and later a University before finally becoming the museum it is today.

Unfortunately I didn’t go inside as my time was limited and there was so much else I wanted to see, but if you have the time I think it would be one of the best things to do in Moscow. There are items dating back to the 6th century, and maybe even further. There’s also a library inside storing many ancient manuscripts and the largest coin collection in Russia. 

5. Bolshoi Theatre

Bolshoi means big in Russian, so it roughly translates to large theatre. The Bolshoi Theatre is one of the foremost ballet companies in the world. The exterior of the building is an impressive sight, one of the most beautiful places to visit in Moscow, and it’s certainly worth admiring from the outside. There are guided tours of the interior, but if you really want to experience the theatre, one of the best things to do in Moscow is to watch a ballet here.

I was torn between booking a seat, but the ballets were very expensive. I’d have liked to have seen “Swan Lake”, (as at least I may have recognised some of the music). Unfortunately there were no performances on the days I was in Moscow, so I decided to pass. But if I return to Russia, then watching a ballet will be on my list of things to do.

6. Sparrow Hills

If you want a good view of the city, then Sparrow Hills is one of the best places to visit in Moscow. It’s a bit of a trek outside of the centre, but if you have the time then it offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. There’s a viewing platform here which gives you fantastic panoramic views of Moscow.

Nearby you’ll see the magnificent Moscow State University building, which is one of the seven sisters of Moscow.

7. Seven Sisters

Whilst in Moscow, you’ll no doubt notice these magnificent soviet skyscrapers dotted around the city. At the time of construction they were the tallest buildings in Europe, Moscow State University being so until 1997. There are, as the name suggests, seven in total, which are: Hotel Ukraina, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Apartments, the Kudrinskaya Square Building, the Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya Hotel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moscow State University, and the Red Gates Administrative Building.

If you visit Sparrow Hills, then you’ll come across Moscow State University, but I’m certain as you explore the city, you’ll see more of these giants against the Moscow skyline. One of the best things to do in Moscow is to see if you can locate all seven as you wander round the city! 

8. Nikolskaya Street

The start of this street is found by Red Square. It’s one of the most prominent pedestrianised streets in Moscow, filled with shops, restaurants and bars, so one of the best places to visit in Moscow if you’re looking for a bite to eat or some souvenirs!

What makes this street extra special are the thousands of bright lights in the sky above. After dark it looks simply magical with the many colourful lights overhead as you walk beneath them. One of the best things to do in Moscow is to visit Nikolskaya Street after dark and see them for yourself. It almost feels like Christmas in London!

There is another street nearby which also features similar lights, “Kuznetskiy Most”, which is also quite beautiful, but I thought “Nikolskaya Street” was ever slightly more impressive.

9. Izmailovo Kremlin and Izmaylovskiy Bazar

Did you know that The Kremlin in Red Square is not the only Kremlin in Moscow? Kremlin actually means a type of fortress, so there are many in Russia.

The Izmailovo Kremlin is a fairly new addition to the city, having been built in 2007 as a cultural centre. With its multitude of colours and historic style, it has a real fairytale feel to it. There are several small museums here for you to explore, devoted to subjects such as Russian folk art, vodka and bread (yes, bread). Visiting these is definitely one of the more unique things to do in Moscow! 

It’s a little way out of the centre, but it’s an interesting place to visit in Moscow to see something a little bit different, and it won’t be as overcrowded with tourists. 

Next to the Izmailovo Kremlin is the best market in Moscow for souvenirs. You’ll find good and poor quality items, but you’ll certainly pick up a bargain if you take your time and haggle for a good price. Many of the items here you’ll get for half the price you would in souvenir shops in the city centre. It’s here that I picked up several Matryoshka dolls for a very good price. I think I’d have paid more than double, or possibly even triple if I’d have bought them elsewhere.

10. Izmailovsky Park

Not too far from Izmailovo Kremlin you’ll find this huge park, one of the prettiest places to visit in Moscow. It’s easy to get lost here, so try to make sure you keep track of where you entered if you plan to go back the same way. There’s a lot to see in this park, a round pond, ferris wheel, playgrounds and sports grounds, shooting galleries, cinemas and a skate park.

There are often festivals, concerts and exhibitions at the park, on top of firework displays and dance parties.

The main reason I chose to visit the park was to find the painted trees. A local artist “Yevgenia Khlynina” has been painting on trees in this park, and one of the best things to do in Moscow is to explore the park looking for them. One of the most famous pieces of hers is the “Hedgehog in the Fog” from a famous soviet cartoon.

11. Gorky Park

The most famous park in Moscow is named after the writer “Maxim Gorky”. Although it’s likely you’ve heard it mentioned in the song “Wind of Change” by “The Scorpions”. 

There’s lots to do and see in the park with sports facilities and exhibitions. During the summer months this is one of the best places to visit if you’re looking for things to do in Moscow; there are often open air concerts and an open air cinema. There are many statues and sculptures in the park, including a small sculpture park area which features many interesting pieces.

