― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 12:24 (eighteen years ago) link
Ricky Gervais: Step into my office
He created one of the great sitcoms. He is a very funny man. And he's concerned about his 'legacy'. Which is exactly why Nicholas Barber would like to have a quiet word with Ricky Gervais
Published: 14 January 2007
Ricky Gervais opens his new live show wearing a plastic crown and a regal red robe, with his name in lights behind him and a six-foot model of an Emmy award to his left. "Not too much, is it?" he asks with mock-concern, but the answer is, no, it's not too much. If anything, it's not enough. Once he's slipped off the fancy dress, the reigning King of Comedy strolls around the stage for an hour and a bit in his trademark jeans and black T-shirt. He couldn't be more relaxed if he was at home in his pyjamas (which he is, he says, by 6.30 most nights).
He's such a natural comic that he gets laughs every time he unleashes his falsetto sarcasm or his saliva-soaked giggle. He skilfully deconstructs his stories as he's telling them, and he slips nimbly back and forth across the boundaries of taste, so we're never quite certain how offended to be.
But compared to any other stand-up show in a venue the size of Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall, it's a lackadaisical performance. Between swigs from a beer can, Gervais recounts a few chat-show anecdotes, does some student bar stuff about how nonsense songs don't make sense, has a smirk at those dunces who abused a paediatrician because they thought he was a paedophile, and dishes up regular portions of ironic homophobia.
At least, I assume it's ironic. When he makes an Aids joke, and then mutters, "I won't do that one in Brighton," I'm not 100-per-cent sure why it's less objectionable than it would have been if Jim Davidson had made the same remark. Overall, it's an amiable show, but there's not much in the way of depth or quotable punchlines, and there's no theme beyond the tour's title, Fame: doing charity gigs, signing autographs, being misrepresented in the tabloids, hugging Chris Tarrant. You'd assume that someone who didn't start writing The Office until his late thirties would have a stock of pre-fame memories to transmute into comedy. There was his stint in an Eighties pop duo, and then as a university entertainments officer, to name the two best-known jobs he had before he made headway at XFM and on Channel 4's 11 O'Clock Show. But instead of mining these veins of material, Gervais seems obsessed by his own celebrity. He's like one of those rock bands who get to their third album and can't dredge up anything to write songs about except groupies, hotel rooms and the disappointments of being a multi-millionaire.
Maybe we shouldn't be surprised. Since The Office brought Gervais sudden fame and fortune, he's been the proverbial kid in a candy store, living out the fantasies of every film and comedy geek. He made a guest appearance on Alias because he was a fan of the show. He wrote an episode of The Simpsons, and turned up in it in cartoon form. He became friends with Jonathan Ross, as every rising UK comedian is contractually obliged to do. When Channel 4 offered him his own interview strand, he jumped at the chance to badger his heroes, Larry David, Christopher Guest and Larry Shandling. His first film roles seem to be motivated by hero-worship, too. Having shone as a pompous boss in The Office, he can now be seen cameoing as a pompous boss in both Night at the Museum and For Your Consideration. Neither film is very good, but they did allow him to hang out with Ben Stiller and Christopher Guest, just as his role in the forthcoming Stardust let him share a studio with Robert De Niro.
"It's like winning a competition," he said in one recent interview. "It's like, would you like to play with Spinal Tap for a day? Yes. Would you like to play with The Godfather for a day? Yes." Gervais is not the first British comedian to jump on a plane to Hollywood, of course, and there's nothing wrong with mutual appreciation sessions with your idols. Indeed, there's something sweet about such a major star letting his inner fanboy come out to play. As his collection of Golden Globes and Emmys attests, the American entertainment industry loves the man from Reading, so you can hardly blame him for loving it back. Who wouldn't want to be Peter Lawford in a comedy Rat Pack?
On the other hand, it's getting harder to ignore the weird disjunction between the way Gervais talks about his career and the way it actually is.
Ever since The Office began broadcasting in July 2001, its star and co-creator has been repeating in interviews that he's primarily a writer and director, and that he gets "no joy from seeing my fat face on the screen". Initially, he said he didn't want to do too much TV as himself because he wanted viewers to enjoy the illusion that David Brent and his colleagues were real people; that was why he cast unknown actors.
He even boasted, somewhat ungallantly, that he'd turned down roles in Pirates of The Caribbean and the other films which went on to feature his Office co-stars. "Secretly I think I'd be quite good on QI," he told one interviewer, misinterpreting the word "secretly". "But you have to discipline yourself and you have to ration yourself. I can get sick of someone I like within the space of a weekend if I see them on two quiz shows and then in the Sunday paper." It's a strange statement from someone who once fought Anthea Turner's husband in a televised boxing match.
The Ricky Gervais who talks to journalists is a publicity-shy artist with exacting principles. "That quest for excellence, and also the legacy - I think about that," he said in The Radio Times. "I don't know if that's because I came to it older, but we really want to to have a great batting average. We don't want to let our guard down. You do it because you want to be proud of it." To Esquire, he pronounced: "When you're creating art, you've got to be a complete fascist." To GQ, he described himself and his co-writer and co-director, Stephen Merchant, as "comedy fundamentalists". He's often said that he doesn't rate many British comedians after Stan Laurel. "American comedy is better. It aims higher," he told Esquire. This Ricky Gervais is an ascetic, slightly intimidating perfectionist. And yet the other Ricky Gervais, the one who's all over the media, is someone who knows he won't be in the limelight forever, and who wants to revel in the exposure, the side projects and the glamorous friendships while he can.
It's impossible to exaggerate just how successful he's been. The Office has been broadcast in 80 countries, and remade in several, including the hit American edition with Steve Carell in the lead role. Sales of the British Office DVDs were record-breaking - four million is the current figure - and, as the tongue-in-cheek introduction to his live show reminds us, he's won an Emmy, two Golden Globes and six Baftas.
But this astonishing Midas Touch doesn't stop a large proportion of his work falling short of the benchmark he's set himself. His current stand-up tour, the fastest selling in history, sees him sitting right in the middle of his comfort zone. Podcasts of The Ricky Gervais Show are another record-breaking hit, but as funny as they can be, they consist largely of his XFM producer, Karl Pilkington, reeling off outlandish theories, while Gervais and Merchant berate him for not being as well educated as they are. And if his trio of children's picture books, Flanimals, hadn't had Gervais's name on it, the publisher would have sent it back with a polite note saying that it wasn't what they were looking for.
And then there's Extras. At the risk of inviting hate mail, I'd argue that Gervais and Merchant's second sitcom is, objectively, a patchy programme. Yes, it had its laughs. The fizzy water incident is destined to join Del Boy falling through the bar in all future bank holiday retrospectives of The 100 Best British Sitcom Moments. But it always felt less like a fully-formed show than an exercise in muscle-flexing by two writer-directors who had realised how powerful they were. They wanted superstars, they wanted location shooting, they wanted no canned laughter and almost no supporting cast; they had a list of minorities for the characters to upset and they wanted to tick them off methodically, week by week. Everything they wanted, they got.
The mysterious aspect of Extras was that it drew almost entirely from Gervais's own experiences in television, and yet it couldn't shake off a whiff of fakeness. It missed the satirical targets which were right in front of its creators' noses. Take its famous guest stars, for instance. On the programme which had the biggest influence on Extras, The Larry Sanders Show, the celebrity guests challenged us to spot where they ended and their scabrous self-parodies began, something Gervais himself does brilliantly on talk shows and on stage. But in Extras the celebs were all caricatured so ridiculously that there was never any danger that they might have been revealing their dark private selves. Did anyone watching it ever suspect that Daniel Radcliffe goes around propositioning actresses twice his age, or that Orlando Bloom pathologically hates Johnny Depp, or that Ben Stiller has exactly the same speech patterns as David Brent? Probably not. The actors could congratulate themselves on being good sports without the slightest risk.
Beyond that, there was the implausibility of Gervais's character, Andy Millman, being hoiked to stardom from work as a "background artist" even though - unlike Gervais - he had no TV-comedy experience. There was also the bewildering animus against the BBC, which was forcing Andy to wear a bad wig and specs in his sitcom-within-a-sitcom; when did that last happen in the real world? But what was more damaging was the series' grating inconsistencies. Sometimes Andy would be as crass and tactless as David Brent ever was, whereas at other times Andy would be the judicious one, and the solecisms would be parcelled out to his friend Maggie or his agent, played by Merchant.
In their introduction to the Extras script book, the writers say that they wanted a change from Brent. They wanted "Andy to be more like us: more normal, more self-aware, educated and liberal-minded, with a half-decent sense of humour". And so he was - some of the time. But he was also a man who saw a Bosnian refugee's photograph of his murdered wife, and then chided him for his choice of developer. "Oh, you missed a trick," he said. "Truprint give you a free film when you get something developed. So you're a mug." And witness the way Andy was shocked when Keith Chegwin grunted that the BBC was run by "Jews and queers" - and I'd love to know when anyone in showbusiness last said that - but was also horrified when a schoolmate he hadn't seen in 20 years thought he might be gay himself. (More only-just-ironic homophobia there.) "Andy's not a jerk at all," said Gervais in the Onion AV Club last week, but when it suited the joke, Andy mutated into David Brent multiplied by Basil Fawlty.
Whereas The Office took such pains to fool us, for half an hour at a time, that we were flies on the wall of a genuine paper merchants', Extras required viewers to give it the same leeway that they would a pantomime. In a single episode of the second series, Andy was at the BBC, filming a sitcom, and yet the same sitcom was already on air, getting a critical pasting, and Andy was also auditioning for a play, rehearsing it and performing it. Assuming that he wasn't supposed to be a Time Lord, Gervais and Merchant had given up caring whether their programme had any internal logic or not.
At the risk of inviting yet more hate mail, I'd suggest, too, that even in the second series of The Office, there were signs that its writers already believed the hype. Gareth was more obnoxious; Brent was more self-deluding; the humour was broader and cruder. When Brent frothed at a birthday party about how he'd have sex with the Corrs, the raucous, drunken festivities slammed to a halt and everyone stared in disgust.
Fair enough, that's the kind of thing which happens in sitcoms all the time, but the previous series hadn't felt like a sitcom; it had felt like an unwittingly hilarious documentary. The second series could have been written by someone who had watched the first one, but hadn't quite understood it.
That's not to say that anyone who masterminded those first terrific six episodes of The Office shouldn't be proud of himself. Nor is this an attempt to start a backlash or chop down a tall poppy. After all, everything Gervais does is worth a look, because he's funny even when - as on the current stand-up tour - he's not trying very hard. And when someone has accrued so many millions, so many plaudits and so many famous admirers he might feel justified in letting standards slip.
But let's get his output into perspective. Perhaps we should ease off on the King of Comedy accolades until Gervais's batting average, as he calls it, is a little closer to Galton and Simpson's or Clement and Le Frenais's. And that's not likely to happen unless he eases off on the cameos, the podcasts and the children's books. Maybe now that he's done a stand-up show called Fame, he can get back to the sort of work which made him famous.
The first leg of Ricky Gervais's stand-up tour has sold out. Tickets for the second leg, beginning on 6 March, go on sale on Tuesday at www.ticketzone.co.uk
http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article2152792.ece
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 12:26 (eighteen years ago) link
BURN.
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 12:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 12:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 12:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 15 January 2007 12:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:11 (eighteen years ago) link
is this true?
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:14 (eighteen years ago) link
xpost
― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Philip Philip Philip Philip Annoyman (Ferg), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:17 (eighteen years ago) link
xp
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:18 (eighteen years ago) link
I would say that though, because I hate women.
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:20 (eighteen years ago) link
Here's a scene. You're looking along your collection of CDs, or shuffling through your playlist, trying to find that new Lady Sovereign album or whatever. But you stumble across something else, something from 10 years ago - the Fugees, say."
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:22 (eighteen years ago) link
That senile dribbling cunt with his own column in the Guardian weekend magazine.
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:24 (eighteen years ago) link
Cue stock that's no way to talk about Zoe Williams gag.
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Philip Philip Philip Philip Annoyman (Ferg), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:27 (eighteen years ago) link
I don't have a Wikipedia entry either.
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:35 (eighteen years ago) link
Radio 4 turns over the airwaves to solid gold laughter, as Steve Punt joins up with a host of stars, backstage movers and industry shakers from the comedy industry with a two-hour special.
Variety shows and radio were the traditional routes to comedy fame and fortune, but what about today? Super agents, DVD sales, straight-to-TV stars; where does radio fit in? Steve and a panel of guests pick apart the laughter seam of the modern comedy industry, as well as generating a few jokes along the way.
Includes News Summary at 9.00pm.
― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:36 (eighteen years ago) link
like swimming in a cool sea and passing through a warm current, etc...
Where are the standards of today, I ask you.I don't have a Wikipedia entry either.
-- Marcello Carlin (marcellocarli...)
Oh, have I got one?
― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:38 (eighteen years ago) link
Whew.
― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:39 (eighteen years ago) link
also on the bad can someone please put Have I Got News For You out of its misery.
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:58 (eighteen years ago) link
At the risk of, on this reviewer's logic, inviting lynch-mobs to my door, I'd argue that Extras was shite.
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:28 (eighteen years ago) link
To put things into context: Harry Hill aside, all British TV Comedy right now is total shit.
-- Ruairi Wirewool (horseproduction...), January 15th, 2007. (Ruairi Wirewool) (later)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
what were the chances of that happening? -- mark grout (mark.grou...), January 15th, 2007. (mark grout) (later)
If you can put CT and Green Wing on a par, you truly show a lack of discernment IMO. Frankly, now that GW has been and gone, I'm inclined to agree with Ruairi, minus the bit about Harry Hill.
-- You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (papiermachealamphibia...), January 15th, 2007. (Haberdager) (later)
If you can put CT and Green Wing on a par, you truly show a lack of discernment IMO.no it's just a 'higher' (or rather 'stricter') level of discernment.
-- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)
'the thick of it' will be back, later in the year, and so will 'peep show'. -- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 15th, 2007. (Enrique) (later)
but in a another more accurate sense... -- mark s (mar...), January 15th, 2007. (mark s) (later)
but then i do like Harry Hill so it's apples and roundabouts. -- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)
rubbish -- RJG (RJ...), January 15th, 2007. (RJG) (later)
so you keep saying -- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)
RJG's TV Burp -- Dom Passantino (juror...), January 15th, 2007. (Dom Passantino) (later)
Hmm. I was only talking about currently-running comedy shows. If Peep Show returns for a fourth bite at the cherry (and TTOI for a second), I will only be too delighted. Of course, the one I'm really looking out for is Nathan Barley II. -- You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (papiermachealamphibia...), January 15th, 2007. (Haberdager) (later)
i think it would be a big ask for there to be a 'great' uk comedy series to be running all 52 weeks of the year. i have low standards perhaps; but i don't ask for a 'great' film each month either. -- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 15th, 2007. (Enrique) (later)
of course i too want 'nathan barley' back. -- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 15th, 2007. (Enrique) (later)
They could drop scissors on a dog's head this time. -- Dom Passantino (juror...), January 15th, 2007. (Dom Passantino) (later)
uh, rose-tinted view there i reckon - but at least it was generating interesting discussion.one episode of Screen Wipe a month would be good. ditto TV Burp.
ha ha Dom OTM -- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Unread Messages as with 'green wing', take away the hype and the expectation it'll live up to 'the day today' and 'nathan barley' was 23 minutes well-spent. i lolled anyway. -- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 15th, 2007. (Enrique) (later)
i didn't laugh more than i did laugh etc. -- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:06 (eighteen years ago) link
And Screen Wipe rocks.
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:04 (eighteen years ago) link
it was good, but not 300 times better than 'nathan barley'.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago) link
steve otm
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:33 (eighteen years ago) link
this happened in the show except he thought she turned out not be under-age (at which point NB thinking it now okay to pretend she WAS under-age was actually quite a clever little point about...something or other).
i did hate NB but yes no less than anyone else around him.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:38 (eighteen years ago) link
Actually, scratch that, that's not the idea at all. It's funny caricatures falling into situations and scrambling to return to the status quo whilst simultaneously being trapped; a very old-fashioned sitcom thread. I certainly didn't feel that is was trying to make a big insightful statement about something, at least, nothing larger than "it's better to like something than to dislike something."
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:48 (eighteen years ago) link
'THIR-FUCKING-TEEN'.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:50 (eighteen years ago) link
In fairness, I guess originally Barley wasn't really a character, just a cipher, and in making him human Morriss and Brooker made him more, er, human. I just don't think that made for great comedy. It wasn't sharp enough to be genuine satire and it wasn't silly enough to be knockabout comedy. It was just 'dark'.
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Monday, 15 January 2007 16:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:49 (eighteen years ago) link
I doubt whether Channel 4 enforced any 'nicening'. You know, maybe Barley always looked like that in Brooker's head, and if you boil the actions in any of the episodes down to the kind of 3-sentence description that you would find in TV Go Home, it wouldn't be that different. But TVGH gave the impression that Barley was a cartoonishly horrible amoral grotesque, and that's not what we got in the TV show. We got 'idiots'. I hoped it would be either venemous or ridiculous and it was neither.
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Monday, 15 January 2007 18:09 (eighteen years ago) link
pt. I
pt. II
― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 09:51 (eighteen years ago) link
i lolled?
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 09:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 09:57 (eighteen years ago) link
Oh okay, I didn't read the website so I didn't know what was supposed to happen, I only saw (and liked) what did.
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 10:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 10:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 10:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 10:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 11:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 11:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:14 (eighteen years ago) link
'TDT' radio show was 1992. he was doing big things on london radio about then too.
'blue jam' dropped at the arse-end of '97 and was hot into the double-nine.
for me it went bad with 'jam' but then i was a student contrarian at the time, maybe i missed out.
it's just that there was a looong hiatus between the underwhelming 'brass eye '01' and 'nathan barley'.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:16 (eighteen years ago) link
ie 'on the hour' (in b4 sotcaa smackdown).
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:19 (eighteen years ago) link
on which Morris had only as much if not less input than Lee, Herring, Marber, Baynham etc. [/sotcaa swot]
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:22 (eighteen years ago) link
fig 1the day today = bendsbrass eye = ok computerblue jam = kid ajam = amnesiacBES = hail to the thiefnathan barley / it crowd = the eraser
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:30 (eighteen years ago) link
as a team they really were a 90s Python only with a much more 'subliminal' influence on everything after (they're all known but not really as celebrated as Python gang were after they disbanded). i know the comparisons only stretch so far.
After Python there seemed to be quite a gap between something like that and early 80s 'alternative' 'edgy' stuff (Comic Strip etc.), only a handful of decent well crafted sitcoms in the 70s - which seems stranger and stranger looking back. perhaps we're seeing a similar effect even now with Whitehouse having killed laughtrack sketchom only for it's reanimated corpse to stalk the lands taller than ever before in Little Britain and Tate. Gervais is an anomaly with ridiculous carte blanche but can take 'credit' for pushing 'reality comedy' into mainstream. The conventional sitcoms remains thwarted, no show in that vein unable to command mass appeal of even mid 90s predecessors.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:34 (eighteen years ago) link
i think you're gonna have a very different perspective than me tbh, my dad knew about him before i did via radio 4 and he basically made me watch 'the day today', and then there was the radio one music show which was a revelation -- but also not infallible. so yeah the post-jam mystique is a bit lame, but it really is a recent development within his career, and arguably it ended with 'nathan barley' anyway.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:34 (eighteen years ago) link
or the Mel C.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:35 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:36 (eighteen years ago) link
Yes, his very best work is probably behind him but I have a lot of time for most of his stuff post-BE. It was the "utter shit"/"I turned it off during the ad break" reaction of many posters on the SOTCAA/NotBBC/CaB forums to the BE P43d0 Special back in 2001 that made me realise that I just wasn't going to hack it as one of that crowd. Maybe I'm too easily amused.
