Alexei Sayle

The Fringe, Fame and Me is the story of how a small Scottish arts festival that began 75 years ago this year became a national institution – a crucible where new stars are forged, careers made, and sometimes, dreams dashed. Told by the stars who first found fame at the Edinburgh Fringe, this is the inside story of what it takes to make a name here, from those who enjoyed overnight success to those who slogged for years to make it. Through their triumphs, favourite jokes, and sometimes painful failures, we’ll discover a hidden history of British comedy – revealing how the gags we find funny and the comedians we love reflect our changing culture.

The journey of Midlands teenager Johanna Morrigan, who reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde: fast-talking, lady sex-adventurer, moves to London, and gets a job as music critic in the hope of saving her poverty stricken family in Wolverhampton. Based on Caitlin Moran's bestselling semi-autobiographical novel.

Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of Scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family.

This documentary explores the legacy of one of the most notorious British sitcoms of all time. Launching alternative comedy onto our screens, the show made household names of its performers and writers and proved to be a huge influence, despite the BBC reportedly being baffled by what they'd commissioned back in 1982. Never before had a flagship comedy show contained so much violence, depravity and anarchy - it was a shot across the bow to mainstream comedians that things would never be the same again.

A talented fighter must save his beloved gym by training a gentle giant for a bare-knuckle fight.

Comic fantasy telling the story of Rebekah, an innocent and beguiling Northern girl who accidentally becomes Chief Executive of News International and gets caught up in a seventies Watergate-style scandal.

Michael Grade traces the raucous history of the music hall in a revelatory journey that takes him from venues such as Wilton's Music Hall in London to Glasgow's once-famous Britannia.

Eleven-year-old Beanie's bland life is changed for ever when he is sent on a mission. Armed only with laser lip-gloss and a pair of blend-in pants he has to save his parents from Evil Stella and return the Golden Nit to its rightful place at the heart of the sun, thereby saving the universe.

The story of Francis Cooper and his mother; Emily Maddison and that man's face; and Craig MacKay and his cat.

Long-time Wire fan Charlie Brooker takes a journey to the mean streets of Baltimore to meet the cast and crew of the series, and undertakes a mission to explain what makes The Wire the best cop show ever made.

Drama-documentary which explores the life and work of the writer Hector Hugh Munro, better known by his pen name Saki, whose short stories satirised Edwardian society and culture.

A tale about two young boys, Prosper and Bo, who flee to Venice after being orphaned and dumped in the care of a cruel auntie. Hiding in the canals and alleyways of the city, the boys are befriended by a gang of young urchins and their enigmatic leader, the Thief Lord. From their home base of an old cinema theater, the children steal from the rich to support themselves and soon capture the interest of a bumbling detective. However, a greater threat to the children is something from a forgotten past - a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself

The Secret Policeman benefit shows for Amnesty International brought together comedy grand masters - from Python and Beyond the Fringe - and performers then relatively unknown, like Rowan Atkinson. Narrated by Dawn French, the programme includes interviews with many of the comedians and musicians who took part: John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Michael Palin, Sting, Lenny Henry and many more. The shows and their stars had a huge effect on modern British comedy. There are few comics today whose careers have not been heavily influenced by the anarchic and surreal humour of these events.

Based on a true story, the movie tells the story of two pigs, named Butch and Sundance, who staged a dramatic escape from an abattoir in January 1998 and remained at large for a week ...

Larry, a young criminal, is taught to walk away from a crime scene and never run by his Uncle Henry, a hitman. However he is a purse snatcher and soon learns that it is better to run away instead.

When Martin Luxford (Hugo Speer) leaves jail, he decides to form a swing band, having been taught to play the saxophone by his cellmate Jack. Returning to his native Liverpool, Martin pulls together a backing band of misfits and loners, and recruits his ex-girlfriend Joan (Lisa Stansfield) as a singer. Things are complicated somewhat by the fact that Joan is now married to the policeman who arrested Martin, and when the band's first gig - at a heavy metal pub - goes badly, it seems as though the road to musical success may be a rocky one.

