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Kevin Turvey
Kevin Turvey
Kevin Turvey
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Kevin Turvey was a British television comedy character, created by actor and comedian Rik Mayall, who featured in the BBC sketch show A Kick Up the Eighties in 1981.[1]

A Kick Up the Eighties

[edit]

Turvey, an awkward and socially inept character who spoke with a broad West Midlands accent, was a self-styled "investigative journalist" who still lived with his mother, wore a shapeless blue anorak, fancied a local girl called Theresa Kelly (who was never depicted), and rarely ventured outside his home town of Redditch, north Worcestershire.[2] Each week, his 'investigations' amounted to little more than an over-excited, rambling, uninformed monologue delivered straight to camera,[3] providing absolutely no insight into the subject-matter whatsoever.

The Kevin Turvey segments used as theme music the third movement alla marcia from the Karelia Suite by Sibelius; the first movement, Intermezzo, was the theme of ITV's This Week current affairs programme.

Mayall went uncredited for these appearances, with "Also Featuring: Kevin Turvey" in the end credits rather than his real name. Mayall's then-girlfriend, Lise Mayer, also wrote for these television appearances uncredited.[4][5]

The Man Behind the Green Door

[edit]

In 1982 a one-off mockumentary, Kevin Turvey the Man Behind the Green Door was broadcast. In this, a BBC 'fly-on-the-wall' camera crew followed Kevin for a week as he went about his "investigations". Robbie Coltrane played Mick the lodger (who is a deserter from the Army), Ade Edmondson played Kevin's friend Keith Marshall, and Gwyneth Guthrie played Kevin's mum. Roger Sloman appeared as a psychotic park-keeper. Making guest appearances, as part of Kevin's band "20th Century Coyote", were Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron, known as Raw Sex.

Influences

[edit]

Mayall described Turvey as "an accent and a mood from the West Midlands" where he (Mayall) had grown up (in Droitwich). J. F. Roberts has suggested that Turvey bore some strong similarities to Peter Cook's dullard, know-it-all character E. L. Wisty.[2]

Mayall had previously performed a similar, though slightly differently named, character called 'Kevin Turby', on stage at London's the Comic Strip. Critic Ian Hamilton described Turby's routine:

Kevin's tour de force is a long, intricately plodding monologue about His Average Day. He gets up very late and goes down to Tesco, where he buys some cornflakes, which he then takes home and puts into a plate before sitting down at a table with the flakes in front of him ... etc. 'I was just sitting there eating my cornflakes. I don’t know how many I had had. Fifteen, sixteen, maybe. I wasn’t counting.'[6]

References

[edit]
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Kevin Turvey

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Kevin Turvey is a fictional British comedy character created and performed by comedian and actor Rik Mayall, portraying a clueless, socially awkward investigative journalist from Redditch in the West Midlands with a broad Brummie accent. Debuting on 21 September 1981 in the BBC Scotland sketch comedy series A Kick Up the Eighties, Turvey featured in self-contained monologues where he enthusiastically but ineptly reported on mundane local events, often digressing into personal anecdotes about his romantic failures and everyday indignities. The character appeared across 10 episodes in two series of the show (1981 and 1984), earning acclaim for Mayall's restrained performance that contrasted his later more anarchic roles. Turvey's popularity led to standalone specials, including the pseudo-documentary Kevin Turvey: The Man Behind the Green Door, broadcast on BBC Two on 13 September 1982, which followed a week in the character's life as he probed the "non-events" of Redditch with wide-eyed paranoia and patronizing explanations. Described as the "most boring man in the world," Turvey's intentionally tedious yet hilariously oblivious style—where he believes himself insightful while revealing his own stupidity—highlighted Mayall's skill in subverting audience expectations through deliberate anti-climax. The character's origins trace back to Mayall's stand-up routines at London's in the late 1970s, evolving into a cult favorite that influenced British by blending with awkward realism. Later compilations, such as the Kevin Turvey Investigates sketches from the 1984 series, expanded on his "reporting" into absurd topics like , , and the , cementing his legacy as an early showcase for Mayall's versatile comedic timing before his breakthrough in The Young Ones.

