"Not only inexperienced, but also massively inept" – Me, 2004
60,000 words on sitcoms, sketch shows and stand-up DVDs, mostly written when I was still at school, if you somehow require this information.
Written for dooyoo.co.uk from 2000–2010 (aged 14–24).
Top 10 Comedy Programmes... so far
Written on 09.06.04
As the Guide for TV category, it stands to reason that I have an interest in looking at cathode ray tubes changing colour, although I wouldn’t describe myself as a casual television watcher. No. When I like a programme, I really LIKE it, and this is the principle aspect of my viewing life that must be made clear. (Aside from BBC Three’s ‘The Mighty Boosh,’ which I’m fairly indifferent to).
I’m a fan of some science fiction programmes – not a casual fan of the genre, but a fan of specific shows, remember – but my first love has always been comedy. Even when I was a baby I found it highly amusing to watch my father cover his eyes and then reveal them again, and I remember taking a great deal of pleasure in watching holiday camp entertainers ‘accidentally’ falling into swimming pools with their clothes on. Obviously I have grown and my tastes have adapted, apart from that pool thing, and over the years I have taken delight and comfort in various television programmes, mostly but not exclusively British. This is my top ten of entertaining and personally influential comedy shows from my life so far.
1. LEE AND HERRING (Fist of Fun / This Morning With Richard, Not Judy)
Not specifically the funniest comedians, but the relatively obscure comedy duo of Stewart Lee and Richard Herring produced two television series which attracted a legion of incredibly devoted fans and which, along with their earlier radio work, soon gained a cult status. Thanks to the infinite wisdom of BBC controllers of the age, this cult status was never allowed to extend into genuine fame due to the complete lack of repeats issued.
‘Fist of Fun’ ran for two series of six episodes in a late night slot on BBC 2, and was proposed as a show concerning lifestyle tips. In reality, it was a way for the comedians to use successful stand-up routines based on their deliberately different personas, with plenty of sketches and regular characters.
‘This Morning With Richard, Not Judy’ was a much different outing for Lee and Herring. This was a Sunday lunchtime comedy show based loosely on a chat show format, but which was more concerned with tales of Richard Herring’s quite literal animal husbandry, and pointing out the inherent flaws in the teachings of Jesus. This also featured sketches and recurring features, as well as a level of audience and viewer interaction.
Lee and Herring’s humour could be silly as well as incredibly intelligent. They would often point out the cheap tricks used in comedy, such as exaggerating your own character traits and confounding expectations with punchlines such as “…and then I got off the bus, ahh” and were not afraid to use these same devices once they had pointed them out. This meant that they never patronised their viewers, despite their claims to the contrary with lines such as “thank you for sending your pictures and suggestions in, you viewers are the real stars of the show… but obviously it’s me and Rich that get all the money for them,” and both series were the highlight of my week. Their “faux-naïve scatology and smug self-satisfied intellectualism” appealed to me more than any other comedy act, and although the two friends rarely work together any more they still tour the stand-up circuit and make a living from other means in the entertainment industry.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“You want the moon on a stick!”
“Drink your weak lemon drink… now!”
“I am Rod Hull. I am him!”
“Hello Mister Rich, hello Mister Stew, I’m Curious Orange.”
“Ahhhhh!” “No it’s not an ahhh situation.” “It is an ahhh situation.”
“Listen to the question, listen to the words in it, are you the Lord of the Dance Settee?”
“Of course they’re all snowy owls by the time I’m finished with them.”
(Anyone interested should visit www.richardherring.com, www.stewartlee.co.uk, or even better FistofFun.net where there is a petition to get Fist of Fun released on DVD for its tenth anniversary).
2. MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS
In my opinion the first great comedy series, and infinitely more influential and timeless than the heaps of racist ITV sitcoms of the time that are very rarely repeated today. I’m sure most people must be familiar with this six-piece of comedy virtuosos, who made their name with the hilarious, surreal and convention-destroying ‘Flying Circus’ television show before moving on to equally excellent films. Aside from Graham Chapman they are all still alive and working, however Eric Idle has officially never done anything good since Monty Python, and anyone who says he is, is an idiot.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“This is a late parrot.”
“I put on women’s clothing and hang around in bars.”
“I came here for an argument!” “No you didn’t, you came here for an argument.”
“We are the Knights who Say ‘Ni.’”
“He’s not the Messiah. Now p*** off!”
3. RED DWARF
Arguably not quite as funny as other programmes, but the whole idea of this space sitcom has appealed to me since I first saw the show at the age of seven. There are plenty of reviews on the show here on Dooyoo so I won’t go into detail about the plot, but it’s essentially four different characters marooned in deep space completely alone. The first few series are based around the cast generally bumming around and playing off each other, but the later years became more plot- and adventure-oriented. Red Dwarf can be classed as both a comedy show and a science fiction show, and indeed often is, but the real humour comes from the excellent choice of characters: the antagonistic relationship between the career-obsessed failure Arnold Rimmer and the laid-back bum Dave Lister is by far the highlight of the show for me, however every episode in the first six years was a piece of classic television that I can (and indeed, do) watch again and again.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“Shut up you dead git!” (‘Me2’)
“We are talking jape of the decade…” (‘Queeg’)
“Do you think Wilma’s sexy?” (‘Backwards’)
“Sirs they’ve taken Mister Rimmer!” “Quick, let’s get out of here before they bring him back.” (‘Holoship’)
“Step up to red alert.” “Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb.” (‘Legion’)
4. CHRIS MORRIS’ SERIES (The Day Today / Brass Eye)
One of the most controversial comedians of our age, Chris Morris is the man behind the spoof news show ‘The Day Today’ and the spoof documentary series ‘Brass Eye’ (screened on Channel 4 as Morris had been dropped from the BBC). The mixture of nonsensical facts and expressions with unbelievable situations being shown in a believable way makes these two classic series of television comedy, aided greatly by the supporting actors such as David Schneider, Rebecca Front, Steve Coogan and Peter Baynham. Brass Eye’s paedophilia special, exposing the treatment of the subject in the media, is often seen as the most controversial comedy episode ever, although it’s still very funny.
Morris’ warped sense of humour was demonstrated further in the radio series ‘Blue Jam’ and the TV adaptation ‘Jam,’ both using distorted visuals to compliment strange and often very disturbing situations. I enjoy these shows, but nowhere near as much as Morris’ earlier, more approachable work, which is now available on DVD.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“Goal!… TW**!… Sh** did you see that?… Liquid football!… That, was a goal.” (Alan Partridge)
“He’s not gay by the way, we would never employ a homosexual.”
“Teacher uses big-faced boy as satellite dish.”
“This man was paid three hundred pounds to incubate a stomach full of shoulders.”
“Footage of this paedophile disguised as a school.” “Yes, we must catch that man. He really is a sh**.”
5. FAMILY GUY
The only animated series on the list, as well as the only American show, Family Guy’s appeal is incredibly strong, but still not as influential as something like the far less amusing ‘The Simpsons.’ Still focusing on an American family but with more interesting and entertaining characters as well as far more bizarre and often contradictory situations. Stewie, the talking baby who is essentially evil (and as the series progresses, increasingly homosexual) wins over many viewers, but for me it’s the sheer idiocy of the father character, Peter Griffin, that keeps me laughing. Not very politically correct at all, even leading to an episode being undeservedly deemed too offensive due to its Jewish jokes, Family Guy isn’t just a load of mindless swearing like on some other popular animated series.
Family Guy ran for three series before being cancelled by the Fox network, but impressive DVD sales in the US, Australia and the UK have led to a new series being commissioned that should begin airing next year.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“Whose leg do I have to hump to get a dry Martini around here?” (Brian)
“Peter this is wonderful, you’re not going to die!” “Go on.” “…Well that’s it.” “Go on.” (Lois & Peter)
“It’s not so much that I want to kill her as I don’t want her to be… alive… any more.” (Stewie)
“I’m about to go upstairs and eat a whole bag of peanuts!… I’m allergic to peanuts… You don’t know anything about me!” “Who was that guy?” (Meg and her father Peter)
6. REEVES AND MORTIMER (The Smell of … / Bang Bang it’s …)
Another comedy duo, the unexplained strange situations in the sketch shows of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer made it hilarious to my child’s mind and still amusing to this day. The situations could become too silly at some points, but most of the time I find myself laughing hysterically at their discussions and recurring characters. Vic and Bob are probably most well known for Shooting Stars, a less extreme and more accessible show than their earlier work, and recently wrote and starred in the BBC Three comedy drama ‘Catterick.’ It’s ‘The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer’ and ‘Bang Bang it’s Reeves and Mortimer’ that will always be my favourites however, catching the duo at their most inventive and unusual.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“It doesn’t really matter does it.”
“Do you want some salt?”
“I told you to inform me of any financial investment over £2,740 Vic!”
7. THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN
One of the biggest comedy series of the late nineties, the League’s unique mixture of comedy and horror resulted in an incredibly popular television series, radio show and live tour. Based on a sketch show format with recurring characters, each episode furthered a number of plots integral to the series’ overall story arcs. Many characters were easy to relate to and recognisable, while others were plain disgusting or bizarre. The third series in 2002 was a little less popular due the changes in style, but plans for an upcoming film seem very promising. The League are Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith and Jeremy Dyson, the latter of which doesn’t appear in the shows.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“Hello hello, what’s going on, what’s all this shouting, we’ll have no trouble here.”
“In this house, we don’t m*****bate.”
“It’s a sh** business isn’t it?”
“You’re my wife now.”
8. RIK MAYALL WHEN HE WAS GOOD (Kevin Turvey / The Young Ones / Bottom)
Before ‘The New Statesman’ and ‘Drop Dead Fred,’ Rik Mayall was a very funny comedy performer. Beginning his TV career as the meandering Birmingham investigative reporter Kevin Turvey in a spot on ‘A Kick Up the Eighties,’ Rik then appeared alongside Adrian Edmondson as characters loosely based on their ‘Dangerous Brothers’ stand-up routine: this programme was ‘The Young Ones.’ Far too silly and ‘youth programme’ for some viewers, the Young Ones took on cult status immediately and is widely regarded as one of the best shows of the eighties. The Young Ones also featured musical interludes as part of a scheme to earn more money from the BBC under the ‘entertainment’ budget rather than the lower comedy equivalent, and this inevitably increased these two views even more.
Rik’s pathetic, angry, pedantic virginal character Rick was progressed into Richie when Rik and Adrian appeared in ‘Bottom’ in the early 90s. Although my view is clearly tempered by my love of the series when I was a child, I still consider Bottom to be one of the funniest shows created; even if the later episodes relied on diarrhoea gags and absurd violence a little too much, the ongoing themes of sad middle-aged life for two disgusting, violent perverts was still strangely funny in a depressing kind of way.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“If there’s anything you want investigating, Kevin’s ear.” (Kevin Turvey)
“Virgin.” “I am not!” (Rick & Vyvian)
“You stupid bloody hippie.” (Rik)
“Edward Elizabeth Hitler, either you open this door or I’ll ruddy well open it myself.” (Richie)
“It was a bloke!” “She had an earring.” “Yes, through HER foreskin!” (Richie & Eddie)
9. BIG TRAIN
Fairly similar in premise to the sketch show format of ‘The Fast Show,’ Big Train took an interesting approach in terms of very strange situations and a focus specifically on a low-key, deadpan style for every sketch. Although it ran for two series, Big Train seemed to have an incredibly brief run and never received the level of recognition that I think it deserved. The regular actors were Kevin Eldon, Simon Pegg, Mark Heap, Amelia Bullmore, Rebecca Front and Julia Davis, and was primarily written by Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews, although the cast often contributed. Memorable sketches include the Evil Hypnotist, World Stare-Out Championship, the Huge Dog and Spoon-Phobia, and both series will be available on DVD later this year.
10. I’M ALAN PARTRIDGE
This very realistically shot series followed the depressing, uneventful and very funny life of failed TV personality Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) as he lived in a Travel Tavern on the side of the motorway. Alan is abrasive and easy to provoke, but his sadness and pathetic nature made him very likeable in the first series. In 2002, the writers brought Alan back for another series which was just as successful but for me lacked some of the charm of the first series, mainly due to Alan’s wealth and better position in life. The supporting cast are all excellent, and the show is filmed in an untreated, realistic way, although it never makes any claims to be genuine.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“No offence Lynn, but technically your life isn’t worth insuring.”
“You feed swans beefburgers.”
“Jurassic Park!”
“Oh no… oh no! Are you dead?…”
“No way you spastic, you’re a mentalist.”
VERDICT
This list is obviously subject to change. If it wasn’t, and there were no significant comedy shows throughout the rest of my lifetime, it would be a sad day for us all, although hopefully by then the BBC will have released Fist of Fun on DVD. If there are any important comedy shows that you feel deserve to be in this list, it’s most likely that I have already considered them and decided they didn’t have the same level of influence on me, although it’s always a possibility that I’ve simply forgotten them. I’m not magic, do I look like a wizard? (Well, perhaps one in particular…)
I still enjoy a large variety of comedy programmes, but there are several types that I cannot personally stand:
Lad comedy: Men Behaving Badly was quite entertaining when I was younger, but I cannot condone the existence of ‘2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.’ There are too many things I dislike about shows such as this, far too many to mention, but essentially it isn’t my lifestyle and I really don’t find the characters or situations entertaining.
Housewives’ comedy: I’m not sure how to categorise it actually, but it’s essentially ‘Birds of a Feather.’ I really don’t like this.
Daft American eighties gimmicky family series: Harry and the Hendersons, Mork & Mindy, etc.
Family comedy series: Nothing against comedy for all generations, but shows like ‘My Family’ and the appalling ‘My Hero’ are keeping British comedy in general firmly entrenched in the 1980s.
Thank you for reading this self-indulgent review, I hope you enjoyed some aspect of it.
Advantages: Hilarious and influential, Keep me entertained, Original and inventive
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's tastes, A great comedy series is very rare
Top Ten TV Characters
Written on 07.07.04
There are two areas of television that interest me: comedy and science fiction. Well, and music channels, but that’s not really appropriate here. In the same way that I used Dooyoo’s ‘Top 10 TV Programmes…Ever!’ category to write about what were (probably) my top ten comedy programmes, here are (probably) the ten fictional characters in television comedy who I admire the most, for various reasons.
Most of them correspond with the shows chosen for my Top 10 Comedy Programmes review but this isn’t the case with all of them: while I loved the sketch-based show ‘Big Train’ and the ramblings of Reeves and Mortimer, neither of these acts introduced any really inspirational and memorable characters. It’s interesting to note just how many of these favourites of mine are pathetic, unloved people who I really wouldn’t want to meet in real life, but who make the shows they are in so much funnier through their interaction with more well-rounded characters.
As is always the case with this type of review there will be plenty of characters I have forgotten that could be included, but most of the omissions will have been considered. Feel free to add any of your favourites in the comments, but please don’t tell me I really should have included Frank Spencer, Rene from ‘Allo ‘Allo and the silly one from Dad’s Army who says ‘don’t panic!’
1. DAVID BRENT (The Office)
Ricky Gervais’ portrayal of the pathetic, arrogant, misguided, lonely, ineffective boss of a Slough paper merchants has been recognised on numerous occasions with prestigious awards and a top-rated television series and I feel this is rightfully deserved. ‘The Office’ was an excellent programme and one of the only programmes I have to make myself look away from on occasion or even switch off when I’m aware that something embarrassing is about to happen. Every one of these involves David Brent, and whenever he wanders into scene giggling inanely or even looking quite sombre, it’s obvious that something brilliant is about to happen.
There were twelve episodes of ‘The Office’ and a two-part Christmas special soon to be released on DVD, and as such there are far too many David Brent moments to mention here. Needless to say, he is a character that needs to be seen to be fully appreciated: I can’t even guess the number of times I’ve heard my brother shout “oh God, why’s he doing that?” and “I’d hate him!”
In the Christmas special, set a few years after the TV series, Brent tells the cameraman that he only came across as generally foolish because of the biased editing by the BBC (‘The Office’ was a spoof of a fly-on-the-wall documentary). This caused me to pause for a moment and consider whether such a thing was possible, even taking into account that the programme is completely fictional, but there is no way that carrying out a ‘practical joke’ that makes your receptionist burst into tears, behaving childishly with an inflatable penis, trying to impress with a humiliatingly improvised dance routine and deliberately avoiding facing up to everything could be due to editing. Gervais was the co-writer of the series and it’s clear that he’d been waiting a long time to bring this character to life on the screen.
DAVID: No-one’s dispensable in my book, because we’re like one big organism, one big animal. The guys upstairs on the phones, they’re like the mouth. The guys down here, the hands.
JENNIFER: And what part are you?
DAVID: Good question. Probably the humour.
2. ARNOLD RIMMER (Red Dwarf)
Despite its flaws I have always had a special love for Red Dwarf since I was a child, and on many occasions I have wondered who my favourite character is. Recently I’ve come to realise that the backbone of the show is the butt of most jokes and the supplier of all the witty comments, Arnold Judas Rimmer.
Although he starts the series as a bit of an unlikeable git, Rimmer’s weaknesses and the increasing focus on how pathetic his life actually is lead to him becoming someone with whom the audience can sympathise, but who is still basically a git. Blaming all of his failings on his modest background, despite the fact that all of his brothers went on to become high flyers in the Space Corps, Rimmer was still a lowly, chicken soup machine repairing second technician after twelve years of long service. Brief points raised over the subsequent series such as the name labels he would sew into his ship-issue condoms, his collected notes on twentieth century telegraph poles and his love of both Hammond Organ music and Morris dancing all help to further this image of someone who is clearly in need of some friends.
The true extent of Rimmer’s necessity to the crew (which otherwise consisted of a disgusting but likeable bum, a creature obsessed with its own appearance, a deranged computer and a servile mechanoid) was shown when Chris Barrie left the series in 1997 to pursue other interests. The resulting shows were very poor compared to the usual Red Dwarf standard, although Rimmer’s return in 1999 couldn’t hide the weak quality of the writing by that stage.
Rimmer’s comments on situations and characters show that he is actually quite capable and intelligent, but he still managed to fail his engineering exam fourteen times (including the time he had his spasm and the time he coped with a mental breakdown by writing ‘I am a fish’ four hundred times. He even went up for extra paper). The first four series of Red Dwarf are available on DVD and show the evolution, and lack of it, for this brilliant character. Oh yes, he’s dead and composed entirely of light as well, which must be a bit of a bummer. The episode ‘Dimension Jump’ is probably the most Rimmer-heavy episode of the entire franchise and shows just what he could have become if he had tried a little harder.
LISTER: Your excuse for anything slightly peculiar is aliens isn’t it? You lose your keys – it’s aliens. A picture falls off the wall – it’s aliens. That time we used up a whole bog roll in a day…
RIMMER: Well we didn’t use it all Lister, who did?
LISTER: Rimmer, aliens used our bog roll?
RIMMER: Just cause they’re aliens doesn’t mean they don’t have to visit the little boys room. Only they probably do something weird and alienesque like it comes out of the top of their heads or something.
LISTER: Well I wouldn’t like to be stuck behind one in a cinema.
3. SIMON QUINLANK (Fist of Fun/This Morning With Richard Not Judy)
A more obscure choice here, but this regular feature of Lee and Herring’s ‘Fist of Fun’ and ‘This Morning With Richard, Not Judy’ series is fantastically portrayed by Kevin Eldon, a comic actor you will undoubtedly have seen playing a variety of roles in a number of series from Big Train to Nighty Night. Simon Quinlank presented short segments exploring the hobbies he was obsessed with, and how to do them.
Rather than simply being a nerd, everything about Simon was elevated to different and original levels, and even when it became obvious what he was going to do or say it was still a joy to see it happen. As well as having a very deep obsession with all kinds of strange hobbies (Old Man Collecting, Train Ignoring, Metal Desecrating, Phoning Norris McWhirter at 3am and Asking Him What the Biggest Leaf Is, etc.) Simon Quinlank was also unusually abrasive and prone to drastic mood swings. He had very little time for other humans, who he saw as inferior to his own status as ‘The Hobby Messiah,’ and whenever forced to consult them during his hobbies he would snap “answer me!” He also had a very abrupt laugh that was a lot of fun. Simon Quinlank was a celebration of nerdism and obsession that never reverted to tired ‘I like Star Trek’ and ‘I’m doing the shopping for my mum’ routines.
My favourite aspect of the character was the clear mental problems he was suffering: although sitting in a room with a Thunderbirds alarm clock and detailed maps and bar charts on the walls could possibly be passed off as a bit excessive, some hobbies revealed strange hatreds of certain aspects of life. In his ‘Egg Smashing’ hobby he was determined to destroy every single egg on the planet, even shouting “smash those whorish eggs!” as he did so, and the final hobby Simon presented (the Imagining Things Other People Have Never Imagined Before Ever hobby) saw him overloading his mind’s capabilities and undergoing a surgical procedure to remove his brain.
SIMON: Ha ha! That fifty pence coin was covered in cat’s wee! The cat wee hand idiot!
4. RICHARD RICHARD (Bottom)
Maybe an unpopular choice but Rik Mayall’s presentation of surely the saddest and most depraved sweaty middle-aged man in the early 90s series ‘Bottom’ has cracked me up since I was a child. Playing alongside the slightly less disgusting but equally unappealing violent drunkard Eddie Hitler, Richie would mainly complain about his unsexed life and his own depression, but he’d mainly be caught trying to play with himself and reacting violently to Eddie, possibly using a pan or other household implement.
Some people see ‘Bottom’ as a continuation of sorts of the more popular 80s series ‘The Young Ones,’ and it’s easy to see how the virginal, politically-obsessed Rick could grow into the virginal, past-caring Richie. The later series of ‘Bottom’ resorted to more toilet humour and repetition that made them less enjoyable, but the first series from 1991 is one of my favourite series of a comedy show ever made. The dark, seedy lives of Richie and Eddie are shown unadulterated by bad jokes, even making the viewer wonder whether the two were somehow secretly attracted to each other underneath the violence and petty bickering. Classic Richie moments include: stubbornly changing the television channel to watch Cricket so Eddie can’t watch Miss World, even though he wants to watch that show even more than Eddie does; accidentally killing the gas man and going into a frenzied panic; opening birthday cards that have all been sent by himself and trying to avoid his doomed fate by living in a makeshift tent in the lounge under the settee.
Richie is filthy, sexist, obnoxious and incredibly pathetic, and that’s why he’s so enjoyable to watch. This is a character whose misery you can really take delight in.
EDDIE: Keith isn’t a bird, he’s a bloke.
RICHIE: Well, she had an earring.
EDDIE: Yes, through ‘her’ foreskin.
5. MICHAEL PALIN AS ANY CHARACTER (Monty Python’s Flying Circus)
There were very few recurring characters in the brilliant and highly influential seventies series Monty Python’s Flying Circus, but any brought to life by the talented, hilarious and very versatile Michael Palin always seemed very believable and was almost guaranteed to be very funny, unlike some performances by lesser members such as the quite annoying Eric Idle. The barber who wishes he was a lumberjack is one of the best examples as Palin combines friendly lifestyle banter with homicidal undertones and ends it in a musical performance about being a transvestite, but every episode is littered with examples of his genius. He also played his share of women too, although it’s clear that he was more suited to playing men, whatever their role in society or place of origin.
Michael played a staggering number of roles in the film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail,’ much more than any of the other actors, and his performances ranged from the tall, squawking leader of the Knights Who Say Ni to the noble Sir Galahad and the uncaring, money-hungry owner of the unwise Swamp Castle. ‘Life of Brian’ also saw Palin taking on a number of prominent roles including an upside-down prisoner and the camp Pontius Pilate with a speech impediment.
ART CRITIC: Good evening. I'd like to talk to you tonight about the place of the nude in my bed - um... in the history of my bed – of art, of art! I'm sorry. The place of the nude in the history of tart - call girl! I'm sorry, I'll start again... bum – oh what a giveaway.
6. BALDRICK (Blackadder)
Rowan Atkinson’s Blackadder character was the dominant and most impressive feature of the four series and assorted TV specials, but it was his servile, idiotic underdog Baldrick that made the programme even more of a success. Tony Robinson was one of the finest comedy actors of the 80s in my opinion, and Baldrick is certainly incredibly memorable and also quite loveable.
The Baldrick of the first Blackadder series was, like most aspects of that initial series, very different from the Baldrick of the later series in terms of his high intellect, but his status as the dung-shovelling servant who must reluctantly carry out the most sordid of tasks to benefit his master is something that lived on in his prostitution (Blackadder II) and horse duties (Blackadder the Third). The Baldrick of the final series, Blackadder Goes Forth, is perhaps the most memorable of the lot and is certainly the thickest and most disgusting, although this time all those around him are forced to live in conditions that earlier Baldricks would have considered quite heavenly.
Another thing that made Baldrick interesting was his inconsistency, occasionally surprising the viewer: while his idiocy would mostly result in unworkable plans that have a little basis in reality, such as disguising a bull as a chicken to create a flawless cockfight competitor, his complete lack of education and general knowledge is clear in his Dictionary definition of the letter C, “big blue wobbly thing that mermaids live in,” while Dog is defined as “not a cat.”
BALDRICK: I’ve written a poem about it, it’s called ‘War’:
Hear the words I sing,
War’s a horrid thing.
But still I sing, sing, sing,
Ding-a-ling-a-ling.
BLACKADDER: Yes well it started badly, tailed off in the middle and the less said about the end the better.
7. CHRISTOPHER MORRIS (The Day Today/Brass Eye)
The man behind the strangely satirical ‘The Day Today’ and ‘Brass Eye’ presented parts of each programme from the guise of his Jeremy Paxman-like anchorman with a peculiar manner of talking and occasional outbursts, all controlled by a hard stare and unflinching features.
Despite claims by co-writers and close friends such as Peter Baynham that Morris is a delightful man to be around, it’s difficult to get any kind of positive image from this strange character who seems to criticise and look down upon everyone else in the studio due to his isolation, but there are some quirks to the character that make him even more enjoyable: his banter with sports commentator Alan Partridge is fairly antagonistic and pointless as he questions him about significant words, although in the final episode this changed into a genuine appreciation when Morris tells Alan how impressed he was with the coverage of a football match, even proceeding to give Alan a surprising kiss. His embarrassing and over-the-top flirtation with Valerie Sinatra the traffic correspondent shows another side to the character that only makes him more of an enigma.
Chris Morris played several other recurring characters in both series including Ted Maul and Austen Tesseltine, but it’s the ‘Christopher Morris’ character for which he will be most remembered, introducing unbelievable but somehow credible news stories and offering his own comments.
MORRIS: A quick look at tomorrow’s papers, ‘Aristocrat’s Dung Saves Village From Flood,’ that’s in the Mail, The Today: ‘Drowned Italian Wins Eurovision.’ The Express go with ‘Lord Mayor’s Pirouette in Fire Chief Wife Decapitation’ grisly but gripping, The Sun: ‘Robin Cock!’ And the Daily Star, ‘Feel My Nose and Put My Specs There Roars Drunken Major.’
8. PETER GRIFFIN (Family Guy)
The only animated character on the list, the father character in the excellent American adult cartoon series ‘Family Guy’ is strangely redeeming and likeable despite his incredible stupidity, chauvinism and arrogance. The writers of Family Guy take advantage of the animated format in presenting the viewer with bizarre and often contradictory glimpses of events that apparently happened in the past, and most of these involve Peter in undesirable situations: in a job interview he is asked where he sees himself in five years’ time and Peter, looking at the interviewer’s photo of his family, keeps thinking “don’t say doing your wife, don’t say doing your wife,” eventually coming out with “doing your… son.”
The programme is completely un-PC and proud of it, just as it should be. Making jokes that mock peoples’ ideas about racism and other such issues would only offend people without a sense of humour, and it’s Peter who is usually the instigator. I’d usually round this off by saying that at least he is a great father and husband, but this is untrue; Brian the dog even asks Peter’s wife Lois “why do you put up with him?” In the end it’s only a cartoon series and deliberately avoids making any concessions towards good taste or positive messages. Peter is ace.
QUAGMIRE: Hey, who wants to play Drink the Beer?
PETER: I don’t know, I promised Lois I wouldn’t drink.
QUAGMIRE: Aww, don’t feel bad Peter.
PETER: Gee, I never thought of it like that.
9. ALAN PARTRIDGE (I’m Alan Partridge/Knowing Me Knowing You/The Day Today)
Yet another self-obsessed and quite sad man, Alan Partridge’s life is presented in the form of a documentary in ‘I’m Alan Partridge,’ although he starred earlier in the spoof chat show ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge’ and ‘The Day Today,’ as well as their respective earlier radio incarnations. ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is the true classic of these however in terms of getting inside Alan’s head and seeing how others react to him, especially in the excellent first series in which Alan lives a lonely and unsuccessful life in a Travel Tavern. The second series was filmed much later and is still very funny, but Alan has lost most of his pathetic qualities that I found the most enjoyable, generally coming across as unnecessarily arrogant.
The first series featured many classic moments such as Alan’s day of being incredibly bored, setting up a practical joke by pretending to be a zombie in the reception area that ends up as a depressing scenario. His dinner discussion with the head of BBC programming ends up with Alan going a little insane and stealing some cheese, while the series also catalogued his increasing mental instability in the form of pole-dancing fantasies. This insanity resulted in him developing an addiction to Toblerones, doubling his weight and driving to Dundee in bare feet between series. Yet another character who is excellent in his worthlessness.
ALAN: If you see a lovely field with a family having a nice picnic and there's a pond in it, you fill in the pond with concrete, you plow the family into the field, you blow up the tree and use the leaves to make a dress for your wife who’s also your brother!
10. PAPA LAZAROUS (The League of Gentlemen)
‘The League of Gentlemen’ presented and developed many interesting and very funny characters, but even Tubbs and Edward from the Local Shop aren’t as memorable or terrifying as the strange travelling wife-stealer and owner of Papa Lazarous’ Travelling Circus, played brilliantly by Reece Shearsmith.
Papa Lazarous’ weird dialogue and unclear accent were exaggerated to hilarious extremes when the League toured the country, but in the episodes themselves (Papa appeared in the first episode of series two, the final episode of series three and the Christmas special) he is menacing, confusing and quite scary, even though he gets a lot of laughs. I would have felt very intimidated by the black and white make-up and dirty clothes if I saw him in the street when I was young. I think I still would now, if Reece spoke in that grating voice. Papa Lazarous delighted in stealing women from towns and declaring them his ‘wives,’ as well as calling a lot of people ‘Dave.’ He was based on a man who the League knew called Peter Papa Lazarous (strangely) who would always ask to speak to ‘Steve’ (Steve Pemberton, one of the Gentlemen), continuing to ask for Steve even when he was told that Steve was not in.
PAPA: Hello Dave.
WOMAN: Excuse me?
PAPA: Is that Dave?
WOMAN: No, you’ve got the wrong house.
PAPA: Alright is Dave there?
WOMAN: No, there’s no one called Dave here.
PAPA: Okay (Jams foot in door) Dave, my wife would like to use your toilet…
So there are (probably) my ten favourite TV comedy characters. I hope you at least enjoyed the quotes. There are many, many more characters from comedy that are very memorable, far too many to bother giving ‘honourable mention’ to, but these are the ones that have (probably) made the biggest impression on me. Many comedy fans feel that the genre has become stale and unoriginal in this decade and to some extent I agree, but as long as there are portions of genius such as ‘The Office’ and ‘Family Guy,’ comedians and comedy writers will continue to create and produce high quality entertainment and characters.
I’m always hopeful that my favourite television series ever is just over the horizon, its concept currently being scribbled down by a comic genius in a flat somewhere…
Advantages: Original and ingenious, Occasionally very life-like, sometimes very abnormal, Either serve to make a show fantastic or that little bit better
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste, I've clearly left something out
The 11 O'Clock Show
***
Written on 17.06.04
‘The News Alternative’ that was the 11 O’clock show ran for a number of series on Channel 4, mostly starting within around one hour of the time slot advertised by the title. The series was something of a cult hit and indeed was the show that introduced hugely successful comedians Ricky Gervais and Ali G to television audiences, although after a while the format of the show became both tedious and unoriginal.
CAST
The topical show was presented by the forcefully-controversial Iain Lee and the arousing, deadpan Daisy Donovan from their confined set that seemed to be a fusion of Chris Morris’ news desk from ‘The Day Today’ and Andi Peters’ broom cupboard from Children’s BBC. As well as making jokes and observations about current events and the media world, Iain and Daisy also presented regular features such as ‘Do and Don’t’ on subjects such as teenage pregnancy. These features were amusing, but it was always the switch to contributions from the show’s more impressive personalities that were eagerly awaited.
An oft-criticised but occasionally interesting part of the show featured Daisy as the ‘Angel of Delight,’ interviewing people on the streets and politicians, manipulating them into accidentally saying ‘hilarious’ things that could be interpreted as sexual through editing. A notable example included an interview with a female politician in which Daisy asked her if she would ever ‘finger’ Mrs. Thatcher; simple double entendre material essentially. When interviewing male politicians, she would put on an incredibly flirtatious, innocent persona that was quite funny and must have been uncomfortable for those involved.
Ali G shot to fame straight after his series of uninformed, ignorant interviews on important aspects of society with political and artistic figures. His catch-phrases and general speech may have become incredibly tiresome and much imitated, but I still find his classic interview clips as funny as ever, although as soon as he became famous he left his three minute slot on this programme far behind him. Classic discussions included Ali’s visit to the countryside in which his streetwise urban character was scared by a cow and his cringingly ignorant views on sexism.
Ricky Gervais appeared on the show as Ali G was on his way out, and he immediately became the sole reason I watched the show. Anyone who has seen his live performances or his short-lived series on Channel 4 will be familiar with his critical and occasionally shockingly rude style, although it’s difficult to pin down exactly what he did on the show; one week he would stand in a field talking about the Second World War, the next he would discuss pornographic websites.
Ricky Grover’s menacing ‘Bulla’ character appeared in 2000 after the show hit its real decline, but the obese prison inmate was reasonably amusing.
MATERIAL
In terms of the satirical and topical material, the 11 O’clock show only proved itself to be fairly average. On occasion I noticed direct rip-offs of jokes from other current events programmes, even the high profile Have I Got News For You, while comedy duo Lee and Herring even commented on the ripping off of their own material from their ‘This Morning With Richard Not Judy’ Sunday morning comedy show:
STEW: This week saw the last episode in the current series of the 11 O’clock show…
RICH: Oh no Stew, who will copy our jokes now?
The title of this opinion is another quote from TMWRNJ, summing up the possible response of Channel 4 executives when faced with the cancellation of this series.
Despite some unoriginality, the 11 O’clock show was at least something amusing to watch on Tuesday or Thursday school nights, and the camera tended to remain on Daisy Donovan long enough for more bored viewers to enjoy her contribution in their own way; her innocent English girl persona contrasted very well with her occasionally harsh language. The show’s final series was a major disappointment to most viewers due to the change in presenters and the drop in quality of the material, and it seems that the show’s legacy will only be to the careers it helped launch.
Advantages: Competently filled the 11 - 11.30pm time slot, Some very funny features and regulars, Informative
Disadvantages: Repetitive jokes, especially from the main studio, Some presenters failed to impress, Not very original
Asylum
***
Written on 25.08.07
‘Asylum’ was a short-lived an almost entirely forgotten comedy series produced by the UK Paramount channel in 1996. Based around the premise of a corrupt mental institution along the lines of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ (which is acknowledged by references in several episodes as an obvious influence), the main plot was essentially a flimsy device to bring together a cast of young, up-and-coming comedians and allow them to perform shortened versions of their stand-up shows to varying degrees of success. Its only real claim to fame is introducing the partnership of comedians Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson with writer/director Edgar Wright, who would later create the surreal sitcom ‘Spaced’ and the hit films ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’ (without Stevenson’s contribution).
While the premise is undoubtedly flimsy, I find the ramshackle and uneven nature of the show quite charming, enhanced by the very low budget, and it’s interesting to see all of these performers being thrust into the same situation and treating it very differently. The show is introduced and technically fronted by Norman Lovett (Holly from Red Dwarf), though his contributions are largely in a supporting role as the incompetent and fairly bored Doctor presumably written by the series writers David Walliams and Edgar Wright. The majority of the material appears to have been written by the individual comedians themselves, leading to some isolated stand-up routines from Adam Bloom – an inmate who apparently believes he is a stand-up comedian, and plays a recording of audience laughter from his Dictaphone every time he cracks a joke – and some more impressive cooperative material from Pegg and Stevenson.
Simon Pegg’s character is the real star of the series, an unlucky pizza delivery boy who ends up in the asylum by mistake and acts as the viewer’s point of reference amidst the formerly sane people around him, whose incarceration and treatments have slowly driven them out of their minds. Pegg is his usual reliable self, occasionally chatting to the camera with what are presumably his old stand-up routines but mostly acting the part of the angry and confused, but ultimately quite weak young man with many of the nuances viewers will be familiar with from Spaced and his more recent films. His interaction with Jessica Stevenson’s character becomes greater in later episodes, but her insanity (she believes that aliens in league with Carol Vorderman are communicating secret messages to her through the ‘Countdown’ conundrums) prevents them from bonding in a Tim and Daisy way, and his interaction with the other comedians is fairly limited. Stevenson also plays the evil Nurse McFadden, a very different character whose unrequited lust for Dr. Lovett and careless attitude towards the inmates comes to a head in the final episode, as the series begins to take on some form of actual plot.
Someone who really takes the situation to heart and works with it is Julian Barratt (of The Mighty Boosh), whose character Victor Munro is an extremely eccentric and bizarre individual. Tapping into the same vein of weirdness that Barratt is now well-known for, the character’s obsession with artistic statements, his belief that he has another face underneath his hair and a pack of dogs living in his eyes, and his repeated failed attempts to cast life into a miniature clay golem (“it worked for Tony Hart!”) can become a little irritating, but his commanding presence and pointy-beard-and-huge-eyebrows image makes him one of the more memorable parts of the show, in which he features regularly, often alongside the mute juggler Paul (Paul Morocco). Compared to these noted contributors, the rest of the cast is somewhat disappointing in its lack of effort. The premise that Bloom believes he is a stand-up is a really weak device that allows him to shoehorn in a couple of old five minute routines, while John Moloney wastes a few minutes in the first two episodes with incredibly dull and irrelevant routines talking about his grandparents and then drugs. Comedy duo Parsons and Naylor appear in the later episodes but don’t get up to much past an obvious deconstruction of rock-paper-scissors, but more forgivable are the brief moments offered to Bill Bailey and David Walliams, whose material isn’t that good but is at least short and inoffensive – Walliams discusses the ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, while Bailey deals with sub-atomic biscuits.
The series has never been officially released, and it’s not a show that holds up well when watched in close succession. Each episode begins with the same opening monologue from Lovett (similar to the introductions he provided on the first two series of Red Dwarf) and a tedious ‘previously on...’ segment repeating scenes mostly from the first show, of Simon arriving with a pizza and being given the low-down on the nefarious antics going on in this place. The plot develops slowly over the six episodes between the unconnected comedy routines, but really isn’t up to much, and tends to drag episodes down when they focus too much on the situation itself. An example is episode four, in which Dr. Lovett accidentally gets his sweets and tablets mixed up and the security guard Nobby Shanks (Mick O’Connor) has to occupy the inmates with a game of charades. There really are only so many jokes that can be extracted from this idea, making it get very old very fast. More amusing is Nurse McFadden’s solution to deciding which of three inmates receives the only remaining pill, by dropping it onto a ‘Hungry Hungry Hippos’ board and letting them bash away for it.
The final ingredient of ‘Asylum’ that I haven’t yet touched on is the use of a house band, namely David Devant and His Spirit Wife. These sections, which always come towards the end of the show and also provide the opening and closing title music, are completely unrelated to the main plot and characters by being recorded in isolation, though in what appear to be the same sets. Each episode’s song, taken from the band’s first album, loosely relates to an aspect of that week’s plot – though this is clearly down to chance more than careful planning – and although it’s a little odd and distracting, it helps to give the show an exotic and unhinged atmosphere, similar to the musical sections of ‘The Young Ones.’ The songs aren’t particularly funny or interesting, though they’re okay, particularly one about Cluedo that I remember more than the rest (“le-le-le-le-le-le-le-le-lead piping”), but I’m glad they were included in this enjoyable mess.
Far from being a comedy classic, ‘Asylum’ was more of a testing ground for young talent, and a chance for some comedians to get a brief stint on the telly (even if it was only the Paramount channel). It proved incredibly beneficial for Pegg, Stevenson and Wright, paving the way for ‘Spaced’ a few years later where Wright’s directorial style could be fully explored (there are a couple of scenes, particularly the alien visitation at the end of episode five, that remind me of that great series). Norman Lovett’s biggest TV role was already behind him, and he’s used here mainly as a familiar face to draw viewers in, but no one else seems to have benefitted from the series in the same way. Julian Barratt is great in this, even if he jabbers on about nipples too much, but his big break wouldn’t come for a long time, while Adam Bloom was doomed to remain on the Paramount channel forever after in tedious circulation on its stand-up shows.
As this was never given an official release, and thus achieves cool underground cult status, it can commonly be found on sites such as YouTube where people will proclaim it to be much better than it actually is. My advice would be to seek out the better performers in their own shows, where they have more creative control, though for a mixed bag of very different talents this show works surprisingly well.
Advantages: Excellent collection of mid-90s underground comedy talent.
Disadvantages: Wafer-thin contrived setting and uneven performances.
****
Written on 09.07.04
“Two blokes. One sofa. No script.”
This premise on the front of a theatre opens the pre-recorded title sequence to Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned, a low budget but quite well-known comedy based completely on improvisation and audience interaction. This programme was either doomed to failure or popularity among a limited audience: as it happens, it was the latter.
I’ve never particularly been a fan of either Baddiel or Skinner, but this programme caught my attention when it was advertised in 2000 on ITV (I refuse to call it ‘ITV1.’ It’s only called that on old, brown television sets that don’t have remote controls), providing a comedy show in the 21.30 – 23.30 slot when the fourteen-year-old me had not discovered the pleasures of guiding the TV category on Dooyoo and I literally had nothing to do at night. Well, apart from that.
In February I rediscovered this show being repeated on the Paramount channel and although I felt a little silly and conformist watching it again, I found it strangely addictive. My 10.20pm slot was full for a while. There is plenty of criticism that can be (and indeed has been) aimed at this show, but it’s also strangely enjoyable for all its low-key dullness. It also doesn’t seem important that the show (which was originally live, at least in the first series) is several years old, although discussions over sport events and political or celebrity personalities do provide a splash of age water every so often.
THE PRESENTERS
The show is presented from a very comfy-looking brown sofa in a studio, occupied by David Baddiel (on the left) and Frank Skinner (right). Behind them is a large blue backdrop featuring caricatures of their faces, something that itself receives some criticism over the series, and in front of them is the ascending studio audience. David and Frank basically act like themselves, at least that’s the idea, and their different personalities are the driving force behind the show.
THE SKINNER ONE
Clearly the more popular of the two, although I’m not really a fan of either of them on anything other than this, Frank Skinner (real name Chris Collins) is the loveable Birmingham-born everyman comedian. Frank has a habit (that can be both very amusing or very annoying) of converting peoples’ comments into sexual ones and his general movements and actions lead to him being called “the campest straight guy on TV” by many of the audience and the Baddiel one.
As this show lends itself to a certain cult following, many of the audience are long-time fans of the duo, but especially of Frank. On a number of occasions Frank realises he has met obsessive women in the audience before and his general charm lets him get away with all manner of potentially offensive jokes. The Baddiel one puts a ban on his Jewish jokes quite early on though.
THE BADDIEL ONE
David Baddiel (real name also Chris Collins. Not really) was apparently the token silly one of the Newman and Baddiel duo in the early 90s (responsible for ‘The Mary Whitehouse Experience.’ I never saw it), but in the Baddiel and Skinner act he fulfils the role of the over-educated and sarcastic critic, although he couldn’t be described as curmudgeonly. It would be easy to hate the Baddiel one but I find many of his comments and tales funny.
In order to be successful, both members of a comedy duo have to be very different. Morcambe had glasses, Ernie was short; Hale had stupid eyes, Pace was fat and had a moustache (or whichever way round they were). Skinner is a slim, camp Brummie who used to work in factory while Baddiel is a bearded, bespectacled Jewish Cambridge graduate who has never done a decent day’s work in his life.
THE ROUTINE
The discussions and events of each show are unscripted and largely up to the questions posed by the audience or according to what Baddiel or Skinner have been up to during the week, but there are a couple of fixed features in each show. Early in each ‘episode’ the duo will choose their secretary, an eager member of the audience who records the things they discuss on a board. The brief conversations with more interesting or unusual secretaries resulted in some of the most memorable parts of shows, even leading to a newspaper condemning the show for rigging some audience members. As they become fond of pointing out, it would be difficult to plan some of what goes on.
Each show is ended with a musical number chosen at random by the audience from the songbooks. David plays the piano, prone to errors on a number of occasions, while Frank tries his best to sing, usually going over-the-top and keeping it amusing when it could easily be embarrassing to watch. The first series was shown completely live as it happened and this often resulted in the programme being over or under length: on one particular occasion the song was completed and the screen was filled with a © 2000 Avalon productions screen for three minutes while Frank and David rambled on with the audience in the background, although on most occasions the song was never given full time to be completed. This is undoubtedly part of the reason that the subsequent series were recorded a day prior to transmission for editing.
THE MEMORY REMAINS
It’s difficult to pin down specific gags or humorous moments as this is primarily a programme that provides a constant humorous atmosphere throughout without any notable scenes. As such I can only remember some recently seen examples:
A discussion over turkey eggs and whether they exist. This was brought up in a number of shows and no one had any idea until one was eventually sent in as confirmation.
Frank’s birthday presents. Frank’s birthday falls on two shows across the series: the first one sees David’s gift of Robert DeNiro’s papier-mache genital replica, while the second is a little more sarcastic and is based on colouring hair and removing age lines.
The wonderful birthday joke. A discussion over pubic hair styling techniques in one of the birthday episodes inspires Baddiel’s wit to ask whether they are playing “call my m*ff.” Frank is very pleased with this joke; it is much better than the rubbish presents.
The pair switch sides of the sofa. This wasn’t really a joke, but it did seem very strange seeing them on the opposite sides following a commercial break. They found it even more disconcerting though.
VERDICT
While not really a landmark in TV comedy history, this provided a nice mix of reality TV and improvised comedy and felt very friendly and relaxed; the running jokes and interaction with the audience also served to make it addictive while not having to rely on sexual tension to pull in viewing figures. (If they had it would likely have had the opposite effect: I for one would not be interested in the middle-aged funny men’s gay intercourse festival).
The jokes are usually fairly crude and never sensational, although this wasn’t the point of the series. ‘Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned’ was fun to watch and is one of the most laid-back programmes I have ever seen, although consequently not one of the most interesting. Not so much compulsive viewing as a leisurely glance in the direction of the telly for half an hour. The show is still on its cycle on digital channel Paramount 2 and occasionally on ITV 2, although the duo has more recently featured in ‘Fantasy Football 2004’ which may or may not still be running. I don’t watch that.
Advantages: Spontaneous and enjoyable, Funny stars who are slightly different, Doesn't try too hard
Disadvantages: Not exactly groundbreaking, Occasionally gets boring, I wouldn't buy it on DVD
Big Train
****
Written on 26.03.04
1999 was, in my opinion, a great year for British comedy with new series such as the League of Gentlemen and Big Train catering for the laughter and slightly surreal needs of both young and old. Although often criticised or forgotten, Big Train seemed to get the balance between straightforward jokes and confusing/disturbing situations spot on: sort of a mix between the Fast Show and Chris Morris' bizarre 'Jam' series.
Big Train was granted a generous airtime on a Monday night, just before the new first series of the award-winning League of Gentlemen, although it obviously wouldn't be to everyone's taste. The little-known actors and writers all played their characters in hilariously deadpan and low-key styles, experiencing emotions such as fear, confusion and calm much more than happiness and excitement.
The performers are as follows:
Kevin Eldon - a talented actor who has appeared in a great deal of comedy from Lee and Herring's TV and radio shows to Brass Eye. you may recognise him from his slightly monkey-esque face and dark hair.
Simon Pegg - much more well-known for starring in Spaced and the upcoming film 'Shaun of the Dead', it's a wonder he hasn't been in more high-profile shows. He did appear in Guest House Paradiso, the disappointing film version of Bottom.
Mark Heap - like Kevin Eldon, he has appeared in a lot of comedy such as Brass Eye, Spaced, Jam, Brass Eye and a rubbish comedy film called 'Hospital' that only my Dad likes.
The female regulars Julia Davis and Amelia Bullmore will be less familiar to viewers, but have both appeared in Jam. Davis was a writer and star of the terrible new show 'Nighty Night,' which also features Kevin Eldon - its only redeeming feature.
Big Train's first six-part series was essentially a sketch show featuring stand-alone stories. Sketches such as the Evil Hypnotist, Spoon-Phobia and the human-sized dog were average length features with great humour throughout while the show also offered a number of very short scenes, used for all of the programme's trailers on the BBC, such as the fireman dancing around and licking the fire pole and the frightened policeman. The first series also became famous partially due to the animated World Stare-Out championship which, despite not being a personal favourite of mine, is certainly very memorable. Lengthier sketches could often drag on a bit too long or just be too confusing to understand, such as a dying man rising and singing a song or a woman cheating a man for a set of traffic lights.
The show's second series in 2002 was written without the input of comic genius Graham Lineham and as such did seem to be lacking a lot of the humour. There were a greater number of sketches which I didn't find very funny or had a punchline, although there were still many which I found hilarious. A man who grows giant when exposed to the sun for too long and a child whose apparent face paint turned out to be her natural markings from some weird tiger-human race were brilliantly bizarre, although did not appeal as much as the earlier programmes.
Big Train is certainly a programme aimed at a specific audience, and it will doubtless not appeal to the greater public at large. For me and my friends it presented a great show amidst the tedious and sho
rt-lived sitcoms of the late 90s, and I look forward to May when it is finally being released on DVD.
Advantages: Fantastic actors and writers
Disadvantages: Won't appeal to a lot of people
****
Written on 11.01.06
One of the best sketch shows of the last decade, Big Train was written by Father Ted's Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews, who appear occasionally as bit-parts in the sketches and may be recognised as the two Irish TV executives in 'I'm Alan Partridge.' The first series was transmitted in 1998 in a classic Monday night pairing with 'The League of Gentlemen,' its surreal fast-moving sketches the perfect compliment to the League's much darker, character-based humour.
The writers stated that their main aim with the show wasn't to try and be particularly clever or witty, and certainly wasn't to create a string of recognisable characters with catch-phrases that could be repeated in the school playground. As such, Big Train is funny, bizarre comedy at its best, a self-confessed result of Monty Python influence. Despite great dialogue, Big Train isn't highly quotable, but definitely leaves a lasting impression.
Big Train beats Python in one area, and that is the quality of the acting. While John Cleese's irritable customer character is a deserved comedy legend, the Python team were only usually equipped to perform the roles they'd written with themselves in mind, and did little more than a funny voice to distinguish themselves between sketches. The performers of Big Train are established modern comedy greats, despite (initially) all coming from roughly the same comedy background, i.e. things written by people from 'On the Hour,' the groundbreaking radio news spoof that became 'The Day Today.'
The first series of Big Train saw Simon Pegg (of later 'Spaced' and 'Shaun of the Dead' fame), Mark Heap ('Brass Eye') and Kevin Eldon ('Fist of Fun') playing the male roles, accompanied by Amelia Bullmore (Alan Partridge's Ukranian girlfriend) and Julia Davis (writer and star of 'Nighty Night') (apologies for all the brackets). The writers realised afterwards that they hadn't featured the women quite as much as they would have liked, and this limited presence perhaps makes it less shocking that they were replaced for the later second series when unavailable by more famous faces.
Tracy-Ann Oberman ('EastEnders'), Rebecca Front ('The Day Today') and Catherine Tate ('The Catherine Tate Show') did an admirable job of filling their shoes.
This DVD features both series of the show across 12 episodes. The second series was created a few years after the first, and there is a noticeable difference in image quality and style, the latter of which results from Graham Linehan's absence. Matthews brought in a number of additional writers for one-off sketches, while a lot of material was again improvised or suggested by the performers. The first series is more consistently funny, the second relying a little too much on attempts at "disturbing humour" that are sometimes excellent but sometimes too weird to be particularly funny, and every episode of the first series also features competitors from 'The World Stare-Out Championship': the part of the show that divides fans the most, an animated battle of staring between funny-looking men that is funny at first, seeing the packed arena hanging on every second of these unblinking men, but almost immediately has to rely on silly occurrences to keep it interesting, but distract from the basic joke of the tedious sport.
The humour is all of a certain style, meaning it won't appeal to everyone. A common recurring theme derives humour from displacing events and people, notably a Western shoot-out between the BeeGees and Chaka Khan and a fantastic parody of the battle between good and evil that sees Jesus as the manager of an office (or at least a man with a beard, a white robe and a crown of thorns on his head) getting fed up with the mischievous antics of an employee who looks like Satan (i.e. red with horns and the ability to set people on fire).
The sketches also avoid irony and satire whenever possible, and it seems that Linehan and Matthews are almost offended when people view the "w**king in the office" sketch as a parody of no-smoking rules. As long as you're able to get used to this literal approach, the results are very rewarding, despite being pointless. Those who enjoy high budget television should be impressed with Big Train's constant move between convincing replicas of Nazi Germany, monasteries, the English civil wars and the Roman Empire all within a few minutes. Even as a big fan of the series, and someone who thinks comedy shows are often overlooked by heads of programming, I find it questionable whether they should have been given all that money... assuming they were, and didn't just have a brilliant and resourceful production crew.
Despite the high quality of the writing and acting, it's clear when watching the episodes in succession that the programme wasn't taken too seriously by its creators, and this makes it all the more laid-back and enjoyable to watch. Characters and scenes crop up a second time, weeks after being seen, in small sketches based on dialogue, and the audio commentaries confirm that these were essentially funny things that the actors improvised to make further use of the costumes. The friendships and good working relationships between the cast and writers allows for some vast improvements, such as Pegg's "does anyone want to see my monkey impression?" finale tagged on to the Ritz/Titz sketch which would otherwise have gone out on quite a poor punchline.
