Cuthbert Lilly



Cuthbert Lilly was played throughout by Richard Waites and was aided with the catchphrase 'He's Dead Silly'.

He is one of two characters (the other being The Handymen) to have appeared in every episode from Series 1 to Series 10.

His comic sound effect bubbles always appeared pink or lilac coloured from Series 2 onwards, in Series 1, they appeared in a variety of different colours.

Cuthbert's scenes follow the general trend of a slapstick comedy, where Cuthbert generally fails to perform simple tasks with disastrous consequences. The sketches often featured Cuthbert accidentally causing trouble (which in his case was all the time), with another person like an angry old lady or a policeman chasing after him. He would then stick his thumbs up to the camera and run off.

Cuthbert is also a friend of Smart Arty and made a few cameos in his sketches mostly helping him solve a problem such as opening a pot of paint or looking after a baby.

In Series 1, Cuthbert was introduced with the camera travelling to visit his respective square, which showed a picture of Cuthbert with his thumbs up in the setting that the sketch would take place in. As a result of Richard Waites playing two characters in Series 1 (Cuthbert and Tricky Dicky), this is the only time that he would of been in Tricky Dicky's costume during the comic scenes, after Cuthbert's segment finished a stand-in was used for Tricky in the middle square. In Series 2 to 9, the square featured a ripped cartoon which he burst through which was reversed to give the effect of him mending the picture and coming into the sketch.

Although Richard was seen on screen as Cuthbert, it was actually Neil Buchanan who provided the voice from Series 2 to 9. It wasn't until Series 10 when Richard would voice the character himself.

Appearance and Character traits
Cuthbert had brown spiky hair and mostly wore a light pink lily coloured suit with a yellow shirt and a red and white polka dot bow-tie. He would also have a blue Teddy bear who was his best friend.

His trademark characteristic was putting his thumbs up with both hands at the camera. Two other running gags were Cuthbert reaching out and taking the comic book frame from the edges of the screen before throwing it away, tripping over it or walking over it and Cuthbert repeatedly getting his hand crunched by anyone he tries to shake hands with.

Reception
Cuthbert is officially the most popular character in Zzzap, as he's the only character to get a 15 minute spin-off show in 1997. Entitled "Cuthbert's Diary" the series basicially told you Cuthbert's week and it was a mix of old and new sketches. Even 10 second sketches were made especially for it, every episode was narrated by Richard Waites.

Richard made appearances as Cuthbert in the CITV studio on Christmas Day 2000 and also starred in several Smart Arty sketches.

Trivia

 * Cuthbert Lilly was in Zzzap for the whole eight years it was shown and as a result he appeared in every single episode alongside The Handymen.


 * Cuthbert was always Zzzap's lead comical star from 1993 to 2001.


 * The suit that Cuthbert wore in Series 1 was a much darker pink to the one that he wore from Series 2 onwards.


 * Cuthbert was loosely based on Mr.Bean/Frank Spencer/Norman Wisdom,who were already made stars to the nation.
 * A few examples of library music used in Cuthbert Lilly sketches are: Clowns, Toy Town, Pony Trotting, Vintage Hollywood, Animal Capers and Round the Bend.