The Young Ones

The Young Ones

Created by Ben Elton, Lise Mayer, Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall

On BBC Two

1982–19842 seasons12 episodes29 min7.9 / 10

A frenetic, anarchic sitcom built on surreal slapstick and satirical chaos, where plot dissolves into pure comedic mayhem across a shared student house.

The misadventures of four lunatic students who live in a shared student house. There's Rick, the overblown political one addicted to Cliff Richard, Vyvyan the experimental scientific one/part-time anarchist, Neil the worried hippy, and Mike the ladies' man (at least he is in his mind).

Where to watch

Questions people ask

  • Is The Young Ones one of a kind? Yes, very. More singular than 99% of series.

  • Does The Young Ones leave you hopeful? No. Less hopeful than 96% of series.

  • Is The Young Ones sad? Barely. Less sad than 88% of series.

  • Is The Young Ones violent? Yes. More violent than 81% of series.

  • Is The Young Ones scary? Barely. Less frightening than 76% of series.

  • Is The Young Ones easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 61% of series.

These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

Written about

69/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Distinctly its own thing.

Rarity96

How unlike any other series this one feels

Surprise64

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love49

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like The Young Ones, and what each one shares →

Like The Young Ones

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Young Ones

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Young Ones, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Young Ones, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Young Ones, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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