Film

6 Things You Can Stream Right Now If You Miss ‘The Mighty Boosh’

Because Noel Fielding's Bake-Off isn't on yet.

Mighty Boosh

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The Mighty Boosh departed our screens ten years ago now, but its legacy lives on in the lives of those who adored it. This may sound dramatic but it’s honestly not far off. People bandy around the term ‘cult following’, but Boosh was a deserving recipient of the title.

After just three seasons, the show disappeared and disappointed fans the world over. While the creators did live shows, and Noel Fielding became an ever-present face on British TV (on Luxury Comedy, panel shows and in fellow cult classic The IT Crowd), neither he nor Julian Barratt recommitted to a show quite as influential as Boosh.

Recently (in a move specifically catered to my interests), Fielding has been announced as one of the new hosts of the Great British Bake Off, and Barratt’s Netflix original MindHorn is now available for viewing on Netflix.

But outside of watching old seasons of Boosh on Stan, or typing “The Mighty Boosh” into Netflix’s search tab and watching whatever pops up (suggestions include Girlboss? Um? Nah?), there is another way to find Boosh-esque things to watch. It’s called This Listicle and you are welcome.


Mindhorn – Netflix

Julian Barratt’s big return to the small screen is a very Howard-heavy Netflix Original feature film. Like Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa before it, MindHorn features a hostage situation and an insufferable Steve Coogan.

Like Howard Moon, Barratt’s Richard Thorncraft has some lofty ideas about himself. A washed-up actor (rather than Howard’s never-even-swam-so-can’t-be-washed-up writer), he alienates everyone around him with his narcissism. Well, everyone except for one mentally ill potential-criminal on a vigilante mission. Watch it for the laughs, of which there are many, or just because you really, really miss Howard Moon’s pontificating.


The Sam Simmons Oeuvre (Problems + Stop Being Silly) – Stan

The lone Aussie in my list, Sam Simmons possess the same surreal nonsense I loved in The Mighty Boosh. And look, honestly, both his short TV series (featuring Claudia O’Doherty, Ronny Chieng and more) and stand-up special speak for themselves.


Toast of London – Netflix

Starring Matt Berry, who cameos in season one of The Mighty Boosh as Dixon Bainbridge, Toast of London is about a failed actor who does not see himself as a failed actor. Part Dixon Bainbridge, part Howard Moon, his character is cringey and funny and there’s three seasons of the show for you to binge on Netflix.


Spaced – Stan

Did you know that before he was the guy in Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg was in a TV series called Spaced? Maybe you did, maybe I’m just dull. Spaced is similar to another Boosh-level-hit, Peep Show (streaming on Netflix AND Stan!) in that it’s largely about shared living in the UK with two main charactersand their bizarre friends.

The difference here is that Tim and Daisy, the show’s protagonists, are living a charade, pretending to be a couple for the purpose of rental approval, whereas Howard and Vince are only a couple in my dreams. It’s worth checking out to see Pegg on the small screen, and to be able to say “Have you seen Spaced? Yeah it was Pegg and Wright pre-Cornetto Trilogy” and sound like a TV genius and/or wanker.


Chewing Gum – Netflix

In Chewing Gum, Michaela Coel (who also writes the series) plays Tracy, an insanely horny 20-something who lives with her incredibly devout mum and sister in a small council flat in the UK. After splitting with her incredibly awful Christian boyfriend, Tracy embarks on a mission that is probably not from God: a mission to get laid.

A refreshing break from this admittedly dude-heavy list, these 20-minute episodes feature a host of characters, that — while don’t reach the heights of ludicrousness of the Boosh — are delightfully weird and awful and great. Watch it for Tracy’s street-preaching Mum, psychotic sister, and fake-tanned, pram-pushing, welfare-check referencing pals who chime in with advice from the couch of her best friend’s flat.


The Steve Coogan Oeuvre (I’m Alan Partridge, Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge, and Saxondale– Stan

Some may say I’ve saved the best for last. “Some” being me. I say it. Steve Coogan is a master character actor, and his many appearances as Alan Partridge are nothing short of perfect, at least to me. As mentioned earlier — he pops up in Mindhorn and he’s the perfect pairing for Julian Barratt’s intense-but-somehow-still-pathetic persona.

While the comedy of the Boosh is often touted as simply surreal (you know, like I have said this whole article?), people often forget that it’s also a masterstroke in character acting. While it does seem that Vince Noir is not far off Noel Fielding’s actual persona, the characters these comedians created for themselves are perfect, hilarious and clever. Not to mention all the side characters Fielding plays.

Stan has Steve Coogan’s early stuff as Alan Partridge, as well as Saxondale, his ’06-’07 series playing a retired roadie-turned-suburban-pest-control-business-owner. Get on it.

Rebecca Varcoe is a writer and events producer from Melbourne. She makes print humour journal Funny Ha Ha and writes about all kinds of things for a few places online.

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