Lou and Andy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Little Britain Characters Lou Todd & Andy Pipkin
Andy (left) and Lou (right)
First appearance	Series 1 Episode 1
Information
Gender	Males
Portrayed by	Lou David Walliams, Andy Matt Lucas,
Created by	David Walliams / Matt Lucas

Lou Todd and Andy Pipkin are fictional characters from the cult BBC TV and radio show Little Britain, played by David Walliams and Matt Lucas respectively. Andy's catchphrases include, "Yeah I know", "I want that one" and "Don't like it", while Lou's catchphrase is "What a kerfuffle!"

Lou is kind, generous and incredibly patient and helps his wheelchair-bound friend Andy. Moreover, his fashion sense primarily encompasses the 1980s, which is apparent from his general attire. He is typically seen wearing an awkward juxtaposition of trainers, blue tracksuit trousers, a T-shirt with slogans such as "I ran the World" or "Frankie Says RELAX - Don't do it" and a heavy, 1970s leather jacket.

Andy is moody, contrary, has no respect for other sentient beings, appears to be unintelligent, has no interest in the outside world and is just plain lazy. Furthermore, Andy could be viewed as being genuinely mentally handicapped, but this could just be regarded as the manifestation of his ignorant nature, and the perceived corruption of his psyche owing to watching too much television. He is also dressed mostly in old-fashioned clothing mostly worn by OAPs, presumably because he does not have the funds necessary to buy his own clothes.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Series three final episode 2.1 What Andy has asked for 2.2 His opinions 2.3 What he has done out of his wheelchair 2.4 Other things (childish, rude, or otherwise notable) Andy has done 3 Scenes for charity 4 In popular culture

[edit] Introduction

Andy will often point at an item (usually in a shop) and demand "I want that one!" without even looking at the item in question. Lou will then remind Andy that he has previously voiced a serious objection to the item under discussion in a way that paints Andy as eloquent and analytical off-screen, a contrast to the mono-syllabic dolt he appears to be in the sketches, (e.g., "You said that, Torvill and Dean's Barnum routine aside, ice skating was aesthetically bankrupt"). Lou will end up complying with Andy and obtain what he wants. Soon after the item has been purchased, or after the point at which the decision cannot be changed, Andy will say "I don't like it" or something else that makes his original declaration void, much to Lou's annoyance.

What Lou does not know is that Andy is not really disabled and (whenever his back is turned, at least) Andy often gets out of his chair and does spontaneous actions. Andy has water skied, driven a motorbike, parachute jumped, climbed an electricity pylon to retrieve his Frisbee (and received an electric shock in the process), and lifted a car while Lou's back is turned.

The characters of Lou and Andy are derived from a sketch on The Ralf Little Show (a common misconception is that it was Rock Profile) featuring fictitious versions of Lou Reed and Andy Warhol. In the second series, Andy's antisocial behaviour is somewhat amplified (previously the main joke had revolved around him choosing something and then claiming he does not want it or wanted something else) with some of his actions displaying a complete disregard for others, for instance, wiping the contents of his nose on the trousers of a passer-by, or stating that he does not like a woman he is blind-dating because "she's in a wheelchair". Lou also uses the term "kerfuffle" to refer to many of Andy's past actions.

In some of the sketches, Andy lives in a dilapidated council house in the fictional city of Herby. The house shots are filmed at the Cranbrook Estate in Bethnal Green. Andy buys the snake in Magri's pets, a real life pet shop and buys a birthday card from a newsagents very close to Victoria Park. That may also be where the park shots are filmed.

A frequent source of mystery is the origination, or means of obtaining, their income. Although it is implied in a few sketches that both of them live on Jobseeker's Allowance, Lou appears to always have enough money to fulfil Andy's unusual (given his doltish character) and spontaneous requests, such as going to the opera for his birthday (especially as the tickets costs over £100 each), going on a boat trip down the River Thames, and visiting Paris, France. Logically, as Jobseeker's allowance would not be sufficient to pay for these activities, how the money is obtained is something of a mystery. Also, Lou would not be required to be available for work (a condition of Jobseekers Allowance) as he is a carer. Andy would also not be required to look for work, being disabled. This is most likely a continuity error by Matt Lucas and David Walliams, the creators of the show.