Each series features a celebratory musical performance for its climax performed by Kevin Eldon, a nice and satisfying conclusion to a couple of great series. The first series' is better than that of the second, the usual response to comparing the two series, seeing the death of Chairman Mao (Eldon) and his inexplicable resurrection to perform Roxy Music's 'Virginia Plain' in what I'm told is a faithful recreation of its original music video. The second series' more contrived conclusion of a Frankenstein / Dexy's Midnight Runners scenario is cut off before it really gets anywhere, but it's still a nice idea.
A two-disc set that was a long time postponed from the original release date, the Big Train DVD is good value for money. As well as a very handy scene selection that links to every individual sketch, meaning that less favourite ones can be skipped, there are audio commentaries to all the episodes. These occasionally feature the cast (mostly in the first series) which leads to some funny moments such as Eldon criticising Pegg for innocently name-dropping 'Shaun of the Dead' out of admitted jealousy, as well as the very frank and honest views of everyone involved over what worked and what could have been improved. Linehan and Matthews are especially critical of the way they occasionally resort to cheap punchlines when they can't think of a satisfying conclusion, such as making the "child slaves forced to write puns for radio" and "passing other peoples' opinions off as your own" sketches into adverts at the last minute.
The deleted scenes are the best extra on this set, totalling 30 minutes for the first series and arranged essentially as a seventh episode (even featuring the title sequence after the opening sketch). On the whole these are inferior to the episodes themselves, but some were blatantly cut for reasons of time: I'm sure many of the longer sketches in the Big Train episodes must have been heavily edited from the stock footage, based largely as they are on improvisation, and some of the deleted scenes here really do drag on. 'Hopeless Extra' doesn't really get any funnier each time Mark Heap's character messes up a take, and the recurring 'Time Share' segments simply repeat a joke over and over. The opening 'Nosebleed' sketch deserved to be cut purely because Mark Heap's convincing acting makes it very disturbing to watch, perhaps succeeding a little too well. (Fans of Chris Morris' 'Jam' series should like it though). The deleted scenes are all usefully divided up just like the episodes, and the real highlight comes at the end with the epic 'Battle of Sledgby: 8th July 1646.' Although it starts a little blandly, Parliamentarian Englishmen against a force of hens not really being inherently funny once the viewer is accustomed to the show's style, the final scene at a modern day memorial site, seeing hens with cameras around their necks milling amongst the human tourists, is the highlight of this piece.
Other features include comprehensive and almost completely up-to-date biographies and credits for all performers and writers (the DVD was released last Easter), photo galleries and subtitles. There's also an interesting extra on the second disc featuring two scenes from 'Geht's Noch,' the German version of Big Train that was shot and performed, it appears from these clips, as an exact copy of the original (but in German, obviously). The sketches featured are the hospital phone call from series 1, one of Pegg's best performances as he can't bring himself to put down the phone on a talkative friend despite needing to attend a dying patient, the afore-mentioned Onanism in the office, and the boss' spoon phobia.
This extra is fun but, in the end, completely pointless and unnecessary. Much like the series. The backgrounds to the menus are also a nice treat, recreating sketches from each relevant series in miniature puppet form, most notably the parody of Hitchcock's 'The Birds' on the episode selection for disc 2. These menus would doubtless provide several minutes of entertainment on their own, if you are that way inclined.
The DVD can be bought for £13.99 on Play.com and 2 pence cheaper on Amazon.co.uk, but sans the free delivery, and with 12 episodes across 2 well-produced discs, it's not a bad price at all.
Blackadder the Third
****
Written on 03.07.04 [2015 Bladders rewatch]
The third series of the Richard Curtis and Ben Elton penned historical sitcom Blackadder faced the challenge of making "a period in history nobody knows about" funny. As History lessons had ensured I had a general knowledge of British society and Government of the time, the show's only goal as far as I was concerned was to make a period of history that is incredibly boring, funny. 'Blackadder the Third' excels at this and although perhaps not as widely seen as the hugely popular second and fourth series of the show, the plots and humour are up to the same high standard.
CAST
Blackadder: "Hundreds of years from now, I want episodes from my life to be played out weekly at 9:30 by some great heroic actor of the age."
Baldrick: "Yes, and I could be played by some tiny tit in a beard."
ROWAN ATKINSON is still the star of the show, playing the world-weary, sarcastic Edmund Blackadder, fallen from his nobility and now nothing more than a butler to the Prince. The character evolves with each series; this time round he is a little less arrogant due to his servile occupation, although the lack of beard also has an impact on this. The hair was apparently only absent because Rowan's girlfriend despised it.
TONY ROBINSON is again excellent as the pathetic and lowliest of life forms, S. Baldrick. Still as stupid as in the second series, Baldrick has an unhealthy fascination with turnips and highwaymen, his unfortunate lack of common sense and intellect confirming Blackadder's view that "if you want something done properly, kill Baldrick before you start."
HUGH LAURIE plays the incomprehensible stupid Prince Regent, the only main character based entirely on a genuine historical figure, and in some ways fills in for Tim McInnerny's Percy character from the earlier series, although Percy wouldn't spend weeks attempting to put on a pair of trousers. Laurie's convincing portrayal of the idiotic Prince led to his return in Blackadder Goes Forth as an upper-class lieutenant of a similar mental disposition.
As a mainstream and highly popular comedy series, Blackadder continued to attract familiar talent from its own past and from other shows. Stephen Fry is excellent as the ruthless Lord Wellington in the final episode and Miranda Richardson plays a highway(wo)man and giggling fool: both had been in the regular cast of Blackadder II. Red Dwarf's Chris Barrie affects a French accent to play a swaggering ambassador who is "hung like a baby carrot," Robbie Coltrane dons a wig and a high voice for Samuel Johnson and the Young Ones' Nigel Planer is the Scarlet Pimpernel. Sadly no roles for Rik Mayall or Adrian Edmondson in this series, although Tim McInnerny (formerly Lord Percy and later Captain Darling) makes a brief appearance as a nobleman.
EPISODES
There are six half-hour episodes of Blackadder the Third, all of which are excellent: 'Dish and Dishonesty' is a heavily satirical opening to the series concerning elections and huge turnips; 'Ink and Incapability' sees the writer of the first English Dictionary threatening to kill Blackadder after Baldrick accidentally burns the only copy; 'Nob and Nobility' celebrates the French revolution but not really the French people; 'Sense and Senility' depicts the Prince's pathetic attempts at acting; 'Amy and Amiability' is a romantic tale of sorts in which the potential bride for the Prince must on no account meet him before agreeing, and the conclusion 'Dual and Duality' is an epic fight to the death and a take on the Prince and the Porpoise.
The interaction between the main characters and with the guest stars is the driving force behind the show, but rather than being a The Office-style exploration of the performers in different emotional states, Blackadder was still very much plot-based in a similar way to the earlier Fawlty Towers (except the hotel is a palace, Baldrick isn't from Barcelona and the boss is an insane German all the time, not just in one over-repeated scene). The period costumes are all excellent and aid a great deal in the believability, and in the whole series there is only one set that looks genuinely unconvincing, although this is covered by Blackadder's description of "an unrealistic grassy knoll."
The self-contained plots of each episode make it an easy task to remember which one is which, aided by the moving video clips on the 'episode select' menu of the DVD. You may also notice that each episode's title is linked to its plot or theme: very clever.
THE HUMOUR
The style of comedy in Blackadder the Third is similar to what has come before, but is a little more refined. The silliness that was heavily present in Blackadder II has been toned down but still shows itself occasionally in the form of the Standing at the Back Dressed Stupidly and Looking Stupid Party and a tray reverse-falling into Blackadder's hands, but there is a great deal more political humour in this series a la Yes Minister (which my brother likes) or the New Statesman (which I have seen and is rubbish). Although I can tolerate current affairs comedy shows as long as they aren't rubbish I don't usually find political comedy that funny, mainly as I'm so ill-informed on such matters, but at least in Blackadder it's fairly universal: still, claiming that "a violent, bigoted, mindless old fool" is "a bit overqualified" for a job as an MP does seem quite tired today, although I'm sure those alternative comedy eighties anarchists loved it.
It's relieving that despite this desire to criticise the Government through the ages, the traditional Blackadder humour of cynicism and odd comparisons is still present. Blackadder described Samuel Johnson's Dictionary as "the most pointless book since 'How to Learn French' was translated into French" and claims that the Prince Regent has "a brain the size of a weasel's wedding tackle," but the length and frequency of these statements are thankfully kept under control rather than being overused, as was the case in the fourth series. Although saying that, "madder than Mad Jack McMad the winner of this year's Mr. Madman competition" does push it a bit, but it's funny hearing Rowan handling all those syllables.
VERDICT
The themes of murder and corruption inherent to all Blackadder series make it a fairly dark comedy, although this is balanced out by the light-hearted attitude of the dialogue and performances. While 'Blackadder II' is often viewed as the funniest series, which it probably is, and 'Blackadder Goes Forth' applauded for its compassion to those that gave their lives in the First World War, (and 'The Black Adder' tolerated for not being as good as the other ones), Blackadder the Third had an interesting choice of setting, and could have failed dramatically if not for the success of its earlier incarnations. Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson are as good as ever, while Hugh Laurie's Prince George is an excellent newcomer to the franchise who plays off Atkinson perfectly. Some of the points discussed in this series actually helped me in my History lessons as well, although that didn't serve to make this study of it more interesting.
The DVD, which can be more affordably acquired as part of 'the Complete Blackadder' set, presents the episodes and their soundtracks in the highest quality possible but is devoid of any real extras apart from English subtitles. Had the Blackadder sets been released more recently the BBC may have felt pressured to include some special features such as interviews or even commentary tracks due to the popularity of the series, especially given the age of the programme and the accomplishments of all the main stars since then.
Sodoff Baldrick's novel, BALDRICK:
Once upon a time there was a lovely little sausage called Baldrick,
and it lived happily ever after.
"It's semi-autobiographical."
Blackadder's Christmas Carol
Schwarze Weihnachten
****
Written on 16.09.04
Have you ever been uncertain whether a peculiar memory in your mind was a dream or a scene in a 1988 Christmas special on BBC 2? I, as I am sure you will be aware having just read that, have. Several years ago, when reading the blurb “featuring further filthier Blackadders” in the book containing all the scripts across the four series of Richard Curtis’ and Ben Elton’s legendary sitcom, my mind had been alerted to a faded vision of a futuristic cyberpunk space pirate Blackadder accompanied by an bondage-clad Baldrick slave.
That potential sexual confusion was thankfully laid to rest when I recently saw ‘Blackadder’s Christmas Carol’ for the first time in ten years, an enjoyable festive tale featuring Blackadder incarnations from the distant past to the flashy, sexually-repulsive future, now available on DVD.
YE STORIE
It is the end of the nineteenth century, and respected businessman Ebenezer Blackadder is preparing for a selfless Christmas period of love and happiness between fellow men, and his smelly but oddly likeable apprentice Baldrick. Blackadder’s generosity is well-known, but there are many unfortunate souls living in industrialised London town who are willing to take advantage of his endless compassion and rapidly dwindling wealth.
As Blackadder tucks into bed on Christmas Eve, having given away everything he painstakingly prepared for the morning, he is visited by a ghost bearing the face and stout body of Robbie Coltrane, who offers glimpses into Blackadder’s ancestry. From the curmudgeonly favourite of Elizabeth I, the long-suffering butler of the Prince Regent and beyond, Blackadder is taught a valuable lesson in self-obsession and charity beginning at home, and remaining there.
CAST
The performers and characters remained reasonably stationary throughout the run of Blackadder, leading to most of them appearing here in various recognisable and original guises. Rowan Atkinson is the clear star of the show, his charitable Ebenezer still being very witty and enjoyable although clearly not up to the standard of the traditional incarnations. The reappearance of the bearded Blackadder from series two will please fans of that particularly successful series (even though the clearly artificial beard is a little distracting), while the Blackadder III characters were so recent to all concerned when this was produced that it doesn’t even feel like a step backwards.
Tony Robinson’s Victorian Baldrick is identical to the dogsbody of series 3, leading to some classic idiot scenes, most notably when he manages to spell ‘Christmas’ without getting a single letter correct, revealed in full at the close of the end credits. In an alternate futuristic scene, a glimpse into what will evidently transpire if Blackadder doesn’t return to his curmudgeonly ways, Baldrick even gets a chance to play the dominant role. He is still stupid though, accidentally causing an intergalactic war.
Miranda Richardson and Stephen Fry reprise their roles as Lord Melchett and Queen Elizabeth, while Hugh Laurie again dons the ridiculous wig and large trousers for the role of the Prince Regent, all three also appearing in the galactic council scene. The absence of Tim McInnerny as Lord Percy is a little disappointing and makes the Blackadder II segment seem lacking, but McInnerny had declined the Percy role in series three for fear of being typecast as the bumbling oaf: this proved very successful when he did return for Blackadder Goes Forth as Captain Darling, who was very different from Percy but had the same number of friends.
All performers involved were excellent in their scenes, only seeming less inspired when the writing wasn’t quite up to scratch. Miriam Margolyes and Jim Broadbent, actors who had previously appeared in Blackadder series among other roles, have some enjoyable scenes as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, although there’s still no sign of Rik Mayall’s Lord Flashheart.
THE DVD
It always seems a little unfair when the BBC release a forty-five minute Christmas special for the same price as a three-hour series, but fortunately this DVD has come down in price below the ten pound mark over time. There are no special features apart from the usual chapter selection, and it’s never been clear why the BBC didn’t add this release, along with the compilation of other Blackadder specials, to their otherwise excellent ‘Complete Blackadder’ collection. The picture quality is as expected for a full-screen eighties BBC release.
VERDICT
This is a high quality Christmas special that shows very few signs of inferiority to the classic series themselves. Some of the more experimental sections are a little far-fetched and less funny as a result, in particular the very low budget future scene that shows exactly why Blackadder was successful in a historical context, but the main setting of Victorian England works excellently in the first half. The call-backs to the second and third series (not the very different Blackadder character from the first series, for obvious reasons of confusion as well as budget) work as well as they can be expected to within such brief amounts of time, but they aren’t really anything special. The notion of the reverse Scrooge is enjoyable in its simplicity, and even though the ending is very obvious, it’s the return to form that the viewer has been anticipating throughout.
Very easy to overlook but worthy of repeat playing, ‘Blackadder’s Christmas Carol’ is far superior to the 1999 ‘Back and Forth’ special as it catches the writers, performers and even the viewers while the Blackadder saga is still in motion. The final series ‘Blackadder Goes Forth’ appeared the following year to huge acclaim, this Christmas special whetting fans’ appetites for tales of dastardly cunning and idiocy.
Advantages: More classic Blackadder, Elizabethan setting works excellently, Cast and crew on top form
Disadvantages: DVD release is a little disappointing and sparse, Some characters missing, some dodgy decisions
Blackadder Goes Forth
*****
Written on 28.04.04
Recently hailed as Britain's second favourite sitcom, the Blackadder series provides high quality humour and likeable characters for all generations, despite the fact that the majority of it is set centuries before they were even conceived. Most people have their particular favourite series, but the fourth and final series made in 1989 is often the most memorable; the jokes and characters were at an all-time high, while its portrayal of life in the trenches of World War I managed to be satirically biting, hilarious and moving.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
'Blackadder Goes Forth' appeared on British television screens on 28th September 1989 and had the usual six-week run of a comedy series. Long-time viewers were already well accustomed to the characters established in the previous years, and in some cases there was the return of old favourites.
ROWAN ATKINSON stars as the eponymous CAPTAIN EDMUND BLACKADDER, the sarcastic and world-weary captain of the featured trench. The character of Edmund Blackadder was firmly established in 1985's 'Blackadder II,' and Rowan Atkinson's portrayal of the only sane character out of the bunch is what kept this series popular. Without the advantage of high political status or camaraderie with royalty, the Blackadder of this series loses an amount of smugness, and he is unable to seek quick escapes so easily.
TONY ROBINSON is his usual excellent self playing the filthy and incredibly stupid PRIVATE S. BALDRICK. The classic oppressed mass of the series, it is impossible not to feel sympathy for Baldrick whilst also revelling when he is treated like the piece of filth that he is. The major change in the character from the previous series is that he is now far stupider, from actions such as carving his name into a bullet to literally failing to tell his arse from his elbows.
HUGH LAURIE regresses from his role as the idiotic Prince George in 'Blackadder the Third' to play the equally stupid, but far less important, LIEUTENANT GEORGE here. Laurie once again excels at bringing the loud imbecile to life, and this offers plenty of material for the writing team to discuss the benefits, and lack of, of public school education. Fans of the Fry and Laurie double-act will doubtless have been delighted by the numerous interactions between the two actors in this series.
GENERAL MELCHETT, played by STEPHEN FRY, is another very memorable and popular character, and is a perfectly exaggerated example of the foolish and ignorant Generals responsible for actions in the First World War. The previous Melchett character in 'Blackadder II' was far different and not as funny, but Stephen Fry manages to steal every scene he is in with the braying moustachioed fool.
TIM McINNERNY plays CAPTAIN KEVIN DARLING, the final regular character in the series, the pen-pushing assistant to Melchett who would be a valuable asset to the war if not for his abject cowardice and offensive personality. Tim McInnerny previously played the foolish character of Percy in the first two series, the equivalent of Lieutenant George here, but turned down a regular role in series 3 for fear of being typecast. The character here is so different that it took me a long time to even realise it was the same actor. There are also many jokes made regarding his nickname which are certainly cheap shots, but which the viewer cannot help but find very funny. It's all in the timing.
Being a popular series, Blackadder had its share of talented comedy actors in cameo roles and this final series is no different. Miranda Richardson, famous as Queen Elizabeth in Blackadder II, returns as a nurse in one episode, but the most impressive cameo is by Rik Mayall's Squadron Commander Flashheart in episode four; the self-obsessed ladies' man once again completely steals the show, and it makes for a great episode.
EPISODES
A brief look at the plots of the episodes does not really do them justice, but it is fair to say that they are all classics in their own right, with the finale being the most recognised and perhaps the best of the lot. Still being a comedy series, there is no real plot, other than the situation and the interaction of the characters, that links the episodes together, and so missing an episode would not dampen the enjoyment of the others. Brief synopses are taken from the book 'Blackadder: the Whole Damn Dynasty,' with my opinions to follow, along with a suitable quote to describe the state of the war.
'CAPTAIN COOK' - When General Haig unveils his new strategy to move his drinks cabinet six inches closer to Berlin, Blackadder volunteers to be Official War Artist.
A very funny episode to start the series, each character is given time to shine. Blackadder comes across as scheming and very cunning, while the ever-present danger of the trenches is highlighted towards the end, almost to foreshadow the series' end.
Blackadder: "Would this brilliant plan involve us climbing over the top of our trenches and walking slowly towards the enemy?"
Melchett: "How do you know that, Blackadder? It's classified information."
Blackadder: "It's the same plan that we used last time, sir. And the seventeen times before that."
'CORPORAL PUNISHMENT' - Order for Operation Insanity arrive and Blackadder breaches regulations by eating the messenger. Can the Flanders Pigeon Murderer avoid the Firing Squad?
Much more focus on Blackadder in this episode, the notion of disobeying foolish orders is important for the series. Needless to say, the characters are all quick to forget about this incident afterwards, but it is a comedy show first and a drama fifth.
Blackadder: "Oh, come on. With 50,000 men getting killed each week, who's going to miss a pigeon?"
'MAJOR STAR' - The Russian Revolution produces two more appalling results: an offensive by Germany and a really offensive Charlie Chaplin impression by Baldrick.
Some light relief from the trench life, this is an opportunity for the characters to at least enjoy themselves a little, with the incentive always being that their new careers may take them away from the front lines. Melchett is particularly good in this one, as he falls in love with George's drag act and asks him to marry him.
Blackadder: "A war hasn't been fought this badly since Olaf the Hairy, High Chief of all the Vikings, accidentally ordered 80,000 battle helmets with the horns on the inside."
'PRIVATE PLANE' - German machine-guns in front. British firing squads behind- the only way out is up tiddly up-up.
Perhaps my favourite episode, the focus on the Blackadder/Baldrick relationship is a highlight here, along with Rik Mayall as Flashheart and Adrian Edmondson as the mad German Baron von Richthofen. There is also a feeling of excitement, despite the fact that it is clearly not Baldrick flying the plane on film!
Flashheart: "Just because I can give multiple orgasms to the furniture just by sitting on it doesn't mean I'm not sick of this damn war. The blood, the noise, the endless poetry."
'GENERAL HOSPITAL' - The secret of the Great Plan is out. Ordered to find a spy in the hospital, Blackadder spots a man with a strong German accent, a beautiful nurse and a chance for three weeks in bed.
Another chance for Rowan Atkinson to show his acting skills, this is another great episode that brings the focus back to the grittier aspects of warfare.
Blackadder: "Oh I see. And that would be the plan to continue with total slaughter until everybody's dead except Field Marshall Haig and Lady Haig and their tortoise Alan."
Melchett: "Great Scott! Even you know it! This security leak is far worse than I'd imagined."
'GOODBYEEE' - Millions have died but the troops have advanced no further than an asthmatic ant with some heavy shopping. Now, at last, the big push looms...
Blackadder series always end with at least some of the main characters dying, and this is no exception. The dismal and inescapable life in the trenches is captured perfectly during this episode, and even Baldrick and George manage to seem saddened.
George: "I don't want to die. I'm really not over keen on dying at all, sir."
STYLE & TONE
This series' success is partly due to its originality, and a lot of careful thought clearly went into its preparation. As usual the sets and costumes are very believable and historically accurate, and the setting of the Great War makes for a more emotional and hard-hitting show due to its harsh and violent nature, as well as the fact that it is much nearer to the present day than the previous series have been, making it less detached.
There have been many parodies and satires of the nature of World War I fighting, notably the famous play 'O What a Lovely War,' and especially the idea of "lions led by donkeys." For me, the factor that elevates 'Blackadder Goes Forth' from a very funny show to a classic piece of television history is the fact that it is very relevant and truthful in its opinion of the First World War, and this has even led to quotes being included in History exams. My brother's GCSE paper utilised a piece of source material based on Blackadder's quote: "We've been sitting here since Christmas 1914, during which time millions of men have died and we've moved no further than an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping." It's true, History really can be fun. Although my experience of learning far more than strictly necessary about Louis XIV did cause me to drop A-level History after a year due to sheer boredom.
If anyone can recall seeing an episode of Blackadder, there is a good chance it would be the final episode, which seems to have become a staple of every Remembrance Day and comedy celebration. Twenty five minutes of some of the funniest and well-researched jokes and several minutes at the end where the tone changes to one of sadness and regret, with the lead characters all leaping over the top of the trench and falling one by one, the image dissolving into that of a peaceful field of poppies to end the series.
I cannot see how Ben Elton and Richard Curtis could have ended a series any more perfectly, as it sums up their respect for the courage of the fallen soldiers and the futility of such a war. The final line is: "Whatever it was, I'm sure it was better than my plan to get out of this by pretending to be mad. I mean, who would have noticed another madman round here? Good luck everyone." Even the most hardened comedy viewer may have shed a tear for those men.
PERSONAL NOTE
The humour aside, Blackadder Goes Forth is a much more interesting take on the First World War than most of the other resources available. I speak from experience, having read novels and poetry ("the endless poetry") and although they are very insightful and emotional, I much prefer being shown these messages through a medium that I enjoy. My three-hour English Literature exam on World War I literature will undoubtedly include my appreciation for this comedic masterpiece alongside more traditional sources.
Bottom – Series Three
The Prime Minister's Nipples
****
Written on 09.08.06
Following in the footsteps of ‘Fawlty Towers,’ writers of classic sitcoms strive to make the best possible use of the three televised hours granted to them per year, ending their shows after two series to leave viewers hungry for more. A sitcom based largely on erection gags and cartoonish violence, ‘Bottom’ was never going to be a classic sitcom. Made three years after the second series, this third and final batch of six episodes features some of the series’ finest and weakest shows.
Richie Richard and Eddie Hitler (Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, who write the show) are still living in their filthy Hammersmith flat, still getting on each others’ nerves to the point of severe mutilation and still failing to get their respective ends away. As was the case in series two, half of the episodes focus entirely on the two main characters, while the rest incorporate a larger cast, including Eddie’s friends Spudgun and Dave Hedgehog. Almost as a rule, the former episode premise leads to more impressive results.
Despite claims by the writers that Bottom was intended partially as an exploration of the inherent pointlessness of life (especially in middle age), series three could hardly be described as profound. The toilet humour has increased, most notably in the Halloween episode in which Richie repeatedly soils his tights when electrocuted, and plots are often more or less recycled from previous episodes. The notable exceptions come with the opening and closing episodes of the series, the memorable ‘Hole’ in which Richie and Eddie are trapped on the top car of a Ferris-wheel facing demolition by vengeful fairground staff, and the highly enjoyable ‘Carnival’ which sees the characters finally meet their demise (well, having already plummeting to certain doom in ‘Hole’).
‘Hole’ is one of the best Bottom episodes, and came out on top in some unnecessary poll by the BBC in the mid-90s. The situation is entertaining enough in itself, but becomes increasingly dire and terrifying as the single thirty-minute scene progresses. This is far from perfect comedy, relying too often on slapstick as the series often does, and cheap pull-back-and-reveal gags, but there are some great exchanges. My favourite was always Richie’s obliviousness that ‘Keith’ who he had been pursuing all night was not in fact a woman; her alleged earring being “through her foreskin.”
Like many episodes, ‘Terror’ tries too hard to extract all the humour possible from a crude premise, in this case Halloween festivities. The double-entendres reach their peak in the opening scene, which some people will find ridiculous but which I quite enjoy in its more desperate moments (“maybe we should eat our flakes … can I drink your juice?”). The scenes skip around from some disappointing trick-or-treat gags on an unconvincing outdoor set to a Halloween party in the flat that plays out as a less impressive re-make of the Christmas party from the previous series.
‘Break’ sees the pair preparing for the holiday of a lifetime in gloomy Doncaster. It’s nice to see Richie pushed over the edge of ecstasy by childish excitement, rubbing his nipples with vigour as Eddie plays the boring straight man watching Emmerdale, but the show seems overlong by the time the far-from-dramatic conclusion arrives. Plenty of slapstick fight scenes, a penis in a vacuum cleaner and a quest to see a controversial nude photo of Des Lynam pinned under the fridge make for an average show.
The series’ only pub episode, ‘Dough’ begins with some entertaining scenes involving Eddie’s forged and extremely pornographic money, which logically becomes more X-rated as the value increases, from a simple shot of the Queen’s jugs on the fiver up to a bizarre orgy between the royal family and Magic Roundabout characters on the fifty. Along with Dave and Spudgun, the pair play dirty to win the convenient jackpot at the Lamb and Flag’s pub quiz to pay off “Skullcrusher” Henderson and survive the night with their skulls intact.
‘Finger’ is another disappointing episode, and finally resorts to cheap laughs from cross-dressing, although Eddie’s breasts are on back-to-front. Richie and ‘Edwina’ steal a married couple’s honeymoon tickets for a posh holiday, but are pursued there by the happy couple. The jokes are weak, but there’s a fun scene involving a car chase with an obviously fake bluescreen.
Ultimately the series finale, ‘Carnival’ flits around all over the place from the annual Hammersmith riots (also known as the carnival procession) to Richie’s plan to use a stolen videocamera to make some easy money, and finally an encounter with an extremely sensitive video of the Prime Minister in bed with two women. The slapstick is at its best, if you like that kind of thing, and there’s plenty of quotable dialogue.
Series one of Bottom has a charm that the others lack, especially when episodes feature a larger ensemble cast. The series was intended as low-brow toilet humour, but repeated plots and endless jokes about masturbation begin to grate after a while. Most disappointing of all is the complete abandonment of the series’ latent homoeroticism, which would have made ‘Finger’ far more interesting in bringing the husband and wife character traits to the fore, or indeed any real depth to the characters beyond their established clichés. Seasoned comedy fans will be disappointed, but casual viewers would likely enjoy receiving this as a gift, not having wasted their lives enough to care that the first series is the best, and simply taking what they’re given. Ignorance is bliss.
Despite garnering a considerably large casual following, Bottom doesn’t lend itself to ‘cult’ classification in obsessive fan circles, so a simplistic DVD release by the BBC is fitting enough. Retailing at around £12 to £15, this line of no-frills DVDs could be cheaper, but is at least an improvement upon the price of the original video releases. There are no surprises in Bottom’s third series package for those who own the others, the set including all six episodes and an extra ‘Bottom Fluff’ bonus featuring out-takes from these shows. The DVD spine is pink, like series two of ‘The Young Ones.’
‘Hole’ and ‘Carnival’ are great additions to the list of worthwhile Bottom episodes, but the rest are seriously dispensable outside their original purpose as half an hour of worthless but whimsical relief on Friday nights. Comedy collections can comfortably overlook this one, unless critical acclaim of the unusual Ferris-wheel premise automatically enrols this episode into the avant-garde sitcom hall of fame alongside that ‘One Foot in the Grave’ with the traffic jam. The cartoon violence appeals on pretty much the same level as ‘Tom & Jerry’ and the ‘Itchy & Scratchy’ segments of ‘The Simpsons,’ so anyone who has enjoyed those should find entertainment here. It’s nice to see the characters recover fully between scenes, even growing back all those teeth we saw knocked out earlier.
Mayall and Edmondson have refused to let these characters die, reviving them for five stage shows (to date) and the film ‘Guest House Paradiso,’ and Edmondson has expressed an interest in a future series featuring the characters as old men. Comparisons with ‘The Young Ones’ are irrelevant and unconstructive (The Young Ones was clearly better), but once it receives a budget price tag this DVD will be worthy of peoples’ time. It’s rated 15, but kids should love it. I did.
Advantages: A couple of classic episodes.
Disadvantages: Lack of originality and excess of fart jokes.
Life After Paradiso
****
Written on 12.04.04
The early 90s saw the return of the Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson double-act to BBC 2's 9pm slot, with their comedy series 'Bottom.' The characters: fat, pathetic, middle-aged men with short tempers and little hope of a happy future, in some ways a logical progression of their 'Rick' and 'Vyvyan' characters in the early 80s cmash, 'The Young Ones.' But where that earlier show relied on bizarre situations and an ensemble cast, Bottom focussed on extracting humour from the lives of its two lead characters, at least in the early days.
TWO SAD PERVS
That's not to suggest that Bottom is on the whole sophisticated; most of it involves the characters hitting each other around the head and privates with all manner of household objects, or making smutty innuendoes regarding Richie's virginity, but watching the series now I am able to appreciate some of the deeper significance that Rik and Adrian intended. The whole tone reflects their sad lives, while there is an unseen undercurrent of almost homosexual proportions at times, but Eddie sets Richie's crotch on fire before anything becomes too intellectual.
Richard Richard (Rik Mayall) - the saddest of the pair, his virginity and understandable difficulty in attracting the opposite sex lead to insecurity, but he is also very quick to anger. He is also overly stubborn, the best example of which occurred in the TV show when Eddie wanted to watch 'Miss World' but he insisted on watching cricket, despite obviously desiring the other channel.
Edward Hitler (Adrian Edmondson) is more experienced than Richie, but this balding drunkard isn't exactly the ladies' man either. He lives with Richie at very low rent, which means he often has to apologise his way back in to the flat, before kicking his flatmate in the b******s.
Most people either really liked or really hated Bottom, and personally I love it. The first series is, in my opinion, one of the most classic comedy series of the last few decades, but it has to be said that in the second and third series the standards dropped significantly and mostly bowed in favour of over-the-top slapstick laughs.
BOTTOM LIVE: THE STAGE SHOWS
Shortly after deciding to end the series, Rik and Adrian toured the country with their highly successful stage show, which was soon released on video. The advertising promised that this was "Bottom as it was meant to be seen," which means they were allowed to say the F-word a lot and delve even deeper into issues of sex and solo actions more than the BBC would ever allow.
The first show was set in Richie and Eddie's flat, and involved secret acts with a sex doll, and a huge inheritance. The characterisation was still superb and loyal to the series, and despite getting tedious at times was a very funny show. At least on video anyway.
The following year, the duo staged their second show, 'The Big Number Two.' More diverse and interesting than the first, this saw the second half occurring in a jail cell.
'Hooligan's Island,' Bottom Live 3, saw Richie and Eddie abandoned on an island after causing an offence. The style made this seem very different to the Bottom I was used to, but the characters still acted as they always had.
In the years following this third stage show, Rik appeared in a number of terrible films and Adrian enjoyed married life with Jennifer Saunders before the famous quad bike accident left Mayall bed-bound and unable to tell the difference between a biscuit and a bicycle, at least that's what I remember my Dad reading out of the newspaper. It seemed that Bottom had been laid to rest.
2001
This year saw the release of Bottom the Movie (or 'Guest House Paradiso' as it was called), which in my opinion starts in a way that is fitting to the series, but becomes increasingly childish and slapstick as it progresses. It also saw their return to the stage with 2001: An Arse Oddity, which I have finally got around to reviewing. Apologies to have kept you hanging this long. This stage show, available on video and DVD, is by far the most removed from the series, but this is not necessarily a bad thing.
PART ONE
The first half features the two still living on their desert island, with the usual problems of Richie being onanist, and Eddie returning from gambling with the local (thankfully unseen) chimps. A lengthy routine with the dead parrot Dave - not a homage to the Monty Python sketch - takes longer than necessary, before the real character interaction can begin.
This first half is nothing spectacular, but is a welcome return to the characters from the series as opposed to the movie, and some fluffed lines only add to the sense of it being an enjoyable experience all round. There is a script to follow, but it seems less concerned with carrying a coherent plot than in the past, and is essentially a way for Rik and Adrian to be funny and rude in front of a load of people again. As this first half ends they have no problem with leaving their character personas and begging for the bar to be opened.
PART TWO
The second half of the show is what marks this as very different and interesting, as it approaches the bizarre. Richie and Eddie are now in some sort of dark metal room with exit chutes at the sides, and have no idea how they got there. Eddie soon finds that travel through the exits only leads back to an identical room, or is it the same one?
While the prospect of no bar in sight has Eddie approaching a breakdown, the characters take an interesting twist and discuss how they aren't satisfied with their portrayal any longer: Eddie thinks that the "ginger tw**" who plays him isn't up to it any more, but he used to be good, while Richie struggles to remember the name of the actor who portrays him, remembering him as "the t*sser who fell off the quad bike." This friendly stab at his own grief gets the biggest applause of the whole show, and from then on it only gets more interesting. I was pleasantly surprised to see Bottom getting intellectual, but rest assured that nothing is revealed about the nature of humanity or existence, and there are still plenty of testicle punches, as well as a spontaneous and unexpected musical number to close.
THE DVD
The picture quality is as good as can be expected, although the live format means that the characters are often too distant or close-up, and the lighting is designed to suit the stage. In terms of extras there are no behind-the-scenes featurettes, simple a collection of photos and the usual boring screensaver feature for use on your PC, if you are that desperate for a screensaver. I would actually recommend the video version if you were looking for a cheap way to own this, as it can be found all over eBay.
VERDICT
I was impressed by the quality of this show, and the interesting turns it takes show that Rik and Adrian are still happy with their characters, and performing them. This was shown more recently with their 'Weapons Grade Y-Fronts' tour last year, which I was unfortunately unable to attend. Bottom Live is certainly a far step from the TV series, and in many ways is not as enjoyable, but if you are a fan of one, you will doubtless be interested in seeing what the other has to offer. For fans of violent and rude character-based stand-up, the Bottom Live shows seem very good value for money.
*****
Written on 22.03.04
Every so often comes along an original comedy show amidst the mediocrity of TV and it becomes an instant favourite to a small group of people. The rest either don't get it, or simply don't like it. Brass Eye is a prime example of this.
Originally airing in 1997, "Brass Eye" was another TV production by Chris Morris, the man behind BBC's "The Day Today" in the mid-90s. Renowned for his controversial anti-everything comedy, all presented in a believably stoic Jeremy Paxman style persona, Morris' new show was suspiciously on Channel 4, indicating that perhaps the British Broadcasting Corporation didn't think his services were required anymore. And anyway, it gave the self-styled 'alternative comedy channel,' although there are any number of flaws with Channel 4's view of itself, another headliner.
The common misconception about Brass Eye is that it is sick and unnecessary, as viewers misinterpret the message. The comedy style is very dark, however the main focus of the show is how the media and genuine 'issues shows' treat real events. The celebrity endorsements in each episode also act as a reminder that one should always research something before they decide to make a fool of themselves promoting an obviously fictional company or product.
This DVD contains all six episodes of the series, each focussing on a specific topic, as well as the extremely controversial and infamous 'Special' centred around paedophilia. Here are some memorable episodes:
"Animals" - celebrities vow to tell the tale of the poor elephant whose depression has caused it to insert its trunk into its own body, while the brutal tradition of men fighting weasels in the East end is also abbhored.
"Drugs" - focus is specifically on the new Scandinavian drug 'cake.' This show led to a member of Parliament bringing up the issue in the House of Commons, only to be told that he had been watching a comedy show.
"Science" - my favourite episode due to the foolishness of the celebrities involved, as they talk about heavy electricity falling out of wires and shrinking people, and vertical farms in glass tubes leading a mile into the air allowing farmers to save using acres of land.
Most people will know Brass Eye as the programme that was almost banned for 'ridiculing' paedophilia, but in my opinion the show did not do anything but point out the media hype and out-of-proportion views on the subject. A special episode that aired in 2001, this sees celebrity alumni including Phillipa Forrester, who I thought was clever, explaining how a child's internet game can be used to make children two-dimensional, and how paedophiles actually have more in common with crabs than human beings. "There's no real evidence for it, but it is scientific fact," says DJ Doctor Fox in the show.
Brass Eye will certainly not appeal to the masses, and I know my mother would hate it. Anyone who enjoys a laugh at something a little more sinister than the norm, such as the League of Gentlemen, should give this show a try. The comedy stems from a number of levels; firstly there's the famous people spewing rubbish out of their mouths when they should know better, there's the over-complicated animations (such as 'end of part one' lasting nearly a minute), and the silliness of some of the dialogue. "He was as gay as a window" is pure nonsense, as are most of the statistics.
Aside from Morris, regulars include Peter Baynham and Kevin Eldon ('Fist of Fun'), Mark Heap and Simon Pegg ('Big Train') and regulars from "The Day Today." I could only recommend this to people who think they may like it; otherwise, stay away. DVD extras are minimal, but include several extended scenes that end with the same joke, as well as a longer music video for the fictional rapper JLB8 from the Special.
The Dave Gorman Collection
Unappreciated
*****
Written on 23.04.01
Dave Gorman is the kind of comedian I like; he's famous, yet slightly away from the mainstream comedy acts so he can stay original. His humour is very unique, and always cracks me up (even when it's not, under analysis, actually that funny).
The point of Dave's show is obviously for him to find 54 people called Dave Gorman, which is a simple idea, although not the kind of idea you could theoretically base a six-episode comedy series on. Yet that's all it's about, and that is hilarious. The idea that he is playing a sad, almost insane man on an obsessive quest is very appealing, and when Dave draws out all his statistics and graphs, you realise that he is playing the part of an eccentric, obsessed individual. Of course, it's really all for comedy, although the fact that it's all true, and that Dave did indeed appear on news shows and in newspapers, makes the programme all the more fascinating.
People like Dave Gorman need to be more recognised under the public eye, as his shows are bordering on the cultish fan base, such as the other great yet misunderstood comedy acts such as Lee and Herring.
By the end of six episodes, Dave Gorman did indeed manage to meet over fifty four Dave Gormans; some of which even pushed the boat beyond what he thought possible. Originally expecting to meet white males with an Irish heritage, by the end of fifty four Daves he had met one man from Israel, a homosexual, a Jewish Dave Gorman, several children, Americans, Danes, and even women. The comedian is so convincing and true to his quest that he actually persuaded members of his live audiences to change their name to Dave Gorman. Men doing this also influenced their partners to do so, and Dave ended his series by stating how happy he was that somewhere in the world, on honeymoon, Dave Gorman was making love to Dave Gorman. Just this simple fact seemed to make the quest seem worthwhile.
I recently found the following interesting information on the show at www.pressbox.co.uk:
- Dave Gormans range from 5 to 70
- Dave Gormans are 96% male
- The average age of Dave Gormans is 37 ½
- The average height is 5' 6 inches
- The average shoe size is 8
- Most Dave Gormans grow ginger beards
- The most likely area of work for Dave Gormans is the financial sector
- Over 24,000 miles have been travelled in search of Dave Gormans
- 60% of Dave Gormans were wearing a blue shirt
- Since the search began, there have been 10,000 hits at www.davegorman.com
- 4 of the Dave Gormans have children called Dave Gorman
- 5 of the Dave Gormans have fathers called Dave Gorman
- 66% of Dave Gormans prefer being called Dave
- 34% of Dave Gormans prefer being called David
- We have met no-one else called Danny Wallace
In response to comments regarding detail, The Dave Gorman Collection ran for 6 weeks on BBC2 and BBC Choice, and although I would love to describe every Dave Gorman there isn't enough room, and my memory isn't that good- the programme has yet to be repeated (on terrestrial TV anyway). Needless to say, although it was repetetive it did have the homely, low-budget atmosphere which puts me at ease, and there was certainly a deep sense of satisfaction (and disappointment) as Dave went through his trials and tribulations. You don't get programmes like this very often.
Advantages: Funny and original, even daring.
Disadvantages: Not very many. It does get a bit repetetive sometimes, but that's part of the point.
The Day Today
*****
Written on 23.05.04
In 1994, many viewers of BBC 2's late night schedule found themselves confused by what appeared to be a twisted news programme covering the day's events. For some people it was only once they were presented with meaningless statistics and an incomprehensible diagram of "the currency cat" that they realised they were watching a completely false, but disturbingly realistic parody of popular news and documentary programmes.
Although it only ran for one series of six episodes, the fan base for this programme was astounding; the two video releases were among the biggest BBC comedy sellers of all time, and following an online petition by fans the series was finally released on DVD format with a special edition for the tenth anniversary.
PERVERTING THE NEWS
The Day Today takes all the features and stereotypes of British and international news programmes and shows a comprehensive understanding of the concepts and styles. From the over-the-top, intrusive title sequence and theme music to the deliberately blurred and yellowed style of the phony "American import" news clips, Chris Morris and the team behind Radio 4's successful 'On the Hour' made a seamless transfer to television.
Main news stories are presented in the traditional manner by Chris Morris behind his domineering desk, while other actors have their own sections of the huge, dark studio, or video link-ups to the show. Each show features information on political issues, sport, finance and special reports on all manner of activities. The humour ranges from bleak scenarios and incompetent characters to nonsensical phrases and ideas being presented in a convincing manner.
Use was made of existing news footage and clips which was twisted into the show's messages, but it was always obvious when the footage was created especially for the show; there was no drop in believability, only in the absurdity of the scenario. The show even mocked itself at times by parodying its joke of making people's statements apparently corroborate a story. For example, in one episode there is a clip of a man saying "it makes it very difficult to reverse," and Morris indicates that four hundred monkeys have been strapped to the man's car. The self-parody comes when an elaborate scenario is explained, and the video simply features a man generically saying "yes," offering no confirmation that the story is genuine.
THE PLAYERS
Despite the efforts made to create a believable style and scenarios, the show's creators and writers had no qualms over using the same sample of actors in a huge variety of roles, often playing multiple characters in the same report. They are all very funny and capable actors and actresses, using different accents and mannerisms to prevent repetition.
CHRISTOPHER MORRIS
Morris' Jeremy Paxman persona introduces the different sections of the show, and he also plays a variety of regular and one-off characters in sketches. It's interesting to note how Morris distances himself from the rest of the cast by only appearing in sketches alone (playing male and female characters himself), although his newsreader talks at length with Peter O'Hanraha'hanrahan, often ridiculing him for "losing the news" or attempting to get out of bad situations, and he has very strange relationships with the other studio characters; his slightly antagonistic relationship with Alan Partridge ends with him applauding him for his work and giving him an unexpected kiss, his flirtation with Valerie Sinatra is hilariously out of the usual dominating perso na, and his hatred of Collatallie Sisters is apparent even from the first show: "get her off my monitor, I don't want to see her face." Morris can be seen as the mastermind behind the show, even though it is largely a team effort, and his unique comic style transferred onto the later series Brass Eye and the disturbing Jam.
DOON MACKICHAN
This actress is most famous for her roles in 'Smack the Pony,' and her character range is obvious even here. Most memorably playing the somewhat robotic enigma Collatallie Sisters on the finance desk, she also features in all the ensemble documentaries. She plays a disinterested, annoying receptionist in the documentary 'The Pool' and a murderous war correspondent amongst other roles, also stripping in front of Alan Partridge. You don't see anything, but he certainly did.
STEVE COOGAN
The most famous face amongst the stars thanks to his later successes 'Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge' and the brilliant intrusive sitcom 'I'm Alan Partridge,' Coogan's Partridge persona gets its first television appearance here. Alan mans the sports desk and covers a number of events from the Tour de France to the 1994 World Cup and horse-racing, all fairly incompetently and without prior research. Coogan can also be seen playing a surprising variety of roles in the other features, something that would not be so simple nowadays considering his fame as Alan Partridge.
REBECCA FRONT
This regular face of comedy introduces the weird American reports as the pun-cracking Babs Wintergreen, as well as playing the very different character of Valerie Sinatra, the transport correspondent situated a mile above the centre of Britain in a tower. Rebecca Front has appeared in many radio and television series including 'Fist of Fun,' 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' and the recent 'Nighty Night,' and is the undisputed queen of pathetic, submissive characters, but isn't limited to such roles.
DAVID SCHNEIDER
A funny man with a memorable face, Schneider plays assorted characters, but his appearance means he usually ends up playing wacky or stupid characters. Most prominent as the floating head presenting the weather in increasingly pointless styles, from the huge weather collar to the weather pinball machine, he also regularly features as Brant, a satirical cartoonist whose visual metaphors are devoid of any intelligence, but are very funny. His finest moment is as the incompetent lifeguard who is unable to control a group of young children, and has to sit by the pool ashamed.
PATRICK MARBER
Actor and playwright Patrick Marber competently pulls off the incompetent Peter O'Hanraha'hanrahan, a news reporter who is ridiculed almost every show for his stupid actions or fabrications, and he plays an assortment of characters in the rest of the show. Comedian Stewart Lee introduced a Patrick Marber hatred element to the Lee and Herring show 'Fist of Fun,' motivated by the actor's part in kicking Lee and Herring off the 'On the Hour' team (and stealing their material) before the show transferred to TV as the Day Today, and his general curmudgeonness. He plays good characters, but will forever be tarnished by his cornish face.
THE DVD
The Day Today is an annoying DVD, but conta ins a number of extras. The first disc features all six episodes in excellent quality, although they can only be accessed by waiting for the over-elaborate menu screen to reach the desired option before pressing 'select,' although the audio commentaries promised by several websites seem to be missing. It's very possible that I have failed to locate them, considering I even find it hard to locate the episodes, but this was a little disappointing as it would have offered an incredibly rare opportunity to hear how Chris Morris' mind works.
The special features are very well presented and, for the most part, entertaining. The best feature is the entire pilot episode of the series which is comprised of stories and film that wound up in the series, but is clearly in the experimental stages as far as set and clothing design is concerned. Another great feature is the full-length filmed versions of the documentaries 'The Pool' (from shows 2 and 3) and 'The Office' (from show 6). These twenty minute features are much more enjoyable than the edited ones, and the missing scenes make it easier to understand some of the later events, as well as creating a better atmosphere.
The only dodgy aspect of the special features is the inclusion of what the DVD terms 'Po-Faced Analyses,' a lengthy programme created by the Open University in 1997 to inform budding journalists and newscasters of how a news show is created. There are clips from the Day Today, and interesting discussions over the meaning and effects behind aspects, but the majority is boring and very tedious.
VERDICT
The Day Today has not aged in its appeal or relevance, as the conventions it mocks and parodies are still present today, especially in times of technical malfunctions. The humour stems from a number of different angles and as such it can be enjoyed by a large number of people, although they may not appreciate it all. Even if they don't, it's got Alan Partridge in it.
1997's 'Brass Eye,' fronted by Morris and retaining some of the same guest actors, was in some ways the second coming of the Day Today, based on more of a documentary format than a regular news show, although its suspicious presence on Channel 4 indicates that Morris has lost some favour with the BBC. The Day Today could appear to be insensitive, prejudiced and unnecessary on occasion, but those who were able to appreciate its quality found that the entire format of news shows was now questionable.
DVD EASTER EGGS
If anyone has the DVD, or is planning to buy it, the following link explains how to access some of the special features, all concealed far too well to be stumbled upon by accident: http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=11312
I won't explain them in this review in case any readers wish to find them alone (although it would take you several dedicated days).
Advantages: Original and very funny, Incredibly realistic style, Can get repetitive
Disadvantages: Won't appeal to everyone, Great performers and techniques
****
Written on 11.04.04
The satellite and digital Paramount comedy channel regularly shows live performances by Lee Evans on Sunday nights, all of which I watch on a regular basis, leading me to the conclusion that he is the funniest stand-up in the country. Many of his jokes are pretty basic, despite being very easy to relate to, but the delivery and over-the-top performances by Lee would make it difficult for even the most stoic Lee Evans-hater not to let out some guffaws.
It was when Channel 4 showed this particular live performance late last year, 2003, that my opinion of the comedian and actor Lee Evans changed drastically; previously he had been that small, high-voiced idiot who seemed like a 90s version of Frank "I've been articulated" Spencer in the films 'The Fifth Element' (quite good in parts) and 'Mouse Hunt' (cack), and I remembered tuning into his sitcom and finding it anything but funny. But while he may be popular in film circles in a similar way to Rowan Atkinson, it is with his energetic live shows that Lee Evans shows how funny he really is.
WIRED & WONDERFUL
I was a little wary when looking for some Lee Evans to review, as I've seen a number of live performances on TV and it's difficult to tell them apart, but as 'Wired and Wonderful' was the first Lee Evans I saw I can remember it well. Being some of his more recent work it isn't quite as spontaneous and hysterical as his shows throughout the 90s, with Lee's excellent "characters" such as Malcolm the cleaner and his ever-present nagging wife, but the situations the comedian describes are incredibly easy to visualise and relate to. Even to me, which is strange as I don't have a wife or job, and certainly haven't ever been to Ikea.
THE MAN
Despite his eccentric and hyperactive persona, it's very easy to get a sense of the real Lee Evans on these shows. Between gags he indulges in banter and feels the need to give some sense of balance by explaining how he continues to love his wife more each year and is delighted with his daughter following a particularly demeaning joke about families. It's impossible not to like the man behind the very sweaty exterior, and there is no sense of prejudice or arrogance that makes such "hilarious" comics as Roy Chubby Brown so unpopular with many people. His opinions on the difference between the sexes are very clear and funny, while his own bad experiences with air travel and jobs prevent him from seeming too distant from the common man, despite the fact that he's probably loaded nowadays.
SUBJECT MATTER
Any clips of Lee Evans live show him moving around the stage in a bizarre manner as he is a very visual and performance-based comedian, but a lot of his material is straightforward jokes. He isn't above commenting on his wife's mood swings and strange habits, and when me and my brother were watching this on TV for the first time our very biggest laugh came right at the end when Lee put on the most outrageously high-pitched voice and stuck his tongue between his lips. The line was "daddy, what's he doing?" in the context of getting embarrassed at the zoo when gorillas decide to openly practice self-pleasure. That's the thing about this comedian- if they ever released a script-book, it wouldn?t capture any of the essence of why he is so funny to watch.
There are inevitably far too many subjects discussed for me to remember and isolate in my mind from other shows, but the most memorable part of this show comes when Lee sets the scene for going to Ikea with the wife, a nd buying far too much to fit in the car. His portrayal as the nagging wife and the stubborn man who is prepared to snap things in half in order for them to fit is fantastic to watch, and this even ends with the notion of the car's interior being similar to earthquake victims. "Keep shouting love, someone will hear us!" He also returns to an old favourite subject, that of airlines and airports, and with some token Lee Evans surrealness, shows the emotions of a luggage bag as it goes along the conveyor belt, acting very scared. He is truly the master of personification, as his portrayal of "desperate beans" in a service station in a previous show demonstrates.
VERDICT
I'd recommend seeing Lee Evans live, at least on TV, if you are a comedy fan. You probably couldn't dislike Lee Evans more than I did before I saw this show, and now I'm desperate to go and see a live show. An additional note about Lee Evans is that although he never talks about anything particularly rude, he does use swear words (especially the F-word) throughout the shows, although most is forgiveable as it is spoken through very angry men/women characters.
As a full-price DVD I wouldn't say that this is totally worth buying, as the extras are not extensive - they include a short behind-the-scenes documentary showing Lee trying out his moves, and a rendition of his classic Bohemian Rhapsody mime from an older show - but it would be worth a rent, or a viewing on Paramount channel if you have the ability. Most of my favourite Lee Evans jokes and routines occur in earlier shows, such as 'Different Planet tour' and 'Live at Her Majesty's,' but I wouldn't say he had lost any of his wit or ability.
PERSONAL NOTE
My only regret is that one of my f riends went to see this tour in 2002 and asked me if I wanted to go, but unfortunately I was still in my phase of thinking he was a pratt. Shame on me, that would have been a great night.
Family Guy – Season Three
*****
Written on 02.07.04
Peter: Did the Count ever kill anyone?
Brian: What?
Peter: I mean, have they ever shown him doing somebody in and then feeding on him?
Brian: …You're asking if they've ever done a Sesame Street in which the Count kills somebody, and then sucks their blood for sustenance.
Peter: Yeah.
Brian: No, they've never done that.
The third season of hit adult animated comedy ‘Family Guy’ managed to be even darker, stranger and more controversial than ever before, but was all the more entertaining for it. When creating the first several episodes of the third year the production team had been informed that they could receive a cancellation from the studios at any time based on the disappointing viewer figures for the second season, so the writers decided not to pull back on some of their most controversial but very funny jokes yet: the two-parter that opens the season sees Brian (a dog) become addicted to cocaine when working for the police while Peter (not a dog) pulls such shocking pranks as dipping pregnant teenagers’ hands in hot water leading to fourteen premature births.
Comparisons with ‘The Simpsons’ are expected, but Family Guy is in a much different league, in terms of both the humour and the plotlines. The writing team of Seth McFarlane, David Zuckerman and others seem to have complete knowledge of every type of joke situation and gag and manage to go beyond every one to something fresh and even funnier. For all their convention-bashing, even Lee and Herring couldn’t do that.
CHARACTERS
Peter Griffin – the token fat drunkard loudmouth imbecile whose stupidity literally knows no bounds. This season sees Peter searching for new jobs and dealing with some serious family issues, but his primary function is still to be the moron. For me, Peter is the true star of the show.
