Things may be slightly different, however, for the latest TV-to-big screen adaptation, "Guest House Paradiso". Starring British comedians Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, "Guest House Paradiso" sees the pair once again slip into the roles of Richie and Eddie, two slackers from London who spend most of the time beating up on each other, made famous by the B.B.C television series "Bottom". Anyone familiar with "Bottom" will know what to expect from this film. Essentially the movie is a 90-minute episode of the television series that sees the boys move from their inner city London flat to operate a run-down motel, that just happens to be located next to a nuclear power plant.

Two things may save this film from going the way of previous unsuccessful television-to-big screen ventures.

Firstly, "Bottom" is rarely shown on Australian television these days and fans of the series will jump at the chance to see any new material featuring Richie and Eddie. Secondly, the fact that Mayall and Edmondson will be reprising the roles that they made famous, cannot be underestimated. Most big screen adaptations of TV shows feature different actors to those who originally played the characters in the TV series and therefore the chemistry that made the show a success in the first place is missing.

On-screen chemistry is one area that Mayall and Edmondson do not have to worry about. The two have been performing together since their university days and their great professional successes have come when they have worked together.

Most Australians remember the pair for their roles in the 1980’s television series "The Young Ones". Although (or maybe because) only twelve episodes of "The Young Ones" were ever made, the show developed a cult following, well and truly propelling Mayall and Edmondson into the spotlight.

But the road to stardom had begun much earlier for this pair of gifted performers.

After meeting at university, Mayall and Edmondson formed a comedy group "Twentieth Century Coyotes" and performed at comedy clubs around Manchester. From there the pair built up an impressive body of work, both together and individually, which featured acclaimed performances on both stage and screen.

After leaving University, Rik Mayall toured the U.S for three months in the Oxford and Cambridge Shakespeare Company production of "Comedy of Errors". Upon his return to the United Kingdom he teamed with Ben Elton and Edmondson for The Young Ones. Then followed a wickedly funny role in The New Statesmen, in which he played a Tory MP. Along the way, Mayall starred in the acclaimed comedy series "The Comic Strip presents…" and the feature film "Drop Dead Fred", as well as cameo roles in "American Werewolf in London" and the Rowan Atkinson television show "Blackadder".

Edmondson too has starred in numerous film, television and stage productions but has shown more of an interest in what happens behind the scene in recent years. Along with his numerous writing credits – T.V shows "The Dangerous Brothers", "Bottom" and the feature film "Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door" to name but a few – Edmondson has directed video clips for bands such as Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction, and 10,000 Maniacs. Guest House Paradiso is Edmondson's feature film directing debut.