he's written some great american characters like Linton Barwick
― Mordy, Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:01 (eleven years ago) link
also thought anna chlumsky (My Girl!) was really good in the movie and she's gonna be in this
― Mordy, Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:03 (eleven years ago) link
Haha a fucker for cress. I bet Veep won't have anything close to that. Also THick Of It>>>>In The Loop, right?
― Acute puppy syndrome (admrl), Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:03 (eleven years ago) link
Jamie otm
― aboulia banks (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:07 (eleven years ago) link
When will it be possible to acquire the first episode?
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:16 (eleven years ago) link
tmmrw night i think
― Mordy, Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:17 (eleven years ago) link
Sunday Night.
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:17 (eleven years ago) link
right, that's what i meant
― Mordy, Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:19 (eleven years ago) link
lol, i thought it was saturday already
Thanks. Monday torrent viewings looking very nice for the next few months then; this, GoT and Mad Men.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:19 (eleven years ago) link
there's a pretty bustling thread about another HBO sitcom happening on sundays
― Mordy, Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:20 (eleven years ago) link
The recently completed Eastbound? Or am I missing something?
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:22 (eleven years ago) link
GIRLS
― Acute puppy syndrome (admrl), Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:23 (eleven years ago) link
the infection spreads
― Mordy, Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:24 (eleven years ago) link
Never heard of it, but damn that's a long thread.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Saturday, 21 April 2012 02:29 (eleven years ago) link
THick Of It>>>>In The Loop, right?
Yes, but I thought the americans had the funniest parts of In The Loop, so I'm optimistic.
― abcfsk, Saturday, 21 April 2012 07:52 (eleven years ago) link
i saw the first three episodes of this, it's very good
― max, Saturday, 21 April 2012 13:42 (eleven years ago) link
it's not as good as the thick of it, mostly because there's no hilarious sweary malcolm tucker character, but i loled several times
― max, Saturday, 21 April 2012 13:43 (eleven years ago) link
I'm looking forward to this, especially if it doesn't prove another example of a gifted satirist who sets his eyes on America but quickly reveals he knows little about this country.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 21 April 2012 14:13 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah now that you mention it, I'm glad there was a thread for this before one for The Dictator.
― Andrew Farrell, Saturday, 21 April 2012 14:37 (eleven years ago) link
I didn't realize the Thick of it Connection. I just liked the look of a trailer but now I realize that I probably should watch that movie. I'd forgotten about it after the comedy poll.
― wolf kabob (ENBB), Saturday, 21 April 2012 16:33 (eleven years ago) link
Not quite In The Loop funny, but it was pretty good. I don't know if it would be possible to have two characters as funny as Malcolm Tucker and the eff-star-star-cunt American from ITL.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Monday, 23 April 2012 04:56 (eleven years ago) link
Some thudding moments here and there, but this was pretty funny overall.
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Monday, 23 April 2012 04:57 (eleven years ago) link
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is great, as are Anna Chlumsky and the slimeball. The press secretary and her body man could wear thin.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Monday, 23 April 2012 04:59 (eleven years ago) link
this seemed sort of ... off. it's an interesting decision to have the passive-aggressive dweeb kid instead of a malcolm tucker figure but ... i dunno
― thomp, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:14 (eleven years ago) link
maybe in three or four episodes i will stop automatically comparing it to the thick of it, and then i will also stop automatically trying to make the differences be emblematic of differences in national character
max
i. do they keep up the 'did the president call?' 'no' 'no' and the 'did you know i have my own flag' bitsii. do they get funny and how many repetitions does it take for them to get funny
― thomp, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:16 (eleven years ago) link
would honestly stick w/ this just for tony hale & matt walsh but i was ok w/ those 'jokes'
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:20 (eleven years ago) link
yeah, i laughed. i'll watch until they cancel it.
