An introduction to the Little Britain "Andy and Lou" sketch

Andy and Lou are two of the most famous characters from the British sketch comedy show 'Little Britain'. The show originally aired on BBC Radio 4 before moving to television, where it acquired iconic status and massive popularity for its two main performers, comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams.

Overview

'Little Britain', written by Lucas and Walliams, is conceived as a kind of guide to non-Britons to live amongst the various social classes and regions of Britain. Given a surreal and pompous voice-over by former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker, the show plays on the traditional British trait of self-deprecation, with the country being mocked in a manner which only those who perhaps live there really understand. Like many 'Little Britain' characters, Andy and Lou have become deeply embedded in British popular consciousness, with Andy's catchphrases "Yeah I know" and "I want that one" quoted frequently.

Characters

Andy Pipkin is played by Matt Lucas. Apparently wheelchair-bound, he hides his true abilities in order to extract as much 'value' as possible from his carer, Lou, played by David Walliams. Lou's full name is apparently Louis Bob Todd. Lou's sense of fashion owes a decided debt to the 1980s, with his 'I ran the world' t-shirt and 'Miami Vice' style shoved up jacket sleeves. He has a haircut which resembles Johnny Ramone's, but is a long way from being that cool. Andy does his best to appear ignorant, stupid, grasping and helpless, like a manipulative child. The joke of the duo's situation centres upon the fact that Andy, in fact is able-bodied and much cleverer than he appears, though Lou will never see this and thinks that Andy is helpless without him. The sketch is like some warped love affair in many ways, with the relationship of need and support actually reversed.

Other points

The reference has been made by Lucas and Walliams in interviews that the characters are loosely based on a version of Lou Reed and Andy Warhol, the joke referencing the former lead singer of the Velvet Underground and the American pop artist, who were closely associated. This built on previous work done by Lucas and Walliams in their series 'Rock Profile', which mocked many of rock's greatest stars. Duo Prior to England football team's disastrous World Cup campaign in South Africa in 2010, Lucas and Walliams appeared as the duo in an advert alongside England manager Fabio Capello and his players in which Andy emerged from his wheelchair while Lou was collecting Capello's autograph to play football with the England squad. He showed super skills, only to return to his wheelchair before Lou was aware of any of his footballing feats.