Mayall starred in numerous successful comedy series throughout his career, including The Young Ones, The Comic Strip Presents., Blackadder, Filthy Rich & Catflap, The New Statesman, Bottom and Believe Nothing. He formed a close partnership with Ade Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University and was a pioneer of alternative comedy in the 1980s. Richard Michael Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English actor, stand-up comedian and writer.