Men Behaving Badly is about two house-mates, Gary and Tony, who are either drinking beer together in their local, or on the couch (still drinking lager). Politically incorrect and unreconstructed, these lads made this classic 1990s comedy a ratings hit. Dorothy and Deborah are their long-suffering other halves.

You can now get the complete set of all series in one DVD boxset.

Funny Quotes

• [Tony has been trying to tattoo himself with a darning needle] Tony: It was going to read ‘Deborah, I love you’, but now I’m just going for ‘Deb’.
• Gary: Bed? Beds are for sleepy people! Let’s get a kebab and go to a disco!
• [Tony is trying to get Deborah to sleep with him, she is into astrology at the time] Tony: I must lie down here in conjunction with you…
• Gary: Let’s face it Tony, the only way you’re gonna be in there is if you’re both marooned on a deserted island and she eats a poisonous berry or a nut which makes her temporarily deaf, dumb, stupid, forgetful and desperate for sex.
• Dermot: The graffiti in the gents has reached new heights of literacy.
  Gary: Oh yeah, what’s it say?
  Dermot: West-Ham is a poof.
• Dorothy: You really are a yob aren’t you Gary?
  Gary: On the contrary, I think I’m remarkably sensitive.
  Dorothy: Oh, that must be why you refer to Luciano Pavarotti as ‘that fat git.’
• George: Y’know, I think marriage is tremendous.
  Gary: I hate to be cynical George, but you think Croydon is tremendous.
• Dorothy: Gary doesn’t understand periods. He thinks they’re something to do with the moon.
• Gary: I mean, look at the fuss women make about child birth. Now, I’m not saying it doesn’t smart a bit, but if blokes did it, I reckon you’d be looking at, what, give birth, have a couple of Paracetamol, maybe a bit of a nap and then back to work within the hour.
• Neville: [doing a crossword puzzle] Twelve across, five letters, god. That’s got to be Jesus, right?
  Tony: They’re not the same thing, though, are they?
  Neville: Yeah, Jesus is the same as God, isn’t he? A bit younger.

Chuckle again at this classic sitcom with this clip:

More About The Show
Written by Simon Nye, Men Behaving Badly was one of the 1990s’ most popular sitcoms. First broadcast in 1992, six series and 42 episodes were made, along with a Christmas special and three final episodes, Last Orders, in 1998. The show moved to the BBC from ITV in 1994 after the first two series.

It stars Martin Clunes as Gary Strang and Neil Morrissey as Tony Smart. Caroline Quentin is quick-witted nurse Dorothy Bishop, Gary’s girlfriend, and Leslie Ash plays Deborah Burton, who lives in the upstairs flat and is always changing her mind about Tony. Other characters include Gary’s ageing colleagues at the burglar alarm company he manages – the spinsterish Anthea and hen-pecked George.

As Gary and Tony revel in their second childhood of hours of TV and mindless conversation, their behaviour puts their relationships in jeopardy.

Gary’s colleagues regularly exasperate him with their old-fashioned ways, while Tony stumbles through a range of jobs after his record stall collapses (literally!).

Dorothy and Gary frequently split up, but always end up back together. Tony has many girlfriends but his true feelings are for Deborah, with whom he is finally in a relationship in series six.

The shift of station and a later timeslot meant, as the BBC put it, the show could have ‘more colourful language and behaviour’. Men Behaving Badly became hugely popular, winning numerous awards.