Steven Spielberg Psychiatric Hospital

We encourage our patients to take a Saturday job. It gives them a sense of purpose and a small income. I’ve brought you here today because Anne is working here. As you can see, she blends in very well.

For the most part, the stuff I cover here has aged pretty well. Timeless media that stands up now as it did when it was first broadcast / released. Ok, so there are bits of Fawlty Towers that hasn’t stood the test of time (mostly thanks to the Major), they removed Papa Lazarou from the League of Gentlemen and Derek and Clive was only ever meant to be the most offensive thing possible anyway. But the Little Britain lads…well, in more recent times, hot water was encountered. Blackface, fat shaming and seemingly having a pop at the disabled cited as perhaps elements of the show that wouldn’t have been commissioned today. I suppose the battle will continue to rage – is it out of order in today’s landscape or is everyone just being PC for the sake of it and comedy is fair game for any subject matter?

Either way, ex-BGT, faux-gay children’s pen man David Williams plays a character called Anne who is being looked after by Dr. Lawrence in the Steven Spielberg Psychiatric Hospital. That’s right. In a place called Little Bentcock. She appears to have a whole host of mental problems ranging from coprophilia to schizophrenia, topped off with only being able to communicate by screeching ‘eh-eh-eeeehhh’ really loudly. She also appears to just be Walliams in a dress and cardigan.

The design was a little bit tricky, as mental health facilities in the United Kingdom are usually just part of the NHS, and as such, their signs and logos tend to be very functional and, well, hospital-y. Not wanting to duplicate my Saint Juniper’s Medical Practice design, I had to cast the net wider. On my travels, I found quite a nice looking pin badge from Broadmoor that stands as the basis for this. Probably the only ‘quite nice’ thing you could find in the place. The list of prior occupants is, er, not a particularly pleasant read.

Oh, you might’ve noticed the spokes. A nod to Spielberg himself. As in the bike Elliott rode in E.T. that features so heavily in the Amblin logo.