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:37 (eighteen years ago) link
cook - morrismiller - marbermoore - coogan (ok it breaks down a bit here)bennett - iannucci (wheels: off)
but he's still sort of otm.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:44 (eighteen years ago) link
iannucci has come back from post-TDT mediocrity (imo) to awesomeness. to be fair he's more of a producer than the other stuff but even still.
'TMWRNJ' has never been underrated on this talkboard.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:45 (eighteen years ago) link
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40897000/jpg/_40897670_crackpipe203spl.jpg
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― zappi (joni), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:54 (eighteen years ago) link
Whither Lionel Nimrod?
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:55 (eighteen years ago) link
also surely the true inheritors of brass eye are balls of steel and the friday night project. in a roundabout kinda way. alex zane mocking anne frank writer is speak yr brain fed through the millenial vice mentaility.
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:13 (eighteen years ago) link
you made me sick up a little
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:30 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:47 (eighteen years ago) link
when Celeb BB finishes what will they do. show a film?
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:50 (eighteen years ago) link
rly?
my recollection of the 1990s (which is pretty good!) is that they always showed 'friends' and 'frasier' on fridays.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:52 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:54 (eighteen years ago) link
and now Ugly Betty. my point is they can't show JUST American shows on a Friday night.
is Entourage really as good/bad as people keep suggesting?
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:56 (eighteen years ago) link
cosign, it should have been a lock.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:59 (eighteen years ago) link
Anne Widdiecomb vs The Hoodies was funny last night. but i don't think that counts as comedy. actually, it did have a brasseye feel about it.
― My Koogy Weighs A Ton (koogs), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 14:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― i am not a nugget (stevie), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 14:00 (eighteen years ago) link
main reason i keep watching.
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 14:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 14:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 14:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:27 (eighteen years ago) link
agreed. it's aged v well.
what saves The IT Crowd is those typical Linehan/Matthews flourishes here and there.
one other good thing about Morris which I miss in this Gervais-dominated period was his media reticence (which he claimed was thrust upon him i.e. people were too scared to talk to him or just assumed he wouldn't want to).
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:45 (eighteen years ago) link
Annually Retentive was frustrating because Rob Brydon seemed to be ruining his own great ideas half the time, even if most of them were based on Sanders, David etc.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:53 (eighteen years ago) link
better then peep show say i.
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:54 (eighteen years ago) link
funny how forgotten eddie izzard is. he was a lot more prominent than any of the people we're fellating on this thread at the time.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 15:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:05 (eighteen years ago) link
saying 'what am i fuckin noddy', not so much.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:05 (eighteen years ago) link
it is in our house (yes even today i'm afraid).
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:07 (eighteen years ago) link
'it's outrrrAGEOUS'
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:08 (eighteen years ago) link
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=64446617
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r68/daveinarave/ske.gif
this dude looks like a certain ilx poster.
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:13 (eighteen years ago) link
*mainly just because i enjoy the accents
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:19 (eighteen years ago) link
Father Ted, Fawlty Towers and Peep Show is in my book the holy trinity of Britcom.
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:34 (eighteen years ago) link
I haven't heard the CD, just get bit torrent and download the whole thing, it's the only way to hear it.
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago) link
I've never seen much of Blue Jam. just wasn't that bothered. then i saw the Adam & Joe pisstake and felt validated.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:36 (eighteen years ago) link
LOL@Adam and Joe. They weren't really piss-takes, I thought they were quite affectionate, myself. Their Jam was superb, it has to be said.
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:38 (eighteen years ago) link
the opening music is an 'triguing montage. sly and the family stone ('time') also appear in it.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago) link
Well, indeed. The actual visuals were always best-left to the imagination, and the television version dropped all the music, which robbed BJ of its soul (if not its content).
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 16:42 (eighteen years ago) link
Blue Jam was fantastic, jam less so.
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:09 (eighteen years ago) link
otm
but you could say similar about massive attack and their influence on dido.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― chap (chap), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:14 (eighteen years ago) link
it's the new Saturday Night With Lee Hurst or whatever that was called.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:15 (eighteen years ago) link
You are hinting towards something I myself crave. It's quite a good way of putting it, although perhaps simply 'progressive comedy' might suffice better.
Blue Jam is not comedy of embarrassment, it is comedy of helplessnes and weakness. To claim that it's had any effect on Gervais (who I regard as a charlatan, a funny man but a charlatan) is almost heresy in my eyes.
Nighty Night just didn't have the same vibe. Like Jam, it was dark, but Blue Jam really is something else entirely. Don't base your opinions on the CD, invest some time in the whole thing. Seventeen hour-long comedy concept albums, each one a work of crazed genius.
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:15 (eighteen years ago) link
how does it make helplessness/weakness actually funny? just via surrealism and the inappropriate happening?
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:20 (eighteen years ago) link
"So Roger, I hear you've got a ten-inch cock..."
― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:22 (eighteen years ago) link
it also shows what happens when people who look at the world differently clash with those who conform (and therein lies the greater part of its subversion).
you may be right but still not seeing how these convert to roffles, other than in the latter's case the obvious juxtaposition and subsequent confounding of expectations (which isn't/doesn't have to be done dark of course).
i mean a woman crying and when asked what's wrong saying 'i can't feel my cock' IS/was funny provided it's done with the right tone but beyond that it just didn't do it for me...
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:25 (eighteen years ago) link
i think i'll stick with family guy.
i think a big problem is, for me anyway, often the funny comes before the thinking. i admire the satirical intent of brass eye but to be honest richard blackwood saying "i feel suggestible now" or the purves grundy "me oh myra bit" are just funny cos well i'm not sure. or mark heap swearing at a cow, it didn't make me thing about "people who look at the world differently clash with those who conform" but it made me laugh a lot.
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:27 (eighteen years ago) link
You've chosen one of the more obtuse, wilfully 'outrageous' sketches. The majority of BJ has some grounding in logic. Not the logic of any other show, mind.
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:33 (eighteen years ago) link
I mean, the monologues were a slower, richer source of hyuks but, still, there wasn't a point at which I thought, "Oh yes! I was feeling faintly nauseated there for a while but NOW I see how he's challenging convention - ha ha ha!" It was all pretty amusin' to me.
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― the killfire konspiracy (Haberdager), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:50 (eighteen years ago) link
I was talking about this 'sketch' on the TV version (as I hadn't heard it on the radio show). But funny because I do tend to prefer logic/realism in my comedy now (at least I do when it's comedy set in our real world e.g. Peep Show, Extras). But I do need to listen and watch the shows properly to really be sure of all this.
I found it as immediate in its lollacity and rofflage as yr undark tellyMorris.
I think Morris has always traded this way e.g. laughs for the puerile gags (road sign called 'Youngbottom Ride' on the BE TV special) as big if not bigger than the ones reserved for the actual 'satire'. He seems to love the puerile as much as anyone else really.
but an extra on the Jam DVD, in which genuine audience response was played over the sketch. As it turns out, most of this response was hysterical laughter. It gave one of the darkest, most disturbing sketches of recent times a feelgood, 'comedy classic' aura, as we and the audience laughed along to a couple of parents reacting to the rape and murder of their son as if it were a cracked flowerpot (the aforementioned Cann pulling off an astonishing performance). This brilliant challenge to what instant, hilarious, laugh-out-loud comedy COULD be is what makes both BJ and Jam so great IMO.
again isn't this just 'let's confound expectations in a rather obvious way whilst using brutal subject matter for added punch' or am i still missing something? i suppose years later it might not seem as impressive because of copycats, internet stuff etc. but still.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 18:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 18:12 (eighteen years ago) link
Sorry if I'm misunderstanding you here, but by "genuine audience response" you don't actually mean a recorded response to this sketch, do you? Because it's obviously not - it's canned. I thought it was a fairly cheap gimmick, provoked (possibly) by the response of audience members to playback of BJ sketches at Battersea Arts Centre in '98 (where his brother is/was artistic director) - polite, simpering laughter which Morris apparently thought kinda depressing.
I sort of admire your zeal, Scourage, and I'm sure you're quite sincere in your enthusiasms but trumpeting the show's cultural subversions and its "brilliant challenge[s]" isn't, I don't think, going to convince the sceptics that it's funny. It's one of the hardest (and most futile) undertakings, that of selling a piece of comedy based on its perceived importance and innovation. Having said that, quoting funny lines out of context (another popular approach) doesn't work either. I suppose that's why I find your fandom a bit uncomfortable - you're championing something to people who aren't interested in terms I don't really recognise.
We can't really re-create the conditions in which you or I encountered BJ upon original broadcast for anyone else, so don't be surprised if someone goes away from this thread, downloads a couple of eps and is underwhelmed.
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 22:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 23:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 00:39 (eighteen years ago) link
Genre - Ambient comedy
not quite prog then.
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 12:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 12:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 12:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 12:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― the killfire konspiracy (Haberdager), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 12:42 (eighteen years ago) link
Er, some pleasure for the audience? Some gauge of how effective the material was for the creators? I dunno, why do anything ever? They were all on the floor on cushions in complete darkness, apparently. I imagine it was all rather awkward. Apart from the ubiquitous snogging couple.
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 13:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 13:14 (eighteen years ago) link
anyway... LJ's point kinda hold i think the comedy programs held in the most affection tend not to be simply 'cos of the roffles. there's also a gender thing. there's a certain generalization about the ladies liking lolz only as a side order to soapiness or "feeling good" friends or green wing tend to be produced as evidence. there's a real covert thread of that in c & b world. cf there thread on upcoming stand up josie long. theory is kinda bollocks cos loads of gurls like family guy which is like the most unemotional program ever.
back to the main point. the way LJ regards chris morris is kinda like the way "the nation" regards only fools and horses: a non comedic element has become, in talking about it at least, the chief reason for the cherishing of it. possibly.
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 13:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 13:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 14:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 16:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 16:39 (eighteen years ago) link
Father Ted and The Day Today use 'dumbness' in a manner that almost entirely removes the stupidity, because they do it with such unremitting poise.
― the killfire konspiracy (Haberdager), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:49 (eighteen years ago) link
'Peep Show' is intelligent with regard to the subjects it handles, but I never notice the actual jokes being that esoteric.
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 18:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― the killfire konspiracy (Haberdager), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 18:17 (eighteen years ago) link
joek
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 18:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Thursday, 18 January 2007 00:01 (eighteen years ago) link
that sort of thing just doesn't happen in yer standard sitcom
― vita susicivus (blueski), Thursday, 18 January 2007 00:07 (eighteen years ago) link
he achieved this a lot better with The IT Crowd it would seem. i don't think he'd actually be capable of writing a 'stupid' Roy Clarke-esque sitcom.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Thursday, 18 January 2007 00:09 (eighteen years ago) link
(I'll admit to having not seen either of the first two in 20+ years - they could be dross misremembered as understated gems with cracking performances).
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 18 January 2007 00:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Thursday, 18 January 2007 00:22 (eighteen years ago) link
- the doctor who has eleborate swearwords- 'he killed the man'- '--brackets--'- rothko- 'i work in the warm arts'- 4ft car- '...can't you just' (louis knows what i mean)- the dance charts -- hackneyed but still funny
but also to repeat it was half a *music show*, and worked on those terms. think of it like steve wright in the wee hours or something.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Thursday, 18 January 2007 11:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― WOEbat (elwisty), Thursday, 18 January 2007 11:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Thursday, 18 January 2007 11:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Thursday, 18 January 2007 12:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Thursday, 18 January 2007 12:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 18 January 2007 12:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― putting me in mind of attractive women (Enrique), Thursday, 18 January 2007 12:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Thursday, 18 January 2007 12:32 (eighteen years ago) link
Ah there was often comedy gold to be found there. Favourite ever was insults from Huey of the Fun Lovin' criminals:
You still pushing your jaw each way but westwards? You're raising my pressure quickstyle my friend, upside like a doped joker. i'm gonna cut you open so far you'll be up all night stitchin' your backpipe together just so you can start weepin'! You're gonna need eleven different kinds of treatment! You'll be tryin' to find ice till there's no more ice!
(from memory, tragically)
― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 18 January 2007 12:39 (eighteen years ago) link
roffle all the way home . . .
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Thursday, 18 January 2007 12:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Thursday, 18 January 2007 12:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Thursday, 18 January 2007 13:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Thursday, 18 January 2007 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link
Enrique's list is good, and contains (just about) two of my top-3 BJ moments...
3) Series 1 Episode 4, 25:10. The sprightly, uptempo groove accompanying Michael Alexander St.John's dance countdown suddenly morphs (in the radio equivalent of bone-spaceship in 2001:ASO) seamlessly into Lennon's '#9 Dream'.
2) Series 2 Episode 4, 27:59. The Rothko monologue ends. Accompanied by the melancholic, chilled middle-eight of Madonna's 'Ray Of Light', although you don't know that at this stage. As the monologue ends, the building, throbbing intro to the actual song bounces into gear, and as the last word is spoken, Madonna's heavenly voice takes up the baton. As a moment of sadness into happiness it is unparalleled.
1) Series 2, Episode 1, 34:18.
"Well, we'll just have to get used to it being just the two of us again."
"Mmmmmmm..."
― unmixed by DJ Mrs. Clark of Egham (Haberdager), Thursday, 18 January 2007 14:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Thursday, 18 January 2007 15:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Thursday, 18 January 2007 15:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― balling fart-ravine (Haberdager), Thursday, 18 January 2007 15:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Thursday, 18 January 2007 15:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 02:53 (eighteen years ago) link
Bear in mind that I probably hate LB more than almost every single other person on earth, so I am speaking with an element of bias, but frankly, to blame CM for them is I think ridiculous.
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Friday, 19 January 2007 02:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 03:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pete (Pete), Friday, 19 January 2007 09:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 19 January 2007 09:26 (eighteen years ago) link
citation required.
there's a dvd extra on the LB dvds that is them talking about their influences but sadly(!) i haven't seen it. i have them down more as Dick Emery copyists.
― My Koogy Weighs A Ton (koogs), Friday, 19 January 2007 10:32 (eighteen years ago) link
1 Jagger, Louis, posted at Rolling UK Comedy Thread - "Ricky Don't Lose Larry David's Number, 19 January 2007
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 19 January 2007 10:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:03 (eighteen years ago) link
steve otm there.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:10 (eighteen years ago) link
MAN: What's he want now, eh?
[Him from next door enters - he's a stereotyped Pakistani character.]
HIM: Ah, Mr Eddie. I was wondering if I could be borrowing a cup of sugar for my lunch.
MAN: What's he say?
WOMAN: He said he wants you to give him a punch.
MAN: Ah. [He does so.]
HIM: Oooh, ooh! You misunderstanding me, I am asking for sugar. That is why I am here.
MAN: I can't understand a bleedin' word he's saying!
WOMAN: He says he wants you to give him a thick ear.
MAN: Oh, right. [He obliges.]
HIM: Oooow, ooooh!
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:11 (eighteen years ago) link
which makes a point, and a good one, about representations of race in current affairs broadcasting. 'little britain' isn't in the same game, let alone the same ballpark.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:27 (eighteen years ago) link
this is what i've been trying to say. the workings of, say, 'brass eye' are incalculably more interesting than the dumb-as-shit plodding idiocy of LB. to compare the two is futile.
answer to steve's question: Bill Bailey
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Friday, 19 January 2007 15:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 16:27 (eighteen years ago) link
still the greatest (if you bear in mind its importance and the effect it had as well as its quality) single episode of television there has ever been.
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Friday, 19 January 2007 16:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Friday, 19 January 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Friday, 19 January 2007 18:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 19:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Friday, 19 January 2007 20:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 20:22 (eighteen years ago) link
"These images were deemed too shocking to show. That we do so tonight is only with the proviso..."
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Friday, 19 January 2007 20:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 19 January 2007 21:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Friday, 19 January 2007 21:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Saturday, 20 January 2007 02:18 (eighteen years ago) link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_correctness#History
hey it's wikipedia but y know...
― acrobat (elwisty), Saturday, 20 January 2007 02:19 (eighteen years ago) link
Dumb comedy = Not Going Out. An entire show based around the premise of using as much of Lee Mack's standup (generally unfunny) and Tim Vine's standup (hit and miss, usually fairly amusing) routines and then fashioning a ridiculously bad plot around them. Basically, it is extremely shite, but can also raise a giggle. But you'd be better watching Tim Vine doing stand-up rather than Tim Vine shoe-horning his stand-up into a ludicrous domestic sitcom.
― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 21 January 2007 12:52 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Sunday, 21 January 2007 13:13 (eighteen years ago) link
"tabby cat - can live with thatif it's leopardy - you're in jeopardyexcept you know it doesn't actually work in the southern hemisphere..."
― acrobat (elwisty), Sunday, 21 January 2007 13:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― God Bows to Meth (noodle vague), Sunday, 21 January 2007 13:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Sunday, 21 January 2007 13:26 (eighteen years ago) link
I missed the Xmas ep :(
― God Bows to Meth (noodle vague), Sunday, 21 January 2007 13:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 21 January 2007 13:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― God Bows to Meth (noodle vague), Sunday, 21 January 2007 13:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― God Bows to Meth (noodle vague), Sunday, 21 January 2007 13:38 (eighteen years ago) link
so uh Shilpa Fuckawillah or Shilpa Poppadum for the next series of Little Britian?
― acrobat (elwisty), Sunday, 21 January 2007 19:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Sunday, 21 January 2007 19:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― God Bows to Meth (noodle vague), Sunday, 21 January 2007 19:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 21 January 2007 20:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 22 January 2007 09:37 (eighteen years ago) link
There was a new comedy series on BBC 3 last night called Thieves Like Us. I could not really pay attention as I was engaged in conversation, but it featured the Goldie lookalike from The Smoking Room. Perhaps we can see a BBC 3 mafia beginning to form, what with the rise and rise of Myfanwy off Little Britain, etc.
Anyway, was this programme any good? It involved nicking tellies, like on Max and Paddy.
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 13:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 13:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 13:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 13:49 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.yellow5.com/pokey/archive/pokey34_2.gif
http://www.yellow5.com/pokey/archive/pokey34_3.gif
― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 13:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 13:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 14:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 14:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Friday, 26 January 2007 11:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 26 January 2007 11:50 (eighteen years ago) link
josie doesn't strike me as being any different from anyone else with a myspace page and a wry, mildly self-deprecating sense of humour.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 26 January 2007 11:54 (eighteen years ago) link
And Ms Long is anything but wry. It was like being in a room with an overexcited hippie. I'm not doing a good job of explaining why I liked her show, am I?
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Friday, 26 January 2007 12:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 26 January 2007 12:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 26 January 2007 12:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 26 January 2007 12:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 26 January 2007 12:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Friday, 26 January 2007 13:36 (eighteen years ago) link
Cleo has admitted that she is hoping for her own sketch show following her stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house.
The actress wants to follow in the footsteps of Catherine Tate after introducing the nation to some of her characters over the past three weeks.
"I'd love to launch a new comedy show with really wacky characters, like a cross between Little Britain and Catherine Tate. I think the time is right for something new," Cleo told the Daily Star last night.
