Peep Show (now with added Mitchell & Webb Look)

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He cutesified/commodified weak satire of monolithic forces of evil?

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:23 (nineteen years ago)

Is there really some sort of comedy crisis in the UK? Or is it merely a case of quantity exceeding quality (probably more comedy shows made in the 00s than any previous decade because of the increase of channels). The last six years have seen some shows emerge that are just as good as anything that has come before, and it's always been the case that some of the most popular comedy shows on TV are not to the taste of...whatever kind of people we are (cynical elitist nerds?).

ITV's comedy output has been considered poor for some time. How many sketch shows have they produced this decade - is it just the two in The Sketch Show and Monkey Trousers (both actually quite watchable if not riotously funny)? C4 gave up on it long ago unless I'm forgetting something and Sky, Paramount and so on have not really gone for it although they have made their own comedy shows in recent years (tho with no real success - Time Gentlemen Please probably being Sky's most successful sitcom, but often so crude and poor) Anyone seen the one on Paramount that's set in a brothel? This leaves BBC and their reliable radio foundation with no real competition. Consequently the complacency seems to have reached new heights (lows?).

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:24 (nineteen years ago)

"Not Riotously Funny" = The Enemy = "I'll watch any old shoit if it makes monkey noises at the government of the day without suggesting that the society we live in that produces pleasant ickle lite-satire shows is twisted to the extent that it and every member of it needs to die in horrendous pain right now."

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:27 (nineteen years ago)

Konal, when compared to Arrested Development, most contemporary British comedy seems cringeworthy (Peep Show, I'll grant, an honourable and brilliant exception). Man, I cannot get over quite how truly the Yanks nailed that one.

xxpost: NV, what weak satire? And what forces of evil? Are you talking about the stronger-than-any-other-satire-I've-seen-on-TV-except-perhaps-Brass-Eye Monkey Dust here?

actually, on that last point, NV is utterly OTM. Just OK is not good enough, not good enough at all. although I feel a Little Britain rant coming on, so I'll zip it before it all comes gushing out.

― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:29 (nineteen years ago)

Are you saying if it doesn't make you laugh until you're sick then it's rubbish? (xpost)

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:30 (nineteen years ago)

C4 gave up on it long ago unless I'm forgetting something

smack the pony! not too recent but i watch the recent reruns and thought they were still mostly very good.

ITV has always sucked at comedy. BBC has always sucked at drama.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:30 (nineteen years ago)

Any old stupid shit that makes you laugh is great. The genre of "OHHH WE SO CUTTING EDGE CRAZY WATCH US LAFF IN THE FACE OF BOORJWARRR CONVENTION LOVE US OR LEAVE US COCKSUCKER" is what needs to die, bloodily, alongside its fans.

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:32 (nineteen years ago)

ITV suck at everything really. The only drama I've liked on the channel ever is Cracker, I think.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:33 (nineteen years ago)

And yeah, Monkey Dust is fucking shit.

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:34 (nineteen years ago)

ITV suck at everything really

OTM, although probably not the most original thought you've had all day. ;-)

NV, I will grow out of Monkey Dust, of that I am sure, but plz let me be an impressionable teenager for now? pleeeease? i mean, it is sometimes shit, but I adore the bits that work so much that I'm prepared to forgive it virtually anything.

― Really Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:38 (nineteen years ago)

ITV has always sucked at comedy.

Rising Damp! And, um, French Fields?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:41 (nineteen years ago)

i mean, it is sometimes shit, but I adore the bits that work so much that I'm prepared to forgive it virtually anything.

I liked that bit where someone said something shocking and subversive and dark and then there was a pause. That bit was great.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:42 (nineteen years ago)

*sigh* You win.

The animation's pretty awesome though. Guys?

― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:43 (nineteen years ago)

LJ (lol you = live journal) I'm not cliticizing you, your age or that cartoon. I'm shouting cos I'm drunk. And cos I want perfection to exist tho I know that project is self-defeating. And I know MD might be funny in the right context, which is to say funny on account of how we all wallow in our different cuntexts. which is to say funny, full stop. Sometime it make me laugh. Sometime it the unwatched bumper-sticker of sump'n I want to whine about. Either way I'm wrong in a sea of noisy wrong.

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:44 (nineteen years ago)

Coronation Street is the best drama and the best comedy on TV.

one of the sketches in monkey dust where Bob Mortimer played an estate agent showing people round properties made me laugh more than anything else i've seen on tv.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:46 (nineteen years ago)

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=mind+your+language&search=Search

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:47 (nineteen years ago)

Sometime it make me laugh. Sometime it the unwatched bumper-sticker of sump'n I want to whine about. Either way I'm wrong in a sea of noisy wrong

:-D That sounds like one of Chris Morris' Blue Jam intros...

― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

I've never found Rising Damp to be that great.

Rumour has it big changes are under way at ITV although I doubt these will involve increased comedy output, let alone anything of the more leftfield variety.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

ok that wasn't monkey dust - what was the thing with vic and bob on it plus old timey comedians?

xxxp

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:49 (nineteen years ago)

Monkey Trousers, Jed.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:49 (nineteen years ago)

are those comments for the Mind Your Language clips on youtube sincere?

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:50 (nineteen years ago)

Mortimer's Steve Irwin pisstake in MT was funny.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:51 (nineteen years ago)

I is too busy listening to the Cocktail Twins to listen to hilarious UHUtubes.

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:53 (nineteen years ago)

It's nearly the right time of year for them, I guess.

― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:55 (nineteen years ago)

Mind Your Language fun fact:

The Swedish girl was played by the daughter of Ingmar Bergman

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:55 (nineteen years ago)

Is that why they all killed themselves in that one episode?

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:56 (nineteen years ago)

It was when the stern headmistress got raped by a goatherd that his influence really became obvious.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:57 (nineteen years ago)

Except for Farhan Mahboob, who nobbed her against her will in a comedy Pakistani voice?

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Thursday, 14 September 2006 23:59 (nineteen years ago)

"Why is it you is not appreciating my non-consensual intercourse yes please?"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:02 (nineteen years ago)

If you ever see Vince Twuntfocker or whatever the writer's name is (also wrote Love Thy Neighbour, racism fans) being interviewed on a We Love the Past show, his explanation of how he wasn't a racist cunt but was in fact an equal opps visionary is fucking hilarious.

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:11 (nineteen years ago)

Vince Foster, yeah. You see, the black guys gave as good as they got. I think if you asked the average black person what three things have most helped them in their life, the top three answers would be Dr King, Jessica Hopper, and Love Thy Neighbour.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:24 (nineteen years ago)

Vince Powell, actually. Vince Foster is something to do with America.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:28 (nineteen years ago)

T/S: Vince Powell vs. Enoch Powell

― Space Gourmand (Haberdager), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:29 (nineteen years ago)

Well, nobody walks around wearing "VINCE WAS RIGHT" badges, do they?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, Vince Powell.

Anyway I think we can all agree that an extended excruciating death would be too good for the cunt.

― Why does my IQ changes? (noodle vague), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:33 (nineteen years ago)

if it wasn't for the plots and shit family guy would be a sketch show. that's a funny cartoon. popular with young people.
if it wasn't for the plots and shit the mighty boosh would be a sketch show. that's a television program. popular with young people.
you guys all like richard ayoade right?

― acrobat (elwisty), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:51 (nineteen years ago)

this was great you mentalists!

― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Friday, 15 September 2006 07:21 (nineteen years ago)

jerry hated it but i'm pretty sure he bigged up 'the mighty boosh'...

― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Friday, 15 September 2006 07:30 (nineteen years ago)

Louis I think you're a good bloke but Harry Thompson makes the dogshit on the soul of a heirophant look tasty.

his autobiography of peter cook is brilliant

― i am not a nugget (stevie), Friday, 15 September 2006 07:55 (nineteen years ago)

ITV has always sucked at comedy.

http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/itvyorkshire/progs/selwynfroggitt.jpg

― Oh No It's Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 15 September 2006 08:04 (nineteen years ago)

his autobiography of peter cook is brilliant

LOL!

― Oh No It's Dadaismus! (Dada), Friday, 15 September 2006 08:05 (nineteen years ago)

I have a seventies porn mag w/the daughter of Ingmar Bergman in. I never knew she was in Mind Your Language.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Friday, 15 September 2006 09:23 (nineteen years ago)

i loved monkey dust when i first saw it, but fucking hell: it was the prime offender - more so than little britain! - in just repeating the same fucking joke sketch in, sketch out. some of the ideas there were brilliant - the gambling father was genius - but you did end up watching it and knowing EXACTLY what was going to happen.

and so up to a point i agree with noodle vague: if "satire" has become a process whereby smug graduates with digital telly sit and smirk because they know that in 30 seconds they'll watch amusingly drawn middle-class dinner-party guests being dismembered horribly, something has gone badly wrong. it's the same reason HIGNFY should have been taken off the air years ago: once comedy becomes part of the establishment it seeks to attack, it's no longer satire. this is a no-brainer, but seems lost on most producers.

as for sketch shows: while recognition/anticipation of the shared joke has always been a big part of such comedy - why else would comedians create characters? - we seem to have reached some kind of reductio ad absurdum where the very appearance of the character is, er, the joke itself. this is probably the fault of "the fast show"; or, rather, the fault of knob-end writers who watched it and didn't quite work out that its genius lay in the depth of the characters and the tiny observations therein, not just in the fact it repeated "ooh, suits you" a lot.

looking at next week's TV listings in h**t magazine, i see mitchell and webb are promising "a night at the pub with captain pugwash, two highly competitive actors playing holmes and watson, and a call-centre worker who has telekinetic powers ... over biscuits". so: three new characters/setups in the second week! my god, this is like a return to the golden age of fucking comedy. whenever that was.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 15 September 2006 09:41 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I read an interview somewhere where they said they're not going to do too many (or any?) recurring sketches. Good thing.

― g00blar (gooblar), Friday, 15 September 2006 09:44 (nineteen years ago)

i hope the bring back the homeless guys though.

― EARLY-90S MAN (Enrique), Friday, 15 September 2006 09:47 (nineteen years ago)

I would be surprised if they don't have any recurring sketches given that three or four in the first programme were lifted directly from recurring sketches on That Mitchell and Webb Sound.

My favourite recurring radio sketches are the snooker guys and Big Talk, and neither of these were as good in visual versions, I thought. But the things they couldn't have done on radio were pretty good ie. the banana dance, How What Not to Look Like (actually come to think of it they COULD have done the latter on radio but the blacking up gag wouldn't have worked as well obviously).

― Archel (Archel), Friday, 15 September 2006 09:59 (nineteen years ago)

yeah the snooker thing fell flat on tv.

― EARLY-90S MAN (Enrique), Friday, 15 September 2006 10:01 (nineteen years ago)

The joke just doesn't work anyway, are they saying snooker commentators are all boozers? I didn't see the point of it.

― Oh No It's Dadaismus! (Dada), Friday, 15 September 2006 10:06 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, but the thing is, even in those sketches that don't really have a 'point', (like the snooker commentators), I just think watching Mitchell and Webb is funny. This is probably why I'm pretty forgiving--I'm very fond of them as performers and sort of think they're intrinsically funny.

― g00blar (gooblar), Friday, 15 September 2006 10:10 (nineteen years ago)

I agree, I like them but they are supposed to be making us laugh here

― Oh No It's Dadaismus! (Dada), Friday, 15 September 2006 10:13 (nineteen years ago)

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