The Mighty Boosh are a British comedy group made up of Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Rich Fulcher, Bollo, and Michael Fielding. They are a cult comedy show that originally started on stage displaying their crazy and often psychotic comedy and plots. They soon made it to the television with two series on the BBC. The name apparently comes from a remark that Michael Fielding’s friend made about his once curly hair where he referred to it as the ‘Might Bush’ but bush sounded like ‘Boosh’. And so the name stuck.

In all the episodes there are the five main characters Howard Moon played by Julian Barratt who is lonely, sad, he’s the jazz man. He works alongside Vince as a zoo keeper in series 1 and a failing and awful musician in series 2. Often Howard is the victim who gets rescued by Vince and his glorious situations always end in embarrassment.

Vince Noir (Noel Fielding) is the cool one with ‘Mod’ hair and is a hit with the ladies. He is laid back (because of his poncho) and is always smooth. Often taking the fancy the female zookeeper who Howard is fascinated with. Vince is definitely the leading character. He also has a special ability to speak to animals.

Bob Fossil (Rich Fulcher) is the crazy and wacky zoo-owner in series 1 and makes a short appearance in series 2. He enjoys dancing to 10cc and sucking up to Dixon Bainbridge, the owner of the Zooniverse. He also does not know animal names (“windy mover” is snake and bear is latin for “Russian carpet guy”)

Bollo is a talking gorilla and Vince’s friend. In the first series he is encaged in the zoo but in the second he shown as Naboo’s ‘familiar’ and a Dj.

Naboo played by Noel Fielding’s brother Michael is shamen/zoo kiosk worker. He is really 409 years old but Vince thinks he looks 12. He often uses his powers to get Vince and Howard out of trouble.

*****Episodes******

**Killeroo**

Howard is blackmailed into fighting the Killeroo (a killer kangaroo) in an illegal fight by Bob Fossil after he discovers pictures of him with the fox in an unfortunate situation. Howard sees this as a way of impressing Mrs. Gideon who he obsesses about although she does not notice him. Vince promises to train Howard as he considers himself a “cockney bitch, a ragamuffin” although Howard believes Vince is a “French Duke” which later turns out to be true. Howard is trained by Vince’s uncle and a boxing gym where there are some odd characters. During the fight in which Howard hasn’t landed one punch Vince realizes that a Kangeroo’s weakness is his balls, Vince squeezes them, Howard knocks the Killeroo out and it ends with Howard’s joy turning to embarrassment after he chest is seen and the crowd are in horror (we never find out what is wrong).

**Mutants**

The animals of the zoo mysteriously go missing. After Mrs Gideon seeks Vince’s help to find her python Howard becomes jealous and goes of to save the day. Meanwhile Vince through his special power to speak to animals discovers that Dixon Brainbridge is responsible. It turns out that Howard has been captured by Dixon who shows him his mutant animals, which are parts of animals mixed with each other. Vince again saves the day by releasing the mutants to go free and Howard who is again left deflated after being over shone by Vince.

**Bollo**

Bob Fossil again uses Howard, this time he persuades him to dress up as a gorilla (in replace of Bollo) so that they can receive sponsorship. Unfortunately, Death comes for Bollo but Howard is taken. Howard soon learns that his is stuck in limbo after the Death cabbie refuses to take him back. Vince is confronted with Howard’s ghost who tells him to rescue him from limbo. Vince seeks the help of Naboo who sends him to the Mirror World where Vince eventually finds limbo after meeting Mr Susan the eccentric keeper of the mirror (with mirror balls). In limbo Vince discovers that Howard is now in Monkey Hell. After getting a lift from a cabbie he frees Howard by giving the self-conscious Ape of Death a hair lotion. All ends well with a party in Monkey hell.

**Tundra**

Dixon Brinbridge returns from his travels and impresses the Zooniverse with tales of Egg of Mantumbi, this annoys Howard as Mrs. Gideon is impressed. Howard in an attempt to impress Gideon promises to go to the tundra and receive this egg. So Howard and Vince set off to the tundra. In the tundra they find the words of Biggie Shackleton who was froze by the Black frost, an “icy bastard”. They separate with Vince befriending a polar bear and Howard (as usual) being caught and imprisoned by the Parka People. Vince turns up to save the day after Black Frost turns up and the polar bear lends a helping hand. This episode was originally created as the pilot, but many changes have occurred since that edition.

**Jungle**

The Zooniverse is set for doom as Dixon Bainbridge plans to sell it to the highest bidder who will turn it into a road. After Howard learns that the real owner of the Zooniverse is still alive in the jungle that happens to be next to the Zooniverse. After searching in the dense forest and happening upon Rudi who helps Vince, they find Tommy who it turns out is a rocker, the arch enemies of Mods, which in this episode Vince is obsessed with himself being the ‘King of the Mods’. Tommy has survived on nothing but cheese and has therefore turned into cheese. To save the day they grate his body and feed it to Dixon who ponders reality and consequently the contract falls through, thus saving the Zooniverse. The episode ends with the zoo saved and the Mod Wolfs.

**Charlie**

In another attempt to impress Gideon Howard tries his hand at book writing. Vince (who is “off his tits” as he has a poncho) decides that he too is an author as he wrote Charlie books about the adventures of Charlie, a piece of bubble-gum. Howard says that they were “ramblings of a retard”. After reading Howard’s brilliant one sentence the famous publisher Hamilton Cork visits the Zooniverse and to Howard’s surprise he is going to publish Vince’s book. Meanwhile Bob Fossil destroys the publishing and the real life Charlie turns up and saves the day.

**Electro**

Howard’s and Vince’s differences in music arise in this episode. Howard loves jazz and it turns out that years ago he sold his soul to the Spirit of Jazz who now “wears him like a glove” whenever he plays music. Meanwhile, Vince joins an electro punk band and becomes the lead singer after he upsets Johnny 2Hats. It ends with Howard triumph on the sax until he is overcome by the Spirit and it all turns out bad for him (as usual).

**Hitcher**

The plot is taken from the classic film with the same name. Vince and Howard have to take Ivan the Russian Bear to the animal Offenders Institute after attacking children because of Howard’s jazz. During the journey we learn that Vince was raised by Bryan Ferry and that bears like Gary Numan. The two separate and Howard happens upon a hitch-hiker, ‘The Hitcher’. He’s a green “cockney slag” with a giant thumb and polo over one eye. He kidnaps Howard and takes him to his secret base where there is a Nazi Turtle (“a fresh-water fascist for all the family”), a Klu Klux Goose and a shire horse with over 37 parking tickets. Vince as usual turns up and saves the day. For me this is by far the bets episode.

*****Specials Features*******

The special features on this DVD are quite good. They offer the usual outtakes, no deleted scene though. There is a behind the scenes tour ‘Inside the Zooniverse’ which is fairly humorous. It shows the gaffs and personalities of the creators. If you are interested with the how the Boosh was created and worked its way up to television there feature ‘History of the Boosh’ is very good. There is also Boosh music and a picture gallery to go along. I would say that the special features are decent, DVDs in competition offer more and so to does the second series.

*****Overall*******

This series of the Boosh is a definite classic. This DVD offers eight episodes so there is value of money when compared to other comedies that usually have only six episodes. The comedy is quite specific as it is not taken by a lot of people but regardless of this there is a massive cult following. With the rise of fame of Noel Fielding and the publicity and praise of the Boosh it is definitely a great DVD to buy, and watch over, and over, and over again.