― Mordy, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:22 (eleven years ago) link
no i mean i honestly believe, given time, those 'jokes' will become funny
― thomp, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:23 (eleven years ago) link
this is fine, it's not remotely as good as the early thick of it but it's doubtful anything else is going to be, certainly within the pro forma confines of the american sitcom
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:29 (eleven years ago) link
felt very "ooh, handheld cameras, gratuitous cursing, big fuckin deal" to me, but still pretty funny and a good cast, will watch again
― Poor Turrican (some dude), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:31 (eleven years ago) link
lol well in 2k12 those things are pretty commonplace no?
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:32 (eleven years ago) link
feel like american sitcom is a more expansive genre than british sitcom -- one of the weird things about the thick of it is that it is an absolutely classical version of standard british sitcom setup, only it somehow escapes being awful
xpost ha yeah i don't really notice those things at this point?
― thomp, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:34 (eleven years ago) link
well yeah that's what i meant, the look/feel of it is kind of played imo
― Poor Turrican (some dude), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:36 (eleven years ago) link
that's an unplayable aesthetic
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 02:37 (eleven years ago) link
I think it needs time to develop side characters. People like Blinky Ben, etc...
There's also a different dynamic from The Thick of It. Everyone listened to/was scared of Malcolm, and the politicians tended to need to be shepherded around. JLD seems to have all the agency in Veep, where everyone else is just scrambling to fix her mistakes or get her what she wants.
Also the US doesn't have an equivalent of the civil servant, so we don't get a Terri.
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:04 (eleven years ago) link
you guys realize this isn't an adaptation, right, it's a different show by the same creator
― Poor Turrican (some dude), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:14 (eleven years ago) link
original title was "The Veep of It" iirc
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:17 (eleven years ago) link
the thick of eep
― Poor Turrican (some dude), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:18 (eleven years ago) link
In the Veep
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:20 (eleven years ago) link
ah, british humour.
― Mordy, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:21 (eleven years ago) link
some dude is british?
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:22 (eleven years ago) link
lol no, i don't think so
― Mordy, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:22 (eleven years ago) link
oi mates some dude is
these political shows that Iannucci has done, do they have any of the same absurdity of the 'Armando Iannucci Show'? I saw the first episode of 'Veep' and it didn't, though it was funny enough in its own right.
― boxall, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:25 (eleven years ago) link
no. at least not the surrealism.
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:26 (eleven years ago) link
though his next show for HBO, Armando Iannucci's Veep Trumpet, probably will
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:27 (eleven years ago) link
the early thick of it is blackly absurd in the best sense, some of his more freeform stuff is a bit winsome
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:29 (eleven years ago) link
blimey blood sausage, i've been outed
― Poor Turrican (some dude), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:35 (eleven years ago) link
too right guv'nor
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Tuesday, 24 April 2012 03:38 (eleven years ago) link
Richard is a top character for sure
― mh, Friday, 14 June 2019 14:14 (four years ago) link
love splett, not sure he'd be the greatest president, but i guess a well-meaning simpleton is better than any of the vicious and corrupt alternatives
― old cloud yells at man (voodoo chili), Friday, 14 June 2019 14:29 (four years ago) link
I wish he was the real Iowa lieutenant governor or governor
lol
― mh, Friday, 14 June 2019 15:17 (four years ago) link
Maybe there could be a dog president.
― AlXTC from Paris, Friday, 14 June 2019 15:34 (four years ago) link
couldn't be worse than etc etc
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Friday, 14 June 2019 15:42 (four years ago) link
If you think Richard's a simpleton you haven't been paying enough attention - isn't it established he has two Yale doctorates? One of them is definitely veterinary medicine.
― Matt DC, Friday, 14 June 2019 15:45 (four years ago) link
Also there's a reason why Catherine and Marjorie want his genes.
― Matt DC, Friday, 14 June 2019 15:46 (four years ago) link
he has some skills, but he also is kinda incapable of processing things happening directly in front of his face.
― old cloud yells at man (voodoo chili), Friday, 14 June 2019 15:58 (four years ago) link
isn't it established he has two Yale doctorates?
I always thought that was part of the joke, the same way Ed Helms on The Office is always held up as a business wiz because he went to Cornell.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 14 June 2019 16:00 (four years ago) link
Yeah I’m not sure he’s done anything that required skills throughout the series !