Lois – Peter’s loving, devoted and sensible wife, who has somehow stood by her husband all these years. Lois snaps a couple of times this season, but she is still pretty much overshadowed by the sillier characters. I don’t think she’s attractive though, after all she’s only drawn and that would just make me strange.
Brian – the family’s sophisticated, middle-aged dog whose problems only seem to be getting worse. He’s already undergone a mid-life crisis and unrequited love in season two, and Brian now has to contend with addiction and his raging hormones. Deadpan and loveable.
Stewie – the one-year-old who is somehow able to talk (well if you can accept a dog with a drink problem…) and who has plans of world domination and of murdering his mother. Stewie is always great in his brief scenes, and this season sees Brian telling him “the evidence is really piling up” as a response to the writers’ ongoing jokes of Stewie exhibiting homosexual tendencies.
Chris – the overgrown teenager who takes after his father in the mental department, Chris takes a back seat most of the time but is always on hand to deliver a dumb comment. Very likeable in a pitiable kind of way, but at least he’s happy… except when repeatedly troubled by the evil monkey in his closet.
Meg – the writers became aware at an early stage that the troubled teenager Meg was the least popular and most irritating character, and they have taken advantage of that with some excellent and bizarre jokes at her expense over the years. This year sees brief admissions that Peter isn’t her real father and proves how little her parents know about her allergies. There’s also a strange comment about her nipples when she flashes a boy: “wow, one’s an innie and one’s an outie.”
I suppose people could relate to the characters, but I prefer to distance myself and watch from afar.
EPISODES
The third season has a different atmosphere and style to the previous two, but it takes an amount of viewing to fully appreciate this. In some ways, the soap opera of the community in terms of the relationships between friends and families has a stronger presence this year, while continuing plots across some episodes (Peter’s unemployment, Brian’s lifestyle problems and Stewie’s homosexual leanings) make it more compelling viewing and slightly less episodic. It’s still a cartoon comedy show though, so don’t expect Peter’s apparent death in several episodes to have any repercussions on the future of the franchise.
Disc 1
1. THE THIN WHITE LINE
Brian has to face that he has developed a drug problem and is sent to a rehabilitation centre. Unfortunately for all, Peter checks himself in for the holiday of his lifetime.
Peter: Brian, it's moments like this that make me sad you're gonna die fifty years before I do.
2. BRIAN DOES HOLLYWOOD
Having recovered from his cocaine addiction, Brian has left his family and is now a struggling writer/waiter in Hollywood. Brian’s big break can only be obtained if he is willing to direct certain risqué movies…
Brian: Hey, you know what might be a thrill for you guys?
Chris: Ooh, ooh, eating a pebble!
3. MR GRIFFIN GOES TO WASHINGTON
The Happy-Go-Lucky toy factory is forced to sell out to a cigarette manufacturer and it soon becomes clear that the new products are aimed at getting children to smoke. Peter is made head of the company and must face a moral dilemma.
Chris: Dad, what's the blow-hole for?
Peter: I'll tell you what it's not for, son. And when I do, you'll understand why I can never go back to Sea World.
4. ONE IF BY CLAM, TWO IF BY SEA
An excellent p*ss-take out of Britain that is far too over-the-top to be insulting as the local Drunken Clam bar is taken over by British investors. Meanwhile, Peter and his friends have been framed for arson.
Eliza: Ew, your breath smells like kitty litter.
Stewie: I was curious!
5. AND THE WEINER IS…
Peter’s manliness is called into question when he notices the size of his son’s genitals, but extended cars and a membership to the National Rifle Association all blow up his face.
Peter: Hey Chris, what’s with your leg? … That’s not your leg!
6. DEATH LIVES
The Grim Reaper visits Peter (again) when he is struck by lightning, and offers him an overview of his life with Lois. Once Peter experiences his revelation he tutors Death in the art of relationships.
Peter: Lois may be worth a million bucks to you, but to me she's worthless.
7. LETHAL WEAPONS
The FG racism is directed to leaf-obsessed New Yorkers this time round, and Lois takes up martial arts lessons after finally snapping at Peter’s domineering nature. But Lois then brings violence into the household…
Stewie: Ooh, Lois, someone's wearing their ovaries on the outside.
Disc 2
8. THE KISS SEEN AROUND THE WORLD
Neil Goldman, the local Star Trek-loving bespectacled nerd (a cartoon version of myself but with ginger hair) finally gets the chance to kiss Meg, and he is very happy to publicise this encounter.
Stewie: Let me guess, you picked out yet another colourful box with a crank that I'm expected to turn and turn until OOP! big shock, a jack pops out and you laugh and the kids laugh and the dog laughs and I die a little inside.
9. MR SATURDAY KNIGHT
When the Griffins invite Peter’s homosexual boss to dinner he is accidentally choked to death with a chicken bone and Peter finds himself without a job when the factiry is shut down. He returns to his true calling: playing a knight in the Medieval fair.
Vacuum repairman: There you go, all fixed. Turns out a half-eaten meatball was clogging up the intake.
Peter: Oh. Well, did you save it?
Vacuum repairman: Uh, no.
Peter: You bas****.
10. A FISH OUT OF WATER
Still looking for a job, Peter takes up a position as fisherman, unfortunately spending everything he has (including his family’s home) in the endeavour.
Brian: Peter, did you read the fine print on this loan contract?
Peter: Um, if by "read" you mean imagined a naked lady, then, yes.
11. EMISSION IMPOSSIBLE
When Lois’ sister has a baby, Lois and Peter decide that a new infant is just what they need. Stewie is far from happy with this arrangement however, and he carries out a ‘Fantastic Voyage’-style trek into Peter’s testicles.
Brian: Wow, the evidence is really starting to pile up.
Stewie: Joke all you want, you know I look good.
12. TO LIVE AND DIE IN DIXIE
When Chris’ life is threatened by a criminal, the Griffins are forced to move to the South for all manner of redneck japes.
Peter: I think the lesson here is, it really doesn't matter where you're from, as long as we're all the same religion.
13. SCREWED THE POOCH
Brian finds himself strangely on heat, and after catching him sitting on the toilet with a magazine, Lois asks him to come with the family on a trip to her wealthy parents’ mansion. But they have a very attractive racing dog…
Peter: Hey, anybody got a quarter?
Bill Gates: What's a quarter?
14. PETER GRIFFIN: HUSBAND, FATHER… BROTHER?
Peter is shocked to discover that one of his ancestors was a black slave, and he immediately attempts to immerse himself in the local black culture. Needless to say, he doesn’t quite fit in.
Peter: I got no idea how to be black ... y'know, except for not smiling when I get my picture taken.
Disc 3
15. READY, WILLING AND DISABLED
The Griffins’ neighbour Joe feels that he is no longer the cop he once was, being paralysed in the legs and everything, but Peter is determined to enlist Joe in the handicapped Olympics, acquiring some illegal steroids in the process.
Peter: Just don't forget our deal, Lois. I sit through this and later tonight I get anal. You hear me? No matter how neat I want the house you have to clean it.
16. A VERY SPECIAL FAMILY GUY FREAKIN’ CHRISTMAS
It is Christmas (obviously), and ‘everything can go wrong.’ Well it does, especially when Peter accidentally gives away all the presents and Brian sets fire to the tree and house.
Brian: Who the hell buys a novelty fire extinguisher?
Peter: I'll tell you who. Someone who cares enough about physical comedy to put his whole family at risk.
17. BRIAN WALLOWS AND PETER’S SWALLOWS
In the weird outing, Brian falls in love with an old woman while on community service, bedazzled by her beautiful signing voice. Meanwhile, Peter’s new beard becomes the nest for some rare chicks that he is not permitted to remove.
Peter: No bird frenches my wife and gets away with it.
18. FROM METHOD TO MADNESS
Brian’s acting audition doesn’t go well, but it inadvertently gets Stewie’s own talents recognised. The Griffins’ new neighbours don’t like wearing clothes.
Lois: Oh good, I don't have to cook!
Peter: Oh, no, go ahead and cook anyway Lois, and we'll throw it out. I don't want you to get rusty.
19. STUCK TOGETHER, TORN APART
Peter’s jealousy runs rampant when Lois meets an old school lover, and a guidance counsellor suggests they effect a temporary situation. In contrast, Brian and Stewie have accidentally stuck themselves together with super-strong glue.
Stewie: Augh! What the hell do you think you're doing?
Brian: I'm cleaning myself.
Stewie: You were clean fifteen minutes ago, now you're just on vacation.
20. ROAD TO EUROPE
Peter is thrilled at the news that rock-n-roll band Kiss are in town, and Stewie takes the opportunity to escape to England in pursuit of a children’s television programme. Brian chases after him, but they end up in the Far East.
Stewie's Letter: Dear stupid dog, I've gone to live with the children on jolly farm. Good bye forever. Stewie.
P.S. I never got a chance to return that sweater Lois gave me for Christmas. Umm, I left the receipt on top of my bureau. I'm probably over the thirty day return limit but umm… I'm sure if you make a fuss they'll at least give you a store credit or something. Umm.. It's actually not a horrible sweater. It's... It's just I can't imagine when I would ever wear it you know? Oh I also left a button on the bureau. I'm not sure what it goes to, but I can never bring myself to throw a button away. I know that as soon as I do I'll find the garment it goes to and then it'll… Wait a minute, could it be from the sweater? Did that sweater have buttons? Hmm… Well I should wrap this up before I start to ramble. Again, goodbye forever.
P.P.S. You know, it might be a little chilly in London, I'm actually going to take the sweater.
21. FAMILY GUY VIEWER MAIL #1
Brian and Stewie introduce this collection of tales based on suggestions from fans: what would happen if Peter had a magic lamp? What if the Griffins had super powers? What would happen if Peter and Lois were children? It goes without saying that the answers are very original and unexpected, making for the most bizarre episode yet.
Peter: I'm gonna go microwave a bagel and have sex with it.
Quagmire: Butter's in the fridge!
BUYING FAMILY GUY
After releasing each season individually over time, the ‘Family Guy Compendium’ was released: this contains all three current series as well as an extra DVD, ‘Family Guy Uncovered,’ that contains some fairly interesting behind-the-scenes footage and commentaries, but isn’t particularly interesting. The Compendium can be bought on Amazon for £44.99 (so save up those miles), but it’s actually a lot more worthwhile in my opinion to buy the seasons individually as it works out so much cheaper: although each set was around £17.99 when first released (and can still sell for as much as £25 in high street shops), Amazon and other sites stock the individual releases for under ten pounds. That’s less than fifty pence per episode, if you’re strange and like to think in those kind of terms, and having watched them all several times already I can guarantee it’s worth it.
VERDICT
I love Family Guy and have done since I first saw it, despite having grown very tired of the Simpsons over the years and only liking South Park for about two months when I was thirteen. The animated nature of the show is no hindrance to its enjoyment, and the excellent modern techniques applied to the drawing and animating means that it isn’t distracting in any way; besides, a live action show would need an impressive budget to show some of the stranger parts of this programme.
The only real drawback to Family Guy fans in the UK, aside from the fact that it’s hardly ever on television, is that most of the cultural references that litter every single show are lost on people who didn’t grow up in America in the eighties, watching loads of television series and advertisements. This makes it all the more satisfying however when a reference is spotted and understood, such as ghosts trying to cheer up PacMan after Ms. PacMan leaves him, Peter fighting in the film ‘Tron’ and the appearances of voice actors and actresses from prominent television shows (Batman’s Adam West plays the Mayor of Quahog in a number of episodes).
The low price of these DVD means that they are relatively risk-free buys, and I’d advise anyone who hasn’t seen the series but who thinks they might be interested to buy it immediately. If you don’t like it, at least your kids will. There are no real extras to speak of, aside from a chapter select that's a little unnecessary considering each episode is only 22 minutes in length, but there are English subtitles for the hearing impaired on the UK sets.
Appendix: The Future of Family Guy
Until early this year there was no future in sight for Family Guy – another original series cancelled by a TV network in its prime. Fortunately, successful DVD sales worldwide led to Fox commissioning another two seasons of the show (at least) to begin airing in early 2005, while talks of a Family Guy film have also apparently been discussed. News can be found all over the internet, but TVTome.com is a reliable source. My thanks also to FamilyGuyQuotes.com, a website that came in useful for reminding me of great moments from some of the episodes I hadn’t watched in quite some time.
The Fast Show
****
Written on 27.06.00
Nice!
The Fast Show moves along at such a high pace, it's great. It's unlike any other comedy show I've seen, and the characters are extremely varied. There's something for everyone, whether you like the uncertain and shy homosexuality of Ralph and Ted, the mostly-incomprehensible Channel Nine or Paul Whitehouse's opinions on things which are brilliant.
Some of the scenes will not appeal to everyone, and people will always have characters they prefer to others, but there is such a wide range that someone will love all the characters somewhere, and that's brilliant.
Advantages: A lot of varied sketches which are very different and move along at a fast pace.
Disadvantages: Not all the sketches will appeal to everyone.
Fist of Fun
*****
Written on 07.06.04
Introduction: A brief plug for FistofFun.net
Fist of Fun was one of the most influential and unrecognised comedy series of the nineties, never repeated on the BBC and never released on video. The scarily extensive fan site at www.fistoffun.net has set up a worthwhile and promising petition for the BBC to release a DVD of the series for the show's tenth anniversary next year: a similar petition was the reason behind the recent release of comedy series The Day Today. If you were a fan of the show or the later work of Lee and Herring, the petition can be reached from that website's homepage and although still in its early days, it has generated a large response already. At what price do we sell out to advertise causes in Dooyoo reviews? Personally, I got five pounds. I am lying of course, but I would love to replace my dodgy video CDs of the show with an official release, hopefully with loads of extras.
PREMISE & HISTORY
At the start of the first episode, Stewart Lee informed the audience and viewers that Fist of Fun's motive was to provide interesting lifestyle ideas and comments on aspects of modern life to fill the tedious hours between one's birth and inevitable death, taking delight on the final show of the series when realising how he and Richard Herring had fooled the BBC into screening a show based on such a flimsy premise.
"Bear in mind that these lifestyle hints do come from two overeducated men in their late twenties who have never done an honest day's work in their lives and who rarely risk venturing out of the house for fear of missing an unscheduled episode of Going for Gold" - Stewart Lee, episode 1
Stew and Rich met at University and started working on comedy together soon after, developing their on-screen personas - essentially exaggerations of their own lives - fairly early on. Their paranormal comedy series 'Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World' aired on Radio 4 in the early nineties, paving the way for recordings of their live show - titled 'Fist of Fun' - and their subsequent 'Lee and Herring' show on Radio 1, incorporating subversive sketches and obscure music chosen mostly by self-proclaimed obsessive music fan Stewart Lee.
Eventually given six half hour slots on BBC 2 Thursday nights, Stew and Rich combined interactive stand-up with a variety of random and regular sketches, usually based on the theme of each show but more often than not being a way for the duo to discuss silly ideas and swear a bit, mostly discussing the world of hobbies and the need for such distractions - such as Stew's own habit of keeping all his possessions on shelves in alphabetical order.
"We are laughing with nerds, not at them," Stew told the Express newspaper, "It's a celebration really - anti-cool rather than anti-nerd."
CAST
The show was written and presented by Stewart Lee and Richard Herring in their exaggerated guises of world-weary, incredibly cool cynic and jolly fat silly man respectively. Stew and Rich discussed topics as diverse as sex with gnats and crime from their studio, as well as starring in or writing the multitude of sketches and aside sections in every episode.
Contributing an extra few minutes each week was penniless 31 year old Welsh virgin Peter, played by Peter Baynham. Baynham would later write for Brass Eye, I'm Alan Partridge and a string of disappointing animated chows including Monkey Dust and the recent I Am Not an Animal, although his disgusting and ultimately pathetic presentation of Balham's Peter was a highlight of the show.
The incredibly talented actor Kevin Eldon starred as a verity of characters, from the regular Simon Quinlank and False Rod Hull to a man pretending to be Jesus, explaining that he was one of Jesus' helpers when he was found out. He had got Jesus confused with Father Christmas there. Eldon has since starred in Big Train, Jam, This Morning with Richard Not Judy and Nighty Night, and was virtually a constant presence of any non-mainstream comedy of the late nineties.
FEATURES & SKETCHES
The majority of the show was presented from the studio: in series one a cluttered but impressive set with an overhanging balcony, the second series seeing a much more budget white set. Stew and Rich discussed matters and ad-libbed jokes, creating a very informal and enjoyable atmosphere, relocating to chairs or the upper level to provide some visual interest.
Peter's sections often came towards the end of the show and always served as a natural break, the smelly disappointment of a man showing viewers cheap and simple recipes, some of which are detailed later for you to try.
Simon Quinlank is the self-proclaimed King of all Hobbies, and most weeks he presented a segment on how to correctly carry out a small sample of his vast hobby portfolio, which is better than Neil Petarch's because he only knows three hundred hobbies "which is rubbish." Although the proposed 'Christian Church Crawl hobby' was deemed unsuitable for television, Simon was still permitted to show the delights of 'Egg Smashing,' 'Old Man Collecting,' 'Arse Rubbing' and a special appearance live in the studio for his 'Asking Minor TV Celebrities For Their Autographs And Then Ripping Up That Autograph In Front Of Their Astonished Minor TV Celebrity Faces hobby.'
Series two saw the regular appearances of a man who claimed to be late TV personality Rod Hull, but who was eventually proved to be a fraud when the genuine Rod Hull appeared in the final episode. Carried out by putting on a ridiculous voice and wearing an even stupider wig, false arm and chin, this character did it all in the pursuit of green jelly, which he "looooooves."
The sketches that interspersed all of this often featured insights into the presenters' own life, with a modern day adaptation of the Pied Piper story explaining how Rich drove mice from his flat, and the moving story of Stew's heartbreak when a kitten he had befriended was found in the company of its original owner. There were all manner of random tales as well, including a day in the life of Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (who drove a milk float), and a festival in Shrewsbury involving the 'Pie Pie,' a huge pie made up of the collected decomposing remains of the town's pies over the period of a year.
The second series was a little more experimental in that Rich and Stew were hardly given any notice that a new series had been commissioned, and as such it occasionally reflects each comedian's own stand-up style; the most obvious example comes from the excellent eight minute re-enactment of the Boy Who Cried Wolf story that only serves to show Stew's delight at finding humour in a humourless, repetitive situation.
VERDICT
In a segment of the second series, Richard Herring suggests modifying Fist of Fun into a rip-off of the X-Files in order to attract more viewers, and Stew points out that his "fat man's weird sex show" would only attract around nine viewers rather than the nine million hoped for by Rich. Richard replies, "not many people would like it, but those that did like it, it would be their favourite show on the telly." This pretty much sums up the cult status Fist of Fun achieved after its brief run.
The characters and layout of the show are very memorable and it was undoubtedly one of the funniest TV shows of the mid-90s, along with The Day Today (which Lee and Herring contributed to in its radio days). Catch-phrases such as "I am Rod Hull" and "you want the moon on a stick" became even funnier as the series progressed through the anticipation.
Stew and Rich returned to TV screens in 1998 with the much different format of a Sunday lunchtime comedy series, 'This Morning with Richard Not Judy,' which ran for two series and did in fact feature reappearances from some of the characters including Simon Quinlank, while introducing others such as the Curious Orange, Nostradamus and the Sunday Heroes (Jesus, Matthew, Thomas, etc.) Two very underrated comedians who now rarely work together, but whose live shows are still a highlight of the comedy circuit.
Some of Peter's recipes for you to try:
PORK SLUSH PUPPIES - Crush some frozen sausages in a glass and add cold water.
MILK SUCKED THROUGH TWIGLETS WHICH YOU THEN EAT - Bite the ends off a Twiglet until it is hollow, then use it to suck milk from a glass. You then eat the Twiglet.
EASY PASTA - Put some hard pasta shapes into your mouth, chew them, and then spit them out when they are soft.
SIMPLE SUMMER FRIES - Open a bag of frozen McCain oven chips and eat them
Advantages: Original and very funny comedy, Each performer and character is very likeable and skilled, Something for everyone, but especially virgins who live on their own in Balham probably
Disadvantages: Second series' low budget resulted in a less impressive look, Not available on DVD or video
****
Written on 14.09.07
Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran (The New Statesman), ‘Goodnight Sweetheart’ is a memorable rom-sitcom that ran for six consecutive series through the nineties, and was the first major role for Nicholas Lyndhurst after ‘Only Fools and Horses’ ceased production as a regular series and moved into the realm of sporadic Christmas specials. Slightly similar to the more recent ‘Life on Mars,’ the premise involves 1990s television repairman Gary Sparrow (Lyndhurst) accidentally stumbling across a gateway to the past, accessed through an alleyway in East London. At first believing the archaic decor and characters of The Royal Oak indicate the pub’s unusually serious commitment to a 1940s theme, Gary soon has the truth thrust upon him by a devastating air raid. After acclimatising himself to the bizarre situation, Gary develops a habit of travelling back and forth between the two eras on a regular basis, fuelled to no small degree by his developing love for the landlord’s daughter.
The complete first series (which this category seems to be aimed at, according to reviews) ran for the customary BBC sitcom span of six episodes at the end of 1993, and aims to tell a complete and self-contained story arc from start to finish, providing a satisfying ending while also leaving the series open for the future continuation that eventually ran it into the ground. These six half-hour shows were clearly thoughtfully written to explore this unique time travel concept to its full potential, and each idea – from stunning the past with rare gifts of now widely-available chocolate to the idea of buying dead-cert shares to invest in the future – is handled tastefully, and at a realistic pace.
Despite being labelled as a sitcom, the humour is entirely character-based, and more in the ‘Birds of a Feather’ league (another Marks and Gran creation) of occasional and extremely contrived witty retorts from the more sarcastic characters, though there are a few attempts at silliness through the use of repeated jokes, particularly the random background extra who chastises characters for using coarse language (i.e. ‘bloody’) when ladies are present. Naturally, much of the humour is based on the ironic differences between customs fifty-three years apart, and although this leads to some jokes being repeated a fair few times, particularly Gary’s passing off songs by the Beatles and other late twentieth century artists as his own, the intended weekly gap between each episode serve to make each instance a nice reminder of quite a good joke rather than an annoying repetition. The audience always seems to love that joke in any case.
Well conceived, this series is primarily an angst-ridden tale of romance and infidelity, with comedy and science fiction overtones, and it seems to be based on a deliberately ‘modern’ attitude that adultery is really okay, if you’re stuck in a bit of a loveless marriage. The premise is quite morally confusing, particularly as the audience is expected to sympathise with Gary even as he attempts to seduce 1940s Phoebe (Dervla Kerwan), herself married to an enlisted soldier serving in Tunisia, and then returns to his present-day wife Yvonne (Michelle Holmes) for banter and sex. Despite his evident frustrations with Yvonne across this series, feeling that her career ambition and involvement in an Open University psychology course have led to her neglecting him, it’s obvious that there’s still much love between them, and she genuinely attempts to solve their obvious differences as the series progresses, as she sees Gary become increasingly distracted by his odd newfound hobby of collecting 1940s literature and memorabilia. For some reason.
Worse are Gary’s rather unforgivable and frequent lies to both the women in his life, often using his friend Ron – the only person who knows the truth about his time travels – to cover for his absence in 1993, and concocting an elaborate tissue of lies when caught out by Phoebe in the past, culminating in Gary’s ‘admission’ that he is married to an actress named Marilyn Monroe whose glamorous lifestyle has put insurmountable strain on their marriage. Most hypocritical of all is Gary’s unjustified jealousy when he momentarily suspects Yvonne of cheating on him with her college professor, making him an equally sympathetic and despicable character. Shallow attempts are made to justify his actions concerning the time difference – after all, it’s not really cheating on Yvonne if neither of them have been born yet, is it? – and Ron effectively sums up that school of thought when he points out how Gary is living “every man’s dream”: an affair with an untraceable bit-on-the-side.
Although this is far from a typical BBC period drama, the production values are still quite impressive, particularly in terms of the indoor and outdoor sets that authentically reflect the period and convince the viewer that they are momentarily inhabiting the war-torn East End, from the cosy public house to more elaborate ballrooms, hospitals and restaurants. One scene in which Ron unsuccessfully attempts to accompany Gary on his journey sees him enter the market square in its present-day incarnation, which fully demonstrates the great job done by the production team. It’s a necessary cliché that each jaunt back to the past is accompanied by some historical news breaking while Gary is there, but this acts as quite an enjoyable history lesson for viewers unfamiliar with the period, while the occasional songs and exploration of customs and culture provide some nostalgia for people like my grandparents. (Oddly, watching the series back provided me with my own sense of nostalgia as I was eight years old when it was first broadcast).
The performers are all hired as professional actors rather than comedians, and although some characters are played largely for laughs, such as the slightly nerdy Ron and dim-witted police constable Reg (Christopher Ettridge, playing both the regular 1940s character and his lesser seen grandson who is still serving in the police force), others such as Phoebe’s father (David Ryall, who would not return after the first series) offer a more serious and antagonistic presence. There’s no faulting the acting of the regulars, particularly as this is a sitcom and they are expected to carry both drama and punchlines, and Gary’s two women are well written as natural opposites beyond simply having different regional accents and hair colour. Even the music fits the tone perfectly, ranging from the traditional songs and orchestrated score of the 1940s scenes to more chirpy and very typical early 90s sitcom melodies in the present.
As a serial, the first series consists of six fairly independent plots all participating in the larger story arc of Gary’s discovery of the time portal, acclimatisation to the period, and developing and deteriorating relationships in both eras. Unlike most sitcoms that will achieve the status quo and rigid character dynamics by the end credits of episode one, developments take several episodes to really come into place, such as Ron’s gradual awareness of what Gary is up to, and Gary’s own efforts to acquire authentic 1940s clothing and documentation in the present, and this makes it far more interesting to watch. The final few episodes see the development of a rough formula, with Gary visiting the past under false pretences with the intention of returning to his wife shortly, being detained overnight in the 1940s one way or another, and having to provide a desperate explanation to the agitated and suspicious Yvonne upon his late return, often through the hapless Ron, whose fabrications become increasingly elaborate and embarrassing for Gary, perhaps by intent. Despite the formulaic comedy, Gary’s relationship troubles follow a natural and enjoyable curve, and even though I normally avoid romantic comedies as much as I avoid anything produced by Channel 4, it is touching and compelling to see him come to his final decision in episode six (even if the whole thing is morally flabbergasting).
This first classic series is recommended to all fans of science-fiction-tinged romantic sitcom (there must be some of you out there), and fortunately approachable even by fans of period dramas or sitcoms in general. Some of the humour is sexual in nature, though I wouldn’t suggest that this makes it unsuitable for children (such as the young version of me who really enjoyed it), though less open-minded parents will perhaps take issue with its adulterous nature; on the whole, this is fairly typical late evening/early watershed material, a time slot Lyndhurst fans will be very familiar with. It’s nice to see the past both mocked for its backwardness and celebrated for its strong character, and although the writers avoid some of the typical dramatic clichés associated with time travel, they are at least acknowledged by the characters, as we see Gary return to the past with news of an impending surprise air raid, and contemplating the possibility of his actions affecting the present, particularly concerning the potential of whether Phoebe is still alive in 1993.
Marks and Gran have a lot to work with, and by spreading it out in this way they avoid over-using or running out of ideas, while crediting viewers with some intelligence by presenting themes that are never specifically addressed in so many words, most evident in the falsity of Gary’s double life that allows him to escape the tedium of a dead-end job and unappreciative wife by becoming revered as a knowledgeable, generous and awe-inspiring hero simply due to his roots in an advanced culture. It’s easy for Gary to win friends and affection by living a lie, but at a significant cost to his character and personal values, and it leaves the series open for interesting future developments in that area.
The DVD release is a fairly budget affair, currently available on Amazon for £7.97 or as part of the complete series collection for a discounted £34.97, but it commendably features audio commentaries from the writers on all six episodes, as well as brief interviews with the cast and crew on its creation and development at this early stage. Oddly, the episodes are missing the standard chapter selection option, each playing as an entire half-hour chapter that perhaps better serves to make this a longer, multi-part story arc rather than a series of individual episodes... or am I just making excuses for them now? Whether Lyndhurst has successfully left Rodney behind is up to each individual viewer to decide, but his ‘Only Fools and Horses’ character became increasingly reminiscent of Gary Sparrow thereafter, as he began the slow march into middle age.
Advantages: Enjoyable and well-written genre-blending sitcom, with great sets and performances.
Disadvantages: Becomes overly formulaic as it develops, and dances on questionable moral ground.
***
Written on 08.07.04
Some of you un-hip older readers may never have heard of Tom Green and his self-titled show, but this bearded and incredibly silly Canadian rapidly became a television icon for MTV viewers several years ago. This is one of several DVDs composed of assorted "best" material from the show, which ran for two years on MTV before Tom became too popular for it to conceivably work any more, and although such a compendium of clips would usually spoil the continuity of the scenes in their original context, the original episodes themselves are so deliberately disorganised that it might as well be an extra long show. An extra long show where Tom seems to get a haircut halfway through and then grows it all back.
DEFYING CONVENTION
To many people, the Tom Green Show would appear to be a man being incredibly silly and childish to get some cheap laughs. It is largely that, but it's obvious that Tom (and the co-writer, the largely unseen Derek Harvie) have set out to deliberately go against the conventions and normal standards of television. This does entail some very sick occurrences such as the 'Cow Brain Boat' sketch in which Tom breaks open the severed heads of cows and melts their brains to some plastic and Tom scooping up his friend's vomit in disgust, and this will seriously put off casual viewers.
Although the majority of each episode is made up of "sketches" and films of Tom interacting with people on the street, it is rooted in a studio discussion where Tom either converses with a special guest - usually someone of very low social standing who Tom then acts silly around by wrapping cling-film around his head or simply shouting at them and laughing far too much - but where Tom mostly interacts with his friends and the audience. The presence of Glenn Humplik, Tom's long-time best friend, is so unnecessary that it can become very funny; Tom will occasionally get some laughs at Glenn's expense by showing a film of how he has tormented him or by throwing stuff on him in the studio, but for the rest of the time he sits on one of the sofas playing his GameBoy. Even more unnecessary is Phil, a man who stands behind a fake window drinking coffee and laughing a lot.
The Tom Green Show is a mixture of talk show, sketch show and reality TV, although these genres often intermingle through all the toilet humour.
POO POO HUMOUR
As the show is aimed primarily at "college" age viewers, popularity is ensured through the use of lavatory and sex jokes. The whole idea of toilet humour is brought to a head in a studio scene included on this DVD that sees Tom angered at the idea that all he can do is "poo poo humour." He feels that he is making serious social criticisms and is adamant that if he wanted to do poo poo humour, he would let people know he was doing it. He then proceeds to excrete, pick his faeces up and walk back into the studio, holding it out to members of the audience. One particularly cocky man touches the poo and can soon be seen wiping his fingers drastically, Tom telling him "betcha you thought it was a prop!" This scene itself goes a little too far even for someone open-minded like myself, but the idea that MTV would screen a man picking up his poo and showing it to people, and that it would be included as one of the best scenes, is very amusing. This was also one of several Tom Green clips featured on 'Tarrant on TV' at the time.
MEMORABLE SKETCHES
Several DVDs of the Tom Green Show were released, so this doesn't contain all of the best material. A lot of my favourite scenes and sketches are included however, which I have attempted to identify with relevant titles:
'Take a Flying F***' - the first Tom Green clip I saw, this is a lengthy confrontation with a very angry man (face covered by a black oblong throughout) who takes offence at Tom's question, "can I ask you where you're going?"
'I Walk With a Swagger' - not very well-known, but this has always cracked me up. Basically it's just Tom making a rap of sorts while hanging around the legs of an old man who looks quite bewildered.
'Burning Feet Man' - at night-time, Tom ties paper round his feet and covers them in oil and then seeks out people in need of help. Whenever someone asks for directions, he sets fire to his feet and shows them the way... until he can't stand the heat and has to be doused with a fire extinguisher.
'Slutmobile' - one of many pranks played by Tom on his long-suffering parents. He has their car airbrushed with a gratuitous lesbian sex scene and witnesses the reactions of his parents. His dad calmly tells Tom he's walking to work, but Tom lends a hand and drives the Slutmobile to the bus stop where his dad's friends can see it. "Dad, don't be embarrassed by your Slutmobile," he tells him.
VERDICT
I enjoy the Tom Green Show, but it does occasionally step too far past the line to be considered funny (although this does keep it interesting). This DVD is fifty minutes of the show and as such is only worth buying if you're desperate to see some Tom Green: most of it is fairly average, and it doesn't include any of the interviews which are one of my favourite parts of the show. It also seems biased in favour of Tom's over-the-top and disgusting pranks rather than his low-key interactions with the general public.
There are a couple of scenes that I have no desire to see again, such as a very lengthy studio segment where Glenn bares his temporarily tattooed buttocks and Tom plays a song for them, and the only reason I would watch this would be if I felt like watching some Tom Green and he hadn't been shown on MTV2 for quite some time. This is not for the faint-hearted or weak-stomached.
*
Written on 09.10.04
There has been an unfortunate downturn in television entertainment over the last few years, and a very strange trend in "extreme" entertainment. The popularity of Jackass led to countless spin-offs, including the British 'Dirty Sanchez' - a series based entirely on watching a group of men hurting themselves for fun and dallying with poo, wee and semen in a bid to become the most extreme.
Although I usually prefer something with some kind of plot, I can understand the desire to break social taboos and push the taste barrier that bit further, but 'Happy Tree Friends' - the uninspired and bizarrely cult series of animated shorts - brings nothing new to the fold by merely animating the bits that Tom and Jerry never dared to show. Tom and Jerry was fun though.
BACKGROUND
Happy Tree Friends is a Mondo Media production, a presumably small company of computer animators who would never have anticipated a contract with MTV to screen their short clips late at night. The brief animations, never lasting more than three minutes, follow the antics of assorted animal characters as they attempt to carry out innocent chores but end up dying horribly in the process. There are eighteen characters, many of whom are distinctive and recognisable - a large, blue moose and a bespectacled anteater among them - and their inevitable deaths stem from a wide range of common and absurd disasters.
A BIT OF FUN?
I used to enjoy the 'Itchy & Scratchy' sections of the Simpsons, and much of my creative writing in my early school years featured death and suffering in a "humorous" way, but I would have struggled to find this entertaining at any age. The complete lack of originality aside, this isn't even anything too extreme - the animators may have been micturating themselves at the thought of an incompetent father not noticing as his baby sticks an electrical razor down its throat, but there is no comedy value in seeing it carried out. Especially if you have already witnessed several of the other animations, all of which rely on exactly the same structure - an animal does something lovable, then you notice a danger, then it gets hurt, screams and dies.
To be fair to the creators (giggling idiots though they are), they do attempt to subvert the expectations of viewers on several occasions, granting slightly more longevity to the format, but a couple of near-misses resulting in the lethal blow being administered by an unexpected means does not deserve to elevate this to the cult sensation it has become, both in its original home of the internet and on MTV. The fact that the characters are not particularly well designed, most of them sharing the exact same face, does become an issue after time also.
FIRST BLOOD
The first Happy Tree Friends release was the 'First Blood' DVD in 2002, and this flimsy package is the subject of this review - were this a category for the show itself, I would not have felt any real need to comment. This was undoubtedly an early attempt by the company to cash in on the popularity of the series rather than waiting a bit longer to offer something that would be genuinely worthwhile to the Happy Tree Friends fan. There are fourteen brief episodes in total, including one never before seen, and a slew of bonus material.
The commentary with the creators provides a real insight into the kind of people responsible for this show. I have always been proud to be one of society's necessary nerd class, a necessity to make other people seem more cool, but the three Americans behind Happy Tree Friends are the kind of people who put honest, slightly-interesting-in-their-unusual-tastes-and-obsessions nerds like me and Dave Gorman to shame. Ricky Gervais would occasionally crack up when performing his brilliantly written lines for 'The Office,' but there is really no need for these guys to burst out in uncontrolled, wheezy hysterics every time they see one of their old drawings.
VERDICT
Watching this on the internet is a waste of time, but only a couple of minutes' wasted time that would otherwise only have been wasted playing PacMan or watching the microwave count down or something, so each to his own. I cannot forgive this DVD for being a feeble cash-in at the expense of fans who can stream the Flash movies from the internet whenever they desire. Two more DVDs have been released since, featuring slightly more material but still equally pointless and unnecessary.
Puritanical parents will undoubtedly hate this show, but it is certainly a short-lived craze: there is simply not enough diversity to ensure longevity (Rod Hull and Emu being the contrary example here, R.I.P). Happy Tree Friends isn't new, clever or funny, and I sincerely hope that wiser dwellers of the internet will come up with a genuinely entertaining series that the kids can get into.
Did Lenin and Jesus die for this? I am afraid so.
*****
Written on 04.07.00
Harry Enfield is a comic genius. His creations on Harry Enfield's Television Programme have prospered into Harry Enfield and Chums, and the new ones are fast becoming more popular than the old ones. Take Kevin the Teenager- easily Harry Enfield's most famous and successful creation- who has now achieved worldwide recognition in his own film. Harry has created something everyone can relate to, from the troublesome and parent-hating teenage Kevin to the Lovely Wobbly Randy Old Ladies, Lee and Lance, the Toddlers, the Self-righteous Brothers ("Oi! No!"), Tim Nice-but-dim, the Slobs and many, many more.
Harry's creations have been helped greatly by the continuing presence of Fast Show star Paul Whitehouse and Kathy Burke ("Gimme, Gimme, Gimme") as co-stars, and they have helped bring to life such diverse characters as Perry, Michael Paine, Fred Git and Waynetta Slob. But it's the sheer hilarity of the scripts that make Harry Enfield so watchable, especially with such masterpieces as "Modern Dad", the father who wishes he was modern that is confronted with a situation when his son Tom and his boyfriend come for dinner and often makes slips of the tongue. There have also been Christmas specials with such delights as the ensemble character reunion "Titanic" to the one I consider most hilarious of all, the parody "Tele-cockneys."
Harry Enfield is very funny, and his shows are unmissable. There may be some things you don't like, but you'll never fail to laugh at something.
Advantages: Incredibly funny with a very varied range of characters.
Disadvantages: Not all the characters will appeal to everyone.
Welcome to My World
****
Written on 25.09.07
Before he became a regular fixture of the ITV mainstream, Harry Hill developed a strong cult fan base throughout the 90s, aided by winning the Edinburgh festival’s Perrier Award in 1992, before exploding modestly onto a Sunday night slot on Channel 4 back in the days when that channel was any good. The self-titled ‘The Harry Hill Show’ (simply ‘Harry Hill’ on screen) provided a perfect arena for Harry’s highly visual ‘as-live’ performance, incorporating stand-up monologues, running gags, musical numbers, dance, ventriloquism, pre-filmed sketches and elaborate stunts in an attempt to create the ultimate theatrical experience. But without the tragedy.
There’s a fantastic cosy, live feel to the whole show, performed mostly from one small stage in front of an unseen audience whose enthusiasm grows as each series progresses and catch-phrases become more apparent, in a style that can’t help but compare to the channel’s earlier success with ‘Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out.’ As with that show, there is a sense that viewers are missing out on what would be a spectacular live performance, but Harry’s familiar style translates well to television and makes use of some of its benefits in cutting to pre-filmed material recorded elsewhere. With its small cast performing a regular clientele of characters whose reliance on catch-phrases either spirals out of control or remains stubbornly fixed as each eight-episode series plods on, the show reminds me mostly of Lee and Herring’s ‘This Morning With Richard Not Judy’ from around the same time, which is perhaps inevitable considering Stewart Lee’s prominent role as the series’ script editor and the comedians’ history of performing together.
Harry Hill would present the bulk of each show from the small, brightly coloured stage in his regular guise as the eccentric frontman with ridiculously oversized collar and thick-rimmed glasses, delivering surreal new and classic stand-up material before moving seamlessly on to entirely unrelated subjects and running gags. The TV series is essentially a continuation of the long-running radio series ‘Harry Hill’s Fruit Corner’ and involved many of the same situations and characters, mostly from Harry’s own alleged family. Prior to winning his own Perrier for his Pub Landlord character, Al Murray reprised this series’ most consistent role of Harry’s dim-witted, belt-loving big brother Alan (“if it’s too hard, I can’t understand it”), while other notable characters included Harry’s tiny adult son also called Alan (who communicated only through tapping), the risqué Nana Hill, actor Burt Kwouk playing himself (but with an insatiable quest to capture chickens with increasingly elaborate gadgets), and Harry’s cockney “chief scientist,” bizarrely named Finsbury Park, who was paid for his services with pork or lamb chops, decided through an elaborate game show system.
No real attempt is made to explain why many of these characters turn up on stage when they do, adding to the frivolous atmosphere. All of these characters were intentionally one-dimensional and limited in scope, and many of their appearances amounted to little more than a direct repetition of the previous week, and the week before that, making the changeover between series something of a relief. Most successful are the brief scenes of banter between Harry and his big brother Alan, which usually involve them indulging in strange playground-style, name-calling games that gain momentum through the series and start to overlap with each other, before Harry reminds Alan to get back to organising the ‘badger parade,’ later replaced with an alphabet song, ultimately delayed due to various distractions until the final episodes. The show’s use of puppets is probably its most debatable move, despite being one of the few truly new additions after the radio show, and is really quite confusing. While the badgers’ sections are innocent fun, they are a little pointless, often the mere precursor to the show’s musical finale, while the use of the huge, monstrous, eye-popping recreation of Tufty the Road Safety Squirrel seems more aimed at giving children nightmares. Most memorable is Harry’s blue cat hand-puppet Stouffer, acting as an enjoyable, well-meaning parody of ventriloquism acts, in which Harry is fitted with a deliberately unconvincing Rod Hull-style false arm and makes no attempt to hide his mouth movements.
It’s clear that Harry intends his shows to be enjoyed by people from all walks of life and all ages – even to the extent of introducing a special section on biscuits in one episode “for older viewers” – and the series’ repeats in an evening time slot may have helped to spread its appeal to children, who can get just as much from the series as adult viewers. I certainly would have loved it when I was about seven, and the only real change that has been made for these repeats is the quite distracting and badly-dubbed word “slug” whenever the Little Orphan Boy calls Harry a slag. Unfortunately, it seems that these are the versions that were sold for endless circulation to the Paramount channel and can now be seen more often than the originals, which may have contained further material edited for the earlier broadcast. The series hasn’t been released on DVD or video, but there are always ways to see these things on the internet.
Harry Hill’s show is a highly enjoyable half-hour of television (twenty-five minutes if excluding the advert break), but its extensive range of styles makes it rather hit-and-miss by necessity. The reliance on formulaic jokes is incredibly high, even compared to similar series, and while the anticipation can increase the enjoyment in some cases, particularly when expectations are confounded a little, many of them get quite old, quite fast – it all depends on the individual viewer’s tastes. While it’s always enjoyable to see Burt ‘Tenko’ Kwouk stroll on unannounced with his latest chicken-catching gadget, you know it’s always going to be followed by his “hey little hen” song with no variation whatsoever. The good thing about this scattered approach is that each section is mercifully short, rivalling ‘The Fast Show’ in its frequency of scene changes, so even if a viewer isn’t fond of the dull clown sit-com, it won’t be long before Harry has a Savlon flashback leading to his Zeinab Badawi news section. The use of celebrity guests is also satisfyingly low-key and ridiculous rather than a genuine publicity stunt, as those involved are usually placed in a meaningless situation along the lines of “Garry Bushell sings the instrumentals.”
This certainly isn’t comedy for those who believe stand-up should be all about making angry satirical observations in the style of Bill Hicks, but as some unadulterated traditional entertainment it’s hard to beat it. The show rarely makes me laugh out loud, and I could never watch more than one in a day due to the degree of repetition, but it’s a nice, bizarre and heart-warming family show that viewers are invited to completely lose themselves in for half an hour. The show ran for two series and a Christmas special before being cancelled, but has been succeeded by Harry’s other projects such as ‘TV Burp’ and ‘The All-New Harry Hill Show,’ both of which I’ve avoided for fear of disillusionment. His tenure on ‘You’ve Been Framed’ inaugurated a new commercially viable Harry Hill that likely upset many of the die-hard cult fans who knew him when no one else did, but they should at least be thankful that the terrible rumours about Harry fronting a revamped version of ‘Beadle’s About’ have turned out to be a total lie.
Advantages: Simple and surreal entertainment from a variety of mediums.
Disadvantages: Too much reliance on repeated catch-phrases and tedious formulae.
*****
Written on 22.10.07
An eighteen year veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe with numerous radio and television projects behind him, Richard Herring nevertheless had a fear of stand-up in its pure form, without a projector screen or convenient script to work through, stemming from some particularly disastrous gigs as a young man in the early 1990s that culminated in him inviting a student on stage to voluntarily drop their trousers in unison. In early 2005, Herring confronted his demons and took to the small stage again, first with some trusty cock jokes and later introducing some of the more experimental and subversive material borrowed from his website’s daily blog, ‘Warming Up.’
The show that would eventually become ‘Someone Likes Yoghurt’ takes its inspiration from a variety of sources, with a topical look at the death of Pope John Paul II being the only time-bound piece, despite Herring’s apologies elsewhere in his set that “every comedian’s doing the Rudyard Kipling sh** at the moment.” The show consists of five major routines, the last forty minutes of which are entirely about yoghurt, but the DVD release helpfully divides this further into nine chapters, not that you’d ever use them. There’s no real connection between these topics, as diverse as monkey rape and a pedantic evaluation of the unfair magpie reward system (that leaps straight from sorrow to joy and only gets worse as it continues), but Herring still tries his best to pretend that there is by strategically inserting some tenuous call-backs in later material.
This loose structure doesn’t matter of course, and there are enough larger themes evident throughout to tie it all nicely together, but it also made it an easier process for Herring to abandon, edit or extend the show as he saw fit during its original Edinburgh run and later national tour, particularly the malleable yoghurt routine in which the comedian exerts his influence to extend a discussion that’s already of unreasonable length to even greater extremes depending on how much of the audience is really hating it. He claims to have once made the yoghurt stuff last for an entire hour when a vocal group of audience members seemed particularly nonplussed by it: laughter is anathema to him, and even without his tirades against overrated and more successful acts such as Peter Kay and Jimmy Carr, it’s clear that this isn’t a comedy show for everyone, and oddly for a return to more profitable stand-up it’s probably among the least mainstream work the comedian has ever done. This DVD strives to capture the full performance, even if the disappointingly cordial audience is on Herring’s side throughout, not even shouting the usual heckles such as “stop talking about yoghurt.”
One of the recurring themes is Herring’s unique and elaborately thought-out solution to what he sees as the problems of the world, planned out “in what some might consider far too much detail.” So from deconstructing and rearranging the magpie song to make it fairer as a magpie-based lottery, the atheist moves on to one of the show’s most memorable moments as he struggles to grasp the idea of a God who apparently hates sperm wastage providing males with such an inefficient and inherently wasteful method of sperm delivery. Herring’s solution is for a single sperm to be produced, the size of a trout, and he goes on to justify the numerous advantages of this ingenious notion (far more than you would think) in what some might indeed consider far too much detail. Particularly the sixteen-year-old girl he lecherously targets and questions on this matter, delighting in his unique freedom as a stand-up comedian to shout about shoving a fish-sized object inside a barely legal girl and be applauded for his twisted imagination by a crowd of witnesses, whereas if he were to say the same thing in any other situation it would be considered a form of sexual assault.
This lovingly produced DVD recording, complete with attractive yoghurt-based menus, was set up and released by independent comedy fans Go Faster Stripe, who essentially invite the country’s finest comedians (in their view, if not that of the stupid general public) to a dark comedy club in Cardiff and get them to revive their last show for one more night. The venture began when Stewart Lee’s first official, high-budget DVD predictably failed to sell to a larger audience, and desperate to record a second for posterity rather than unrealistic profit, the unholy Welsh union was struck. ‘Someone Likes Yoghurt’ was the third GFS release followed by one for Simon Munnery, and further shows continue to be filmed and produced on an irregular basis. It’s a really great enterprise, and all the DVDs and other stuff they’ve brought out in the cheapest possible packaging are available from their website at the cheapest possible price (usually about £10 with £1.50 postage for each delivery). Go there now, it is good. Special features include an extensive half-hour interview with Herring before the performance, and a clip from a previously filmed, inferior version of the show shot from a static camera at the BAC theatre, which at least shows the diversity of the trout material.
If your reasonable yoghurt purchases have ever been unfairly mocked by check-out staff, or you still feel stupidly proud of the flawless, trick-free genie wish you worked out when you were five, Herring’s unique, strange, obsessive, borderline autistic performance may be just what you’re looking for from a comedy DVD. And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
Available for a tenner from Richard Herring's gigs or http://www.gofasterstripe.com/cgi-bin/website.cg
Advantages: Richard Herring's bizarre, yoghurt-based return to stand-up, finally recorded for posterity.
Disadvantages: Daily Telegraph's Worst Comedy Experience 2005, an award the comedian cherishes.
Bill Hicks: One Night Stand
Taming of the Goat Boy
***
15.10.07
Filmed for an HBO special in 1991 as the comedian’s popularity escalated, ‘One Night Stand’ is a short half-hour set of Bill Hicks’ current ‘greatest hits’ up to that point, or at least feels like it. There’s a natural progression between the three general subjects he deals with: smoking, drugs and pornography, all discussed under the larger idea of government control and stupidity when it comes to banning and promoting ‘evil,’ but despite the strength of this political material, the whole performance seems to lack the energy, spontaneity and genuine rage of many of Hicks’ other, more substantial filmed performances, most likely due to its filming for a TV audience at the end of an exhaustive nationwide tour.
That’s not to say that Hicks compromises his material or edits out any of the obscenities or more contentious points – as he was infamously required to do when appearing on ‘The Tonight Show’ before having his comparatively safe material cut in an action that was incorporated into his stand-up as further evidence of TV’s hypocrisy and idiocy – but the need to perform essentially ‘at his best,’ with little crowd interaction or improvised musings, works against this performance capturing the archetypal Bill Hicks show, as is the case for many other stand-up videos. A book was released a few years ago that printed up transcripts of Hicks’ numerous live shows and watching this video almost feels like reading the flatter material on the page when compared to some of his looser and more energetic gigs, but at the same time this won’t present a problem for newcomers to this late comedian who will still be seeing a fine performance.
I’m not usually fond of political comedians who elicit an audience response of an agreeable “whoo, right on man” as much as a laugh, but Hicks (despite his exaggerated legendary status) was inarguably a master of the craft, and always ensures that each aggressive tirade from his own hardened belief system is rounded off with a set of genuinely funny or ridiculous jokes, so the audience receives a dogmatic lecture on the necessity of drug use for the creation of good music and is rewarded for its patience with a piece about the stoned Beatles trying to prise each other off the ceiling, complete with enjoyable attempted accents.
And while Hicks’ belief in supreme love for all things obviously works against his hatred for key figures in the industries and governments responsible for wars and the other things that impede humanity’s progress, there’s no sense of offence or division on the part of the audience, as Hicks ensures that he berates and applauds the entire crowd in equal measure, seen perfectly in his attack on the self-righteousness of non-smokers followed up by a mockery of his fellow smokers’ ill health, all of which is justified by some fairly impenetrable logic. There is a fairly large frequency of “whoo!” exclamations from the more anarchistic members of the crowd, particularly during the self-proclaimed controversy of his “I used drugs, and I had a real good time – sorry” routine, but there’s a far greater frequency of laughs from the whole room that makes the whole thing work.
Hicks’ lecturing could deter people who see it as obnoxious, and at times it does feel that way – while it’s clear that his talking down to the audience with statements like “should I walk you through it again?” is largely a joke, it can be a little irritating to hear him declare his observations as “fact” (however accurate that may be), and telling anyone whose brain may be running through an “internal dialogue” to quite simply “shut the f*** up, you’re wrong.” At other times he puts himself down quite amusingly, but only in terms of unfortunate experiences while over-indulging in narcotics and alcohol, and never in terms of betraying his own life goals and ideology, which have obviously always remained infallible. He gets away with most of this as his political and social observations are all fairly accurate and predictable, so the audience will naturally be on his side to begin with and even more so when confronted with some of his reliable statistics, but Hicks fortunately remains a comic first and foremost and frequently goes overboard into exaggerated routines and abuse that could only be taken literally by those listening to each gag in complete isolation (as many right-wing people complaining about this type of thing tend to do), as Hicks’ overarching philosophies are made expressly clear throughout the performance to all but the one or two members of the audience lacking a sense of humour who may mistakenly believe they’re here to see a political speech.
Although it’s a little short and not too lively, and almost all of the material can be seen or heard elsewhere in a superior form, ‘One Night Stand’ is still a great show from a performer who burned out long before his time, dying from cancer at the age of 32 a few years later. Because the major material is so famous, it’s the smaller, personalised and time-bound parts that make this compulsory viewing for Hicks fans: he opens with a brief discussion of the Chicago winter, and later incorporates the contemporary Judas Priest trial seamlessly into his discussion of music as a supposed ‘evil,’ ridiculing the already-ridiculous claims of subliminal backwards messages on rock albums with plain logic. Hicks was a great comedian who struck a perfect balance between expressing his political views and cracking a great number of well-crafted jokes and routines at impressive speed, and although it only lasts half an hour this is much more than a bite-size sampling of the famous comedian, but still nowhere near as definitive or entertaining as his other DVDs.
Advantages: Classic routines captured on film as Hicks' career turns high profile.
Disadvantages: Recycling of material always presents a problem, and there's no room for improvisation.
Excellent Script
****
Written on 05.10.03
If the title seems to imply that I find the script the greatest thing, by far, about this 1980 sci-fi comedy show, that's probably because I do. Douglas Adams' Hitch-Hikers series began as a BBC radio show, then progressed onto book format (the books continued to come out and expand the stories well into the 1990s), and the TV adaptation. Personally, I find the books the superior incarnation of the stories, mainly because Adams' real humour comes through in his descriptions. This can be seen by the number of times the guidebook is brought in to narrate something irrelevant but hilarious in the show.
Prior to seeing the series, I had read on the internet that it was a disappointing show that looked too dated to be enjoyable, and with some bad casting decisions. I eventually decided to hire a video out from a library, after months of deciding I didn't want my mental pictures forever scarred by rubbish sets, an I was pleasantly surprised by the show which was supervised by Adams- thank God. Last thing the world needs is a BBC sitcomed-up version of a classic idea.