One piece of advice: don’t visit Gorky Park or any other parks on 2nd August if you’re in Russia. 2nd August is Paratrooper day, which usually encourages a lot of drinking in the park, which is not always very welcoming.

12. Arbat Street

One of the oldest and busiest streets in Moscow, and the most famous pedestrian street in the city. Arbat is one of the most popular places to visit in Moscow. There are several shops including many dedicated to souvenirs, but although these will have a good range of goods, they will be quite expensive . You may see street performers and buskers, and there are often poets reciting famous works, if not their own works.

It’s within walking distance from the Kremlin, which should only take around 10 minutes.

There are actually two streets with this name, Old Arbat Street and New Arbat Street. Old Arbat Street is where you’ll find the pedestrianised area. New Arbat Street is a separate street which runs alongside a main road, filled with many bars and restaurants.

13. Metro station art

The best way to get around Moscow is by using the metro, and the metro is a tourist attraction in itself.

Although I obviously didn’t visit every metro station, I believe that every single station is unique in its own beautiful way. Many of the stations I passed through were impressive, quirky or simply jaw dropping. You’ll more than likely pass through many of them on the way to other sights, but I’d recommend the following:  Komsomolskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Mayakovskaya, Teatralnaya, Arbatskaya, Prospekt Mira and Ploschad Revolutsii (be sure to pet the dog statue for good luck).

There are of course many others for you to explore, but these are the ones I considered to be some of the most impressive places to visit in Moscow (even if they’re only metro stations!).

VDNKh is an exhibition centre with many monuments and museums. Now that it’s combined with the Botanical Garden and Ostankino Park, one of the best things to do in Moscow is to spend the day at this recreational centre enjoying a mix of nature and culture. The most popular museum in the complex which you shouldn’t miss on your trip to Moscow is the Museum of Cosmonautics.

15. Lenin's Mausoleum

Despite requesting to be buried with his mum in St Petersburg, it is at the foot of the Kremlin on Red Sqaure that you will find Lenin’s Mausoleum, where Vladimir Ilych Lenin has been frozen in time since 1924. It’s only open for a few hours a few times per week. Photography is not allowed, and you should line up on the western corner of the square (near Alexander Garden) to wait you turn to see the embalmed body. 

16. Novodevichy Convent

Novodevichy Convent, on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Moscow. Located south west of the centre you’ll find this stunning monastery. Inside you’ll find a cathedral and several churches, surrounded by high walls and 12 towers.

Where are your favourite places to visit in Moscow?

What about the best things to do in Moscow? Anything you’d add?

Love as always and happy adventuring…

I’m Spike! Solo traveller, cultural explorer and world adventurer! With 57 countries under my belt, I live and breathe travel. I never plan to stop exploring new destinations and experiencing new cultures.

Did you find this post helpful? I’d love you to share it for me.

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IT’S LOVELY TO MEET YOU

I’M MOLLIE AND I STARTED THIS BLOG BACK IN 2013 WHEN I HEADED OUT ON MY FIRST BACKPACKING ADVENTURE. 

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Our 20 Best Moscow Tours of 2022

Join us on an unforgettable tour to Moscow, the capital of Russia. Imagine visiting Red Square, St. Basil’s the Kremlin and more. Moscow is one of Europe’s most vibrant cities and one of Russia’s most historical. All of our tours to Moscow are fully customizable and can be adjusted to fit any budget. Our most popular tours are listed below. Please click on the tour details to learn more or contact us for more information about our Moscow tours using the form at the side of the page. You can also schedule a call with one of our Russian travel specialists to learn more.

Classic Moscow

This is our most popular Moscow tour that includes all the most prominent sights. You will become acquainted with ancient Russia in the Kremlin, admire Russian art in the Tretyakov Gallery, listen to street musicians as you stroll along the Old Arbat street, and learn about Soviet times on the Moscow Metro tour.

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A Week in Moscow

This tour is a perfect choice for those who wish to get to know Moscow in depth. One of the highlights of this package is the KGB history tour which gives an interesting perspective on the Cold War. You will also have time for exploring the city on your own or doing extra sightseeing.

Weekend in Moscow

This tour is a great way to get acquainted with the capital of Russia if you are short of time. You will see all the main attractions of the city, the most important of which is the Kremlin - the heart of Russia. The tour starts on Friday and can be combined with a business trip.

Group Tour Moscow Break by Intourist

Russia's capital has so much to offer, from the Kremlin and the Metro to the Old Arbat street and the Tretyakov Gallery. Besides these sites, you will also visit a fascinating country estate which today is quite off the beaten path, Gorky Estate, where the Soviet leader Lenin spent the last months of his life.

Kolomenskoye Tour with transport

The history of Kolomenskoye stretches back for centuries. In 1380, Dmitri Donskoi’s army passed through Kolomenskoye on their way to the Kulikovo battlefield, and it was...