― AlXTC from Paris, Friday, 14 June 2019 16:04 (four years ago) link
he can chop wood!
― old cloud yells at man (voodoo chili), Friday, 14 June 2019 16:04 (four years ago) link
Eheh the campaign tv spot with jonah chopping wood (with some editing).
― AlXTC from Paris, Friday, 14 June 2019 16:07 (four years ago) link
it's an established plot point that splett wrote his doctorate on election recount procedures in the west: he demonstrates the knowledge in an episode. it's also not meant to be a joke that he has a veterinary science doctorate. the interesting thing with the splett character is that he is that qualified but is very happy to be the underling fetching things, but then also is comfortable with the mantle of power when it arrives
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Friday, 14 June 2019 16:09 (four years ago) link
A favorite Splett line is: “I feel like that classic scene in Heat with Robert De Niro and Amy Brenneman.”
― ... (Eazy), Friday, 14 June 2019 16:12 (four years ago) link
*like I’m in
― ... (Eazy), Friday, 14 June 2019 16:13 (four years ago) link
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Friday, June 14, 2019 11:09 AM (six minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
the joke is that those are two wildly different and wildly specific doctorates that seem useless, but because fortune favors the splett, they both came in handy
― old cloud yells at man (voodoo chili), Friday, 14 June 2019 16:17 (four years ago) link
fortune favors the splett
Hah, yeah.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 14 June 2019 16:21 (four years ago) link
the thing about splett isn't that he's dumb or even incapable of processing things imo, it's that he's extremely straight-forward and guileless. that can sometimes mean that he doesn't notice (or does and chooses to ignore) devious underhanded behavior from the other characters which could be read as naive.
― Mordy, Friday, 14 June 2019 16:52 (four years ago) link
Although sometimes it becomes clear that he was clocking that behavior all along, but is still just happy to be there.
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 14 June 2019 16:53 (four years ago) link
like he didn't rat out the entire bribery machinery bc he "forest gumped" his way into it i don't think - like dan tries to smooth it over when the reporter asks him but splett says "no this is a fair question" (or something like that). i think he's just really honest + a good person and in DC that scans as stupid but it shouldn't.
― Mordy, Friday, 14 June 2019 16:57 (four years ago) link
Him supporting Jonah was as odd a development as Amy's sudden heel turn, but I just went with it.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 14 June 2019 16:58 (four years ago) link
jonah is an old friend of his it didn't seem out of character to me at all
― Mordy, Friday, 14 June 2019 17:00 (four years ago) link
splett is a candide character; his intelligence/guile is mostly beside the point
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Friday, 14 June 2019 17:21 (four years ago) link
Splett's intelligent but hilariously naive in a way that makes him more open-minded than every other character
it's referenced a few times about how his family was religious and somewhat controlling but it doesn't seem to have stuck. the entire artificial insemination subplot starts with him saying something about masturbation being a horrible sin and how his mother (maybe grandmother?) told him there'd be terrible consequences but when he's told it's actually fine he's on board as a sperm donor
then when the pregnancy actually happens he says something like "well, I guess I don't have to do that ever again"
― mh, Friday, 14 June 2019 17:57 (four years ago) link
"self-husbandry"
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Friday, 14 June 2019 17:58 (four years ago) link
oh god, I forgot the moment where he has the epiphany that his aunt is actually his mother and has almost no reaction, in his trademark "oh, that makes sense" way
― mh, Friday, 14 June 2019 18:01 (four years ago) link
Jonah is an old friend, but to be naive even to the point of looking past his old friend's extreme racism, islamophobia, etc. etc, just because he is an old friend, transcends naive. Admittedly, in the service of comedy!
