▁Christmas ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁A ▁final ▁short ▁run ▁of ▁three ▁ 4 5 - min ute ▁episodes ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁to ▁conclude ▁the ▁series . ▁ ▁Series ▁one ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁series ▁to ▁feature ▁D erm ot , ▁played ▁by ▁Harry ▁En field , ▁and ▁the ▁only ▁series ▁not ▁to ▁feature ▁Neil ▁Morris sey ▁as ▁Tony . ▁The ▁episodes ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁series ▁are ▁about ▁ 2 4 ▁minutes ▁long ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁shown ▁on ▁I TV ▁and ▁time ▁was ▁needed ▁for ▁advert is ements . ▁When ▁the ▁show ▁began ▁on ▁the ▁BBC , ▁the ▁episodes ▁were ▁about ▁four ▁minutes ▁longer . ▁ ▁Production ▁Men ▁Be h aving ▁Bad ly ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁Simon ▁N ye ' s ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁book ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁title . ▁Produ cer ▁B ery l ▁Vert ue ▁first ▁considered ▁it ▁for ▁a ▁film ▁before ▁dec iding ▁it ▁was ▁su ited ▁for ▁television ▁adaptation . ▁Harry ▁En field , ▁already ▁a ▁well - known ▁com ed ian , ▁was ▁cast ▁first . ▁He ▁had ▁seen ▁Martin ▁Cl unes ▁perform ▁in ▁a ▁play ▁and ▁recommended ▁him ▁for ▁the ▁other ▁lead . ▁ ▁En field ▁felt ▁out ▁of ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁sit com ▁and ▁announced ▁he ▁was ▁leaving ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁series . ▁When ▁Th ames ▁Television ▁found ▁out , ▁their ▁immediate ▁reaction ▁was ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁series , ▁and ▁they ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁persu aded ▁to ▁put ▁on ▁a ▁second ▁series , ▁with ▁Neil ▁Morris sey ▁replacing