Its also due to the license fee that this show was on. Same with programs on Channel 4. Which is why its a bad idea them trying to privatise Channel 4. Without those channels, this would probably have never been commissioned.
On a trip home i took my Canadian wife to Royston Vasey, we now have a Royston Vasey fridge magnet proudly on display in our house in High River Alberta, Canada.
I remember watching league of gentlemen when it started, it was on late at night on bbc2. Hardly ever advertised, it eventually became a big show. Great acting.
My vet is a massive Mr Chinnery fan and - I'm not sure if he does this for everyone - treats me to his version of the sketches when I take my dog to see him. His fave is the kestrel Kes knockoff and he talks to my dog in a fake Yorkshire accent!!
The writers were tight lipped as to what The Special Stuff consisted of but being as the butchers name is Briss, a Jewish word for circumcision, then the inference is that it's foreskins. But Apparently, in a scene in a film offshoot of the series, Briss is seen accepting a package in a spooky wood from a black clad cowelled figure and a hunchback who even Briss seemed terrified of.
I found a DVD of it at a thrift store and took a chance...and ye GHODS, what a ride! It was dark as pitch, and totally side-splitting! There's nothing like LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN...and it's acted by three guys who portray over 60 characters.
I wouldn't at all be surprised - the League have a great love for all things British horror. No doubt "The Elephant Man" was greatly influential to them...
Rewatching clips of this after years of not seeing it. The laugh track really kills the mood they were going for, glad they got rid of it in the newer episodes
It's never really explained clearly in the series, probably intentionally. There are some hints, though (like his name -- look up the term "brit milah") that it refers to black-market baby foreskins. No, seriously.
From the League of Gentlemen wiki article on Mr. Briss: 'The only clue from the original live shows as to what the substance is that it rhymes with "drawstring", which has led some fans to believe that the "special stuff" is circumcised foreskins. Another clue is that the Hebrew for circumcision is Brit milah, which, when used in everyday English, is known as a "Brit"--or, more regularly--a "Bris."'
Out of context I understand why you wouldn't get it. Better to watch the series...the whole town of Royston Vasey is a bit...odd. Full of weird, dark characters and plots.
Its never explained what the special stuff is and its best ledt that way. Although its most probably foreskins of some sort but it cant be confirmed . The show is dark humour and very dark atmosphere in series 1 and 2. Series 3 it becomes a bit more just humour but less dark, still decent but nowhere near the standard of series 1 and 2 in my opinion, and they focussed more on less used characters in series 3. The anniversarie specials are pure tat and went against everything the show was about,, Im guessing they had no choice what with the BBC and their liberal pushing of everything. The show back in this scene was ahead of its time, its mental that its less valued than rubbish like Little Britain imo.
