Joy for Lee & Herring fans

Stewart Lee and Richard Herring’s Nineties TV show Fist Of Fun is finally to be released on DVD for the first time.

Independent label Go Faster Stripe has brought the rights to the cult BBC Two show, and plans to put the first series out by Christmas – after filming some extras in the summer.

Fans, led by Herring himself, have long lobbied the BBC to release the show, which first aired in 1995.

Earlier this year, he blogged: ‘The BBC won't release the DVD and are even dragging their feet about letting us do it ourselves, arguing that they invested money in the show and haven't seen any return on that investment. Which might be because they have never released it. Only the BBC could think of asking for compensation for lack of revenue after they had made no attempt to make any money from a project.’

The rights have now been bought for a reported £15,000 – and Lee said: ‘Of course we can sell them after gigs and I don't think it should be too difficult to make the money back.’

In an interview with the Digital Spy website today, Lee deadpanned: ‘I think it's quite important for Richard's self-esteem… I think he feels he did something really good in Fist of Fun and it's never had the credit it deserved. I think it's really important for him to get it out there.

‘I'm really happy for him that that's happening. I'm slightly ambivalent about it. I really liked the first series. I feel with the second series we were encouraged to make a number of artistically ill-advised compromises.’

Writing on Twitter, Herring said: ‘I am delighted that we'll be able to bring you Fist of Fun on DVD. We are going to make sure it has lots of great extras, but I think series one might be ready for Christmas.

‘We have had to do the DVD ourselves though – at some expense – as the BBC don't think it was worth it. Let's prove them wrong.’

Published: 4 May 2011