The storyline is more or less exactly the same as in the first radio series, with each of the six episodes beginning and ending at the same points. The books expanded on some ideas, took a couple away and basically added loads more to pad out the 200 pages, so I was already familiar with the plot, which is:
Arthur Dent lies in front of a bulldozer to stop his house getting demolished to make way for a bypass. "You've got to build bypasses" is the only logical answer a builder can give him. Arthur's peculiar friend Ford Prefect arrives and tells Arthur that the world is about to end, which it unfortunately does, however Arthur and his alien pal have managed to stow away on the attackers' vessel. Through the course of the series they are blown into space, reunited with Ford's relative Zaphod Beeblebrox, they discover an ancient planet, Arthur learns incredible things about the nature of the Earth, the group done at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, they are involved in an intergalactic conflict, and Arthur and Ford eventually end up where they began... about two million years in the past.
I cannot fault the storyline one bit, it had me laughing out loud when I read the books, and it is still very amusing on the screen. However, these are my major gripes with the TV series:
- stuff looks dodgy. This doesn't matter most of the time, but some things look cringingly crap. Zaphod Beeblebrox's second animatronic head is infamous for its unbelievability, while some of the model shots looks too much like toys for a time when Star Wars and Star Trek films were winning awards for such things. I know, the BBC's low budgets for shows like this, but it does distract.
- a couple of characters are not as enjoyable or interesting as in the book. Trillian, the pleasant looking lady, is physically different from the one described, and although she was clearly the least interesting character anyway, she is even less believable here with an American accent and bouts of extreme intelligence and stupidity. The guy playing Ford Prefect is sometimes a little annoying in the way he delivers lines too.
- some jokes don't work. I get the distinct impression that if I hadn't read the books first, and been granted time to dwell on some of the great non-plot moments, I would have found some of the things happening here a little unnecessary. An example is the morphing of attacking missiles into a whale, which proceeds to fall to the ground and try and understand its existence before the end, and a bowl of petunias, which only thinks "oh no, not again."
Aside from this however, if I had been able to appreciate non-child TV programmes in 1980, this would have been one of my very favourites. As far as I can tell, this was the first successful science fiction-based comedy, obviously forerunning the amazing Red Dwarf. A good thing about the TV format is the portrayal of things that are not completely unconvincing, or at least not so much that it's rubbish. Planetscapes and pieces of galactic history are shown which is very nice. Also, Simon Jones' portrayal of Arthur Dent is fantastic; from the physical description to the 'not quite at ease with himself' personality and that hilarious questioning voice, Simon Jones was the perfect choice for Adams' protagonist.
One of the main attractions of the programme for me is the Hitch-Hiker's Guide itself; an electronic book that is basically the narrator of some of the less easily-understandable issues such as the Babel Fish translator and galactic wealth. Although the limited computer graphics and animation look like the old BBC Schools programmes you may have had to endure in school, or low budget 'head to the snack bar' ads in cinemas, it works surprisingly well and doesn't actually look that dated if you assume that the guide is trying to explain things as simply as possible. The narration is by Peter Jones, who also narrated on the radio show. In fact, many faces (voices) from that show reappear here, including Zaphod, Arthur and Slartibartfast.
My advice to fans of the science fiction comedy medium would be to DEFINITELY get round to either seeing, hearing or reading the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It is a fantastically written comedy with a huge number of obvious and subtle descriptions of completely warped alien ideas and characters that will keep you laughing and wishing you could remember all the best bits for your Dooyoo review. You should be able to work out which incarnation would be the most enjoyable for yourself; having read the Red Dwarf books and finding them even better than the first couple of series, it was no surprise that I would enjoy the books. They'll always be in your local library, or if you can't be bothered with reading you'll probably find the Hitch-Hiker's guide videos in a local Cash Converters or whatever second hand video sellers are.
Not my favourite version of HHGTTG, but certainly worth my viewing time. I would definitely buy it on DVD now if I didn't already own the books and radio shows... I still might. All fans will like this, although some less than others! This also has the advantage that it could be enjoyed by all ages, I know that if my dad had watched it when I was little I would have loved it.
Advantages: Fantastic scripts by Douglas Adams, Simon Jones is excellent, Music's pretty catchy as well!
Disadvantages: Stuff is dodgy!
I'm Alan Partridge
*****
Written on 26.04.04
Two series, in 1997 and 2002 respectively, observed the ups and downs of life for an unsuccessful, arrogant and fairly dull ex-TV personality called Alan Partridge. Played by Steve Coogan, and written by the partnership of Coogan, Armando Ianucci and Peter Baynham, 'I'm Alan Partridge' has gone down as one of the most successful comedy ventures of recent years, and its influence on the genre has undoubtedly been understated. The series is a testament to failure, delusions of grandeur, and unfortunate situations.
PREMISE
The first series of 'I'm Alan Partridge' follows the depressing and hilarious life of failed (fictional) TV personality Alan Partridge as he lives in a Travelodge by the motorway and tries making every effort to get back on TV. Hosting a long, abusive and uninteresting show in the early hours on Radio Norwich, Alan is divorced and relies on his unappreciated "PA" assistant Lyn to gain him every opportunity possible to return to the limelight where he feels he belongs.
The huge popularity of this series afforded the writing team future opportunities to utilise the character, and they fittingly chose to wait a number of years before "catching up" with his life. Filmed and set in 2002, five years later, Alan has been up to quite a lot. Having been back on TV, he is now only present on the pathetically obscure 'UK Conquest' channel (that doesn't really exist!) presenting a strategy-based gameshow, and he has returned to his graveyard slot on Radio Norwich. He has a lot more money behind him and feels he has "bounced back," although his autobiography with that title fails to be as popular as he had hoped. With a young, Ukranian girlfriend, he now lives in a caravan (that he refers to as "the static home") as he waits for his custom-designed house to be finished.
ALAN PARTRIDGE: HISTORY
The Alan Partridge character was created by the team behind the topical radio comedy 'On the Hour,' which transferred to television as the hugely successful 'The Day Today.' Alan was responsible for the sports coverage, which entailed him visiting the Grand National and mistaking a pint-sized jockey for a child, taking a passenger ride in a racing car and fearing for his life, and setting up an over-complicated and ultimately stupid system for 1994's World Cup groups. Coogan's character was excellent at showing his ignorance and ineffectiveness, and was ultimately hilariously inept at his job.
Steve Coogan was awarded his own series by the BBC following 'The Day Today,' in the form of a spoof chat show hosted by the Alan Partridge character, and often featuring alumni from his previous work. Although very good at being humorously embarrassing and silly, 'Knowing Me Knowing You, with Alan Partridge' failed to be a huge success, but in light of 'I'm Alan Partridge' this only serves to boost the authenticity of that show; its catch-phrase of "Aha!" proved to be less than successful, and Alan's use of it in this series, in an attempt to remind viewers, is comically sad.
STYLE
Both series were filmed in a very realistic way, using genuine locations and mostly-believable characters, and in some ways can be seen as a pre-cursor to the recent hit, 'The Office.' There are noticeable differences however, as this is not intended to be a documentary of any kind; the cameras are not mentioned, and it is treated simply as if we are gaining a very intrusive insight into Alan's life.
Broadly speaking, the show could be classed as "black comedy," in that its humour stems from very bleak sources. The character is seen in every possible emotional state, and is often the target of quite deserved abuse, but is not completely unlikeable. After all, following twelve episodes of spending time with the man, it's impossible not to feel some compassion and sorrow for what he's going through, and genuine delight when he succeeds, even if it is through very shady means.
NOTABLE EPISODES
Every episode is centred around a clear event or theme, unlike the very serial nature of something like 'The Office,' which makes it easier for the viewer to recall certain events. There are no dodgy episodes in my view, as the character's development (and lack of) throughout each show is great to behold.
SERIES 1
WATERSHIP ALAN - Alan has insulted farmers for little reason on his radio show, accusing them of in-breeding and making references to "spines in baps" and other such ridiculous nonsense following the BSE crisis. When asked to present a corporate video for a river cruise company he accepts, as always, but the producers (familiar comedy faces Simon Pegg and Peter Baynham) get more than they bargained for when the local farmers pursue a vendetta against their abusive tormentor.
This also features an incredibly rare appearance by underground comedy deity Chris Morris as an irate farming representative who tries persuading Alan to apologise, before realising how relentless and arrogant he can be. Alan has also had a problem with his TV in the Travelodge "accidentally" screening fifteen minutes of 'Bangkok Chick-Boys,' which he apparently had nothing to do with.
TO KILL A MOCKING ALAN - Two executives from Ireland (comedy writing duo Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews - 'Big Train' and 'Father Ted') are travelling through the area, and Alan decides to stage a live version of his show to "impress" them. It soon becomes necessary however for Alan to pretend he has a house, and doesn't simply live in a room at the Travelodge, and so reluctantly allows his biggest fan to take him and the representatives to "their" home. The execs soon leave, and Alan is faced with the prospect of spending time with his self-proclaimed "biggest fan"; a man who has an entire room dedicated to the star, and has a huge tattoo of his face across his chest. He's clearly "a mentalist."
SERIES 2
THE TALENTED MR. ALAN - Now living in his caravan, Alan looks for an opportunity to further his career in presenting CCTV videos of crashes. He visits a school with one of the videos, recorded several years earlier when he was incredibly fat, and this rekindles some resentment with the old pupil, now a teacher, who once drew a chalk penis on Alan's back. This man is prepared to forget, until Alan decides to get his own revenge.
NEVER SAY ALAN AGAIN - Alan has planned his annual James Bond weekend, which he will spend watching every James Bond film in the caravan with his friend Michael. But the discovery that Michael has other friends, including a truck driver who likes "American things," indicates to Alan that their friendship is over, and he seeks a new friend in one of the builders. The arrival of Lyn's new lover means Alan has to agree to raise her salary from £8000 a year up to £9,500 (but not ten, he gets away with that by singing) and his video collection is unfortunately ruined, meaning Alan has to act out scenes in front of those gathered.
OWNING ALAN
Both series of 'I'm Alan Partridge' are now available on video and DVD, as are his other projects. The DVDs include some very interesting features, such as commentaries by the actors in character and some extended and deleted scenes. I shall be buying these soon!
PERSONAL VIEW
I had not seen any of the 'I'm Alan Partridge' series until the recent series was broadcast on the BBC, but I was very impressed and made an effort to see the rest. Being a fan of other dark comedy shows as the League of Gentlemen, The Day Today and Brass Eye, it was right up my street. The character of Alan Partridge is unique and very compelling, and in many ways the disgust and sympathy felt by the viewer makes him even more endearing. Let's face it, it's much more fun to watch someone make a complete mess of their life, digging every hole deeper and never apologising, than it is to watch someone have a good time. Or maybe that's just me.
A lot of people were disappointed by some of the changes made for the second series, but change was vital in order to keep the show interesting. Now moderately wealthy, and with a home and love interest, Alan is no longer the pathetic character from the first series, but his interactions with other characters are still top quality entertainment. If fans thought that some of his nonsensical sayings from the first series were funny (i.e. "smell my cheese," "you're a mentalist" and "Jurassic Park!" when he was ecstatic), these episodes are full of them. When he feels he has won a competition by having a girlfriend fifteen years younger than the wife of an old comrade, Alan exclaims "back of the net!", and "cashback."
In my view, the first series is slightly funnier, due to the location and the fact that Alan is so miserable and deservedly unsuccessful. The second series relies slightly more on plot devices which, although very funny ("I've pierced my foot on a spiiiike"), feel a little more contrived. The regular characters are also not quite as musing as the Travelodge staff from the first series, although the very stupid and army-obsessed Geordie, Michael, is still hilarious. There are no current plans that I am aware of to make another series featuring Alan Partridge, but such an event would be unsurprising, and a better treat even than a cup of beans.
Advantages: Very original style, Hilarous jokes, Believable and relatable
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's tastes, Some of the charm was lost by series 2
I'm at a Loose End
*****
Written on 28.07.04
PETER: You seem to alienate everyone you come across including, I gather, your wife, which is you end up living like some bloody tramp in a lay-by.
ALAN: It’s a Travel Tavern.
PETER: I don’t care what you call your sordid little grief-hole…
‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is summed up excellently on the front cover of the DVD: “the bitter life of a failed TV personality turned early morning radio presenter.” The idea of basing a sitcom on the often depressing life of a failure does point to a distinctively ‘dark’ comedy style and this certainly isn’t a series that would appeal to everyone: the principle character is irritating, pathetic and embarrassing to watch at times, but if you’re into that sort of thing (and I certainly am), it’s all the better for it.
Some fans would say that the pseudo-reality TV angle of this 1997 series makes it ahead of its time in light of the later trend for such genuine programmes and other spoofs such as ‘The Office,’ but the rest of them were simply too late: ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is the natural but brilliant successor to shows such as The Day Today, Fist of Fun and the Saturday Night Armistice as many of the same faces that made cutting edge mid-90s comedy so memorable were present here.
HE’S ALAN PARTRIDGE
The character of Alan Partridge has become one of the most well-known in modern British comedy, and it’s these six episodes of television that really expand on the character and provide the depth necessary to make him a truly classic character. Alan was originally developed as the sports correspondent for the radio series ‘On the Hour,’ developed by Steve Coogan, Armando Ianucci, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring, and the mildly ineffective but highly amusing character was kept on board when the series transferred to television as ‘The Day Today.’
Soon after, Ianucci and Coogan teamed up with Patrick Marber to produce the Alan-fronted chat show ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge’ for the radio that also transferred to TV: while not the best example of the character or the writing team, it effectively mocked the stream of tedious chat shows with ego-centric presenters and rubbish guests that were such a feature of the decade. It also saw the start of Alan’s bitterness, clumsiness and strange sense of humour, but ended on a disastrous note (for the character) when he punched the head of BBC programming on the Christmas special for refusing to give him a second series. Alan’s TV career was over, consigned to the graveyard slot on Radio Norwich and kicked out of the house by his wife to live in a Travel Tavern on a dual carriageway in Linton.
EPISODES
These six episodes all feature stand-alone plots, but the running themes and jokes mean that each consecutive show rewards the dedicated viewer. Alan’s increasing mental instability is evident through his pole-dancing hallucinations (himself dancing in a thong in front of TV executives), his friendship with ex-military Geordie cleaner Michael evolves from friendly insults to quite serious insults and the frustration of the Travel Tavern staff with Alan’s constant presence is clear by the final episode.
1. A ROOM WITH AN ALAN – Alan’s meeting with the BBC’s chief commissioning editor doesn’t go too well, which is a shame as Alan just bought a big house with a Buck Rogers-style lavatory.
2. ALAN ATTRACTION – Now his second series has been cancelled, Alan has to sack everyone at Peartree productions including Jill, a fifty-year-old woman with whom he is infatuated. As it is Valentine’s Day, Alan avoids telling Jill the bad news and instead takes her to an owl sanctuary and back to his hotel room for some chocolate mousse.
3. WATERSHIP ALAN – Some abusive comments towards farmers eating spines in baps by Alan on the radio leads to the Anglian farming community dropping a dead cow on him while he presents a corporate video for Hamilton Water Breaks.
4. BASIC ALAN – Alan is bored: he walked down the dual carriageway to buy some windscreen washer fluid and then drove to B&Q to buy some tungsten-tip screws he will never use. Fortunately, he does have a chance to use them as claws in a rather badly timed zombie impersonation to ‘amuse’ the hotel staff.
5. TO KILL A MOCKING ALAN – TV executives from Dublin are less than impressed by Alan’s improvised non-TV, non-Sue Cook chat show, and Alan receives the fright of his life when trapped in the home of his biggest fan, a man who lay in a tattoo parlour for fourteen hours for an Alan Partridge tattoo on his stomach. The man is clearly a mentalist.
6. TOWERING ALAN – Tony Hayers is dead! After hosting a demeaning country show, Alan attends the BBC commissioner’s funeral with the express purpose of chatting to his replacement about his future at the BBC. The old friend is very eager, but there’s more dying to be done today…
CAST & CREW
The difference in comedic style between ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is primarily due to the replacement of Patrick Marber with Peter Baynham, complimenting the writing of Armando Ianucci and Steve Coogan. Peter’s slightly strange view of the world and way of thinking means that his comedy is very distinctive, from his tramp character in ‘Fist of Fun’ to the more strangely satirical observations of ‘Saturday Night Armistice.’ He even appears briefly in episode three as the disturbing man with an artificial voice box.
The cast are all excellent without exception, although the main credit clearly lies with Steve Coogan’s legendary Alan Partridge persona. After watching these episodes it’s difficult not to expect Coogan to be quite similar to Alan in many ways. But he isn’t. The laughter track and running gags give this series less credibility as a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ than ‘The Office’ and ‘Operation Good Guys,’ but Coogan’ portrayal of Alan actually convinces me more than that of David Brent – it’s easy to see how his mind is working after a while, and to understand exactly why he says the things he does. The best example comes when Alan is questioned by the police over his attempted traffic cone theft and he has to come up with an alias: the dialogue isn’t predictable by any means, but it seems strangely credible, as are his overlong descriptions of everything he comes across:
ALAN: If you tried to hang a hawk, they could always hover so the rope went slack. So, I suppose if you were going to execute a bird of prey the most humane way would be death by firing squad.
Felicity Montagu is very effective as Alan’s low paid but very loyal PA Lynn, who is much more enjoyable here than in the second series. This is also the case for Simon Greenall’s character Michael, a man who clearly left more behind in the jungle than the monkey he threw into the sea. The Geordie speech jokes get a little tiresome after a while, but are replaced with a genuine friendship that is fun to watch. The hotel staff did not return for the second series due to the change of location, but Barbara Durkin’s frustrated smiling Susan and Sally Phillips’ giggling Sophie are highlights of the show. The brief exchanges between Alan and his self-styled enemy Dave Clifton (Phil Cornwell) as their radio shows intersect also some of the finest scenes and thankfully remained for the second outing.
ALAN: Lynn’s a reliable worker, but I suppose she’s a bit like Burt Reynolds. Very reliable, but she’s got a moustache.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The popularity and slightly cult nature of the series demanded the BBC make some effort with the DVD, and this is among their most impressive releases alongside other shows with a manically loyal following such as Red Dwarf. Spread across two DVD discs as was the BBC custom until recently, the double helping of audio commentaries for all episodes and the collection of extended and deleted scenes provide plenty of “extra purchase,” as Alan would say.
The first audio commentary is quite a funny idea and is handled by Steve Coogan and Felicity Montagu in their roles as Alan and his PA Lynn Benfield (fifty). Both performers were fresh from reprising their roles for the second series of ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ to remain loyal to their personas here and although it’s quite a fun idea, it doesn’t really add anything to the experience – there are some good quality improvised moments of nonsense and abuse as well as the very obvious fact that they have chosen not to rehearse anything beforehand, although this can lead to large gaps in the dialogue. ‘Alan’ tries covering for the fact that there is audience laughter by confirming that this is a television drama series based on events that did happen to him a year earlier, but it’s not very convincing.
The second commentary by the writing team of Peter Baynham (Fist of Fun, Monkey Dust), Armando Ianucci (The Day Today, Saturday Night Armistice) and Steve Coogan as himself is a lot more entertaining and informed, confirming that the Travel Tavern is only a set in a TV studio (it had me fooled) and also discussing the origin of many of the jokes and scenes. They are all very familiar with the series and individual episodes, enough to draw links between them and point out minor moments such as a woman tripping over a step in the background of episode one shortly before she does so.
The deleted scenes mostly appear to be cut for time, or occasionally because they drag a joke on past the punchline a little too far (although this is part of Alan’s humour). My favourite is a scene in which Alan tries to impress Tony Hayers in his lunch with him by having Lynn ring his mobile claiming to be Noel Gallagher, but unfortunately she says ‘Nigel Gallagher.’ Alan asks Nigel to remove a CD from the glove compartment of the car and read it to confirm whether he is indeed Nigel or Noel, or just poor Lynn. The extended version of the car park discussion from ‘Basic Alan’ is quite tedious but it’s interesting to see how the actors improvise on the set, although the inclusion of ‘jingles’ and audio clips to be listened to is fairly pointless.
VERDICT
In my opinion, 1997’s ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is a work of comic genius: easily accessible to casual viewers but with enough substance and clever techniques to appeal to the most ardent comedy fan who hates all the news stuff and longs for the glory days of Monty Python or something. This is essentially a sitcom, but a different kind of sitcom and certainly not one that will appeal to everyone, although I can watch it again and again. The studio environments are completely convincing right down to the harsh, realistic lighting casting a dingy feel to the hotel and the lack of actor make-up hiding nothing. I really like the idea that the lowest point of this man’s life is being perversely shown in all its horror, but after spending six half-hour slots with him it’s easy to empathise with him on all matters, even though he is a talentless bastard.
The DVD package is also excellent, providing commentaries for more nerdy fans (yes, I listened to all six hours over a couple of months) and excellent deleted scenes. Many of the talented comedians, performers and writers who really made the nineties a great time for comedy had input into this series, situated slightly before dark comedy became the big thing with ‘The League of Gentlemen.’ This series thankfully remained popular with comedy fans and the general public and so avoided fading into obscurity like so many other great series of the time.
The recent second (and final) series was fun, but didn’t recreate the qualities that made this series so fresh and enjoyable. These aren’t just the ramblings of a stubborn comedy fan living in the past (although they are a little bit) as I saw the second series before the first: I only saw these six episodes over Easter on UKTV Gold and immediately bought the DVD. Strange that I missed it originally, especially considering the other rubbish I subjected my eyes to in those days (‘The High Life,’ ‘Sunnyside Farm’ and ‘Rab C. Nesbitt’ all come to mind…)
Advantages: Original and funny, Excellent acting and writing, Great special features
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste, Not one to watch when you're down
Parade of Fools
****
Written on 15.02.10
James Randi is one of the most well-known paranormal investigators and sceptics, most notably as founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) which has for many years offered an award of $1,000,000 for anyone who can demonstrate their psychic abilities in laboratory conditions that both parties agree upon beforehand. The prize has been hanging in the air for decades now, and still hasn't been claimed. Indeed, the world's foremost self-proclaimed 'psychics' seem bizarrely reluctant to put their skills to the test. You know, almost as if their powers are a load of made-up rubbish.
(To be fair to psychics, I have met and befriended many of them over the last few years, and I no longer believe that they're all liars. Some are just deranged).
Like many sceptics - Derren Brown among them - Randi began his career as a magician, and says he started to dedicate himself to exposing charlatans when he saw just how many performers were claiming their magical feats were due to psychic abilities. The fraud Uri Gellar is Randi's most famous case, as the spoon-bender tried unsuccessfully to sue Randi following the publication of his book 'The Truth About Uri Gellar,' and television performances in which Randi was able to successfully recreate all of Gellar's supposed feats through simple conjuring tricks. Only in recent years has Gellar publicly admitted that he may not have psychic abilities after all, though he's still evidently happy to accept the accolade when it's banded around by people who didn't get that particular low-key press release.
'James Randi: Psychic Investigator' was a television series of six episodes that aired on Channel 4 in 1991, and is now available to watch back on torrent sites and video sharing sites such as YouTube, in nostalgically poor VHS quality. While not exactly a landmark paranormal show, its intention is much more noble and practical than most of the others that came in its wake, as rather than simply showcasing a supposed paranormal demonstration with the underlying message that this stuff probably does exist, it strives to put claimants to the test under incredibly simple conditions.
The show's title is apt. Randi has stated on many occasions that he doesn't like to be seen as a 'debunker,' but rather as an investigator. While there may be a certain level of satisfaction in seeing an arrogant spoon-bender suddenly fail to perform after you replace his customised equipment with regular cutlery, the JREF and other organisations would welcome displays of genuine psychic phenomena if the occasion ever actually arose, which of course it never has. Despite the typical opinion that followers of the scientific method are arrogant, there really is no arrogance on display from Randi and the gathered sceptics in this commendably fair series.
There's a huge amount coming from the side of believers however, as they struggle to justify their failed performances in the face of negative evidence, particularly the repugnant 'psychic surgeon' Stephen Turoff in the series' most memorable episode.
Turoff claimed he could cure peoples' ailments without invasive surgery, though his unqualified and ridiculous methods still put patients at risk of infection, and when asked to justify himself he could simply use the convenient scapegoat that the surgery was being performed by 'Dr Khan,' a dead healer with a borderline-offensive Asian accent who possessed Turoff during the procedures. The guy is a menace, and depressingly, an internet search reveals that his business is going stronger than ever. Similar to another of Randi's more famous debunkings, that of 'faith healer' Peter Popoff, who tragically seems to be doing better than ever in today's paranoid and gullible climate.
The format of each episode is roughly similar: Randi begins by demonstrating through sleight of hand how to achieve some of the supposedly psychic feats that audiences are about to see, and leaves it up to viewers to decide for themselves whether what they are seeing is genuine or fraudulent. Some of the UK's leading 'psychics' of the time are invited on to the show and applauded for their bravery in trying to practice their range of arts - from mediumship to astrology, dowsing, psychometry and graphology - and put to a simple test, the result of which is proven statistically with no bias from either side.
In all but one of the episodes (one experiment on dowsing), the psychics were - drumroll - shown to have no magical abilities whatsoever, their analyses and claims being no more accurate than what would be permitted by random chance. This sole positive result may be leapt upon as evidence of the existence of the paranormal by believers, which would be sort of missing the point. You can't selectively decide that one out of six shows (and only one experiment within that show; the other dowsing attempts all failed) is a positive result. One lucky experiment out of twenty or so is expected according to random chance.
It's an informative show, and there should really be more like it today. Maybe something presented by Ben Goldacre or Simon Singh about the dangers of alternative medicine such as acupuncture , homoeopathy and chiropractic, demonstrating why none of these treatments is effective or beneficial in any way. It could save a lot of people a lot of time, money and suffering if these things were more widely reported, plus it would be pretty funny seeing practitioners struggling to justify themselves.
You can find out more about how all of today's media-friendly 'psychics' (and I do mean all of them) lie and cheat their way to success by checking them out at the comprehensive badpsychics.co.uk
Keep it rational!
Kevin Turvey Investigates
A Kick Up Yer Eighties
****
Written on 24.09.05
"I'm Kevin Turvey, and here's a good one: why does Mrs Thatcher wear barbed wire underwear? ... She doesn't, it's only a joke!"
This long-deleted BBC title sees Rik Mayall in what many consider his finest hour, adopting the persona of investigative reporter Kevin Turvey, assigned by his BBC bosses to investigate such myriad phenomena as death, leisure, nasty little sticky things, depression and the supernatural to enlighten "armchair Britain." Unfortunately for them, Kevin Turvey's only skill lies in digression.
An easily distracted, utterly inept reporter in an anorak, Kevin is a far cry from Mayall's best remembered later characters, the anarchistic pacifist Rick and the campy middle-aged loser Richard Richard, but the solo performance and affected Birmingham accent keep this early role different enough to appeal even to those that are put off by the oddball style of 'The Young Ones' or the over-the-top comic violence of 'Bottom.'
'Kevin Turvey,' co-written with Colin Gilbert, was easily the most memorable and enjoyable little segment of 'A Kick Up the Eighties,' one of the BBC's less successful satirical shows and certainly one of the most oddly titled. I assume so anyway, although I must admit that my experience is solely limited to the later video release collecting together all of these relatively brief "investigations," as it would be four years until I would even be a glint in my father's scrotum.
"Good evening armchair Britain, tonight I'd like to talk about shark fishing. But I don't know the first thing about it. So I'm afraid I'll have to talk about sex again."
Kevin begins and ends each instalment in a dignified manner, facing away from the audience and the cameras and holding a pose with his thumb as deceptively regal music pipes through the studio. Seemingly new to the television medium, Kevin does tend to meander completely around the topic he is supposed to be covering, leaving the audience no closer to understanding "leisure" but possessing a detailed knowledge of Kevin's unrequited obsession with Theresa Kelly, his alcohol-induced hallucinations of leg-jealous slugs and the precise layout of his flat, including the position of his doors and furniture and the approximate number of Cornflakes he consumes.
Then-newcomer Mayall succeeds in keeping the early 80s audience titillated throughout with a mixture of excellent character performance, intentionally terrible jokes and the occasional foreshadowing of his future projects, such as when he shouts to his off-screen producer "I'll turn round when I'm ready, bogie-face." Although it is a little annoying that each instalment is so short, running from approximately two to six minutes each, the stereotypically dodgy editing together of the episodes by BBC Video ensures that there is very little time to wait between each "until next week" and "good evening" and the video comes in at just over forty minutes.
'Kevin Turvey Investigates' is an entertaining and easily overlooked piece of comedy history and remains my favourite offering from alternative comedy's leading man Rik Mayall. Not (yet) available on more useful DVD format, which would allow viewers in a hurry to choose any of the ten episodes for a cheap thrill, the Kevin Turvey character went on to star in a feature-length spoof documentary titled 'Kevin Turvey: the Man Behind the Green Door,' co-starring Adrian Edmondson, but that video title is difficult to come by and generally a lot more expensive second hand than this brilliantly pointless collection of meanderings titbits.
"I thought 'oh no, I've smashed my face open on the fridge door again.' But the ringing was the front door, so I went down to the end of the hall, where I keep my front door, and you know them little holes that you look through and everyone looks all big? Well I haven't got one of those..."
***
"A really correct review of the Lee and Herring live video" – Richard Herring
Written on 03.06.05
It's 'Fist of Fun!'
I mean, it's 'Lee and Herring from "Fist of Fun" due to legal difficulties!'
Influenced by many but emulating no-one, Lee and Herring's live performances were relaxed and enjoyable romps that were at best a fascinating and hilarious postmodernist exploration of the nature of "comedy," and at worst a load of rubbish about shagging flies and having wees, with some swearing thrown in.
There was always an erudite and solid belief behind every routine on the nationwide 'Fist of Fun' tours, as well as a friendly, improvisational atmosphere that this video, the only Lee and Herring material ever released by the BBC, fails spectacularly to express in its overlong running time.
THERE'S NO NEED TO BE SARCASTIC
This, Stewart Lee's opening line addressing the riotous applause that he and Richard Herring earned thanks to being off of the telly on that BBC2 'Fist of Fun' thing, demonstrates the relationship the duo had between their on-stage personas and their real-life human being selves. Stewart Lee off of TV's 'Fist of Fun' and 'This Morning With Richard Not Judy' is a world-weary curmudgeon despite his youth, similar to a Shakespearean Iago, but one that's very good in bed. He is forced to live in a world of intellectual inferiors who don't understand his music or haircuts, but who do produce the alcohol and class-A drugs that he enjoys on a daily basis. The real Stewart Lee is grumpy and funny, and although his liver and lungs are clearly on the way to disrepair, he admits that the extent if his familiarity with drugs is "only the occasional puff on a funny cigarette, mum."
Richard Herring off of TV's 'Fist of Fun' and 'This Morning With Richard Not Judy' is a jolly, childish, virginal fat idiot who, despite his status as a comedian, fails to comprehend even the simplest of joke forms or the concept of simile. The real Richard Herring is not an idiot, and in fact lost his virginity "at the embarrassingly late age of nineteen."
Stew and Rich are clearly a double-act with exaggerated and contrived differences, but it is their acknowledgement and, in this video, clear demonstration of these differences that makes them all the more honest and understandable as overeducated nineties comedians. Stew smokes; Rich is a good boy. Stew likes to attend sex parties and get drunk; Rich likes playing 'Super Mario' on his GameBoy. Stew is affected by gigantism; Rich is a wee dwarf, although this may have been a camera trick.
The routine grinds to a cracking halt when Stew informs Rich that he has to be the homosexual one, because he himself has "baggsied being heterosexual." This often self-indulgent and completely trivial nostalgia of childhood idioms and beliefs beats any lazy reminiscing routine of Peter Kay reminding the audience about the sweets and red fizzy pop sold in corner shops.
THE FUN
"With loads of stuff that wasn't even in the TV series!" boasts the video cover. Although their present-day solo stand up is much more spontaneous, learned and evolutionary, Lee and Herring were always the first to admit that they recycled material between shows and between mediums. Although some classic crowd-pleasers such as "the moon on a stick" and the False Rod Hull would not enter their canon until the second series in 1996, this video still contains many Lee and Herring "classics": Rich having sex with a gnat, a joke which leads brilliantly to an explanation of how he has "misunderstood the art of simile" ("you've mistaken being like something, sharing similar traits, to actually being the thing that it is"), Stew's hatred of Patrick Marber and Peter Baynham's "pork slush puppies," those being frozen sausages whisked up and put in cold water. Nice.
The duo do add some new routines, although these do feel restricted from what could be excellent performances in a less orderly live show. Rich's description of how he spent his weekend rescuing his Princess girlfriend from a big lizard is soon stopped by Stew when it becomes obvious that he has gotten his own life mixed up with the computer game 'Super Mario Bros.' ("yes, you're right, that's what I've done. It's really good though, it's like you're there"), although a less scripted observation of audience members who are trying to look like Stew and Rich deteriorates, completely ruining the attempted punchline that someone has tried to look like Rich by dressing up as "some dog's muck."
THE VIDEO
Perhaps tempting fate, Stewart Lee wags his finger at the camera lens imposing on their unusually restrictive live show, noting that, rather than being a successful release, the person at home watching this video "probably bought it in one of those bins in a video shop for 89p in 1998." As with any live video, 'Lee and Herring Live' is visually uninteresting, unless you have a thing for the young comedians and their smelly special guest, and it does become very samey after a while, especially in contrast to the colourful epilepsy of the previous television series. The "natural break" Peter Baynham seems far more randomly placed between routines than he did previously, although his "unemployed 32-year-old stinking Balham virgin" persona is as funny as always, and the attempts to bring hobby obsessive Simon Quinlank (played by multi-talented comedy actor Kevin Eldon) into the piece are a little too contrived, but it's a funny and entertaining show all round.
Lee and Herring have both voiced their disappointment at the video many times, and bemoaned the lack of a proper video release of their forgotten TV shows. In their view, and that of many fans, the restrictions placed on them by the BBC for their night at London's Cochrane Theatre - primarily those of including popular material in its original form and holding back from experimentation, crowd interaction and out-of-character discussions - makes this inaccurate and more stale as a result. Unlike brief moments in the 'Fist of Fun' TV show, and throughout the much more refined Sunday lunchtime live comedy masterpiece 'This Morning With Richard Not Judy,' the viewer gains no real insight or understanding into the people behind the performances; Rich's limited improvisation merely consists of shooing away a camera on stage, while Stew feels the need to talk very slowly and monotonously in some of the slower pieces, before really hitting his stride in the unexpected seven minute deconstruction of a postcard showing two cats and a dog at a piano.
As was the case with many comedy video releases, the stars recorded some severely last-minute additions to bookend the tape. Now we're all spoiled with hours of special features on DVDs, it seems strange that tagging a brief "making of" or, in this case, one minute's footage of Rich in an empty theatre telling a young girl what to say the camera while Stew lingers like a curmudgeon in the background, seemed like such a treat.
Maybe I just want the moon on a stick. Then I could stop being grumpy that a discontinued mediocre double-act were never given quite the credit they deserved.
www.richardherring.com
www.stewartlee.co.uk
www.fistoffun.net
Advantages: Funny and original, Contributions from Peter Baynham and Kevin Eldon, Mid-90s nostalgia
Disadvantages: Too restrictive, Stew's heart isn't really in it, Lost in time
Monty Python's Flying Circus
It's...
*****
Written on 04.07.00 [2018 rewatch]
It's loved in Britain for its controversial and incomprehensibly silly humour; it's loved in America more because the Americans… well, they're just Americans really. The reason for Monty Python's success is that their sketchers are incredibly funny. Some were very intellectual, such as the famous Dead Parrot sketch, while others were so hilariously stupid (The Ministry of Silly Walks, How to Defend Yourself Against A Man Armed With A Banana) that it takes a very intellectual mind to invent such mindless comedy. The thing about Monty Python, that is Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, is that they all went to Cambridge/ Oxford university and graduated. They were incredibly clever. And they came up with The Funniest Joke Ever Invented, the Man With a Stoat Through His Head and Déjà Vu.
Their TV programme lasted for three series, and gained so much public praise that four consecutive films were produced (Monty Python's And Now For Something Completely Different, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life- read my opinions on the last three films please. I get more miles that way). These films would have continued no doubt if not for the death of Graham Chapman in 1984. However, Monty Python night, which occurred last autumn on BBC2 to celebrate thirty years of Monty Python) undoubtedly introduced a new generation of Pythonists to the world and although they're getting on a bit, the Python team have become living legends in the television world. Even that name, Monty Python… what's that all about???
Advantages: Very funny and a landmark in comedy history.
Disadvantages: Some things were too silly to be funny.
Most Haunted
***
Written on 24.08.03
"Most Haunted - Almost Live" is a programme I've seen several times on Sky Channel LivingTV, recommended by my friend's nan. I found it more entertaining than other programmes of that type that I'd seen in the past, such as some Carol Vorderman one ages ago, mainly because it managed to make me laugh.
Do I believe in ghosts? It's much the same story as everyone else, I've never seen one, but I'd like to think they're real. I've been a big fan of 'real life' ghost stories since I was young, but I found some of the things on the programme a little too far-fetched. The "almost live" episode I saw had been recorded several weeks earlier with a large audience outside some old, scary castle, presented by some woman called Yvette Fielding and the real star of the show, apparent psychic medium Derek Acorah. With the aid of his spirit guide, Derek seems to make contact with the dead in the house, often very dramatically- my first laugh came when he was silent and concentrating for a while, then burst out, "Lopped her head off! Lopped her head off." He does seem very convincing, so if what he's doing isn't actually happening he's either insane or a very good con man. Another of Derek's talents was gleaning information from these spectres that turned out to be the true history of the house; me and my friend joked that this information could be found incredibly easily off the internet or from the local bookshop, so it didn't reall serve to convince us any more.
Anyway, before you start assuming that the title of this review was simply a stunt to get more opinion reads, last night's "Most Haunted" was a special celebrity edition featuring comedian Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves- you didn't know that was his name did you? Well maybe you did), and this review is going to focus on that episode. He and his wife, self-confessed fans of the show, came along with Yvette, the camera crew, the usual team of partly-sceptic observers and of course Derek, and they stayed in an old house which I'm afraid I've forgotten the name of, it isn't too important. In any case, the hour long programme showed a night of events inside the house which were both interesting, funny, scary and disappointing.
Vic himself didn't attempt to crack any jokes and steal the programme, which was good although the main reason I watched was to see that funny guy. Vic told of how he had a paranormal experience when he was young an playing in a band, when he and his friends saw "a big egg" floating outside and going through a wall.
The usual exploration of rooms proceeded as usual, with the build-up of cold and hot areas being felt and the occasional creak in a corner. The identities of young children who hated someone called Edmund Craddock, the man who had the house built and lived in it for several years until his death, came through Derek, and I was forced to laugh again when the concentrating silence ended with Mr. Acorah making childish train noises, apparently commuinicated to him by someone who worked on the railway.
Things really started livening up when Vic, tired of waiting around in a nursery he seemed to loathe, went off by himself with a camera. Only as soon as he clibed a flight of stairs was he shouting profanities and legging it back to join the team, who all complimented him on his bravery before having a little laugh. Vic had seen a "little red light" and heard some bangs from within a room.
Possibly the most entertaining part of the programme, I have no idea whether any of this alleged paranormal activity actually happened or not, so I'm just reciting events as I saw them, was when Derek attempted to contact the spirits. His head banged against the wall several times, culimnating in guttural noises and the attempted strangling of one of the crew. It's parts of the programme like that which provide so much tension and fear that one begins to doubt whether it is all just a big show. Vic was later persuaded to go upstairs, drawn by forces unknown, where he shouted at a corner he believed to be "that wa***r" Edmund Craddock. Following the programme, Vic was back to his smiling, confident self.
The frustrating thing about the programme, voiced by Yvette in this episode, is the complete lack of proof they are getting of spirits in all of these locations. I've seen an episode where an apparent "orb," looking like a fly or maybe even a simple computer effect, was floating by some people, but whenever a ghost is sighted they are never able to get a camera there in time. For instance, one of the shaken men saw a white figure walk along the side of bushes and vanish.
"Most Haunted" is an enjoyable program that does serve to get the tension rising if you're watching it alone, but it doesn't persuade me any more that Derek's gifts are in fact real, or that spirits do walk in abandoned places. Too many things could be easily manufactured, such as banging sounds, but provided the people are not just all good actors some of the events could be either true, or completely in their minds. I was just surprised that there was a program with "Celebrity" in the title that actually featured someone I like.
Advantages: Entertaining, Serves to raise tension more than most horror films, It had Vic Reeves in
Disadvantages: Still no proof that the envents are real, Sometimes very similar, there isn't much variety in the episodes
Not the Nine O'Clock News
***
Written on 11.04.04
To me, 'NTNOCN' seems a fairly mediocre sketch show between the surreal days of Python and the fast-paced character sketch shows of the 90s, from the likes of the Fast Show and Harry Enfield's shows. Being much more a fan of the earlier example, I don't find this show too bad, but it certainly has more than its share of poor sketches. The series is occasionally repeated by the BBC every few years, but as almost everything they satirised is no longer relevant it essentially serves as a "Rowan Atkinson before Blackadder" and "Do you remember Smith and Jones? The fat one was good, but the other one wasn't that funny really."
PREMISE
As can be gathered by its name, NTNOCN was a satirical sketch show inspired by current events. These mainly included Margaret Thatcher's Government - something that became increasingly tiresome as the 80s carried on, despite the fact that it needed to be done - and youth culture. In fact, it's surprising that Ben Elton was not listed on the endless credits of writers - the show's "open door" policy accepted ideas from just about anyone with a typewriter, but only the higher quality material was filmed and broadcast.
The show was performed by Mel Smith, Griff Ryhs-Jones, Rowan Atkinson and Pamela Stephenson. All four had large fan bases, but personally I didn't find this ensemble particularly compelling as they appeared in every sketch. The show was quite short for a comedy, running at around twenty minutes an episode for its four series, but the brief nature of many of the sketches meant that it never felt like it was dragging on. The show would always end on a musical number, the most memorable of which were the parody of the MTV culture - 'Nice video, shame about the song' - and the final episode's controversial 'Kinda Lingers.'
MEMORABLE SKETCHES
No matter how highly people may value Smith and Jones, Rowan Atkinson's sketches always proved to be the most entertaining. His stint as Gerrold the Gorilla, a very tame and sophisticated creature caught in the wild, is perhaps the most memorable, as is a sketch in which he is specifying his ideal bathroom with a miniature model and for some reason seems obsessed with inserting over seven toilets. The very well-known and popular sketch in which he simply walks down a street and distractedly walks into a lamp post is quire over-rated though.
One of the cleverest and most respected sketches from the ensemble would have to be their parody of the infamous interview with John Cleese on the release of Monty Python's 'Life of Brian,' in which the film was (wrongly) claimed to be offensive and anti-Christian. The NTNOCN sketch switched the roles and had a man arguing that the Church had invented its Jesus character in a deliberate attempt to copy and blaspheme "Our Lord of Comedy, John Cleese":
"Even his initials are the same! The last scene is the ultimate blasphemy. It is set in a hotel, in Torquay, where literally hundreds of Spanish waiters are being clipped about the ear by this Jesus Christ bloke in a ghastly cartoon of the Comic Messiah's Greatest Half-Hour!"
VERDICT
NTNOCN is not generally considered a classic of comedy in the way that Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and the Young Ones are considered "classics," but it is usually thought of in high regard. True to its status as quite a mediocre series it has been released on BBC DVD, but only with a "Best Of." Earlier merchandise included several soundtrack CDs and video compilations, but overall I don't think this programme did anything to further British sketch shows or comedy in general.
Advantages: Some very funny sketches, Rowan Atkinson pre-Blackadder is still funny
Disadvantages: Nothing too original, The ensemble became tiresome, as did the format
*****
Written on 13.07.04
The spoof documentary series ‘The Office,’ written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, followed the highs and lows (concentrating mainly on the humiliating lows) of life at an unimpressive paper merchants in Slough. The filming style was scarily believable, the humour was original and very successful and the characters were so enjoyable to watch as they coped with the monotony of adult life in a very dull workplace.
The success of the series led to even more impressive DVD sales of the two series and it didn’t take the BBC long to release the collected set of both series in a wide cardboard sleeve in late 2003. In 2004 this was updated to an official re-release of both series under the title ‘Complete Series One & Two.’
THE WHOLE PIE
The release of this collected set is a little disappointing in that nothing new is added that wasn’t already available: the special features and menu designs are identical to the original DVD releases, apart from a ‘© 2004’ amendment to the pressings, and there hasn’t even been an effort to combine the first series onto one DVD disc rather than the two disc release that the BBC used to be so fond of. This serves to make the ‘3-disc set’ label a little less impressive than it would be otherwise, but regardless of these initial disappointments this is still an easier and more affordable way of owning both excellent series of The Office than buying the individual releases.
CAST & CREW
The series is written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and despite the very realistic and spontaneous style it is a credit to the writers that very little is improvised on set. Ricky also plays the leading role of regional manager David Brent, arguably the finest and most recognisable comedy character of the last few years, while the taller and less obese Stephen features in a small role as the Og-Monster, one of Gareth’s oddball friends, in the second series. The main characters in the Office are all different enough to keep the show interesting without it seeming too contrived and false, although none of them are completely satisfied with their personal lives or occupations.
If RICKY GERVAIS was not already responsible for co-creating the part of David Brent, I would say that the role had been made for him. But it actually was, so that doesn’t serve as that great a compliment: the giggling, somewhat childish fool would rather be popular and “have a laugh” than increase output and staff skills and his many slip-ups caused by his personality and lack of sound judgement have left many people, including myself, being forced to turn away from the television screen. Brent is hilarious in all moods and the introduction of Neil and the Swindon staff in the second series only increase this viewing embarrassment as he tries to upstage his new boss and charm the newcomers with an irrelevant and offensive comedy routine.
MARTIN FREEMAN is the honest everyman of the Office, the thirty-year-old Tim. Despite his charming and funny personality, Tim is an unfortunate loser in both of the series in his attempts to turn his friendship with Dawn into something more, but he always triumphs in his continuing feud with Gareth. The constant whining and survival tactics from his workmate drive Tim to quite petty acts that are enjoyable to watch, such as encasing Gareth’s stapler in jelly, building a wall of files and gluing his phone.
MACKENZIE CROOK plays Gareth, the ex-Territorial Army lieutenant whose obsession with the art of war parallels that of even the most ardent ten-year-old Warhammer collector. Mackenzie’s bird-like features and general goofy acting of the role makes Gareth a little less plausible than the less extreme characters but he is still rooted firmly in reality and is one of the highlights of the show. Gareth is devoted to David but also assumes that his title of ‘team leader’ actually means something and he is the butt of many a childish prank by Tim and Dawn.
LUCY DAVIS, Jasper Carrott’s daughter who decided to forego the vegetable-based stage name, is the receptionist Dawn. After a less central role in the first series, Dawn receives a lot more attention in the second year as she becomes jealous at Tim’s relationship with Rachel. Despite the fact that she is engaged herself. As well as having to carry David’s bags around and thereby experience the embarrassing horror of his motivational talks, Dawn’s finest moments come when she is involved in David’s ‘practical joke’ of the first episode and when David confides in her that he is fed up, making her sit through his impressions of the Muppets.
There are a number of regular characters who also deserve mention. Neil (Patrick Baladi) is the successful and popular regional manager of Wernham Hogg’s Swindon branch who is promoted and relocated in the second series to Slough. Although Neil’s role essentially drives Brent to even further foolishness he is a likeable character and his calm confrontations with David are one of the best aspects of the second series. Ewan Macintosh is great as Keith, the large man with practically no communication skills and exam on his feet, while Ralph Ineson plays Chris Finch, the only genuinely unlikeable character of the series who is basically a bully even to his friends. He does have some funny lines though, the swearing sexist xenophobe.
STYLE
There have been a number of spoof fly-on-the-wall comedy series in the last decade, but The Office truly perfects this art. As the writers explain on the enjoyable interview on the series one DVD, none of the characters are ever able to show the full extent of their feelings because of the camera observations: in the ongoing lack of relationship between Tim and Dawn, Ricky Gervais says, “a touch becomes a kiss, and then a kiss becomes a shag.” The characters do reveal a lot more about themselves however in the ‘talking heads,’ the brief discussions with the characters by themselves in a small room that are interspersed between scenes. “When a camera is filming you, it’s flattering,” explains Gervais.
The humour is often very subtle and is kept within the confines of reality, especially as it is almost entirely character-based rather than plot-based, as was the trend for earlier sitcoms such as ‘Fawlty Towers’ and ‘Red Dwarf.’ The humour will not appeal to everyone but it is very clever and well-written, and this is a programme I can watch repeatedly without getting bored. It’s not really a question of ‘getting’ The Office as it’s quite straightforward, but I had a long laugh when my brother told me his friend’s reason for not liking the series: “that boss, his jokes are rubbish.”
Both series follow the same brief period of time in Slough, but by the 2003 Christmas special the characters had all ‘seen’ the earlier series and are able to offer their comments. Most enjoyable is David Brent’s accusation that the BBC deliberately edited the events to make him appear like a bumbling incompetent, but you only have to watch any episode for three minutes to see that this was no fault of editing – the man is an idiot, but we love him.
DVD FEATURES
All twelve episodes are presented in a very clear widescreen format and have simplistic animated menus retaining the bland black-and-white look that made ‘No Frills’ crisps so popular in the playground. The second disc of series one contains a documentary exploring the creation and development of the series and includes scenes from the original pilot episode, as well as a whole load of bloopers and a section answering frequently asked questions. Deleted scenes are enjoyable to watch, especially those that were cut for time purposes, but some were clearly removed as the style is a little different than the ‘realistic’ tone of the show. The series two disc contains an interesting video diary, more out-takes and deleted scenes.
VERDICT
Some people may think that The Office is over-hyped but I feel it completely deserves its success. Some people find it unbelievable that David Brent could remain in charge for so long when he lacks certain management skills and the desire to succeed, but it’s obvious that he has been a good employee in the past to rise to such a position, even earning the trust of the board of directors after he increases efficiency without losing any staff. It seems to be a combination of playing up to the cameras and, of course, his attitude towards Neil that leads to the conclusion of series two, resulting in scenes that are both depressing and wickedly hilarious.
This collection sells on Amazon.co.uk for Ł18.99 and is a very worthwhile purchase, especially as I always feel like watching more than one episode at a time. The excellent Christmas specials from last year that ended the series will be available on DVD in the autumn and the BBC may even decide to release another ‘collected’ release of The Office, but for now this is a tidy and affordable way to own the most inventive and engrossing comedy series of the century so far.
I resisted the temptation to litter this review with quotes, especially as they don’t really convey the sense of the programme to anyone unfamiliar with it, so here are some brief glimpses into life at Wernham Hogg:
GARETH: I’m assistant regional manager…
DAVID: Assistant to the regional manager.
KEITH: I watched that Peak Practice.
TIM: Yeah, I’ve never seen it.
KEITH: Bloody repeat.
TIM: Annoying innit?
KEITH: Not for me, I hadn't seen it. Boring isn’t it? Just staying in, watching Peak Practice with your life.
TIM: Mmm, yeah.
KEITH: Not for me. I like it.
TIM: Yeah, I just stayed in, had a big w**k.
TIM: Team leader is just a title someone’s given you to get you to do something they don’t want to do, for free. It’s like making a div kid at school milk monitor. No one respects it.
GARETH: Um, I think they do.
TIM: No they don’t Gareth.
GARETH: Er, yes they do, because if people were rude to me then I used to give them their milk last. So it was warm.
DAVID: I don’t look upon this like it’s the end, I look upon it like it’s moving on you know. It’s almost like my work here’s done. I can’t imagine Jesus going ‘Oh, I’ve told a few people in Bethlehem I’m the son of God, can I just stay here with Mum and Dad now?’ No. You gotta move on. You gotta spread the word. You gotta go to Nazareth, please. And that’s, very much like...me. My world does not end within these four walls, Slough’s a big place.
Advantages: Excellent performances and writing, Original and believable style, Both series in a slipcase
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste, No added features
Operation Good Guys
****
Written on 11.08.04 [2015 rewatch]
‘Operation Good Guys’ was a BBC show focussing on a special police unit set up to bring the notorious criminal mastermind ‘Smiler’ McCarthy to justice for his numerous crimes. Sadly, the team proved themselves not only inexperienced, but also massively inept and the second series saw them humiliatingly demoted to uniform duty and put in charge of less vital investigations. Don’t feel sorry for them though; it was only a comedy series.
This spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary thankfully never took itself too seriously, and while not being quite as good as ‘The Office,’ it was a bit better than ‘People Like Us.’ The show was written primarily by Ray Burdis and Dominic Anciano, both of whom star in the series, but the rolling credits for each episode also indicate that the cast heavily improvise within the scenes to achieve the realism. It has to be said that, although the situations and characters are clearly beyond belief sometimes, the performances by all involved are flawlessly genuine: this is what makes it worth watching.
CAST & CHARACTERS
Many of the cast are common faces from more high profile TV series such as Eastenders, and although some characters feature a lot less than others, the performances are excellent all round. Many of the characters retain the first names of the actors also, presumably to help them in creating a believable scene: this could also indicate that each actor is more similar to their television counterpart than they would have us believe.
D.I. Jim Beach (David Gillespie) is the inexplicable head of the division, a bawling, diminutive man who still lives with his mother and has a number of creepy qualities that are expertly weaved into episodes – especially his love of transvestism. Beach is often the root of the team’s incompetence, and is a truly unlikable man who is still somehow fun to watch.
D.S. Raymond Ash (Ray Burdis) is Beach’s second-in-command and has been for all the seventeen years they have known each other, even when off duty. Ash’s utter devotion to Beach is reminiscent of Mr. Burns and Smithers in ‘The Simpsons,’ but seems even stranger when played out in live action like this. Ray is quite likeable and is clearly held back both career-wise and socially by Beach’s domineering attitude. Most of their scenes are together, and make for some of the funniest of the show.
Sgt. Dominic de Sade (Dominic Anciano) at first appears to be a regular, well-built law enforcer, and is indeed a much finer and more competent leader than Beach could ever hope to be, but even he has his darker side. On a number of occasions, de Sade is seen indulging in weird S&M bondage antics with prostitutes and friends, and he isn’t above breaking the law a little in the course of duty – as shown when he is secretly filmed extracting Victorian fireplaces from the police commissioner’s house and flogging them at a nearby scrap yard for a new sports car.
