Lise Mayer

Lise Mayer (born 29 November 1959) is an American television and film writer. She was creator and co-writer, alongside Rik Mayall and Ben Elton, of the BBC comedy series The Young Ones. Mayer was born in Chicago, Illinois, to David and Anne Mayer. She met Rik Mayall when she was at school in Manchester and Mayall came to study drama at Manchester University, where her father was a professor. Her mother is a theatre publicist. In addition to The Young Ones, she has written for television programmes including The Last Resort, Paramount City, London Underground, The Fast Show, Saturday Zoo and Casualty, and produced Denis Leary's No Cure For Cancer. She was a writer/consultant for the film The Borrowers, and co-writer of Suite 16, Paper Marriage, Flushed Away and The Matchmaker. Books include Bachelor Boys: The Young Ones Book, People I Have Shot (with ITN cameraman Sebastian Rich), The Utterly Merry Comic Relief Christmas Book, Go to Bed With Jonathan Ross, Amassed Hysteria and In Search of Happiness (with Angus Deayton). She is an activist and filmmaker for the advocacy group The Citizens. Mayer was in a relationship until 1985 with Rik Mayall, including the period when they co-wrote The Young Ones. She has a son with comedian and television presenter Angus Deayton, with whom she was in a relationship from 1991 to 2015. Her sister, Catherine Mayer, co-founded the Women's Equality Party with Sandi Toksvig

Works

Red Dwarf: The First Three Million Years
7.2

Red Dwarf: The First Three Million Years

The definitive overview of the adventures of the legendary Boys from the Dwarf. This three-part series charts the origins, production and legacy of everything associated with the sci-fi comedy.

Release Date: 2020-08-06

Department: Editing

Job: Archival Footage Research

Episode Count: 3

Vote Count: 5

7.0

How The Young Ones Changed Comedy

This documentary explores the legacy of one of the most notorious British sitcoms of all time. Launching alternative comedy onto our screens, the show made household names of its performers and writers and proved to be a huge influence, despite the BBC reportedly being baffled by what they'd commissioned back in 1982. Never before had a flagship comedy show contained so much violence, depravity and anarchy - it was a shot across the bow to mainstream comedians that things would never be the same again.

Release Date: 2018-05-26

Vote Count: 2

7.5

Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule

Comedian Rik Mayall died suddenly on 9 June 2014. Mayall's blend of rocket-fuelled physical comedy, surrealism, subversive satire and pompous punk wit left a body of work that spanned four decades. Mayall's characters include the Black Country's investigative nerd Kevin Turvey, Felicity Kendal-adoring student and 'People's Poet' Rik in The Young Ones, ruthless MP Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman, seedy loser Richie in Bottom and larger-than-life characters Robin Hood and flying ace Lord Flashheart from Blackadder. Narrated by Simon Callow, this programme salutes Rik Mayall and celebrates his part in the UK's comedy history using rare and unseen archive footage. It also features contributions from people who knew or admired him, including Michael Palin, Simon Pegg, Lenny Henry, Ben Elton, Alexei Sayle, Christopher Ryan, Tim McInnerny, Jools Holland, Ruby Wax and Greg Davies.

Release Date: 2014-12-20

Department: Editing

Job: Archival Footage Research

Character: Self

Vote Count: 13

The Making of 'The Young Ones'

A look back at the making of the insane sitcom and the impact it caused.

Release Date: 2007-10-29

Character: Self

6.3

Flushed Away

London high-society mouse, Roddy is flushed down the toilet by Sid, a common sewer rat. Hang on for a madcap adventure deep in the sewer bowels of Ratropolis, where Roddy meets the resourceful Rita, the rodent-hating Toad and his faithful thugs, Spike and Whitey.

Release Date: 2006-10-22

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 3873

6.0

The Borrowers

The four-inch-tall Clock family secretly share a house with the normal-sized Lender family, "borrowing" such items as thread, safety pins, batteries and scraps of food. However, their peaceful co-existence is disturbed when evil lawyer Ocious P. Potter steals the will granting title to the house, which he plans to demolish in order to build apartments. The Lenders are forced to move, and the Clocks face the risk of being exposed to the normal-sized world.

Release Date: 1997-12-05

Department: Production

Job: Consulting Producer

Vote Count: 485

6.0

Suite 16

After an argument and fight with a wealthy one night stand in a posh hotel, young hustler Chris finds himself trapped inside. With nowhere to go and the cops closing in on the hotel fast, he wanders into "Suite 16" in a fit of despair. Inside, a handicapped and wheelchair bound Glover is held captive for the evening once discovered by Chris. However, things change the next day when Glover informs Chris that the woman he slept with is now dead; and that he surely will be sought out for her murder. Lonely and bored, Glover offers to shelter Chris for awhile while the cuts and bruises from the previous nights escapades have time to heal.

Release Date: 1994-11-24

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 12

The Fast Show
7.8

The Fast Show

The Fast Show is a multi BAFTA award winning sketch comedy show written and produced by Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson.

Release Date: 1994-09-27

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 2

Vote Count: 46

4.0

Paper Marriage

Alice, a young Polish woman, arrives in England to marry a doctor. However, she faces an obstacle when her fiance changes his mind and leaves her in need of citizenship in Britain.

Release Date: 1992-03-10

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 3

Teenage Health Freak
6.0

Teenage Health Freak

Teenage Health Freak is a British teen comedy-drama about the life and travails of a socially awkward teenager as he goes through life. It is best known for featuring the actress Liza Walker and the actor Alex Langdon. It was based on the book Diary of a Teenage Health Freak, by Dr. Ann McPherson and Dr. Aidan Macfarlane.

Release Date: 1991-05-21

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 12

Vote Count: 1

The Last Resort
5.5

The Last Resort

Groundbreaking and influential British talk show hosted by Jonathan Ross.

Release Date: 1987-01-09

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 44

Vote Count: 2

Casualty
6.1

Casualty

Drama series about the staff and patients at Holby City Hospital's emergency department, charting the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives.

Release Date: 1986-09-06

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 82

The Young Ones
7.9

The Young Ones

The misadventures of four lunatic students who live in a shared student house. There's Rick, the overblown political one addicted to Cliff Richard, Vyvyan the experimental scientific one/part-time anarchist, Neil the worried hippy, and Mike the ladies' man (at least he is in his mind).

Release Date: 1982-11-09

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Character: Woman in Hawk advert

Episode Count: 12

Vote Count: 134

Carrott's Lib
7.5

Carrott's Lib

Carrott's Lib is a British satirical comedy series broadcast between 9 October 1982 and 30 December 1983. It starred Jasper Carrott and a cast of many comedians. The show was not just a satirical comedy, it was also a sketch show with many comedians of the future, most famously Chris Barrie & Jan Ravens. Unlike most comedy series it was broadcast live, albeit with some pre-recorded elements.

Release Date: 1982-10-09

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 2

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