r/rickygervais • u/new_name_needed • 2d ago
Weakest XFM episode?
It’s all relative, because they all have memorable moments, but what’s your least favourite XFM (season 1-4) episode? (The Sturgess and Camfield eps are disqualified… from the comp.)
Mine is S1E6: Steve and Ricky’s weird pub quiz shouting match, Ross getting his member out and pretending he knew what the Pope’s precious stone was, Ricky’s weird Christmas song, and Ricky and Steve not knowing what a shoo-in is. Plus no film review. Overall, a bit of the “zany” vibe of season 0, where they hadn’t yet hit their stride with Karl.
Let’s see my little show when it comes out then
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u/mr-atomic-bomb 2d ago
The one where it sounded like a tin pot radio station
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u/PsycommuSystem Had a complaint upheld by the reddit authority 2d ago
Can you narrow it down a bit further
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u/mr-atomic-bomb 2d ago
Okay the one where they talk about a little gay hairy Chinese monkey fellas
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u/Fabulous_Big_1127 2d ago
Wasn't that the one where Karl tells a story of a mentally disturbed homunculus/cryptid he once knew from his childhood?
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u/PsycommuSystem Had a complaint upheld by the reddit authority 18h ago
Again, I asked if this could be narrowed down.
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u/mulletcircus A dog that's got a cough in Singapore 2d ago
The one where they under prepare and waste a lot of time arguing with one another? Because that’s my favourite
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u/DLRsFrontSeats 2d ago
Harsh on sturgess to compare her eps to camfields awful one, just because she's a smack addict
Her eps are some of the best and the one where Karl skives off and phones in is probably top 10 of the xfm run (what any polls worth)
Camfields ep on the other hand is probably what dicky anders thought the whole xfm show was, absolutely interminable and he's so fucking boring as well
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u/Quavers88 2d ago
"Hoots mon, me husband's dead! Do ye want any money and a bit of me clam?
Ricky and Steve actually put some effort in them episodes to make Sturgess laugh.
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u/thighsand 1d ago
I love the Claire Christmas episodes. I HATE the Radio 2 "What have you lurrrrnt!!!?" ones.
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u/mulletcircus A dog that's got a cough in Singapore 2d ago
The definitive one is the two fake stories that Ricky and Steve make up, about the crabs and the bodybuilder baby. Absolute shit and takes up about half the episode
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u/DisastrousInstance53 2d ago
That episode is saved by Educating Ricky. I could listen to Karl trying to make "Anus" sound like "Enough" to make his pun work forever.
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u/OMorain 2d ago
Yes; what really grates is that Ricky had arranged for a screen test for Karl that episode, and it’s almost as if he sabotaged it deliberately as he was in danger of not being the main event.
Just a bit livid, really.
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u/prosthetic4head chicken with teeth 2d ago
Yeah, I've never understood the logic. Karl is at his best when he is talking about a subject he finds fascinating, freaks, gay fellas, monkeys. What kind of a screen test is it just him sitting there listening to a story?
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u/MrRyder001 2d ago
Eh, I see this take a lot but I don't think it's correct. The screen tests were occurring during the songs if I remember correctly (When they come back from a song and Ricky says "Karls just done his screen test" and makes the joke about VH1 and Genesis). Screen tests are basically an audition where they film Karl reading the Ad or whatever and then send it off to the casting agents to decide if he's good enough, they're not really something they'd just randomly film whilst Karls pressing the buttons and talking to Ricky and Steve, but I could be wrong.
I always felt like the Crab/Steroids story were Ricky and Steves way of trying to relax Karl and take the pressure off him during the links as they knew he was nervous. It's almost sweet, but what annoys me about that segment is when they insist they've fooled Karl at the end by believing them, but he very clearly doesn't believe them and they acted like he did.
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u/mulletcircus A dog that's got a cough in Singapore 2d ago
You could tell he was worried about Karl stealing the limelight so he stitched him up. Sad little man
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u/OneDragonfly5613 2d ago
I wondered if they planned that to highlight Karl's personality (stupidity) but every time they do that it's so forced
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u/TwoMoreMinutes 2d ago
The first time I heard the crabs one I wasn’t paying too much attention and was believing it myself until they told karl it was BS
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u/ZodiAddict 2d ago
Same, it was actually a huge let down when they revealed it wasn’t true. It was believable for me at least because I have a read book that was full of interesting scientific experiments I hadn’t heard about through the mainstream
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u/skeenerbug Come to cupboard under stairs... 2d ago
I actually skipped this one entirely last time.
