Share

cover art for Quadrophenia (1979): Franc Roddam brings The Who's mod opera to life

Brett & Cliff's Flea Circus: A movie and TV podcast

Quadrophenia (1979): Franc Roddam brings The Who's mod opera to life

Season 1, Ep. 30
•

The Who's 1979 album Quadrophenia is transferred to the big screen by director Franc Roddam with a cast of teenagers who would go on to be mainstays of British TV and film for decades to come.


Phil Daniels is Jimmy, a young mod who's entire life is devoted to music, scooters, parties and trying to get the girl - in this case Steph played by Leslie Ash.


Jimmy hopes to find salvation through the scene but a trip to Brighton proves transformative in ways he hadn't expected.


We also talk about football memories, how the mod look is used today, old pubs in South Shields, a terrible meal and loads more.


There's a quiz based on Victorian terminology and for the first time our new closing segment, where we play a song from an unsigned band this week.


This week it's Come On by The Good's Gone - a band from Deal, Kent, named after a Who song and influenced by 60s rock and roll. A perfect first choice then.


To find out more about The Good's Gone, check out the Facebook page here (www.facebook.com/TheGoodIsGone) and on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3ggFBBV).


If you would like us to feature your band, send the tracks and any credit info to fleacircuspod@gmail.com.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 8. Alien: Earth (2025): Ridley Scott's creation comes to TV

    01:05:56||Season 5, Ep. 8
    We look at one of Brett's favourite franchises with Alien:Earth. The TV show expands the universe and brings the alien to Earth for the first time but is it any good? There's also music from Astoria.

  • 7. Byker Grove (1989-2006)

    46:18||Season 5, Ep. 7
    A staple of Brett and Cliff's childhood, Byker Grove was a drama set in Newcastle aimed at alder teens and tackling some big issues. It made stars of more than a few household names and ran for almost 20 years. This is a look at the first ever episode and features music from The Phosphenes.

  • 6. Get Your Own Back (1992)

    38:19||Season 5, Ep. 6
    In CBBC's Get Your Own Back, presenter Dave Benson Phillips allows kids to take out revenge on their parents for making them go to bed early, do the washing up and work on the markets for no pay. Music comes from Ekranoplan.

  • 5. Families At War (1999)

    32:23||Season 5, Ep. 5
    Brett and Cliff return to their favourite subject - Vic and Bob, with the BBC1 prime time game show Families at War. It lasted for one series in 1999 and takes Shooting Stars and gives it a mainstream polish. Still completely bonkers.

  • 4. Fatal Attraction (1987)

    58:54||Season 5, Ep. 4
    Brett and Cliff head back to the 80s for the stylish 'erotic' thriller Fatal Attraction, starring Michael Douglas and Glen Close.

  • 3. Final Score (2018) & A Complete Unknown (2025)

    01:08:30||Season 5, Ep. 3
    Brett and Cliff kick off with a ludicrous football-based action thriller before moving on to this year's Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

  • 2. Jossie's Giants (1986-87)

    42:15||Season 6, Ep. 2
    Looking at the first episode of darts commentator and writer Sid Waddell's kids football show Jossie's Giants, with a quiz about footballers' TV cameos and music from Skylights.

  • 1. Beadle's About (1996)

    37:23||Season 6, Ep. 1
    After a lay-off for REASONS Brett and Cliff return with a classic prank from Jeremy Beadle, who tricks a Dorset farmer's wife into thinking a meteor has landed in her garden. There's also music from Shapes Like People.

  • 10. Game On (1995-1998)

    40:45||Season 5, Ep. 10
    Brett and Cliff look back at a favourite from their teens, Game On. A British sitcom about three London flatmates, Matt, an arrogant agoraphobic, Martin, his wimpy friend and the outgoing, sexy Mandy. There's a quiz about sitcoms and music from Lyon Tide with Breaking Ice.