• Not sure where to edit comments, very new to wiki, but I think the fact they have all this money is a dig at `Benefit Britain`, where the disabled, ethnics, immigrants etc are entitled to numerous benefits such as Disability allowance (andy), Carers allowance (Lou), jobseekers, housing benefits, no council tax etc. thus leaving them to enjoy the finer things in life.

[edit] Series three final episode

In the final episode of the series, broadcast on Christmas Eve 2005, the story of Lou and Andy played out over a number of sketches. In the story, Lou's mother has just died so Lou has to go to the Isle of Wight for a few days (to which Andy shows his usual uncaring manner while also watching Balamory), leaving Andy with a temporary carer, Mrs Mead (played by Imelda Staunton). Lou reckons she will be a very nice lady but she turns out to be a very strict and religious Irish woman who refuses to let Andy watch TV, forces him to eat stew and fruit, makes him help clean the house, hits his legs with a candlestick holder to make sure he really is disabled (which, since he can walk, really hurts him, although he is able to keep it concealed waiting until she leaves before yelling "ow! ow! OWWW!!!), sings religious songs loudly and prays.

While out on a long walk near some cliffs, Mrs Mead begins to talk about how she is going to instil major changes in Andy's life which include Andy cooking, cleaning, looking after himself, stop watching TV, eating healthily and getting a job. Andy finally has enough, rises from his wheelchair and pushes her over the cliff and returns home.

Lou finally returns with Andy running to welcome him home (Andy saying "Lou!" excitedly), however Andy quickly sits back down realising what he was about to do and then Lou begins to make Andy's dinner. Andy makes out he does not care, but is secretly delighted that Lou has returned and everything is normal again.

Lou and Andy have appeared in almost every single Little Britain episode to date (including the Comic Relief Special). They didn't appear in the pilot episode.

[edit] What Andy has asked for

• To go to the expensive Royal Opera House for his birthday. Once there, he shouts "I don't like it!" the second the performance starts.
• To wear a Smurf costume to dinner at a "nice restaurant" (Lou's words). In the sketch, the restaurant appears to be a Chinese one. Once there, wearing a smurf hat and painted completely blue, Andy declares that he "Looks a pillock", and asks the waiter for a packet of crisps.
• To have an empty ice cream cone, without any ice cream in it ("What, no Whippy?", "No, Just a cone"). Soon after his request is granted he announces that he does want ice cream after all, by saying "I want a whippy!"
• To see Pride and Prejudice instead of the simpler forms of entertainments such as action movies he usually prefers.
• To specifically not go to the toilet before getting into Lou's van, (a rusty white F-reg Ford Escort van) after he drank four pints of beer in a bar. He needs to go to the toilet as soon as he is in the van.
• To have a snake for a pet, instead of the rabbit Lou thought he wanted. When Lou purchases said snake, Andy says "I want a rabbit!"
• To take three books out of the library, two identical ones about Chinese history, and one about Chinese language and its origins. He later voids his original, somewhat spurious declaration once out of the library by stating that he "can't read". This would make him illiterate, although he has been seen reading a pornographic magazine in Series 3 and an extract from the Bible in series 2.
• To buy a card with the text "With deepest sympathy..." for his brother Declan's birthday instead of the more usual birthday card. Leaving the shop with the card, Andy says "It's his birthday! He's not dead!" and throws the card away.
• To go on holiday in Helsinki, Finland ("I wanna go to Helsinki"). despite Lou's collection of colourful brochures, suggestions for other more preferable destinations and Andy's previous statement of not liking Finland. We then see the plane taking off with the voice over, "I wanna go to Florida".
• To have his room painted red from top to bottom, instead of the blue Lou thought he preferred.
• To have a new wheelchair, which he promptly rejects when Lou brings it home by toppling it over.
• To have all his old items, such as books and board games, that he does not use anymore, put on a bonfire and burned up. Of course, once the fire is properly burning, Andy says "I want me stuff back".
• To go to the church dressed as up as a baby Jesus, including crib. Once there, Andy is apparently scheduled to do a reading. He pauses after a few sentences, saying "I look a pillock".
• To go to France, although he previously requested to go to Chessington World of Adventures. Once in France (this section was adjacent to the Eiffel Tower), he then declares that he "Wanna go Chessington".
• To go on a boat trip on the river Thames, After which he utters "This is boring". he is then seen to be waterskiing behind the boat.
• To have a breast enlargement operation ("Summin' to play with"). On exiting the hospital, he says "I look a pillock".
• To have George Michael as a guest at his birthday party (when George arrives, Andy declares "Don't like him. Prefer Tony Hadley.")
• To have lots of boiled rice, pilau rice, lemon rice, and coconut rice from the Indian takeaway. As soon as Lou puts all the rice on the plate Andy says "I don't like rice".(Series 3 Deleted Scene)
• To have a tattoo on his face. Once the tattooist is finished Andy says "I regret it deeply".(Series 3 Deleted Scene)

