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Captain Steven Pugwash
SKETCH-O-VISION
A VERY GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.
The setup
Watch on YouTube
Watch onYouTube
The premise
Here’s the bit.
Three friends in a pub agree that the children's cartoons they loved rarely survive a rewatch, and one of them names Captain Pugwash as the worst, mocking the way its stiff mouth flaps. The others then point out Damien, who is sitting with them and looks exactly like the flat cardboard captain: he played the part. The critic scrambles to apologise while Damien calmly explains the condition that keeps his upper lip still, mentions a coffee advert and admits he is rather typecast as a pirate. Trying to make amends, the friend gushes about Pugwash by sneering at other children's shows instead, landing on King Rollo, the one show he should not have picked. Damien's boyfriend Adrian arrives with drinks in a cardboard cartoon costume of his own, and the couple walk out.
The funny people
Meet the cast. 4
Say it with us
Highly quotable.
I don't go around all day dressed as a pirate.
You might have seen me in the Kenco campaign.
My boyfriend played King Rollo.
Behind the scenes
The people who made it.
David Kerr
Director
Gareth Edwards
Producer
A little extra
Notes from the archive.
The BBC's press release for the episode billed this sketch as "Hating Captain Pugwash".
Script
Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.
- 00:00
Friend #2 ?
The thing about having kids is that you get to watch all those cartoons you used to love again.
- 00:04
Yeah, but aren't they disappointing, though? I watched Postman Pat with Jake the other day, and I couldn't believe how bad it was.
- 00:09
Friend #1 ?
I'll tell you the worst one, though. It's Captain Bloody Pugwash.
- 00:13
Oh. No, not really.
- 00:15
Friend #1 ?
No, it is! It's dire. When its mouth moves, it just goes, bub, bub, bub, bub.
- 00:19
I think that's a bit harsh. It was pretty good.
- 00:22
Friend #1 ?
It's awful! Don't tell me one of you worked on it.
- 00:25
Yes. Actually, Damien.
- 00:30
Friend #1 ?
Oh,
- 00:34
Damien ?
Hi.
- 00:35
Friend #1 ?
Oh, come on, you guys are winding me up.
- 00:37
No, they're not.
- 00:39
Friend #1 ?
Oh, really? You didn't write for it, did you?
- 00:42
Damien
No, I was in it, actually. I played Stephen.
- 00:45
Friend #1 ?
Stephen?
- 00:46
Damien
Stephen Pudwash, the captain.
- 00:48
Friend #1 ?
Oh. Oh, right. Well, stupid of me. It's just I didn't recognise you without your, um...
- 00:56
Damien
I don't go around all day dressed as a pirate.
- 00:59
Friend #1 ?
Oh, of course not. Look, what I said about your mouth...
- 01:02
Damien
No, really, forget about it. I mean, as it happens, I actually have a condition which paralyses my upper lip. That's why I wear this moustache, but you weren't to know.
- 01:10
Friend #1 ?
And, um, what are you doing these days?
- 01:13
Damien
Oh, this and that. You might have seen me in the Kenco campaign.
- 01:16
Friend #1 ?
Oh, the one with the...
- 01:17
Damien
Pirates. Yes, I do rather suffer from typecasting.
- 01:21
Friend #1 ?
Now I think about it, there was a lot to like about Captain Pugwash. I mean, it had a real charm to it, and the performances were great.
- 01:29
Damien ?
Well, thank you.
- 01:30
Friend #1 ?
Yeah, it was certainly a lot better than some of the rubbish that was on. I mean, you know, The Flumps, Dog Tanyan, King Rollo. I mean, what the hell was that? He was like some kind of psycho child.
- 01:40
Damien ?
I see.
- 01:43
Damien
My boyfriend played King Rollo.
- 01:45
Come
- 01:49
Damien ?
Come on, Adrian. We're leaving.
The rabbit hole continues
One more couldn’t hurt.
More from That Mitchell and Webb Look.