‘Strings’ (John Beckett) is so-called due to his aspirations of being a successful singer-guitar player, and he in particular is unhappy when the team are demoted to uniform as he sees himself very much as a ‘non-conformist.’ John Beckett also provides the music for the series.
‘Bones’ (Perry Benson) is the most outrageous of the characters, next to Beach, but still not enough to ruin the atmosphere. Short, fat, bespectacled, mono-testicled and completely devoted to his job (in his spare time he is a vigilante crime fighter), he is the understandable target of a lot of jokes and is one of the funniest to watch. I would hate him if I knew him though.
Mark Kemp (Mark Burdis) is the commissioner’s nephew and the least experienced of the team, although after these jokes in the first series he feels a little unnecessary. Mark at least serves to bulk out the cast, and makes a great addition to a number of scenes – especially when he is taken patrolling by Bones and when he acts as Beach’s boxing trainer.
There are a number of characters who are ever-present or part-time but don’t contribute quite so much. The most notable of these is Gary Barwick (played by Gary Beadle) whose status as the only black man in the squad leads to some great scenes – especially when the team are sent to a re-training course run by a man whose attitudes are fully exposed when he is seen dancing around a burning cross in white robes at night. Gary’s domestic trouble with his wife is one of the funniest aspects of the first series also, leading to her shoving his pet fish through the letter box. Bill Zeebub, Kim Finch and Roy Leyton act as additional supporting cast, while the famous BBC comedy producer Paul Jackson appears as himself in several episodes when criticising the team’s performance and suggesting new ideas to spice up the show – such as a survival course on a deserted island. His idea of a Christmas special doesn’t go to plan though, once Beach’s love of music hall resurfaces.
STYLE
The first series is noticeably different to the second and third, and as such it is a lot less enjoyable. The omission of a laughter track and the focus on more mundane and potentially believable scenarios made for a more original show, but it also left me feeling bored at times, and the laughs were scarce. The laughter track and introduction of sharper editing and performances in series two made it much more fun to watch, and by the third series there was a distinct ‘anything goes’ attitude that kept it entertaining but did so at a cost to the slight, bizarre believability that made the second series the classic year.
The show is filmed in a very grim, untreated style without any noticeable make-up or special lighting to keep the viewer fooled (for several seconds anyway). This allows the producers to parody some of the techniques used in documentary shows, especially when it comes to editing straight between a cause and consequence to get a laugh, and the whole show has a very ‘one take’ feel.
The humour is often quite dark, and not particularly mainstream: this is either a show you will really like or really dislike (although there’s always them people that like to be difficult). Beloved pets being accidentally killed (and given back to the owner as a prize… don’t ask), penis enlargements, accidental drug addiction caused by cocaine snow effects and violent confrontations between characters are just some of the scenes that may put potential viewers off, but within watching a couple of minutes it becomes apparent whether this is your kind of comedy show or not. I like it a lot, but this is as politically incorrect as you’ll get in modern TV.
VERDICT
Operation Good Guys wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it never really set out to be – the idea of a spoof documentary goes right back to acts like Monty Python and the 1982 film ‘This is Spinal Tap,’ but Good Guys came along at the right time, during a decade obsessed with such real-life shows. The episodes could be very hit-and-miss even for a fan of the show, and the first and third series both had their flaws, but it was the performances by everyone involved that made it so enjoyable to watch. The laughter track allowed viewers to watch without having to feel embarrassed (something that spoils ‘The Office’ for some people), but you could still end up feeling sorry for Ray, hating Beach and laughing at Bones.
Operation Good Guys is currently being repeated once again on UKTV G2 (Sky Digital channel 111) at 8.30pm, and has now reached the third series. All three series were released several years ago on BBC video but have yet to be released on DVD. The BBC also released the soundtrack entitled ‘Complete Filth’ which featured all the music from the show in a form that completely removed the humour, while also featuring less than incredible interludes with a couple of the cast in the recording studio. I bought it off eBay and I sold it again.
Advantages: Faultless cast and crew, Very funny, if you like that sort of thing, Quite varied
Disadvantages: Some less impressive episodes, Unbelievable at times, May cause offence
Red Dwarf
Smeggin' Fantastic
*****
Written on 01.07.00 [2018 rewatch]
Red Dwarf is simply amazing. It's managed to last over ten years, while its original concept was turned away by the BBC many times. It has now become one of the most-loved British programmes, and manages to balance science fiction and comedy like no other show.
The first few series, now remastered, mainly focused on the comedy angle, but with the addition of Kryten in series 3, the stories started to veer more towards science fiction with series four and five, while series six, my favourite series, kept the balance perfectly. Series 7 was created by Doug Naylor alone after his co-creator Rob Grant left the franchise, and the stories became generally duller and less funny thsn previous series. However, in 1999s series eight, the balance was restored and Red Dwarf became popular again.
I've followed the programme for years although I'm only fourteen, and with the new film due to begin filming in 2001 it seems fans like me will have plenty to sink our teeth into in the future. I only wish the videos for series four to six would be re-released as I desperately want them.
Advantages: An incredible show, and by far my favourite TV show ever.
Disadvantages: The first few series suffered a low budget, and these aren't as good as the later ones.
Red Dwarf IV
Elvis and a Curry Monster
*****
Written on 28.04.04
One of the most successful and long-running programmes to come out of BBC 2 is the sci-fi comedy series, Red Dwarf. Now moderately well-known internationally, and with promises of an eventual feature film always seeming just over the horizon, Red Dwarf's entire run is currently being released on BBC DVD in the UK, America and Australia.
RED DWARF: SO WHAT IS IT?
Astronomer and xylophone enthusiast Patrick Moore would tell you that a red dwarf is a form of aged star towards the red end of the light spectrum, which has cooled slightly and gone through an expansion, before reducing in size and living out its final millennia as a red dwarf star. He is wrong obviously, as Red Dwarf is the sitcom set in space, written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor and starring poet Craig Charles, impressionist Chris Barrie, dancer Danny John Jules and comedian Robert Llewelyn. The series had a turbulent start, but was finally accepted and produced in 1988. The first series of six episodes was incredibly low budget and overwhelmingly grey, but it was the interaction and antagonism between the lead characters of Lister and Rimmer that kept it interesting. A year later, the second series continued in a similar vein, before the third series in 1990 involved a redesign of almost everything, the switching of characters, and a new style. Series 4 continues in this style.
CAST & CHARACTERS
DAVE LISTER (Craig Charles) is reluctantly the last human being alive, presumably, having been frozen in stasis for three million years when the rest of the crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf were wiped out in a radiation leak. Lister has long been resigned to his fate as the last human and, despite some ups and downs, is now content to be the slobbiest entity in the universe, describing his occupation as "bum."
ARNOLD RIMMER (Chris Barrie) was Lister's commanding officer, although still the second lowest ranking crew member on Red Dwarf. His failure to secure a drive plate led to the radiation leak that unfortunately killed him, but the ship's computer Holly resurrected Rimmer in hologram form to keep Lister "sane." Rimmer would be despicable and annoying if he weren't so hilariously pathetic, and this series sees some of his truly nerdish qualities coming to light; his photograph collection of 20th century telegraph poles and his notebook detailing every dice roll he has ever played during 'Risk' keep him a gnat's wing away from popularity with the others.
THE CAT (Danny John Jules) is a slightly deranged and ultimately self-obsessed member of Felis Sapiens, the humanoid result of evolution from the pregnant cat Lister stowed away in the ship's ventilation system. Ineffective and never ingenious, this vain feline nonetheless provides companionship for Lister when he feels like discussing 'Tales from the Riverbank' and unicycle polo.
KRYTEN (Robert Llewelyn) joined the crew when they found him on a ship filled with corpses, and is an utterly obedient Series 4000 mechanoid. Lister has been teaching Kryten to evolve from his service functions, however much Rimmer protests, and this series sees Kryten learning to lie and almost call Rimmer a smeg head.
HOLLY (Hattie Hayridge) is the ship's deranged computer, who had an IQ of 6000 before being alone in space for three million years. Originally a male, Holly performed a head sex change operation prior to series 3 and manages to at least steer the ship clear of most danger. The characters are easy to relate to and become very familiar and friendly once the viewer is used to seeing them.
This series is notable for making Rimmer seem less arrogant and a little more sad, which I feel helps in understanding that character, who is often seen as the funniest of the bunch. Craig Charles' Lister now feels very comfortable and not as awkward as in the first series, while Cat is granted some great jokes and scenes but still doesn't get an episode centred around him. The writers seem to favour the relative newcomer Kryten, who takes the lead role on a number of occasions, while the increasingly overlooked Holly is also given a moment of glory in 'White Hole.'
The SERIES IV VERDICT
Each of Red Dwarf's eight series is distinctive and memorable, which has allowed the show to stay fresh for so many years. Although it is common opinion that the more recent series have failed to capture the charm of the earlier years, mostly due to the break-up of the writing partnership, series 4 is still firmly entrenched in the show's glory years. Similar in tone and appearance to series 3, this series does not seem quite as funny or innocent as the earlier years, but the quality of storytelling has improved considerably. Those who felt Red Dwarf became too much like a science fiction show rather than a comedy will be able to see the beginnings of that trend here, with alien threats cropping up most weeks, and more focus on plot than developing some of the characters, but there are still a great deal of laughs in every episode.
The humour aside, series 4 improves on the show's earlier years in a number of ways. For a start the acting is always getting better, most notably with Craig Charles, and although it is the Lister and Rimmer interactions that usually proves most successful, the other cast members are given their chances to shine, especially Robert Llewelyn's Kryten. The episodes are all very memorable and the plots are genuinely very good, while the sets, models and special effects manage to balance quality, a low budget look and style perfectly.
If you don't like Red Dwarf, this series isn't going to do anything to turn your head, but most fans will be able to list episodes from this batch of six that are among their favourite. It's not the funniest show in the world, and it's not the most ingenious sci-fi, but Red Dwarf has great characters and a fantastic atmosphere that has kept me a loyal fan since I first saw an episode when I was about eight. It was from this series!
EPISODES ON THE DVD
Series 4 has a healthy balance of classic Red Dwarf and quite good episodes. Everyone who owns this DVD will have their favourites. An interesting point to note about this series is that virtually every episode was shown in a different order than intended, and the television run is now always used as the "official" order. It doesn't affect the storyline, as these are all stand-alone episodes without any of the overlapping arcs of the later series, but there is some sense of imbalance; for example, the first three episodes are all heavily Kryten-based, and the final episode was originally supposed to start the series before the Gulf War indicated that its "anti-war" message was inappropriate. The war fortunately ended in time for it to air sixth.
CAMILLE
Lister has been teaching Kryten to lie and act as he sees fit, which leads him to disobey Rimmer's orders when Starbug picks up a distress call. Kryten goes into investigate and discovers a female mechanoid (played by Llewelyn's real-life wife). Returning to Red Dwarf, it soon becomes apparent to Lister that everyone is seeing 'Camille' as their ideal partner, and she admits that she is a genetically engineered pleasure GELF (Genetically Engineered Life Form). But Kryten still loves her in her true form, even though she is a huge green blob with antennae.
Rimmer: No one's ever said I'm charming before. They've said "Rimmer, you're a total git."
D.N.A.
A lifeless ship shows up on the sensors, and investigation reveals that a DNA modifying machine caused the crew to be wiped out by their own creation. The Dwarf crew do not intend to go the same way, but Cat wastes no time in accidentally turning Lister into a chicken, and a hamster. Returning him to human form, Cat accidentally does the same for Kryten, granting the mechanoid his greatest dream. Unfortunately, Kryten soon realises that he does not enjoy being a human; he is resentful of his spare heads, now bickering in a storage room, and he is still thinking like a machine. When he shows Lister a double-polaroid picture of the effect a washing machine catalogue had on his new penis, they decide to change him back... but they brought some curry along with them.
Kryten: What I want to know is, is that normal?
Lister: What, taking pictures of it and showing it to your mates? No!
JUSTICE
Lister's space mumps have left him with an oversized head that resembles something that dropped from a whale's nose, and he hasn't been informed about the pod brought aboard Red Dwarf. It contains a survivor of a space wreck in suspended animation that could either be the lovely crew member Barbara Bellini, or a psychotic Simulant being ferried to a prison planet. Kryten suggests they change course to the nearby station 'Justice World,' long abandoned but with facilities to detain their unwelcome guest, but it soon becomes clear that Rimmer will be faced with millennia in incarceration for his crime of wiping out Red Dwarf's crew.
Cat: Oh my God... his... head... burst.
WHITE HOLE
Kryten has developed a device that should restore Holly's IQ of 6000. Surprisingly it works in restoring her intelligence, but the cost on her run time means she will expire in a matter of minutes. Switching off everything but the back-up systems, she leaves the crew alone and on a diet of baked beans and eggs cooked with a bicycle-powered hairdryer. A crisis arises however, when it appears Red Dwarf is on a collision course with a planet and being affected by time dilation effects, and Lister decides he will take action in playing pool with planets...
Kryten: This leaves us galloping up diarrhoea drive without a saddle.
DIMENSION JUMP
In another dimension, "Ace" Rimmer is applauded for another successful mission as a Space Corps test pilot. A new theory has come up based on dimension-hopping, which should take Ace to meet an alternate version of himself in another universe. By an unfortunate stroke of bad luck, he arrives alongside the goit version of Rimmer in Starbug, causing the crew to crashland on an ice planet. They must rely on the dashing and charismatic man to save them, while Rimmer has to come to terms to being presented with the man he could have become, rather than the gimboid he is.
Ace: Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
MELTDOWN
A matter paddle found in the ship's Science labs can send whoever touches it to any inhabitable planets in range. It's not a trip back to Earth, but it's certainly a start. It is a little confusing then, when Rimmer and Kryten arrive on a planet with unconvincing dinosaurs and Elvis Presley. This is an ancient Wax Droid amusement park, where historical figures have been fighting an endless war and Rimmer, unbalanced after some time spent with his light bee inside Lister's mouth, decides to take charge as the general he has always wanted to be, and never should have been.
Lister: Is that Mahatma Gandhi? What's he doing, doing press-ups?
SPECIAL FEATURES
More than any other DVD release in history, the Red Dwarf releases include overwhelming amounts of extra material; not counting the commentaries, there are over three hours' worth on the second disc. Here is a brief run-down:
COMMENTARIES - Commentary by all cast members across the six episodes, with interesting insights and a lot of funny banter. It's interesting how they value 'Meltdown' very highly, considering it is often seen as one of the weakest Dwarf episodes by the fans.
BUILT TO LAST - A documentary interviewing almost everyone involved in producing, creating and starring in this series (aside from co-creator Rob Grant, who has distanced himself from Red Dwarf since 1996).
DELETED SCENES - The thing that attracts those hardcore fans who already own all the videos, these scenes have never been shown before. There is a particularly interesting cut from 'Justice,' which was removed as it resembled a park in London a little too obviously.
SMEG UPS - Not my cup of tea, but many people enjoy seeing the cast fluff their lines and improvise.
ACE RIMMER: A LIFE IN LAMË - A look at Ace Rimmer in the three (or two and a half) episodes he's been in, presented by Hattie Hayridge in Holly persona.
"LURVE" FEATURETTE - The latest compendium of clips across all eight series, as a music video to a popular song.
CAN'T SMEG WON'T SMEG - One of the shows created and screened for BBC's Red Dwarf Night in 1998, presented by Ainsley Harriot, who was in an episode of Red Dwarf series 6. Didn't know that did you?
TRAILERS - Hilariously bad quality trailers for series 4, taken from fans' video recordings. Quite fun.
RAW FX FOOTAGE - The BBC's original photography of models and effects, without sound or additional graphics.
ISOLATED MUSIC CUES - A chance to hear the music used across all the episodes, including the alternate ending themes played by Hammond Organ and Mark Clayton's Elvis impression respectively.
TALKING BOOK CHAPTERS - Extracts from the audio book to 'Better Than Life,' which had elements of series 4 in its plot.
PHOTO GALLERY - A lot of photos, in varying degrees of professionalism.
WEBLINK - A link to reddwarf.co.uk
EASTER EGGS - These are hidden, and quite enjoyable
The DVD also comes with the usual collector's booklet, explaining a little more about the episodes, and behind-the-scenes info.
Series IV is a great series of Red Dwarf to own, before it took the relative downturn after series 6. The episodes are largely high quality, my favourites being 'Dimension Jump,' 'White Hole' and 'Justice,' and the humour content is still high. There is, however, a tendency to rely on these monsters-of-the-week and "Kryten's made something" plots a little too much, but the episodes can still be enjoyed by people of all ages many times over.
Although it's not as funny as a lot of other shows, Red Dwarf is still enjoyed by millions of people, and these DVDs have been painstakingly put together and contain so much new material, even for the long-time fans, that this couldn't be awarded anything other than five stars.
Red Dwarf V
Boys From the Dwarf!
*****
Written on 08.01.06
From 'Back to Reality':
BILLY DOYLE: I'm not a hologram...
JAKE BULLET: I'm half human...
DUANE DIBBLEY: And what the hell happened to my teeth???
Okay, so I'm a couple of releases behind in the spectacularly satisfying Red Dwarf DVD line, but avoiding buying the disappointing 'Red Dwarf VII' for as long as the obsessive compulsive fan in me can last out led to me returning to the fifth series of the sci-fi based sitcom, the action-packed six episode run that series VII tried, and completely failed to emulate.
Before I even go on to outline the episodes or even the show itself, I have to draw attention to the amazing quality of the Red Dwarf DVDs in terms of the time, care and attention that have obviously gone into each one. The series could so easily have been released as a no-frills arbitrary update from the VHS format, complete with primitive out-of-focus cover art and only adding such "special features" as scene selection and interactive menus (ooh), as has plagued shows with less fanatical following such as 'The Young Ones' and 'The Fast Show,' but Grant Naylor Productions under the leadership of Andrew Ellard have continually put in the expense and effort to track down every possible deleted moment and related footage from baffling BBC archives and have produced, and this is perhaps their greatest feat, definitive merchandise for Red Dwarf in which all the cast's names are spelled correctly and the basic vital details of the show are given correctly. All in a nice collector's booklet too. But on to series 5, summed up by the title of the accompanying documentary as 'Heavy Science.'
From its roots as a character-driven sitcom that happened to be set in space, Red Dwarf soon developed into something more. Whether the move towards action-oriented shows dealing with complex science fiction premises was a wise or successful one has been a source of debate among fans over the fifteen years or so since the evolution took place, but most regard all early years of the show as a classic run.
Many Red Dwarf fans are sci-fi fans; the two go hand in hand, despite each episode's thirty-minute run time and laugh track from a live studio audience. To these fans, Series 5 is often considered the show's peak, but it isn't without its faults. The increasing complexity of the storylines meant that episodes were almost always severely overlong and needed to be drastically edited, something that is quite obvious when watching shows such as 'Holoship' (which infamously ran some ten minutes over) and, perhaps most importantly, it wasn't incredibly funny. While the first three years, and even the fourth to a lesser degree were filled with memorable lines, series 5's "classic Dwarf" quotes are still excellent, but are much more spread out, and spoiled somewhat by long scientific speeches from Kryten that the writers feel need to be included in order for the casual viewer to understand the sci-fi concepts they are using. So while this great exchange from early in 'Holoship' is memorable, and a rare moment for the underused character Cat to shine:
KRYTEN: Sirs, they've taken mister Rimmer!
CAT: Quick, let's get out of here before they bring him back.
...the far longer and far less interesting discussion of holoships ("able to move as super-light speed particles, tachyons, through wormholes and stargates" etc.) could put off anyone who tuned in hoping to see monsters made of curry and robots with ludicrous groinal attachments helping a man to remove his shrinking boxer shorts.
But, of course, this is a DVD - made for the fans, and fairly accessible to the average viewer also. The six episodes here are all memorable, despite some being more entertaining than others, and the tightly edited scripts and performances guarantee a show that is entertaining throughout. So while the head-scratching time travel of 'The Inquisitor' renders it a little inaccessible, the high-budget rescue drama of 'Terrorform,' the most popular Red Dwarf episode in America, and the strong, compelling plots of fan favourites 'Quarantine' and 'Back to Reality' all make one of the most vital and respected series of the show.
1. Holoship - a ship crewed by holograms, computer resurrections of the best and the brightest officers of the Space Corps, materialises by Starbug and abducts Rimmer. Delighted with his ability to touch objects and people on the Holoship, and especially impressed by the vessel's Sex Deck, Rimmer challenges an officer for a position on the fully-manned ship, requiring a snappy mind swap operation by Kryten.
2. The Inquisitor - the crew are put on trial by the Inquisitor, a Simulatn who has evidently lived until the end of time and now roams history deleting those who have wasted the precious gift of life. Lister, Rimmer, Kryten and the Cat are in serious trouble.
3. Terrorform - recovering Kryten after his ship crashlands (again), the crew find themselves on a Psy-Moon that has constructed itself around Rimmer's mind. A despicable landscape dominated by personifications of his lust, depravity and self-loathing.
4. Quarantine - the crew discover an ancient research station and the accidentally revive the insane Dr. Lanstrom. Infected with Lanstrom's holo-virus over the radio link, Rimmer terrorises Lister, Cat and Kryten by locking them in the quarantine bay with a wallpapering video and a knitting magazine.
5. Demons and Angels - Kryten has developed a triplicator to solve Red Dwarf's supply problems, but the machine backfires and creates both improved and decadent copies of the ship and its crew.
6. Back to Reality - crashing on an ocean moon, the crew awaken in unfamiliar surroundings and are told that everything they remember over the last five years occurred in a total immersion video game.
The special features on this set are vast and excellent value for money, as usual for Red Dwarf. Cast commentaries for each episode are augmented by a special fan commentary for 'Back to Reality' that is actually a lot more entertaining than it may sound. The deleted scenes are probably the highlight of the release, especially as by this point in the series, scenes were mostly cut for reasons of time rather than unsuitability. Incidentally, Rimmer's attempt at telling a joke is my favourite of all the deleted scenes I've seen so far, and really should have made it into the episode.
From series 3 onwards, the DVD documentaries have been compelling viewing, featuring every relevant cast member and guest star in a well edited hour-long discussion of the series as a whole, and each episode in turn. The absence of co-creator/co-writer Rob Grant is still very noticeable (Grant has distanced himself from Red Dwarf since the end of his writing partnership with Doug Naylor in the mid-90s), but the documentary is surprisingly frank about some of the less successful aspects of the series, paying special attention to the unskilled director Juliet May who was called in after series regular Ed Bye was found t be unavailable. I only hope the documentaries on the series 7 and 8 DVD sets are as frank about the poor quality of writing on those later series...
Other special features are less vital, but nice to own. There are the usual 'Smeg Ups' and trailers pulled from bad quality fan VHS recordings, which are always amusing, a music video with clips from all eight series and hidden Easter Eggs.
Red Dwarf V is a little heavy-going but is ultimately worthwhile. 'Quarantine' has always been my personal favourite episode, a truly cinematic offering featuring the infamous penguin puppet Mr. Flibble and such genius concepts as the luck virus, while 'Back to Reality' deserves all the attention it has been given over the years: many viewers watching this landmark episode in 1992 were convinced that Grant and Naylor were ending the series, and ending it with a bang, until it became clear towards the end of the episode that the crew are hallucinating. And, of course, it introduced the Cat's alter-ego, Duane Dibbley, "a no-style gimbo with teeth that druids could use as a place of worship."
Now over a year old, this series, along with series 1 to 4 and 6, can be found at fairly low prices from websites such as Amazon. Series 7 and 8 (the final DVD, released on March 27th) cost quite a bit more as these are three disc sets, needed for the extra number of episodes. Red Dwarf V isn't my personal favourite series as some of the episodes try too hard to craft an action adventure in under thirty minutes, while others - namely 'Demons and Angels' and 'The Inquisitor' - are devoid of much to laugh at. There is too much of a focus on Rimmer over the other characters, which becomes distracting by the series' end despite Chris Barrie's excellent performance, and the episodes do feel a little too packed in.
Bring on Series 6, my personal favourite, which took the strengths of Series 5 and solved its main problem by making it funny again.
Red Dwarf VI
Better Dead Than Smeg
*****
Written on 22.05.05
"I'm some kind of robot, who's fighting this virus, and none of this exists, it's all in a fever, except for you guys, who really do exist, only you're not really here, you're really on some space ship in the future. Hell, if that's got to make sense I don't want to be sober!" - Kryten (Gunmen of the Apocalypse)
Nearly ten years after the BBC videos tapes were deleted from production, Red Dwarf's sixth series is once again available to own, and is the best Red Dwarf DVD package yet. As well as containing all six episodes from what is commonly regarded as the last classic series of the hit sci-fi comedy, and my personal favourite, the BBC have topped the high standards of the previous five series with more entertaining and expansive special features than ever before.
THE STARBUGGERS
"You're the one who parked it, Lister. You're the one who couldn't remember which planetoid you'd left it around." - Rimmer
With Red Dwarf VI, writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor made the brave and wise decision to ignore the desires of their ever-growing legion of fans, changing the premise and look of the series substantially while building on and perfecting the show's distinct style. After the action-packed and heavily science fiction tone of series V, fans wanted more episodes set on the eponymous Red Dwarf and more lines for the ship's deranged computer, Holly.
Welcome to Red Dwarf VI, where Red Dwarf, and along with it Holly, are missing.
Shifting the action to the more flexible Starbug transport ship meant that the writers could finally break free of their own constraints. Likewise, the acquisition of a "hard light drive" for the holographic character Rimmer means that the audience's patience no longer has to be tested with ever more elaborate ways of making him temporarily damageable. The Cat finally gets the screen time and importance he deserves, even if he is still a one-joke character, and Lister once again seems to be the heart of the series at long last. Best of all, it's funny again.
EPISODES
As always, episodes are presented in their original screening (TV) order, rather than order of production. Due to the greater need for continuity in this series, Grant Naylor took extra care to ensure that the BBC didn't mess things up with the scheduling or the video releases, and the only swapping was that of 'Emohawk' with 'Rimmerworld,' for the latter's apparent set-up of the final episode.
1. Psirens (originally aired 7/10/1993)
2. Legion (14/10/93)
3. Gunmen of the Apocalypse (21/10/93)
4. Emohawk - Polymorph II (28/10/93)
5. Rimmerworld (4/11/93)
6. Out of Time (11/11/93)
From the opening titles of 'Psirens' to the dramatic cliffhanger finale of 'Out of Time,' these three hours are among the finest the show has to offer, enhanced by greater picture and sound quality than was previously available. It's something of a shame that Red Dwarf was recorded and edited on video tape in the early nineties, rather than more treatable film, in that the episodes will always look slightly fuzzy and "video like," but Red Dwarf was never meant to be about the visuals. That said, series six boasts impressive special effects and high quality, believable model shots, the highlight of which is the tremendous lava planet in 'Gunmen of the Apocalypse.'
In terms of plot, every episode is a gem. 'PSIRENS' opens with an amnesia scene that allows Kryten to effectively explain the concept and history of the series to the viewers, while also bringing back Lister's more foul traits, not properly seen since the early days. This episode is full of action, danger and suspense, setting the tone for the rest of the series.
'LEGION' is another dark episode that features some of the most classic Red Dwarf moments, including the celebrated "step up to red alert" gag that I will have to insert later out of necessity, and also the episode where Rimmer is updated to a hard light form.
'GUNMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE' is the award-winning "Western episode," in which the Starbug crew enter Kryten's subconscious to battle a computer virus. A lot of fun and more excellent dialogue, especially during the opening scenes when it transpires that Lister constantly uses the artificial reality system for sex. Give him a break, it has been four ice ages since he's had a human woman (although only one if you count them in leap ice ages).
'EMOHAWK - POLYMORPH II' sees the return of the shape-shifting emotional vampire species seen in series 3's 'Polymorph' as well as Ace Rimmer and Duane Dibbley from memorable episodes in series 4 and 5. Despite this fan-pleasing approach, most of the episode is excellent, as Lister is forced to marry an enormous, hairy GELF so the others can obtain an O/G unit for Starbug.
'RIMMERWORLD,' as the title implies, sees a planet full of back-stabbing Arnold Judas Rimmer clones and their descendants, after the original hologram is sucked through a time dilation wormhole. The weakest episode of the series, and a little too reminiscent in places of last series' 'Terrorform,' this does feature a lot of long-overdue Rimmer-bashing and proves why, perhaps due to all his insecurities and ineptitude, he is often the most popular character.
'OUT OF TIME' was a rushed episode, and it shows. Although heavy in plot and ideas, the cast can clearly be seen reading unlearned lines from autocues that were necessitated by the lateness of the script and the BBC's deadlines. Upon discovering a time drive, Starbug's crew meet their corrupted, bloated future selves, resulting in a heroic fight to the death with a vastly upgraded ship.
SPECIAL FEATURES
"We've got less choice than a Welsh fish & chip shop" - Lister (Rimmerworld)
In fact, disc 2 of series 6 features over three hours of bonus material, and that's not counting the audio commentaries for all six episodes by the cast or the subtitle options and scene selections, which it is only polite to include on all DVD releases. The highlights include the regular series documentary, this time entitled 'The Starbuggers' (the unofficial title for series 6 given on the shooting sctipts), the fantastic deleted scenes, extensive additional interviews with director Andy de Emmony and composer Howard Goodall, a fun piece where Robert "Kryten" Llewelyn revisits Laredo, the Western recreation in Kent where 'Gunmen...' was filmed, and a radio sketch of 'Dave Hollins - Space Cadet,' Grant and Naylor's earliest incarnation of Red Dwarf. An interesting addition is the footage filmed across a couple of days for the unmade 'Behind the Scenes' programme on the show's production, allowing for some amusing sights including proof that Craig Charles really didn't give a damn about the No Smoking signs on set.
Also included for completists are the usual raw FX footage, musical cues, Smeg-Ups, music video featurette, trailers, photo gallery and lovely glossy collectable book with further information inside the DVD case.
VERDICT
"They can easily outrun us."
"Kryten, the Eastbourne zimmerframe relay team can easily outrun us. It's not about speed, it's about wits, brains and cunning."
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to that sir." - Lister and Kryten (Emohawk)
Series VI is perhaps as close to perfect as Red Dwarf gets, and certainly my memories of following this series religiously as a child means it will always be my favourite of the lot, but it is not without its problems. The structure of each episode is noticeably formulaic, beginning with nice character jokes aboard Starbug before moving to an encounter with a dangerous situation and finally a hasty humorous conclusion, with the exception of 'Out of Time' - although the original, unimpressive ending can be found in full within the deleted scenes. There are also the distractions of odd camera angles, audience laughter drowning out jokes, the autocues of episode six and Craig Charles' apparent need to mouth Danny John-Jules' lines as he is saying them.
These niggles apart, Red Dwarf is a comedy series, and a highly successful one. Series 6 restores the balance of humour versus sci-fi concepts / action sequences and gets it just about right, before the three-year absence of Red Dwarf that unfortunately resulted in the sub-par final two series. This is an excellent DVD, and a must-buy for anyone who enjoyed the style of series 5, but found the plots too dense and cramped, and the jokes too sparse. It's a steal at only £12.99 (from some retailers; there will be no problem finding it at £14.99 from major internet retailers) and the only real problem is that sticking the disc in for just one episode never seems to satisfy; before you know it, three hours have passed, but you are sufficiently suffonsified with Dwarf.
EPILOGUE: That Darn Blue Alert Gag from 'Legion'
(The ship may be in danger)
RIMMER: Go to blue alert.
LISTER: What for? There's no-one to alert, we're all here.
RIMMER: I would just feel more comfortable if I know that we're all on our toes, 'cos everyone's aware it's a blue-alert situation.
LISTER: We all are on our toes.
RIMMER: May I remind you all of Space Core Directive 34124?
KRYTEN: 34124... "No officer with false teeth should attempt oral sex in zero gravity."
RIMMER: Damn you both, all the way to Hades! I want to go to Blue Alert!
LISTER: Ok, ok.
(Lister presses a button. The "Alert" box on the wall starts to flash
blue).
RIMMER: Thank you. A bit of professionalism at last.
(Shortly after, the ship finds itself in real danger)
RIMMER: Step up to red alert!
KRYTEN: Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb.
**
Written on 19.08.03
I'll clear this up right now: Red Dwarf is my favourite programme/form of entertainment that will likely never be beaten. I buy as much as I can within reason, and will definitely own all 52 episodes once they have all come out on DVD. There, I haven't given Red Dwarf 2 stars, it'd go off the star scale (I know that a literal red dwarf is towards the red spectrum on the star scale, but don't care).
The reason for two stars is that the "Smeg Ups" can divide the 'Dwarf audience: it's not really love em or hate em, but I kind of hate them. This could equally be marketed as "Red Dwarf's Greatest/Naughtiest-But-Censored Bloopers," and be presented by Dennis Norden but as it is presented by Kryten, aka actor Robert Llewellyn, and concerns my favourite show, 2 stars are therefore gained.
The only reason I bought these videos, for a low price, was that they would show scenes of Red Dwarf that I had not seen for years due to the deleted videos, now solved by eBay and DVDs, and some of the mistakes that are kept within character are funny. But I just don't find Danny John Jules (aka "the Cat") struggling to get a line right over ten times in a row entertaining. Another problem is that when you inevitably hear the correct version of the line on an episode, you're likely to think "that's that line he smegged up on the Smeg Ups!"
Basically, liking Red Dwarf doesn't mean you'll like these, and possibly vice-versa. The DVDs (which I commend on their thoroughness and excellence) now include all the Smeg Ups/Outs off these videos which are relevant to each series.
The only real bonus to fans like myself is the extra 'smeg' on offer on these videos, such as an alternate ending to series 6, convention footage and a chance to win a competition. This unfortunately expired about five years before I bought these. My basic advice if you're a fan of Red Dwarf would be to either just buy the DVDs, you won't get more Red Dwarf than is available on those, or to buy these cheap or not at all. On a double video that can sometimes be sold for £17.99, it's taking the Smeg a bit!
Advantages: It's Red Dwarf, Some previously unavailable material (now available on DVD)
Disadvantages: Not very funny for people like myself, Very expensive for what it is, people getting stuff wrong
Shooting Stars
****
Written on 16.04.04
One of the most successful comedy shows of the 90s inspired different generations of people to spout foolish catch-phrases, show each other their wiggling fingers and sing songs in a silly Club fashion. That show was 'Shooting Stars,' written and performed by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and featuring regular contributors Mark Lamarr, Ulrika Jonnson and Matthew Lucas.
PREMISE
'Shooting Stars' is always introduced as "the celebrity show-biz quiz," as each week it features celebrity alumni from the worlds of comedy, entertainment, music and the media. The idea for a quiz show came from an idea by Bob Mortimer and comedians Stewart Lee and Richard Herring, and although the structure of the show- two opposing teams of three members each- makes it at first appear to be nothing special, this deceptive platform allowed the relatively unknown Reeves and Mortimer to launch their careers as successful TV personalities.
The regular rounds of the quiz that take it through its thirty-minute instalments are:
QUICK-FIRE ROUND: A fast-paced section in which Vic and Bob ask questions and anyone can press their buzzer and answer. Spawned the popular Mr. Bennett catch-phrase, "we really want to see those fingers." [Referencing my year five teacher, as if that will mean anything to anyone.]
TRUE OR FALSE: Self-explanatory, but some of the true facts are very funny.
CLUB SINGER: Vic sings a well-known song in the indecipherable style of a club singer, and contestants have to work out what it is.
IMPRESSIONS ROUND: The random light takes flight and selects members of both teams in turn to perform impressions of wildly varying success.
GEORGE'S SONG: George Dawes is the overgrown baby on the drumkit, but he is often given the chance to sing an interesting song which always takes a turn for the silly at the end. A question based on the subject matter of George's song follows.
THE DOVE FROM ABOVE: One of the more memorable rounds, the large dove descends, with categories flashing for selection. If a contestant selects the topic behind which is the star prize, he or she are greeted by Vic mysteriously saying, "eranu." Alternatively, an incorrect answer to any question receives an "uvavu." Mental.
STAR CHALLENGE: The final round, this is often the funniest as a contrived situation is set up that results in the chosen member of the winning team being thrust into a silly situation. Classic examples include pulling pints for a King (while attached to wires that are yanked), walking against a strong fan with large cardboard sails on arms, and not flinching when shot in the bottom cheeks with a potato gun. The prizes are usually fairly modest book tokens to the value of £1.
THE CAST
Formerly of Channel 4's 'Vic Reeves' Big Night Out,' Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer were commissioned to write a series for the BBC and this became 'The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer.' Highly subversive and wild, the pair were seen as unnecessarily bizarre and silly by some, but I personally found them the funniest thing I had ever seen. With Shooting Stars they attracted a much larger audience and although the more surreal aspects of their routine are watered down, their unique silliness and penchant for sounds is still present.
Team captain Mark Lamarr is better known as a long-time radio presenter and presenter of 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks,' while the unusual choice of Ulrika Jonnson as captain of the opposite team is obviously more famous for sensible roles as a presenter. Matthew Lucas (George Dawes) has recently become famous for his role as co-writer and co-star of 'Little Britain.'
VERDICT
I am more a fan of Reeves and Mortimer's more bizarre comedy shows, and I do feel that Shooting Stars has lasted much longer than necessary to keep it original and special. The guest stars can be annoying but bring appeal to the show, and the chemistry between all the regulars in the early years made it worth tuning in even if you found it all a bit daft. When I was ten, my class teacher Mr. Bennett allowed his obsession with the show to filter into his teaching methods, and he instructed a group of my classmates to make him a large Dove From Above for his personal use. Not a story that's vital to your understanding of the effect Shooting Stars had on people, but a funny tale nonetheless. With little swearing or explicit content, Shooting Stars can indeed be enjoyed by people of all ages, as long as they appreciate the humour.
TIME MARCHES ON
As with many series, 'Shooting Stars' could be seen as having lasted for too long. Three series between 1995 and 1998 kept the show fresh and original, especially with modifications and tweaks to the set design and rounds, but when the show returned in 2002 it was noticeably less original. Mark Lamarr had been replaced by the much duller Will Self, while the popular (but irritating) Johnny Vegas was granted permanent residence as part of Team B alongside Ulrika. With the 2003 series, Shooting Stars became funny again but still had the air of something which should have been stopped at its prime.
MERCHANDISE
Two videos of Shooting Stars were released in the late 90s, along with a quiz book that came with an audio CD of club songs. Personally I found this a bit tacky.
Advantages: New and innovative when released, Great chemistry between cast, Side-splittingly funny
Disadvantages: Not original anymore, Some guest could be annoying
The Simpsons
Why is this in the Kids section?
*****
Written on 08.07.00 [2013–14 rewatch]
The Simpsons is the longest-running cartoon series in history, in terms of how much material has been accumulated across the last ten years. The show that started, like South Park, as a "watch this and you're cool" teen show has eventually evolved into a family show that is continuing to get better all the time.
The first series had childish storylines which virtually always featured Bart and Lisa as he main characters, because of their similarity to the audience, but the stories gradually grew funnier and more controversial and featured all the characters, including Homer, who has now mostly replaced Bart as the most popular character in most peoples' opinions.
With great episodes such as "The Itchy and Scratchy Movie", "Treehouse of Horror IX" and "The Springfield Files", there's something to entertain everyone, and the continuing success of the show means it'll be here for a while longer, maybe even going to the big screen, an event that should have happened years ago. The license rights were eventually bought by BBC2 a few years ago which introduced a whole new satellite-less British audience to the show, but half the time the programmes are repeats, so it's good that the new videos contain four episodes per tape, rather than the two episodes on the videos when the programme first came to Britain in the early 1990s.
The Simpsons will continue to get better and funnier with time, and go down in history as one of the greatest successes in television history.
Advantages: Very funny and original for a cartoon show.
Disadvantages: The early years were a bit childish.
*****
Written on 22.05.04
Before they shot to stardom with their celebrity TV quiz 'Shooting Stars,' Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer - real names Jim Moir and... Bob Mortimer - wrote and performed the most bizarre and, in my opinion, funniest sketch shows of recent years. The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer ran for two series of six episodes each and is still considered by most Reeves and Mortimer fans to be their finest and weirdest achievement.
STYLE
Vic and Bob present the majority of the show from their large studio (which they call their house), emerging from huge 'R' and 'M' letters at the beginning to sing a song and spending a lot of the show sitting behind their desk of assorted props. The interaction between the two exaggerated characters is my favourite aspect of the show and becomes something of an interesting, running storyline as the series progresses, but Vic and Bob's show was also interspersed with sketches featuring familiar characters, with varying degrees of success.
The humour is quite unlike any other show, with its mixture of silliness and downright bizarre events balanced out by comic violence and petty disagreements between the foolish Vic and the (slightly) more sensible Bob. This is the kind of show that will only appeal to a minority, but that minority will love it; I am a huge fan of the show, but some of it seems too daft even for me to enjoy, especially the scenes with puppet gangster dogs, and the farting men (explained later).
STORYLINE
It may seem odd to attach a storyline to this weird and largely random show, but Vic and Bob made an effort in planning out a lot of their studio scenes to result in a great ending, during the first series. There was constant talk of Vic over-spending on foolish items and rubbish guests, leading to Bob eventually telling him to consult him on any expenditure over £2,740. In the final show it comes to light that the high budget fruit advertisements that had littered the previous five weeks had all been part of Vic's elaborate plan to advertise Reeves and Mortimer fruit products, but when Bob informs him that they don't actually sell fruit Vic admits that he spent over two million pounds on the lavish ads. This sense of continuity made this series enjoyable to watch week by week in a way that less structured sketch shows never did.
One of the catch-phrases throughout the series is "it doesn't really matter does it?", said in a silly voice, but as it approaches the end it is Bob's duty to become responsible and tell Vic that it does indeed matter as they will become bankrupt. But he does have gorgeous hands.
CHARACTERS
In-between Vic and Bob's banter and feature presentations are short sketches featuring recurring characters.
SLADE
The most memorable are perhaps the soap operas chronicling the life of seventies pop group Slade, with 'Slade in Residence' and, in the second series, 'Slade on Holiday.' Vic and Bob starred alongside 'Fast Show' stars Paul Whitehouse and Mark Williams in the low-key domestic squabbles between the family unit, usually based around sending the younger ones to bed without a Cup-a-Soup. Slade on Holiday was equally pointless and saw the foursome enjoying Tuesday and Wednesday-flavour Cup-a-Soups in the great outdoors.
MULLIGAN AND O'HARE
This fictional singing duo, played by Bob and Vic wearing a false beard and artificial breasts respectively, often sang about lost love and their love of the outdoors in funny operatic voices it is difficult not to imitate. O'Hare's beloved fiancé Rose left him for a bloke from Allied Carpets, which was the inspiration for their most popular song on their two-day nationwide tour.
LE CORBUSSIER ET PAPIN
One of the more stupid offerings, this saw two Frenchmen with dubbed grunting walking around in trenchcoats and glasses, breaking wind in silly tunes.
OTIS AND MARVIN
Vic and Bob black up for this weird performance that sees their heads above tiny false bodies with arms moved by obvious wires. They sit in a dock for the whole series, watching the boats coming in and going out again, and occasionally offer advice to Vic and Bob through their TV screen, such as when Queen guitarist Brian May contracts the dangerous condition, Guy Fawking of the leg.
THE BRA MEN
Two irritable Northern men who take offence at anyone mentioning their bras, even when they were not doing so. Lines that caused such outbursts include "I thought you had popped out" and "Strap it on."
UNCLE PETER
Not a separate sketch, this deranged old man would wander onto the set during the studio scenes and shout about donkeys or demand payment for his rubbish band performance.
ONE-OFFS
The sketches can get a little too silly sometimes, something you will have no doubt noticed from reading that, but the one-off specials that make each episode unique are where the real comic genius of Vic and Bob comes into play. The documentary film presentation of their Reeves and Mortimer Secret Factory shows a hilarious use of amateur filming, while their rendition of Masterchef complete with huge-headed, floating presenter for no apparent reason and a woman who has used her real ears in a dish resembling Jesus' face, are priceless and memorable.
Some of the humour of Reeves and Mortimer comes from unexplained visual jokes; their version of Noel's Telly Addicts sees Bob dressed as Noel Edmonds by wearing a huge naked suit with cans and items shoved in to make lumps, and the incomprehensibility of this would make me wee my pants, were I of that disposition. An episode also featured a very long drawn-out affair in which Bob tried to trick people into sitting on his matchstick chair, eventually succeeding.
MUSIC
Even if you hate the humour, this programme is raised above the competition for its grand scale, helped greatly by the opening and closing songs. Most episodes ended with a variant of the same song in which Vic and Bob would discuss smells they enjoyed, the best example being when this was converted into a song, with visuals, about how many things Bob had given birth to.
"You've given birth to a Ford Fiesta
I've also given birth to Frank Bough's wife Nesta
You've given birth to a horse-drawn necklace"
The opening songs were more impressive and covered a number of events from air conditioning systems and getting trapped in a flat, to the story of a boy who slipped on a vicar's Loose Muesli:
"Watch out, clergy on a cliff top
Don't let your children run free"
And my personal favourite, Vic's ode to his lucky charm; an enormous roll of carpet.
"It's my lucky carpet, let me tell you how it's at."
"Where did you get it Vic?"
"I bought it from a ma rket!"
"Who from?"
"The bloke who sells carpets."
The songs were all very well planned and executed, and viewers could at least be drawn in to the show before deciding they preferred the easier viewing of the Good Life instead of these modern young men. At least they hardly ever swear, so it's funny viewing for all generations.
VERDICT
As you can tell, I love this programme, and I have done since I first saw Slade on Holiday at about age eight. The duo returned with a similar format show called 'Bang Bang it's Reeves and Mortimer' in 1999, and although it was similar it lacked some of the originality and enjoyment of this, perhaps coming as it did after the less extreme 'Shooting Stars,' a popular and funny show but one that many people, including Vic and Bob themselves, felt a little disappointed by.
Reeves and Mortimer were truly comedians who stood alone during the mid 90s, separate from the dull 'Men Behaving Badly'-style sitcoms and the excellent dark side of comedy pioneered by 'The Day Today,' 'Fist of Fun' and 'I'm Alan Partridge.' Both series of the Smell of Reeves and Mortimer are still available on BBC video, but have yet to be released on DVD format.
Advantages: Original and crazy, Great performances and writing from Vic and Bob, Songs added a sense of scope and class
Disadvantages: Could be too silly sometimes, Won't appeal to everyone
South Park
***
Written on 05.07.00
South Park had a huge audience during its first year and became the cool thing to watch, but then people stopped and it now has a much lower audience, at least in the UK, and is seldom spoken about now. The videos from series one were best sellers, as were the swearing cuddly toys, but the principle of making an extremely easy cartoon using simple computer animation and a lot of mild, and bleeped-out, swearing was incredibly simple and makes one wonder why it became so popular. And it was, of course, because it swore and showed children swearing. which is what goes on in real life.
However, South Park should have concentrated on more realistic stories about life, such as series two's "Ike's Wee Wee" in which Ike, Kyle's brother, tries hiding from a Jewish ceremony he never went through, rather than the more far-fetched and childish tales such as the Godzilla-like "Mecha-Streisand" and shows focusing on aliens and monsters, such as "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe," "Volcano" and "Mister Hankey- the Christmas Poo."
I think a lot of people who used to say it was brilliant have now re-evaluated their opinions as it has faded from popularity and, speaking as one of them, now prefer to watch whatever is on teh other channel, usually BBC2, which is nearly always funnier. There will always be fans, especially with the new movie which was actually very funny, but there's a large possibility now that South Park, and indeed Kenny, will eventually die.
Advantages: Sometimes funny, with some good ideas.
Disadvantages: Sometimes too far-fetched to be funny.
The Spaceship (radio series)
***
Written on 02.10.07
Following in the wake of the popular and similar ‘Nebulous,’ Paul Barnhill and Neil Warhurst’s unambiguously titled ‘The Spaceship’ was a rare original production for BBC7’s daily hour of science fiction, fantasy and horror ‘The 7th Dimension,’ which is otherwise clogged up with repeated ‘Doctor Who’ audio dramas. Unusually, this five episode series was broadcast in five consecutive days in June 2005, and although a second series doesn’t seem to be in the pipeline, this fleeting space opera spawned a tiny yet firm fan base in the way that all little-known science fiction or comedy shows tend to, particularly when the show in question is a combination of the two.
The last twenty years have repeatedly proved that spaceship-based comedy series are bound to fall into three distinct categories: Hitchhiker’s Guide knock-offs, Red Dwarf imitations (‘Hyperdrive’), or else just lazy Star Trek parodies. While the main inspiration for The Spaceship seems to be its BBC7 predecessor ‘Nebulous,’ the series manages to overcome the limitations and clichés of its format to deliver quite a compelling and somewhat humorous sci-fi saga with some sense of a larger overarching plot. Though it’s still quite a bit like Hitchhiker’s Guide.
The premise of The Spaceship is the standard one: a vessel in the near future has been launched from Earth (in this case, the Really Invincible III from the “Macclesfield Division” that is never clearly defined as either prestigious or embarrassing), with a small crew of men and women with very different personalities (woohoo, what’s going to happen?), and a sort of generic mission overview that will lead them into all sorts of random scrapes and encounters, in this case the directive to “search for new life” that I’m sure I’ve heard somewhere before. To their credit, writers Barnhill and Warhurst are clearly fully aware of the repetitive and formulaic nature of comedy sci-fi, and after the basic premise is laid down, they strive to explore new avenues that haven’t really been done before, or that at least avoid being blatant Trek parodies – there’s one single instance of the Captain instructing his crew to “make it happen” in the first episode as a sort of weak Picard reference, but this is thankfully abandoned immediately thereafter. The situations are all fairly familiar: touchy diplomatic contact with alien representatives (or “non-Earth beings” as we are consistently reminded is the politically correct term), dangerous space phenomenae and, most interesting of all, crew rivalry and ship-board conspiracy.
Without very many new sci-fi concepts left to invent – the ship’s cloned doctor/scientist Clive 55 being the only one really notable, and still seeming like a basic continuation of the holograms and androids of well-known sci-fi series – the series’ chief focus is on the interaction between the characters, whose performances and dialogue are mostly enjoyable. James Fleet (the stupid bloke from ‘The Vicar of Dibley,’ not that I would watch that) is perfectly cast as Captain Taylor, possessing a mixture of commanding authority, utter cluelessness and fundamental indecisiveness, and he is granted a great brash, ambitious, militaristic, borderline psychotic foil with his second in command, Security Officer Melissa Paterson (Emily Joyce, the woman from ‘My Hero,’ a show that no one should ever watch, ever). Sharing equal presence with these bigger names are the more down-to-earth and Northern Communications Officer Karen Trex (Rosie Cavaliero, who was also in ‘Nebulous’) and Engineer Stuart Jackson, played by writer Paul Barnhill who writes himself most of the funny lines but isn’t afraid to undermine his character increasingly as the episodes go on. Neil Warhurst also gets a role as the slightly lesser-seen Clive 55, most prominent in the second episode, while Nick Bolton provides opening, closing and incidental narration in the flat tone of a television documentary, which initially sets this up to be something like ‘Operation Good Guys’ or ‘The Office,’ but in space.
It takes an episode or two to become accustomed to these characters, but from then on there’s never an out-of-character moment, and the greater focus on continuity in the last few shows is well suited to the original daily airing. Captain Taylor acts as the reliable upper-class buffoon, never really knowing what’s going on and even suffering an unfortunate encounter with some dark matter near the end of the series which results in his head being shrunken “so tiny, it’s almost impossible to see,” and his voice becoming chirpy, in one of the series’ slightly less riveting sound-effects-based running gags. Melissa is necessarily unlikeable as the killjoy and xenophobe whose presence on this mission is inherently questionable, and she competes with the sinister Clive 55 as listeners try to uncover the true culprit of the unexpected goings-on that have been going on, while Stuart and Karen spend most of the time engaged in awkward and initially very one-sided cycles of flirtation and rejection in their Northern romance B-plot. As the everyman, Stuart is clearly intended to be the most likeable character, though he does become equally as ridiculous as the rest, and it’s hard not to develop a soft spot for the incessant hippie optimism of Karen, whose unwavering faith that “this is such a lucky ship” keeps her cool where many lesser crew members would go insane.
Nevertheless, the series is very shaky, ranging from blatant Hitchhiker’s Guide influence in the first episode where the hideous Urg seem just like Vogons without the poetry, to effectively dramatic but laugh-free suspense in the second episode when the crew explores the hulk of a dead spaceship and is attacked by Alien. I mean, an alien. I mean, a non-Earth being. Whatever Barnhill and Warhurst’s prior writing experience, they show signs of being newcomers to radio, as characters can often be found (in the earlier episodes) explaining the events to the sightless audience in an unrealistic way, e.g. “what’s she doing?”/”Rearranging a hairdryer.”/”Oh.” A scene where Warnhurst talks to himself as two different Clive clones would be a fairly standard split-screen trick in TV sci-fi, but just ends up being hard to follow in a radio play. I was also never really convinced by the narrative frame of the documentary, apparently compiled from broadcasts transmitted automatically and constantly from the Really Invincible III’s futuristic CCTV back to Macclesfield but never playing a role in the plot, and the brief opening and closing music played on a bass guitar and Hammond organ is rubbish; though, obviously, that’s just about the least important thing to consider. Fortunately the writers learn fast and overcome these obstacles as time goes on, and are able to use the slow-reveal nature of radio to withhold some pieces of information until late in the dialogue to comic effect. A second series or future project from Barnhill and Warhurst would certainly be an improvement, but this is far from an amateur production.
With only five episodes and a substantial focus on each individual plot-of-the-week (or more accurately, the day), there is plenty more that could be done with the crew of the Really Invincible III – a joke in itself, when you consider what must have become of the previous two ships, though one that smacks distinctly of Douglas Adams’ ‘Starship Titanic’ idea. The series is left wide open at the end just in case BBC7 ever realise they’ve run out of Eighth Doctor audio plays and need something to fill up the time-slot. It’s better than ‘Hyperdrive’ at least.
Advantages: An enjoyable sci-fi audio adventure with some memorable characters.
Disadvantages: Laughs are minor and inconsistent, and the series takes some time to establish its identity.
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
*****
Written on 19.03.09
I don't usually watch television, but the return of comedian Stewart Lee to BBC 2 after an absence of almost exactly ten years is a defining event for the obsessive comedy fan.