An hilariously funny one-off comic sitcom in which some mates attempt to rob a pub of its takings.

Comedy about a brilliant young brain surgeon set in an unorthodox hospital. A "Naked Gun" type comedy from Britain, this one-off special was made specifically for the launch of Channel 5 in 1997.

A young man's odyssey from a small town in Colorado to Budapest, in search of his estranged girlfriend.

A romantic comedy written by and starring Alexei Sayle. A couple on a first date in London are determined to find a drink after closing time, to prove to themselves that they are not careworn and middle-aged. What follows is a series of misadventures

A romantic comedy written by and starring Alexei Sayle. A couple on a first date in London are determined to find a drink after closing time, to prove to themselves that they are not careworn and middle-aged. What follows is a series of misadventures

George C. Scott and William Petersen are expatriates living in Curaçao. They're bound together by an understanding that each is hiding from a dangerous past.

A satirical take on a modern day Ned Kelly who is forced to Hollywood in order to make enough money to save his family's land. As it goes against his belief, he cannot simply rob banks for his own benefit (all money goes to the poor). Ned is forced to find another way to come up with the $1 million required to save his family island.

Christopher Columbus believes he can find an alternative route to the far East and persuades the King and Queen of Spain to finance his expedition...

In the tradition of the acclaimed series of British concerts known as The Secret Policemen's Ball, Amnesty International celebrates its 50th Anniversary live at Radio City Music Hall.

In 1981, Gerd Heidemann (Jonathan Pryce), a war correspondent and reporter with the German magazine Stern, makes what he believes is the literary and historical scoop of the century: the personal diaries of Adolf Hitler. Over the next two years, Heidemann and the senior management figures at Stern secretly pay 10 million German marks to a mysterious 'Dr Fischer' (Alexei Sayle) for the sixty volumes of 'Hitler's diaries'. However, to the dismay of all, it is discovered after the publication of first extract that the diaries are crude forgeries, faked by Stuttgart criminal Konrad Kujau.

A lone hitch hiker, marooned near a housing estate, has a dramatic effect on the lives of those around him.

A lone hitch hiker, marooned near a housing estate, has a dramatic effect on the lives of those around him.

Les Dogs are the band playing in a large marquee to celebrate the wedding of Geoffrey and Angela. During the reception, the fathers of the groom and bride exchange insults and a gun battle ensues in which many guests - and Les Dogs - are casualties though the happy couple escape. Victor, who has wandered in on the scene, is asked to take wedding photographs and has a series of dreamlike fantasies all based around his infatuation with Angela.

Clarence Flamer hosts a late-night talk show on regional radio station North Star Sound. A phone call he takes one night leads to his discovering a mortgage scam being run by a group of estate agents. His attempts to delve deeper have tragic consequences.

In 1938, an art collector appeals to eminent archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones to embark on a search for the Holy Grail. Indy learns that a medieval historian has vanished while searching for it, and the missing man is his own father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr.. He sets out to rescue his father by following clues in the old man's notebook, which his father had mailed to him before he went missing. Indy arrives in Venice, where he enlists the help of a beautiful academic, Dr. Elsa Schneider, along with Marcus Brody and Sallah. Together they must stop the Nazis from recovering the power of eternal life and taking over the world!

When he was a little boy, Dillon's rock musician father and hippie mother died in a traffic accident. Now in his twenties, Dillon wants nothing more than a normal, responsible life, working in an office and taking care of the grandmother who raised him. But his grandmother has other ideas, and Dillon finds himself lured into an alternate lifestyle of art, pleasure and rebellion.

Carl Moss leaves jail,where he has taken the rap for his evil twin Sterling,and has been declared a model prisoner. Pauline Sneek,his probation officer - and girlfriend - gets him community work teaching youngsters how to lead law-abiding lives. This displeases Sterling,as he needs the young delinquents for his bicycle stealing ring.

Carl Moss leaves jail,where he has taken the rap for his evil twin Sterling,and has been declared a model prisoner. Pauline Sneek,his probation officer - and girlfriend - gets him community work teaching youngsters how to lead law-abiding lives. This displeases Sterling,as he needs the young delinquents for his bicycle stealing ring.