Tours by car

Kremlin, Red Sq., Cathedrals & Armory Tour

The Kremlin is truly a fascinating structure, at the same time it is an ancient tower, the city’s former military fortification, a palace, an armory, the sovereign treasury...

Walking tours

Kremlin, Red Sq., Cathedrals, Armory, Diamond Fund Tour

Old Arbat walking tour

You will be told of the street’s interesting history and view the street’s artisan culture. You will also have the opportunity to view and purchase souvenirs from the...

Tour to Sergiev Posad with transport

Considered by some to be the Russian Vatican, Sergiev Posad is the temporary residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Trinity St. Sergius Monastery (Lavra)...

Tour to Kuskovo with transport

The Kuskovo Estate often called the Moscow Versailles due to its perfectly preserved French park, is an example of an 18th century, luxurious Moscow summer residence. Its history...

Tour to Tsaritsyno with transport

The Tsaritsyno Estate is located in the southern part of Moscow. The estate was constructed for Catherine the Great by the Russian architects Bazhenov and Kazakov in a romantic...

Moscow Metro and Old Arbat Tour

The Moscow Metro is one of the largest and most grandly built metro systems in the world. It was meant to be a showcase of the Soviet Union’s achievements for both the Russians...

Vodka Museum Tour with transport (excursion and vodka tasting)

Vodka is an important component of Russian life, an element of national identity and everyday culture. We invite you to visit the Vodka Museum and feel the atmosphere of long-gone...

Mikhail Bulgakov Apartment Museum

This apartment museum located close to Patriarch Ponds became the prototype of the "bad apartment" described in the novel "The Master and Margarita." Currently the museum's...

Kremlin, Red Sq., Cathedrals & Diamond Fund Tour

The State Museum of Lev Tolstoy Tour

Take this opportunity to learn more about the Russian writer Lev Tolstoy. During the visit to the museum you will see part of a vast collection of exhibits connected to Tolstoy...

Novodevichy Convent Tour with transport

Tour of the Novodevichy Monastery. Founded in 1524 by Grand Prince VasiliIoanovich, the original convent was enclosed by fortified walls and contained 12 towers. The structure...

City Tour with Visit to St. Basils & Red Sq. with transport

Panoramic City Tour. This Moscow tour is a great start to your trip and the best way to get acquainted with many of the city’s major highlights. Our professional guide will...

City Tour of Moscow

Head to the heart of Moscow with a professional guide on a 4-hour private walk through the city center. See Tverskaya and Old Arbat streets, Theatre Square with the world-famous...

Moscow Metro walking tour

Kremlin, Red Square and Cathedrals Tour

KGB Tour with transport

This is a very interesting and insightful tour. You will visit places connected with Stalin’s terror - a time of great repression and fear. You will be shown monuments to...

Soviet and Post-Soviet Moscow Tour

The tour begins with a drive or walk down Tverskaya Street – a Soviet masterpiece. In the years of Soviet power, Tverskaya began to undergo a transformation: it was widened...

Tretyakov State Gallery Tour

This world-famous gallery contains masterpieces of Russian art beginning in the 10th century up until today. You will view exquisite Russian icons and paintings from the 18th and...

Jewish Heritage of Moscow Tour

This tour offers a detailed look into the history and present-day life of the Jewish community of Moscow. On the tour, you will visit sites connected with the cultural and religious...

Vodka Museum Tour with transport (excursion only)

Lena, our guide in Moscow was excellent. She was very knowledgable and could answer any question we had for her. We liked that she could pick up on our interests and take us places we might not have thought of to go. When we realized that one of the places we had chosen to see would probably not be that interesting to us, she was able to arrange entry to the Diamond Fund and the Armoury for us. Riding the Metro with Lena was a real adventure and a lot of fun. In Saint Petersburg we found Anna well versed in the history of the Tsars and in the Hermitage collection. Arkady in Veliky Novgorod was a very good guide and answered all of our questions with ease. Novgorod was perhaps a long way to go for a day trip, but we did enjoy it. Vasily was a great driver to have and kept us safe with good humour and skill. We enjoyed ourselves so much, my daughter says she is already planning to return. We would both have no hesistation to recommend ExpresstoRussia to anyone we know.

Just wanted to let you know that My grandson Bruno and I couldn´t have been more pleased with our week in Moscow (6/15 - 6/21). We were absolutely enchanted with the whole experience, including getting lost a couple of times in the Metro during our free time. Although both our guides (both Eleanas) were excellent, I would particularly commend the first one (she took us to the Tatiakov, the KGB tour, and to that beautiful cemetery where so many great Russian artists, authors, composers, musicians, militarists, and politicians are buried). Her knowledge is encyclopedic; and her understanding of today´s Russia as a product of its past was, for us, truly enlightening. I will be taking another tour in Russia, with my wife, within the next two or three years. I will be in touch with you when the time comes. Meanwhile, I will refer you to other potential visitors to Russia as I meet them.