"The characters I brought in with me - like Tiara the Tart and Dorothy Montgomery the biscuit tycoon's wife - were done deliberately because I was hoping there was a producer out there looking for new ideas."
Asked about failing to make Big Brother laugh in the comedy task, she added: "That was embarrassing. I died on my a**e in the Diary Room. I think they stitched me up. I was certainly funnier than some of the others."
― acrobat (elwisty), Saturday, 27 January 2007 14:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Saturday, 27 January 2007 14:48 (eighteen years ago) link
Defend the indefensible: Josie Long
I'd love to launch a new comedy show with really wacky characters, like a cross between Little Britain and Catherine Tate. I think the time is right for something new
Does anyone see anything wrong with this? Also anyone who uses the word "wacky" as an aspirational concept tends to not be worth listening to.
― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 27 January 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago) link
A cross between Little Britain and Catherine Tate would, to paraphrase Stuart Braithwaite, implode with pure evil.
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Saturday, 27 January 2007 23:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Saturday, 27 January 2007 23:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 28 January 2007 00:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Sunday, 28 January 2007 00:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Sunday, 28 January 2007 01:26 (eighteen years ago) link
Well, indeed. Marcello and his red button to thread (in three seconds).
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Sunday, 28 January 2007 03:22 (eighteen years ago) link
I could not find the Oh Monsieur Le Fopp You Are Spoiling Us thread.
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Monday, 29 January 2007 13:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 29 January 2007 16:11 (eighteen years ago) link
Commentaries are pretty good though.
― Michael Philip Philip Philip Philip Annoyman (Ferg), Monday, 29 January 2007 16:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 29 January 2007 16:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Monday, 29 January 2007 16:49 (eighteen years ago) link
Radio 4's Down the Line with Gary Bellamy
a) Fuck me this is brilliantb) Why was Felix Dexter never a true star, he had a window of opportunity in about 95/96 to make it as a comedy A-linerc) Wow, Rhys Thomas and Lucy Montgomery in something that isn't complete shitd) Paul Whitehouse is, pound for pound, the best comedy performer of his generation, six lengths ahead of yr Morrises and Ianuccise) "Do you know if Foxton's is owned by Bruce Foxton of The Jam?"
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 13:35 (eighteen years ago) link
he did a pilot exec-produced by whitehouse and higson. it didn't get taken up and he joined the RSC. anil gupta says he didn't have enough big noises on his side at the bbc.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 13:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tom D. (Dada), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link
Performer, yes. No doubt about that.
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tom D. (Dada), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:08 (eighteen years ago) link
"comedy-writing? 'ardest game in the world. done it meself, 40 years, man and boy..."
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:10 (eighteen years ago) link
That's a pretty impressive line-up, no? And that's not even including radio work. Plus seemingly the only awful thing he's even written was Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tom D. (Dada), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tom D. (Dada), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:21 (eighteen years ago) link
what's dispiriting is the competition.
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tom D. (Dada), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:31 (eighteen years ago) link
Is Whitehouse really 'full of it' or is this just another projection?
I guess if Johnny Depp calls you the greatest comic actor of the modern age then you'll have trouble keeping it together.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:32 (eighteen years ago) link
I think you've hit the nail on the head there. I actually quite liked "Happiness" but "Help" was just, "Oh look at me, look at all these accents I can do, amn't I great?" - well, no, because your Scottish accent was shite for one. Plus crap serious bits. Not funny enough.
― Tom D. (Dada), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:35 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:37 (eighteen years ago) link
I was gonna start a thread on how great Chris Langham's body of work is as well, but I thought better of it. for. obvious. reasons.
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:52 (eighteen years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago) link
Obscure comedy that I personally wish was better-known: My Life In Film
― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:13 (eighteen years ago) link
like peep show and ted & ralph and down the line!
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tom D. (Dada), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:25 (eighteen years ago) link
why shouldn't i be 26? -- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 31st, 2007.
you should--you are -- RJG (RJ...), January 31st, 2007
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:26 (eighteen years ago) link
-- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 31st, 2007
― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:30 (eighteen years ago) link
― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 16:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― i am not a nugget (stevie), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 17:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 17:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― i am not a nugget (stevie), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 17:26 (eighteen years ago) link
Tracer, what do you mean by small?Mean yes (altho I wouldn't say Spaced was particularly mean in any way).Easy? Maybe...they both seem very thoughtfully written and intricate tho.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 17:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tom D. (Dada), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 17:31 (eighteen years ago) link
Favourite Down the Line moment might be from the first series when Whitehouse's Scouse character comes on, says something like 'Alright Gary, I'm a Socialist...' and gets immediately cut off. 'What is the biggest house in France?' runs it close though.
― Rob O'Brien (igotmadskills), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:13 (eighteen years ago) link
I wouldn't go that far. Spaced is a bit mean about...Aswad.
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 19:47 (eighteen years ago) link
Discuss.
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 21:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 21:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Thursday, 1 February 2007 00:19 (eighteen years ago) link
I wonder what an AV lounge is.
I watched some of The Mighty Boosh live last night and reflected that perhaps it was not worth six quid after all.
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Thursday, 1 February 2007 09:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― b ham (b ham), Thursday, 1 February 2007 09:16 (eighteen years ago) link
Obi-Wan and Luke have let themselves go.
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Thursday, 1 February 2007 09:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Thursday, 1 February 2007 12:31 (eighteen years ago) link
Girls Aloud vs Sugababes - Walk This Way
not very "good"
― acrobat (elwisty), Thursday, 1 February 2007 20:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 5 February 2007 11:45 (eighteen years ago) link
i saw e01 of 'jam'. i now think that this was the only ep i saw of it first time round (in full at any rate). it's mostly utter shit, and the appalling rape 'joke' towards the end is just... shit. i will persevere, but it's drastically worse than...
'nathan barley'. rewatched first two episodes, and it's great.
'spaced' is still good.
'the day today' is too familiar now' so is 'kmkywap', but in a good way.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 5 February 2007 11:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Monday, 5 February 2007 12:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Monday, 5 February 2007 13:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 5 February 2007 13:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 5 February 2007 13:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 5 February 2007 13:37 (eighteen years ago) link
funniest bit was the 'who do you think you are?' / 'you don't know you're born' comment. i doubt itv bosses were laughing though.
> do they repeat it?
yes. late night, sometime in the week. (midnight, wednesday night)
― Koogy Bloogies (koogs), Monday, 5 February 2007 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Monday, 5 February 2007 13:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Monday, 5 February 2007 13:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― chap (chap), Monday, 5 February 2007 14:46 (eighteen years ago) link
And when it's finished, all the "normal" problems look as if they are deliberately bad, for laughs or something.
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Monday, 5 February 2007 14:49 (eighteen years ago) link
The bit the other week with the rules for which snakes are poisonous was comedy gold.
― I don't know whether to play the trumpet, read a book or be a lesbian. (aldo_cow, Monday, 5 February 2007 14:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― I don't know whether to play the trumpet, read a book or be a lesbian. (aldo_cow, Monday, 5 February 2007 22:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― chap (chap), Monday, 5 February 2007 22:42 (eighteen years ago) link
Friday sees the return, on BBC Scotland only, of comedy scripted by Jack Doherty and Moray Hunter. A pilot only, mind, but it's a start.
― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 5 February 2007 23:52 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 00:00 (eighteen years ago) link
It stars Docherty, Hunter, Morwenna Banks and John Gordon Sinclair (who hasn't actually done anything of note since Fraggle Rock, I don't think, but he gets a free pass for life in my world for Gregory's Girl and That Sinking Feeling)
Looks a bit shit, mind.
― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 00:06 (eighteen years ago) link
no idea what's happened to m banks
― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 09:05 (eighteen years ago) link
brooker needs to make big statements too much.
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 09:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 09:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 09:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 09:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 09:22 (eighteen years ago) link
did noddy mention last week that the absolutely team had some animation thing going out on during the day on ch4? possibly repeats of after midnight stuff?
― Koogy Bloogies (koogs), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 09:35 (eighteen years ago) link
― Koogy Bloogies (koogs), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 09:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pandas At War (pandas at war), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 11:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― DavidM* (unreal), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 11:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 20:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Venga (Venga), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 20:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 09:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 09:33 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEkTlabUjyk
― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 09:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 09:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 09:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 09:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 10:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 10:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 10:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― onimo (onimo), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 10:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:35 (eighteen years ago) link
Would it really? Not that I have any dirt on Stiller or Steve Martin (both of whom I like) specifically, but it's hardly uncommon for comedians with asshole personas to carry that off into their private life (or, well, what is known of it to the public at large, anyway.) Chevy Chase and assorted 70's SNL cokeheads to thread, you know.
Ok, I don't actually live in the UK, so don't have to swallow as much of Gervais's smugness as you guys do (did hear some of his recent radio stuff, pretty painful), but I was really expecting a bit more from that clip.
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:52 (eighteen years ago) link
"i'm a PC i dominate the home and the office..."
FUCK THE FUCK OFF ARGH!!!
― acrobat (elwisty), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 17:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― chap (chap), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 17:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― I don't know whether to play the trumpet, read a book or be a lesbian. (aldo_cow, Wednesday, 7 February 2007 22:33 (eighteen years ago) link
also need more HATE for mitchell and webb apple ads. agrh. unfairly cementing my peep show is overrated pish position. are macs meant to be REALLY UNBEARABLY SMUG?
― acrobat (elwisty), Thursday, 8 February 2007 11:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tom D. (Dada), Thursday, 8 February 2007 11:40 (eighteen years ago) link
I need to try and find a t0rr3nt of the show his band did for E4, they showed a clip and it looked utterly ridiculous.
― I don't know whether to play the trumpet, read a book or be a lesbian. (aldo_cow, Thursday, 8 February 2007 11:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 8 February 2007 11:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Thursday, 8 February 2007 11:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Thursday, 8 February 2007 12:25 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.makestickers.com/images/all_your_base_are_belong_to_us.jpg
― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Thursday, 8 February 2007 12:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Thursday, 8 February 2007 12:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― acrobat (elwisty), Thursday, 8 February 2007 12:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Thursday, 8 February 2007 12:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 8 February 2007 12:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― case of the mutual heart friendship (onimo), Thursday, 8 February 2007 12:59 (eighteen years ago) link
"I'm a PC"
http://base58.com/ilx/markmorrison.jpg
"I'm the Mack"
http://base58.com/ilx/policeman.jpg
"Then you're nicke-OWWWWWWW! TASERS!"
― vita susicivus (blueski), Thursday, 8 February 2007 13:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 8 February 2007 13:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― vita susicivus (blueski), Thursday, 8 February 2007 13:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 22 February 2007 13:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― aldo, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― DavidM, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:39 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― RJG, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:58 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:04 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― RJG, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― RJG, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― RJG, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― RJG, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:45 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:47 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ben Boyerrr, Friday, 23 February 2007 17:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― chap, Friday, 23 February 2007 17:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― The Wayward Johnny B, Friday, 23 February 2007 20:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Michael Jones, Saturday, 24 February 2007 09:13 (seventeen years ago) link
― ailsa, Saturday, 24 February 2007 09:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― DavidM, Saturday, 24 February 2007 10:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Saturday, 24 February 2007 22:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Saturday, 24 February 2007 22:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― DavidM, Sunday, 25 February 2007 11:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― William Bloody Swygart, Sunday, 25 February 2007 13:58 (seventeen years ago) link
― unfished business, Sunday, 25 February 2007 14:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Thursday, 1 March 2007 13:56 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Thursday, 1 March 2007 14:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Thursday, 1 March 2007 14:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― PJ Miller, Thursday, 1 March 2007 17:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 1 March 2007 17:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― unfished business, Thursday, 1 March 2007 17:29 (seventeen years ago) link
― Frogman Henry, Thursday, 1 March 2007 17:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― PJ Miller, Thursday, 1 March 2007 17:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― The Wayward Johnny B, Thursday, 1 March 2007 18:26 (seventeen years ago) link
― Michael Jones, Friday, 2 March 2007 11:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― Stevie T, Friday, 2 March 2007 12:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― PJ Miller, Friday, 2 March 2007 12:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Friday, 2 March 2007 12:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― the next grozart, Sunday, 11 March 2007 13:18 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 13:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 13:36 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 13:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 13:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 13:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 13:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 14:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mark G, Monday, 19 March 2007 09:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Frogman Henry, Monday, 19 March 2007 10:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― koogs, Monday, 19 March 2007 11:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― accentmonkey, Monday, 19 March 2007 14:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― chap, Thursday, 22 March 2007 14:26 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Thursday, 22 March 2007 14:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― unfished business, Thursday, 22 March 2007 14:39 (seventeen years ago) link
― chap, Thursday, 22 March 2007 14:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― onimo, Thursday, 22 March 2007 14:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Thursday, 22 March 2007 18:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:45 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:56 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― ledge, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:06 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:12 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:19 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:26 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:29 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:29 (seventeen years ago) link
― koogs, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― ledge, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― koogs, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:04 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― ledge, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― chap, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:27 (seventeen years ago) link
― ailsa, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― chap, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:36 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― ailsa, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― chap, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― ailsa, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― ailsa, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 09:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― Pete, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 10:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 10:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 10:22 (seventeen years ago) link
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 10:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 12:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 12:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:17 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― stevie, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:27 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:39 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― pisces, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:55 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― ledge, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 14:58 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:04 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:13 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:19 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:36 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― That one guy that quit, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alan, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 23:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Saturday, 5 May 2007 12:26 (seventeen years ago) link
― koogs, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 13:39 (seventeen years ago) link
― acrobat, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:42 (seventeen years ago) link
Lenny Henry "funnier than Lucas n Walliams and Pegg n Frost" shock.
― Dom Passantino, Monday, 21 May 2007 12:20 (seventeen years ago) link
yes, that was odd, him on his own with the camera crew laughing along.
he still chose a lot of stuff that i remember whereas i'd've imagined him as the generation before - he's a good 8 years older than me.
LOTS of dawn french clips as well as clips of his own (were they down to do it together perhaps?).
― koogs, Monday, 21 May 2007 12:42 (seventeen years ago) link
good choice of Love Thy Neighbour clip. "the joke's on EVERYONE" etc.
― blueski, Monday, 21 May 2007 12:43 (seventeen years ago) link
The "no cohost, no audience, laughs from the production crew" aesthetic I took as a deliberate reference to Kenny Everett?
― Dom Passantino, Monday, 21 May 2007 12:47 (seventeen years ago) link
That Dying Rooms documentary they showed a bit of looked shocking. I missed it at the time. I'd like to see it in its entirety, though I don't know if I could handle it. Shame about the "only Brits can make good documentaries" nonsense that accompanied it.
― onimo, Monday, 21 May 2007 12:48 (seventeen years ago) link
i watched and kinda enjoyed HIGNFY this week. i skipped out the opening round, which i think is the worst bit and enjoyed ian hislop's sniping at chris tarrant. not exactly satire but good mean fun.
― acrobat, Monday, 21 May 2007 12:50 (seventeen years ago) link
I always associate that kind of thing with Phillip Schofield's broom cupboard.
― chap, Monday, 21 May 2007 13:09 (seventeen years ago) link
Gordon the Gopher not a cohost now?
― Dom Passantino, Monday, 21 May 2007 13:10 (seventeen years ago) link
watched and kinda enjoyed HIGNFY this week. i skipped out the opening round, which i think is the worst bit and enjoyed ian hislop's sniping at chris tarrant. not exactly satire but good mean fun.
See, I watched this too and didn't enjoy it much at all and wondered exactly why people prefer the "continually take the piss out of the host/guest" thing to people being witty and scathing about the actual news. Because wasn't it precisely the fear of HIGNFY becoming the former rather than the latter that led to the removal of Deayton?
(also fuck off whoever in the team thinks that crap grainy vids nicked off of YouTube/emailed to them by their mums are the height of humour)
― ailsa, Monday, 21 May 2007 16:18 (seventeen years ago) link
no, deayton was removed 'cos the main producer had dropped the drink 'n drugs and was told to remove any negative influences from his social sphere, this was also why rory mcgrath lost his place on TTIAO... OR SO I HEARD. also see my post from two weeks ago being nasty to minor celebs has always been part of HIGNFY. it was funny cos it made me laugh, the more i think about it the mopre i realize it's not so much the "satire" that used to make me laff but paul merton going on about tigers giving birth to tigers out of their mouths.
― acrobat, Monday, 21 May 2007 16:27 (seventeen years ago) link
no, deayton was removed 'cos the main producer had dropped the drink 'n drugs and was told to remove any negative influences from his social sphere, this was also why rory mcgrath lost his place on TTIAO... OR SO I HEARD
O RLY?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2373711.stm
― ailsa, Monday, 21 May 2007 16:31 (seventeen years ago) link
thats what they want you to think! i like the conspiracy theory i read on another board.
― acrobat, Monday, 21 May 2007 16:33 (seventeen years ago) link
remember that dude who used to spam ILE with the government done 9/11 stuff? i'm like him but with british comedy.
― acrobat, Monday, 21 May 2007 16:36 (seventeen years ago) link
Well, it would excuse them from having "lol, our guest host's been a naughty boy" hypocritical ridiculousness every other week, I s'pose.
― ailsa, Monday, 21 May 2007 16:37 (seventeen years ago) link
xpost, obv
There's a big article about it in today's Daily Mail.
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 22 May 2007 07:31 (seventeen years ago) link
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t157/betise_mcmutton/Untitled-aa1.gifhttp://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t157/betise_mcmutton/Untitled-aa1.gifhttp://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t157/betise_mcmutton/Untitled-aa1.gif
― Dom Passantino, Sunday, 27 May 2007 22:57 (seventeen years ago) link
"Not Going Out"
crummy situation comedy as per the seventies, lame scenarios but oh it's actually got funny lines and stuff! What were the chances?
― Mark G, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 15:08 (seventeen years ago) link
British comedy 'is bigoted' Racism 'as rife as in the Seventies' British comedy 'is bigoted' BBC
British comedy is as bigoted and racist today as it was in the Seventies, academics have claimed.
Experts at a comedy conference yesterday said that after a wave of political correctness in the days of alternative comedy, jokes are again targeting minority groups.
And they dismissed arguments that postmodern irony makes the gags acceptable.
‘Pleasure is derived from the expression of aggression against a target,’ Guy Redden of Lincoln University told the seminar in Salford.
He said that Britain had moved from a ‘stereotype comedy with unflattering gags about social types where the white nation was working through the meaning of immigration’ to a new era of ‘post-PC comedy’ where the targets may have changed, but the sentiment is the same.
The cruel humour of Little Britain came under attack; in particular the character of mail order Thai bride Ting Tong was considered an example of the insidious racism.
Presenting a joint paper, Susan Becker of the University of Teeside and Lloyd Peters of Salford University argued that stereotypes are perpetuated and compounded by comedy.
‘Comedy is utilising stigma,’ they said. ‘A sign or mark which designates the bearer as less than normal people lies at the heart of the joke.’
Redden accepted that ‘unlike the discriminatory humour of the Seventies, today’s performers are aware of the power and meaning of the taboos they choose to break’, but argued that did not make the humour acceptable
However, Nigel Mather of the University of Kent suggested that when Ting Tong turns her husband Dudley’s flat into a Thai restaurant at the end of the series, it could be seen as empowering. ‘It could be seen as positive in terms of her characterisation,’ he said.
The conference continues at Salford University today.
