British Comedy

[Reply #240 on:]

Take it to the Eastender's thread.

*TOTP Dance*

[Reply #241 on:]

1. Monty Python
2. Blackadder

[Reply #242 on:]

1. big train
2. big train

[Reply #243 on:]

I didn't rate Big Train that much.

[Reply #244 on:]

 

Originally posted by aslate:
I didn't rate Big Train that much.

I agree, it had some funny stuff, but quite a bit that was very unfunny as I recall.

[Reply #245 on:]

The first season was great but the latest one was terrible.

[Reply #246 on:]

Anyone catch the new series of Have I Got News For You on Friday?  I thought Martin Clunes was pretty good.  It's William Hague this week.

The showbiz rumour generator has Alexander Armstrong (of Armstrong & Miller fame) as No.1 contender to take over full time.

[Reply #247 on:]

*BUMP*

Just posting to say how much the two last ever Specials of "The Office" have been over Christmas.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

Brent's "Blind Date" Night Club PA on the first one was priceless, and the ending (a real ending, yay!) was totally deserved.

Now, Gervais and Merchant hand it over to the Americans to fuck it all up.

[Reply #248 on:]

 They were good, actually. The second one was definitely better than the first one, although how I laughed when that Penfold looking guy from the Halifax Advert showed up... 

 The first Christmas special was slightly scary actually, as it seemed that Gervais and Merchant had indeed lost it. For a while it seemed like the character of Brent had got stale and predictable but the way that he almost becomes likeable by the end was a stroke of genius and extremely rectifying. The Tim and Dawn ending also worked well - a happy ending sans cheese.

 My favourite moments include the appearance of that Penfold guy from the Halifax Advert (honestly, I never saw it coming!  ) and Big Keith explaining to Tim how he picks up women. Seriously, that scotch egg is one of the best comedy props ever! 
 

[Reply #249 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mouse On Venus:
For a while it seemed like the character of Brent had got stale and predictable but the way that he almost becomes likeable by the end was a stroke of genius and extremely rectifying. The Tim and Dawn ending also worked well - a happy ending sans cheese.

Agreed.  Totally.  Brent was never really a character to be totally despised, but one who you'd feel sorry for.  He's trying so hard to be liked by everyone and failing so damn miserably.  So it was nice for him to get one over on the new boss and over Finch (the despicable salesman) at the end.  Oh, and his line to the large woman st the party.

"Thank god.  I was waiting for a blind date, and was worried that you were it." 

Hopefully, they'll stay true to their word and not do any more, because that ended perfectly. 

With the American version centralising the Tim and Dawn characters, and sidlining Brent to a secondary role.  We can only see where that will go....

...down the toilet, probably.

[Reply #250 on:]

The two Office specials were really good. The "Blind Date" thing was so cringeworthy!

In other news, anyone been watching Little Britain?

[Reply #251 on:]

I never got into the office, so i didn't watch those. I will eventually, but i'd better watch the previous 2 series(es).

[Reply #252 on:]

We gots Pheonix Nights box set and it's great, Peter Kay's awesome.

Impy: Yeah, I've only seen a few sketches but they're mad and therefore funny.
Matt Lucas is great, who's the other guy who does it with him (the tall lad)?

[Reply #253 on:]

David Walliams? I think that's his name   
Here they are anyway:


One of my favourites is Vicky Pollard:



"Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah..."

"Carrot cake, carrot cake, have ye any NUTS? ... The carrot cake contains ... no nuts!"   

Oh yeah, and has anyone seen this animation on BBC3 called Monkey Dust? I like that too.

[Reply #254 on:]

David Walliams also guested in Eastenders (of all things) on Christmas Day, and fantastically played the inimitable "Vulva" in Spaced.

[Reply #255 on:]

With the mention of Little Britain and Monkey Dust, I have to go off on a minor rant here: what is it with all these bloody sketch shows in the UK? Check out this little lot:

• Harry Enfield (numerous shows)
• The Fast Show
• Reeves & Mortimer
• French & Saunders (numerous one-offs)
• Rory Bremner (Who Else, and one or two others I think)
• The Real McCoy
• Goodness Gracious Me
• Big Train
• Trigger Happy TV
• Smack The Pony
• The Sketch Show
• The Big Impression (formerly Allistair McGowan's Big Impression)
• 2DTV
• Dead Ringers
• Aaagh! It's The Mr. Hell Show
• Jam
• Monkey Dust
• Little Britain
• And probably many others I've forgotten.

Why so many?  It's almost like people can't be bothered to try and create a sitcom with a coherent theme and plot to work their ideas into so they just spunk them off onto a wall and see what sticks, if anything. Admittedly, with the celebrity imitation sketch shows the format is more understandable but that's no excuse of how many of them there is.