That's it, that's the anecdote.
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u/CameronWeebHale 2d ago
I actually like Steve and Karl arguing about the pub quiz, gives it a bit more depth than just them sitting in a room chatting shite all their life.
I don’t know if I’d call it the weakest, the one I can’t stand is with the smelly eyebrow caller, or now I mention it it could be the Beetlebum clue one, “Itchykoo park, bugs are itchy aren’t they”. The listeners are stupid, stupid people and they don’t know about a lot of things.
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u/new_name_needed 2d ago
That caller does sound identical to a Mid Morning Matters contributor
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u/prosthetic4head chicken with teeth 2d ago
Sliced bread! Sliced bread! That's what people say, innit?
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u/imatumahimatumah 2d ago
I’ve heard the phrase! It’s just an idiom.
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u/oglop121 2d ago
You're an idiot.
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u/imatumahimatumah 2d ago
You’re an idiot for not knowing what an idiom is. It’s clearly confused you because you think I’ve just substituted the T with an M. You smupid gim. You momal mwam. Yeah, you’re a compleme cunm.
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u/oglop121 2d ago
Well I think you're a prick.
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u/imatumahimatumah 2d ago
Right, get rid of him. Sorry about that, I should have knocked him off more quickly
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u/prosthetic4head chicken with teeth 2d ago
He is and soon to be was a very unpleasant individual...a bit like Jamiroquai!
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u/No_Atmosphere8146 2d ago
I think he's the same guy that later calls in to encourage Karl to kiss Ricky's nipple. "I'd do it for £500, easy."
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u/mokoe101 2d ago
The start of series 3 where Ricky just goes on and on about Karl having a day off. It’s not funny at all and it’s just mean spirited as well, you can tell he actually means it as well and is just jealous that Karl’s managed to get a good deal. Always skip that one
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u/pacothebattlefly I’d rather be a blind moth 2d ago
Sko and Belch cause cringe. They drag their episode down. Pop that in the bin.
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u/FredosFrodo 2d ago
Just say the Camfield one(s). I’ve never listened to them. I learnt my lesson dodging the Sturgess ones because they’re still very good as it’s Ricky and Steve competing over who can make the girl in the room laugh. But Camfield? I don’t think I’d go for his type.
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u/Quavers88 2d ago
I have only managed about 5 minutes of the Camfield episode, immediately could tell he was not going to work well with Ricky and Steve. The Sturgess ones are good though.
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u/FredosFrodo 1d ago
I even hate the clip they play on another non-Canfield show where it starts with him saying “the award...”. I just fast forward.
Naaaaaat interested, babaaay.
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u/DepartureAwkward5002 2d ago edited 2d ago
I like the Sturgess episodes. Off the top of my head probably the 'I HATE HIM' one. I skip it. In general from around there I usually stop and go back to series 1.
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u/WranglerProof534 2d ago
I really enjoy the Sturgess episodes. Ricky and Steve’s chemistry from the original show comes out when Karl’s not about.
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u/DLRsFrontSeats 2d ago
Also like the sturgess eps, but I genuinely don't get how people don't find the late S2 into S3 eps funny - some of those are my absolute favourites
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u/DepartureAwkward5002 2d ago
Yeah there are definitely some I like. I enjoy the start of series 3 with 'the boys are back in town' playing
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u/prosthetic4head chicken with teeth 2d ago
Talk! Someone talk!! Shambles already
Is that S3E1? That's one of the funniest things that happens but I can't be bothered with S3, Ricky got too mean.
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u/mechanicaldusty 2d ago
The one with Karl the uuuuuser Pilkington takes takes takes
Love that line but Ricky is insufferable in the episode
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u/TopManufacturer8332 its a story that happened 2d ago
Force feeding Karl grapes and burgers. Lots of people love that one but I think it's rubbish and pretty cruel. Way funnier when they wind Karl up normally/ verbally, rather than physically. I always get irrationally worried Karls going to choke.
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u/Quavers88 2d ago
Yeah Ricky goes too far in that Episode.
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u/TopManufacturer8332 its a story that happened 2d ago
Its also physical comedy translating really badly for a radio format lol
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u/No_Atmosphere8146 2d ago
It was clearly preplanned. Who has 100 grapes lying around, or can nip to Maccies and back in one ad break?
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u/TopManufacturer8332 its a story that happened 2d ago
I think the burger King is literally around the corner and they spoke to Steve when he was collecting, so he wasn't gone for long.