[edit] His opinions

These opinions are usually voiced by Lou as if Andy had said them previously. The amusement comes when the statement is usually very profound and intellectual which is not Andy's usual style of speaking. In later series, his opinions became outrageously complex, and apparently, Andy resents Lou 'paraphrasing him' (Series 3 deleted scenes).

• He likes the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Michael Ball, so the two would be an excellent combination.
• Dark chocolate has a bitter edge to it and lacks the oral ecstasy of its milkier cousin.
• Red is the colour of blood and henceforth death.
• He is afraid of snakes. He says that all the serpents had an aura of evil.
• Finland has a maudlin quality to it, rendering it unsuitable as a holiday destination.
• Violence is the last bastion of moral cowardice.
• The natural world has a sublime beauty, unrivalled by anything man-made.
• Torvill and Dean's Barnum routine aside, ice skating is aesthetically bankrupt.
• The French can never be forgiven for surrendering to the German war machine and collaborating with their occupiers to set up the Vichy government.
• The Sea is a dark and brutal force which has dragged many an innocent to a watery grave.
• (talking about George Michael) Jesus To A Child aside, Andy finds his output emotionally vapid.
• The underwater world has a sublime beauty which man kind or its species could scarcely comprehend.
• The only way to see London is via its ancient waterway, which is like a pulsating artery through the heart of this historic city.
• Cosmetic enhancement was symptomatic of a sick society which worships a cult of youth and beauty, and anyone seeking the quick fix of physical change was left morally wanting.
• (talking about Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds) Alexandre Dumas' classic characters and their canine counterparts were decidedly lacklustre.
• The Herby Town Rugby Club were strong on power, but lacked the delicate agility and finesse to ultimatlely fulfill their potential. (After Lou reminds him of this, he replies "Yeah, they're crap.")
• He hates McFly despite Lou reminds him that they came and visited him when he was in hospital with a broken thumb.
• He thinks that society is a complex web of interreliant structures, requiring universal acceptance and co-operative values. He went on to say that this raises the level of social capital, ultimately enhancing everybody's lives (Series 3 Deleted Scene).
• Tattoos are a debasement of the human body, and were nothing more than graffitiing over God's handiwork (Series 3 Deleted Scene).
• He's not fond of Raphael's religious paintings, despite Lou reminding him that although he admired his Roman period of secular portraiture, it was his work in the early 1500s - while displaying an occasional sentimental naivety - that represented the apotheosis of his artistic achievements (Series 3 Deleted Scene).