 Oh and no offense but Little Britain is utter crap.  It's basically a bunch of badly written, ill-conceived sketches by a couple of blokes who love the idea of themselves putting on stupid voices and saying and doing oh-so-random things. Monkey Dust is better in that some of their sketches are actually quite clever but in large part it's the worst aspects of The Mr. Hell Show and Jam combined. 

 [/list]

[Reply #256 on:]

Out of those, "Jam" sticks out for me as one which pushes the envelope of sketch shows into something more dangerous and original. 

I've not seen "Little Britain" yet, but sounds a bit like "Stella Street", in that respect.

I'd certainly like to see new and original sitoms than more sketch shows.  There's not been a decent one since "Spaced". 

Oh, and The Kumars can go bite the big one junior, because they suck.

[Reply #257 on:]

I have been watching Red Dwarf every night on BBC2 and I have been enjoying it. Now I turn out to be a big fan of Bo Selecta. That show had me laughing all the time. I always wanted to see what Little Britain is like but I kept on missing it.

[Reply #258 on:]

 

Originally posted by Melllvar:
Out of those, "Jam" sticks out for me as one which pushes the envelope of sketch shows into something more dangerous and original.

 It did, but in a sense I felt that show was wasted. The sketches I enjoyed the most were the ones where Chris Morris stopped trying to be taboo for the sake of being taboo and came up with better thought out sketches. Such as the one where the copper pees on the door of a guy's car, then the guy gets out of the car and is annoyed because he peed on the one door of his car that didn't have a urinal on it. 

 

I'd certainly like to see new and original sitoms than more sketch shows.  There's not been a decent one since "Spaced". 

 Not a fan of "Black Books" then?

 

Oh, and The Kumars can go bite the big one junior, because they suck.

 [Elzar] No question! [/Elzar] 

[Reply #259 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mouse On Venus:
It did, but in a sense I felt that show was wasted. The sketches I enjoyed the most were the ones where Chris Morris stopped trying to be taboo for the sake of being taboo and came up with better thought out sketches. Such as the one where the copper pees on the door of a guy's car, then the guy gets out of the car and is annoyed because he peed on the one door of his car that didn't have a urinal on it.

True.  Plus the Mark Heap sketch with the guy who holds up a Tobacconists for cigarettes, attempts to pay for them, then, realising he can get stuff for free, holds up another for matches.  I love that one.

Can't help liking my own personal favourite Jam sketch, "The Gush", though.  About the porno movie guy who dies from ejaculating too much.

The Adam & Joe "Jam" parody (featured on the Jam DVD) is priceless for poking fun at Chris Morris' shock tactic brand of comedy.

 

Not a fan of "Black Books" then?

Not seen it.  However, considering what I've heard about it, I should.

[Reply #260 on:]

Favorite British Comedy shows:
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Fawlty Towers
BlackAdder
Keeping Up with Apperences
Are YOu Being Served
Mr. Bean

They are all very good shows that I feel have a good comedic script to each especially Monty Python and Fawlty towers

[Reply #261 on:]

"Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah..."

Little Britain is funny in places, but I'm reliably informed that the style of delivery for Vicki Pollard was lifted wholesale from another comedian at the Edinburgh festival one year.

Of current shows, Dead Ringers and Spaced really stand out.

[Reply #262 on:]

Spaced I agree with, but how exactly does Dead Ringers stand out? The Big Impression, 2DTV and Double Take are also sketch shows based on celebrity impersonation, all from around the same era. I always found the Dead Ringers monologues to be quite blatant.

[Reply #263 on:]

It's probably just me, but I just find Dead Ringers funnier than any of the other impression shows.... kinda a crap explanation, but there you go.


"God bless pancakes..."

[Reply #264 on:]

Dead Ringers is much more topical and much more intelligent IMO. It's been running longer than any of those other impression shows (remember, it was a radio programme before it was on TV) and even Alistair McGowan started there.

 

It's almost like people can't be bothered to try and create a sitcom with a coherent theme and plot to work their ideas into so they just spunk them off onto a wall and see what sticks, if anything. Admittedly, with the celebrity imitation sketch shows the format is more understandable but that's no excuse of how many of them there is.

This is contrasted with the US who practically live off the sitcom format. Apart from Futurama and the Simpsons, I can't think of a single US sitcom that I like, but there are an awful lot of them with very similar themes, for example:

-Friends
-Frasier
-Will and Grace
-Spin City
-Becker
-Cheers
(and there are others I'm sure)

All these shows are very alike in their format, especially when compared to programmes like Red Dwarf and Blackadder. If anything, sitcoms have lost any of the diversity they had and it's become more difficult to create a genuinely challenging sitcom that will be funded by the networks. Those that stand out are those that break the mould.