Character Overview

Description and Traits

Kevin Turvey is depicted as an awkward and socially inept self-styled investigative journalist hailing from , , where he rarely ventures beyond his hometown. He speaks in a broad West Midlands accent and lives with his overbearing mother, reflecting his stunted independence and mundane domestic routine. Turvey's core behavioral quirk is his delivery of rambling, uninformed monologues straight to the camera, often from a , as he purports to uncover profound truths about . These soliloquies highlight his cluelessness and delusion of journalistic prowess, positioning him as a of amateur sleuthing. Physically, Turvey embodies ordinariness through his unremarkable appearance, most notably his signature shapeless blue anorak, which he wears obsessively and which underscores his lack of charisma and geeky demeanor. This everyday attire, combined with his nondescript features, amplifies the character's social ineptitude, making him a relatable yet comically pitiful figure who blends into the background of his own investigations. In his personal life, Turvey harbors an unrequited crush on a local girl named Theresa Kelly, who remains unseen and unacknowledged beyond his fixation, adding to his isolated romantic failures. He fixates on trivial details of daily existence, such as his breakfast routine involving cornflakes, which he enumerates obsessively in his narratives to illustrate an "average day." This comedic style weaves banal observations with misguided attempts at profundity, often veering into naive paranoia about ordinary events like shopping or work, all while maintaining a demented monologic intensity delivered in his thick Black Country-inflected speech.

Creation and Development

The Kevin Turvey character originated as an early prototype named "Kevin Turby," which first performed on stage at London's club in the late 1970s. This initial version featured a lengthy, plodding detailing an ordinary of a suburban , beginning with mundane routines such as waking up late, shopping at for cornflakes, and consuming them at the breakfast table while pondering trivial details like the exact number eaten—fifteen or sixteen, perhaps, without counting. Mayall developed the character in the early 1980s amid his involvement in the scene, drawing from his own background in the West Midlands, where he grew up in Droitwich after being born in . As part of this phase, Turvey evolved from a stage act in Mayall's duo Twentieth Century Coyote—alongside —into a television persona, initially appearing uncredited in sketches for BBC2's A Kick Up the Eighties in 1981. Writing contributions included input from Mayall's then-girlfriend , who helped conceive specific non-jokes, such as one linking and , though her role remained uncredited. Performative elements emphasized Turvey's physical awkwardness, with Mayall employing gawping eyes, twisted hand gestures, clenched fists, and fretful snorts to convey social ineptitude, all delivered in an authentic broad West Midlands accent rooted in Mayall's regional upbringing. The character transitioned from live club performances to a televised format, where monologues addressed the camera directly as if reporting for a serious current affairs program, often derailing into aimless commentary. This evolution refined the act through audience feedback at venues like , transforming it from experimental student theater influences into a staple of . Thematically, Turvey was designed to satirize amateur and suburban banality, portraying a self-styled investigative reporter from whose "hard-hitting" reports on topics like devolved into banal observations about everyday life, such as bus station encounters or cornflake consumption. Mayall intended the character to mock broadcasting conventions and the pretensions of punditry, presenting an anarchic whose feisty but hopeless demeanor highlighted working-class individuality rather than caricature, though external pressures later incorporated more overt jokes. The character's awkward, artless delivery echoed influences like Peter Cook's E.L. Wisty, as explored in broader inspirations.

Television Appearances

A Kick Up the Eighties

Kevin Turvey first appeared in the series A Kick Up the Eighties in 1981, serving as one of several recurring characters within the show's revue-style format that featured thematic sketches exploring aspects of life. The series, produced by , consisted of six 30-minute episodes broadcast from 21 September to 26 October 1981, introducing Turvey to a national television audience as part of the emerging movement characterized by irreverent, observational humor. In each episode, Turvey's segments were structured as mock investigative reports, with the character delivering direct-to-camera monologues framed as earnest but absurd inquiries into mundane topics. These pieces were introduced by the third movement, "Alla marcia," from Jean Sibelius's , providing a stately orchestral backdrop that contrasted comically with Turvey's earnest, rambling style. Early sketches focused on everyday "investigations" centered around local life in , such as probing the implications of , work, or leisure, often veering into tangential, uninformed observations without resolution. Rik Mayall performed the role uncredited under the character's name, maintaining the illusion of authenticity in line with the sketch's tone, while contributions to the writing came from , Mayall's then-partner, also uncredited in the series. This debut format highlighted Turvey's potential as a standalone comic figure, paving the way for his expansion into a dedicated 1982 special. A second series of four episodes was broadcast from 3 January to 24 January 1984, featuring Turvey's continued mock investigative reports on absurd topics such as and the , maintaining the same format and musical introduction.

