Ungagged

Bernard Manning found a highly profitable second act in the VHS boom, packaging the material broadcast networks refused to air and selling it straight to his audience. Filmed at his own venue, the Embassy Club in Manchester, this 60-minute release is built entirely around the premise of being too coarse for television.

By 1991, Manning was far removed from his 1970s breakout on The Comedians. He operated as an independent entity, leaning into his public image as a heavy-smoking, aggressively offensive performer. The recording delivers exactly what the packaging promises: a continuous string of unbroadcastable jokes. He makes no attempt to adapt to changing tastes, opting to stand in front of a hometown crowd and deal in blue, racially charged punchlines completely insulated from outside standards.