On 17th September 1991, the sitcom Bottom made its debut on BBC2. It was created by and starred Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson. It is known for its crude and slapstick humor, and it revolves around the lives of two flatmates, Richie Richard (Rik Mayall) and Eddie Hitler (Adrian Edmondson), who are constantly scheming, arguing, and getting into bizarre and often painful situations.
The series was notorious for its dark and often violent humor, as well as its absurd and over-the-top antics. It gained a cult following for its unique style of comedy. Bottom ran for three series, in addition to the series the pair completed five stage show tours between 1993 and 2003, and adapted the sitcom into a feature-length film, Guest House Paradiso, released in 1999.
Eddie and Richie are two pathetic, sex-crazed, slobby flatmates living in a filthy, damp flat at 11 Mafeking Parade in Hammersmith, London. Mayall described them as "unemployed survivors". They spend their time concocting desperate schemes to convince women to have sex with them, including buying sex spray, forging money, and pretending to be aristocrats.
Their plans are never successful, however, and the stress of their miserable lives can cause them to become irritable with each other.
Whenever tensions hit a breaking point, Richie and Eddie end up fighting (albeit in a comical, Tom and Jerry-style, with adult themes). Both men are immature. Richie is a virgin, is insecure and clueless on how to talk to women.
Despite being a penniless slob, he occasionally projects a pompous sort of snobbery in an attempt to impress others and boost his self-esteem, he is sexually frustrated and obsessed with losing his virginity.
Eddie, the more popular of the two, enjoys drinking regularly, and often secretly steals family heirlooms and cash from Richie, although he occasionally has inventive moments, like building a cash forger, an electric toilet, and a time machine.
Eddie's friends – the gormless Spudgun and Dave Hedgehog – both fear Richie, believing him to be psychotic. Although the four of them sometimes venture out, usually to the local pub, the Lamb and Flag, most of the episodes are set within the confines of the squalid flat.