The Man Behind the Green Door

"The Man Behind the Green Door" is a 40-minute special broadcast on on 13 September 1982 at 9:00 p.m., structured as a fly-on-the-wall documentary depicting a week in the life of the bumbling investigative reporter Kevin Turvey in his hometown of . The program follows Turvey as he pursues misguided "investigations" into everyday topics such as work, sex, and local mysteries, often leading to absurd and chaotic outcomes, while revealing glimpses of his mundane home life and unsuccessful romantic endeavors. Directed and produced by Colin Gilbert, with additional production by Sean Hardie, the special was written by and Colin Gilbert, marking a transition from Turvey's earlier standalone sketches to a more narrative-driven format. Key segments highlight Turvey's ineptitude, including "Kevin Turvey Investigates... Work," where he probes employment issues with comical obliviousness, and "Kevin Turvey Investigates... Sex," delving into awkward personal and societal angles. Other notable sequences feature Turvey's encounters with a psychotic park-keeper during his sleuthing, culminating in farcical confrontations that underscore the character's and clumsiness. These vignettes blend Turvey's overzealous monologues with observational humor, emphasizing his isolation and failed attempts at profundity. The cast includes as the titular Kevin Turvey, supported by ensemble players who bring his world to life: as Mick, Turvey's lodger and an army deserter; as Keith Marshall, Turvey's hapless friend; Gwyneth Guthrie as Kevin's overbearing mother; and as the unhinged park-keeper. Musical interludes are provided by guests Simon Brint and , performing as the band 20th Century Coyote. Filmed on location in Redditch to enhance its authentic, parochial feel, the production represents an early example of mockumentary style in British comedy, expanding Turvey's character beyond brief sketches into a fuller portrayal of his domestic routines and romantic disappointments.

Legacy and Influences

Inspirations

Kevin Turvey's character draws heavily from Rik Mayall's personal experiences growing up in the West Midlands, particularly around Redditch and nearby Droitwich, where he incorporated elements of local dialect, suburban mundanity, and familial tensions to craft the character's awkward, homebound persona. Mayall, born in 1958 in Harlow, Essex but raised in the West Midlands near Birmingham, infused Turvey with the Brummie accent and a sense of parochial isolation reflective of post-industrial English life, portraying him as a naive resident still living with an overbearing mother figure amid everyday domestic squabbles. This autobiographical foundation allowed Mayall to exaggerate his own youthful observations of working-class routines and limited horizons for comedic effect, as he later described the character as emerging from "an accent and a mood from the West Midlands" that he knew intimately. Comedic precedents also shaped Turvey's rambling, delusional style, with notable similarities to Peter Cook's E.L. Wisty, a dim-witted philosopher known for inept monologues and self-important tangents. Mayall openly acknowledged Cook's influence, crediting the earlier character's cretinous narration as a model for Turvey's bungled investigative reports, where the protagonist pontificates on trivial topics with misplaced confidence. This connection underscores Turvey's roots in British satire's tradition of mocking pompous incompetence, blending Wisty's verbal meandering with Mayall's heightened physical awkwardness. Turvey emerged within the vibrant alternative comedy scene, a movement rejecting establishment humor in favor of raw, experimental formats, and was influenced by the innovative monologues at venues like London's club, co-founded by Mayall and peers such as and . An early stage incarnation named "Kevin Turby" debuted there in the late as part of Mayall's act with the group Twentieth Century Coyote, serving as a direct precursor that honed the character's investigative schtick through improvised, audience-facing rants. This environment fostered Turvey's satirical edge, positioning him as a product of the era's push against conventional stand-up toward character-driven absurdity. In reflections on the character, Mayall portrayed Turvey as a pointed on naive amateurism, where the humor arises from the gap between the protagonist's self-perceived expertise and his evident cluelessness, achieved by blending personal anecdotes with deliberate exaggeration. As Mayall explained, "What’s funny about is that he thinks he knows what he’s doing. He’s patronising; here’s someone more stupid than you trying to explain things," highlighting the intentional wastefulness of Turvey's "documentaries" as a of media pretension. This approach not only amplified suburban tedium but also critiqued delusional in ordinary lives.