As mainstream audiences seem increasingly, tragically content to lap up the latest catch-phrases and unadventurous routines from the likes of Horne & Corden and whoever else is around (I don't know do I?), the BBC has finally been convinced to offer a platform to one of the nation's finest and highest-rated comedians, in an uncompromising show that presents stand-up comedy exactly as the fans are familiar with it. If you're accustomed to the inimitable style of Stewart Lee, that is. Something has gone seriously right.
Simply titled 'Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle,' this is half an hour of pure stand-up, with the exception of a few brief sketch cutaways to illustrate a point, and is unnervingly exactly like watching one of the comedian's live DVDs. Unnerving only in that a shift of perspective is needed, as only a couple of years ago, no-one but a fledgling production company working out an arts centre in Cardiff would dare approach the infamous director of 'Jerry Springer: The Opera' with a camera, for fear of further death penalties from right-wing Christians who took offence at a show they hadn't seen.
Lee's strong fanbase will not be disappointed, as there are no concessions to the mainstream here. Lee is as intimidatingly smart, often irritatingly erudite and tediously repetitive as his fans have come to love, with a perfect use of silence and some of the most excruciating build-ups to anticipated punchlines that you'll ever experience. A comedian with a microphone in a bar, talking about stuff, the conceit is that each weekly half-hour is centred on a distinct theme. This allows Lee relative freedom to incorporate routines old and new, many of which have been road-tested to perfection over the last five years since his return to stand-up in 2004.
This week's theme was 'books,' affording plenty of opportunities for unapologetic, learned criticism over Waterstones' spawning of 'celebrity hardback' and 'tragic lives' genres, with extensive digs at the lowest-common-denominator lad humour of Chris Moyles and the opportunism of Dave Pelzer taken to their logical conclusions and then beyond that to the realm of the surreal, the latter culminating in a sketch with Michael Redmond playing the part of Paddy MacGinty's abused goat.
Whatever loose themes are contrived for subsequent weeks, there are still plenty of memorable routines that have a chance to surface, including Lee's initial disbelief, soon evolving into fully-fledged mental breakdown, over the nation's decision to vote Del Boy falling through a bar as the funniest thing ever broadcast on television. There's also his deconstruction of Franklyn Ajaye's 'Serious About Comedy' LP that has been highly influential on Lee without him ever having bothered to remove it from its plastic wrapping, and of course plenty of stuff about Jesus of Nazareth.
It will be interesting to see how far this already bold venture is willing to risk pushing things, and it seems unlikely that some of Lee's more extreme (and thus most memorable) routines will be required to fall by the wayside, just to show that he has at least learned something from the Jerry Springer debacle, even if it's only that a small proportion of BBC viewers are reactionary buffoons. In particular, I won't hold my breath that Lee's spectacular closing set-piece from his 2005 '90s Comedian' show will be making its way onto terrestrial television any time soon, but it's pleasantly surprising to see just how authentic this whole enterprise is.
Stewart Lee must be incredibly satisfied with the result, as should be the comedy circuit in general, and many of Lee's contemporaries are even afforded brief cameo appearances. This is a great moment for comedy, as a truly subversive act - not in the way you might imagine Russell Brand to be subversive - receives the mainstream spotlight, however fleetingly.
Typically, if a stand-up comedian appears on television in this manner, the performance will usually be broadcast from an arena large enough to warrant terrestrial telly's attention, so it's great for comedy fans and newcomers alike to see the more intimate comedy club atmosphere replicated, the only major difference being significantly brighter lighting. However this mainstream attention will prove to affect Stewart Lee's turbulent career, fans can rest assured that the extra publicity won't go to his head. He's scheduled to play a new show at the reliable Stand Comedy Club during August's festival, and it's unhealthy that I'm excited already.
Advantages: Authentic, uncompromising stand-up from one of the nation's finest.
Disadvantages: Insert sketches don't always work.
Time Gentlemen Please
Al Murray – The Series?
***
Written on 01.04.04
In 2001, Sky TV's interest in producing their own comedy programmes to rival other channels was generally regarded as a bit of a letdown. Harry Enfield and David Baddiel both produced quite mediocre series that failed to grasp the digitally- and satellite-able public, although "Time Gentlemen Please" fares slightly better.
Essentially a vehicle for comedian Al Murray's 'Pub Landlord' stand-up character, a show which I hope to see sometime in the next few years, the series was mostly written by comedy Christ, Richard Herring- of Fist of Fun and This Morning with Richard Not Judy "fame" and also a celebrated stand-up and playwright, and is a sitcom set, quite unoriginally, in a bar.
According to Herring and Murray, the series could be distinguished by its long-running character jokes rather than usual jokes related to the situation and location. Unfortunately this did not always work, and there were far too many fart and sex jokes to properly 'distinguish' it for me.
THE PLOT
The action centres around the slighly uninteresting and unsuccessful pub with no name, presumably somewhere in London. The landlord, known only as 'Guv,' has had a bad time with his wife and son being whisked away by a Frenchman. Only his regulars Terry, the Prof, the Old Man and his bar staff prevent him from losing his mind. Until the second series at least, when he does in fact lose it.
Al Murray's 'Guv' serves as both the show's premise, and its only real saving grace; after watching several episodes, most notably those that occur later on, his catch-phrases become eagerly awaited and very funny. "Damn these useless hands," (on Guv's Barman&# 39;s hand condition), "Oh dear, what a pity, never mind" and "two years" (since Guv has been with a lady) don't look like much when typed, but their delivery and context makes them expected and infectious.
CAST
"Guv" - Al Murray. Prejudiced but also quite pathetic owner of the pub. Al's Landlord character is award-winning and regularly toured, but he has also appeared as Harry Hill's big brother Alan in the comedian's Channel 4 programmes.
"Terry" - Phil Daniels. Terry likes crisps and farting. Phil has appeared in various roles, such as a voice actor in 'Chicken Run' and the narrator in Blur's hit 'Park Life.'
"Connie" - Emma Pierson. The rather lovely young barmaid who stresses over her incredibly easy college exams. Emma has appeared in a variety of films and TV shows, and removed her clothes in the recent Charles II: The Power and the Passion on BBC.
"The Prof" - Andrew MacKay. So-called because he wears glasses, and once won £1 on the Fact Hunt quiz machine. Andrew MacKay has appeared in Lee and Herring's series as a mad scientist who brought the Curious Orange back to life, and a man who is sick into a large pie made out of other pies. It is a crime that the BBC never repeated these series, as you can see.
"Steve" - Jason Freeman. The virginal bar lad with aspirations of becoming anything else. Jason has appeared in shows such as the Comedy Network.
"Janet" - Julia Sawahla. The Australian barmaid from the first series with a dirty mouth. The source of Herring's affection s in Fist of Fun, Julia has appeared in many series such as Pressgang and recently Jonathan Creek.
"Old Man" - Roy Heather. Apparently having never been allowed to die, the depressed old man is always present but never really gets involved with anything. Roy has appeared in Only Fools and Horses as a barman.
PROBLEMS
The major problem with the show is no fault of the writers, and that is the fact that Sky demanded 13 episodes as opposed to the usual six, presumably for American syndication. Many jokes also seemed disappointingly to be based around farting and innuendo; not the kind of writing I'd expect from Mr. Herring, author of 'Talking Cock' and the gnat's chuff joke. Lee & Herring's excellent catch-phrases and routines also seem wasted when delivered through some of the actors in this show.
Overall, a series that did not lend itself into becoming a success. Al Murray's recent live video/DVD seemed to perform quite well in the charts, it was even in my local newsagent's, so it seems the Landlord is doing alright for himself. I'd recommend seeing Al's character live, where his interactions with the audience and undiluted prejudice against pretty much every European race make for much more laughter. This series is regularly repeated on the Paramount channel.
Advantages: Some good lines and catch-phrases, Al Murray is a very funny man, The rest of the cast are also quite good
Disadvantages: Unoriginal premise, Suffers from scheduling
*****
Written on 08.10.07
This performance of Billy Connolly live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music was recorded for broadcast on the American channel HBO, presumably as part of a series in which Whoopi Goldberg would use her celebrity status to introduce a different famous comedian each week and then walk on stage to kiss them at the end and share in their applause. Broadcast in 1989, this relatively short set of around forty minutes is Billy at his best, holding nothing back for the television cameras and allowing his mind to flit freely between topics with his customary lack of direction and without any pretence that this material has been prepared or selected especially for the occasion.
That’s one of the things that marks Billy out from the other famous stand-ups, as apart from his unique stage presence and ability to grip the audience with the most humdrum or scatological of stories, he has a genuine, natural talent to spin material off the cuff, or at least decide on a rough set of topics he wants to talk about and fill in the precise wording later. Taking the audience on a journey that begins in their local New York, travels out to Mozambique and ends in the unpleasant intimacy of Billy’s home toilet bowl, every movement of this meandering, sweary symphony really is the comic at the height of his ability, and would doubtless be quoted endlessly as his other shows tend to be if only it had been officially released over here.
There is a clear foundation for all of this material in the broad topic of air travel, which I found quite fascinating, but I’ll avoid the temptation to amateurishly dissect it and thus drain it of all its comedic energy, much as I want to in a way. The air travel theme seems to act as a means for Billy to keep track of where he’s going, however far he veers from the source, and it’s clearly helped him to generate his usual mix of clever observations, angry philosophising and toilet humour. Oh no, there I go. The show begins with the clean-shaven comedian applauding New Yorkers on their violent city and even giving it the honour of a comparison to his native Scotland, though the guffawing audience would clearly be on his side throughout even if he had ridiculed them and cursed their city into the dirt.
Some ingenious ideas of how New York can compete with the glitz of L.A.’s Hollywood Boulevarde move on to some extremely personalised accounts of Billy’s flight abroad for Comic Relief, which launches him into his air travel safety routine that’s been performed elsewhere, though with the usual touches unique to each performance. It’s fantastic to see the comedian making some quite clearly unreasonable demands for a greater quality of service in the Third World, perhaps as a stab at his own increasing wealth and status during this period, and the funniest side of it all is that any sense of knowing irony is completely buried under what seems like genuine anger. Maybe it is, maybe he really does believe in the godlike status afforded to him by his peers, but he never tackles Jim Davidsonesque areas of prejudice in any of his rants, so it never seems threatening.
The second half of the show sees this knowing satire of middle-class values balanced out very nicely by some toilet humour of the most basic level, the most basic level being Billy imitating different types of fart sound into the microphone and actually succeeding rather well. His re-enactment of suffering from an itchy rear in public, and the extent to which people fail miserably to conceal it, ought to teach a thing or two about hilarious observational comedy to the gathered comedians present in the crowd, while his closing routine about the trauma of being sick rang so true with me that it was almost disturbing, particularly as I was recently sick for the first time since about 1997 and had developed something of a phobia about it inevitably happening again. But it was my own fault for drinking milk with a hangover. And then for eating that shepherd’s pie I’d left in the microwave overnight the following day. I am an idiot. Judging by the teary eyes of the audience, it’s clear that some of them can relate to the stories of public farting, and it’s only really a discussion over environmental protests that ends up predicting an inevitable Nazi uprising in reunified Germany that I didn’t enjoy an awful lot, partly because the material is so dated and also because a man striding across the stage in wide Nazi steps wasn’t the most original joke on the circuit by 1989. No, he’s much better when talking about farts.
As a fan of inventive, hard-working stand-ups, I have a huge admiration and respect for Billy Connolly and am looking forward to seeing more of his material in the near future in the form of the seemingly limitless bounty of DVDs and videos that have been released over the decades. He’s someone I haven’t really run across before as the comedians I usually see perform in small, darkened rooms in Edinburgh throughout August, working for love and often losing a large money in the process (especially if a big name like Ricky Gervais sets up a crowd-stealing show in the vicinity), and this comparatively short and sweet performance was the perfect introduction, without being any sort of compromise and only selling out in the positive sense.
The show isn’t available on DVD, despite being recorded by television cameras, but I think a VHS release was available at the time in America, as well as an audio CD that may or may not have been bootlegged. Needless to say, the version I watched was far from legitimate, but still captured the excellent performance as originally filmed. It’s comforting to know that Billy Connolly is big in America, something that’s been confirmed by his more recent ‘Live in New York’ DVD, and it proves that you don’t have to share the sort of background and ideologies that he has in order to be thoroughly engrossed and amused by his yarns. It does help if you’ve had at least some unpleasant experiences in a toilet though.
Advantages: A faultless stand-up performance with something for everyone (well, almost).
Disadvantages: People may turn up their noses at the prolific use of that F-word.
The Young Ones
Shame About the Music
****
Written on 01.12.03 [2015 rewatch]
British alternative comedy was at its satirical prime in the 1980s, and shows such as the Young Ones managed to tread new ground with the franchise as well as make a lot of over-emphasised comments on Thatcher's Government. The series was written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer, with the latter two working independently from Ben, leading to the very disjointed and oddball nature of the episodes; this was part of the programme's charm. The series charted the lives and exploits of four different students living in Central London who meet bizarre people and hurt each other a lot.
Running for two series of six episodes each, the Young Ones starred Rik Mayall as Rick the 'peoples' poet' virginal fan of Cliff Richard, Adrian Edmondson as insane and violent punk Vyvian, Christopher Ryan as 'cool guy' Mike and Nigel Planer as depressed hippie Neil. Alexei Sayle would also often show up as part of the Russian/scouse/cockney Balowski family, crack a joke, and leave.
The series was famous for its very strange style; episodes would always include something impossible happening both as part of the plot or as aside gags such as talking food, as well as its musical interludes. Not being a young rioter in the early 1980s, I was not even a young human, these can often be annoying 'fast-forward' material although some of the later ones integrate well into the plot.
Follwoing the success of the first series in 1982, the Young Ones (although without Mike, who they claimed had died) toured the country with an awar-winning stage show, which meant that their second and final series in 1984 proved even better in terms of character interactions and coherent plots.
Noteable episodes include:
"BOMB" - a bomb falls out of an aircraft and lands in the students' house, although they don't notice it until they try and get tomato ketchup for Rik's cornflakes out of the fridge. When they do, Vyvian begins ecstatically smacking it with a hammer while Neil paints himself white to deflect the blast and hides under the table.
"BORING" - boredom sets in, although it's not enough for the Young Ones to bother actually going to college. Neil digs himself a grave in case he accidetnally decides to kill himself and Vyvian's entertainment comes when he cuts his own finger off. It's not an accident.
"BAMBI" - the classic University Challenge episode in which Scumbag College take on the Oxbridge Footlights. Despite problems of decapitation on the train journey the students eventually arrive at the show three weeks late and don't stand a chance unless they replace the sensible questions with "who has the world's stupidest bottom burp?"
"NASTY" - the scary (well alright, not really) Halloween episode in which Harry the Ba***rd and a vampire are out to get the smelly students.
"SUMMER HOLIDAY" - the gripping (well, not really) final episode in which the Young Ones hijack a bus but accidentally drive it off a cliff. They're alright though, at least until it explodes.
Needless to say, the Young Ones' target audience seemed to be seventeen to twenty five year olds who would get a kick out of the exaggerated political humour, although simply calling everything a "Nazi" didn't seem particularly intelligent. Others will have been attracted to the cartoon-style violence, unusual talking things and musical tracks, but for me the real humour just comes from the idiocy and stereotypical nature of the characters, and the way they deliver their lines. Both series are now available on DVD.
TRIVIA: The music in the series, which ranged from Madness to Motorhead with loads of rubbish in-between, integrated well into the plot but is only present so that the show could come under the BBC's 'entertainment' budget, which was larger than its comedy budget.
The early 1990s sitcom "Bottom" stars an older Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondon, although Christopher Ryan makes a number of guest appearances, and while this is often seen as the middle aged equivalent of the Young Ones it doesn't really have much in common. I prefer Bottom's more straightforward style as the silliness of this show sometimes detracts, but I always try and watch it if it's on- an advantage of this programme is that apart from the occasional "b***ard" it's swear-free and will likely be enjoyed by children as well: I know I used to love it.
Advantages: Original and inventive
Disadvantages: Some segments are far too silly
I’m a fan of some science fiction programmes – not a casual fan of the genre, but a fan of specific shows, remember – but my first love has always been comedy. Even when I was a baby I found it highly amusing to watch my father cover his eyes and then reveal them again, and I remember taking a great deal of pleasure in watching holiday camp entertainers ‘accidentally’ falling into swimming pools with their clothes on. Obviously I have grown and my tastes have adapted, apart from that pool thing, and over the years I have taken delight and comfort in various television programmes, mostly but not exclusively British. This is my top ten of entertaining and personally influential comedy shows from my life so far.
1. LEE AND HERRING (Fist of Fun / This Morning With Richard, Not Judy)
Not specifically the funniest comedians, but the relatively obscure comedy duo of Stewart Lee and Richard Herring produced two television series which attracted a legion of incredibly devoted fans and which, along with their earlier radio work, soon gained a cult status. Thanks to the infinite wisdom of BBC controllers of the age, this cult status was never allowed to extend into genuine fame due to the complete lack of repeats issued.
‘Fist of Fun’ ran for two series of six episodes in a late night slot on BBC 2, and was proposed as a show concerning lifestyle tips. In reality, it was a way for the comedians to use successful stand-up routines based on their deliberately different personas, with plenty of sketches and regular characters.
‘This Morning With Richard, Not Judy’ was a much different outing for Lee and Herring. This was a Sunday lunchtime comedy show based loosely on a chat show format, but which was more concerned with tales of Richard Herring’s quite literal animal husbandry, and pointing out the inherent flaws in the teachings of Jesus. This also featured sketches and recurring features, as well as a level of audience and viewer interaction.
Lee and Herring’s humour could be silly as well as incredibly intelligent. They would often point out the cheap tricks used in comedy, such as exaggerating your own character traits and confounding expectations with punchlines such as “…and then I got off the bus, ahh” and were not afraid to use these same devices once they had pointed them out. This meant that they never patronised their viewers, despite their claims to the contrary with lines such as “thank you for sending your pictures and suggestions in, you viewers are the real stars of the show… but obviously it’s me and Rich that get all the money for them,” and both series were the highlight of my week. Their “faux-naïve scatology and smug self-satisfied intellectualism” appealed to me more than any other comedy act, and although the two friends rarely work together any more they still tour the stand-up circuit and make a living from other means in the entertainment industry.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“You want the moon on a stick!”
“Drink your weak lemon drink… now!”
“I am Rod Hull. I am him!”
“Hello Mister Rich, hello Mister Stew, I’m Curious Orange.”
“Ahhhhh!” “No it’s not an ahhh situation.” “It is an ahhh situation.”
“Listen to the question, listen to the words in it, are you the Lord of the Dance Settee?”
“Of course they’re all snowy owls by the time I’m finished with them.”
(Anyone interested should visit www.richardherring.com, www.stewartlee.co.uk, or even better FistofFun.net where there is a petition to get Fist of Fun released on DVD for its tenth anniversary).
2. MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS
In my opinion the first great comedy series, and infinitely more influential and timeless than the heaps of racist ITV sitcoms of the time that are very rarely repeated today. I’m sure most people must be familiar with this six-piece of comedy virtuosos, who made their name with the hilarious, surreal and convention-destroying ‘Flying Circus’ television show before moving on to equally excellent films. Aside from Graham Chapman they are all still alive and working, however Eric Idle has officially never done anything good since Monty Python, and anyone who says he is, is an idiot.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“This is a late parrot.”
“I put on women’s clothing and hang around in bars.”
“I came here for an argument!” “No you didn’t, you came here for an argument.”
“We are the Knights who Say ‘Ni.’”
“He’s not the Messiah. Now p*** off!”
3. RED DWARF
Arguably not quite as funny as other programmes, but the whole idea of this space sitcom has appealed to me since I first saw the show at the age of seven. There are plenty of reviews on the show here on Dooyoo so I won’t go into detail about the plot, but it’s essentially four different characters marooned in deep space completely alone. The first few series are based around the cast generally bumming around and playing off each other, but the later years became more plot- and adventure-oriented. Red Dwarf can be classed as both a comedy show and a science fiction show, and indeed often is, but the real humour comes from the excellent choice of characters: the antagonistic relationship between the career-obsessed failure Arnold Rimmer and the laid-back bum Dave Lister is by far the highlight of the show for me, however every episode in the first six years was a piece of classic television that I can (and indeed, do) watch again and again.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“Shut up you dead git!” (‘Me2’)
“We are talking jape of the decade…” (‘Queeg’)
“Do you think Wilma’s sexy?” (‘Backwards’)
“Sirs they’ve taken Mister Rimmer!” “Quick, let’s get out of here before they bring him back.” (‘Holoship’)
“Step up to red alert.” “Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb.” (‘Legion’)
4. CHRIS MORRIS’ SERIES (The Day Today / Brass Eye)
One of the most controversial comedians of our age, Chris Morris is the man behind the spoof news show ‘The Day Today’ and the spoof documentary series ‘Brass Eye’ (screened on Channel 4 as Morris had been dropped from the BBC). The mixture of nonsensical facts and expressions with unbelievable situations being shown in a believable way makes these two classic series of television comedy, aided greatly by the supporting actors such as David Schneider, Rebecca Front, Steve Coogan and Peter Baynham. Brass Eye’s paedophilia special, exposing the treatment of the subject in the media, is often seen as the most controversial comedy episode ever, although it’s still very funny.
Morris’ warped sense of humour was demonstrated further in the radio series ‘Blue Jam’ and the TV adaptation ‘Jam,’ both using distorted visuals to compliment strange and often very disturbing situations. I enjoy these shows, but nowhere near as much as Morris’ earlier, more approachable work, which is now available on DVD.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“Goal!… TW**!… Sh** did you see that?… Liquid football!… That, was a goal.” (Alan Partridge)
“He’s not gay by the way, we would never employ a homosexual.”
“Teacher uses big-faced boy as satellite dish.”
“This man was paid three hundred pounds to incubate a stomach full of shoulders.”
“Footage of this paedophile disguised as a school.” “Yes, we must catch that man. He really is a sh**.”
5. FAMILY GUY
The only animated series on the list, as well as the only American show, Family Guy’s appeal is incredibly strong, but still not as influential as something like the far less amusing ‘The Simpsons.’ Still focusing on an American family but with more interesting and entertaining characters as well as far more bizarre and often contradictory situations. Stewie, the talking baby who is essentially evil (and as the series progresses, increasingly homosexual) wins over many viewers, but for me it’s the sheer idiocy of the father character, Peter Griffin, that keeps me laughing. Not very politically correct at all, even leading to an episode being undeservedly deemed too offensive due to its Jewish jokes, Family Guy isn’t just a load of mindless swearing like on some other popular animated series.
Family Guy ran for three series before being cancelled by the Fox network, but impressive DVD sales in the US, Australia and the UK have led to a new series being commissioned that should begin airing next year.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“Whose leg do I have to hump to get a dry Martini around here?” (Brian)
“Peter this is wonderful, you’re not going to die!” “Go on.” “…Well that’s it.” “Go on.” (Lois & Peter)
“It’s not so much that I want to kill her as I don’t want her to be… alive… any more.” (Stewie)
“I’m about to go upstairs and eat a whole bag of peanuts!… I’m allergic to peanuts… You don’t know anything about me!” “Who was that guy?” (Meg and her father Peter)
6. REEVES AND MORTIMER (The Smell of … / Bang Bang it’s …)
Another comedy duo, the unexplained strange situations in the sketch shows of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer made it hilarious to my child’s mind and still amusing to this day. The situations could become too silly at some points, but most of the time I find myself laughing hysterically at their discussions and recurring characters. Vic and Bob are probably most well known for Shooting Stars, a less extreme and more accessible show than their earlier work, and recently wrote and starred in the BBC Three comedy drama ‘Catterick.’ It’s ‘The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer’ and ‘Bang Bang it’s Reeves and Mortimer’ that will always be my favourites however, catching the duo at their most inventive and unusual.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“It doesn’t really matter does it.”
“Do you want some salt?”
“I told you to inform me of any financial investment over £2,740 Vic!”
7. THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN
One of the biggest comedy series of the late nineties, the League’s unique mixture of comedy and horror resulted in an incredibly popular television series, radio show and live tour. Based on a sketch show format with recurring characters, each episode furthered a number of plots integral to the series’ overall story arcs. Many characters were easy to relate to and recognisable, while others were plain disgusting or bizarre. The third series in 2002 was a little less popular due the changes in style, but plans for an upcoming film seem very promising. The League are Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith and Jeremy Dyson, the latter of which doesn’t appear in the shows.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“Hello hello, what’s going on, what’s all this shouting, we’ll have no trouble here.”
“In this house, we don’t m*****bate.”
“It’s a sh** business isn’t it?”
“You’re my wife now.”
8. RIK MAYALL WHEN HE WAS GOOD (Kevin Turvey / The Young Ones / Bottom)
Before ‘The New Statesman’ and ‘Drop Dead Fred,’ Rik Mayall was a very funny comedy performer. Beginning his TV career as the meandering Birmingham investigative reporter Kevin Turvey in a spot on ‘A Kick Up the Eighties,’ Rik then appeared alongside Adrian Edmondson as characters loosely based on their ‘Dangerous Brothers’ stand-up routine: this programme was ‘The Young Ones.’ Far too silly and ‘youth programme’ for some viewers, the Young Ones took on cult status immediately and is widely regarded as one of the best shows of the eighties. The Young Ones also featured musical interludes as part of a scheme to earn more money from the BBC under the ‘entertainment’ budget rather than the lower comedy equivalent, and this inevitably increased these two views even more.
Rik’s pathetic, angry, pedantic virginal character Rick was progressed into Richie when Rik and Adrian appeared in ‘Bottom’ in the early 90s. Although my view is clearly tempered by my love of the series when I was a child, I still consider Bottom to be one of the funniest shows created; even if the later episodes relied on diarrhoea gags and absurd violence a little too much, the ongoing themes of sad middle-aged life for two disgusting, violent perverts was still strangely funny in a depressing kind of way.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“If there’s anything you want investigating, Kevin’s ear.” (Kevin Turvey)
“Virgin.” “I am not!” (Rick & Vyvian)
“You stupid bloody hippie.” (Rik)
“Edward Elizabeth Hitler, either you open this door or I’ll ruddy well open it myself.” (Richie)
“It was a bloke!” “She had an earring.” “Yes, through HER foreskin!” (Richie & Eddie)
9. BIG TRAIN
Fairly similar in premise to the sketch show format of ‘The Fast Show,’ Big Train took an interesting approach in terms of very strange situations and a focus specifically on a low-key, deadpan style for every sketch. Although it ran for two series, Big Train seemed to have an incredibly brief run and never received the level of recognition that I think it deserved. The regular actors were Kevin Eldon, Simon Pegg, Mark Heap, Amelia Bullmore, Rebecca Front and Julia Davis, and was primarily written by Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews, although the cast often contributed. Memorable sketches include the Evil Hypnotist, World Stare-Out Championship, the Huge Dog and Spoon-Phobia, and both series will be available on DVD later this year.
10. I’M ALAN PARTRIDGE
This very realistically shot series followed the depressing, uneventful and very funny life of failed TV personality Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) as he lived in a Travel Tavern on the side of the motorway. Alan is abrasive and easy to provoke, but his sadness and pathetic nature made him very likeable in the first series. In 2002, the writers brought Alan back for another series which was just as successful but for me lacked some of the charm of the first series, mainly due to Alan’s wealth and better position in life. The supporting cast are all excellent, and the show is filmed in an untreated, realistic way, although it never makes any claims to be genuine.
Memorable catch-phrases:
“No offence Lynn, but technically your life isn’t worth insuring.”
“You feed swans beefburgers.”
“Jurassic Park!”
“Oh no… oh no! Are you dead?…”
“No way you spastic, you’re a mentalist.”
VERDICT
This list is obviously subject to change. If it wasn’t, and there were no significant comedy shows throughout the rest of my lifetime, it would be a sad day for us all, although hopefully by then the BBC will have released Fist of Fun on DVD. If there are any important comedy shows that you feel deserve to be in this list, it’s most likely that I have already considered them and decided they didn’t have the same level of influence on me, although it’s always a possibility that I’ve simply forgotten them. I’m not magic, do I look like a wizard? (Well, perhaps one in particular…)
I still enjoy a large variety of comedy programmes, but there are several types that I cannot personally stand:
Lad comedy: Men Behaving Badly was quite entertaining when I was younger, but I cannot condone the existence of ‘2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.’ There are too many things I dislike about shows such as this, far too many to mention, but essentially it isn’t my lifestyle and I really don’t find the characters or situations entertaining.
Housewives’ comedy: I’m not sure how to categorise it actually, but it’s essentially ‘Birds of a Feather.’ I really don’t like this.
Daft American eighties gimmicky family series: Harry and the Hendersons, Mork & Mindy, etc.
Family comedy series: Nothing against comedy for all generations, but shows like ‘My Family’ and the appalling ‘My Hero’ are keeping British comedy in general firmly entrenched in the 1980s.
Thank you for reading this self-indulgent review, I hope you enjoyed some aspect of it.
Advantages: Hilarious and influential, Keep me entertained, Original and inventive
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's tastes, A great comedy series is very rare
Top Ten TV Comedy Characters. Probably.
Written on 07.07.04
There are two areas of television that interest me: comedy and science fiction. Well, and music channels, but that’s not really appropriate here. In the same way that I used Dooyoo’s ‘Top 10 TV Programmes…Ever!’ category to write about what were (probably) my top ten comedy programmes, here are (probably) the ten fictional characters in television comedy who I admire the most, for various reasons.
Most of them correspond with the shows chosen for my Top 10 Comedy Programmes review but this isn’t the case with all of them: while I loved the sketch-based show ‘Big Train’ and the ramblings of Reeves and Mortimer, neither of these acts introduced any really inspirational and memorable characters. It’s interesting to note just how many of these favourites of mine are pathetic, unloved people who I really wouldn’t want to meet in real life, but who make the shows they are in so much funnier through their interaction with more well-rounded characters.
As is always the case with this type of review there will be plenty of characters I have forgotten that could be included, but most of the omissions will have been considered. Feel free to add any of your favourites in the comments, but please don’t tell me I really should have included Frank Spencer, Rene from ‘Allo ‘Allo and the silly one from Dad’s Army who says ‘don’t panic!’
1. DAVID BRENT (The Office)
Ricky Gervais’ portrayal of the pathetic, arrogant, misguided, lonely, ineffective boss of a Slough paper merchants has been recognised on numerous occasions with prestigious awards and a top-rated television series and I feel this is rightfully deserved. ‘The Office’ was an excellent programme and one of the only programmes I have to make myself look away from on occasion or even switch off when I’m aware that something embarrassing is about to happen. Every one of these involves David Brent, and whenever he wanders into scene giggling inanely or even looking quite sombre, it’s obvious that something brilliant is about to happen.
There were twelve episodes of ‘The Office’ and a two-part Christmas special soon to be released on DVD, and as such there are far too many David Brent moments to mention here. Needless to say, he is a character that needs to be seen to be fully appreciated: I can’t even guess the number of times I’ve heard my brother shout “oh God, why’s he doing that?” and “I’d hate him!”
In the Christmas special, set a few years after the TV series, Brent tells the cameraman that he only came across as generally foolish because of the biased editing by the BBC (‘The Office’ was a spoof of a fly-on-the-wall documentary). This caused me to pause for a moment and consider whether such a thing was possible, even taking into account that the programme is completely fictional, but there is no way that carrying out a ‘practical joke’ that makes your receptionist burst into tears, behaving childishly with an inflatable penis, trying to impress with a humiliatingly improvised dance routine and deliberately avoiding facing up to everything could be due to editing. Gervais was the co-writer of the series and it’s clear that he’d been waiting a long time to bring this character to life on the screen.
DAVID: No-one’s dispensable in my book, because we’re like one big organism, one big animal. The guys upstairs on the phones, they’re like the mouth. The guys down here, the hands.
JENNIFER: And what part are you?
DAVID: Good question. Probably the humour.
2. ARNOLD RIMMER (Red Dwarf)
Despite its flaws I have always had a special love for Red Dwarf since I was a child, and on many occasions I have wondered who my favourite character is. Recently I’ve come to realise that the backbone of the show is the butt of most jokes and the supplier of all the witty comments, Arnold Judas Rimmer.
Although he starts the series as a bit of an unlikeable git, Rimmer’s weaknesses and the increasing focus on how pathetic his life actually is lead to him becoming someone with whom the audience can sympathise, but who is still basically a git. Blaming all of his failings on his modest background, despite the fact that all of his brothers went on to become high flyers in the Space Corps, Rimmer was still a lowly, chicken soup machine repairing second technician after twelve years of long service. Brief points raised over the subsequent series such as the name labels he would sew into his ship-issue condoms, his collected notes on twentieth century telegraph poles and his love of both Hammond Organ music and Morris dancing all help to further this image of someone who is clearly in need of some friends.
The true extent of Rimmer’s necessity to the crew (which otherwise consisted of a disgusting but likeable bum, a creature obsessed with its own appearance, a deranged computer and a servile mechanoid) was shown when Chris Barrie left the series in 1997 to pursue other interests. The resulting shows were very poor compared to the usual Red Dwarf standard, although Rimmer’s return in 1999 couldn’t hide the weak quality of the writing by that stage.
Rimmer’s comments on situations and characters show that he is actually quite capable and intelligent, but he still managed to fail his engineering exam fourteen times (including the time he had his spasm and the time he coped with a mental breakdown by writing ‘I am a fish’ four hundred times. He even went up for extra paper). The first four series of Red Dwarf are available on DVD and show the evolution, and lack of it, for this brilliant character. Oh yes, he’s dead and composed entirely of light as well, which must be a bit of a bummer. The episode ‘Dimension Jump’ is probably the most Rimmer-heavy episode of the entire franchise and shows just what he could have become if he had tried a little harder.
LISTER: Your excuse for anything slightly peculiar is aliens isn’t it? You lose your keys – it’s aliens. A picture falls off the wall – it’s aliens. That time we used up a whole bog roll in a day…
RIMMER: Well we didn’t use it all Lister, who did?
LISTER: Rimmer, aliens used our bog roll?
RIMMER: Just cause they’re aliens doesn’t mean they don’t have to visit the little boys room. Only they probably do something weird and alienesque like it comes out of the top of their heads or something.
LISTER: Well I wouldn’t like to be stuck behind one in a cinema.
3. SIMON QUINLANK (Fist of Fun/This Morning With Richard Not Judy)
A more obscure choice here, but this regular feature of Lee and Herring’s ‘Fist of Fun’ and ‘This Morning With Richard, Not Judy’ series is fantastically portrayed by Kevin Eldon, a comic actor you will undoubtedly have seen playing a variety of roles in a number of series from Big Train to Nighty Night. Simon Quinlank presented short segments exploring the hobbies he was obsessed with, and how to do them.
Rather than simply being a nerd, everything about Simon was elevated to different and original levels, and even when it became obvious what he was going to do or say it was still a joy to see it happen. As well as having a very deep obsession with all kinds of strange hobbies (Old Man Collecting, Train Ignoring, Metal Desecrating, Phoning Norris McWhirter at 3am and Asking Him What the Biggest Leaf Is, etc.) Simon Quinlank was also unusually abrasive and prone to drastic mood swings. He had very little time for other humans, who he saw as inferior to his own status as ‘The Hobby Messiah,’ and whenever forced to consult them during his hobbies he would snap “answer me!” He also had a very abrupt laugh that was a lot of fun. Simon Quinlank was a celebration of nerdism and obsession that never reverted to tired ‘I like Star Trek’ and ‘I’m doing the shopping for my mum’ routines.
My favourite aspect of the character was the clear mental problems he was suffering: although sitting in a room with a Thunderbirds alarm clock and detailed maps and bar charts on the walls could possibly be passed off as a bit excessive, some hobbies revealed strange hatreds of certain aspects of life. In his ‘Egg Smashing’ hobby he was determined to destroy every single egg on the planet, even shouting “smash those whorish eggs!” as he did so, and the final hobby Simon presented (the Imagining Things Other People Have Never Imagined Before Ever hobby) saw him overloading his mind’s capabilities and undergoing a surgical procedure to remove his brain.
SIMON: Ha ha! That fifty pence coin was covered in cat’s wee! The cat wee hand idiot!
4. RICHARD RICHARD (Bottom)
Maybe an unpopular choice but Rik Mayall’s presentation of surely the saddest and most depraved sweaty middle-aged man in the early 90s series ‘Bottom’ has cracked me up since I was a child. Playing alongside the slightly less disgusting but equally unappealing violent drunkard Eddie Hitler, Richie would mainly complain about his unsexed life and his own depression, but he’d mainly be caught trying to play with himself and reacting violently to Eddie, possibly using a pan or other household implement.
Some people see ‘Bottom’ as a continuation of sorts of the more popular 80s series ‘The Young Ones,’ and it’s easy to see how the virginal, politically-obsessed Rick could grow into the virginal, past-caring Richie. The later series of ‘Bottom’ resorted to more toilet humour and repetition that made them less enjoyable, but the first series from 1991 is one of my favourite series of a comedy show ever made. The dark, seedy lives of Richie and Eddie are shown unadulterated by bad jokes, even making the viewer wonder whether the two were somehow secretly attracted to each other underneath the violence and petty bickering. Classic Richie moments include: stubbornly changing the television channel to watch Cricket so Eddie can’t watch Miss World, even though he wants to watch that show even more than Eddie does; accidentally killing the gas man and going into a frenzied panic; opening birthday cards that have all been sent by himself and trying to avoid his doomed fate by living in a makeshift tent in the lounge under the settee.
Richie is filthy, sexist, obnoxious and incredibly pathetic, and that’s why he’s so enjoyable to watch. This is a character whose misery you can really take delight in.
EDDIE: Keith isn’t a bird, he’s a bloke.
RICHIE: Well, she had an earring.
EDDIE: Yes, through ‘her’ foreskin.
5. MICHAEL PALIN AS ANY CHARACTER (Monty Python’s Flying Circus)
There were very few recurring characters in the brilliant and highly influential seventies series Monty Python’s Flying Circus, but any brought to life by the talented, hilarious and very versatile Michael Palin always seemed very believable and was almost guaranteed to be very funny, unlike some performances by lesser members such as the quite annoying Eric Idle. The barber who wishes he was a lumberjack is one of the best examples as Palin combines friendly lifestyle banter with homicidal undertones and ends it in a musical performance about being a transvestite, but every episode is littered with examples of his genius. He also played his share of women too, although it’s clear that he was more suited to playing men, whatever their role in society or place of origin.
Michael played a staggering number of roles in the film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail,’ much more than any of the other actors, and his performances ranged from the tall, squawking leader of the Knights Who Say Ni to the noble Sir Galahad and the uncaring, money-hungry owner of the unwise Swamp Castle. ‘Life of Brian’ also saw Palin taking on a number of prominent roles including an upside-down prisoner and the camp Pontius Pilate with a speech impediment.
ART CRITIC: Good evening. I'd like to talk to you tonight about the place of the nude in my bed - um... in the history of my bed – of art, of art! I'm sorry. The place of the nude in the history of tart - call girl! I'm sorry, I'll start again... bum – oh what a giveaway.
6. BALDRICK (Blackadder)
Rowan Atkinson’s Blackadder character was the dominant and most impressive feature of the four series and assorted TV specials, but it was his servile, idiotic underdog Baldrick that made the programme even more of a success. Tony Robinson was one of the finest comedy actors of the 80s in my opinion, and Baldrick is certainly incredibly memorable and also quite loveable.
The Baldrick of the first Blackadder series was, like most aspects of that initial series, very different from the Baldrick of the later series in terms of his high intellect, but his status as the dung-shovelling servant who must reluctantly carry out the most sordid of tasks to benefit his master is something that lived on in his prostitution (Blackadder II) and horse duties (Blackadder the Third). The Baldrick of the final series, Blackadder Goes Forth, is perhaps the most memorable of the lot and is certainly the thickest and most disgusting, although this time all those around him are forced to live in conditions that earlier Baldricks would have considered quite heavenly.
Another thing that made Baldrick interesting was his inconsistency, occasionally surprising the viewer: while his idiocy would mostly result in unworkable plans that have a little basis in reality, such as disguising a bull as a chicken to create a flawless cockfight competitor, his complete lack of education and general knowledge is clear in his Dictionary definition of the letter C, “big blue wobbly thing that mermaids live in,” while Dog is defined as “not a cat.”
BALDRICK: I’ve written a poem about it, it’s called ‘War’:
Hear the words I sing,
War’s a horrid thing.
But still I sing, sing, sing,
Ding-a-ling-a-ling.
BLACKADDER: Yes well it started badly, tailed off in the middle and the less said about the end the better.
7. CHRISTOPHER MORRIS (The Day Today/Brass Eye)
The man behind the strangely satirical ‘The Day Today’ and ‘Brass Eye’ presented parts of each programme from the guise of his Jeremy Paxman-like anchorman with a peculiar manner of talking and occasional outbursts, all controlled by a hard stare and unflinching features.
Despite claims by co-writers and close friends such as Peter Baynham that Morris is a delightful man to be around, it’s difficult to get any kind of positive image from this strange character who seems to criticise and look down upon everyone else in the studio due to his isolation, but there are some quirks to the character that make him even more enjoyable: his banter with sports commentator Alan Partridge is fairly antagonistic and pointless as he questions him about significant words, although in the final episode this changed into a genuine appreciation when Morris tells Alan how impressed he was with the coverage of a football match, even proceeding to give Alan a surprising kiss. His embarrassing and over-the-top flirtation with Valerie Sinatra the traffic correspondent shows another side to the character that only makes him more of an enigma.
Chris Morris played several other recurring characters in both series including Ted Maul and Austen Tesseltine, but it’s the ‘Christopher Morris’ character for which he will be most remembered, introducing unbelievable but somehow credible news stories and offering his own comments.
MORRIS: A quick look at tomorrow’s papers, ‘Aristocrat’s Dung Saves Village From Flood,’ that’s in the Mail, The Today: ‘Drowned Italian Wins Eurovision.’ The Express go with ‘Lord Mayor’s Pirouette in Fire Chief Wife Decapitation’ grisly but gripping, The Sun: ‘Robin Cock!’ And the Daily Star, ‘Feel My Nose and Put My Specs There Roars Drunken Major.’
8. PETER GRIFFIN (Family Guy)
The only animated character on the list, the father character in the excellent American adult cartoon series ‘Family Guy’ is strangely redeeming and likeable despite his incredible stupidity, chauvinism and arrogance. The writers of Family Guy take advantage of the animated format in presenting the viewer with bizarre and often contradictory glimpses of events that apparently happened in the past, and most of these involve Peter in undesirable situations: in a job interview he is asked where he sees himself in five years’ time and Peter, looking at the interviewer’s photo of his family, keeps thinking “don’t say doing your wife, don’t say doing your wife,” eventually coming out with “doing your… son.”
The programme is completely un-PC and proud of it, just as it should be. Making jokes that mock peoples’ ideas about racism and other such issues would only offend people without a sense of humour, and it’s Peter who is usually the instigator. I’d usually round this off by saying that at least he is a great father and husband, but this is untrue; Brian the dog even asks Peter’s wife Lois “why do you put up with him?” In the end it’s only a cartoon series and deliberately avoids making any concessions towards good taste or positive messages. Peter is ace.
QUAGMIRE: Hey, who wants to play Drink the Beer?
PETER: I don’t know, I promised Lois I wouldn’t drink.
QUAGMIRE: Aww, don’t feel bad Peter.
PETER: Gee, I never thought of it like that.
9. ALAN PARTRIDGE (I’m Alan Partridge/Knowing Me Knowing You/The Day Today)
Yet another self-obsessed and quite sad man, Alan Partridge’s life is presented in the form of a documentary in ‘I’m Alan Partridge,’ although he starred earlier in the spoof chat show ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge’ and ‘The Day Today,’ as well as their respective earlier radio incarnations. ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is the true classic of these however in terms of getting inside Alan’s head and seeing how others react to him, especially in the excellent first series in which Alan lives a lonely and unsuccessful life in a Travel Tavern. The second series was filmed much later and is still very funny, but Alan has lost most of his pathetic qualities that I found the most enjoyable, generally coming across as unnecessarily arrogant.
The first series featured many classic moments such as Alan’s day of being incredibly bored, setting up a practical joke by pretending to be a zombie in the reception area that ends up as a depressing scenario. His dinner discussion with the head of BBC programming ends up with Alan going a little insane and stealing some cheese, while the series also catalogued his increasing mental instability in the form of pole-dancing fantasies. This insanity resulted in him developing an addiction to Toblerones, doubling his weight and driving to Dundee in bare feet between series. Yet another character who is excellent in his worthlessness.
ALAN: If you see a lovely field with a family having a nice picnic and there's a pond in it, you fill in the pond with concrete, you plow the family into the field, you blow up the tree and use the leaves to make a dress for your wife who’s also your brother!
10. PAPA LAZAROUS (The League of Gentlemen)
‘The League of Gentlemen’ presented and developed many interesting and very funny characters, but even Tubbs and Edward from the Local Shop aren’t as memorable or terrifying as the strange travelling wife-stealer and owner of Papa Lazarous’ Travelling Circus, played brilliantly by Reece Shearsmith.
Papa Lazarous’ weird dialogue and unclear accent were exaggerated to hilarious extremes when the League toured the country, but in the episodes themselves (Papa appeared in the first episode of series two, the final episode of series three and the Christmas special) he is menacing, confusing and quite scary, even though he gets a lot of laughs. I would have felt very intimidated by the black and white make-up and dirty clothes if I saw him in the street when I was young. I think I still would now, if Reece spoke in that grating voice. Papa Lazarous delighted in stealing women from towns and declaring them his ‘wives,’ as well as calling a lot of people ‘Dave.’ He was based on a man who the League knew called Peter Papa Lazarous (strangely) who would always ask to speak to ‘Steve’ (Steve Pemberton, one of the Gentlemen), continuing to ask for Steve even when he was told that Steve was not in.
PAPA: Hello Dave.
WOMAN: Excuse me?
PAPA: Is that Dave?
WOMAN: No, you’ve got the wrong house.
PAPA: Alright is Dave there?
WOMAN: No, there’s no one called Dave here.
PAPA: Okay (Jams foot in door) Dave, my wife would like to use your toilet…
So there are (probably) my ten favourite TV comedy characters. I hope you at least enjoyed the quotes. There are many, many more characters from comedy that are very memorable, far too many to bother giving ‘honourable mention’ to, but these are the ones that have (probably) made the biggest impression on me. Many comedy fans feel that the genre has become stale and unoriginal in this decade and to some extent I agree, but as long as there are portions of genius such as ‘The Office’ and ‘Family Guy,’ comedians and comedy writers will continue to create and produce high quality entertainment and characters.
I’m always hopeful that my favourite television series ever is just over the horizon, its concept currently being scribbled down by a comic genius in a flat somewhere…
Advantages: Original and ingenious, Occasionally very life-like, sometimes very abnormal, Either serve to make a show fantastic or that little bit better
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste, I've clearly left something out
#
"Yeah, But Ali G Was Good Though"
***
Written on 17.06.04
‘The News Alternative’ that was the 11 O’clock show ran for a number of series on Channel 4, mostly starting within around one hour of the time slot advertised by the title. The series was something of a cult hit and indeed was the show that introduced hugely successful comedians Ricky Gervais and Ali G to television audiences, although after a while the format of the show became both tedious and unoriginal.
CAST
The topical show was presented by the forcefully-controversial Iain Lee and the arousing, deadpan Daisy Donovan from their confined set that seemed to be a fusion of Chris Morris’ news desk from ‘The Day Today’ and Andi Peters’ broom cupboard from Children’s BBC. As well as making jokes and observations about current events and the media world, Iain and Daisy also presented regular features such as ‘Do and Don’t’ on subjects such as teenage pregnancy. These features were amusing, but it was always the switch to contributions from the show’s more impressive personalities that were eagerly awaited.
An oft-criticised but occasionally interesting part of the show featured Daisy as the ‘Angel of Delight,’ interviewing people on the streets and politicians, manipulating them into accidentally saying ‘hilarious’ things that could be interpreted as sexual through editing. A notable example included an interview with a female politician in which Daisy asked her if she would ever ‘finger’ Mrs. Thatcher; simple double entendre material essentially. When interviewing male politicians, she would put on an incredibly flirtatious, innocent persona that was quite funny and must have been uncomfortable for those involved.
Ali G shot to fame straight after his series of uninformed, ignorant interviews on important aspects of society with political and artistic figures. His catch-phrases and general speech may have become incredibly tiresome and much imitated, but I still find his classic interview clips as funny as ever, although as soon as he became famous he left his three minute slot on this programme far behind him. Classic discussions included Ali’s visit to the countryside in which his streetwise urban character was scared by a cow and his cringingly ignorant views on sexism.
Ricky Gervais appeared on the show as Ali G was on his way out, and he immediately became the sole reason I watched the show. Anyone who has seen his live performances or his short-lived series on Channel 4 will be familiar with his critical and occasionally shockingly rude style, although it’s difficult to pin down exactly what he did on the show; one week he would stand in a field talking about the Second World War, the next he would discuss pornographic websites.
Ricky Grover’s menacing ‘Bulla’ character appeared in 2000 after the show hit its real decline, but the obese prison inmate was reasonably amusing.
MATERIAL
In terms of the satirical and topical material, the 11 O’clock show only proved itself to be fairly average. On occasion I noticed direct rip-offs of jokes from other current events programmes, even the high profile Have I Got News For You, while comedy duo Lee and Herring even commented on the ripping off of their own material from their ‘This Morning With Richard Not Judy’ Sunday morning comedy show:
STEW: This week saw the last episode in the current series of the 11 O’clock show…
RICH: Oh no Stew, who will copy our jokes now?
The title of this opinion is another quote from TMWRNJ, summing up the possible response of Channel 4 executives when faced with the cancellation of this series.
Despite some unoriginality, the 11 O’clock show was at least something amusing to watch on Tuesday or Thursday school nights, and the camera tended to remain on Daisy Donovan long enough for more bored viewers to enjoy her contribution in their own way; her innocent English girl persona contrasted very well with her occasionally harsh language. The show’s final series was a major disappointment to most viewers due to the change in presenters and the drop in quality of the material, and it seems that the show’s legacy will only be to the careers it helped launch.
Advantages: Competently filled the 11 - 11.30pm time slot, Some very funny features and regulars, Informative
Disadvantages: Repetitive jokes, especially from the main studio, Some presenters failed to impress, Not very original
A
Just a Pizza Delivery Boy?
***
Written on 25.08.07
‘Asylum’ was a short-lived an almost entirely forgotten comedy series produced by the UK Paramount channel in 1996. Based around the premise of a corrupt mental institution along the lines of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ (which is acknowledged by references in several episodes as an obvious influence), the main plot was essentially a flimsy device to bring together a cast of young, up-and-coming comedians and allow them to perform shortened versions of their stand-up shows to varying degrees of success. Its only real claim to fame is introducing the partnership of comedians Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson with writer/director Edgar Wright, who would later create the surreal sitcom ‘Spaced’ and the hit films ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’ (without Stevenson’s contribution).
While the premise is undoubtedly flimsy, I find the ramshackle and uneven nature of the show quite charming, enhanced by the very low budget, and it’s interesting to see all of these performers being thrust into the same situation and treating it very differently. The show is introduced and technically fronted by Norman Lovett (Holly from Red Dwarf), though his contributions are largely in a supporting role as the incompetent and fairly bored Doctor presumably written by the series writers David Walliams and Edgar Wright. The majority of the material appears to have been written by the individual comedians themselves, leading to some isolated stand-up routines from Adam Bloom – an inmate who apparently believes he is a stand-up comedian, and plays a recording of audience laughter from his Dictaphone every time he cracks a joke – and some more impressive cooperative material from Pegg and Stevenson.
Simon Pegg’s character is the real star of the series, an unlucky pizza delivery boy who ends up in the asylum by mistake and acts as the viewer’s point of reference amidst the formerly sane people around him, whose incarceration and treatments have slowly driven them out of their minds. Pegg is his usual reliable self, occasionally chatting to the camera with what are presumably his old stand-up routines but mostly acting the part of the angry and confused, but ultimately quite weak young man with many of the nuances viewers will be familiar with from Spaced and his more recent films. His interaction with Jessica Stevenson’s character becomes greater in later episodes, but her insanity (she believes that aliens in league with Carol Vorderman are communicating secret messages to her through the ‘Countdown’ conundrums) prevents them from bonding in a Tim and Daisy way, and his interaction with the other comedians is fairly limited. Stevenson also plays the evil Nurse McFadden, a very different character whose unrequited lust for Dr. Lovett and careless attitude towards the inmates comes to a head in the final episode, as the series begins to take on some form of actual plot.
Someone who really takes the situation to heart and works with it is Julian Barratt (of The Mighty Boosh), whose character Victor Munro is an extremely eccentric and bizarre individual. Tapping into the same vein of weirdness that Barratt is now well-known for, the character’s obsession with artistic statements, his belief that he has another face underneath his hair and a pack of dogs living in his eyes, and his repeated failed attempts to cast life into a miniature clay golem (“it worked for Tony Hart!”) can become a little irritating, but his commanding presence and pointy-beard-and-huge-eyebrows image makes him one of the more memorable parts of the show, in which he features regularly, often alongside the mute juggler Paul (Paul Morocco). Compared to these noted contributors, the rest of the cast is somewhat disappointing in its lack of effort. The premise that Bloom believes he is a stand-up is a really weak device that allows him to shoehorn in a couple of old five minute routines, while John Moloney wastes a few minutes in the first two episodes with incredibly dull and irrelevant routines talking about his grandparents and then drugs. Comedy duo Parsons and Naylor appear in the later episodes but don’t get up to much past an obvious deconstruction of rock-paper-scissors, but more forgivable are the brief moments offered to Bill Bailey and David Walliams, whose material isn’t that good but is at least short and inoffensive – Walliams discusses the ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, while Bailey deals with sub-atomic biscuits.
The series has never been officially released, and it’s not a show that holds up well when watched in close succession. Each episode begins with the same opening monologue from Lovett (similar to the introductions he provided on the first two series of Red Dwarf) and a tedious ‘previously on...’ segment repeating scenes mostly from the first show, of Simon arriving with a pizza and being given the low-down on the nefarious antics going on in this place. The plot develops slowly over the six episodes between the unconnected comedy routines, but really isn’t up to much, and tends to drag episodes down when they focus too much on the situation itself. An example is episode four, in which Dr. Lovett accidentally gets his sweets and tablets mixed up and the security guard Nobby Shanks (Mick O’Connor) has to occupy the inmates with a game of charades. There really are only so many jokes that can be extracted from this idea, making it get very old very fast. More amusing is Nurse McFadden’s solution to deciding which of three inmates receives the only remaining pill, by dropping it onto a ‘Hungry Hungry Hippos’ board and letting them bash away for it.