Tours to Moscow

Our Moscow tours are land only meaning that you arrange your own air travel to Russia and our expert staff meets you at the airport and handles everything else from there. Our online Airline Ticket booking system offers some of the most competitive rates to Russia available on the web so if you need tickets, please visit our Russian air ticket center . Rest assured that you will be taken great care of on one of our Moscow tours. Express to Russia has a fully staffed office in Moscow that will help to make your visit fun, informative and unforgettable. Please remember that of all these tours are private and can be adjusted to your taste. You can add, replace or skip some sights; you can add more days to the package or cut the tour short. Our specialists will be glad to help you create the tour of your dreams!

Moscow, a City Like No Other

Moscow is Russia’s largest city with a population of between 12 and 13 million. It is also Europe’s largest city and when you visit Moscow, you can feel it. The layout and architecture of the city is eclectic, ranging from crooked, ancient streets and alleyways to wide, bustling boulevards, from medieval churches to Stalin skyscrapers and to modern, glass buildings towering over everything and of course in the center of it all is the Kremlin and the magnificent Red Square. Moscow is also home to a fantastic, efficient and very beautiful metro system – each station having its own special design. In fact, Express to Russia’s Moscow metro tours and excursions are some of our most popular attractions that we offer. On our Moscow tours, you will see this and more.

Moscow Tours centering on Russian History

Moscow has a long and interesting history and has been the capital of Russia in many of its different iterations – capital of the Grand Duchy of Moscow , the Russian Empire and of course the Soviet Union (who could ever forget the Soviet Union?). Moscow, was founded in the 12th century by Prince Yuri Dolgaruki (Yuri of the long arms – he really did have long arms!). From that time on, it was home to the Russian Tsars until Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1703. The city has survived invasions and sieges from the Mongols, the Tartars, the Poles, Lithuanians and Napoleon but has always persevered. Our Moscow tours will enlighten you on this great history and give you insights into Muscovites and their unique culture. Our Moscow tours show you what the city is like today but also brings to life the past. Moscow never seems to sleep and is bursting with energy. A Moscow tour with Express to Russia is truly the best way of getting to know Russia’s largest and most vibrant city.

Frequently Asked Questions From Our Travelers

What is the best time to visit moscow.

Any time of year is fine depending on what you plan to do. Summertime is pleasantly warm, ideal for exploring the city and its vibrant atmosphere, but Moscow will be much busier and accommodation is more expensive. Winter can be quite cold but beautiful nonetheless, and this is unproblematic if you intend to spend most of your trip in museums and galleries. There are also various festivals and events organised throughout the year. For more information about the best time to visit, read our guide

How many days are enough in Moscow?

If you plan your itinerary strategically and aren’t averse to a packed schedule, you can cover Moscow’s main sights over a long weekend. Most popular attractions are in the city centre, and the Moscow Metro allows you to cover much ground in a small amount of time. Ensure that your accommodation is fairly central and book tickets in advance, so that you can make the most of your days. For an informative and well-organised day out, check out our Moscow day tours with options to suit all interests.

Do they speak English in Moscow?

As Russia’s capital city, tourists are well accommodated in Moscow. There should be English-speaking staff in restaurants, bars, hotels, shops and attractions in tourist hotspots, and there are also English-speaking tourist police. Transport services have English translations on their maps and English announcements via intercom; alternatively, order taxis from the Yandex Taxi app (Russian Uber), though it’s unlikely that your taxi driver will speak English. If you get stuck and cannot communicate, it’s fine to use Google Translate.

Is it safe to travel to Moscow?

It is no less safe to travel to Moscow than to any European city if you exercise common sense and look after your belongings. As with every city some regions can be more unsavoury than others, but no tourist attractions are located there. The traffic in Moscow is notorious, so exercise caution when crossing roads. Do not take unlicensed taxis; book in advance or take public transport, which is widespread and perfectly safe. If you encounter any problems, look for the special tourist police who can help you. For more information, read our guide about staying safe in Russia .

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Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow: The Best of Moscow!

I just got back from one week in Moscow. And, as you might have already guessed, it was a mind-boggling experience. It was not my first trip to the Russian capital. But I hardly ever got enough time to explore this sprawling city. Visiting places for business rarely leaves enough time for sightseeing. I think that if you’ve got one week in Russia, you can also consider splitting your time between its largest cities (i.e. Saint Petersburg ) to get the most out of your trip. Seven days will let you see the majority of the main sights and go beyond just scratching the surface. In this post, I’m going to share with you my idea of the perfect travel itinerary for one week in Moscow.

Moscow is perhaps both the business and cultural hub of Russia. There is a lot more to see here than just the Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Centuries-old churches with onion-shaped domes dotted around the city are in stark contrast with newly completed impressive skyscrapers of Moscow City dominating the skyline. I spent a lot of time thinking about my Moscow itinerary before I left. And this city lived up to all of my expectations.

Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow

Day 1 – red square and the kremlin.

