''The Bullshitters: Roll Out the Gunbarrel'' is a

spoof Spoof, spoofs, spoofer, or spoofing may refer to: * Forgery of goods or documents * Semen, in Australian slang * Spoof (game), a guessing game * Spoofing (finance), a disruptive algorithmic-trading tactic designed to manipulate markets __NOTOC__ ...

of the TV series ''

The Professionals A professional is someone who is skilled in a profession. Professional or professionals may also refer to: * Professional sports Music *The Professionals (band), a British punk rock band formed in 1979 * ''The Professionals'' (The Professionals ...

''. It was first broadcast in 1984 on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

. Although it was made by many people behind ''

The Comic Strip The Comic Strip are a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series ''The Comic Strip Presents...'', which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The c ...

'', it did not feature the Comic Strip title sequence, and is not considered by some to be part of the series. However, it ''was'' included in the Comic Strip

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

box set (2005), and its lead characters, Bonehead and Foyle reappeared in a later short Comic Strip film, ''

Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown ''Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown'' is a short comedy film made by The Comic Strip for the BBC, first broadcast in the UK in 1993. The film employs techniques of metafictional parody to make overt critical comparisons between 1990 ...

''. It was also represented as an episode of the show on ''30 Years of The Comic Strip''.

Synopsis

When Commander Jackson (

Robbie Coltrane Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. He ...

), head of DI5, hears that his daughter Janie has been kidnapped and held for ransom, he has to call in ex-agents Bonehead ( Keith Allen) and Foyle ( Peter Richardson) to save her. Since being kicked out of DI5, Bonehead works at a TV Tough Guys School, teaching others the "rules" of being a TV tough guy (such as not locking your car because you need to get straight back into it), and Foyle is now an actor on stage. Jackson blackmails the two into working together. It's time for Bonehead and Foyle – the flashiest, fastest and most under-dressed detectives to be kicked out of DI5 to get back to work. With a Magnum in one hand and a bus pass in the other, the Bullshitters set out to track down the criminals and get some good close-ups.

Cast

* Keith Allen as Bonehead * Peter Richardson as Martin Foyle *

as Commander George Jackson * Alana Pellay as Herself *

Jimmy Fagg Jimmy Fagg (born 1929 in Gravesend, Kent) is an English stand-up comedian, musician and actor. He is most notable for his roles in the Comic Strip Presents.. and in other British comedy films. He had a long spell as a musician in the Royal Marin ...

as Himself *

Fiona Hendley Fiona Hendley (born 1959) is a British actress and latterly Christian speaker, married to the former Manfred Mann singer and actor Paul Jones. Career Stage She has appeared in a number of musical theatre productions. In 1982, she played Jenn ...

as Janie Jackson * Al Matthews as Admiral *George Khan as Thompson * Kevin Allen as KNOBS Student Chuck *Gary Martin as KNOBS Student Stig *John Sarbutt as KNOBS Student Dean *David Farrington as KNOBS Student David Farrington *

Anthony Sharp Dennis Anthony John Sharp (16 June 1915 – 23 July 1984) was an English actor, writer and director. Stage career Anthony Sharp was a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and made his stage debut in February 1938 ...

as West End Play Father * Michael White as Himself *

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

as Stone Deaf A&R Man

Gay themes

Bonehead and Foyle spend the latter half of the episode

bare chested Toplessness refers to the state in which a woman's breasts, including her areolas and nipples, are exposed, especially in a public place or in a visual medium. The male equivalent is barechestedness, also commonly called shirtlessness. Expose ...

or with their shirts undone revealing their chests – in fact, as soon as they start working together again. During a chase scene, both of them are wearing undone jackets, briefs, and shoes – and nothing else. They put on jeans later on and then discard the jackets as they try to save Jackson's daughter. Near the end of the episode, they hear a gunshot and hug each other in fright, before they declare their love for each other and kiss passionately. It turns out they have loved each other secretly for years.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bullshitters: Roll Out the Gunbarrel, The Channel 4 comedy The Comic Strip Presents... episodes 1984 British television episodes 1984 television films 1984 films 1984 short films Films directed by Stephen Frears