― acrobat, Saturday, 2 June 2007 17:12 (seventeen years ago) link
wah??
anyone catch the dreadful documentary on Hitler on telly on more4 last night? moronic, pointless, offensive, straight-facedly calls 'allo allo' genius, with a narration by some gormless bloke who sounded like he was trying to be one of the peep show characters.
― stevie, Saturday, 2 June 2007 17:17 (seventeen years ago) link
er, no...
― acrobat, Saturday, 2 June 2007 17:20 (seventeen years ago) link
that was jacques peretti wasn't it
― Frogman Henry, Saturday, 2 June 2007 20:07 (seventeen years ago) link
it was horrendous.
― stevie, Saturday, 2 June 2007 20:43 (seventeen years ago) link
Has anyone caught Pulling yet?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/programmes/pulling/
I keep bumping into it by accident and I think it's got real potential in a "loser girls version of Peep Show" sort of way.
― CharlieNo4, Thursday, 14 June 2007 12:29 (seventeen years ago) link
BiffoVision hasn't been commissioned for a series, apparently, on account of it being "not youth enough". Husss.
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 14 June 2007 12:51 (seventeen years ago) link
I watched the trailer for this on BBC3 a few months ago and it was, and i do not say this lightly , an absolute load of rubbish.
Lots of the material was also _influenced_ by other shows.
If this gets a series the BBC can say goodbye to my fees
― acrobat, Thursday, 14 June 2007 12:58 (seventeen years ago) link
Maybe you should put your foot through the TV and send them the bill
― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Thursday, 14 June 2007 12:59 (seventeen years ago) link
And when the cheque comes, put your foot through that and send them the bill again
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 14 June 2007 13:00 (seventeen years ago) link
Pulling looked terrible in the trailers but was actually really really good. I love Sharon Horgan at the moment. Just the bit about Miss Congeniality 2 had me cracking up. And it's hard to make me laugh (esp BBC3).
― Not the real Village People, Thursday, 14 June 2007 13:12 (seventeen years ago) link
As with other BBC Three pilots of late, this was pretty crap. Though much better than the "Yoof sitcom" one a few weeks ago.
Complete rip-off of a series a couple of years ago which was made to look like a retro-Tomorrows World style show.
It was much better though, even if it wasn'[t that great.
PS, was the "presenter" the guy who used to be in Doctors?
― acrobat, Thursday, 14 June 2007 13:23 (seventeen years ago) link
Anyone watched this Karen Taylor woman trying to funny? She got a rave review in the Guide, which I completely know is no guarentee of quality, but fuck me the gap between the review and the actual progamme was astronomical. Sample sketch: A man chats up a woman in a club, and finds out that her hobby is birdwatching. He asks what birds she get round here, and she says she gets a little thrush. And just as she shouts it the music happens to stop and everyone looks at her. Really, really tired shit.
nb the music playing at the club was a very lame approximation of drum n bass, possibly used in attempt to lend the rotten material the faintest hint of edginess.
― chap, Monday, 18 June 2007 23:51 (seventeen years ago) link
http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/comment/0,,2123547,00.html
yeah yeah welcome to 2003, pal.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:27 (seventeen years ago) link
being asked to subscribe is very 2003 yes
― blueski, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:31 (seventeen years ago) link
Not everyone will agree with this incendiary column by Daily Mirror TV critic Jim Shelley, but it is one of the best pieces on Guardian Unlimited today.
Gervais has always been what you call a Marmite character. People love him or hate him. But his recent behaviour at the Diana concert and Live Earth have prompted even more extreme reactions from fans and foes alike.
Here is the Shelley's column in full:
It's hard to say exactly when Ricky Gervais stopped being the endearing, ingenious wit behind The Office and became the tiresome embarrassment he is today. There were the endless, nauseatingly matey, appearances on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross; his mediocre episode of The Simpsons; his mutual appreciation society with overrated US comics Ben Stiller and Larry David.
Fawning anecdotes in which he would call Extras' guest Robert De Niro "Bob" were another giveaway. His cameo in A Night At the Museum (with Stiller) was sub-sitcom standard and, like The Simpsons, another example of him re-hashing Brent. After years refusing to "do" The David Brent Dance, these days you can hardly stop him.
He was at it again during The Concert for Diana, where the sight of Gervais dying on his feet confirmed his demise. Having been introduced by, you've guessed it, Ben Stiller, Gervais performed the never-knowingly-funny Brent number Free Love On the Free Love Freeway, before making a gag about global warming we've all made: "at least we're going to have brilliant summers from now on". Asked to wing it until Elton John was ready, the acclaimed stand-up floundered.
His appearance at Saturday's Live Earth concert only compounded his humiliation. He opened with a lame remark about the show's eco-conscious stars flying in by private jet - an irony already commented on by that acclaimed comic genius Simon Le Bon. Then it was a case of he doth protest too much, as he insisted he'd done Live Earth as a favour to Spinal Tap creators "Christopher" (Guest) and "Rob" (Reiner), and that he couldn't say no to the Diana concert because he'd been asked personally - by Wills and Harry.
And with that, Gervais and David Brent, whose capacity for ingratiating, excruciating embarrassment he made famous, finally became indistinguishable.
― blueski, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:32 (seventeen years ago) link
move on, britain
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:34 (seventeen years ago) link
I was with him until he called Larry David overrated. The dickwit.
― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:34 (seventeen years ago) link
Emergency Shelley Ward 10
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:35 (seventeen years ago) link
But Gervais is a cunt, so OTM.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:36 (seventeen years ago) link
no jokes, bruv
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:37 (seventeen years ago) link
Gervais's "lol black/lol jew/lol homo" schtick would work better if he added a "jokes bruv" at the end of each sentence.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:39 (seventeen years ago) link
yeah unreasoned zinging of stiller and larry d is what turned me against. i bet when 'the office' was first on he was all over it.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:40 (seventeen years ago) link
this thread can trundle along with a few posts every week or so but someone mentions gervais or nathan barley and 100 odd posts. that the real jokes, bruvs.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:45 (seventeen years ago) link
there will not be 100 odd posts on the issue.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:47 (seventeen years ago) link
*cracks knuckles*
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:51 (seventeen years ago) link
UK Comedy Thread: Knuck If Ya Buck
We really need a US Gervais defender in here. Maybe one of the same ones that have a hard-on for Jeremy Clarkson?
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:53 (seventeen years ago) link
I'll happily defend The Office. Some of the stand-up routines are funny too. Everything after that has been Gervais spunking people's goodwill up the wall.
― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:03 (seventeen years ago) link
TS: The Office vs The Thick of It vs 15 Stories High
― acrobat, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:08 (seventeen years ago) link
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t157/betise_mcmutton/Untitled-aa1.gif
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:11 (seventeen years ago) link
image blocked
― acrobat, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:12 (seventeen years ago) link
is 15SH any good?
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:14 (seventeen years ago) link
we always do this. hardly anyone has seen it. i'm boycotting it on "sean lock was involved" grounds.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:16 (seventeen years ago) link
it's really funny!
― acrobat, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:19 (seventeen years ago) link
It's not as good as Ideal.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:20 (seventeen years ago) link
Better than that James Lance Is A Drug Dealer sitcom, tho
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:21 (seventeen years ago) link
yr boy whitehouse has spoilt his copy book with that last enfield series no?
― acrobat, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:25 (seventeen years ago) link
The special Blair-era-ending "Down the Line" wasn't that great either, tbh. Although "Ted 'eath was a pearly", was funny.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:26 (seventeen years ago) link
zinggggg
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:28 (seventeen years ago) link
knowing dom i don't think that's actually a zing.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:29 (seventeen years ago) link
I liked Ideal! What's wrong with Ideal!
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:30 (seventeen years ago) link
i didn't actually see it, i'm going by the 30-second advertising clips
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:31 (seventeen years ago) link
if it's on bbc3, i'm not repping for it.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:32 (seventeen years ago) link
the big elephant in the room is monkey dust
(200 posts minimum?)
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:34 (seventeen years ago) link
What I saw of that last Harry Enfield series was alright. His schtick hasn't really changed in 20 years. The "I saw you coming" bloke was lollable.
― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:35 (seventeen years ago) link
the second series of monkey dust was very dissapointing. yesterday i was wondering why mitchell and webb are as famous as they are. peep show really isn't that good. well not good enough to ride that kind of profile off. well at least c tate will be tied up with dr who for a bit. small mercies, man, small mercies.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:42 (seventeen years ago) link
I liked the doctors on the Harry Enfield thing.
That one with Nick Frost starts again this week. I quite enjoyed that the first time. But as I can't remember what it's called, or when it's on I shall probably miss it.
― Ned Trifle II, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:43 (seventeen years ago) link
I watched Spaced series 1 again the other day. Man, Simon Pegg hates women.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:45 (seventeen years ago) link
I don't really like edgy anymore, and certainly not something as self-consciously edgy as Monkey Dust.
Man, Simon Pegg hates lols.
― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:47 (seventeen years ago) link
You have to over-enunciate all of the vowels in that sentence.
"I aaaaam Siiiimon Peeegggg, and Iiiiiiii haaaaaate loooools", complete with weird facial expressions and hand gestures.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:48 (seventeen years ago) link
Monkey Dust has a nice little recurring sketch about a guy who tells an elaborate story about where he's been for the last 48 or so hours that she would knock down by pointing out that he was actually recounting the narrative of Hotel California or something. He'd then admit to have been doing something "edgy", which imo wasn't really needed. I guess you could call it PROGRESSIVE COMEDY.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:51 (seventeen years ago) link
I think I remember that sketch. What would be a better post-punchline payoff then? He'd been doing something mundane ("I was at Morrison's looking at the damaged goods aisle"), or doing something "naughty" ("I was fucking my secretary")?
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 11:56 (seventeen years ago) link
("I was at Morrison's looking at the damaged goods aisle")
ok this might have improved it
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 12:13 (seventeen years ago) link
I love Monkey Dust for the beauty of animation, the finely-observed characters, and the refusal to compromise in order to make a point. It helps that it's also frequently hilarious, if perhaps a tad unsubtle.
The second series WAS a little disappointing, yes, but still contained many great moments, and to top everything off, the THIRD series was (by far) the best.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 12:15 (seventeen years ago) link
beauty of animation? third series?
you're all ignoring Karen Taylor. probably for the best.
― blueski, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 12:38 (seventeen years ago) link
i admired her unabashed showing off of her womanly curves. i did not, however, admire her womanly curves.
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 15:53 (seventeen years ago) link
New series of Hyperdrive WHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?
― ledge, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 21:38 (seventeen years ago) link
name one 00s BBC comedy series that DIDN'T get a second series.
― blueski, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 21:53 (seventeen years ago) link
According to Bex
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 21:56 (seventeen years ago) link
BBC hates women
― blueski, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 21:59 (seventeen years ago) link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/images/800/bex_1.jpg
"jokes, bruv"
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 22:15 (seventeen years ago) link
According to Bex fun fact: Jessica "Hynes" Stevenson fired her agent after that series was transmitted for letting her make such bad decisions.
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 12 July 2007 08:21 (seventeen years ago) link
i think i want a (british) sitcoms cast pictures thread
― acrobat, Thursday, 12 July 2007 08:27 (seventeen years ago) link
Set it up, we run it.
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 12 July 2007 08:32 (seventeen years ago) link
so, Learners then - Jessica "Hynes" Hynes and Doctor Who back together again but this time FUNNY. oooooOOoo
― Alan, Thursday, 12 July 2007 09:24 (seventeen years ago) link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/04_april/03/learners.shtml
see also http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/l/lforlester_1299001825.shtml
― Alan, Thursday, 12 July 2007 09:25 (seventeen years ago) link
zomg Jessica Hynes husband in that is Rose Tyler's dad!!!!
― Alan, Thursday, 12 July 2007 09:26 (seventeen years ago) link
I LIKED GAVIN AND STACEY.
― PJ Miller, Thursday, 12 July 2007 09:58 (seventeen years ago) link
ban pj miller
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 12 July 2007 10:09 (seventeen years ago) link
There is no-one, NO-ONE that is improving British Comedy on TV right now. No-one. Everything is middling to dreadful. How the hell did we arrive at this state of affairs?
My doomy outlook may be informed by spending too much time at Cookdandbombd. The most positive thing you're likely to read on there is 'Everything is fucking awful apart from X. And even he's a cunt.'
― Ruairi Wirewool, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:17 (seventeen years ago) link
THE THICK OF IT
― Just got offed, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:18 (seventeen years ago) link
'The Thick of it' is alright. That's depressing though, given that it is actually the best comedy thing on TV at the moment. it's clever, well made and acted, witty.....and i've never once laughed out loud at it.
― Ruairi Wirewool, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:24 (seventeen years ago) link
the first part of 2-part special had me laughing out loud around 20 times, and that's a conservative estimate
― Just got offed, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:27 (seventeen years ago) link
Well, i can't really argue with your experience of it, Louis. i feel that it's a very smart show, but isn't that funny. Without the Malcolm character (the most trad element)would it be anything more than slightly amusing? i like it fine enough, but i don't think it's a GREAT comedy show.
― Ruairi Wirewool, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:38 (seventeen years ago) link
I thought the programme's strength came from its excellent and universally funny ensemble cast (the 'tory' faction being especially amusing). The Malcolm character may be the funniest (and, oddly, most complex) character, but it succeeds whether its set-pieces contain him or not.
― Just got offed, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:40 (seventeen years ago) link
'Universally funny' is quite a stretch.
― Ruairi Wirewool, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:46 (seventeen years ago) link
Perhaps, but I didn't detect any clear weaknesses.
― Just got offed, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:48 (seventeen years ago) link
Emergency Lalla Ward 10 and Josie Long share a Facebook friend. Should we be told?
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:54 (seventeen years ago) link
The secret of great comedy is, never visit Cookdandbombd.
― Noodle Vague, Thursday, 12 July 2007 19:57 (seventeen years ago) link
Lalla and Long's facebook friend : Kofi Annan.
― Ruairi Wirewool, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:04 (seventeen years ago) link
lol @ me going to same summer camp as josie long when i was 12/13
― Just got offed, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:06 (seventeen years ago) link
Lalla and Long's facebook friend :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/images/2006/04/11/wrestlemania_22_11_470x360.jpg
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:08 (seventeen years ago) link
Must dash - Mock The Week's on. i never tire of Frankie Boyle call someone 'a paeeeeeeeeeeeeeedoh'.
― Ruairi Wirewool, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:08 (seventeen years ago) link
are you an american or an american't?
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:10 (seventeen years ago) link
can i be a canadiboth?
― Will M., Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:13 (seventeen years ago) link
Josie Long latest name in Phil Astin steroid prescription controversy - you gotta go out there on the road every night and be whimsical thirty, forty minutes a night, somethin's gotta give and etc
― That mong guy that's shit, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:16 (seventeen years ago) link
Robin Ince expects a specific LOOK for his performers, he's made his name putting on comedians with comic book bodies and it's hard for him to get out of that mindset.
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:24 (seventeen years ago) link
Oh christ, that was terrible @ Andy Parsons on Mock the Week just now.
Actually, Oh christ, that was terrible @ Andy Parsons.
― Ruairi Wirewool, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:36 (seventeen years ago) link
You've gotta bear in mind that Ince was the product of a rape and his sister was kidnapped and murdered though
― That mong guy that's shit, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:41 (seventeen years ago) link
just got offed OTM re The Thick Of It 1:2 funniness
― blueski, Thursday, 12 July 2007 20:58 (seventeen years ago) link
i'm surprised how much i'm laughing at fonejacker. does that make me a bad man?
― CharlieNo4, Thursday, 12 July 2007 22:00 (seventeen years ago) link
no just brainless
― RJG, Thursday, 12 July 2007 22:02 (seventeen years ago) link
^^^ this
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 12 July 2007 22:03 (seventeen years ago) link
Still Game was rubbish :-/
― ailsa, Thursday, 12 July 2007 22:16 (seventeen years ago) link
i caught a bit of trevor mcdonalds news knight on sunday. it was hilarious. incredibly satirical and genuinely funny. especially marcus brigstock, that guy can crack a gag!
― acrobat, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 12:28 (seventeen years ago) link
...
― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 12:31 (seventeen years ago) link
oooh mustn't forget the sterling work of sue perkins, so good to see a female lesbian trading jokes with a knight of the realm. the footlights really have been working overtime in the last few years producing comedy giant after comedy giant. it really was like all the funny bits of have i got news for you without the all the other stuff round it. marvellous!
― acrobat, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 12:39 (seventeen years ago) link
i saw it once. they gave reg hunter a script. this is by no means a good idea.
― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 12:44 (seventeen years ago) link
sue perkins is gay?
― blueski, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 13:11 (seventeen years ago) link
well we've lost a lot of uk comedy MVPs this week but for whoever's left, a video beef from ricky responding to the haters...
http://www.rickygervais.com/
it's well trainwreck.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Thursday, 19 July 2007 10:58 (seventeen years ago) link
i watched that expecting something about live aid. nada. i hate you.
i actually watched that.
i hate you.
― Frogman Henry, Thursday, 19 July 2007 12:25 (seventeen years ago) link
live earth.
― Frogman Henry, Thursday, 19 July 2007 12:26 (seventeen years ago) link
MOST INFLUENTIAL COMEDIES 1 Monty Python's Flying Circus 2 Only Fools and Horses 3 Blackadder 4 Little Britain 5 The Royle Family 6 The Morecambe and Wise Show 7 Spitting Image 8 The Young Ones 9 The Office 10 The Vicar of Dibley Source: UKTV Gold
― blueski, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:12 (seventeen years ago) link
i'd like to make it clear i was sort of trolling when i was saying news-knight is "good" upthread. it isn't.
― acrobat, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:14 (seventeen years ago) link
UKTV Gold viewers seem to have some new definition of "influential" that none of the rest of us do.
― aldo, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:23 (seventeen years ago) link
Little Britian in the short term is pretty OTM though, look at the BBC 3 comedy roster. And it is definetely represntative of a clutural moment that encompasses the likes of The Friday Night Project and Blunder whether it actually influenced these thing is debatable but y know as a certain ilx dude likes to point out the whole concept of influence in these contexts is kinda silly.
― acrobat, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:43 (seventeen years ago) link
Go on, justify inclusion of Vicar of Dibley then :-)
― ailsa, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:44 (seventeen years ago) link
OK it revived teh idea of the trad sitcom. My Family and My Hero can be seen as following directly from its undemanding but slick mix of mild slapstick and loveably quirky characters centred round "national treasure" type lynchpin.
― acrobat, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:48 (seventeen years ago) link
NO ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE, NO CREDIBILITY
― ailsa, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:51 (seventeen years ago) link
WHAT DID THAT "INFLUENCE"?
― acrobat, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:54 (seventeen years ago) link
The Vicar Of Dibley is probably the one that stuck out most for me as well, although OFAH is kind of an odd one as well.
Spitting Image could be argued two ways, either directly influencing the Ianucci shows - although surely something like TW3 was more influential in terms of political satire? - or in allowing people to make non-acted comedy shows.
Little Britain undoubtedly massively influential, for promoting the idea you didn't have to be funny to get a comedy made on BBC3.
― aldo, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:55 (seventeen years ago) link
Um, The Worst Week of My Life?
(also surely Keeping Up Appearances pre-dates Vicar of Dibley for that description you gave up there, in fact probably OFAH could count as well)
― ailsa, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:56 (seventeen years ago) link
WWOML = influenced by OGITG, well-meaning buffoon has horrible things happen to him a lot through no fault of his own, has long-suffering partner who endures it.