Metro Station: Okhotny Ryad on Red Line.

No trip to Moscow would be complete without seeing its main attraction. The Red Square is just a stone’s throw away from several metro stations. It is home to some of the most impressive architectural masterpieces in the city. The first thing you’ll probably notice after entering it and passing vendors selling weird fur hats is the fairytale-like looking Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It was built to commemorate one of the major victories of Ivan the Terrible. I once spent 20 minutes gazing at it, trying to find the perfect angle to snap it. It was easier said than done because of the hordes of locals and tourists.

As you continue strolling around Red Square, there’s no way you can miss Gum. It was widely known as the main department store during the Soviet Era. Now this large (yet historic) shopping mall is filled with expensive boutiques, pricey eateries, etc. During my trip to Moscow, I was on a tight budget. So I only took a retro-style stroll in Gum to get a rare glimpse of a place where Soviet leaders used to grocery shop and buy their stuff. In case you want some modern shopping experience, head to the Okhotny Ryad Shopping Center with stores like New Yorker, Zara, and Adidas.

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To continue this Moscow itinerary, next you may want to go inside the Kremlin walls. This is the center of Russian political power and the president’s official residence. If you’re planning to pay Kremlin a visit do your best to visit Ivan the Great Bell Tower as well. Go there as early as possible to avoid crowds and get an incredible bird’s-eye view. There are a couple of museums that are available during designated visiting hours. Make sure to book your ticket online and avoid lines.

Day 2 – Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Tretyakov Gallery, and the Arbat Street

Metro Station: Kropotkinskaya on Red Line

As soon as you start creating a Moscow itinerary for your second day, you’ll discover that there are plenty of metro stations that are much closer to certain sites. Depending on your route, take a closer look at the metro map to pick the closest.

The white marble walls of Christ the Saviour Cathedral are awe-inspiring. As you approach this tallest Orthodox Christian church, you may notice the bronze sculptures, magnificent arches, and cupolas that were created to commemorate Russia’s victory against Napoleon.

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Unfortunately, the current Cathedral is a replica, since original was blown to bits in 1931 by the Soviet government. The new cathedral basically follows the original design, but they have added some new elements such as marble high reliefs.

Home to some precious collection of artworks, in Tretyakov Gallery you can find more than 150,000 of works spanning centuries of artistic endeavor. Originally a privately owned gallery, it now has become one of the largest museums in Russia. The Gallery is often considered essential to visit. But I have encountered a lot of locals who have never been there.

Famous for its souvenirs, musicians, and theaters, Arbat street is among the few in Moscow that were turned into pedestrian zones. Arbat street is usually very busy with tourists and locals alike. My local friend once called it the oldest street in Moscow dating back to 1493. It is a kilometer long walking street filled with fancy gift shops, small cozy restaurants, lots of cute cafes, and street artists. It is closed to any vehicular traffic, so you can easily stroll it with kids.

Day 3 – Moscow River Boat Ride, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park, the Moscow City

Metro Station: Kievskaya and Park Pobedy on Dark Blue Line / Vystavochnaya on Light Blue Line

Voyaging along the Moscow River is definitely one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of the city and see the attractions from a bit different perspective. Depending on your Moscow itinerary, travel budget and the time of the year, there are various types of boats available. In the summer there is no shortage of boats, and you’ll be spoiled for choice.

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If you find yourself in Moscow during the winter months, I’d recommend going with Radisson boat cruise. These are often more expensive (yet comfy). They offer refreshments like tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and, of course, alcoholic drinks. Prices may vary but mostly depend on your food and drink selection. Find their main pier near the opulent Ukraine hotel . The hotel is one of the “Seven Sisters”, so if you’re into the charm of Stalinist architecture don’t miss a chance to stay there.

The area near Poklonnaya Hill has the closest relation to the country’s recent past. The memorial complex was completed in the mid-1990s to commemorate the Victory and WW2 casualties. Also known as the Great Patriotic War Museum, activities here include indoor attractions while the grounds around host an open-air museum with old tanks and other vehicles used on the battlefield.

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The hallmark of the memorial complex and the first thing you see as you exit metro is the statue of Nike mounted to its column. This is a very impressive Obelisk with a statue of Saint George slaying the dragon at its base.

Maybe not as impressive as Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower , the skyscrapers of the Moscow City (otherwise known as Moscow International Business Center) are so drastically different from dull Soviet architecture. With 239 meters and 60 floors, the Empire Tower is the seventh highest building in the business district.

The observation deck occupies 56 floor from where you have some panoramic views of the city. I loved the view in the direction of Moscow State University and Luzhniki stadium as well to the other side with residential quarters. The entrance fee is pricey, but if you’re want to get a bird’s eye view, the skyscraper is one of the best places for doing just that.