Paul, a former miner, writes a hard-hitting screenplay about his own experiences of the 1984 miners' strike. However, the Hollywood production company that gets hold of his script turns it into a ludicrously sensationalist and anachronistic action film, starring Al Pacino as Arthur Scargill, and Meryl Streep as his wife.

A normal teenager is transported to a Monty Pythonesque medieval fantasy land where an odd, adamant knight takes him on a quest.

Mr Corbett is a cruel employer to Ben Partridge. One night on New Years Eve Ben is sent out to deliver some medicine. Along the way he wishes his master was dead, little knowing that the man he is delivering to is the Collector of Souls.

American Claire wakes up blood-soaked and bruised at the end of a runway in Spain. As she tries to account for her state, she has flashbacks from the past few days. She thinks she's killed someone, but isn't sure, and now she's wandering the Spanish streets without money or a clear memory.

Three alternative comedians get involved in a pyramid-selling organization, Pathway, in order to finance their act. They gain great success by deploying their skills as entertainers, only to eventually discover the sinister purpose behind the Pathway organization.

In a future in which most water has disappeared from the Earth, we find a group of children, mostly teenagers, who are living at an orphanage, run by the despotic rulers of the new Earth. The group in question plays a hockey based game on roller skates and is quite good. It has given them a unity that transcends the attempts to bring them to heel by the government. Finding an orb of special power, they find it has unusual effects on them. They escape from the orphanage (on skates) and try to cross the wasteland looking for a place they can live free as the storm-troopers search for them and the orb.

When a small British owned island in the Caribbean is invaded and the world's most dangerous terrorist kidnaps a member of the Royal family, the countdown to World War 3 begins. If anyone can prevent the oncoming apocalypse it's the American President, but her closest ally the British Prime Minister appears to have gone stark raving mad.

While taking a holiday in the country with his mother, Dennis hits on a scheme to impress a girl so that she'll go away on a trip with him as his girlfriend. Although he fails to gain any interest from the girl, the police take a great interest in his story. From this point on, Dennis digs a deeper hole for himself at every turn

After years of research Doctor Frankenstein finally succeeds in creating the perfect woman, whom he names Eva.

At the Tranquil Repose mortuary, the Doctor and Peri uncover a sinister plot to create a new breed of Daleks under the supervision of the mysterious Great Healer.

The hardships faced by a woman trying to survive a bloody civil war while caring for the abandoned child of the deposed former ruler.

Mickey and Mo head to Liverpool for the chance of a big score

Police Inspector Renko tries to solve the case of three bodies found in Moscow's Gorky Park but finds his attempts to solve the crime impeded by his superiors. Working on his own, Renko seeks out more information and stumbles across a conspiracy involving the highest levels of the government.

The real Alexei Sayle. Over 75 minutes. Live. Uncensored. Recorded in Manchester 1982. Warning: This video cassette contains language of an explicit nature that may give offence. This tape should not be played in the presence of minors

The real Alexei Sayle. Over 75 minutes. Live. Uncensored. Recorded in Manchester 1982. Warning: This video cassette contains language of an explicit nature that may give offence. This tape should not be played in the presence of minors

A ski run in Italy, a supermarket manager in Luton, a sandwich bar in London EC2, Arena opens the bonnet of the Ford Cortina, Britain's most popular, most stolen, and most misunderstood car. 'Dagenham dustbin'? 'Poor man's Rolls-Royce'? In the year that may well see the end of a legend, some of the motoring public, including Sir John Betjeman, Tom Robinson, Alexei Sayle, Sir Terence Beckett and Magnus Magnusson take apart the Ford Cortina: Life and Works 1962-1982.

A tongue-in-cheek "behind the scenes" look at the Comic Strip comedy club in the early 1980s, which gave rise to 'The Comic Strip Presents'

A tongue-in-cheek "behind the scenes" look at the Comic Strip comedy club in the early 1980s, which gave rise to 'The Comic Strip Presents'

A deconstructed crime thriller, inspired by the French new wave, in which a woman’s confession of murder is not as simple as it seems.