Beau Creme, a washed-up gameshow host, is recruited for one more show: a compilation of fictional channel Television 1 through the decades. So begins a bonkers hour romping through televisual nostalgia.
No matter what TV you grew up watching, there’ll be a pastiche for you. My partner enjoyed the 70s ‘Red Paul’, with a suspiciously Noakes-like figure reacting to increasingly gruesome mishaps with stiff upper lipped restraint. For me, it was the TikTok grilling of Beau, whose New Age obsessions reminded me of a certain House Party presenter from the 90s…
Rory blends an ingenious selection of props with video segments as he pokes fun at the health and safetyless 70s, the reality show 90s and the modern TikTok era among others. There’s a comforting familiarity to the channel idents – reminiscent of a certain national public broadcaster, perhaps – and the commercials and news bulletins all feel very authentic to the decade they represent. The language-learning course in a bulky VHS set, featuring a friendly green Francophone monster with a dark secret, was gloriously unhinged.
There is, naturally, audience participation, whether it’s the spangly-jacketed 80s gameshow host running himself ragged for his lucky contestant, to the Gok Wan lookalike giving fashion advice to the couple in front of me. It’s all done with a great deal of charm.
The stream of jokes and niche references is relentless. The David Jason-esque sitcom, with a guest video appearance by a 90s children’s show star millennials will love, was a personal favourite, and the sheer amount of synchronising with pre-recorded footage for the Big Brother parody was impressive. Rory’s antics reminded me of Peter Serafinowicz from another classic TV send-up, Look Around You, and indeed his show would work very well on the small screen it pays tribute to.
Television 1 is a pitch-perfect homage to classic TV that’s a must-see.
*****
Rory Cargill: Television 1 is at Assembly Roxy, 1-26 Aug