Day 4 – VDNKh, Worker and Collective Farm Woman Monument, The Ostankino TV Tower

Metro Station: VDNKh on Orange Line

VDNKh is one of my favorite attractions in Moscow. The weird abbreviation actually stands for Russian vystavka dostizheniy narodnogo khozyaystva (Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy). With more than 200 buildings and 30 pavilions on the grounds, VDNKh serves as an open-air museum. You can easily spend a full day here since the park occupies a very large area.

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First, there are pavilions that used to showcase different cultures the USSR was made of. Additionally, there is a number of shopping pavilions, as well as Moskvarium (an Oceanarium) that features a variety of marine species. VDNKh is a popular venue for events and fairs. There is always something going on, so I’d recommend checking their website if you want to see some particular exhibition.

A stone’s throw away from VDNKh there is a very distinctive 25-meters high monument. Originally built in 1937 for the world fair in Paris, the hulking figures of men and women holding a hammer and a sickle represent the Soviet idea of united workers and farmers. It doesn’t take much time to see the monument, but visiting it gives some idea of the Soviet Union’s grandiose aspirations.

I have a thing for tall buildings. So to continue my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow I decided to climb the fourth highest TV tower in the world. This iconic 540m tower is a fixture of the skyline. You can see it virtually from everywhere in Moscow, and this is where you can get the best panoramic views (yep, even better than Empire skyscraper).

Parts of the floor are made of tempered glass, so it can be quite scary to exit the elevator. But trust me, as you start observing buildings and cars below, you won’t want to leave. There is only a limited number of tickets per day, so you may want to book online. Insider tip: the first tour is cheaper, you can save up to $10 if go there early.

Day 5 – A Tour To Moscow Manor Houses

Metro Station: Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno on Dark Green Line / Kuskovo on Purple Line

I love visiting the manor houses and palaces in Moscow. These opulent buildings were generally built to house Russian aristocratic families and monarchs. Houses tend to be rather grand affairs with impressive architecture. And, depending on the whims of the owners, some form of a landscaped garden.

During the early part of the 20th century though, many of Russia’s aristocratic families (including the family of the last emperor) ended up being killed or moving abroad . Their manor houses were nationalized. Some time later (after the fall of the USSR) these were open to the public. It means that today a great many of Moscow’s finest manor houses and palaces are open for touring.

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There are 20 manor houses scattered throughout the city and more than 25 in the area around. But not all of them easily accessible and exploring them often takes a lot of time. I’d recommend focusing on three most popular estates in Moscow that are some 30-minute metro ride away from Kremlin.

Sandwiched between the Moscow River and the Andropov Avenue, Kolomenskoye is a UNESCO site that became a public park in the 1920’s. Once a former royal estate, now it is one of the most tranquil parks in the city with gorgeous views. The Ascension Church, The White Column, and the grounds are a truly grand place to visit.

You could easily spend a full day here, exploring a traditional Russian village (that is, in fact, a market), picnicking by the river, enjoying the Eastern Orthodox church architecture, hiking the grounds as well as and wandering the park and gardens with wildflower meadows, apple orchards, and birch and maple groves. The estate museum showcases Russian nature at its finest year-round.

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If my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow was a family tree, Tsaritsyno Park would probably be the crazy uncle that no-one talks about. It’s a large park in the south of the city of mind-boggling proportions, unbelievable in so many ways, and yet most travelers have never heard of it.

The palace was supposed to be a summer home for Empress Catherine the Great. But since the construction didn’t meet with her approval the palace was abandoned. Since the early 1990’s the palace, the pond, and the grounds have been undergoing renovations. The entire complex is now looking brighter and more elaborately decorated than at possibly any other time during its history. Like most parks in Moscow, you can visit Tsaritsyno free of charge, but there is a small fee if you want to visit the palace.

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Last, but by no means least on my Moscow itinerary is Kuskovo Park . This is definitely an off-the-beaten-path place. While it is not easily accessible, you will be rewarded with a lack of crowds. This 18th-century summer country house of the Sheremetev family was one of the first summer country estates of the Russian nobility. And when you visit you’ll quickly realize why locals love this park.

Like many other estates, Kuskovo has just been renovated. So there are lovely French formal garden, a grotto, and the Dutch house to explore. Make sure to plan your itinerary well because the estate is some way from a metro station.

Day 6 – Explore the Golden Ring

Creating the Moscow itinerary may keep you busy for days with the seemingly endless amount of things to do. Visiting the so-called Golden Ring is like stepping back in time. Golden Ring is a “theme route” devised by promotion-minded journalist and writer Yuri Bychkov.

Having started in Moscow the route will take you through a number of historical cities. It now includes Suzdal, Vladimir, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Sergiev Posad. All these awe-inspiring towns have their own smaller kremlins and feature dramatic churches with onion-shaped domes, tranquil residential areas, and other architectural landmarks.

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I only visited two out of eight cities included on the route. It is a no-brainer that Sergiev Posad is the nearest and the easiest city to see on a day trip from Moscow. That being said, you can explore its main attractions in just one day. Located some 70 km north-east of the Russian capital, this tiny and overlooked town is home to Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, UNESCO Site.

