The Comic Strip, Part 39 - And I laid traps for troubadours who got killed before they reached Bombay

"Demonella" - May 20, 1993

Before I say anything else, I have to say this: In this one Ade Edmonson gets to play Sid Vicious.

I repeat for emphasis.

In this one Ade Edmonson gets to play Sid Vicious. That's just too cool.


So anyway. This is one of those "sell your soul to the Devil in exchange for a hit song" plots that used to happen on The Monkees every six episodes or so. Robbie Coltrane is the poor schlub just lookin' for that hit. Jennifer Saunders is the Devil. I'm starting to think that they really like doing the musical numbers, because here's another one.


This episode was directed and co-written by Paul Bartel, and he has a marvelous time getting the feel of Tin-Pan Alley/Brill Building Manhattan (we can't actually tell when the episode takes place - some of the stock footage are vintage 1930's, but after his success, Peter Capaldi's office is in a modern glass skyscraper. This is not a detriment - I like the feel of the different eras existing simultaniously.)

Miriam Margolyes shows up as Capaldi's Mother. (It turns out that the Devil is after her recipe for chicken soup.) I don't know why, but she always makes my skin crawl, which helps to make the ending so brilliantly disturbing.