The final ingredient of ‘Asylum’ that I haven’t yet touched on is the use of a house band, namely David Devant and His Spirit Wife. These sections, which always come towards the end of the show and also provide the opening and closing title music, are completely unrelated to the main plot and characters by being recorded in isolation, though in what appear to be the same sets. Each episode’s song, taken from the band’s first album, loosely relates to an aspect of that week’s plot – though this is clearly down to chance more than careful planning – and although it’s a little odd and distracting, it helps to give the show an exotic and unhinged atmosphere, similar to the musical sections of ‘The Young Ones.’ The songs aren’t particularly funny or interesting, though they’re okay, particularly one about Cluedo that I remember more than the rest (“le-le-le-le-le-le-le-le-lead piping”), but I’m glad they were included in this enjoyable mess.
Far from being a comedy classic, ‘Asylum’ was more of a testing ground for young talent, and a chance for some comedians to get a brief stint on the telly (even if it was only the Paramount channel). It proved incredibly beneficial for Pegg, Stevenson and Wright, paving the way for ‘Spaced’ a few years later where Wright’s directorial style could be fully explored (there are a couple of scenes, particularly the alien visitation at the end of episode five, that remind me of that great series). Norman Lovett’s biggest TV role was already behind him, and he’s used here mainly as a familiar face to draw viewers in, but no one else seems to have benefitted from the series in the same way. Julian Barratt is great in this, even if he jabbers on about nipples too much, but his big break wouldn’t come for a long time, while Adam Bloom was doomed to remain on the Paramount channel forever after in tedious circulation on its stand-up shows.
As this was never given an official release, and thus achieves cool underground cult status, it can commonly be found on sites such as YouTube where people will proclaim it to be much better than it actually is. My advice would be to seek out the better performers in their own shows, where they have more creative control, though for a mixed bag of very different talents this show works surprisingly well.
Advantages: Excellent collection of mid-90s underground comedy talent.
Disadvantages: Wafer-thin contrived setting and uneven performances.
B
Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned
The Importance of Being Witty
****
Written on 09.07.04
“Two blokes. One sofa. No script.”
This premise on the front of a theatre opens the pre-recorded title sequence to Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned, a low budget but quite well-known comedy based completely on improvisation and audience interaction. This programme was either doomed to failure or popularity among a limited audience: as it happens, it was the latter.
I’ve never particularly been a fan of either Baddiel or Skinner, but this programme caught my attention when it was advertised in 2000 on ITV (I refuse to call it ‘ITV1.’ It’s only called that on old, brown television sets that don’t have remote controls), providing a comedy show in the 21.30 – 23.30 slot when the fourteen-year-old me had not discovered the pleasures of guiding the TV category on Dooyoo and I literally had nothing to do at night. Well, apart from that.
In February I rediscovered this show being repeated on the Paramount channel and although I felt a little silly and conformist watching it again, I found it strangely addictive. My 10.20pm slot was full for a while. There is plenty of criticism that can be (and indeed has been) aimed at this show, but it’s also strangely enjoyable for all its low-key dullness. It also doesn’t seem important that the show (which was originally live, at least in the first series) is several years old, although discussions over sport events and political or celebrity personalities do provide a splash of age water every so often.
THE PRESENTERS
The show is presented from a very comfy-looking brown sofa in a studio, occupied by David Baddiel (on the left) and Frank Skinner (right). Behind them is a large blue backdrop featuring caricatures of their faces, something that itself receives some criticism over the series, and in front of them is the ascending studio audience. David and Frank basically act like themselves, at least that’s the idea, and their different personalities are the driving force behind the show.
THE SKINNER ONE
Clearly the more popular of the two, although I’m not really a fan of either of them on anything other than this, Frank Skinner (real name Chris Collins) is the loveable Birmingham-born everyman comedian. Frank has a habit (that can be both very amusing or very annoying) of converting peoples’ comments into sexual ones and his general movements and actions lead to him being called “the campest straight guy on TV” by many of the audience and the Baddiel one.
As this show lends itself to a certain cult following, many of the audience are long-time fans of the duo, but especially of Frank. On a number of occasions Frank realises he has met obsessive women in the audience before and his general charm lets him get away with all manner of potentially offensive jokes. The Baddiel one puts a ban on his Jewish jokes quite early on though.
THE BADDIEL ONE
David Baddiel (real name also Chris Collins. Not really) was apparently the token silly one of the Newman and Baddiel duo in the early 90s (responsible for ‘The Mary Whitehouse Experience.’ I never saw it), but in the Baddiel and Skinner act he fulfils the role of the over-educated and sarcastic critic, although he couldn’t be described as curmudgeonly. It would be easy to hate the Baddiel one but I find many of his comments and tales funny.
In order to be successful, both members of a comedy duo have to be very different. Morcambe had glasses, Ernie was short; Hale had stupid eyes, Pace was fat and had a moustache (or whichever way round they were). Skinner is a slim, camp Brummie who used to work in factory while Baddiel is a bearded, bespectacled Jewish Cambridge graduate who has never done a decent day’s work in his life.
THE ROUTINE
The discussions and events of each show are unscripted and largely up to the questions posed by the audience or according to what Baddiel or Skinner have been up to during the week, but there are a couple of fixed features in each show. Early in each ‘episode’ the duo will choose their secretary, an eager member of the audience who records the things they discuss on a board. The brief conversations with more interesting or unusual secretaries resulted in some of the most memorable parts of shows, even leading to a newspaper condemning the show for rigging some audience members. As they become fond of pointing out, it would be difficult to plan some of what goes on.
Each show is ended with a musical number chosen at random by the audience from the songbooks. David plays the piano, prone to errors on a number of occasions, while Frank tries his best to sing, usually going over-the-top and keeping it amusing when it could easily be embarrassing to watch. The first series was shown completely live as it happened and this often resulted in the programme being over or under length: on one particular occasion the song was completed and the screen was filled with a © 2000 Avalon productions screen for three minutes while Frank and David rambled on with the audience in the background, although on most occasions the song was never given full time to be completed. This is undoubtedly part of the reason that the subsequent series were recorded a day prior to transmission for editing.
THE MEMORY REMAINS
It’s difficult to pin down specific gags or humorous moments as this is primarily a programme that provides a constant humorous atmosphere throughout without any notable scenes. As such I can only remember some recently seen examples:
A discussion over turkey eggs and whether they exist. This was brought up in a number of shows and no one had any idea until one was eventually sent in as confirmation.
Frank’s birthday presents. Frank’s birthday falls on two shows across the series: the first one sees David’s gift of Robert DeNiro’s papier-mache genital replica, while the second is a little more sarcastic and is based on colouring hair and removing age lines.
The wonderful birthday joke. A discussion over pubic hair styling techniques in one of the birthday episodes inspires Baddiel’s wit to ask whether they are playing “call my m*ff.” Frank is very pleased with this joke; it is much better than the rubbish presents.
The pair switch sides of the sofa. This wasn’t really a joke, but it did seem very strange seeing them on the opposite sides following a commercial break. They found it even more disconcerting though.
VERDICT
While not really a landmark in TV comedy history, this provided a nice mix of reality TV and improvised comedy and felt very friendly and relaxed; the running jokes and interaction with the audience also served to make it addictive while not having to rely on sexual tension to pull in viewing figures. (If they had it would likely have had the opposite effect: I for one would not be interested in the middle-aged funny men’s gay intercourse festival).
The jokes are usually fairly crude and never sensational, although this wasn’t the point of the series. ‘Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned’ was fun to watch and is one of the most laid-back programmes I have ever seen, although consequently not one of the most interesting. Not so much compulsive viewing as a leisurely glance in the direction of the telly for half an hour. The show is still on its cycle on digital channel Paramount 2 and occasionally on ITV 2, although the duo has more recently featured in ‘Fantasy Football 2004’ which may or may not still be running. I don’t watch that.
Advantages: Spontaneous and enjoyable, Funny stars who are slightly different, Doesn't try too hard
Disadvantages: Not exactly groundbreaking, Occasionally gets boring, I wouldn't buy it on DVD
Surreal Comedy for the Next Generation
****
Written on 26.03.04
1999 was, in my opinion, a great year for British comedy with new series such as the League of Gentlemen and Big Train catering for the laughter and slightly surreal needs of both young and old. Although often criticised or forgotten, Big Train seemed to get the balance between straightforward jokes and confusing/disturbing situations spot on: sort of a mix between the Fast Show and Chris Morris' bizarre 'Jam' series.
Big Train was granted a generous airtime on a Monday night, just before the new first series of the award-winning League of Gentlemen, although it obviously wouldn't be to everyone's taste. The little-known actors and writers all played their characters in hilariously deadpan and low-key styles, experiencing emotions such as fear, confusion and calm much more than happiness and excitement.
The performers are as follows:
Kevin Eldon - a talented actor who has appeared in a great deal of comedy from Lee and Herring's TV and radio shows to Brass Eye. you may recognise him from his slightly monkey-esque face and dark hair.
Simon Pegg - much more well-known for starring in Spaced and the upcoming film 'Shaun of the Dead', it's a wonder he hasn't been in more high-profile shows. He did appear in Guest House Paradiso, the disappointing film version of Bottom.
Mark Heap - like Kevin Eldon, he has appeared in a lot of comedy such as Brass Eye, Spaced, Jam, Brass Eye and a rubbish comedy film called 'Hospital' that only my Dad likes.
The female regulars Julia Davis and Amelia Bullmore will be less familiar to viewers, but have both appeared in Jam. Davis was a writer and star of the terrible new show 'Nighty Night,' which also features Kevin Eldon - its only redeeming feature.
Big Train's first six-part series was essentially a sketch show featuring stand-alone stories. Sketches such as the Evil Hypnotist, Spoon-Phobia and the human-sized dog were average length features with great humour throughout while the show also offered a number of very short scenes, used for all of the programme's trailers on the BBC, such as the fireman dancing around and licking the fire pole and the frightened policeman. The first series also became famous partially due to the animated World Stare-Out championship which, despite not being a personal favourite of mine, is certainly very memorable. Lengthier sketches could often drag on a bit too long or just be too confusing to understand, such as a dying man rising and singing a song or a woman cheating a man for a set of traffic lights.
The show's second series in 2002 was written without the input of comic genius Graham Lineham and as such did seem to be lacking a lot of the humour. There were a greater number of sketches which I didn't find very funny or had a punchline, although there were still many which I found hilarious. A man who grows giant when exposed to the sun for too long and a child whose apparent face paint turned out to be her natural markings from some weird tiger-human race were brilliantly bizarre, although did not appeal as much as the earlier programmes.
Big Train is certainly a programme aimed at a specific audience, and it will doubtless not appeal to the greater public at large. For me and my friends it presented a great show amidst the tedious and sho
rt-lived sitcoms of the late 90s, and I look forward to May when it is finally being released on DVD.
Advantages: Fantastic actors and writers
Disadvantages: Won't appeal to a lot of people
Big Train – Series One and Two
Jockeys... Something Must've Spooked 'Em
****
Written on 11.01.06
One of the best sketch shows of the last decade, Big Train was written by Father Ted's Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews, who appear occasionally as bit-parts in the sketches and may be recognised as the two Irish TV executives in 'I'm Alan Partridge.' The first series was transmitted in 1998 in a classic Monday night pairing with 'The League of Gentlemen,' its surreal fast-moving sketches the perfect compliment to the League's much darker, character-based humour.
The writers stated that their main aim with the show wasn't to try and be particularly clever or witty, and certainly wasn't to create a string of recognisable characters with catch-phrases that could be repeated in the school playground. As such, Big Train is funny, bizarre comedy at its best, a self-confessed result of Monty Python influence. Despite great dialogue, Big Train isn't highly quotable, but definitely leaves a lasting impression.
Big Train beats Python in one area, and that is the quality of the acting. While John Cleese's irritable customer character is a deserved comedy legend, the Python team were only usually equipped to perform the roles they'd written with themselves in mind, and did little more than a funny voice to distinguish themselves between sketches. The performers of Big Train are established modern comedy greats, despite (initially) all coming from roughly the same comedy background, i.e. things written by people from 'On the Hour,' the groundbreaking radio news spoof that became 'The Day Today.'
The first series of Big Train saw Simon Pegg (of later 'Spaced' and 'Shaun of the Dead' fame), Mark Heap ('Brass Eye') and Kevin Eldon ('Fist of Fun') playing the male roles, accompanied by Amelia Bullmore (Alan Partridge's Ukranian girlfriend) and Julia Davis (writer and star of 'Nighty Night') (apologies for all the brackets). The writers realised afterwards that they hadn't featured the women quite as much as they would have liked, and this limited presence perhaps makes it less shocking that they were replaced for the later second series when unavailable by more famous faces.
Tracy-Ann Oberman ('EastEnders'), Rebecca Front ('The Day Today') and Catherine Tate ('The Catherine Tate Show') did an admirable job of filling their shoes.
This DVD features both series of the show across 12 episodes. The second series was created a few years after the first, and there is a noticeable difference in image quality and style, the latter of which results from Graham Linehan's absence. Matthews brought in a number of additional writers for one-off sketches, while a lot of material was again improvised or suggested by the performers. The first series is more consistently funny, the second relying a little too much on attempts at "disturbing humour" that are sometimes excellent but sometimes too weird to be particularly funny, and every episode of the first series also features competitors from 'The World Stare-Out Championship': the part of the show that divides fans the most, an animated battle of staring between funny-looking men that is funny at first, seeing the packed arena hanging on every second of these unblinking men, but almost immediately has to rely on silly occurrences to keep it interesting, but distract from the basic joke of the tedious sport.
The humour is all of a certain style, meaning it won't appeal to everyone. A common recurring theme derives humour from displacing events and people, notably a Western shoot-out between the BeeGees and Chaka Khan and a fantastic parody of the battle between good and evil that sees Jesus as the manager of an office (or at least a man with a beard, a white robe and a crown of thorns on his head) getting fed up with the mischievous antics of an employee who looks like Satan (i.e. red with horns and the ability to set people on fire).
The sketches also avoid irony and satire whenever possible, and it seems that Linehan and Matthews are almost offended when people view the "w**king in the office" sketch as a parody of no-smoking rules. As long as you're able to get used to this literal approach, the results are very rewarding, despite being pointless. Those who enjoy high budget television should be impressed with Big Train's constant move between convincing replicas of Nazi Germany, monasteries, the English civil wars and the Roman Empire all within a few minutes. Even as a big fan of the series, and someone who thinks comedy shows are often overlooked by heads of programming, I find it questionable whether they should have been given all that money... assuming they were, and didn't just have a brilliant and resourceful production crew.
Despite the high quality of the writing and acting, it's clear when watching the episodes in succession that the programme wasn't taken too seriously by its creators, and this makes it all the more laid-back and enjoyable to watch. Characters and scenes crop up a second time, weeks after being seen, in small sketches based on dialogue, and the audio commentaries confirm that these were essentially funny things that the actors improvised to make further use of the costumes. The friendships and good working relationships between the cast and writers allows for some vast improvements, such as Pegg's "does anyone want to see my monkey impression?" finale tagged on to the Ritz/Titz sketch which would otherwise have gone out on quite a poor punchline.
Each series features a celebratory musical performance for its climax performed by Kevin Eldon, a nice and satisfying conclusion to a couple of great series. The first series' is better than that of the second, the usual response to comparing the two series, seeing the death of Chairman Mao (Eldon) and his inexplicable resurrection to perform Roxy Music's 'Virginia Plain' in what I'm told is a faithful recreation of its original music video. The second series' more contrived conclusion of a Frankenstein / Dexy's Midnight Runners scenario is cut off before it really gets anywhere, but it's still a nice idea.
A two-disc set that was a long time postponed from the original release date, the Big Train DVD is good value for money. As well as a very handy scene selection that links to every individual sketch, meaning that less favourite ones can be skipped, there are audio commentaries to all the episodes. These occasionally feature the cast (mostly in the first series) which leads to some funny moments such as Eldon criticising Pegg for innocently name-dropping 'Shaun of the Dead' out of admitted jealousy, as well as the very frank and honest views of everyone involved over what worked and what could have been improved. Linehan and Matthews are especially critical of the way they occasionally resort to cheap punchlines when they can't think of a satisfying conclusion, such as making the "child slaves forced to write puns for radio" and "passing other peoples' opinions off as your own" sketches into adverts at the last minute.
The deleted scenes are the best extra on this set, totalling 30 minutes for the first series and arranged essentially as a seventh episode (even featuring the title sequence after the opening sketch). On the whole these are inferior to the episodes themselves, but some were blatantly cut for reasons of time: I'm sure many of the longer sketches in the Big Train episodes must have been heavily edited from the stock footage, based largely as they are on improvisation, and some of the deleted scenes here really do drag on. 'Hopeless Extra' doesn't really get any funnier each time Mark Heap's character messes up a take, and the recurring 'Time Share' segments simply repeat a joke over and over. The opening 'Nosebleed' sketch deserved to be cut purely because Mark Heap's convincing acting makes it very disturbing to watch, perhaps succeeding a little too well. (Fans of Chris Morris' 'Jam' series should like it though). The deleted scenes are all usefully divided up just like the episodes, and the real highlight comes at the end with the epic 'Battle of Sledgby: 8th July 1646.' Although it starts a little blandly, Parliamentarian Englishmen against a force of hens not really being inherently funny once the viewer is accustomed to the show's style, the final scene at a modern day memorial site, seeing hens with cameras around their necks milling amongst the human tourists, is the highlight of this piece.
Other features include comprehensive and almost completely up-to-date biographies and credits for all performers and writers (the DVD was released last Easter), photo galleries and subtitles. There's also an interesting extra on the second disc featuring two scenes from 'Geht's Noch,' the German version of Big Train that was shot and performed, it appears from these clips, as an exact copy of the original (but in German, obviously). The sketches featured are the hospital phone call from series 1, one of Pegg's best performances as he can't bring himself to put down the phone on a talkative friend despite needing to attend a dying patient, the afore-mentioned Onanism in the office, and the boss' spoon phobia.
This extra is fun but, in the end, completely pointless and unnecessary. Much like the series. The backgrounds to the menus are also a nice treat, recreating sketches from each relevant series in miniature puppet form, most notably the parody of Hitchcock's 'The Birds' on the episode selection for disc 2. These menus would doubtless provide several minutes of entertainment on their own, if you are that way inclined.
The DVD can be bought for £13.99 on Play.com and 2 pence cheaper on Amazon.co.uk, but sans the free delivery, and with 12 episodes across 2 well-produced discs, it's not a bad price at all.
You Could Start By Not Calling Me Bladders, Sir
****
Written on 03.07.04 [2015 Bladders rewatch]
The third series of the Richard Curtis and Ben Elton penned historical sitcom Blackadder faced the challenge of making "a period in history nobody knows about" funny. As History lessons had ensured I had a general knowledge of British society and Government of the time, the show's only goal as far as I was concerned was to make a period of history that is incredibly boring, funny. 'Blackadder the Third' excels at this and although perhaps not as widely seen as the hugely popular second and fourth series of the show, the plots and humour are up to the same high standard.
CAST
Blackadder: "Hundreds of years from now, I want episodes from my life to be played out weekly at 9:30 by some great heroic actor of the age."
Baldrick: "Yes, and I could be played by some tiny tit in a beard."
ROWAN ATKINSON is still the star of the show, playing the world-weary, sarcastic Edmund Blackadder, fallen from his nobility and now nothing more than a butler to the Prince. The character evolves with each series; this time round he is a little less arrogant due to his servile occupation, although the lack of beard also has an impact on this. The hair was apparently only absent because Rowan's girlfriend despised it.
TONY ROBINSON is again excellent as the pathetic and lowliest of life forms, S. Baldrick. Still as stupid as in the second series, Baldrick has an unhealthy fascination with turnips and highwaymen, his unfortunate lack of common sense and intellect confirming Blackadder's view that "if you want something done properly, kill Baldrick before you start."
HUGH LAURIE plays the incomprehensible stupid Prince Regent, the only main character based entirely on a genuine historical figure, and in some ways fills in for Tim McInnerny's Percy character from the earlier series, although Percy wouldn't spend weeks attempting to put on a pair of trousers. Laurie's convincing portrayal of the idiotic Prince led to his return in Blackadder Goes Forth as an upper-class lieutenant of a similar mental disposition.
As a mainstream and highly popular comedy series, Blackadder continued to attract familiar talent from its own past and from other shows. Stephen Fry is excellent as the ruthless Lord Wellington in the final episode and Miranda Richardson plays a highway(wo)man and giggling fool: both had been in the regular cast of Blackadder II. Red Dwarf's Chris Barrie affects a French accent to play a swaggering ambassador who is "hung like a baby carrot," Robbie Coltrane dons a wig and a high voice for Samuel Johnson and the Young Ones' Nigel Planer is the Scarlet Pimpernel. Sadly no roles for Rik Mayall or Adrian Edmondson in this series, although Tim McInnerny (formerly Lord Percy and later Captain Darling) makes a brief appearance as a nobleman.
EPISODES
There are six half-hour episodes of Blackadder the Third, all of which are excellent: 'Dish and Dishonesty' is a heavily satirical opening to the series concerning elections and huge turnips; 'Ink and Incapability' sees the writer of the first English Dictionary threatening to kill Blackadder after Baldrick accidentally burns the only copy; 'Nob and Nobility' celebrates the French revolution but not really the French people; 'Sense and Senility' depicts the Prince's pathetic attempts at acting; 'Amy and Amiability' is a romantic tale of sorts in which the potential bride for the Prince must on no account meet him before agreeing, and the conclusion 'Dual and Duality' is an epic fight to the death and a take on the Prince and the Porpoise.
The interaction between the main characters and with the guest stars is the driving force behind the show, but rather than being a The Office-style exploration of the performers in different emotional states, Blackadder was still very much plot-based in a similar way to the earlier Fawlty Towers (except the hotel is a palace, Baldrick isn't from Barcelona and the boss is an insane German all the time, not just in one over-repeated scene). The period costumes are all excellent and aid a great deal in the believability, and in the whole series there is only one set that looks genuinely unconvincing, although this is covered by Blackadder's description of "an unrealistic grassy knoll."
The self-contained plots of each episode make it an easy task to remember which one is which, aided by the moving video clips on the 'episode select' menu of the DVD. You may also notice that each episode's title is linked to its plot or theme: very clever.
THE HUMOUR
The style of comedy in Blackadder the Third is similar to what has come before, but is a little more refined. The silliness that was heavily present in Blackadder II has been toned down but still shows itself occasionally in the form of the Standing at the Back Dressed Stupidly and Looking Stupid Party and a tray reverse-falling into Blackadder's hands, but there is a great deal more political humour in this series a la Yes Minister (which my brother likes) or the New Statesman (which I have seen and is rubbish). Although I can tolerate current affairs comedy shows as long as they aren't rubbish I don't usually find political comedy that funny, mainly as I'm so ill-informed on such matters, but at least in Blackadder it's fairly universal: still, claiming that "a violent, bigoted, mindless old fool" is "a bit overqualified" for a job as an MP does seem quite tired today, although I'm sure those alternative comedy eighties anarchists loved it.
It's relieving that despite this desire to criticise the Government through the ages, the traditional Blackadder humour of cynicism and odd comparisons is still present. Blackadder described Samuel Johnson's Dictionary as "the most pointless book since 'How to Learn French' was translated into French" and claims that the Prince Regent has "a brain the size of a weasel's wedding tackle," but the length and frequency of these statements are thankfully kept under control rather than being overused, as was the case in the fourth series. Although saying that, "madder than Mad Jack McMad the winner of this year's Mr. Madman competition" does push it a bit, but it's funny hearing Rowan handling all those syllables.
VERDICT
The themes of murder and corruption inherent to all Blackadder series make it a fairly dark comedy, although this is balanced out by the light-hearted attitude of the dialogue and performances. While 'Blackadder II' is often viewed as the funniest series, which it probably is, and 'Blackadder Goes Forth' applauded for its compassion to those that gave their lives in the First World War, (and 'The Black Adder' tolerated for not being as good as the other ones), Blackadder the Third had an interesting choice of setting, and could have failed dramatically if not for the success of its earlier incarnations. Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson are as good as ever, while Hugh Laurie's Prince George is an excellent newcomer to the franchise who plays off Atkinson perfectly. Some of the points discussed in this series actually helped me in my History lessons as well, although that didn't serve to make this study of it more interesting.
The DVD, which can be more affordably acquired as part of 'the Complete Blackadder' set, presents the episodes and their soundtracks in the highest quality possible but is devoid of any real extras apart from English subtitles. Had the Blackadder sets been released more recently the BBC may have felt pressured to include some special features such as interviews or even commentary tracks due to the popularity of the series, especially given the age of the programme and the accomplishments of all the main stars since then.
Sodoff Baldrick's novel, BALDRICK:
Once upon a time there was a lovely little sausage called Baldrick,
and it lived happily ever after.
"It's semi-autobiographical."
Schwarze Weihnachten
****
Written on 16.09.04
Have you ever been uncertain whether a peculiar memory in your mind was a dream or a scene in a 1988 Christmas special on BBC 2? I, as I am sure you will be aware having just read that, have. Several years ago, when reading the blurb “featuring further filthier Blackadders” in the book containing all the scripts across the four series of Richard Curtis’ and Ben Elton’s legendary sitcom, my mind had been alerted to a faded vision of a futuristic cyberpunk space pirate Blackadder accompanied by an bondage-clad Baldrick slave.
That potential sexual confusion was thankfully laid to rest when I recently saw ‘Blackadder’s Christmas Carol’ for the first time in ten years, an enjoyable festive tale featuring Blackadder incarnations from the distant past to the flashy, sexually-repulsive future, now available on DVD.
YE STORIE
It is the end of the nineteenth century, and respected businessman Ebenezer Blackadder is preparing for a selfless Christmas period of love and happiness between fellow men, and his smelly but oddly likeable apprentice Baldrick. Blackadder’s generosity is well-known, but there are many unfortunate souls living in industrialised London town who are willing to take advantage of his endless compassion and rapidly dwindling wealth.
As Blackadder tucks into bed on Christmas Eve, having given away everything he painstakingly prepared for the morning, he is visited by a ghost bearing the face and stout body of Robbie Coltrane, who offers glimpses into Blackadder’s ancestry. From the curmudgeonly favourite of Elizabeth I, the long-suffering butler of the Prince Regent and beyond, Blackadder is taught a valuable lesson in self-obsession and charity beginning at home, and remaining there.
CAST
The performers and characters remained reasonably stationary throughout the run of Blackadder, leading to most of them appearing here in various recognisable and original guises. Rowan Atkinson is the clear star of the show, his charitable Ebenezer still being very witty and enjoyable although clearly not up to the standard of the traditional incarnations. The reappearance of the bearded Blackadder from series two will please fans of that particularly successful series (even though the clearly artificial beard is a little distracting), while the Blackadder III characters were so recent to all concerned when this was produced that it doesn’t even feel like a step backwards.
Tony Robinson’s Victorian Baldrick is identical to the dogsbody of series 3, leading to some classic idiot scenes, most notably when he manages to spell ‘Christmas’ without getting a single letter correct, revealed in full at the close of the end credits. In an alternate futuristic scene, a glimpse into what will evidently transpire if Blackadder doesn’t return to his curmudgeonly ways, Baldrick even gets a chance to play the dominant role. He is still stupid though, accidentally causing an intergalactic war.
Miranda Richardson and Stephen Fry reprise their roles as Lord Melchett and Queen Elizabeth, while Hugh Laurie again dons the ridiculous wig and large trousers for the role of the Prince Regent, all three also appearing in the galactic council scene. The absence of Tim McInnerny as Lord Percy is a little disappointing and makes the Blackadder II segment seem lacking, but McInnerny had declined the Percy role in series three for fear of being typecast as the bumbling oaf: this proved very successful when he did return for Blackadder Goes Forth as Captain Darling, who was very different from Percy but had the same number of friends.
All performers involved were excellent in their scenes, only seeming less inspired when the writing wasn’t quite up to scratch. Miriam Margolyes and Jim Broadbent, actors who had previously appeared in Blackadder series among other roles, have some enjoyable scenes as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, although there’s still no sign of Rik Mayall’s Lord Flashheart.
THE DVD
It always seems a little unfair when the BBC release a forty-five minute Christmas special for the same price as a three-hour series, but fortunately this DVD has come down in price below the ten pound mark over time. There are no special features apart from the usual chapter selection, and it’s never been clear why the BBC didn’t add this release, along with the compilation of other Blackadder specials, to their otherwise excellent ‘Complete Blackadder’ collection. The picture quality is as expected for a full-screen eighties BBC release.
VERDICT
This is a high quality Christmas special that shows very few signs of inferiority to the classic series themselves. Some of the more experimental sections are a little far-fetched and less funny as a result, in particular the very low budget future scene that shows exactly why Blackadder was successful in a historical context, but the main setting of Victorian England works excellently in the first half. The call-backs to the second and third series (not the very different Blackadder character from the first series, for obvious reasons of confusion as well as budget) work as well as they can be expected to within such brief amounts of time, but they aren’t really anything special. The notion of the reverse Scrooge is enjoyable in its simplicity, and even though the ending is very obvious, it’s the return to form that the viewer has been anticipating throughout.
Very easy to overlook but worthy of repeat playing, ‘Blackadder’s Christmas Carol’ is far superior to the 1999 ‘Back and Forth’ special as it catches the writers, performers and even the viewers while the Blackadder saga is still in motion. The final series ‘Blackadder Goes Forth’ appeared the following year to huge acclaim, this Christmas special whetting fans’ appetites for tales of dastardly cunning and idiocy.
Advantages: More classic Blackadder, Elizabethan setting works excellently, Cast and crew on top form
Disadvantages: DVD release is a little disappointing and sparse, Some characters missing, some dodgy decisions
Your Long Wait for Certain Death is Nearly at an End
*****
Written on 28.04.04
Recently hailed as Britain's second favourite sitcom, the Blackadder series provides high quality humour and likeable characters for all generations, despite the fact that the majority of it is set centuries before they were even conceived. Most people have their particular favourite series, but the fourth and final series made in 1989 is often the most memorable; the jokes and characters were at an all-time high, while its portrayal of life in the trenches of World War I managed to be satirically biting, hilarious and moving.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
'Blackadder Goes Forth' appeared on British television screens on 28th September 1989 and had the usual six-week run of a comedy series. Long-time viewers were already well accustomed to the characters established in the previous years, and in some cases there was the return of old favourites.
ROWAN ATKINSON stars as the eponymous CAPTAIN EDMUND BLACKADDER, the sarcastic and world-weary captain of the featured trench. The character of Edmund Blackadder was firmly established in 1985's 'Blackadder II,' and Rowan Atkinson's portrayal of the only sane character out of the bunch is what kept this series popular. Without the advantage of high political status or camaraderie with royalty, the Blackadder of this series loses an amount of smugness, and he is unable to seek quick escapes so easily.
TONY ROBINSON is his usual excellent self playing the filthy and incredibly stupid PRIVATE S. BALDRICK. The classic oppressed mass of the series, it is impossible not to feel sympathy for Baldrick whilst also revelling when he is treated like the piece of filth that he is. The major change in the character from the previous series is that he is now far stupider, from actions such as carving his name into a bullet to literally failing to tell his arse from his elbows.
HUGH LAURIE regresses from his role as the idiotic Prince George in 'Blackadder the Third' to play the equally stupid, but far less important, LIEUTENANT GEORGE here. Laurie once again excels at bringing the loud imbecile to life, and this offers plenty of material for the writing team to discuss the benefits, and lack of, of public school education. Fans of the Fry and Laurie double-act will doubtless have been delighted by the numerous interactions between the two actors in this series.
GENERAL MELCHETT, played by STEPHEN FRY, is another very memorable and popular character, and is a perfectly exaggerated example of the foolish and ignorant Generals responsible for actions in the First World War. The previous Melchett character in 'Blackadder II' was far different and not as funny, but Stephen Fry manages to steal every scene he is in with the braying moustachioed fool.
TIM McINNERNY plays CAPTAIN KEVIN DARLING, the final regular character in the series, the pen-pushing assistant to Melchett who would be a valuable asset to the war if not for his abject cowardice and offensive personality. Tim McInnerny previously played the foolish character of Percy in the first two series, the equivalent of Lieutenant George here, but turned down a regular role in series 3 for fear of being typecast. The character here is so different that it took me a long time to even realise it was the same actor. There are also many jokes made regarding his nickname which are certainly cheap shots, but which the viewer cannot help but find very funny. It's all in the timing.
Being a popular series, Blackadder had its share of talented comedy actors in cameo roles and this final series is no different. Miranda Richardson, famous as Queen Elizabeth in Blackadder II, returns as a nurse in one episode, but the most impressive cameo is by Rik Mayall's Squadron Commander Flashheart in episode four; the self-obsessed ladies' man once again completely steals the show, and it makes for a great episode.
EPISODES
A brief look at the plots of the episodes does not really do them justice, but it is fair to say that they are all classics in their own right, with the finale being the most recognised and perhaps the best of the lot. Still being a comedy series, there is no real plot, other than the situation and the interaction of the characters, that links the episodes together, and so missing an episode would not dampen the enjoyment of the others. Brief synopses are taken from the book 'Blackadder: the Whole Damn Dynasty,' with my opinions to follow, along with a suitable quote to describe the state of the war.
'CAPTAIN COOK' - When General Haig unveils his new strategy to move his drinks cabinet six inches closer to Berlin, Blackadder volunteers to be Official War Artist.
A very funny episode to start the series, each character is given time to shine. Blackadder comes across as scheming and very cunning, while the ever-present danger of the trenches is highlighted towards the end, almost to foreshadow the series' end.
Blackadder: "Would this brilliant plan involve us climbing over the top of our trenches and walking slowly towards the enemy?"
Melchett: "How do you know that, Blackadder? It's classified information."
Blackadder: "It's the same plan that we used last time, sir. And the seventeen times before that."
'CORPORAL PUNISHMENT' - Order for Operation Insanity arrive and Blackadder breaches regulations by eating the messenger. Can the Flanders Pigeon Murderer avoid the Firing Squad?
Much more focus on Blackadder in this episode, the notion of disobeying foolish orders is important for the series. Needless to say, the characters are all quick to forget about this incident afterwards, but it is a comedy show first and a drama fifth.
Blackadder: "Oh, come on. With 50,000 men getting killed each week, who's going to miss a pigeon?"
'MAJOR STAR' - The Russian Revolution produces two more appalling results: an offensive by Germany and a really offensive Charlie Chaplin impression by Baldrick.
Some light relief from the trench life, this is an opportunity for the characters to at least enjoy themselves a little, with the incentive always being that their new careers may take them away from the front lines. Melchett is particularly good in this one, as he falls in love with George's drag act and asks him to marry him.
Blackadder: "A war hasn't been fought this badly since Olaf the Hairy, High Chief of all the Vikings, accidentally ordered 80,000 battle helmets with the horns on the inside."
'PRIVATE PLANE' - German machine-guns in front. British firing squads behind- the only way out is up tiddly up-up.
Perhaps my favourite episode, the focus on the Blackadder/Baldrick relationship is a highlight here, along with Rik Mayall as Flashheart and Adrian Edmondson as the mad German Baron von Richthofen. There is also a feeling of excitement, despite the fact that it is clearly not Baldrick flying the plane on film!
Flashheart: "Just because I can give multiple orgasms to the furniture just by sitting on it doesn't mean I'm not sick of this damn war. The blood, the noise, the endless poetry."
'GENERAL HOSPITAL' - The secret of the Great Plan is out. Ordered to find a spy in the hospital, Blackadder spots a man with a strong German accent, a beautiful nurse and a chance for three weeks in bed.
Another chance for Rowan Atkinson to show his acting skills, this is another great episode that brings the focus back to the grittier aspects of warfare.
Blackadder: "Oh I see. And that would be the plan to continue with total slaughter until everybody's dead except Field Marshall Haig and Lady Haig and their tortoise Alan."
Melchett: "Great Scott! Even you know it! This security leak is far worse than I'd imagined."
'GOODBYEEE' - Millions have died but the troops have advanced no further than an asthmatic ant with some heavy shopping. Now, at last, the big push looms...
Blackadder series always end with at least some of the main characters dying, and this is no exception. The dismal and inescapable life in the trenches is captured perfectly during this episode, and even Baldrick and George manage to seem saddened.
George: "I don't want to die. I'm really not over keen on dying at all, sir."
STYLE & TONE
This series' success is partly due to its originality, and a lot of careful thought clearly went into its preparation. As usual the sets and costumes are very believable and historically accurate, and the setting of the Great War makes for a more emotional and hard-hitting show due to its harsh and violent nature, as well as the fact that it is much nearer to the present day than the previous series have been, making it less detached.
There have been many parodies and satires of the nature of World War I fighting, notably the famous play 'O What a Lovely War,' and especially the idea of "lions led by donkeys." For me, the factor that elevates 'Blackadder Goes Forth' from a very funny show to a classic piece of television history is the fact that it is very relevant and truthful in its opinion of the First World War, and this has even led to quotes being included in History exams. My brother's GCSE paper utilised a piece of source material based on Blackadder's quote: "We've been sitting here since Christmas 1914, during which time millions of men have died and we've moved no further than an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping." It's true, History really can be fun. Although my experience of learning far more than strictly necessary about Louis XIV did cause me to drop A-level History after a year due to sheer boredom.
If anyone can recall seeing an episode of Blackadder, there is a good chance it would be the final episode, which seems to have become a staple of every Remembrance Day and comedy celebration. Twenty five minutes of some of the funniest and well-researched jokes and several minutes at the end where the tone changes to one of sadness and regret, with the lead characters all leaping over the top of the trench and falling one by one, the image dissolving into that of a peaceful field of poppies to end the series.
I cannot see how Ben Elton and Richard Curtis could have ended a series any more perfectly, as it sums up their respect for the courage of the fallen soldiers and the futility of such a war. The final line is: "Whatever it was, I'm sure it was better than my plan to get out of this by pretending to be mad. I mean, who would have noticed another madman round here? Good luck everyone." Even the most hardened comedy viewer may have shed a tear for those men.
PERSONAL NOTE
The humour aside, Blackadder Goes Forth is a much more interesting take on the First World War than most of the other resources available. I speak from experience, having read novels and poetry ("the endless poetry") and although they are very insightful and emotional, I much prefer being shown these messages through a medium that I enjoy. My three-hour English Literature exam on World War I literature will undoubtedly include my appreciation for this comedic masterpiece alongside more traditional sources.
The Prime Minister's Nipples
****
Written on 09.08.06
Following in the footsteps of ‘Fawlty Towers,’ writers of classic sitcoms strive to make the best possible use of the three televised hours granted to them per year, ending their shows after two series to leave viewers hungry for more. A sitcom based largely on erection gags and cartoonish violence, ‘Bottom’ was never going to be a classic sitcom. Made three years after the second series, this third and final batch of six episodes features some of the series’ finest and weakest shows.
Richie Richard and Eddie Hitler (Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, who write the show) are still living in their filthy Hammersmith flat, still getting on each others’ nerves to the point of severe mutilation and still failing to get their respective ends away. As was the case in series two, half of the episodes focus entirely on the two main characters, while the rest incorporate a larger cast, including Eddie’s friends Spudgun and Dave Hedgehog. Almost as a rule, the former episode premise leads to more impressive results.
Despite claims by the writers that Bottom was intended partially as an exploration of the inherent pointlessness of life (especially in middle age), series three could hardly be described as profound. The toilet humour has increased, most notably in the Halloween episode in which Richie repeatedly soils his tights when electrocuted, and plots are often more or less recycled from previous episodes. The notable exceptions come with the opening and closing episodes of the series, the memorable ‘Hole’ in which Richie and Eddie are trapped on the top car of a Ferris-wheel facing demolition by vengeful fairground staff, and the highly enjoyable ‘Carnival’ which sees the characters finally meet their demise (well, having already plummeting to certain doom in ‘Hole’).
‘Hole’ is one of the best Bottom episodes, and came out on top in some unnecessary poll by the BBC in the mid-90s. The situation is entertaining enough in itself, but becomes increasingly dire and terrifying as the single thirty-minute scene progresses. This is far from perfect comedy, relying too often on slapstick as the series often does, and cheap pull-back-and-reveal gags, but there are some great exchanges. My favourite was always Richie’s obliviousness that ‘Keith’ who he had been pursuing all night was not in fact a woman; her alleged earring being “through her foreskin.”
Like many episodes, ‘Terror’ tries too hard to extract all the humour possible from a crude premise, in this case Halloween festivities. The double-entendres reach their peak in the opening scene, which some people will find ridiculous but which I quite enjoy in its more desperate moments (“maybe we should eat our flakes … can I drink your juice?”). The scenes skip around from some disappointing trick-or-treat gags on an unconvincing outdoor set to a Halloween party in the flat that plays out as a less impressive re-make of the Christmas party from the previous series.
‘Break’ sees the pair preparing for the holiday of a lifetime in gloomy Doncaster. It’s nice to see Richie pushed over the edge of ecstasy by childish excitement, rubbing his nipples with vigour as Eddie plays the boring straight man watching Emmerdale, but the show seems overlong by the time the far-from-dramatic conclusion arrives. Plenty of slapstick fight scenes, a penis in a vacuum cleaner and a quest to see a controversial nude photo of Des Lynam pinned under the fridge make for an average show.
The series’ only pub episode, ‘Dough’ begins with some entertaining scenes involving Eddie’s forged and extremely pornographic money, which logically becomes more X-rated as the value increases, from a simple shot of the Queen’s jugs on the fiver up to a bizarre orgy between the royal family and Magic Roundabout characters on the fifty. Along with Dave and Spudgun, the pair play dirty to win the convenient jackpot at the Lamb and Flag’s pub quiz to pay off “Skullcrusher” Henderson and survive the night with their skulls intact.
‘Finger’ is another disappointing episode, and finally resorts to cheap laughs from cross-dressing, although Eddie’s breasts are on back-to-front. Richie and ‘Edwina’ steal a married couple’s honeymoon tickets for a posh holiday, but are pursued there by the happy couple. The jokes are weak, but there’s a fun scene involving a car chase with an obviously fake bluescreen.
Ultimately the series finale, ‘Carnival’ flits around all over the place from the annual Hammersmith riots (also known as the carnival procession) to Richie’s plan to use a stolen videocamera to make some easy money, and finally an encounter with an extremely sensitive video of the Prime Minister in bed with two women. The slapstick is at its best, if you like that kind of thing, and there’s plenty of quotable dialogue.
Series one of Bottom has a charm that the others lack, especially when episodes feature a larger ensemble cast. The series was intended as low-brow toilet humour, but repeated plots and endless jokes about masturbation begin to grate after a while. Most disappointing of all is the complete abandonment of the series’ latent homoeroticism, which would have made ‘Finger’ far more interesting in bringing the husband and wife character traits to the fore, or indeed any real depth to the characters beyond their established clichés. Seasoned comedy fans will be disappointed, but casual viewers would likely enjoy receiving this as a gift, not having wasted their lives enough to care that the first series is the best, and simply taking what they’re given. Ignorance is bliss.
Despite garnering a considerably large casual following, Bottom doesn’t lend itself to ‘cult’ classification in obsessive fan circles, so a simplistic DVD release by the BBC is fitting enough. Retailing at around £12 to £15, this line of no-frills DVDs could be cheaper, but is at least an improvement upon the price of the original video releases. There are no surprises in Bottom’s third series package for those who own the others, the set including all six episodes and an extra ‘Bottom Fluff’ bonus featuring out-takes from these shows. The DVD spine is pink, like series two of ‘The Young Ones.’
‘Hole’ and ‘Carnival’ are great additions to the list of worthwhile Bottom episodes, but the rest are seriously dispensable outside their original purpose as half an hour of worthless but whimsical relief on Friday nights. Comedy collections can comfortably overlook this one, unless critical acclaim of the unusual Ferris-wheel premise automatically enrols this episode into the avant-garde sitcom hall of fame alongside that ‘One Foot in the Grave’ with the traffic jam. The cartoon violence appeals on pretty much the same level as ‘Tom & Jerry’ and the ‘Itchy & Scratchy’ segments of ‘The Simpsons,’ so anyone who has enjoyed those should find entertainment here. It’s nice to see the characters recover fully between scenes, even growing back all those teeth we saw knocked out earlier.
Mayall and Edmondson have refused to let these characters die, reviving them for five stage shows (to date) and the film ‘Guest House Paradiso,’ and Edmondson has expressed an interest in a future series featuring the characters as old men. Comparisons with ‘The Young Ones’ are irrelevant and unconstructive (The Young Ones was clearly better), but once it receives a budget price tag this DVD will be worthy of peoples’ time. It’s rated 15, but kids should love it. I did.
Advantages: A couple of classic episodes.
Disadvantages: Lack of originality and excess of fart jokes.
Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity
Life After Paradiso
****
Written on 12.04.04
The early 90s saw the return of the Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson double-act to BBC 2's 9pm slot, with their comedy series 'Bottom.' The characters: fat, pathetic, middle-aged men with short tempers and little hope of a happy future, in some ways a logical progression of their 'Rick' and 'Vyvyan' characters in the early 80s cmash, 'The Young Ones.' But where that earlier show relied on bizarre situations and an ensemble cast, Bottom focussed on extracting humour from the lives of its two lead characters, at least in the early days.
TWO SAD PERVS
That's not to suggest that Bottom is on the whole sophisticated; most of it involves the characters hitting each other around the head and privates with all manner of household objects, or making smutty innuendoes regarding Richie's virginity, but watching the series now I am able to appreciate some of the deeper significance that Rik and Adrian intended. The whole tone reflects their sad lives, while there is an unseen undercurrent of almost homosexual proportions at times, but Eddie sets Richie's crotch on fire before anything becomes too intellectual.
Richard Richard (Rik Mayall) - the saddest of the pair, his virginity and understandable difficulty in attracting the opposite sex lead to insecurity, but he is also very quick to anger. He is also overly stubborn, the best example of which occurred in the TV show when Eddie wanted to watch 'Miss World' but he insisted on watching cricket, despite obviously desiring the other channel.
Edward Hitler (Adrian Edmondson) is more experienced than Richie, but this balding drunkard isn't exactly the ladies' man either. He lives with Richie at very low rent, which means he often has to apologise his way back in to the flat, before kicking his flatmate in the b******s.
Most people either really liked or really hated Bottom, and personally I love it. The first series is, in my opinion, one of the most classic comedy series of the last few decades, but it has to be said that in the second and third series the standards dropped significantly and mostly bowed in favour of over-the-top slapstick laughs.
BOTTOM LIVE: THE STAGE SHOWS
Shortly after deciding to end the series, Rik and Adrian toured the country with their highly successful stage show, which was soon released on video. The advertising promised that this was "Bottom as it was meant to be seen," which means they were allowed to say the F-word a lot and delve even deeper into issues of sex and solo actions more than the BBC would ever allow.
The first show was set in Richie and Eddie's flat, and involved secret acts with a sex doll, and a huge inheritance. The characterisation was still superb and loyal to the series, and despite getting tedious at times was a very funny show. At least on video anyway.
The following year, the duo staged their second show, 'The Big Number Two.' More diverse and interesting than the first, this saw the second half occurring in a jail cell.
'Hooligan's Island,' Bottom Live 3, saw Richie and Eddie abandoned on an island after causing an offence. The style made this seem very different to the Bottom I was used to, but the characters still acted as they always had.
In the years following this third stage show, Rik appeared in a number of terrible films and Adrian enjoyed married life with Jennifer Saunders before the famous quad bike accident left Mayall bed-bound and unable to tell the difference between a biscuit and a bicycle, at least that's what I remember my Dad reading out of the newspaper. It seemed that Bottom had been laid to rest.
2001
This year saw the release of Bottom the Movie (or 'Guest House Paradiso' as it was called), which in my opinion starts in a way that is fitting to the series, but becomes increasingly childish and slapstick as it progresses. It also saw their return to the stage with 2001: An Arse Oddity, which I have finally got around to reviewing. Apologies to have kept you hanging this long. This stage show, available on video and DVD, is by far the most removed from the series, but this is not necessarily a bad thing.
PART ONE
The first half features the two still living on their desert island, with the usual problems of Richie being onanist, and Eddie returning from gambling with the local (thankfully unseen) chimps. A lengthy routine with the dead parrot Dave - not a homage to the Monty Python sketch - takes longer than necessary, before the real character interaction can begin.
This first half is nothing spectacular, but is a welcome return to the characters from the series as opposed to the movie, and some fluffed lines only add to the sense of it being an enjoyable experience all round. There is a script to follow, but it seems less concerned with carrying a coherent plot than in the past, and is essentially a way for Rik and Adrian to be funny and rude in front of a load of people again. As this first half ends they have no problem with leaving their character personas and begging for the bar to be opened.
PART TWO
The second half of the show is what marks this as very different and interesting, as it approaches the bizarre. Richie and Eddie are now in some sort of dark metal room with exit chutes at the sides, and have no idea how they got there. Eddie soon finds that travel through the exits only leads back to an identical room, or is it the same one?
While the prospect of no bar in sight has Eddie approaching a breakdown, the characters take an interesting twist and discuss how they aren't satisfied with their portrayal any longer: Eddie thinks that the "ginger tw**" who plays him isn't up to it any more, but he used to be good, while Richie struggles to remember the name of the actor who portrays him, remembering him as "the t*sser who fell off the quad bike." This friendly stab at his own grief gets the biggest applause of the whole show, and from then on it only gets more interesting. I was pleasantly surprised to see Bottom getting intellectual, but rest assured that nothing is revealed about the nature of humanity or existence, and there are still plenty of testicle punches, as well as a spontaneous and unexpected musical number to close.
THE DVD
The picture quality is as good as can be expected, although the live format means that the characters are often too distant or close-up, and the lighting is designed to suit the stage. In terms of extras there are no behind-the-scenes featurettes, simple a collection of photos and the usual boring screensaver feature for use on your PC, if you are that desperate for a screensaver. I would actually recommend the video version if you were looking for a cheap way to own this, as it can be found all over eBay.
VERDICT
I was impressed by the quality of this show, and the interesting turns it takes show that Rik and Adrian are still happy with their characters, and performing them. This was shown more recently with their 'Weapons Grade Y-Fronts' tour last year, which I was unfortunately unable to attend. Bottom Live is certainly a far step from the TV series, and in many ways is not as enjoyable, but if you are a fan of one, you will doubtless be interested in seeing what the other has to offer. For fans of violent and rude character-based stand-up, the Bottom Live shows seem very good value for money.
Brass Eye – Series and Special
Twisted Comedy with a Message
*****
Written on 22.03.04
Every so often comes along an original comedy show amidst the mediocrity of TV and it becomes an instant favourite to a small group of people. The rest either don't get it, or simply don't like it. Brass Eye is a prime example of this.
Originally airing in 1997, "Brass Eye" was another TV production by Chris Morris, the man behind BBC's "The Day Today" in the mid-90s. Renowned for his controversial anti-everything comedy, all presented in a believably stoic Jeremy Paxman style persona, Morris' new show was suspiciously on Channel 4, indicating that perhaps the British Broadcasting Corporation didn't think his services were required anymore. And anyway, it gave the self-styled 'alternative comedy channel,' although there are any number of flaws with Channel 4's view of itself, another headliner.
The common misconception about Brass Eye is that it is sick and unnecessary, as viewers misinterpret the message. The comedy style is very dark, however the main focus of the show is how the media and genuine 'issues shows' treat real events. The celebrity endorsements in each episode also act as a reminder that one should always research something before they decide to make a fool of themselves promoting an obviously fictional company or product.
This DVD contains all six episodes of the series, each focussing on a specific topic, as well as the extremely controversial and infamous 'Special' centred around paedophilia. Here are some memorable episodes:
"Animals" - celebrities vow to tell the tale of the poor elephant whose depression has caused it to insert its trunk into its own body, while the brutal tradition of men fighting weasels in the East end is also abbhored.
"Drugs" - focus is specifically on the new Scandinavian drug 'cake.' This show led to a member of Parliament bringing up the issue in the House of Commons, only to be told that he had been watching a comedy show.
"Science" - my favourite episode due to the foolishness of the celebrities involved, as they talk about heavy electricity falling out of wires and shrinking people, and vertical farms in glass tubes leading a mile into the air allowing farmers to save using acres of land.
Most people will know Brass Eye as the programme that was almost banned for 'ridiculing' paedophilia, but in my opinion the show did not do anything but point out the media hype and out-of-proportion views on the subject. A special episode that aired in 2001, this sees celebrity alumni including Phillipa Forrester, who I thought was clever, explaining how a child's internet game can be used to make children two-dimensional, and how paedophiles actually have more in common with crabs than human beings. "There's no real evidence for it, but it is scientific fact," says DJ Doctor Fox in the show.
Brass Eye will certainly not appeal to the masses, and I know my mother would hate it. Anyone who enjoys a laugh at something a little more sinister than the norm, such as the League of Gentlemen, should give this show a try. The comedy stems from a number of levels; firstly there's the famous people spewing rubbish out of their mouths when they should know better, there's the over-complicated animations (such as 'end of part one' lasting nearly a minute), and the silliness of some of the dialogue. "He was as gay as a window" is pure nonsense, as are most of the statistics.
Aside from Morris, regulars include Peter Baynham and Kevin Eldon ('Fist of Fun'), Mark Heap and Simon Pegg ('Big Train') and regulars from "The Day Today." I could only recommend this to people who think they may like it; otherwise, stay away. DVD extras are minimal, but include several extended scenes that end with the same joke, as well as a longer music video for the fictional rapper JLB8 from the Special.
D
Unappreciated
*****
Written on 23.04.01
Dave Gorman is the kind of comedian I like; he's famous, yet slightly away from the mainstream comedy acts so he can stay original. His humour is very unique, and always cracks me up (even when it's not, under analysis, actually that funny).
The point of Dave's show is obviously for him to find 54 people called Dave Gorman, which is a simple idea, although not the kind of idea you could theoretically base a six-episode comedy series on. Yet that's all it's about, and that is hilarious. The idea that he is playing a sad, almost insane man on an obsessive quest is very appealing, and when Dave draws out all his statistics and graphs, you realise that he is playing the part of an eccentric, obsessed individual. Of course, it's really all for comedy, although the fact that it's all true, and that Dave did indeed appear on news shows and in newspapers, makes the programme all the more fascinating.