― ailsa, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:57 (seventeen years ago) link
2.4 Children and several other sitcoms were still going when VoD started - no 'trad sitcom' revival required. It's influence on anything good or bad really is 0.
UK Gold shouldn't really be wasting their time on this matter anwyay, not when they have Mel Gibson films and The New Adventures Of Old Christine to be filling their schedules with.
― blueski, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:58 (seventeen years ago) link
Coming less than 18 months after the last 'Allo 'Allo, it's pretty hard to argue TVOD could seriously represent a "revival". Ab Fab started 2 years before TVOD as well.
― aldo, Monday, 13 August 2007 14:58 (seventeen years ago) link
New Adventures of Old Christine is dreadful (note: have only seen one and a half episodes).
I am not meaning to suggest that One Foot in the Grave *was* actually influential, but it pre-dates Dibley and was 10000000x better.
― ailsa, Monday, 13 August 2007 15:00 (seventeen years ago) link
OFITG influential in at least spawning memorable catchphrase which the VoD didn't (mercifully).
― blueski, Monday, 13 August 2007 15:02 (seventeen years ago) link
I have no clear idea of "influential" mean in this, and most other, cases
― Tom D., Monday, 13 August 2007 15:03 (seventeen years ago) link
No I would argue it's a revival of the trad sitcom in that it's so much slicker than 2.4 or Allo, Allo. It's a trad british sitcom but Curtis gave it an almost American feeling. maybe.
― acrobat, Monday, 13 August 2007 15:04 (seventeen years ago) link
saw adverts for new IT Crowd series. next friday? appears to contain vince noir. it sounds digusting but is actually quite beautiful.
― koogs, Monday, 13 August 2007 15:44 (seventeen years ago) link
lol goths are depressed. Keep 'em coming linehan and/or matthews
― Dom Passantino, Monday, 13 August 2007 15:53 (seventeen years ago) link
-- acrobat, Monday, August 13, 2007 3:48 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Link
the trad sitcom never went away.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Monday, 13 August 2007 17:38 (seventeen years ago) link
Father Ted = most influential non-UK European comedy?
― Just got offed, Monday, 13 August 2007 19:21 (seventeen years ago) link
Or does it count as UK because it was aired on C4?
― Just got offed, Monday, 13 August 2007 19:22 (seventeen years ago) link
it was made for channel 4 thru hat trick, so isn't really non-uk. and to be fair, can you name a single live-action comedy that has ever aired here from the continent?
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Monday, 13 August 2007 19:35 (seventeen years ago) link
monsieur hulot should have been a tv series, it would have removed the necessity for mr. bean's existence
― Just got offed, Monday, 13 August 2007 19:51 (seventeen years ago) link
Has Father Ted actually influenced anything? It was fairly traditional as well.
― ailsa, Monday, 13 August 2007 19:56 (seventeen years ago) link
Has Father Ted actually influenced anything?
Black Books, for a start. Anything written by one of its creators.
― Just got offed, Monday, 13 August 2007 20:01 (seventeen years ago) link
Right, so Graham Linehan influenced himself to write a sitcom, having written one before. OK.
― ailsa, Monday, 13 August 2007 21:27 (seventeen years ago) link
I think it's possible to influence oneself. Besides, I'm sure there are more examples of FT's influence.
― Just got offed, Monday, 13 August 2007 21:39 (seventeen years ago) link
Kudos to the C+B poster who note that you can recreate an episode of Mock the Week in your own house just by repeatedly saying "paedophile" in a Scottish accent.
― Dom Passantino, Monday, 13 August 2007 21:47 (seventeen years ago) link
Yeh the trad sitcom was very much a going concern when Dibley turned up but there is something slicker yet blander about it than what had before. It truly is the Tony Blair of comedy.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 09:23 (seventeen years ago) link
I don't think I've seen an entire episode of The VOD. But then, I've never seen so much as one second of "Black Books"
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 09:26 (seventeen years ago) link
You're always saying you've never done this or that.
― blueski, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:07 (seventeen years ago) link
Gervais defends "Brent Dance" at Di gig:
However, the comic told radio station Heart: “After the Diana concert there was one guy – who works for a tabloid – and he wrote that the crowd booed.
“They didn’t boo, they loved it. People love it when something goes wrong and I was standing there and they demanded I do the ’robot dance’ and it was funny.
“But this guy wrote: ’He’s rubbish, everything he’s ever done is rubbish and it’s all over for him’.
“That week I got nominated for four Emmy Awards, sold 100,000 DVDs of Extras and signed up for two Hollywood movies. So bring on the backlash... I want him writing about me every day.”
― onimo, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:07 (seventeen years ago) link
I can imagine Gervais spending about 2 hours just insisting 'the criticism does not bother me' to his peers, ala Coogan in The Man Who Thinks He's It.
Is Mock The Week the funniest British comedy show on TV at the mo?
― blueski, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:11 (seventeen years ago) link
Talking of "signing up for two Hollywood movies - I caught a trailer for the adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "Stardust" at the weekend. Gervais being billed above Robert De Niro will do his ego the world of good...
― onimo, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:11 (seventeen years ago) link
You have killed me.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:13 (seventeen years ago) link
MTW lol count = 4 or 5. More than 8 Out Of 10 Cats. Less than Star Stories.
― blueski, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:15 (seventeen years ago) link
Ban blueski
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:15 (seventeen years ago) link
I've never done that
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:18 (seventeen years ago) link
I saw some of Hyperdrive this week which wasn't that funny overall but they went back in time to 1995 which was funny. I think someone should write a whole sitcom set in 1995.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:18 (seventeen years ago) link
Diet Coke break Dog Eat Dog Devolution
― blueski, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:28 (seventeen years ago) link
Not in a world where Still Game exists, no.
― ailsa, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:31 (seventeen years ago) link
I think someone should write a whole sitcom set in 1995.
SimpsonsSouth Park did it
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:32 (seventeen years ago) link
Set in Essex.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:33 (seventeen years ago) link
Omni Trio, Outhere Brothers, Joshua Kaddison and Powder on the soundtrack.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:35 (seventeen years ago) link
think someone should write a whole sitcom set in 1995.
-- acrobat, Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11:18 AM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Link
i will write it. it will be called 'the auteurs plan their third album'. haines having his ankles broken will restrict him to his flat, giving it that classic 'confined space' brit sitcom vibe. the arc is, he has to 'sit out' britpop.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:40 (seventeen years ago) link
Didn't think it was still on. It's not particularly funnier anyway tho - just sort of nice pleasant viewing.
― blueski, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:42 (seventeen years ago) link
It's on Thursdays on BBC2, after Mock the Week and Hyperdrive. Presumably everyone's turned their TVs off for Hyperdrive and forgotten to switch them back on again. It's way funnier than watching Hugh Dennis pulling faces and doing Jimmy Savile impressions apropos of nothing, though YMMV, obviously.
― ailsa, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:45 (seventeen years ago) link
I've never seen "Mock the Week". Never done that.
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:53 (seventeen years ago) link
I've been a bit indifferent to the last couple of series of Still Game. It's still occasionally brilliant but for me too often strays towards Last Of The Summer Wine With Swearing.
― onimo, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:54 (seventeen years ago) link
Last one I saw was pretty hilarious
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:56 (seventeen years ago) link
Never seem still game. Seen hyperdrive once. MTW twice. 8ooTC multiple times and that is the winner.
― ledge, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:58 (seventeen years ago) link
I like Still Game, I just find it more of a smile than a laugh.
― blueski, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 10:58 (seventeen years ago) link
Erm Still Game is on at the same time as My Name Is Earl people. Unless you is all amd and don't like that.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:03 (seventeen years ago) link
Never seen "My Name Is Earl". Never done that.
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:06 (seventeen years ago) link
I don't like it as much as I did, but I still like it better than Mock the Week, and bits of the one a couple of weeks ago with Victor and Jack kidding on they were posh "aye, and then one time we kicked a giraffe to death" had me crying actual tears of laughter, and I don't do that very often.
(there are stacks of clips on YouTube, btw)
acrobat, there are these devices which allow you to record one programme while watching another. Watch Still Game, record Earl, watch Earl minus the adverts. Marvellous.
― ailsa, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:07 (seventeen years ago) link
I think the Sc13nt0l0gy aspect puts me off "My Name Is Earl"
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:08 (seventeen years ago) link
No, don't let it do that. I only found out about the Sc13nt0l0gy thing last week, it's not clunkingly obvious or anything (or I am stupid, or I am too busy laughing to care).
― ailsa, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:10 (seventeen years ago) link
Maybe it's a Scottish thing.
I don't really watch TV. Or I don't mean to watch TV. I don't really plan. Louche.
I was sad when I discovered this. But then Mark E Smith hits women and I still like The Fall.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:12 (seventeen years ago) link
And I still like Incredible String Band! So what a hypocrite I am!
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:13 (seventeen years ago) link
Pac was a rapist but California Love is still hot.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:13 (seventeen years ago) link
who gives a shit if Jason Lee is a Scientologist?
― blueski, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:29 (seventeen years ago) link
Jason Lee's family?
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:30 (seventeen years ago) link
Jason Lee's accountant?
I think it's the premise that Earl's karma-tastic adventures are pushing the religion of the main cast a bit, but that's pretty much nonsense.
― ailsa, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:30 (seventeen years ago) link
And that everybody on the show from the tea lady up is one too.... Something bizarre just happened there, when I was typing "that", I typed "theta" instead, spooky!
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― aldo, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 11:38 (seventeen years ago) link
is 'my name is earl' actually scientologist (yeah that's right, i'm not googleproofing it)?
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 12:05 (seventeen years ago) link
No not real 1995 but 2007 vision of 1995. Like Life on Mars but with Britpop.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 12:11 (seventeen years ago) link
It's about doing the right thing and karma and righting previous wrongs and stuff, so maybe, dunno enough about it. It's very funny though, which tends to be what I look for in a comedy.
― ailsa, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 12:16 (seventeen years ago) link
-- acrobat, Tuesday, August 14, 2007 1:11 PM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Link
obviously i think this is a fantastic idea, but it will have to wait till commissioning editors are basically our age. although people in 1995 were banging on about 'the sweeney' and whatnot, so i guess it'd be quite like 'life on mars' anyway.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 12:33 (seventeen years ago) link
Kevin Eldon with long hair and a Therapy t shirt.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 12:39 (seventeen years ago) link
Woops Therapy? innit.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 12:44 (seventeen years ago) link
this is vee close to what happened in hyperdrive though! or is that your point?
― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:06 (seventeen years ago) link
yeh that's the point. a whole sitcom of that. no sci-fi just kevin eldon with long hair and a Therapy? t shirt. ok there would be other stuff. not sure what though.
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:30 (seventeen years ago) link
how does Hyperdrive compare to Red Dwarf series 5 or 6?
― blueski, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:31 (seventeen years ago) link
i've said before i've been pleasantly suprised by hyperdrive. it compares extremely favourably with the arse end of red dwarf.
― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:36 (seventeen years ago) link
from what i've seen, which isn't much, it's not good but nick frost has enough charisma to pull it through. the trip back to 1995 was awesome though.
"this is a wind up, edmonds, it's edmonds innit"
― acrobat, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:40 (seventeen years ago) link
The android/ ship's computer woman is incredibly irritating and I don't like the hippy/ beardy guy either
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:42 (seventeen years ago) link
Dan Antopolski is a very good stand-up comedian, but seems really bad in what I've seen of Hyperdrive (which isn't very much).
(I'm guessing that's who you mean by hippy/beardy guy)
― ailsa, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:43 (seventeen years ago) link
That's him
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:44 (seventeen years ago) link
Tom is lying and has of course never seen Hyperdrive.
― blueski, Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:44 (seventeen years ago) link
Ha ha, I do watch telly occasionally, I usually prefer watching crap TV to "good" TV
― Tom D., Tuesday, 14 August 2007 13:46 (seventeen years ago) link
My name is L Ron Hubbard
The show is about karma and redemption, but could there be a deeper message? James Donaghy examines the influence of the Church of Scientology on hit comedy My Name Is Earl
Saturday June 9, 2007 The Guardian
Do good things and good things will happen to you. Do bad things and it will come back to haunt you". Why can't all TV have a simple message like that at its heart? The brilliantly slick My Name Is Earl carries the karmic principle through to its logical/absurd conclusion with reformed felon Earl Hickey making up for past wrongs by doing good deeds. It's a feelgood kind of show. Yet there's something rotten at the heart of Earl if you believe the whispers. Critics claim there's an unholy influence by the Church of Scientology on the show with jobs for the boys and a crypto religious subtext just two of the allegations. I thought it was all about making a better world?
Article continues
It's a busy time to be a publicity officer for the Church of Scientology. First the controversy caused by the Panorama programme with the John Sweeney meltdown and now the creeping unease about My Name Is Earl. The Scientology-Earl connection begins with Earl himself - actor Jason Lee is a Scientologist, as is show creator Greg Garcia and Ethan Suplee who plays Earl's slow-reader brother Randy. So far, so creepy. But there has also been a guest appearance from Juliette Lewis, Suplee's sister-in-law and a practising Scientologist. Also down with the Church is Giovanni Ribisi, who plays recurring character Ralph Mariano. Church membership beats the crap out of having a union card and relevant experience, some might suggest. Scientologists in Hollywood are nothing new, of course. Tom Cruise will be forever associated with the cult and other high profile members include Beck, Kirstie Alley, John Travolta and Priscilla Presley. While there is nothing in its doctrines that actually promotes celebrity, it certainly hasn't shied away from embracing the famous and the publicity that creates. Part-time musician and spree-killer Charles Manson is also said to have studied Scientology. Strangely, the Church seem less keen for people to know about that.
But what exactly are its teachings? The Church was the creation of L Ron Hubbard, the American science fiction author, as the religious development of his earlier secular self-help system dianetics. Scientology moulded the pseudo science of dianetics with spiritual concepts such as reincarnation and the idea that a person was an immortal spiritual being called a thetan.
A practice central to Scientology is auditing, where a trained counsellor gets the subject to unburden themselves of past traumatic events (engrams) and, crucially, bad things they have done in their past. The confessions are recorded in preclear (PC) folders and kept permanently by the Church. Although there is an auditor's code which states that the auditor must promise not to use the information gained during the audit for punishment or personal gain, a California judge ruled that "the Church or its minions is fully capable of intimidation or other physical or psychological abuse if it suits their ends. The record is replete with evidence of such abuse." So what, we might wonder, could be in Jason Lee's PC folder? And is this finally PC gone mad?
Then there's the concept of the "overt-motivator sequence". Crudely, this is what happens when a person does something bad then subconsciously causes something bad to happen to themself. It all sounds eerily like "Do bad things and it will come back to haunt you", Earl's karmic mantra. The entire series premise, in fact. So when Earl crosses something off his list of bad acts is he just clearing out his preclear closet? Maybe we're unwittingly witnessing an overt motivator sequence? Ruh-roh!
And it's not the first time Scientology has been implicated as influencing its showbiz members. When Isaac Hayes quit voicing South Park's Chef a statement issued on his behalf said it was because he objected to "inappropriate ridicule" of people's religious beliefs. This got one of the biggest laughs in the show's 10-year run from those working on the show. "In 10 years and over 150 episodes of South Park, Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslims, Mormons or Jews." co-creator Matt Stone pointed out "He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show."
If you're wondering what so offended Shaft it's likely you haven't seen the Trapped In The Closet episode. Scientology and prominent Scientologists are roundly mocked and there is a scene where R Kelly sings a song about Tom Cruise being "trapped in the closet". There is also a priceless scene where regular South Park character Stan, who the Scientologists believe to be the reincarnation of L Ron Hubbard, tells them that "Scientology is just a big fat global scam" which prompts the followers to threaten to sue him. This was too much for Hayes. "There's a growing insensitivity towards personal spiritual beliefs." said the Chocolate Salty Balls vocalist. Can you dig it?
They certainly seem a touchy bunch, these Hubbard lovers. People tread warily around the subject of Scientology with its hearty appetite for litigation. They have a rich and varied history of lawsuits. Against newspapers, including the Washington Post, against individuals that teach Hubbard's work outside the official Scientology banner and against the US Internal Revenue Service. There is something about Scientologists that they don't seem to play well with the other boys and girls.
But maybe we're getting our panties in a bunch about this. A Hollywood actor has wacky beliefs? Hold the front page! He puts in a good word for his mates at his job? You'd think he was a chump if he didn't. And let's not forget that Hollywood has always had these cabals, real or imagined. Spencer Tracy's Irish mafia in the 1930s spring to mind and the more recent panic about the supposed gay mafia. The Scientology preclear folder could be the Catholic confessional without the confidentiality and many religions have karmic or "as ye sow, so shall ye reap" principles.
Yet still there's something creepy about Scientology. All this talk of purification gives you a queasy feeling. You can't trust a church which has its member's secrets on file and is willing to use them for its own ends. And many of their specific beliefs do give cause for concern like the necessity of "silent birth" which received widespread exposure in the latter stages of Katie Holmes' pregnancy. Female Scientologists are encouraged to keep the noise down during birth in case the newborn hears "negativity" which can emotionally scar the baby for life. As ever, there's no scientific basis for this and it seems just a neat way of keeping the chicks quiet.
Maybe people wouldn't be so bothered if My Name Is Earl wasn't such a good show. But being loved by so many people seems to bring a certain responsibility. If you have a good show about a good guy people expect you to do good things. And they don't expect you to start subliminally brainwashing them with your weird whacked-out beliefs. Whatever's happening on Earl, Scientology seems unlikely to shake off the common perception that it is a cult. I don't know, though. Mind control, dark rituals, misogyny - maybe it is a mainstream religion after all.
· My Name Is Earl, Thu, 10pm, C4
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:30 (seventeen years ago) link
Yeh it's american but i think *everyone* who has posted to this thread is UK so um it's ok.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:31 (seventeen years ago) link
wonder if sally phillips puts crazy alpha course shit into her shows.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:34 (seventeen years ago) link
Sally Phillips has actually turned down work because it offends her beliefs.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:36 (seventeen years ago) link
dude is she jesus-tastic?
*crosses another one off the list*
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:41 (seventeen years ago) link
She's born again, I forget the complete story... I think she was at the Fringe or some other comedy festival doing this "lol jesus was rubbish amirite?" routine and then she was approached by some Alpha Course types afterwards who let her bathe in their healing light
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:43 (seventeen years ago) link
God, now I remember that hour-long Alpha advert on BBC 2 a few years ago. Eeeeurrrghhhh.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:44 (seventeen years ago) link
story i heard was that she was doing some horror type thing and got TOO DEEP INTO THE OCCULT and had to take the righteous side. a bit like I'm Famous and Frightened meets that Hell House thing they have in America where Satan makes women have abortions and you have to choose between heaven and hell at the end of the tour.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:50 (seventeen years ago) link
http://www.rejesus.co.uk/encounters/interview/02_sally_phillips/index.html
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:54 (seventeen years ago) link
saxondale series 2 trailers as well recently.
― koogs, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:55 (seventeen years ago) link
In fact, the very English one said 'You're only interested in Jesus because you haven't got a boyfriend.' That was the rudest thing anyone had said to me in years, but it worked.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:57 (seventeen years ago) link
oh for the love of god why?
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:57 (seventeen years ago) link
'You're only interested in Jesus because you haven't got a boyfriend.'
HARSH!
haha xpost
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:57 (seventeen years ago) link
mind-boggling that Phillips link
― blueski, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:01 (seventeen years ago) link
because the BBC insist/demand a second series of all their comedy shows - refusal to comply has srs consequence. well done to Jessica Stephenson for having the balls to stand up to them and say no i say.