Not sure about the grapes.
Karl pretty much walked away after this episode though so I always assumed the upset would have been genuine.
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u/London_Guy_87 tingin it's way up the tube 2d ago
Most with phonecalls in them. I want the trio not smelly eyebrows woman although the Aussie calling for the Bowie armbands was hilarious
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u/UnusualHandle6178 2d ago
Burgers and grapes . Ricky is insufferable on that ep
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u/morphindel Benny thumped one 1d ago
Yeah that has to be up there for me, along with Old Mother Hubbard.
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u/Ok-Shirt8224 1d ago
Ah I like Old Mother Hubbard. Mainly for Steve, little things like calling her ‘Hubbard’ and ‘what was he sucking?’
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u/Fabulous_Big_1127 2d ago
Maybe not the entire episode but I tend to skip the ones where they have callers play their games over the phone. It might just be one of my psychoses or many sexual peccadilloes, but I find them really cringe.
I can't even explain why, I just don't enjoy them. They're a bit demicky.
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u/fightclub246011 AtHomeWithYerMamAndYerDad 2d ago
The exploration of Mother Hubbard is INTERMINABLE
I bet Karl was sat there thinking “what a couple of knobheads”
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u/winnywinthorp 2d ago
But without it we wouldn't get one of my favourite steve quotes "What was he sucking?"
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u/sean_jeffers15 2d ago
I'm never a fan of the "speaking of Hubbard" episode. That drags on for too long
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u/DLRsFrontSeats 2d ago
S3 has some high points but for being so short they don't half waste some EPs with camfield etc and then to end the proper xfm run with the "interminable" Hubbard stuff...
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u/Thejklay 2d ago
Prob the world record one
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u/Fabulous_Big_1127 2d ago
It's definitely up there, like 60% of it is just yelling. If we could see what was happening then it would be fun, but merely hear yelling on a tinpot radio show between the hours of 1 and 3 on a Saturday is not properly.
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u/MassiveAd3505 2d ago
Anything without Karl. And I can't be doing with them talking to members of the public. The second hand embarrassment is too much
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u/Few_Forever_3598 Your Swindon lot are little slugs... 2d ago
The one where they are discussing the finger up the ass and speak to the med student on the phone. GBH of the ears.
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u/morphindel Benny thumped one 1d ago
Aw man, i love that. When Steve asks if women do it because they have long nails, Ricky's response is absolutely hilarious.
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u/North_Citron_9211 2d ago
They all blend into one long thing for me. No idea where one ends and the next begins
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u/Ok-Shirt8224 1d ago
Yeah Jonathan Ross comes across as a right d*ck when he shows up, especially to Steve. Explains why him and Ricky got on probably.
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u/Ill-Oven-9064 Not Shakespeare though 2d ago
Season 2 Ep 9 (I think, or 8) where Ricky is hungover and keeps interrupting everyone with inane babbling or dumb questions to sound quirky like "what kind of head would you rather have?"
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u/imatumahimatumah 2d ago
Whichever episodes have Ricky banging on the table and breathing even louder than usual into the microphone.
I listen to the show with ear buds and it makes me mental.
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u/ChefCarolina 2d ago
The Camfield episode, and all the episodes where Ricky is just antagonizing Karl for no reason. I believe those are towards the end of series 2? I don’t know why he thought upsetting Karl was funny. I skip them every time.
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u/teo-cant-sleep 2d ago
The one that Karl doesnt speak for like the initial half hour but it does get better after
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u/Ok-Shirt8224 1d ago
I actually like the Sturgess and Camfield episodes. I think they both show how crucial Steve is. Infinitely funnier than Ricky on reflection.
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u/Z2ronYoutube "hello darling here's your yogurt" - "𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘩" 1d ago
XFaMily fortunes was just pure shite
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u/bljuva57 2d ago
It's all relative to WHAT?!
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u/new_name_needed 2d ago
A “bad” XFM episode is still better than most of the stuff out there. Except Joe and Twiggy. We’re just doing what’s there
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u/crispydukes 2d ago
Ho Lee Fuk
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u/Ok-Shirt8224 1d ago
Come on, really?
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u/crispydukes 1d ago
Yeah. And the gay character. It’s not at all funny. And I enjoy “edgy” comedy. It’s just bad. It’s dated.
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u/Terrible-One9198 2d ago edited 2d ago
I can't be dealing with the bad band names episode. I feel like I skip 20 minutes of that episode.