Adam Buxton's BUG Series One Revisited

After a wonderfully successful, eight week run on Sky Atlantic HD Adam Buxton's BUG's first series* has finally ended and to sate any withdrawal sickness, I thought I'd do a little recappitation.



Episode One kicked of with the delightful intro song featuring a lovely monkey as Adam implored us to "stop looking and the monkey as it's time to start the show".

We saw the first of the familiarly fun folders from his desktop suitcase. He showed us the visual mnemonics from his travels to Los Angeles and Australia.

Cool Comment Guy popped up for the first time and we were told to "stop observing small kids eyes". Wine Prone Cowboy prompted Adam to do a lovely, cod, royalty-free reworking of Rhinestone Cowboy in front of his audience but the abiding meme memory from this episode will be the touching "my CONDOLENC".

Garth Jennings kicked off a weekly succession of bespoke BUG videos with his explosive film featuring Adam miming to Guitar Wolf's version of Summertime Blues. There was a cameo from Baaad Dad in there too and Sky made a little extra bit with Garth.

Episode Two suggested that Pluto and Manthea were watching the show. The suitcase that week showed us his Shittier Beatles folder with it's MPoo3 suggestions.

ApplePieIsGoodToEat had a special, cheeky pop up animation for his comment "Oh and dear yellow one, I feel the need to tell you your PANTS are spicy".

MISSGOSH got her famous "I hope this comment is being read out by Adam Buxton" dream realised, and on the telly this time.

We witnessed the misuse of Adam's "Skip this ad now > > >" gag but probably the most memorable Youtube interlude was Gil McRipley's Rifle Burs - "SWAG".

David Wilson gorgeously filthy video for Adam's Sushi Song aired that week and there's a behind-the-scenes film to go with this too.

We learned that Mr Gyllenhaal can provoke a comment of "Meh, with a side order of pfft" but more often some pork-based stabbing is the plat-du-jour. This is also the video for which we saw Adam's elaborate, visual stingy response to Etienne Marvelo's wildly absurd and pretentious comment.

At the start of Episode Three, Adam's folder revealed a photo of his local pub, complete with it's funny spelling.

We met the fella who wants to "marry Grimes. Marry her hard" and learned that Thom Yorke has turrets and looks like Jodie Foster. We also had the confusingly posed "Original? no! Devlhish! ? Maybe! A pleasure for ones eara? Surelly".

Instead of a bespoke BUG video, this week Adam dressed up in heels, gloves and tight black leggins to give us his literal rendition of Pull Up to the Bumper which I was disturbed to see live at the recording of the pilot show. I've not seen a man look so utterly comfortable in heels that high since Terence Stamp strutted the outback.

The suitcase for Episode Four revealed a short video featuring his daughter, Hope in an ad to promote holidays.

This was followed by the joyously depressing video for The Counting Song, directed by Cyriak with illustrations from Sarah Brown.

We were introduced to someone who knows native people, learned a new insult - "dickehad" and the emoticon representing Owen Wilson :~) followed by a disgruntled appearance from Jareth.

We learned that although a "chopped-up Amen break at 170bpm laid over square bass is prototypical D&B/Jungle" it can be mistaken -  "it's breakcore, you fucknose", and we enjoy an appearance from the shouting poet, MrMrDSWoods including his sublime "TAKE THAT TO THE BANK YOU MUFFIN FACTORY".

Episode Five was the one which brought us "Thumbwhore", "Wot is BUK?" and "knock on the front door and ask for The Fighter".

We had brief appearance from Cool Comment Guy and a visual jingle for Commentary Digest.

Dougal Wilson's vision for Adam's classic "Poo Poo Party Pom Pom" was aired in this episode too and Sky have an enchanting Behind-the-Scenes film to go with.

Episode Six is the one with the intro song that sounds a bit like Louise's blissful Star Trek song. It had the Filthy Fridges folder, a pop-upset from Jareth, a comment that simply read "Bord?" and also the "Jesus Christ, I think I got a depression".

Dragon Metal Man popped up and we saw the Layzell Brothers animated wonder for Tiny Tim's "Living in the Sunlight, Loving in the Moonlight" song from the past.

Episode Seven was the one where we were advised to "calm your tits". Adam showed us the contents of his "Shit Jennifer Aniston Films" folder and revealed that the folder for "Garage Band Jingles That I Haven't Used" was empty.

The video was David Freymond's imagining of Coming Back from Holiday Blues.

Adam made a fragrantly urban opening ditty for Episode Eight and unpacked his 'Previously Unseen Bobbles" folder showing what Bob Dylan's was actually typing while Joan Baez was strumming and warbling in the background.

Adam brought Radiohead's No Surprises video up to the comment reading plate and at the risk of peeving lovely Buxty by linking something with a tiny bit of a Joeness, one of the best runner-ups for the Adam and Joe Video Wars competition was this wonderful likeness of that same video.

Adam directed the final video of the series. The song, Amazing Music Video, is new. The video is everso amusing featuring Baaadad and Sif Agustsdottir with her top off, maybe.

Finally, don't forget you can go behind the scenes with Adam and catch various audio interviews with Empire Magazine, Shaun Keaveny and Matt Edmondson. Adam's YouTube channel has hours of delicious nuggets.

Once you've worked your way through that lot, several times, you'll have to take an Ad(am) break but let's hope it's not a long one.

* Any reference to 'series one' is based on love, optimism and belief in the power of positive thinking rather than any knowledge of a recommission.