― blueski, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:03 (seventeen years ago) link
we need more religious Brit ILXors to defend her, this has turned pretty one-way pretty quickly
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:05 (seventeen years ago) link
What on earth is the reasoning behind the two season rule at the Beeb? It's obviously not for selling-to-the-US reasons... is it a DVD thing?
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:06 (seventeen years ago) link
maybe, it's a "it might get better in the second series and become a hit like what only fools and horses did" thing thatcherkid
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:10 (seventeen years ago) link
maybe just banal face-saving exercise ala 'look it can't be THAT bad if it got a second series' and it satisfied their VERY LOW ratings expectations. i think they have relatively huge comedy budget burning hole in their pocket because they're required 'to entertain' and this stuff IS so cheap to produce (one or two writers, mostly indoors, only 3 hours of finished material). nobody is going to harass them for not being funny enough because the 'competition' are no better.
― blueski, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:12 (seventeen years ago) link
That Phillips piece is hilarious.
I started seeing evidence that I believed: when people cast spells things happened, and when Buddhists chanted things happened you wouldn't expect. So that was a bit worrying. And more so to discover that Satanists appeared to exist. I thought that was all rubbish, but I was uncomfortable with the idea that some people are actively supporting the other side. Even if it was all rubbish, it would be nice if there were people supporting the right side as well, just in case.
I wonder what she was expecting?
― Ned Trifle II, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:16 (seventeen years ago) link
How much do you get for writing a 10pm BBC2 sitcom, d'ya think?
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:17 (seventeen years ago) link
Loadsamoney.
― Ned Trifle II, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:18 (seventeen years ago) link
channel 4 has peep show, star stories, it crowd, nathan barley (both have 2nd runs forthcoming) i guess. listed like that it's kinda depressing.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:18 (seventeen years ago) link
-- blueski, Wednesday, August 15, 2007 4:03 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Link
they *changed her name*, which was pretty harsh.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:19 (seventeen years ago) link
nathan barley pisses all over hyperdrive, still game, saxondale, etc.
Peep Show must be on it's 4th series by now I think. I lost count after 1.
Actually I was watching Swiss Toni series 2 on DVD and found it pretty funny, and funnier than series 1. This may not be saying much.
― Ned Trifle II, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:20 (seventeen years ago) link
'You're only interested in Jesus because you haven't got a boyfriend.' 'You're only interested in Jesus because you haven't got a boyfriend.' 'You're only interested in Jesus because you haven't got a boyfriend.' 'You're only interested in Jesus because you haven't got a boyfriend.' 'You're only interested in Jesus because you haven't got a boyfriend.' 'You're only interested in Jesus because you haven't got a boyfriend.' 'You're only interested in Jesus because you haven't got a boyfriend.'
nathan barley is MUCH funnier now than it was when it was on the telly.
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:20 (seventeen years ago) link
i have been told it's £3000 to write an episode of hollyoaks. i may have been misinformed. a days speaking part on dr who is a bit under a grand with dvd royalties at a later date.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:21 (seventeen years ago) link
so, er, work it out from that.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:22 (seventeen years ago) link
holy crap, that's loads.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:23 (seventeen years ago) link
one thing Still Game and Hyperdrive have sort of got right: lead characters are pretty likeable even loveable (altho Nick Frost's safe persona has got boring perhaps)
― blueski, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:25 (seventeen years ago) link
-- blueski, Wednesday, August 15, 2007 4:03 PM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark Link
and chris langham amirite
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:27 (seventeen years ago) link
Altho Bex seemed likeable enough also - maybe it's just more difficult when the lead character is a woman (IT Crowd lass also likeable I think). And different rules apply to early evening sitcoms (people don't watch them expecting riotous hilarity, just something light-hearted to help your dinner go down).
― blueski, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:32 (seventeen years ago) link
-- That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:19
i didn't know you huffed glue, how's that working out for you?
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:38 (seventeen years ago) link
hyperdrive is a moderate giggle, still game and saxondale are two of the only things to force yourself to remember to watch.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:40 (seventeen years ago) link
Gervais being billed above Robert De Niro will do his ego the world of good...
At least he should be spending most of the film dead - not that stops his character, though.
― Forest Pines Mk2, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:46 (seventeen years ago) link
force yourself to remember to watch
wow, appointment TV still exists? who knew?
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:47 (seventeen years ago) link
if you have to force yourself...
even if a show is quite funny i find i'm not that bothered about it/won't go out of my way to see it. i only ever watched all the US animated shows on a casual basis anyway (the Simpsons was pretty unavoidable back when i had Sky anyway). combo of age, jadedness and plateau/nosedive of the medium maybe (applies to lots of music and other art too wah kill me now).
― blueski, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:47 (seventeen years ago) link
i don't think tv's worse than it was -- even if there aren't many comedy shows i like now it's not like it was ever overbrimming with gold. it only takes a few really good shows to make something look like a golden age.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:50 (seventeen years ago) link
"if you have to force yourself..."
i kind of have to force myself to watch anything on telly when i could be doing something else (why don't you..). what i meant was inertia vs the rewards you get from the show. actually switching the box on is an effort for me.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:50 (seventeen years ago) link
hmm i dunno i guess it's easy to be revisionist but is there really anything of the quality of father ted or the day today or i'm alan partridge or blah, blah around at the moment?
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:53 (seventeen years ago) link
nathan barley and peep show are the closest we have to genius, peep show actually attains genius at times.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:54 (seventeen years ago) link
THE THICK OF IT, why do i keep forgetting, now that's the best thing atm
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:55 (seventeen years ago) link
i.e. it is flat-out genius
no -- but they occupied 30 minutes a week for six weeks, and TDT ran for only six weeks in total. IAP ran in two separate years widely spaced apart. FT was about three series in four years. so TV as a whole wasn't upturned by their presence.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:55 (seventeen years ago) link
obviously i do see the mid-late 90s as a golden age, but you gotta fight that.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:56 (seventeen years ago) link
okay i have no idea if i'm going to get laughed at but the nicholas craig shows on bbc4 ie how to be edwardian, how to be science fiction, the mark lawson interview, have been the funniest things in ages and definitely on a par with early partridge.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:59 (seventeen years ago) link
oh yeh forgot peep show. no way is the thick of it genius tho.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:00 (seventeen years ago) link
part of what makes a golden age is the feeling that you're not in a tiny minority of smug media-savvy bbc4-watchers too, and while i do think 'the thick of it' is up there with the 90s stuff i mentioned (though i do think it's mean-spirited but those are the times we live in ;_;), i'm conscious it doesn't have that 'quoting it in the playground the next morning' vibe. granted i'm not at school, but i mean, people at work and even people i like don't know what the hell it is. likewise 'nathan barley', which is somewhat esoteric.
'peep show' is getting more popular as it gets more shit, and again i often find it more depressing than funny.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:04 (seventeen years ago) link
The Thick of It is great, I forgot that but, but it doesn't make me laff that much. It's a neat little send up of modern politics but no way is it The Greatest Sitcom Since Fawlty Towers (TM Alison Graham)It'll have two or three killers an episode but not Police Squad bang, bang jokes, bruv. Family Guy does. TV Burp does as well but that really should be an entree not a main course.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:06 (seventeen years ago) link
There's something about the name of that massive If You Don't Like Peep Show You Are Probably Not Worth Knowing facebook group that makes me think that is the perfect sitcom for our crypto-tory shitbag generation.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:08 (seventeen years ago) link
i'm not saying TV's worse - quality is constant because new problems replace the old ones.
there was a good thing on BBC Four about TV in 1974 a few weeks back. Unfortunately the clips they showed of Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads made it look a rather worthy (Bolam sighs at sight of demolished factory etc.), boring affair with stifled laughter to match. Surely not the case.
― blueski, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:09 (seventeen years ago) link
"part of what makes a golden age is the feeling that you're not in a tiny minority of smug media-savvy bbc4-watchers too"
i'm not taking offense as such but i never mentioned anything about no golden age which i think is ridiculous anyway (in this context), what makes you think bbc-4 watchers are tech-savvy i'm certainly not in fact most of them are prob middle aged with string round their glasses, and "smug" ? bit douchey, no?
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:09 (seventeen years ago) link
-- acrobat, Wednesday, August 15, 2007 5:08 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Link
yeah 100% otm. i hadn't realized this till recently when it got really massive. the jokes have become more sour over the last two series also, as mark as become the central character and jeremy the tosspot.
xpost i was talking about me and mine, frogman.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:12 (seventeen years ago) link
in any case, when the day today came out, did you not feel part of a clique/minority watching this tremendous/slightly overlooked thing at 10pm on bbc2? smug, perhaps?
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:12 (seventeen years ago) link
possibly -- but not with 'father ted' or 'brass eye' or 'i'm alan partridge'.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:14 (seventeen years ago) link
or 'the smell of reeves and mortimer'!
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:15 (seventeen years ago) link
imo Malcolm Tucker and Ollie are more likeable than Mark and Jeremy. maybe it's because they're such high status clever bastards (Tucker at least) and actually succeed most of the time. British comedy penchant for irritating losers really not a plus point.
― blueski, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:15 (seventeen years ago) link
'i'm alan partridge' was smug-inducing. brass eye was alienating to a lot of people. father ted was a legtimate universal sitcom tho.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:15 (seventeen years ago) link
ban anyone who uses the words 'smug' or 'genius' on this thread.
― blueski, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:16 (seventeen years ago) link
blueski banned!!!111
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:17 (seventeen years ago) link
i don't think IAP was smug at all.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:19 (seventeen years ago) link
yeah i am kind of using it because i disagree with the notion, however 'i'm alan partridge' is kind of sneering and loathsome and i don't think people who are obsessed with it are particularly nice.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:19 (seventeen years ago) link
nah iap is iannucci and coogan playing to the gallery. the student-wanker gallery.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:21 (seventeen years ago) link
i disagree.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:24 (seventeen years ago) link
i think peep show fits in quite well with programs like balls of steel even the apprentince. it shares space with media figures like gordon ramsey and jeremy clarkson. it echoes the elevation of boris johnson to godhead status. self satisfaction, complacency, meaness all are celebrated with unironic irony. g2 gentrification, the mainstreaming of hipster one up manship becomes playground tactics. everyone wants to be on the side thats winning.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:25 (seventeen years ago) link
hmm.
some cracking gags tho gromit.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:26 (seventeen years ago) link
all rooted in a slightly shitty view of the world.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:28 (seventeen years ago) link
at least they're not racists though.
― acrobat, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:31 (seventeen years ago) link
imo Malcolm Tucker and Ollie are more likeable than Mark and Jeremy.
Ollie isn't (especially not in part 2 of the special), Tucker certainly is. Whoever said it didn't have a laughing-out-loud vibe clearly didn't see Part 1. An hour's worth of belly-laughs, that one.
Brass Eye was alienating to a lot of people, most of whom were Mail-reading cunts.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:35 (seventeen years ago) link
the weird thing abt ramsey is that his shtick -- which is as acrobat sez -- is at odds with the content and dynamic of his programmes, which are about the opposite of complacency: viz "yr cookery is only as good is its eaters say it is", hence LEARN TO DO IT PROPERLY PLZ
it's quite ur-reithian that way, fuck me
― mark s, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:40 (seventeen years ago) link
"Brass Eye was alienating to a lot of people, most of whom were Mail-reading cunts"
you're a complete fucking dickhead
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:41 (seventeen years ago) link
And you're the dude who saw 'media-savvy' and quoted 'tech-savvy'.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:42 (seventeen years ago) link
Sotcaalicious
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:43 (seventeen years ago) link
xxp ie members of my family found it too harsh, too nihilistic, too confusing, amoral etc. and they're not mail reading or the other thing. i love it, but i can see why a person brought up in a different time, or with more mainstream values might have not liked these things. i mean i hate almost everything morris did after blue jam which revealed those unpleasant tendencies used to great effect in brass eye much more starkly. i guess that makes me a mail-reading cunt.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:45 (seventeen years ago) link
-- Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:42
you're absolutely right. um, so?
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:46 (seventeen years ago) link
Srsly, tho, what's so dickheaded about my statement? Brass Eye is one of the funniest programmes in the history of television, that is unalterable fact. Therefore, who can it possibly alienate? Possibly, it alienates stuck-up prudish Daily Mail readers (the stereotype most certainly applies here), who can't abide by its content, or the manner in which it skewers their complacent, bigoted view of the world.
Aha. Explanations.
Well, my comeback above was a cheap shot, sure, but bear in mind I said 'most' not 'all'. Sure there are those that might have found it amoral or confusing. In general, though, I'd expect the majority of opprobrium to come from those ideologically opposed to Morris.
Blue Jam, I'll say it again, is the finest programme ever, radio or television.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:49 (seventeen years ago) link
Wow, two absolutes in one post! For <superlative> programme ever, read "in my opinion, the best I have seen".
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:50 (seventeen years ago) link
You're nuts.
Mark Heap is, like, 54 or something, you know?
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:51 (seventeen years ago) link
finding things funny = no prob finding things funny and awarding yrself a medal for it = tw@t
― mark s, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:52 (seventeen years ago) link
xpost: Yeah, he's getting on a bit, but he was absolutely perfect for his BJ roles. And he's still got it in doses; he was probably the best thing about Green Wing.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:53 (seventeen years ago) link
I'd hardly call this 'awarding myself a medal' btw. Everyone my age with an interest in comedy likes Brass Eye. Now that's scientific fact.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:55 (seventeen years ago) link
there's an awful lot thats funny about brass eye that makes no coherent "ideological" sense, and at the same time repulses if you've been brought up in a different milleu (social and media). you're very narrow in your knowledge and possibly experience.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 16:58 (seventeen years ago) link
Well, by 'ideological' I mean Morris' clear objective to make more or less anything, no matter what the supposed taste, into a joke. This wanton subversion goes squarely against those who would dictate what is 'right and proper'; his freedom of expression, raucously manifested as it is, got up a lot of noses.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 17:01 (seventeen years ago) link
and bar
― mark s, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 17:02 (seventeen years ago) link
Terry and June is one of the funniest programmes in the history of television, that is unalterable fact. Therefore, who can it possibly alienate? Possibly, it alienates stuck-up prudish The Sex readers (the stereotype most certainly applies here), who can't abide by its content, or the manner in which it skewers their complacent, bigoted view of the world.
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 17:06 (seventeen years ago) link
Dude I haven't seen Terry and June, but if I did, I probably wouldn't feel 'alienated'! I'd like to know how it skewers my view of the world. Enlighten me.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 17:08 (seventeen years ago) link
there's an episode in which terry scott is reading "the daily mail" before his chair breaks
― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 17:34 (seventeen years ago) link
http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v65/28/120/36909752/n36909752_32887061_1889.jpg
"JYOOOOON!"
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 17:37 (seventeen years ago) link
> there's an episode in which terry scott is reading "the daily mail" before his chair breaks
isn't that the title sequence?
the only thing i remember about t&j being how topical it was, hence the cb radio episode, etc.
― koogs, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 18:11 (seventeen years ago) link
there's a fair bit of morris stuff that's just nasty. i know the peedo special is bestsatiresinceswift but so much of it is just bad taste lols. i think at some point there's a realization, or one i had, that as much as you try and justify it sometimes yr laughing cos it's naughty. it's a cheap thrill. but we're all popists here and "cheap thrill" is no denegration. it's just something to be aware of when you stop patting your back.
wikipedia says;
"Satirical television shows such as Have I Got News For You and They Think It's All Over are also popular on British television."
― acrobat, Thursday, 16 August 2007 10:07 (seventeen years ago) link
Wait a minute, Louis Jag is pulling a; "If You Don't Like Peep Show You Are Probably Not Worth Knowing" but with Brass Eye. Comedy = divisive.
― acrobat, Thursday, 16 August 2007 10:14 (seventeen years ago) link
The Nicholas Craig thing on "How to be C18th" was pretty funny for a clip show - much riffing on Biggins, Brian Blessed's "keynote performance there as Lord Shoutyface Cholesterol". Haven't seen the others. Who'd have thunk it 25 years ago that the only member of the Young Ones/Comic Strip clan to still be making reasonably good TV comedy into his 40s/50s would be Planer? To be fair, some of the others have moved into other areas, but they've all been hopeless on the telly since '93 or so.
(Lou1s J@gger is 19 or something, isn't he? I was a daft sod at that age too.)
― Michael Jones, Thursday, 16 August 2007 10:23 (seventeen years ago) link
Ooh, automagical googproofin'.
― Michael Jones, Thursday, 16 August 2007 10:24 (seventeen years ago) link
however 'i'm alan partridge' is kind of sneering and loathsome
Who is being sneered at?
― Tom D., Thursday, 16 August 2007 10:34 (seventeen years ago) link
There's a difference between not liking/being unsettled by Brass Eye, which I can fully accept, and being 'alienated' by it. I'm sure plenty of my friends don't much like Brass Eye, but I doubt any of them are completely, vocally opposed to its principles.
― Just got offed, Thursday, 16 August 2007 11:06 (seventeen years ago) link
principles?
― acrobat, Thursday, 16 August 2007 11:12 (seventeen years ago) link
Louis thinks everyone has many principles has he has
― Tom D., Thursday, 16 August 2007 11:17 (seventeen years ago) link
i did see the 'how to be science fiction' which was actually 'how to be 70s science fiction' as it took most of it's cues from gareth edwards. was very much a 'lol, actors were bad back then' type affair.
brass eye argumenting now in it's 5th great year.
― koogs, Thursday, 16 August 2007 11:25 (seventeen years ago) link
surely 10th?
― acrobat, Thursday, 16 August 2007 11:31 (seventeen years ago) link
principles of expression and humour xxxpost
― Just got offed, Thursday, 16 August 2007 11:31 (seventeen years ago) link
Only 5 of them were great.
― onimo, Thursday, 16 August 2007 11:32 (seventeen years ago) link
That many?
― Tom D., Thursday, 16 August 2007 11:33 (seventeen years ago) link
Brass Eye - is that what all the fuss was about? -- tarden, Friday, 6 July 2001 00:00 (6 years ago)
BRASS EYE - 8/8/01 -- dave q, Wednesday, 8 August 2001 00:00 (6 years ago)
Brass Eye / Chris Morris... -- Nick Southall, Monday, 13 May 2002 00:00 (5 years ago)
― koogs, Thursday, 16 August 2007 14:04 (seventeen years ago) link
The Office and Extras star/writer/director, Ricky Gervais, has signed to direct and star in This Side Of The Truth!
Gervais, 46, will play the leading role in the comedy and co-direct with Matt Robinson. This will be Gervais' directing feature debut.
This Side Of The Truth is about a contemporary world where no one has ever lied. A performer (Gervais) tells the first lie and harnesses its power for personal gain.
― DavidM, Friday, 14 September 2007 13:59 (seventeen years ago) link
according to guardian peter serafinowicz has his own series starting in september (that's this month).
― koogs, Friday, 14 September 2007 15:32 (seventeen years ago) link
Trailer for The Peter Serafinowicz Show.
― DavidM, Friday, 14 September 2007 16:17 (seventeen years ago) link
Jimmy Carr is being lined up to front a new clip show for the BBC. He last night recorded a pilot episode of What Are You Looking At? with plans for a full series.
The show, made by Have I Got News For You producers Hat Trick, promises to take a ‘comedic look’ at the week's television
However, the show has already been criticised for being a carbon copy of Harry Hill's TV Burp, which has proved a ratings hit for ITV.