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Sergiev Posad is often described as being at the heart of Russian spiritual life. So it is uncommon to see the crowds of Russian pilgrims showing a deep reverence for their religion. If you’re traveling independently and using public transport, you can reach Sergiev Posad by bus (departs from VDNKh) or by suburban commuter train from Yaroslavskaya Railway Station (Bahnhof). It takes about one and a half hours to reach the town.

Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a great place to get a glimpse of filling and warming Russian lunch, specifically at the “ Gostevaya Izba ” restaurant. Try the duck breast, hearty potato and vegetables, and the awesome Napoleon cake.

Day 7 – Gorky Park, Izmailovo Kremlin, Patriarch’s Ponds

Metro Station: Park Kultury or Oktyabrskaya on Circle Line / Partizanskaya on Dark Blue Line / Pushkinskaya on Dark Green Line

Gorky Park is in the heart of Moscow. It offers many different types of outdoor activities, such as dancing, cycling, skateboarding, walking, jogging, and anything else you can do in a park. Named after Maxim Gorky, this sprawling and lovely park is where locals go on a picnic, relax and enjoy free yoga classes. It’s a popular place to bike around, and there is a Muzeon Art Park not far from here. A dynamic location with a younger vibe. There is also a pier, so you can take a cruise along the river too.

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The Kremlin in Izmailovo is by no means like the one you can find near the Red Square. Originally built for decorative purposes, it now features the Vernissage flea market and a number of frequent fairs, exhibitions, and conferences. Every weekend, there’s a giant flea market in Izmailovo, where dozens of stalls sell Soviet propaganda crap, Russian nesting dolls, vinyl records, jewelry and just about any object you can imagine. Go early in the morning if you want to beat the crowds.

All the Bulgakov’s fans should pay a visit to Patriarch’s Ponds (yup, that is plural). With a lovely small city park and the only one (!) pond in the middle, the location is where the opening scene of Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita was set. The novel is centered around a visit by Devil to the atheistic Soviet Union is considered by many critics to be one of the best novels of the 20th century. I spent great two hours strolling the nearby streets and having lunch in the hipster cafe.

Conclusion and Recommendations

To conclude, Moscow is a safe city to visit. I have never had a problem with getting around and most locals are really friendly once they know you’re a foreigner. Moscow has undergone some serious reconstruction over the last few years. So you can expect some places to be completely different. I hope my one week Moscow itinerary was helpful! If you have less time, say 4 days or 5 days, I would cut out day 6 and day 7. You could save the Golden Ring for a separate trip entirely as there’s lots to see!

What are your thoughts on this one week Moscow itinerary? Are you excited about your first time in the city? Let me know in the comments below!

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24 comments.

Ann Snook-Moreau

Moscow looks so beautiful and historic! Thanks for including public transit information for those of us who don’t like to rent cars.

MindTheTravel

Yup, that is me 🙂 Rarely rent + stick to the metro = Full wallet!

Mariella Blago

Looks like you had loads of fun! Well done. Also great value post for travel lovers.

Thanks, Mariella!

I have always wanted to go to Russia, especially Moscow. These sights look absolutely beautiful to see and there is so much history there!

Agree! Moscow is a thousand-year-old city and there is definitely something for everyone.

Tara Pittman

Those are amazing buildings. Looks like a place that would be amazing to visit.

Adriana Lopez

Never been to Moscow or Russia but my family has. Many great spots and a lot of culture. Your itinerary sounds fantastic and covers a lot despite it is only a short period of time.

What was their favourite thing about Russia?

Gladys Parker

I know very little about Moscow or Russia for the\at matter. I do know I would have to see the Red Square and all of its exquisite architectural masterpieces. Also the CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR. Thanks for shedding some light on visiting Moscow.

Thanks for swinging by! The Red Square is a great starting point, but there way too many places and things to discover aside from it!

Ruthy @ Percolate Kitchen

You are making me so jealous!! I’ve always wanted to see Russia.

Moscow is in my bucket list, I don’t know when I can visit there, your post is really useful. As a culture rich place we need to spend at least week.

DANA GUTKOWSKI

Looks like you had a great trip! Thanks for all the great info! I’ve never been in to Russia, but this post makes me wanna go now!

Wow this is amazing! Moscow is on my bucket list – such an amazing place to visit I can imagine! I can’t wait to go there one day!

The building on the second picture looks familiar. I keep seeing that on TV.

Reesa Lewandowski

What beautiful moments! I always wish I had the personality to travel more like this!

Perfect itinerary for spending a week in Moscow! So many places to visit and it looks like you had a wonderful time. I would love to climb that tower. The views I am sure must have been amazing!

I was lucky enough to see the skyline of Moscow from this TV Tower and it is definitely mind-blowing.

Chelsea Pearl

Moscow is definitely up there on my travel bucket list. So much history and iconic architecture!

Thumbs up! 🙂

Blair Villanueva

OMG I dream to visit Moscow someday! Hope the visa processing would be okay (and become more affordable) so I could pursue my dream trip!