The great thing about quick-fire sketch shows is that you can mix a variety of material that can include conventional stuff and more experimental bits too. It's also good for the producers because you can take out any sketches which aren't popular and replace them when necessary, which keeps your audience happy.

[Reply #265 on:]

Will and Grace is not funny.
People only tune in to hear the laughter track, apparently. 

Must be a health thing, laughter is the best medicine, I know some Chinese therapy sessions start off with just havin a laugh to relax muscles and stuff.

[Reply #266 on:]

I remember watching a documentary a while back that told the story of how bizarrely popular UK sitcom "Coupling" was Americanised recently only to be canned after about 3 episodes. Which is hardly surprising: why exactly would anyone want to watch an American adaptation of a British rip-off of a popular American sitcom (begins with an 'F', anyone?)?

 So let's all place bets on how long the American remake of The Office will take to get canned. I bet 4 eps. 

[Reply #267 on:]

yeah most of those sitcoms are meh...  Maybe you should watch stuff like Drew Carrey, mmmm drew and kate (oh wait, they got rid of kate, THOSE BASTARDS!)...

Anyways out of british comedies I like:
Monty Python
Red Dwarf
Black Adder
Are you being served? (mostly for that one chick... not the old one.... oh... hmmm.... I probably shouldn't've said anything... should I have?)

I think those are basically blatently obvious as to why someone should/would watch them....

[Reply #268 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mouse On Venus:
So let's all place bets on how long the American remake of The Office will take to get canned. I bet 4 eps.   

I admire your optimism, I bet 2 episodes before it's canned.

[Reply #269 on:]

 

Originally posted by winna:
yeah most of those sitcoms are meh...  Maybe you should watch stuff like Drew Carrey, mmmm drew and kate (oh wait, they got rid of kate, THOSE BASTARDS!)...

That was the downfall of the series, I stopped watching because of the replacement, she was so damn annoying, I hated her. It was sad cuz that was my favorite show too.

[Reply #270 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mouse On Venus:
why so many?    It's almost like people can't be bothered to try and create a sitcom with a coherent theme and plot to work their ideas into so they just spunk them off onto a wall and see what sticks, if anything. Admittedly, with the celebrity imitation sketch shows the format is more understandable but that's no excuse of how many of them there is.

 

Well It seems no one saw the third series of the league of gentelmen which changed from the sketch show format into proper stories, they'd have a couple of other sketches in it the acted kind of like b and c storys
they also ditched the laugh track
It was brilliantly original and clever but no watched it

[Reply #271 on:]

I tried watching League Of Gentlemen series 3 but I missed it so many times that I just gave up in the end. 

[Reply #272 on:]

shame that
 you really have to see them all in order to appreciate it

[Reply #273 on:]

I saw little Britain for the first time and I liked it a lot. I thought it was really funny. It’s a shame that I have missed a lot of it and I don’t have BBC3 too.

Hey did you guys saw LOTR kiss on Dead Ringers?      I thought that was funny.

[Reply #274 on:]

 

Originally posted by Impossible:
David Walliams? I think that's his name   
Here they are anyway:


One of my favourites is Vicky Pollard:



"Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah..."

"Carrot cake, carrot cake, have ye any NUTS? ... The carrot cake contains ... no nuts!"   

Oh yeah, and has anyone seen this animation on BBC3 called Monkey Dust? I like that too.

Yeah Vicky is cool but somtimes I can't understand what she saying. I like them two most of all:


Lou and Andy.

[Reply #275 on:]

If the american version of the office has a laugh track,    . Why cant they just get it? Please explain to me what  about the UK version of the Office they do not comprehend. So The christmas special sounds good. I dont know when we will get it over here..   

[Reply #276 on:]

 

Originally posted by Juliet:
 Yeah Vicky is cool but somtimes I can't understand what she saying. I like them two most of all:


Lou and Andy.

My friends have got a new French roommate and we all stopped up to watch Little Britain on Monday. She didn't understand what on earth was going on, while the rest of us were in fits of laughter. I think we may have scared her by going round the house saying 'Ah want that one' and 'Ah don't like it'
 

[Reply #277 on:]

I am watching Gimme Gimme Gimme at the moment. Kathy Burke plays brilliant as the slapper Linda and James Dreyfus is adorable as Tom.



Does anybody like that Comedy? They should make more episodes. I think they did three series.

[Reply #278 on:]

I think they hit the wall with the third series. The jokes just got too stupid and blatant for me.

Was funny when Linda took her wig off without warning though. 

[Reply #279 on:]

I found Gimmie Gimmie Gimme to be a really cheap, nasty and unfunny comedy, simple as that.