Every so often, there’s a comment on this site which deserves a wider audience. Today, it’s Rob Blackmon, asking this question on The Young Ones, “Interesting”:
“Finally, if anyone has access to shooting scripts or otherwise, what was it that Mike was clearly about to say after “Cinderella” entered the flat? Such an obvious, jarring cut and he just gave us that look, like.”
It certainly is one of the most obvious and clunky edits in the whole of The Young Ones. Here’s a reminder:
It is indeed very clear that Mike is about to say something, and we rudely cut away. But what, exactly?
I do, in fact, have access to the script. And the bon mot we were so cruelly deprived of is the following:
CINDERS: I’m looking for my prince.
MIKE: (POINTING UPSTAIRS) Maybe they’re upstairs with my etchings baby. (TO CAMERA) At least I didn’t make a joke about balls or fairy queens.
Certainly not a joke worth keeping. Although what’s vaguely annoying is that if they’d cut away from Mike a second earlier, before he’d had a chance to start looking at the camera, the moment would be far less jarring.
Yes, next year on Dirty Feed, expect more lectures about editing in sitcoms from 1982.