Yup, visa processing is the major downside! Agree! Time and the money consuming process…

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Screen Rant

Park min-young’s time travel k-drama perfectly flips her most famous role 6 years later.

Park Min-young’s latest TV role, Marry My Husband's Ji-won, perfectly flips her most famous character from one of the best K-dramas of all time.

• Marry My Husband flips Park Min-young's Secretary Kim role in a revenge-filled time travel story.
• Ji-won escaped an abusive marriage after going back in time and decided to focus on her professional career.
• Both shows involve second chances and reevaluating life priorities for the main characters.

Park Min-young’s character in the time travel K-drama Marry My Husband perfectly flipped her most famous role, Kim Mi-so from What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim . One of the most acclaimed actors of her generation, Park Min-young has starred in several successful shows. This includes hits like What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim and Forecasting Love and Weather , the former of which is widely considered one of the best K-dramas of all time . Following a two-year hiatus from Korean dramas, Park Min-young recently starred in Marry My Husband , which ran from January 1 to February 20, 2024.

While shows like Her Prive Life and Forecasting Love and Weather were very well received, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim arguably remains Park Min-young’s most famous role six years later. Released in 2018, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim featured Park Min-young as Kim Mi-so, a highly efficient secretary who was now reconsidering her priorities. The show also starred Park Seo-joon as Young-joon , Mi-so’s boss. There are some interesting parallels between Marry My Husband and What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim , especially when it comes to the differences between Park Min-young’s characters.

Park Min-young’s Marry My Husband Character Flips Her Secretary Kim Role

Kang ji-won has the opposite goal from kim mi-so.

In Marry My Husband , Park Min-young plays Kang Ji-won , who, at the start of the series, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. On the same day she received her diagnosis, Ji-won found out her husband was cheating on her with her best friend. Not only that, but the two of them were counting the days for Ji-won to die so that they could get the insurance money. To accelerate things, Ji-won’s husband tried to kill her once she found out about his affair. While Ji-won did tie in this timeline, she instantly woke up 10 years in the past.

Mi-so’s story was not as tragic as Ji-won’s, yet both of these characters realized there was something wrong with their lives and decided it was time to change.

Ji-won was mysteriously given the chance to rebuild her life in Marry My Husband , after which she decided not only to plot her revenge against her soon-to-be-husband but also to ditch everything that was hurting her. Ji-won built new friendships, stopped caring about pleasing everyone, and focused on her professional career instead of living for her fiancé. Ji-won regained control of her life after leaving an abusive marriage as part of a toxic family that also included an abusive mother-in-law. Her character arc in the time travel K-drama was the opposite of what Mi-so went through in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim .

In What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim , Park Min-young’s character is somewhat happy professionally but dreams of building a family and wants to focus more on her personal life. Secretary Kim had built an incredible reputation as the trustable, competent executive secretary of an important CEO, yet she was not fully happy. Mi-so was tired of being known as “Secretary Kim” and wanted to build a life outside of work. Mi-so’s story was not as tragic as Ji-won’s, yet both of these characters realized there was something wrong with their lives and decided it was time to change.

How Marry My Husband Is Different From What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim

Marry my husband was about ji-won finding her strength.

Marry My Husband and What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim play with some similar tropes , including but not limited to romance at the workplace. That said, they are very different shows with very different tones. Marry My Husband adds a supernatural element to a classic tale of revenge, with the time travel aspect of the story setting the narrative for Kang Ji-won’s journey. Most of the show is told from the perspective of Ji-won, allowing viewers to connect with her as her plan for revenge progresses. Most Marry My Husband characters are oblivious to Ji-won’s secret, except for her boss, Ji-hyuk.

Marry My Husband Ending Explained: Does Ji-won Find Happiness?

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim , on the other hand, tells its story from the perspective of Park Min-young and Park Seo-joon’s characters . It becomes clear right from episode 1 that Secretary Kim and Young-joon have feelings for each other and might become a couple. From then on, the show explores how Mi-so’s decision to leave her job affects not only her life but also her boss’ life. Their pasts are slowly revealed as the show progresses, with audiences learning that their connection is deeper than anyone imagined. Compared to Marry My Husband ’s time travel plot , What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim is more grounded.

Marry My Husband & What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim Do Have Things In Common

Both k-dramas were about second chances.

Despite the differences between What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim ’s Mi-so and Marry My Husband ’s Ji-won, both shows are essentially about the same thing – second chances. Even though they were facing different challenges, these two characters were given a second chance in life and reconsidered their priorities. Ji-won’s tragedy led her to distance herself from all the toxic people in her life, which is why Marry My Husband was not only about revenge but also about fresh starts. Park Min-young’s character in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim was in a relatively good place, yet she rightfully felt like she deserved more.

Stream Marry My Husband on Prime Video

Stream What's Wrong With Secretary Kim on Hulu

Marry My Husband