The mid-90s were a weird time for British television. If you turned on the BBC in 1994, you weren't met with the polished, high-definition prestige dramas we have now. Instead, you got a messy, loud, and incredibly relatable flat-share comedy that defined an entire generation of "lad culture." We're talking about Men Behaving Badly. It was crude. It was occasionally offensive by today’s standards. But for a few years, the stars of Men Behaving Badly were the biggest names in the UK.
Gary and Tony.
They weren't heroes. They were just two guys obsessed with beer, women, and avoiding any form of adult responsibility. Honestly, it shouldn't have worked as well as it did. But the chemistry between Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey turned a struggling ITV cast-off into a cultural phenomenon that eventually jumped to BBC One and conquered the ratings.
The Evolution of Martin Clunes and His Journey from Gary Strang
Most people today know Martin Clunes as the stiff, grumpy, and surgically precise Doc Martin. It’s a bit of a shock to the system if you go back and watch him as Gary Strang. In the show, Gary was the "responsible" one, which is hilarious because his idea of responsibility was making sure there was enough Lager in the fridge for a Tuesday morning session.
Clunes wasn't even the first choice for the lead. The show actually started on ITV with Harry Enfield playing Dermot. When Enfield left after the first series, the show looked dead in the water. But then Neil Morrissey stepped in as Tony Smart, and the stars of Men Behaving Badly found the magic formula.
Clunes has had arguably the most stable career of the lot. He didn't get pigeonholed. After the show wrapped its final specials in 1998—which, let's be honest, felt like the end of an era—he pivoted hard. He did Reggie Perrin, he did voice work for Kipper the Dog, and then he landed the role of Dr. Martin Ellingham. It’s funny how a guy who became famous for playing a drunk man-child ended up playing a character who literally cannot stand human interaction.
Neil Morrissey and the Highs and Lows of Fame
Neil Morrissey was the ultimate lad. As Tony, he was the puppy-dog foil to Gary’s cynical grumpiness. If Gary was the brains (barely), Tony was the heart. Morrissey’s life off-screen often mirrored the tabloid energy of the show. He was everywhere in the late 90s.
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He wasn't just an actor; he was a brand.
Did you know he was the voice of Bob the Builder? "Can we fix it? Yes we can!" That single reached number one on the UK charts. It’s a bizarre reality where one of the stars of Men Behaving Badly, a show known for toilet humor, became the voice of the most beloved children's character in the country.
But it wasn't all number-one hits and sitcom royalty. Morrissey faced some pretty public struggles. He dealt with significant financial issues related to business ventures in the hospitality industry, particularly with pubs and hotels that didn't pan out. He’s been very open about this in interviews, often discussing the "IVA" (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) he entered to pay back his creditors. It took him years to dig out of that hole. He’s a survivor, though. You’ve probably seen him recently in Line of Duty or Unforgotten. He’s transitioned into a fantastic character actor, proving there was always more to him than just a pint of Stella and a dirty joke.
Leslie Ash and Caroline Quentin: The Women Who Put Up With It
You can’t talk about the stars of Men Behaving Badly without the women who actually made the show grounded. Caroline Quentin played Dorothy, Gary’s long-suffering girlfriend. She was the anchor. Without Dorothy, Gary is just a sad man in a flat. With her, he’s a man trying (and failing) to be better.
Quentin is a powerhouse. After the show, she became a staple of British drama. Jonathan Creek, Blue Murder, and her more recent stints on Strictly Come Dancing showed her range. She’s one of those actors who feels like a friend to the audience.
Then there’s Leslie Ash, who played Deborah, the blonde neighbor Tony was obsessed with. Ash was the "it girl" of the 90s. Unfortunately, her story took a much tougher turn than her co-stars. In 2004, she contracted an MSSA infection (a strain of Staphylococcus aureus) while in the hospital for a different issue. It was devastating. She was partially paralyzed and spent years recovering her mobility.
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She also became the poster child for the dangers of cosmetic procedures after a lip filler incident was cruelly mocked by the press. It’s a dark chapter in the history of the stars of Men Behaving Badly, highlighting how differently the media treated women compared to the "lovable rogue" men of the same era. Leslie Ash eventually returned to the screen in Holby City, showing incredible resilience, but her path was undeniably harder.
