The fourth in the series, Bottom Live 4 – 2001: An Arse Oddity is another triumph from the Hammersmith nutters. Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson are at it again as their alter egos Richie and Eddie, more obscene than ever. If you are not familiar with the Bottom TV or live show series, please refer to the links to the bottom right for reviews on previous releases, this should give you an insight into what you are in for.

Yet again, the live show is split into two acts. Act one starts where Bottom 3 – Hooligan’s Island left off, with the two guys back on the desert island. Eddie has been missing for three days and Richie has been making some new underpants, from a pair of washing up gloves. Their beloved parrot has a heart attack and they do what they can to revive it, Richie giving the kiss of life (more of a snog really). Yet again, Eddie has more plans in mind to get rid of Richie and Richie has more plans on how to occupy his day. The laughs are there in abundance and this time we even get a song, complete with guitar solo.

Filmed at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham, this is another terrific show. Without giving anything away, the first half is the standard format for the live series. After the interval however, things get a little strange. We find the guys in a different place, trying to work out where they are. Have aliens abducted them? Have they woken up in Hell? They even think they may be in the Millennium Dome, but that wouldn't be as full. Meeting 25 years earlier, their friendship comes across again, along with their obvious love of the characters they have mastered. There is the usual violence, toilet humour and sexual innuendo, but why change a formula that works so well?

For some strange reason, this time around the show is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and is 16x9 enhanced. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, but didn’t the first three deserve this treatment? The shows are quite good in the standard full frame ratio but this is much nicer. Picture is very good, sharp at all times with no sign of grain. Colours are very good and as is the norm with stage show lighting, shadow detail is not really an issue. There are no signs of artefacts and no noticeable aliasing.

Audio is the standard for this series, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. This is quite sufficient for this show and, as usual, dialogue is clear at all times. The majority of sound is kept to the centre speakers with some use of side speakers for directional sound and audience noise. The subwoofer is not really called into action apart from a few effects and during the song.

This time around, we finally have some extras, that is if you have a DVD-ROM drive on your PC of course.

Non DVD-ROM owners can access the photo gallery. This is a series of 12 photos taken during rehearsals and backstage. This is a nice extra but a few more pictures would have been nice.

Secondly is a screensaver, obviously for the computer. This is a floating Bottom, with Richie and Eddie popping up alternately. Nice for the PC at home but I doubt many bosses would approve of it being on your work computer, I know mine didn't.

Saving the best for last, here we have a very nice feature and something that a few more music and stage show DVDs should come with. It is a 16-page tour programme, supplied in glorious colour. The tour programme, supplied as a PDF file, contains all sorts of great information, such as tour itinerary, interviews and lots of laughs. My only complaint with this feature is that you cannot print it, otherwise it is great.

Overall this is a must have for fans to accompany the others in the series. Perhaps not the best one to introduce people to these two deadbeats, but even they will get a few laughs. If you are wondering which is the best in the series, well that can only be a personal choice. I would go for either the first or third in the series, but Bottom fans would be advised to have a look at all of them and then decide. Just do the next best thing, buy them all!