Recurring characters The Mary Whitehouse Experience

1 recurring characters

1.1 ray
1.2 ivan
1.3 mr. strange
1.4 history today

recurring characters
ray

(played rob newman)

a man afflicted disease gives him permanently sarcastic tone of voice, says comes out sounding sarcastic, no matter how sincerely means it. sketch presented medical case history told ray s psychiatrist (played david baddiel), gives accounts of various situations in ray s affliction has got him trouble. these sensitive situations such speaking out @ funeral, apologising old man after running on wife in car, , complimenting suicidal child on drawings. @ other times ray has experienced near-fatal accidents, such having arrow shot through brain, ignored passers-by given cries of pain sound sarcastic. ray s disorder affects body language, demonstrated in 1 sketch in converses deaf foster mother. ray s psychiatrist discovers things ray s voice can means sarcastically. in 1 sketch makes friends media types, appreciate seemingly endless sarcasm when talking film edward scissorhands. in final episode, on being given cure album present, ray cannot bring himself sound sarcastic when thanking friend and, bizarrely, starts speaking flemish. ray has quite successful run of appearances on flemish chat-shows, before inevitable happens, , begins speaking flemish in sarcastic tone. ray uses phrase oh no, personal disaster became 1 of show s popular catchphrases.

ivan

(played rob newman)

ivan daytime television presenter hosts show similar bbc s pebble mill @ one. appearance became increasingly unusual sketches progressed (his hair ends extremely ruffled , has plasters on face), appears @ first glance normal daytime tv presenter. ivan over-emotional , fly tormented rage @ slightest mention of vaguely bad. 1 such example when professional gardener interviewing tells him in passing has trodden on , broken garden cane going use, , ivan proceeds fly hysterical rage , smash apart whole greenhouse. likewise, when informed situation not bad after all, ivan react in overly ecstatic manner, annoyance of guests.

mr. strange

(played hugh dennis, better known milky milky sketch)

mr. strange archetypal man mother warned , weird man walks around town in dirty old mac, indulging in disturbingly eccentric behaviour. mr. strange s main trait has absurd addiction off milk, , carrying cartons or bottles of milk him, not drinking them obsessively sniffing them before uttering words lovely- milky milky (which became 1 of show s popular catchphrases). in turn led novelty tie-in single, milky milky (take me fridge) released mr strange , lactose brotherhood in 1992, punt , dennis tour of year being named milky milky tour .

one sketch features mr. strange contestant on mastermind specialist subject milk , way smells while features him presenting party political broadcast offering himself alternative main political leaders because don t wash pants — s not nature s way .

history today

history today made debut in second half of show s second tv series. history today historical discussion programme presented 2 elderly, scholarly professors, both well-spoken , well-groomed. first of these professors, introduces each episode , topic of discussion, played david baddiel although character never named. second professor f. j. lewis, emeritus professor of history @ souls college, oxford, played rob newman. each episode begins standard historical debate, degenerates playground-style quarrel professors exchanging childish insults. humour lies largely in juxtaposition of professors formal tone of voice puerile words. sketch spawned perhaps show s popular catchphrase ...that s you, , spoken after had described someone/something supposedly pathetic and/or disgusting. sketch later carried on newman , baddiel s own show, newman , baddiel in pieces.