Cultural Impact

Kevin Turvey served as an early showcase for Rik Mayall's talent in character-driven comedy, highlighting his abilities in physical awkwardness and verbal absurdity that would bridge to his later breakthrough roles in The Young Ones (1982–1984) and Bottom (1991–1995). Since the character's original broadcasts, Turvey segments have experienced revivals through online media, with clips from A Kick Up the Eighties and The Man Behind the Green Door uploaded to YouTube as early as 2008 and gaining renewed attention following Mayall's death in 2014. The character was discussed in the 2025 podcast episode "The Many Faces of Rik Mayall: Talking Bottom on Kevin Turvey," which examined its role in Mayall's early career and enduring appeal among fans. Turvey contributed to the early development of the style in through its pseudo-documentary format in The Man Behind the Green Door, prefiguring awkward, observational satires like (2001–2003) with its blend of , social ineptitude, and absurd investigations. Fans continue to appreciate the character's unique mix of vulnerability and humor, often citing its West Midlands accent and satirical take on everyday as highlights of Mayall's work. Following Mayall's death in , retrospectives and obituaries frequently praised Turvey as a fan favorite and a pinnacle of his early satirical , noting its authentic regional voice and enduring cultural resonance in British humor.

References

  1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27765539
  2. http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1120267/index.html
  3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p031c6tv
  4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081887/
  5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02zy7n9
  6. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4QkZ6DMTK7hTJ6chwHscJ79/10-magnificent-mayall-moments
  7. https://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2014-06-10/remembering-rik-mayall-as-redditchs-kevin-turvey/
  8. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/alison-graham-rik-mayall-showed-us-how-comedy-was-done/
  9. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/rik-mayall-lord-of-misrule-bbc2-review-mayall-managed-to-maintain-the-fizz-of-youthful-energy-throughout-his-career-9938327.html
  10. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/comedy/comedy-news/10887340/Rik-Mayall-his-10-best-performances.html
  11. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27772259
  12. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/rik-mayall-could-make-people-laugh-just-by-walking-on-stage-and-standing-there-9516893.html
  13. https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v03/n16/ian-hamilton/the-comic-strip
  14. https://rikmayallscrapbook.com/2020/08/19/investigating-turvey-nme-1981/
  15. https://rikmayallscrapbook.com/2023/03/21/lets-hear-it-for-rik-mayall-company-1982/
  16. https://rikmayallscrapbook.com/2020/08/20/talking-turvey-the-face-1982/
  17. https://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1120267/index.html
  18. https://wiki.scotlandonair.com/wiki/A_Kick_Up_the_Eighties
  19. https://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/476762/index.html
  20. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/GeniusBonus/LiveActionTV
  21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaG6oiSdHpo
  22. https://www.acornstairlifts.co.uk/blog/post/1619
  23. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/kevin_turvey_behind_green_door/
  24. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140351/
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140351/fullcredits/
  26. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/kevin_turvey_behind_green_door/cast_crew/
  27. https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/46405/remembering-rik-mayall
  28. https://wiki.scotlandonair.com/wiki/Kevin_Turvey:_The_Man_Behind_the_Green_Door
  29. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562201/bio/
  30. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2014/jun/09/rik-mayall-alternative-comedy-changed-uk-standup
  31. https://www.clivebryant.com/blog/168680/rik-mayall-as-kevin-turvey
  32. https://dangerousminds.net/comments/before_the_punk_rock_comedy_of_the_young_ones_rik_mayall
  33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPLAcFHkASc
  34. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-many-faces-of-rik-mayall-talking-bottom-on-kevin-turvey/id1405292502?i=1000715655813
  35. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27765539
  36. https://www.redditchadvertiser.co.uk/news/19975153.rik-mayall-creator-redditchs-kevin-turvey-remembered/
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