BBC director general Mark Thompson has previously been dismissive of copycat programmes, and the corporation says their show will be ‘more spiky’*.
― DavidM, Saturday, 15 September 2007 16:29 (seventeen years ago) link
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s236/mezxspectrum/HarryHillsmallerrordiffusion.gif
― DavidM, Saturday, 15 September 2007 16:40 (seventeen years ago) link
Dogface officially not too bad.
― blueski, Friday, 21 September 2007 17:46 (seventeen years ago) link
Who'd have thunk it 25 years ago that the only member of the Young Ones/Comic Strip clan to still be making reasonably good TV comedy into his 40s/50s would be Planer?
"Mike" was on SAXONDALE last night.
― PJ Miller, Friday, 21 September 2007 17:51 (seventeen years ago) link
I don't remember ever having seen this episode, but it sounds fucking fantastic.
― PJ Miller, Friday, 21 September 2007 17:53 (seventeen years ago) link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7028033.stm
― stevie, Thursday, 4 October 2007 16:12 (seventeen years ago) link
"Other winners included David Gest, who picked up the prize for funniest reality TV person."
― koogs, Thursday, 4 October 2007 16:29 (seventeen years ago) link
i still can't believe he's bangin Malandra Burrows
― blueski, Thursday, 4 October 2007 16:31 (seventeen years ago) link
BBC2 launches it's Comedy Night (again) tonight:
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle - Jennifer Saunders giving Oprah-type confessional talk shows the Larry Sanders treatment.
The Peter Serafinowicz show - impersonates The Beatles, Michael Caine, and other hip'n'happenin stuff.
That Mitchell and Web Look - (rpt)
Newsnight - Tories lol.
― DavidM, Thursday, 4 October 2007 16:36 (seventeen years ago) link
Serafinowicz won't be funny
― RJG, Thursday, 4 October 2007 16:47 (seventeen years ago) link
i like PS, find him v watchable so expect at least 2 chuckles
― blueski, Thursday, 4 October 2007 16:49 (seventeen years ago) link
in other news i think there should be a Mighty Boosh comic
Ban Peter Serafinowicz, this is dreadful
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 4 October 2007 20:58 (seventeen years ago) link
Between the old Futarama gags, the old French and Saunders gags and the old Simpsons gags, my most entertainment was from going "Look, it's the guy who played The Curious Orange" when the guy who played The Curious Orange was onscreen
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 4 October 2007 20:59 (seventeen years ago) link
/\ ban, obv.
i thought PS was fine, better than expected, several good lols. i also cheered Paul Putner tho. better than Dogface (which features the same doe-eyed lass).
― blueski, Thursday, 4 October 2007 22:24 (seventeen years ago) link
BBC scheduling methodology troubles me now as it seems that you can't get a new comedy on BBC2 unless you're already a name, you can't get on BBC Four unless you're aloof (i think FOTC counts as aloof altho i still haven't seen an ep), and you can't get on BBC3 unless you're incredibly stupid and crap. Doesn't bode well for actual fresh funny talent at all.
― blueski, Thursday, 4 October 2007 22:30 (seventeen years ago) link
didn't see it
― RJG, Thursday, 4 October 2007 22:36 (seventeen years ago) link
think you'd be somewhere between me and dom if you had
― blueski, Thursday, 4 October 2007 22:42 (seventeen years ago) link
I was disappointed by Serafinozowicz. I loved Look Around You, but this wasn't half as clever. Seemed like he was taking cheap shots at things that have already had the mick taken out of them a thousand times before (Big Brother, Michael Caine, QVC). I don't get the Mitchell and Webb sketch with the snooker commentators at all.
Can anyone remind me what the bit of music Seraphimowitz played on the lady's fingers? I can't work it out, even though it's very famous.
In other news, I've been really enjoying Snuffbox (about a year too late I know). Especially "Rapper With A Baby".
― the next grozart, Friday, 5 October 2007 00:18 (seventeen years ago) link
The '70s man getting married' thing felt a bit Look Around You S2 but in a good way.
― blueski, Friday, 5 October 2007 00:34 (seventeen years ago) link
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
― Venga, Friday, 5 October 2007 08:19 (seventeen years ago) link
PS's alan alda was great. rest of it middling. but passed the time.
vivyan vyle was bbc1 fodder, i thought, ab fab watered down.
best of the three was mitchell and webb, yes. unfortunately the last one. still graham norton next week.
― koogs, Friday, 5 October 2007 08:52 (seventeen years ago) link
i liked the chiropractor sketch on mitchell and webb
― the next grozart, Friday, 5 October 2007 12:15 (seventeen years ago) link
I liked the cavepeople sketch and the nazi sketch on Mitchell and Webb. the rest was disappointing.
― Grandpont Genie, Friday, 5 October 2007 12:42 (seventeen years ago) link
It's total cack
― Tom D., Friday, 5 October 2007 12:43 (seventeen years ago) link
i'm sticking with my first answer
― blueski, Friday, 5 October 2007 12:47 (seventeen years ago) link
thursdays now officially less funny now norton has replaced mitchell and webb. v vyle still dreadful. BUT 30 rock is on ch5 later and is quite good.
serafinowicz good bits = none of the recurring characters (although i did like butterfield's(?) disguises). dickens' jammy corners, poison sockets good. beatles very poor.
― koogs, Friday, 12 October 2007 08:51 (seventeen years ago) link
'30 rock' is great. by episode four or five it's genius.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Friday, 12 October 2007 08:54 (seventeen years ago) link
Serafinowicz has a sort of gentle silliness that is quite likeable but, generally, the material is shandy weak. Poison sockets, Christmas Man, Limpy's Got Cancer the only highlights this week.
Funny that, for all his voice talent and acting chops, the best thing he's ever been involved in (Look Around You S1) hardly featured him as a performer at all.
― Michael Jones, Friday, 12 October 2007 09:01 (seventeen years ago) link
the best thing he's ever been involved in
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UDONGdCjkNw
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 12 October 2007 09:07 (seventeen years ago) link
Yeah, that was good too.
― Michael Jones, Friday, 12 October 2007 09:17 (seventeen years ago) link
Serafinowicz has a sort of gentle silliness that is quite likeable but, generally, the material is shandy weak.
i agree, forgot to watch last night (thought it was on friday for some reason, in your face BBC branding-obsessives).
― blueski, Friday, 12 October 2007 10:26 (seventeen years ago) link
Paramount Comedy has a kinda "stand-up" compilation show featuring biggish name stand-ups of today's routines that they can get cheap, ie: from 1997. It's fucking weird to watch. Stewart Lee as a punchline machine comedian, Sean Lock doing a kinda "Gas as hosted by Lee Mack" surrealism piece, Dave Gorman telling actually jokes...
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 19 October 2007 08:45 (seventeen years ago) link
Also, on the topic of S.Lee, apparently he's got the BBC nod to produce his own pilot, based heavily on the old Dave Allan stand-up shows. Except with an extra half-a-finger, I assume.
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 19 October 2007 08:46 (seventeen years ago) link
I'm glad he found work so soon after being sacked by Bolton.
― Mark C, Friday, 19 October 2007 13:01 (seventeen years ago) link
OK, "It's Adam and Shelley", it's the last straw really. Why? How? Why again?
― Tom D., Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:06 (seventeen years ago) link
did anyone see Learners? her from spaced, him from doctor who. i taped it but am not sure i can summon up the will to actually watch it given the BBC1 9 o'clock timeslot
― koogs, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:13 (seventeen years ago) link
Going to the taping for S. Lee's no-longer-cancelled pilot, will report back
― That mong guy that's shit, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:19 (seventeen years ago) link
I saw most of Learners. It was not worth the time although I had to keep watching because I was intrigued by the building they used for drving school HQ and wondered whether they were using the actual interior or a set.
― Ned Trifle II, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:23 (seventeen years ago) link
Also, on the topic of S.Lee, apparently he's got the BBC nod to produce his own pilot, based heavily on the old Dave Allan stand-up shows.
What is with Dave Allen? This from the bbc's blurb about Amid Djalili's new show...
Omid Djalili invokes the spirit of Dave Allen in his new self-penned, self-titled stand-up and sketch show.
― Ned Trifle II, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:50 (seventeen years ago) link
I imagine a lot of comedians are fans of his
― Tom D., Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:51 (seventeen years ago) link
Dave Allen was funny, died within the past five years, didn't have a massive fall-off in funniness towards the end of his career, plus there's something endearingly "old school" about his approach that's gonna suit guys like Djalili and Lee: stand-up with brief character sketches
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:51 (seventeen years ago) link
Plus Lee and Djalili are both "lightly political" comedians, like Allen.
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:52 (seventeen years ago) link
Dave Allen was great! His comedy was gentler, slower, and yet more piercing and devastatingly-observed than most modern wannabes'.
― Just got offed, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:53 (seventeen years ago) link
I'd forgotten that Dave Allen used to do sketches. I only rember him sitting on that stool telling jokes (and drinking and smoking iirc).
― Ned Trifle II, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:53 (seventeen years ago) link
Pour one out... http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/content/images/2007/08/20/daveallen_2_396x222.jpg
― Ned Trifle II, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:54 (seventeen years ago) link
Allen became very rude towards the end or, perhaps, that material was always part of his stand-up and '90s TV allowed him to broadcast it. I just remember my parents (big fans in the '70s) being appalled by the explicit sex jokes; like a hero of theirs had revealed his true colours. I doubt my Dad had been so disappointed in anyone since Dave Hickson joined Liverpool in 1959.
― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 12:48 (seventeen years ago) link
He used the f-word, I was shocked by that
― Tom D., Tuesday, 13 November 2007 12:52 (seventeen years ago) link
Yes, perhaps it was more the language. Poor old Mum just can't get past swearing; she nearly made my Dad turn off One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest when it was first shown on TV in about 1988 cos of the cussing. It became one of my Dad's favourite films!
Welcome to the Jonesy Nostalgia Thread.
― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 12:56 (seventeen years ago) link
PUT YOUR HANDS UP FOR A THIRD SERIES OF TITTYBANGBANG, THEY LOVE NOT PRODUCING ONE SINGLE LAUGH EVER AND YET STILL BEING RECOMMISSIONED
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:30 (seventeen years ago) link
Double thread attack on Tittybang!
― Tom D., Friday, 16 November 2007 11:31 (seventeen years ago) link
Some bits of Tittybang have actually made me snigger.
― Noodle Vague, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:33 (seventeen years ago) link
Also lol at weird "Megan's Law" looking dude who reviews TV in The Lite London Paper going "Some may say that Lead Balloon is "steals" from Curb Your Enthusiasm, but there's one difference: it's funnier"
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:33 (seventeen years ago) link
-- Noodle Vague, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:33 (5 seconds ago) Bookmark Link
"Snigger" isn't an acceptable euphemism for "jack off"
It's almost as good as "Katy Brand's Big Ass Show"
― Tom D., Friday, 16 November 2007 11:34 (seventeen years ago) link
Hey I was surprised too but God knows most of C4s comedy output is worse.
― Noodle Vague, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:36 (seventeen years ago) link
Katy Brand's Big Ass Face, morelike amirite?
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:40 (seventeen years ago) link
I'm assuming after Jan Ravens and Ronni Ancona female impressionists don't need to be either funny or actually sound like the people they're impersonating, and just have large breasts?
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:41 (seventeen years ago) link
You forgot Karen Taylor
― Tom D., Friday, 16 November 2007 11:41 (seventeen years ago) link
Works for me.
― Noodle Vague, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:42 (seventeen years ago) link
Tittybangbang: not as bad as Little Miss Jocelyn.
Should totally be its slogan.
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:43 (seventeen years ago) link
Testicular cancer: not as bad as Little Miss Jocelyn.
Should totally be its slogan
― Tom D., Friday, 16 November 2007 11:44 (seventeen years ago) link
I feel like such a racist for hating Little Miss Jocelyn, but it really is fucking awful and was obviously commissioned so the BBC could go "See! We DO give black comedy a chance!"
Remember that comedy drama about the family with the dude who played Geoffrey in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? That was OK. And I laughed at least twice after watching three episodes of The Nathan Caton Show, so, again, I'm not a racist.
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:46 (seventeen years ago) link
well played.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:49 (seventeen years ago) link
Bring back Robbie Gee.
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:49 (seventeen years ago) link
http://www.adrians.co.uk/acatalog/MICKY01CD2.jpg
― Tom D., Friday, 16 November 2007 11:49 (seventeen years ago) link
That record was funny.
― Noodle Vague, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:50 (seventeen years ago) link
POLL:
Curtis and Ishmael Collette Johnson Llewella Gideon Meera Syal Perry Benson Sanjeev Bhaskar Leo Chester Felix Dexter Robbie Gee Kulvinder Ghir Judith Jacob Rudi Lickwood Eddie Nestor Marcus Powell Junior Simpson Curtis Walker
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:52 (seventeen years ago) link
his last film has a somewhat hopeful title and one solitary review on imdb. guess it was unreleased:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2007/03/12/dont_stop_dreaming_2007_review.shtml
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:52 (seventeen years ago) link
Oh, I wanna see that!
― Tom D., Friday, 16 November 2007 11:53 (seventeen years ago) link
Taz and Michelle Collins, together at last.
"Cowboy Song", that was OK.
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 16 November 2007 11:53 (seventeen years ago) link
-- That mong guy that's shit, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 11:19 (3 weeks ago) Bookmark Link
^^^how about some feedback on this?
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 6 December 2007 10:51 (seventeen years ago) link
Assuming the taping was cancelled after he ate the cameras lol he's fat now
Hit and miss, I think it's supposed to be stand-up intercut with taped interviews. The stand-up bit largely consisted of him shouting abuse at the British public for thinking Del Boy falling through the bar is funny.
― That mong guy that's shit, Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:01 (seventeen years ago) link
It is funny though
― Tom D., Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:04 (seventeen years ago) link
Prefer the police inteview scene.
― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:06 (seventeen years ago) link
Comedy gold... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtboTwW-Jao
― Ned Trifle II, Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:06 (seventeen years ago) link
Stewart Lee:
TS: Derek Trotter vs. Derek Bailey
― Tom D., Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:09 (seventeen years ago) link
Not the bit when DelBoy rips open a policewoman's jacket thinking she's a stripper then?
― Ned Trifle II, Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:10 (seventeen years ago) link
Man Stroke Woman is best UK comedy right now.
― blueski, Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:38 (seventeen years ago) link
Gulp
― Tom D., Thursday, 6 December 2007 11:41 (seventeen years ago) link
To pick up on Koogs' comment on Love Soup on the other thread. Yeah, I like this but they've lost Michael Landis as their leading man (got a better offer) and Renwick seems to been forced into a complete rethink on S2 - it's 12 x 30min rather than 6 x 60min. We've got S2 in at work but I haven't seen any of it yet.
― Michael Jones, Thursday, 6 December 2007 12:27 (seventeen years ago) link
Shut it. These are OFFICIALLY the best in British comedy right now:
http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2007/12/05/6116/british_comedy_awards%3A_the_results
Gavin & Stacey, Simon Amstell and David Michell were big winners at the 18th annual British Comedy Awards last night.
Gavin & Stacey won best new scripted comedy, while its stars, and co-creators, Ruth Jones and James Cordon won best new actress and actor accordingly.
Amstell won best entertainment personality, while Never Mind The Buzzcocks was named best comedy entertainment show. He thanked 'Mark Lamarr for leaving. I've done really well out of that depression.
Mitchell won best comedy actor, while Peep Show won the big prize of the night, best TV comedy.
As expected, host Jonathan Ross cracked plenty of jokes at the expense of ITV, which decided not to air the show live following inconsistencies in the 2005 phone-in vote.
― Frogman Henry, Thursday, 6 December 2007 12:31 (seventeen years ago) link
The full list of winners at the British Comedy Awards 2007:
Best Television Comedy Actor David Mitchell - Peep Show
Best Television Comedy Actress Liz Smith - The Royle Family: The Queen of Sheba
Best Comedy Entertainment Personality Simon Amstell - Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Best TV Comedy Peep Show
Best Comedy Entertainment Programme Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Best International Comedy Show Curb Your Enthusiasm
Best Male Comedy Newcomer James Corden - Gavin & Stacey
Best Female Comedy Newcomer Ruth Jones - Gavin & Stacey
Best New British Television Comedy Gavin & Stacey
Best Live Stand-Up Alan Carr
Best Comedy Film The Simpsons Movie
The Writers' Guild Ronnie Barker Award Simon Pegg
Lifetime Achievement Award Stephen Fry
― blueski, Thursday, 6 December 2007 12:34 (seventeen years ago) link
yes that's better.
― Frogman Henry, Thursday, 6 December 2007 12:34 (seventeen years ago) link
not sure i ever saw the end of G&S. lol at the fact that the mates both won comedy newcomer but neither gavin nor stacey did.
> Michael Landes
thought i'd seen him in something more recently but his imdb page doesn't show anything. CSI bit parts and Ghost Whisperer but not sure that counts as 'better offer' 8)
best line in Love Soup: 'it's not rocket salad'.
other current fav: Big Train repeats on Dave Tv. mark heap as emperor ming in hosital after slipping on mat. pegg as blue skinned underling visitor.
― koogs, Thursday, 6 December 2007 13:00 (seventeen years ago) link
with julia davis as his nice sister
― blueski, Thursday, 6 December 2007 13:14 (seventeen years ago) link
Lead Balloon ultimately sucks because Dee's character is actually too unpleasant, manipulative and miserable whereas Larry David was mindful to present himself as in the right and the victim enough of the time to remain likeable. Also he made jokes.
― blueski, Thursday, 6 December 2007 13:50 (seventeen years ago) link
I don't understand how Ruth Jones can win Best Comedy Newcomer. She was in Human Remains 7 years ago!
― nate woolls, Thursday, 6 December 2007 16:37 (seventeen years ago) link
HIGNFY has been good lately. Charlie Brooker did well the other week and Lauren Laverne was excellent last week - forgot how funny she could be.
― blueski, Thursday, 20 December 2007 14:53 (seventeen years ago) link
Russell Brand was shit tho
― Tom D., Thursday, 20 December 2007 14:54 (seventeen years ago) link
Lauren Laverne said funny stuff but came across as unlikeable
― Tom D., Thursday, 20 December 2007 14:55 (seventeen years ago) link
only to you, WEIRDO
― blueski, Thursday, 20 December 2007 14:56 (seventeen years ago) link
I don't know, something a bit unpleasant and sneery about her
― Tom D., Thursday, 20 December 2007 14:58 (seventeen years ago) link
But I suppose that's what the kids want these days
― Tom D., Thursday, 20 December 2007 14:59 (seventeen years ago) link
see what you want to
― blueski, Thursday, 20 December 2007 15:03 (seventeen years ago) link
i didn't see her on HIGNFY, but my fondness for la laverne has diminished these past ten years. she is a bit superior, in a guardian guide sort of way, on the culture show, and, in a guardian guide sort of way, without having much to be superior about.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Thursday, 20 December 2007 17:26 (seventeen years ago) link
Right. Supercilious, middlebrow and proud of it.
― Tom D., Thursday, 20 December 2007 17:29 (seventeen years ago) link
examples?
