It was one of the most roundly slated British comedy films ever – yet plans have been floated to turn Sex Lives Of The Potato Men into a TV series.
Johnny Vegas has told Chortle that he and co-star Mackenzie Crook were approached about reviving the idea three years ago.
However, it would not have merely revived the characters of potato‑delivery men Dave and Ferris.
Vegas says that writer-director Andy Humphries ‘wanted us to play ourselves, trying to make this TV show about a movie that got panned’.
On its release in 2004, The Times called it ‘one of the two most nauseous films ever made’ (it didn’t name the other) and ‘a sump of untreated dung’.
The Evening Standard called it ‘mirthless, worthless, toothless, useless’; the Daily Mirror called it ‘one of the worst films ever made’; and Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian wrote: ‘It’s a film which isn't in the slightest bit funny or sexy, and is deeply depressing.’
Much of the criticism came from the fact it had and also wasted the talents of its cast, that also included Mark Gatiss, Julia Davis and The Office’s Lucy Davis,
Vegas said: ‘For critics, it was a film that was easy to go after. But many people have told me it's their favourite film… it was better than it was given credit for.’
Indeed, while it has a zero per cent rating for professional reviews, according to Rotten Tomatoes, it scores 62 per cent among the public.
In a major interview with this website, Vegas said: ‘It was a crude film. But it was about larger-than-life people, people that I know. They exist in everyday life. I've heard these conversations in pubs, about penile warts. It was quite disappointing how everyone just distanced themselves from that.
‘I refuse to apologise, though. It's a shocker in places. A pensioner holding a penis is not to everyone's taste. So yes, it's a far cry from The Remains Of The Day.’
» Johnny Vegas interview
