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(P)Rick
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“Hands up, who likes me?”

Gender

Male

Residence

15 Credibility Street, North London

Likes

  • Cliff Richard
  • Poetry
  • Performative Activism
  • Felicity Kendall

Dislikes

  • Neil
  • Margaret Thatcher
  • The Pigs

Family

Unnamed Mother †
Unnamed Father †

Performer

Rik Mayall

Rick is one of the four "young ones". He is a self-proclaimed anarchist who writes poetry and calls himself “The People’s Poet”.

Rick is played by Rik Mayall, who was also one of the show's writers.

Personality[]

Rick is a hypocritical, tantrum-throwing, attention-seeking Cliff Richard fan. In college, Rick is studying sociology and/or domestic sciences (depending on the episode). Rick has a large ego and frequently tries to impress the others with his non-existent wit, talent and humour. Rick's self-obsession and naïve belief that everyone likes him is shown in 'Bambi', where he says in front of the other three, 'Hands up who likes me?'. In complete disbelief when they all state clearly that they do not like him, Rick proceeds to bet them money that they do. He loses. Furious, Rick then attempts suicide by overdosing on laxatives. He verbally insults and often physically assaults Neil at every opportunity. He fights and bickers with Vyvyan and attempts to impress Mike. Rick is portrayed as unlikeable and so self-absorbed that he believes he is the "most popular member of the flat" even though his housemates hate him. Vyvyan describes Rick's name as being spelled "with a silent P". Despite the fact that the other members dislike and disregard Rick, Rick delusionally claims that they "really are terrific friends".

Beliefs[]

Rick is a vegetarian, agnostic and wishes all men to love each other like brothers (except, as he said in the episode Flood, “when they start touching each other's bottoms”). However, he rarely does anything that can be attributed to brotherly love.

Believing himself the 'People's Poet' or the "spokesperson for a generation", Rick exaggerates or lies about his political activism and working-class background and is exposed in the final episode "Summer Holiday", when it is suggested he comes from an upper class, Conservative background.

Rick’s political beliefs vary, depending on how they benefit his particular situation. He generally claims to be an anarchist, but has also described himself as a communist. Rick has an unhealthy obsession with Leninism, a subject about which he professes to be particularly enlightened. While Rick sees himself as an enlightened revolutionary, he in reality has little understanding of the political ideals he purports to follow.

Rick is fond of ideals produced by Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky. He claims to dislike Margaret Thatcher, as is noted by his efforts threatening to blow up England with an atom bomb in the episode "Bomb" if she doesn't do something "to help the kids, by this afternoon." This is also noticed in The Young Ones Bachelor Boys Book, first published by Sphere Books, wherein negative references are made to Thatcher and the Conservative Party.

Trivia[]

  • Rick has a speech impediment. He cannot pronounce "r"s properly, generally pronouncing them with a "v" (he pronounces his own name as "Rvick").
  • While Rick's Cliff Richard obsession is well known, in "Sick", Rick claims that Felicity Kendall is the woman he loves.
  • His surname has never been mentioned, however in fanon and fandom circles, it is believed to be Pratt.
  • He seems to also be a closet transvestite, as Neil found a dress in Rick's closet with his own name stitched on it in the episode "Nasty".
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