― blueski, Thursday, 20 December 2007 18:23 (seventeen years ago) link
'the culture show' is EXACTLY THE SAME as, say, the housewife/dolie/oap-oriented lunchtime show 'loose women': some fucker plugging their new book/record/film. that's it, that's all they do, there is no chance of criticism or perspective; just the inevitability that not one choice will take you by surprise. it's all incredibly safe -- tate modern, arcade fire, ang lee, that kind of shit. only it's presented as if you the viewer should be proud for having discovered something. and you don't need any of this shit.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Thursday, 20 December 2007 18:29 (seventeen years ago) link
don't think that's right. Kermode and to a lesser extent Graham-Dixon do offer the criticism/perspective on things but if you want more of that watch Newsnight Review anyway. TCS mandate as a light general arts guide is fine (under the circumstances and if this is how much time the BBC want to spend on this). I mean middlebrow is the POINT and there's no shame in that at 7.30pm on a BBC2 Saturday night. Laverne is kinda wasted as a presenter tho despite being competent and 'bubbly' enough to front it. Verity Sharp was doing a good enough job before her.
― blueski, Thursday, 20 December 2007 18:47 (seventeen years ago) link
Kermode and to a lesser extent Graham-Dixon do offer the criticism/perspective on things but if you want more of that watch Newsnight Review anyway
Newsnight Review's worse! Unless you actually believe that what Julie Myerson thinks about anything is of any interest to anyone in the universe
― Tom D., Thursday, 20 December 2007 18:53 (seventeen years ago) link
i don't even dislike middlebrow stuff exactly... probably more like i'm bored with the same old stuff. in the summer TCS did a "british movies spesh" and it was... 'wicker man', 'clockwork orange', fucking 'notting hill'. whereas last night channel five included 'taking of the pelham 123' in a clip show (i guess for some people *that's* played, but not as badly).
i don't dislike kermode but he does reinforce received opinion -- by dint of being everywhere he kind of *is* received opinion. TCS will never kick something unless its down -- recently 'southland tales', giving the impression of occasionally being badass.
think forward or back to the meltdown festival -- would TCS ever, ever say "lol this curator is a twazz"? and yet they usually are.
aye, i can't even watch newsnight review now.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Thursday, 20 December 2007 18:55 (seventeen years ago) link
On tonight's show: the latest Ian Rankin; the newest offering from Dreamworks; some other shit and, right at the end of the show, 15 seconds of footage to commemorate the death of Karlheinz Stockhausen, but, don't worry, we won't actually talk about Karlheinz Stockhausen because we know fuck all about him or about almost anything to do with music
― Tom D., Thursday, 20 December 2007 18:58 (seventeen years ago) link
the point is you will still get a bit of argument on that show even it is just Morley vs Harris on Shrek 3 (fun fun!). whether TCS should try and do this or not is another issue. i do know that Laverne should leave it in order to be more roffley tho.
― blueski, Thursday, 20 December 2007 19:00 (seventeen years ago) link
she does other shows, i think -- corporate indie at 11.40 on channel 4 kind of stuff? live from koko.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Thursday, 20 December 2007 19:05 (seventeen years ago) link
'tonight on the culture show laverne talks to dizzee rascal / next week on transmission laverne talks to dizzee rascal' was my zingy cos it's true earlier this year
― blueski, Thursday, 20 December 2007 19:09 (seventeen years ago) link
tcs made me have some respect for sting. thus i hate it.
― Frogman Henry, Thursday, 20 December 2007 19:36 (seventeen years ago) link
laverne was interviewing him about his dowland record, and said "so, it's not just for chinstroking beardy weirdos, then?" he answered bemusedly and then performed live, pretty good i thought. havnae bought it or anything.
― Frogman Henry, Thursday, 20 December 2007 19:38 (seventeen years ago) link
"so, it's not just for chinstroking beardy weirdos, then?"
she said this to dizzee too, or should have.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Thursday, 20 December 2007 19:47 (seventeen years ago) link
Is it common knowledge that Peter Cook was originally going to play Alf Garnett?
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 09:24 (seventeen years ago) link
Peter Cook as Alf Garnett vs Les Dawson as Victor Meldrew.
(I don't think it's common knowledge, no. I didn't know about it.)
― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 09:29 (seventeen years ago) link
New series of "Little Miss Jocelyn" folks, put it in yer diaries
― Tom D., Tuesday, 8 January 2008 10:03 (seventeen years ago) link
[scrit ... scrit] ... right, it's in. "new series of little miss jocelyn starts thursday night. so go to the pub."
― grimly fiendish, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 22:41 (seventeen years ago) link
oh noes it clashes with Echo Beach
― blueski, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 22:45 (seventeen years ago) link
:)
― grimly fiendish, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 22:53 (seventeen years ago) link
Right, so, in a rare moment of curiosity and having nothing better to do, I thought I would watch the "live" episode of Two Pints of Lager that was on BBC3 tonight. Dear fucking GOD. They were killing off Ralf Little's character, and to do this they sent his character off as a competition winner to go to America to, get this, JUMP A SHARK. The scriptwriters's backs must be black and blue from all the mutual slapping that must have gone on when someone came up with that one.
― ailsa, Monday, 14 January 2008 00:40 (seventeen years ago) link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/downtheline.shtml
a) Fuck me this is brilliant b) Why was Felix Dexter never a true star, he had a window of opportunity in about 95/96 to make it as a comedy A-liner c) Wow, Rhys Thomas and Lucy Montgomery in something that isn't complete shit d) Paul Whitehouse is, pound for pound, the best comedy performer of his generation, six lengths ahead of yr Morrises and Ianuccis e) "Do you know if Foxton's is owned by Bruce Foxton of The Jam?"
-- Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 13:35 (1 year ago) Bookmark Link
Series 3 is still amazing.
― Dom Passantino, Sunday, 3 February 2008 18:44 (seventeen years ago) link
"She used to look at me like my taste in music was bad. I don't wanna get a look. I like KPak, TJ, Mooseboy, this goth at the counter look like she into terrible music like Kasabia or something. What about them what like Girls Aloud?"
^^^ILM summed up
So what are me most looking forward to then? The Mighty Boosh movie, or the Russell Brand biopic?
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 10:00 (sixteen years ago) link
The Alan Partridge movie.
― Ned Trifle II, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 10:19 (sixteen years ago) link
The Mighty Boosh movie
say it ain't so
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 10:45 (sixteen years ago) link
A movie version of TV show The Mighty Boosh is in the works.
Stars Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt have signed a deal with BBC Films to bring the cult series to the big screen.
The show focuses on friends Vince Noir (Fielding) and Howard Moon (Barratt), who embark on a series of magical adventures.
BBC Films editor Christine Langan told Variety: "Noel and Julian are phenomenally talented, there's an existing, very loyal fan base, and the project has huge potential."
The pair are currently working on a script for the movie, which is likely to begin filming early next year.
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 10:48 (sixteen years ago) link
Holy Hail on the soundtrack, I hear.
i'm going to review this, to do my bit in their hardsonning. sight unseen.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 10:57 (sixteen years ago) link
Somebody should really launch a film mag called Sight Unseen, full of reviews of films the reviewers haven't seen
― Tom D., Tuesday, 19 February 2008 11:00 (sixteen years ago) link
they could go on
-press release -trailers -internets "buzz"
i doubt anyone could spot the difference.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 11:01 (sixteen years ago) link
I think y'all sleeping on the fact that Russell Brand is to write and star in a film adaptation of his own life. It's be like Private Parts.... ON DRUGS!!!!!
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 11:02 (sixteen years ago) link
My Filmy Wilm?
― Tom D., Tuesday, 19 February 2008 11:03 (sixteen years ago) link
I'm a moderate fan of the Boosh, but there's no way a film's not going to be shit (for reference - League of Gentlemen: Apocalypse).
― chap, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:31 (sixteen years ago) link
Is LoG:A really as appaling as everyone says? I never really fucked with the show, but that movie seems to get the gasface from everyone.
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:32 (sixteen years ago) link
A repost from another board
Absolutely DVD Box Set Get's Release Date Dear All,I am pleased to announce that we will be releasing the box set of Absolutely on DVD on the 21st of April 2008.This is in no small part due to all of you for getting in touch and reminding us that there were people out there who loved the show and we should do something about it. Well it has been a bit of a marathon but it is happening soon, so thank you, all of you, for getting in touch.If you go to the web site http://www.absolutely.biz you will see a request for material to put on the web site and if we can on the extras DVD. If you can help with this thank you again.Thanks again and speak to you soon.If you do not want to receive anymore emails about the Absolutely Box Set DVD you can unsubscribe from the mailing list using the link at the foot of this email.Best wishesGordon Kennedy
I am pleased to announce that we will be releasing the box set of Absolutely on DVD on the 21st of April 2008.
This is in no small part due to all of you for getting in touch and reminding us that there were people out there who loved the show and we should do something about it. Well it has been a bit of a marathon but it is happening soon, so thank you, all of you, for getting in touch.
If you go to the web site http://www.absolutely.biz you will see a request for material to put on the web site and if we can on the extras DVD. If you can help with this thank you again.
Thanks again and speak to you soon.
If you do not want to receive anymore emails about the Absolutely Box Set DVD you can unsubscribe from the mailing list using the link at the foot of this email.
Best wishes
Gordon Kennedy
STONEYBRIDGE!
― Herman G. Neuname, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:36 (sixteen years ago) link
I didn't mind it at all, but it's not as clever as it thinks it is. xpost to Dom
― aldo, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:37 (sixteen years ago) link
I watched about twenty minutes of LoG:A and found it really predictable and tired.
― chap, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:38 (sixteen years ago) link
Big Train is being repeated on Dave at the moment, and it's still very funny. Didn't realise Catherine Tate was in it though.
― nate woolls, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:41 (sixteen years ago) link
Such a breeding ground for the current generation of UK comedy, that show.
― chap, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:42 (sixteen years ago) link
Mark Heap should make a movie.
And by "make a movie" I mean "fuck off".
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:44 (sixteen years ago) link
I like Mark Heap! What's wrong with Mark Heap?
― chap, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:44 (sixteen years ago) link
I don't like Mark Heap.
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:45 (sixteen years ago) link
So I gather.
― chap, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:46 (sixteen years ago) link
http://www.lovefilm.com/lovefilm/images/products/9/3189-large.jpg
― blueski, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:49 (sixteen years ago) link
DVD Rom game!
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:51 (sixteen years ago) link
Last night's Mitchell and Webb was an improvment on the first series, I thought. Still a fair amount of lameness (how fucking long did they eke out that Da Vinci Code spoof?) but some genuine laughs as well. Liked the racist war reinacters and the bronze age orientation particularly.
― chap, Friday, 22 February 2008 14:03 (sixteen years ago) link
LoG:A is genuinely awful - ten minutes of playing-to-the-crowd half-arsed sketches and then an hour and a half of 'OMG wouldn't it be really innovative if WE turned up in the story?' when really they should've just made a really dark gothic horror or murder mystery or something.
― Matt DC, Friday, 22 February 2008 14:08 (sixteen years ago) link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7264321.stm
lame
Thick of It entry needed that "you ever take the piss outta Jolson again...." rant
― That mong guy that's shit, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:30 (sixteen years ago) link
"I have here a copy of your book, Origins of the Crimean War. It smells of poo." "That's because it's been inside your mum's bra."
ha
― That mong guy that's shit, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:32 (sixteen years ago) link
the Dr Cox one is bad - he's got better ones
― blueski, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:37 (sixteen years ago) link
most of those are rright show, wrong quote.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:38 (sixteen years ago) link
lol @ Rimmer
why didn't they include animated comedies? because they would dominate i guess
― blueski, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:39 (sixteen years ago) link
Father Jack Hackett - Father Ted. "Drink! Feck! Arse! Girls!"
morons who think this is a "put down". i can't think of an alternative right now tho. maybe "how did that gobshite get on TV?" re Dougal.
― blueski, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:41 (sixteen years ago) link
Inspector Monkfish is the only one that raised a smile with me.
― nate woolls, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:46 (sixteen years ago) link
good and very english put-down in fawlty towers: "do i detect the smell of burning martyr?". said with real acid.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:48 (sixteen years ago) link
Alf Garnett - Till Death Us Do Part. "You Scouse git!"
incredibly lame choice, but i guess they couldn't go with the racist stuff
― blueski, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:52 (sixteen years ago) link
Percy (re his new ruff): "The fashion these days is towards the tiny, my Lord" Edmund: "Well in that case you must have the most fashionable brain in London"
― blueski, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:54 (sixteen years ago) link
blackadder 2-4 are all zings, all the time. blackadder himself is the og zingmaster.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:55 (sixteen years ago) link
"to you, the renaissance was just something that happened to other people"
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:57 (sixteen years ago) link
^^^I used this one on Perpetua once
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:57 (sixteen years ago) link
Sorry, not the Renaissance. Fitness First.
i love the Malcolm Tucker one - so topical
― blueski, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 16:58 (sixteen years ago) link
"I'd like to see the Spaniard who could get past me!" "Well go to Spain, there are millions of them."
― chap, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 17:21 (sixteen years ago) link
Videogaiden February Christmas Retro Special
Easily the funniest guys in Britain right now. Lolled at so much of this, especially the Emily Booth and Dave Perry stuff.
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 12:32 (sixteen years ago) link
banking a lot on people remembering Gamesmaster but yeah I approve
― blueski, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 12:41 (sixteen years ago) link
"hotter than Cathy Dennis and Betty Boo writhing together in the same grave"
― blueski, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 12:42 (sixteen years ago) link
Isn't that the Poptimists motto?
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 12:59 (sixteen years ago) link
That Ricky Gervais article at the top of the thread was going so well until the last paragraph.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 13:01 (sixteen years ago) link
"Do you really think that's wise, sir?">>>>"Stupid boy"
― Ned Trifle II, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 13:30 (sixteen years ago) link
"Do you really think that's wise, sir?"
Aching for an Eric Morecambe punchline, that was.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 13:33 (sixteen years ago) link
dvd "rom" ?
― Ste, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 13:33 (sixteen years ago) link
it's only just occurred to me how weird it sounds
― Ste, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 13:34 (sixteen years ago) link
that's why it's read only AHAHAHAHAHAHA
― blueski, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 13:36 (sixteen years ago) link
ken ski
― That mong guy that's shit, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 14:31 (sixteen years ago) link
-- Just got offed, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 15:54 (6 months ago) Bookmark Link
*sigh*
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 14:38 (sixteen years ago) link
Still missing him?
― Tom D., Tuesday, 4 March 2008 14:39 (sixteen years ago) link
Bart: Mom, I just saw Krusty! Marge: Yes, dear, in your mind. Bart: No, on the street. Marge: On the street in your mind.
― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 4 March 2008 14:41 (sixteen years ago) link
e) "Do you know if Foxton's is owned by Bruce Foxton of The Jam?"
i am listening to this RIGHT NOW. i love this show.
― stevie, Saturday, 22 March 2008 19:24 (sixteen years ago) link
Halfway through Teenage Kicks.
ITV really is in trouble, isn't it?
― Autumn Almanac, Sunday, 30 March 2008 00:27 (sixteen years ago) link
Eddie Hitler meets My Family -> THIS DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE
oh how the mighty have fallen etc.
― Autumn Almanac, Sunday, 30 March 2008 00:40 (sixteen years ago) link
more Gavin & Stacey love
― blueski, Sunday, 30 March 2008 13:02 (sixteen years ago) link
Oh man I read a painful interview with Ade Edmonson in the Daily Mail the other day. He's on a "first rule of comedy - you must have reality" kick and in denial about everything he's previously done. Which is fine until you watch that shite he's just written.
― Noodle Vague, Sunday, 30 March 2008 16:17 (sixteen years ago) link
Rob Brydon's best work since Marion & Geoff in this.
― DavidM, Sunday, 30 March 2008 20:37 (sixteen years ago) link
Why does no one ever talk about 'Pulling'? It is pretty good, I think.
― Stevie T, Sunday, 30 March 2008 21:04 (sixteen years ago) link
I don't know which is worse, Ade Edmondson being interviewed in the Daily Mail or an ilxor reading it.
― Autumn Almanac, Sunday, 30 March 2008 21:45 (sixteen years ago) link
Pulling, that's pretty shit.
― Dom Passantino, Monday, 21 April 2008 22:22 (sixteen years ago) link
Saw Gavin and Stacey for the first time last night. It's pretty good at what it does, but its gentle character comedy and light whimsy hardly excited me. All a bit Richard Curtis, dare I say it.
― chap, Monday, 21 April 2008 22:29 (sixteen years ago) link
the last few episodes of G&S have been a bit off - start with the first series altho none of it is 'exciting' as such.
― blueski, Monday, 21 April 2008 22:33 (sixteen years ago) link
So, hey, I watched that The Wall last night. That's not so good.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 10:52 (sixteen years ago) link
-- stevie, Saturday, 22 March 2008 20:24 (1 month ago) Bookmark Link
Although, in defence of this nation, "Listen: don't knock The Jam, they was there for a lot of people" may be the funniest thing anyone has said this decade.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 10:53 (sixteen years ago) link
it's no The Priory xp
― blueski, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 10:53 (sixteen years ago) link
"Scallywagga" any good, comedy fans?
― Tom D., Wednesday, 7 May 2008 10:54 (sixteen years ago) link
It's like Blunder... ON (CHAV) DRUGS!
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 10:56 (sixteen years ago) link
Ah right, "Blunder", had to google that... Jesus
― Tom D., Wednesday, 7 May 2008 10:58 (sixteen years ago) link
the inbetweeners anyone?
i like. it's like 'on the buses' but with 6th form kids.
― Alan, Friday, 9 May 2008 10:46 (sixteen years ago) link
i thought it was quite sweet
― stevie, Friday, 9 May 2008 11:31 (sixteen years ago) link
i like love soup
― Tracer Hand, Monday, 12 May 2008 11:55 (sixteen years ago) link
but i would, wouldn't i
that last ep ended badly tho.
― Alan, Monday, 12 May 2008 12:05 (sixteen years ago) link
i caught seven and a half minutes of something called Two Pints of lager blah blah last night and it was the worst british comedy experience i've indeed witnessed.
― Ste, Monday, 12 May 2008 14:50 (sixteen years ago) link
it's not for you
― Alan, Monday, 12 May 2008 14:51 (sixteen years ago) link
2pints fascinates me for reasons i can't quite explain - the only thing even remotely like it is the old US tv show, "saved by the bell"
― Tracer Hand, Monday, 12 May 2008 14:52 (sixteen years ago) link
That's remote in astrophysics terms - as in light years away from being as good as even "Saved By the Bell"
― Tom D., Monday, 12 May 2008 14:55 (sixteen years ago) link
Saw one episode and it's totally for girls.
― chap, Monday, 12 May 2008 17:16 (sixteen years ago) link
Admin: this is an awful sitcom.
― Dom Passantino, Monday, 12 May 2008 22:31 (sixteen years ago) link
I liked Love Soup up to the episodes with Mark Heap. He play a weird combination of creepy and soppy which I did not enjoy. But those outfits they wear in the shop are hot, definitely.
― Ned Trifle II, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 07:20 (sixteen years ago) link
Teenage Kicks turned out all right, apart from the weird Asian jokes.
― Autumn Almanac, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 07:31 (sixteen years ago) link
"Ed Reardon's Week" is as funny as Black Books and Love Soup and sometimes quite a bit funnier. Peng is maybe my favorite British comedy character.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/edreardon.shtml
(hint: try a torrent)
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 10:29 (sixteen years ago) link
"people who feel they deserve better in life but don't get too worked up about it" seems to come up again and again in british comedy
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 10:39 (sixteen years ago) link
"people who feel they deserve better in life but don't get too worked up about