[edit] What he has done out of his wheelchair

• Taken a dive into a swimming pool, and swum a whole lap.
• Gone to the toilet standing up by himself.
• Ejected a Pride and Prejudice video out of a VCR and inserted a Monster Trucks video.
• Taken a box of chocolates down from a high shelf, out of reach of the wheelchair.
• Stood up and stretched while Lou asks to see if he has to carry Andy up another floor.
• Pulled his trousers up by himself.
• Got out of the new wheelchair Lou bought him, tipped it over and got back into his old one.
• Run out of a supermarket, with two tins down his trousers and a security guard chasing him.
• Taken part in Bruce's The Price is Right (he ran cheering down the audience stairs).
• Got up to assault a group of yobs taunting him.
• Tipped his wheel chair over and lay on the ground to set up Lou's girlfriend as having pushed him.
• Climbed a tree trying to retrieve his football. He then states, when asked by Lou why he is on a tree, "I fell."
• Taken off on horseback when Lou asks the horse's rider for directions.
• Run down the beach and went skinny-dipping in the sea while Lou's back is turned.
• Gone ice skating.
• Climbed power lines to retrieve a frisbee and getting electrocuted, returning to his wheelchair black and smoking.
• Tipped over a car blocking in their van in a car park.
• Run down the bowling alley to hit a strike up close.
• Pushed a date he doesn't like (because she is in a wheelchair) down some steps.
• Pole-vaulted then proceeded to do a backflip.
• Climbed into a shark-filled aquarium and gone skin-diving.
• Parachuted from a plane directly into his wheelchair.
• Water-skied on a Thames cruise boat.
• Stolen a police officer's motorbike.
• Got up and laid down in wet concrete that Lou was working on (blames it on a bird).
• Stolen the ball during a rugby match and scored.
• Pushed his temporary carer off a cliff.
• Pushed the button which turned the engines off in a plane which crashes and kills everyone except Lou and Andy (Little Britain Abroad, Episode 1)
• When stranded on a "desert island" with Lou, found a nearby hotel where, among other things, he helped himself to food from the buffet table, participated in a limbo competition, played tennis and took scuba diving lessons. (Little Britain Abroad, Episode 2)

[edit] Other things (childish, rude, or otherwise notable) Andy has done

• Stolen an ice cream from a child when Lou is talking to the childs mother.
• Trying to steal a woman's handbag.
• Wiping his hands on a woman's legs after sneezing in them.
• Letting Lou park his car into another car by just repeating "Fine!" even when Lou has already hit the other car.
• Insisting on playing the picture game "You Say We Pay" on the TV show Richard & Judy after Lou finally manages to get through the phone queue. He then ignores the hosts' instructions by literally naming the items shown when the aim of the game is to describe the item shown behind the hosts (who are facing the camera). If they correctly guess what you are describing you get £1000. Most people win around £6000. The hosts of the game show then state that he is the only player not to have won anything on the show. He then continues to name things during a commercial break.
• Shouting "Faster! Faster!" when Lou is doing 80mph, causing them to be stopped by the police.
• Grabbing a woman's breast while she is talking to Lou
• Looking up a woman's skirt while Lou asks her for directions.

[edit] Scenes for charity

In 2005, Lou and Andy presented a show for Comic Relief. This saw Andy want to open his Christmas presents early, so Lou let him open one. It was a 2-piece Balamory jigsaw puzzle which Andy claimed he could not do, so threw it away. He then gave Lou his Christmas present...a packet of cigars. Only when Lou tells Andy he doesn't smoke, Andy replies with "Yeh I know, there's none in anyway."

Later Andy after watching Rachel Stevens and Rowan Atkinson in a spoof of Spiderman, claims that he wants to touch Rachel Steven's breast's saying that since he was in a wheel chair could it be arranged.

Andy later begs Lou for chocolate from the Christmas tree. Andy threatens to tell social services that Lou had beat him, so Lou relents, and gets a chocolate. Later he wants another one, so gets out of his wheelchair (while Lou is oblivious), and can't reach the last chocolate on the top of the tree. Andy cuts the top off the tree to get the chocolate. When he sits down in his wheel chair, Andy asks Lou to open it, much to the surprise of Lou.

Also, after watching a short film about poor children, Lou is very moved and sad, but Andy remarks that it was boring.

In Comic Relief 2007 Andy sings I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) alongside Brian Potter from Phoenix Nights and The Proclaimers.

[edit] In popular culture

A Dead Ringers sketch shows a parody of Lou and Andy, with the two replaced by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown respectively. The sketch depicts Brown, in a wheelchair, agreeing to read a speech praising Blair that the latter wrote, but jumping from the wheelchair as soon as Blair had left and reading instead "Blair stinks. Blair is crap. You all know it. Brown for Labour, Brown for Britain, Brown for Prime minister!" to the House of Commons.