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 14 June 2019 19:17 (four years ago) link
splett is a candide character
yes otm
goddammit I am NOT going to go back and watch the season and a half of American episodes that I dipped out on, and there is no Splettnet supercut for that year
― quelle sprocket damage (sic), Friday, 14 June 2019 21:49 (four years ago) link
someone should make a splett reel for the good of humanity
― mh, Friday, 14 June 2019 23:08 (four years ago) link
I watched season 1 when it came out but wasn't really into it, though now I've been catching up -- just started season 5, and whoo boy DOCTOR Splett is a thing!
The studious lack of partisanship is weird, though, for what I'd assume would be satire; instead the underlying message is more in line with "everyone is bad and/or self-serving."
― Coelacanth Green (Leee), Wednesday, 24 July 2019 00:36 (four years ago) link
which, in a way, is a much more honest take than a certain Sorkin show
― untuned mass damper (mh), Wednesday, 24 July 2019 16:31 (four years ago) link
Ok a Jonah/ Splett ticket would be one that I’d commit voter fraud for, I’m not even kidding.
― Coelacanth Green (Leee), Thursday, 25 July 2019 04:18 (four years ago) link
Jonah immediately going off script to be belligerent and the entire wife/sister thing is so good
― untuned mass damper (mh), Thursday, 25 July 2019 14:15 (four years ago) link
I'm still waiting for that one intern who was fired for the data breach to exact her pound of flesh.
― Coelacanth Green (Leee), Friday, 2 August 2019 20:39 (four years ago) link
Finished the sixth season. It's weird that as awful as Selina is, I still find myself rooting for her.
― Coelacanth Green (Leee), Tuesday, 6 August 2019 21:08 (four years ago) link
Forgive the thread spam, but I wanted to note that this show's 2019 season is nominated in the 2019 ILX TV poll:
ILX's Best Television of 2019 Poll / VOTING AND CAMPAIGNING THREAD / Voting Ends January 31
If you like this show and you'd like to see it have a good showing in the poll (running in February) all you need to do is submit a ballot including it and your other favorites (4 minimum, 25 maximum, organized by your favorite to least favorite) to forksclovetofu at gmail by end of day today. It'll take five minutes; get to it!
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Friday, 31 January 2020 14:30 (four years ago) link
thinking about the final moments of this series in re: tom hanks
― ooga booga-ing for the bourgeoisie (voodoo chili), Thursday, 12 March 2020 19:14 (four years ago) link
Lots of talk about Armando's second HBO sitcom, Avenue 5, over in the Silicon Valley thread.
Ave 5 definitely got funnier and more apparent in its satire as it went along - the first couple were dire - but never really took off, and absolutely never found a tone that supported what it's doing. The building of multiple incompetencies and frustration of the less-incompetent characters has a Thick Of It feel, but the vibe never escalates within the scenes. It's like they're letting the jokes breathe for audience laughter, but without a laugh track in the show, it just means they never get momentum.
― Dollarmite Is My Name (sic), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 18:21 (three years ago) link
idk i really liked it? it doesn't hold up to his previous shows (i'm watching thick of it again right now in fact) but i like that the setitng allows him to create some of the most absolutely fantastically horrifying moments he ever has, in a way that veep and thick of it can't. the extended airlock sequence had me rolling. josh gad is SO GOOD in this, which shocked me as i've never really given him a second look in anything else. laurie's rapidfire code switching is remarkable. and of course zach woods' weirdo nihilism. i could definitely do with fewer important passenger characters (the two husbands don't really accomplish much as characters, nor does jessica st clair's character, as much as she is a delight), but if this show kept descending further and further into absolute existential dread i'd be satisfied.
― Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 19:42 (three years ago) link
it's like standard ianucci + sex house + space
i really liked it. the airlock scene had me howling
also, is the pope's face in the shit actually trump? i think it is
― gbx, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 21:53 (three years ago) link
https://www.reddit.com/r/Avenue5/comments/ff0u42/the_turd_face_is_trump_right/
― groovypanda, Thursday, 26 March 2020 08:03 (three years ago) link
It was obviously JP2 for me, but without watching it again I'm not sure I could find the reference pic.
― Doubling down on out of date information (aldo), Thursday, 26 March 2020 08:09 (three years ago) link