Why the Show Wouldn't Work Today (and Why That Matters)
Let's be real for a second. If you pitched Men Behaving Badly to a Netflix executive in 2026, they’d probably show you the door. The humor was very much of its time. It was the peak of "lad mag" culture—Loaded, FHM, and Maxim.
The show relied on tropes that feel dated now. Gary and Tony’s attitudes toward women were, at best, juvenile and, at worst, pretty objectifying. However, there’s a nuance here that people often miss. The show wasn't necessarily celebrating their behavior; it was mocking it. They were losers. They were the butt of the joke. The women in the show were almost always smarter, more capable, and more emotionally mature than the men.
The stars of Men Behaving Badly were portraying a specific type of British masculinity that was terrified of growing up. They were the original "kidults." In an era before smartphones and social media, their world was small: the flat, the pub, and the office.
The 2014 Reunion and the Legacy of the Flat
In 2014, Clunes and Morrissey reunited for a short sketch for Stand Up To Cancer. It was surreal. Seeing Gary and Tony as older men was both hilarious and a little bit sad. They were still doing the same bits, still arguing over the same nonsense. It proved that the chemistry hadn't faded, even if the world around them had changed completely.
The legacy of the show is complicated. It paved the way for more cynical, honest comedies like Peep Show. You can see the DNA of Gary and Tony in Mark and Jeremy. It took the "polished" sitcom format and threw a kebab at it.
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People still search for the stars of Men Behaving Badly because the show captured a very specific British vibe. It was the sound of the 90s—Britpop, the Euro 94/96 excitement, and a general feeling that you didn't really have to have your life together until you were at least 40.
What You Can Learn from Their Careers
If you look at the trajectory of these four actors, there are some pretty clear takeaways for anyone interested in the entertainment industry or just navigating a long-term career.
- Typecasting isn't a death sentence: Martin Clunes broke out of the "lad" mold by taking a massive risk on a completely different character type. He leaned into his unique look and transformed it into "grumpy authority figure."
- Resilience is everything: Both Neil Morrissey and Leslie Ash faced public setbacks that would have ended most careers. Morrissey’s financial honesty and Ash’s physical recovery are lessons in sheer persistence.
- Chemistry can't be faked: The reason the show worked wasn't the scripts (which were often hit-or-miss); it was the genuine friendship between the leads. You can't manufacture that in a writers' room.
How to Revisit the Series Properly
If you're looking to dive back into the world of Gary and Tony, don't just start with the first episode of Series 1. Since Harry Enfield is the lead there, it feels like a different show. Start with Series 2, when Neil Morrissey arrives. That’s when the stars of Men Behaving Badly really find their rhythm.
Watch the "Drunk" episode. It’s a masterclass in physical comedy. They spent weeks rehearsing the subtle stumbles and slurred speech to make it look authentic rather than just a caricature. It’s arguably the peak of the series.
The show is currently available on various streaming platforms like ITVX or BritBox, depending on your region. It’s worth a watch, if only as a time capsule. You’ll see a London that doesn't really exist anymore—full of smoky pubs and cheap rentals—and a group of actors who were at the absolute top of their game.
Moving Forward with the Cast
Keep an eye on the upcoming projects from the remaining cast. Martin Clunes often does travel documentaries now, which are surprisingly soothing. Neil Morrissey is a regular on the UK touring theater circuit and remains a prolific TV actor. While a full-blown series revival is highly unlikely (and probably a bad idea), the impact these four had on the landscape of British comedy is permanent. They defined an era of television that was unapologetically loud, messy, and human.
To get the most out of your nostalgia trip, look for the "Last Orders" specials. They serve as the definitive finale, showing the characters finally—sort of—facing the reality of adulthood. It’s the closest the show ever got to being poignant, and it serves as a fitting goodbye to Gary and Tony.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out 'Doc Martin' and 'Unforgotten': To see how much Clunes and Morrissey have evolved as actors, watch these two shows back-to-back. The contrast is staggering.
- Research the 90s 'Lad Culture' Context: To understand why the show was so popular, look into the rise of Britpop and the cultural shift in the UK between 1992 and 1998. It provides the necessary backdrop for Gary and Tony's antics.
- Follow Leslie Ash's Advocacy: Leslie has done significant work raising awareness about hospital-acquired infections. Following her story provides a more serious perspective on the challenges faced by stars after the limelight fades.