People like Dave Gorman need to be more recognised under the public eye, as his shows are bordering on the cultish fan base, such as the other great yet misunderstood comedy acts such as Lee and Herring.
By the end of six episodes, Dave Gorman did indeed manage to meet over fifty four Dave Gormans; some of which even pushed the boat beyond what he thought possible. Originally expecting to meet white males with an Irish heritage, by the end of fifty four Daves he had met one man from Israel, a homosexual, a Jewish Dave Gorman, several children, Americans, Danes, and even women. The comedian is so convincing and true to his quest that he actually persuaded members of his live audiences to change their name to Dave Gorman. Men doing this also influenced their partners to do so, and Dave ended his series by stating how happy he was that somewhere in the world, on honeymoon, Dave Gorman was making love to Dave Gorman. Just this simple fact seemed to make the quest seem worthwhile.
I recently found the following interesting information on the show at www.pressbox.co.uk:
- Dave Gormans range from 5 to 70
- Dave Gormans are 96% male
- The average age of Dave Gormans is 37 ½
- The average height is 5' 6 inches
- The average shoe size is 8
- Most Dave Gormans grow ginger beards
- The most likely area of work for Dave Gormans is the financial sector
- Over 24,000 miles have been travelled in search of Dave Gormans
- 60% of Dave Gormans were wearing a blue shirt
- Since the search began, there have been 10,000 hits at www.davegorman.com
- 4 of the Dave Gormans have children called Dave Gorman
- 5 of the Dave Gormans have fathers called Dave Gorman
- 66% of Dave Gormans prefer being called Dave
- 34% of Dave Gormans prefer being called David
- We have met no-one else called Danny Wallace
In response to comments regarding detail, The Dave Gorman Collection ran for 6 weeks on BBC2 and BBC Choice, and although I would love to describe every Dave Gorman there isn't enough room, and my memory isn't that good- the programme has yet to be repeated (on terrestrial TV anyway). Needless to say, although it was repetetive it did have the homely, low-budget atmosphere which puts me at ease, and there was certainly a deep sense of satisfaction (and disappointment) as Dave went through his trials and tribulations. You don't get programmes like this very often.
Advantages: Funny and original, even daring.
Disadvantages: Not very many. It does get a bit repetetive sometimes, but that's part of the point.
Those are the Headlines, God I Wish They Weren't
*****
Written on 23.05.04
In 1994, many viewers of BBC 2's late night schedule found themselves confused by what appeared to be a twisted news programme covering the day's events. For some people it was only once they were presented with meaningless statistics and an incomprehensible diagram of "the currency cat" that they realised they were watching a completely false, but disturbingly realistic parody of popular news and documentary programmes.
Although it only ran for one series of six episodes, the fan base for this programme was astounding; the two video releases were among the biggest BBC comedy sellers of all time, and following an online petition by fans the series was finally released on DVD format with a special edition for the tenth anniversary.
PERVERTING THE NEWS
The Day Today takes all the features and stereotypes of British and international news programmes and shows a comprehensive understanding of the concepts and styles. From the over-the-top, intrusive title sequence and theme music to the deliberately blurred and yellowed style of the phony "American import" news clips, Chris Morris and the team behind Radio 4's successful 'On the Hour' made a seamless transfer to television.
Main news stories are presented in the traditional manner by Chris Morris behind his domineering desk, while other actors have their own sections of the huge, dark studio, or video link-ups to the show. Each show features information on political issues, sport, finance and special reports on all manner of activities. The humour ranges from bleak scenarios and incompetent characters to nonsensical phrases and ideas being presented in a convincing manner.
Use was made of existing news footage and clips which was twisted into the show's messages, but it was always obvious when the footage was created especially for the show; there was no drop in believability, only in the absurdity of the scenario. The show even mocked itself at times by parodying its joke of making people's statements apparently corroborate a story. For example, in one episode there is a clip of a man saying "it makes it very difficult to reverse," and Morris indicates that four hundred monkeys have been strapped to the man's car. The self-parody comes when an elaborate scenario is explained, and the video simply features a man generically saying "yes," offering no confirmation that the story is genuine.
THE PLAYERS
Despite the efforts made to create a believable style and scenarios, the show's creators and writers had no qualms over using the same sample of actors in a huge variety of roles, often playing multiple characters in the same report. They are all very funny and capable actors and actresses, using different accents and mannerisms to prevent repetition.
CHRISTOPHER MORRIS
Morris' Jeremy Paxman persona introduces the different sections of the show, and he also plays a variety of regular and one-off characters in sketches. It's interesting to note how Morris distances himself from the rest of the cast by only appearing in sketches alone (playing male and female characters himself), although his newsreader talks at length with Peter O'Hanraha'hanrahan, often ridiculing him for "losing the news" or attempting to get out of bad situations, and he has very strange relationships with the other studio characters; his slightly antagonistic relationship with Alan Partridge ends with him applauding him for his work and giving him an unexpected kiss, his flirtation with Valerie Sinatra is hilariously out of the usual dominating perso na, and his hatred of Collatallie Sisters is apparent even from the first show: "get her off my monitor, I don't want to see her face." Morris can be seen as the mastermind behind the show, even though it is largely a team effort, and his unique comic style transferred onto the later series Brass Eye and the disturbing Jam.
DOON MACKICHAN
This actress is most famous for her roles in 'Smack the Pony,' and her character range is obvious even here. Most memorably playing the somewhat robotic enigma Collatallie Sisters on the finance desk, she also features in all the ensemble documentaries. She plays a disinterested, annoying receptionist in the documentary 'The Pool' and a murderous war correspondent amongst other roles, also stripping in front of Alan Partridge. You don't see anything, but he certainly did.
STEVE COOGAN
The most famous face amongst the stars thanks to his later successes 'Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge' and the brilliant intrusive sitcom 'I'm Alan Partridge,' Coogan's Partridge persona gets its first television appearance here. Alan mans the sports desk and covers a number of events from the Tour de France to the 1994 World Cup and horse-racing, all fairly incompetently and without prior research. Coogan can also be seen playing a surprising variety of roles in the other features, something that would not be so simple nowadays considering his fame as Alan Partridge.
REBECCA FRONT
This regular face of comedy introduces the weird American reports as the pun-cracking Babs Wintergreen, as well as playing the very different character of Valerie Sinatra, the transport correspondent situated a mile above the centre of Britain in a tower. Rebecca Front has appeared in many radio and television series including 'Fist of Fun,' 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' and the recent 'Nighty Night,' and is the undisputed queen of pathetic, submissive characters, but isn't limited to such roles.
DAVID SCHNEIDER
A funny man with a memorable face, Schneider plays assorted characters, but his appearance means he usually ends up playing wacky or stupid characters. Most prominent as the floating head presenting the weather in increasingly pointless styles, from the huge weather collar to the weather pinball machine, he also regularly features as Brant, a satirical cartoonist whose visual metaphors are devoid of any intelligence, but are very funny. His finest moment is as the incompetent lifeguard who is unable to control a group of young children, and has to sit by the pool ashamed.
PATRICK MARBER
Actor and playwright Patrick Marber competently pulls off the incompetent Peter O'Hanraha'hanrahan, a news reporter who is ridiculed almost every show for his stupid actions or fabrications, and he plays an assortment of characters in the rest of the show. Comedian Stewart Lee introduced a Patrick Marber hatred element to the Lee and Herring show 'Fist of Fun,' motivated by the actor's part in kicking Lee and Herring off the 'On the Hour' team (and stealing their material) before the show transferred to TV as the Day Today, and his general curmudgeonness. He plays good characters, but will forever be tarnished by his cornish face.
THE DVD
The Day Today is an annoying DVD, but conta ins a number of extras. The first disc features all six episodes in excellent quality, although they can only be accessed by waiting for the over-elaborate menu screen to reach the desired option before pressing 'select,' although the audio commentaries promised by several websites seem to be missing. It's very possible that I have failed to locate them, considering I even find it hard to locate the episodes, but this was a little disappointing as it would have offered an incredibly rare opportunity to hear how Chris Morris' mind works.
The special features are very well presented and, for the most part, entertaining. The best feature is the entire pilot episode of the series which is comprised of stories and film that wound up in the series, but is clearly in the experimental stages as far as set and clothing design is concerned. Another great feature is the full-length filmed versions of the documentaries 'The Pool' (from shows 2 and 3) and 'The Office' (from show 6). These twenty minute features are much more enjoyable than the edited ones, and the missing scenes make it easier to understand some of the later events, as well as creating a better atmosphere.
The only dodgy aspect of the special features is the inclusion of what the DVD terms 'Po-Faced Analyses,' a lengthy programme created by the Open University in 1997 to inform budding journalists and newscasters of how a news show is created. There are clips from the Day Today, and interesting discussions over the meaning and effects behind aspects, but the majority is boring and very tedious.
VERDICT
The Day Today has not aged in its appeal or relevance, as the conventions it mocks and parodies are still present today, especially in times of technical malfunctions. The humour stems from a number of different angles and as such it can be enjoyed by a large number of people, although they may not appreciate it all. Even if they don't, it's got Alan Partridge in it.
1997's 'Brass Eye,' fronted by Morris and retaining some of the same guest actors, was in some ways the second coming of the Day Today, based on more of a documentary format than a regular news show, although its suspicious presence on Channel 4 indicates that Morris has lost some favour with the BBC. The Day Today could appear to be insensitive, prejudiced and unnecessary on occasion, but those who were able to appreciate its quality found that the entire format of news shows was now questionable.
DVD EASTER EGGS
If anyone has the DVD, or is planning to buy it, the following link explains how to access some of the special features, all concealed far too well to be stumbled upon by accident: http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=11312
I won't explain them in this review in case any readers wish to find them alone (although it would take you several dedicated days).
Advantages: Original and very funny, Incredibly realistic style, Can get repetitive
Disadvantages: Won't appeal to everyone, Great performers and techniques
E
Lee Evans: Wired & Wonderful – Live at Wembley
The Funniest & Friendliest Stand-Up
****
Written on 11.04.04
The satellite and digital Paramount comedy channel regularly shows live performances by Lee Evans on Sunday nights, all of which I watch on a regular basis, leading me to the conclusion that he is the funniest stand-up in the country. Many of his jokes are pretty basic, despite being very easy to relate to, but the delivery and over-the-top performances by Lee would make it difficult for even the most stoic Lee Evans-hater not to let out some guffaws.
It was when Channel 4 showed this particular live performance late last year, 2003, that my opinion of the comedian and actor Lee Evans changed drastically; previously he had been that small, high-voiced idiot who seemed like a 90s version of Frank "I've been articulated" Spencer in the films 'The Fifth Element' (quite good in parts) and 'Mouse Hunt' (cack), and I remembered tuning into his sitcom and finding it anything but funny. But while he may be popular in film circles in a similar way to Rowan Atkinson, it is with his energetic live shows that Lee Evans shows how funny he really is.
WIRED & WONDERFUL
I was a little wary when looking for some Lee Evans to review, as I've seen a number of live performances on TV and it's difficult to tell them apart, but as 'Wired and Wonderful' was the first Lee Evans I saw I can remember it well. Being some of his more recent work it isn't quite as spontaneous and hysterical as his shows throughout the 90s, with Lee's excellent "characters" such as Malcolm the cleaner and his ever-present nagging wife, but the situations the comedian describes are incredibly easy to visualise and relate to. Even to me, which is strange as I don't have a wife or job, and certainly haven't ever been to Ikea.
THE MAN
Despite his eccentric and hyperactive persona, it's very easy to get a sense of the real Lee Evans on these shows. Between gags he indulges in banter and feels the need to give some sense of balance by explaining how he continues to love his wife more each year and is delighted with his daughter following a particularly demeaning joke about families. It's impossible not to like the man behind the very sweaty exterior, and there is no sense of prejudice or arrogance that makes such "hilarious" comics as Roy Chubby Brown so unpopular with many people. His opinions on the difference between the sexes are very clear and funny, while his own bad experiences with air travel and jobs prevent him from seeming too distant from the common man, despite the fact that he's probably loaded nowadays.
SUBJECT MATTER
Any clips of Lee Evans live show him moving around the stage in a bizarre manner as he is a very visual and performance-based comedian, but a lot of his material is straightforward jokes. He isn't above commenting on his wife's mood swings and strange habits, and when me and my brother were watching this on TV for the first time our very biggest laugh came right at the end when Lee put on the most outrageously high-pitched voice and stuck his tongue between his lips. The line was "daddy, what's he doing?" in the context of getting embarrassed at the zoo when gorillas decide to openly practice self-pleasure. That's the thing about this comedian- if they ever released a script-book, it wouldn?t capture any of the essence of why he is so funny to watch.
There are inevitably far too many subjects discussed for me to remember and isolate in my mind from other shows, but the most memorable part of this show comes when Lee sets the scene for going to Ikea with the wife, a nd buying far too much to fit in the car. His portrayal as the nagging wife and the stubborn man who is prepared to snap things in half in order for them to fit is fantastic to watch, and this even ends with the notion of the car's interior being similar to earthquake victims. "Keep shouting love, someone will hear us!" He also returns to an old favourite subject, that of airlines and airports, and with some token Lee Evans surrealness, shows the emotions of a luggage bag as it goes along the conveyor belt, acting very scared. He is truly the master of personification, as his portrayal of "desperate beans" in a service station in a previous show demonstrates.
VERDICT
I'd recommend seeing Lee Evans live, at least on TV, if you are a comedy fan. You probably couldn't dislike Lee Evans more than I did before I saw this show, and now I'm desperate to go and see a live show. An additional note about Lee Evans is that although he never talks about anything particularly rude, he does use swear words (especially the F-word) throughout the shows, although most is forgiveable as it is spoken through very angry men/women characters.
As a full-price DVD I wouldn't say that this is totally worth buying, as the extras are not extensive - they include a short behind-the-scenes documentary showing Lee trying out his moves, and a rendition of his classic Bohemian Rhapsody mime from an older show - but it would be worth a rent, or a viewing on Paramount channel if you have the ability. Most of my favourite Lee Evans jokes and routines occur in earlier shows, such as 'Different Planet tour' and 'Live at Her Majesty's,' but I wouldn't say he had lost any of his wit or ability.
PERSONAL NOTE
My only regret is that one of my f riends went to see this tour in 2002 and asked me if I wanted to go, but unfortunately I was still in my phase of thinking he was a pratt. Shame on me, that would have been a great night.
F
I'd Love to Stay and Chat, But You're a Total B*tch
*****
Written on 02.07.04
Peter: Did the Count ever kill anyone?
Brian: What?
Peter: I mean, have they ever shown him doing somebody in and then feeding on him?
Brian: …You're asking if they've ever done a Sesame Street in which the Count kills somebody, and then sucks their blood for sustenance.
Peter: Yeah.
Brian: No, they've never done that.
The third season of hit adult animated comedy ‘Family Guy’ managed to be even darker, stranger and more controversial than ever before, but was all the more entertaining for it. When creating the first several episodes of the third year the production team had been informed that they could receive a cancellation from the studios at any time based on the disappointing viewer figures for the second season, so the writers decided not to pull back on some of their most controversial but very funny jokes yet: the two-parter that opens the season sees Brian (a dog) become addicted to cocaine when working for the police while Peter (not a dog) pulls such shocking pranks as dipping pregnant teenagers’ hands in hot water leading to fourteen premature births.
Comparisons with ‘The Simpsons’ are expected, but Family Guy is in a much different league, in terms of both the humour and the plotlines. The writing team of Seth McFarlane, David Zuckerman and others seem to have complete knowledge of every type of joke situation and gag and manage to go beyond every one to something fresh and even funnier. For all their convention-bashing, even Lee and Herring couldn’t do that.
CHARACTERS
Peter Griffin – the token fat drunkard loudmouth imbecile whose stupidity literally knows no bounds. This season sees Peter searching for new jobs and dealing with some serious family issues, but his primary function is still to be the moron. For me, Peter is the true star of the show.
Lois – Peter’s loving, devoted and sensible wife, who has somehow stood by her husband all these years. Lois snaps a couple of times this season, but she is still pretty much overshadowed by the sillier characters. I don’t think she’s attractive though, after all she’s only drawn and that would just make me strange.
Brian – the family’s sophisticated, middle-aged dog whose problems only seem to be getting worse. He’s already undergone a mid-life crisis and unrequited love in season two, and Brian now has to contend with addiction and his raging hormones. Deadpan and loveable.
Stewie – the one-year-old who is somehow able to talk (well if you can accept a dog with a drink problem…) and who has plans of world domination and of murdering his mother. Stewie is always great in his brief scenes, and this season sees Brian telling him “the evidence is really piling up” as a response to the writers’ ongoing jokes of Stewie exhibiting homosexual tendencies.
Chris – the overgrown teenager who takes after his father in the mental department, Chris takes a back seat most of the time but is always on hand to deliver a dumb comment. Very likeable in a pitiable kind of way, but at least he’s happy… except when repeatedly troubled by the evil monkey in his closet.
Meg – the writers became aware at an early stage that the troubled teenager Meg was the least popular and most irritating character, and they have taken advantage of that with some excellent and bizarre jokes at her expense over the years. This year sees brief admissions that Peter isn’t her real father and proves how little her parents know about her allergies. There’s also a strange comment about her nipples when she flashes a boy: “wow, one’s an innie and one’s an outie.”
I suppose people could relate to the characters, but I prefer to distance myself and watch from afar.
EPISODES
The third season has a different atmosphere and style to the previous two, but it takes an amount of viewing to fully appreciate this. In some ways, the soap opera of the community in terms of the relationships between friends and families has a stronger presence this year, while continuing plots across some episodes (Peter’s unemployment, Brian’s lifestyle problems and Stewie’s homosexual leanings) make it more compelling viewing and slightly less episodic. It’s still a cartoon comedy show though, so don’t expect Peter’s apparent death in several episodes to have any repercussions on the future of the franchise.
Disc 1
1. THE THIN WHITE LINE
Brian has to face that he has developed a drug problem and is sent to a rehabilitation centre. Unfortunately for all, Peter checks himself in for the holiday of his lifetime.
Peter: Brian, it's moments like this that make me sad you're gonna die fifty years before I do.
2. BRIAN DOES HOLLYWOOD
Having recovered from his cocaine addiction, Brian has left his family and is now a struggling writer/waiter in Hollywood. Brian’s big break can only be obtained if he is willing to direct certain risqué movies…
Brian: Hey, you know what might be a thrill for you guys?
Chris: Ooh, ooh, eating a pebble!
3. MR GRIFFIN GOES TO WASHINGTON
The Happy-Go-Lucky toy factory is forced to sell out to a cigarette manufacturer and it soon becomes clear that the new products are aimed at getting children to smoke. Peter is made head of the company and must face a moral dilemma.
Chris: Dad, what's the blow-hole for?
Peter: I'll tell you what it's not for, son. And when I do, you'll understand why I can never go back to Sea World.
4. ONE IF BY CLAM, TWO IF BY SEA
An excellent p*ss-take out of Britain that is far too over-the-top to be insulting as the local Drunken Clam bar is taken over by British investors. Meanwhile, Peter and his friends have been framed for arson.
Eliza: Ew, your breath smells like kitty litter.
Stewie: I was curious!
5. AND THE WEINER IS…
Peter’s manliness is called into question when he notices the size of his son’s genitals, but extended cars and a membership to the National Rifle Association all blow up his face.
Peter: Hey Chris, what’s with your leg? … That’s not your leg!
6. DEATH LIVES
The Grim Reaper visits Peter (again) when he is struck by lightning, and offers him an overview of his life with Lois. Once Peter experiences his revelation he tutors Death in the art of relationships.
Peter: Lois may be worth a million bucks to you, but to me she's worthless.
7. LETHAL WEAPONS
The FG racism is directed to leaf-obsessed New Yorkers this time round, and Lois takes up martial arts lessons after finally snapping at Peter’s domineering nature. But Lois then brings violence into the household…
Stewie: Ooh, Lois, someone's wearing their ovaries on the outside.
Disc 2
8. THE KISS SEEN AROUND THE WORLD
Neil Goldman, the local Star Trek-loving bespectacled nerd (a cartoon version of myself but with ginger hair) finally gets the chance to kiss Meg, and he is very happy to publicise this encounter.
Stewie: Let me guess, you picked out yet another colourful box with a crank that I'm expected to turn and turn until OOP! big shock, a jack pops out and you laugh and the kids laugh and the dog laughs and I die a little inside.
9. MR SATURDAY KNIGHT
When the Griffins invite Peter’s homosexual boss to dinner he is accidentally choked to death with a chicken bone and Peter finds himself without a job when the factiry is shut down. He returns to his true calling: playing a knight in the Medieval fair.
Vacuum repairman: There you go, all fixed. Turns out a half-eaten meatball was clogging up the intake.
Peter: Oh. Well, did you save it?
Vacuum repairman: Uh, no.
Peter: You bas****.
10. A FISH OUT OF WATER
Still looking for a job, Peter takes up a position as fisherman, unfortunately spending everything he has (including his family’s home) in the endeavour.
Brian: Peter, did you read the fine print on this loan contract?
Peter: Um, if by "read" you mean imagined a naked lady, then, yes.
11. EMISSION IMPOSSIBLE
When Lois’ sister has a baby, Lois and Peter decide that a new infant is just what they need. Stewie is far from happy with this arrangement however, and he carries out a ‘Fantastic Voyage’-style trek into Peter’s testicles.
Brian: Wow, the evidence is really starting to pile up.
Stewie: Joke all you want, you know I look good.
12. TO LIVE AND DIE IN DIXIE
When Chris’ life is threatened by a criminal, the Griffins are forced to move to the South for all manner of redneck japes.
Peter: I think the lesson here is, it really doesn't matter where you're from, as long as we're all the same religion.
13. SCREWED THE POOCH
Brian finds himself strangely on heat, and after catching him sitting on the toilet with a magazine, Lois asks him to come with the family on a trip to her wealthy parents’ mansion. But they have a very attractive racing dog…
Peter: Hey, anybody got a quarter?
Bill Gates: What's a quarter?
14. PETER GRIFFIN: HUSBAND, FATHER… BROTHER?
Peter is shocked to discover that one of his ancestors was a black slave, and he immediately attempts to immerse himself in the local black culture. Needless to say, he doesn’t quite fit in.
Peter: I got no idea how to be black ... y'know, except for not smiling when I get my picture taken.
Disc 3
15. READY, WILLING AND DISABLED
The Griffins’ neighbour Joe feels that he is no longer the cop he once was, being paralysed in the legs and everything, but Peter is determined to enlist Joe in the handicapped Olympics, acquiring some illegal steroids in the process.
Peter: Just don't forget our deal, Lois. I sit through this and later tonight I get anal. You hear me? No matter how neat I want the house you have to clean it.
16. A VERY SPECIAL FAMILY GUY FREAKIN’ CHRISTMAS
It is Christmas (obviously), and ‘everything can go wrong.’ Well it does, especially when Peter accidentally gives away all the presents and Brian sets fire to the tree and house.
Brian: Who the hell buys a novelty fire extinguisher?
Peter: I'll tell you who. Someone who cares enough about physical comedy to put his whole family at risk.
17. BRIAN WALLOWS AND PETER’S SWALLOWS
In the weird outing, Brian falls in love with an old woman while on community service, bedazzled by her beautiful signing voice. Meanwhile, Peter’s new beard becomes the nest for some rare chicks that he is not permitted to remove.
Peter: No bird frenches my wife and gets away with it.
18. FROM METHOD TO MADNESS
Brian’s acting audition doesn’t go well, but it inadvertently gets Stewie’s own talents recognised. The Griffins’ new neighbours don’t like wearing clothes.
Lois: Oh good, I don't have to cook!
Peter: Oh, no, go ahead and cook anyway Lois, and we'll throw it out. I don't want you to get rusty.
19. STUCK TOGETHER, TORN APART
Peter’s jealousy runs rampant when Lois meets an old school lover, and a guidance counsellor suggests they effect a temporary situation. In contrast, Brian and Stewie have accidentally stuck themselves together with super-strong glue.
Stewie: Augh! What the hell do you think you're doing?
Brian: I'm cleaning myself.
Stewie: You were clean fifteen minutes ago, now you're just on vacation.
20. ROAD TO EUROPE
Peter is thrilled at the news that rock-n-roll band Kiss are in town, and Stewie takes the opportunity to escape to England in pursuit of a children’s television programme. Brian chases after him, but they end up in the Far East.
Stewie's Letter: Dear stupid dog, I've gone to live with the children on jolly farm. Good bye forever. Stewie.
P.S. I never got a chance to return that sweater Lois gave me for Christmas. Umm, I left the receipt on top of my bureau. I'm probably over the thirty day return limit but umm… I'm sure if you make a fuss they'll at least give you a store credit or something. Umm.. It's actually not a horrible sweater. It's... It's just I can't imagine when I would ever wear it you know? Oh I also left a button on the bureau. I'm not sure what it goes to, but I can never bring myself to throw a button away. I know that as soon as I do I'll find the garment it goes to and then it'll… Wait a minute, could it be from the sweater? Did that sweater have buttons? Hmm… Well I should wrap this up before I start to ramble. Again, goodbye forever.
P.P.S. You know, it might be a little chilly in London, I'm actually going to take the sweater.
21. FAMILY GUY VIEWER MAIL #1
Brian and Stewie introduce this collection of tales based on suggestions from fans: what would happen if Peter had a magic lamp? What if the Griffins had super powers? What would happen if Peter and Lois were children? It goes without saying that the answers are very original and unexpected, making for the most bizarre episode yet.
Peter: I'm gonna go microwave a bagel and have sex with it.
Quagmire: Butter's in the fridge!
BUYING FAMILY GUY
After releasing each season individually over time, the ‘Family Guy Compendium’ was released: this contains all three current series as well as an extra DVD, ‘Family Guy Uncovered,’ that contains some fairly interesting behind-the-scenes footage and commentaries, but isn’t particularly interesting. The Compendium can be bought on Amazon for £44.99 (so save up those miles), but it’s actually a lot more worthwhile in my opinion to buy the seasons individually as it works out so much cheaper: although each set was around £17.99 when first released (and can still sell for as much as £25 in high street shops), Amazon and other sites stock the individual releases for under ten pounds. That’s less than fifty pence per episode, if you’re strange and like to think in those kind of terms, and having watched them all several times already I can guarantee it’s worth it.
VERDICT
I love Family Guy and have done since I first saw it, despite having grown very tired of the Simpsons over the years and only liking South Park for about two months when I was thirteen. The animated nature of the show is no hindrance to its enjoyment, and the excellent modern techniques applied to the drawing and animating means that it isn’t distracting in any way; besides, a live action show would need an impressive budget to show some of the stranger parts of this programme.
The only real drawback to Family Guy fans in the UK, aside from the fact that it’s hardly ever on television, is that most of the cultural references that litter every single show are lost on people who didn’t grow up in America in the eighties, watching loads of television series and advertisements. This makes it all the more satisfying however when a reference is spotted and understood, such as ghosts trying to cheer up PacMan after Ms. PacMan leaves him, Peter fighting in the film ‘Tron’ and the appearances of voice actors and actresses from prominent television shows (Batman’s Adam West plays the Mayor of Quahog in a number of episodes).
The low price of these DVD means that they are relatively risk-free buys, and I’d advise anyone who hasn’t seen the series but who thinks they might be interested to buy it immediately. If you don’t like it, at least your kids will. There are no real extras to speak of, aside from a chapter select that's a little unnecessary considering each episode is only 22 minutes in length, but there are English subtitles for the hearing impaired on the UK sets.
Appendix: The Future of Family Guy
Until early this year there was no future in sight for Family Guy – another original series cancelled by a TV network in its prime. Fortunately, successful DVD sales worldwide led to Fox commissioning another two seasons of the show (at least) to begin airing in early 2005, while talks of a Family Guy film have also apparently been discussed. News can be found all over the internet, but TVTome.com is a reliable source. My thanks also to FamilyGuyQuotes.com, a website that came in useful for reminding me of great moments from some of the episodes I hadn’t watched in quite some time.
Even Better than That!
****
Written on 27.06.00
Nice!
The Fast Show moves along at such a high pace, it's great. It's unlike any other comedy show I've seen, and the characters are extremely varied. There's something for everyone, whether you like the uncertain and shy homosexuality of Ralph and Ted, the mostly-incomprehensible Channel Nine or Paul Whitehouse's opinions on things which are brilliant.
Some of the scenes will not appeal to everyone, and people will always have characters they prefer to others, but there is such a wide range that someone will love all the characters somewhere, and that's brilliant.
Advantages: A lot of varied sketches which are very different and move along at a fast pace.
Disadvantages: Not all the sketches will appeal to everyone.
Remember "Moon on a Stick?"
*****
Written on 07.06.04
Introduction: A brief plug for FistofFun.net
Fist of Fun was one of the most influential and unrecognised comedy series of the nineties, never repeated on the BBC and never released on video. The scarily extensive fan site at www.fistoffun.net has set up a worthwhile and promising petition for the BBC to release a DVD of the series for the show's tenth anniversary next year: a similar petition was the reason behind the recent release of comedy series The Day Today. If you were a fan of the show or the later work of Lee and Herring, the petition can be reached from that website's homepage and although still in its early days, it has generated a large response already. At what price do we sell out to advertise causes in Dooyoo reviews? Personally, I got five pounds. I am lying of course, but I would love to replace my dodgy video CDs of the show with an official release, hopefully with loads of extras.
PREMISE & HISTORY
At the start of the first episode, Stewart Lee informed the audience and viewers that Fist of Fun's motive was to provide interesting lifestyle ideas and comments on aspects of modern life to fill the tedious hours between one's birth and inevitable death, taking delight on the final show of the series when realising how he and Richard Herring had fooled the BBC into screening a show based on such a flimsy premise.
"Bear in mind that these lifestyle hints do come from two overeducated men in their late twenties who have never done an honest day's work in their lives and who rarely risk venturing out of the house for fear of missing an unscheduled episode of Going for Gold" - Stewart Lee, episode 1
Stew and Rich met at University and started working on comedy together soon after, developing their on-screen personas - essentially exaggerations of their own lives - fairly early on. Their paranormal comedy series 'Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World' aired on Radio 4 in the early nineties, paving the way for recordings of their live show - titled 'Fist of Fun' - and their subsequent 'Lee and Herring' show on Radio 1, incorporating subversive sketches and obscure music chosen mostly by self-proclaimed obsessive music fan Stewart Lee.
Eventually given six half hour slots on BBC 2 Thursday nights, Stew and Rich combined interactive stand-up with a variety of random and regular sketches, usually based on the theme of each show but more often than not being a way for the duo to discuss silly ideas and swear a bit, mostly discussing the world of hobbies and the need for such distractions - such as Stew's own habit of keeping all his possessions on shelves in alphabetical order.
"We are laughing with nerds, not at them," Stew told the Express newspaper, "It's a celebration really - anti-cool rather than anti-nerd."
CAST
The show was written and presented by Stewart Lee and Richard Herring in their exaggerated guises of world-weary, incredibly cool cynic and jolly fat silly man respectively. Stew and Rich discussed topics as diverse as sex with gnats and crime from their studio, as well as starring in or writing the multitude of sketches and aside sections in every episode.
Contributing an extra few minutes each week was penniless 31 year old Welsh virgin Peter, played by Peter Baynham. Baynham would later write for Brass Eye, I'm Alan Partridge and a string of disappointing animated chows including Monkey Dust and the recent I Am Not an Animal, although his disgusting and ultimately pathetic presentation of Balham's Peter was a highlight of the show.
The incredibly talented actor Kevin Eldon starred as a verity of characters, from the regular Simon Quinlank and False Rod Hull to a man pretending to be Jesus, explaining that he was one of Jesus' helpers when he was found out. He had got Jesus confused with Father Christmas there. Eldon has since starred in Big Train, Jam, This Morning with Richard Not Judy and Nighty Night, and was virtually a constant presence of any non-mainstream comedy of the late nineties.
FEATURES & SKETCHES
The majority of the show was presented from the studio: in series one a cluttered but impressive set with an overhanging balcony, the second series seeing a much more budget white set. Stew and Rich discussed matters and ad-libbed jokes, creating a very informal and enjoyable atmosphere, relocating to chairs or the upper level to provide some visual interest.
Peter's sections often came towards the end of the show and always served as a natural break, the smelly disappointment of a man showing viewers cheap and simple recipes, some of which are detailed later for you to try.
Simon Quinlank is the self-proclaimed King of all Hobbies, and most weeks he presented a segment on how to correctly carry out a small sample of his vast hobby portfolio, which is better than Neil Petarch's because he only knows three hundred hobbies "which is rubbish." Although the proposed 'Christian Church Crawl hobby' was deemed unsuitable for television, Simon was still permitted to show the delights of 'Egg Smashing,' 'Old Man Collecting,' 'Arse Rubbing' and a special appearance live in the studio for his 'Asking Minor TV Celebrities For Their Autographs And Then Ripping Up That Autograph In Front Of Their Astonished Minor TV Celebrity Faces hobby.'
Series two saw the regular appearances of a man who claimed to be late TV personality Rod Hull, but who was eventually proved to be a fraud when the genuine Rod Hull appeared in the final episode. Carried out by putting on a ridiculous voice and wearing an even stupider wig, false arm and chin, this character did it all in the pursuit of green jelly, which he "looooooves."
The sketches that interspersed all of this often featured insights into the presenters' own life, with a modern day adaptation of the Pied Piper story explaining how Rich drove mice from his flat, and the moving story of Stew's heartbreak when a kitten he had befriended was found in the company of its original owner. There were all manner of random tales as well, including a day in the life of Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (who drove a milk float), and a festival in Shrewsbury involving the 'Pie Pie,' a huge pie made up of the collected decomposing remains of the town's pies over the period of a year.
The second series was a little more experimental in that Rich and Stew were hardly given any notice that a new series had been commissioned, and as such it occasionally reflects each comedian's own stand-up style; the most obvious example comes from the excellent eight minute re-enactment of the Boy Who Cried Wolf story that only serves to show Stew's delight at finding humour in a humourless, repetitive situation.
VERDICT
In a segment of the second series, Richard Herring suggests modifying Fist of Fun into a rip-off of the X-Files in order to attract more viewers, and Stew points out that his "fat man's weird sex show" would only attract around nine viewers rather than the nine million hoped for by Rich. Richard replies, "not many people would like it, but those that did like it, it would be their favourite show on the telly." This pretty much sums up the cult status Fist of Fun achieved after its brief run.
The characters and layout of the show are very memorable and it was undoubtedly one of the funniest TV shows of the mid-90s, along with The Day Today (which Lee and Herring contributed to in its radio days). Catch-phrases such as "I am Rod Hull" and "you want the moon on a stick" became even funnier as the series progressed through the anticipation.
Stew and Rich returned to TV screens in 1998 with the much different format of a Sunday lunchtime comedy series, 'This Morning with Richard Not Judy,' which ran for two series and did in fact feature reappearances from some of the characters including Simon Quinlank, while introducing others such as the Curious Orange, Nostradamus and the Sunday Heroes (Jesus, Matthew, Thomas, etc.) Two very underrated comedians who now rarely work together, but whose live shows are still a highlight of the comedy circuit.
Some of Peter's recipes for you to try:
PORK SLUSH PUPPIES - Crush some frozen sausages in a glass and add cold water.
MILK SUCKED THROUGH TWIGLETS WHICH YOU THEN EAT - Bite the ends off a Twiglet until it is hollow, then use it to suck milk from a glass. You then eat the Twiglet.
EASY PASTA - Put some hard pasta shapes into your mouth, chew them, and then spit them out when they are soft.
SIMPLE SUMMER FRIES - Open a bag of frozen McCain oven chips and eat them
Advantages: Original and very funny comedy, Each performer and character is very likeable and skilled, Something for everyone, but especially virgins who live on their own in Balham probably
Disadvantages: Second series' low budget resulted in a less impressive look, Not available on DVD or video
G
Goodnight Sweetheart – Series One
...Till We Meet Tomorrow
****
Written on 14.09.07
Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran (The New Statesman), ‘Goodnight Sweetheart’ is a memorable rom-sitcom that ran for six consecutive series through the nineties, and was the first major role for Nicholas Lyndhurst after ‘Only Fools and Horses’ ceased production as a regular series and moved into the realm of sporadic Christmas specials. Slightly similar to the more recent ‘Life on Mars,’ the premise involves 1990s television repairman Gary Sparrow (Lyndhurst) accidentally stumbling across a gateway to the past, accessed through an alleyway in East London. At first believing the archaic decor and characters of The Royal Oak indicate the pub’s unusually serious commitment to a 1940s theme, Gary soon has the truth thrust upon him by a devastating air raid. After acclimatising himself to the bizarre situation, Gary develops a habit of travelling back and forth between the two eras on a regular basis, fuelled to no small degree by his developing love for the landlord’s daughter.
The complete first series (which this category seems to be aimed at, according to reviews) ran for the customary BBC sitcom span of six episodes at the end of 1993, and aims to tell a complete and self-contained story arc from start to finish, providing a satisfying ending while also leaving the series open for the future continuation that eventually ran it into the ground. These six half-hour shows were clearly thoughtfully written to explore this unique time travel concept to its full potential, and each idea – from stunning the past with rare gifts of now widely-available chocolate to the idea of buying dead-cert shares to invest in the future – is handled tastefully, and at a realistic pace.
Despite being labelled as a sitcom, the humour is entirely character-based, and more in the ‘Birds of a Feather’ league (another Marks and Gran creation) of occasional and extremely contrived witty retorts from the more sarcastic characters, though there are a few attempts at silliness through the use of repeated jokes, particularly the random background extra who chastises characters for using coarse language (i.e. ‘bloody’) when ladies are present. Naturally, much of the humour is based on the ironic differences between customs fifty-three years apart, and although this leads to some jokes being repeated a fair few times, particularly Gary’s passing off songs by the Beatles and other late twentieth century artists as his own, the intended weekly gap between each episode serve to make each instance a nice reminder of quite a good joke rather than an annoying repetition. The audience always seems to love that joke in any case.
Well conceived, this series is primarily an angst-ridden tale of romance and infidelity, with comedy and science fiction overtones, and it seems to be based on a deliberately ‘modern’ attitude that adultery is really okay, if you’re stuck in a bit of a loveless marriage. The premise is quite morally confusing, particularly as the audience is expected to sympathise with Gary even as he attempts to seduce 1940s Phoebe (Dervla Kerwan), herself married to an enlisted soldier serving in Tunisia, and then returns to his present-day wife Yvonne (Michelle Holmes) for banter and sex. Despite his evident frustrations with Yvonne across this series, feeling that her career ambition and involvement in an Open University psychology course have led to her neglecting him, it’s obvious that there’s still much love between them, and she genuinely attempts to solve their obvious differences as the series progresses, as she sees Gary become increasingly distracted by his odd newfound hobby of collecting 1940s literature and memorabilia. For some reason.
Worse are Gary’s rather unforgivable and frequent lies to both the women in his life, often using his friend Ron – the only person who knows the truth about his time travels – to cover for his absence in 1993, and concocting an elaborate tissue of lies when caught out by Phoebe in the past, culminating in Gary’s ‘admission’ that he is married to an actress named Marilyn Monroe whose glamorous lifestyle has put insurmountable strain on their marriage. Most hypocritical of all is Gary’s unjustified jealousy when he momentarily suspects Yvonne of cheating on him with her college professor, making him an equally sympathetic and despicable character. Shallow attempts are made to justify his actions concerning the time difference – after all, it’s not really cheating on Yvonne if neither of them have been born yet, is it? – and Ron effectively sums up that school of thought when he points out how Gary is living “every man’s dream”: an affair with an untraceable bit-on-the-side.
Although this is far from a typical BBC period drama, the production values are still quite impressive, particularly in terms of the indoor and outdoor sets that authentically reflect the period and convince the viewer that they are momentarily inhabiting the war-torn East End, from the cosy public house to more elaborate ballrooms, hospitals and restaurants. One scene in which Ron unsuccessfully attempts to accompany Gary on his journey sees him enter the market square in its present-day incarnation, which fully demonstrates the great job done by the production team. It’s a necessary cliché that each jaunt back to the past is accompanied by some historical news breaking while Gary is there, but this acts as quite an enjoyable history lesson for viewers unfamiliar with the period, while the occasional songs and exploration of customs and culture provide some nostalgia for people like my grandparents. (Oddly, watching the series back provided me with my own sense of nostalgia as I was eight years old when it was first broadcast).
The performers are all hired as professional actors rather than comedians, and although some characters are played largely for laughs, such as the slightly nerdy Ron and dim-witted police constable Reg (Christopher Ettridge, playing both the regular 1940s character and his lesser seen grandson who is still serving in the police force), others such as Phoebe’s father (David Ryall, who would not return after the first series) offer a more serious and antagonistic presence. There’s no faulting the acting of the regulars, particularly as this is a sitcom and they are expected to carry both drama and punchlines, and Gary’s two women are well written as natural opposites beyond simply having different regional accents and hair colour. Even the music fits the tone perfectly, ranging from the traditional songs and orchestrated score of the 1940s scenes to more chirpy and very typical early 90s sitcom melodies in the present.
As a serial, the first series consists of six fairly independent plots all participating in the larger story arc of Gary’s discovery of the time portal, acclimatisation to the period, and developing and deteriorating relationships in both eras. Unlike most sitcoms that will achieve the status quo and rigid character dynamics by the end credits of episode one, developments take several episodes to really come into place, such as Ron’s gradual awareness of what Gary is up to, and Gary’s own efforts to acquire authentic 1940s clothing and documentation in the present, and this makes it far more interesting to watch. The final few episodes see the development of a rough formula, with Gary visiting the past under false pretences with the intention of returning to his wife shortly, being detained overnight in the 1940s one way or another, and having to provide a desperate explanation to the agitated and suspicious Yvonne upon his late return, often through the hapless Ron, whose fabrications become increasingly elaborate and embarrassing for Gary, perhaps by intent. Despite the formulaic comedy, Gary’s relationship troubles follow a natural and enjoyable curve, and even though I normally avoid romantic comedies as much as I avoid anything produced by Channel 4, it is touching and compelling to see him come to his final decision in episode six (even if the whole thing is morally flabbergasting).
This first classic series is recommended to all fans of science-fiction-tinged romantic sitcom (there must be some of you out there), and fortunately approachable even by fans of period dramas or sitcoms in general. Some of the humour is sexual in nature, though I wouldn’t suggest that this makes it unsuitable for children (such as the young version of me who really enjoyed it), though less open-minded parents will perhaps take issue with its adulterous nature; on the whole, this is fairly typical late evening/early watershed material, a time slot Lyndhurst fans will be very familiar with. It’s nice to see the past both mocked for its backwardness and celebrated for its strong character, and although the writers avoid some of the typical dramatic clichés associated with time travel, they are at least acknowledged by the characters, as we see Gary return to the past with news of an impending surprise air raid, and contemplating the possibility of his actions affecting the present, particularly concerning the potential of whether Phoebe is still alive in 1993.
Marks and Gran have a lot to work with, and by spreading it out in this way they avoid over-using or running out of ideas, while crediting viewers with some intelligence by presenting themes that are never specifically addressed in so many words, most evident in the falsity of Gary’s double life that allows him to escape the tedium of a dead-end job and unappreciative wife by becoming revered as a knowledgeable, generous and awe-inspiring hero simply due to his roots in an advanced culture. It’s easy for Gary to win friends and affection by living a lie, but at a significant cost to his character and personal values, and it leaves the series open for interesting future developments in that area.
The DVD release is a fairly budget affair, currently available on Amazon for £7.97 or as part of the complete series collection for a discounted £34.97, but it commendably features audio commentaries from the writers on all six episodes, as well as brief interviews with the cast and crew on its creation and development at this early stage. Oddly, the episodes are missing the standard chapter selection option, each playing as an entire half-hour chapter that perhaps better serves to make this a longer, multi-part story arc rather than a series of individual episodes... or am I just making excuses for them now? Whether Lyndhurst has successfully left Rodney behind is up to each individual viewer to decide, but his ‘Only Fools and Horses’ character became increasingly reminiscent of Gary Sparrow thereafter, as he began the slow march into middle age.
Advantages: Enjoyable and well-written genre-blending sitcom, with great sets and performances.
Disadvantages: Becomes overly formulaic as it develops, and dances on questionable moral ground.
Tom Green: Something Smells Funny
It's Probably That Poo You're Holding
***
Written on 08.07.04
Some of you un-hip older readers may never have heard of Tom Green and his self-titled show, but this bearded and incredibly silly Canadian rapidly became a television icon for MTV viewers several years ago. This is one of several DVDs composed of assorted "best" material from the show, which ran for two years on MTV before Tom became too popular for it to conceivably work any more, and although such a compendium of clips would usually spoil the continuity of the scenes in their original context, the original episodes themselves are so deliberately disorganised that it might as well be an extra long show. An extra long show where Tom seems to get a haircut halfway through and then grows it all back.
DEFYING CONVENTION
To many people, the Tom Green Show would appear to be a man being incredibly silly and childish to get some cheap laughs. It is largely that, but it's obvious that Tom (and the co-writer, the largely unseen Derek Harvie) have set out to deliberately go against the conventions and normal standards of television. This does entail some very sick occurrences such as the 'Cow Brain Boat' sketch in which Tom breaks open the severed heads of cows and melts their brains to some plastic and Tom scooping up his friend's vomit in disgust, and this will seriously put off casual viewers.
Although the majority of each episode is made up of "sketches" and films of Tom interacting with people on the street, it is rooted in a studio discussion where Tom either converses with a special guest - usually someone of very low social standing who Tom then acts silly around by wrapping cling-film around his head or simply shouting at them and laughing far too much - but where Tom mostly interacts with his friends and the audience. The presence of Glenn Humplik, Tom's long-time best friend, is so unnecessary that it can become very funny; Tom will occasionally get some laughs at Glenn's expense by showing a film of how he has tormented him or by throwing stuff on him in the studio, but for the rest of the time he sits on one of the sofas playing his GameBoy. Even more unnecessary is Phil, a man who stands behind a fake window drinking coffee and laughing a lot.
The Tom Green Show is a mixture of talk show, sketch show and reality TV, although these genres often intermingle through all the toilet humour.
POO POO HUMOUR
As the show is aimed primarily at "college" age viewers, popularity is ensured through the use of lavatory and sex jokes. The whole idea of toilet humour is brought to a head in a studio scene included on this DVD that sees Tom angered at the idea that all he can do is "poo poo humour." He feels that he is making serious social criticisms and is adamant that if he wanted to do poo poo humour, he would let people know he was doing it. He then proceeds to excrete, pick his faeces up and walk back into the studio, holding it out to members of the audience. One particularly cocky man touches the poo and can soon be seen wiping his fingers drastically, Tom telling him "betcha you thought it was a prop!" This scene itself goes a little too far even for someone open-minded like myself, but the idea that MTV would screen a man picking up his poo and showing it to people, and that it would be included as one of the best scenes, is very amusing. This was also one of several Tom Green clips featured on 'Tarrant on TV' at the time.
MEMORABLE SKETCHES
Several DVDs of the Tom Green Show were released, so this doesn't contain all of the best material. A lot of my favourite scenes and sketches are included however, which I have attempted to identify with relevant titles:
'Take a Flying F***' - the first Tom Green clip I saw, this is a lengthy confrontation with a very angry man (face covered by a black oblong throughout) who takes offence at Tom's question, "can I ask you where you're going?"
'I Walk With a Swagger' - not very well-known, but this has always cracked me up. Basically it's just Tom making a rap of sorts while hanging around the legs of an old man who looks quite bewildered.
'Burning Feet Man' - at night-time, Tom ties paper round his feet and covers them in oil and then seeks out people in need of help. Whenever someone asks for directions, he sets fire to his feet and shows them the way... until he can't stand the heat and has to be doused with a fire extinguisher.
'Slutmobile' - one of many pranks played by Tom on his long-suffering parents. He has their car airbrushed with a gratuitous lesbian sex scene and witnesses the reactions of his parents. His dad calmly tells Tom he's walking to work, but Tom lends a hand and drives the Slutmobile to the bus stop where his dad's friends can see it. "Dad, don't be embarrassed by your Slutmobile," he tells him.
VERDICT
I enjoy the Tom Green Show, but it does occasionally step too far past the line to be considered funny (although this does keep it interesting). This DVD is fifty minutes of the show and as such is only worth buying if you're desperate to see some Tom Green: most of it is fairly average, and it doesn't include any of the interviews which are one of my favourite parts of the show. It also seems biased in favour of Tom's over-the-top and disgusting pranks rather than his low-key interactions with the general public.
There are a couple of scenes that I have no desire to see again, such as a very lengthy studio segment where Glenn bares his temporarily tattooed buttocks and Tom plays a song for them, and the only reason I would watch this would be if I felt like watching some Tom Green and he hadn't been shown on MTV2 for quite some time. This is not for the faint-hearted or weak-stomached.
H
Happy Tree Friends – Volume #1: First Blood
Whatever Happened to Entertainment?
*
Written on 09.10.04
There has been an unfortunate downturn in television entertainment over the last few years, and a very strange trend in "extreme" entertainment. The popularity of Jackass led to countless spin-offs, including the British 'Dirty Sanchez' - a series based entirely on watching a group of men hurting themselves for fun and dallying with poo, wee and semen in a bid to become the most extreme.
Although I usually prefer something with some kind of plot, I can understand the desire to break social taboos and push the taste barrier that bit further, but 'Happy Tree Friends' - the uninspired and bizarrely cult series of animated shorts - brings nothing new to the fold by merely animating the bits that Tom and Jerry never dared to show. Tom and Jerry was fun though.
BACKGROUND
Happy Tree Friends is a Mondo Media production, a presumably small company of computer animators who would never have anticipated a contract with MTV to screen their short clips late at night. The brief animations, never lasting more than three minutes, follow the antics of assorted animal characters as they attempt to carry out innocent chores but end up dying horribly in the process. There are eighteen characters, many of whom are distinctive and recognisable - a large, blue moose and a bespectacled anteater among them - and their inevitable deaths stem from a wide range of common and absurd disasters.
A BIT OF FUN?
I used to enjoy the 'Itchy & Scratchy' sections of the Simpsons, and much of my creative writing in my early school years featured death and suffering in a "humorous" way, but I would have struggled to find this entertaining at any age. The complete lack of originality aside, this isn't even anything too extreme - the animators may have been micturating themselves at the thought of an incompetent father not noticing as his baby sticks an electrical razor down its throat, but there is no comedy value in seeing it carried out. Especially if you have already witnessed several of the other animations, all of which rely on exactly the same structure - an animal does something lovable, then you notice a danger, then it gets hurt, screams and dies.
To be fair to the creators (giggling idiots though they are), they do attempt to subvert the expectations of viewers on several occasions, granting slightly more longevity to the format, but a couple of near-misses resulting in the lethal blow being administered by an unexpected means does not deserve to elevate this to the cult sensation it has become, both in its original home of the internet and on MTV. The fact that the characters are not particularly well designed, most of them sharing the exact same face, does become an issue after time also.
FIRST BLOOD
The first Happy Tree Friends release was the 'First Blood' DVD in 2002, and this flimsy package is the subject of this review - were this a category for the show itself, I would not have felt any real need to comment. This was undoubtedly an early attempt by the company to cash in on the popularity of the series rather than waiting a bit longer to offer something that would be genuinely worthwhile to the Happy Tree Friends fan. There are fourteen brief episodes in total, including one never before seen, and a slew of bonus material.
The commentary with the creators provides a real insight into the kind of people responsible for this show. I have always been proud to be one of society's necessary nerd class, a necessity to make other people seem more cool, but the three Americans behind Happy Tree Friends are the kind of people who put honest, slightly-interesting-in-their-unusual-tastes-and-obsessions nerds like me and Dave Gorman to shame. Ricky Gervais would occasionally crack up when performing his brilliantly written lines for 'The Office,' but there is really no need for these guys to burst out in uncontrolled, wheezy hysterics every time they see one of their old drawings.
VERDICT
Watching this on the internet is a waste of time, but only a couple of minutes' wasted time that would otherwise only have been wasted playing PacMan or watching the microwave count down or something, so each to his own. I cannot forgive this DVD for being a feeble cash-in at the expense of fans who can stream the Flash movies from the internet whenever they desire. Two more DVDs have been released since, featuring slightly more material but still equally pointless and unnecessary.
Puritanical parents will undoubtedly hate this show, but it is certainly a short-lived craze: there is simply not enough diversity to ensure longevity (Rod Hull and Emu being the contrary example here, R.I.P). Happy Tree Friends isn't new, clever or funny, and I sincerely hope that wiser dwellers of the internet will come up with a genuinely entertaining series that the kids can get into.
Did Lenin and Jesus die for this? I am afraid so.
Harry Enfield & Chums
You Don't Want to Do That!
*****
Written on 04.07.00
Harry Enfield is a comic genius. His creations on Harry Enfield's Television Programme have prospered into Harry Enfield and Chums, and the new ones are fast becoming more popular than the old ones. Take Kevin the Teenager- easily Harry Enfield's most famous and successful creation- who has now achieved worldwide recognition in his own film. Harry has created something everyone can relate to, from the troublesome and parent-hating teenage Kevin to the Lovely Wobbly Randy Old Ladies, Lee and Lance, the Toddlers, the Self-righteous Brothers ("Oi! No!"), Tim Nice-but-dim, the Slobs and many, many more.
Harry's creations have been helped greatly by the continuing presence of Fast Show star Paul Whitehouse and Kathy Burke ("Gimme, Gimme, Gimme") as co-stars, and they have helped bring to life such diverse characters as Perry, Michael Paine, Fred Git and Waynetta Slob. But it's the sheer hilarity of the scripts that make Harry Enfield so watchable, especially with such masterpieces as "Modern Dad", the father who wishes he was modern that is confronted with a situation when his son Tom and his boyfriend come for dinner and often makes slips of the tongue. There have also been Christmas specials with such delights as the ensemble character reunion "Titanic" to the one I consider most hilarious of all, the parody "Tele-cockneys."
Harry Enfield is very funny, and his shows are unmissable. There may be some things you don't like, but you'll never fail to laugh at something.
Advantages: Incredibly funny with a very varied range of characters.
Disadvantages: Not all the characters will appeal to everyone.
The Harry Hill Show
Welcome to My World
****
Written on 25.09.07
Before he became a regular fixture of the ITV mainstream, Harry Hill developed a strong cult fan base throughout the 90s, aided by winning the Edinburgh festival’s Perrier Award in 1992, before exploding modestly onto a Sunday night slot on Channel 4 back in the days when that channel was any good. The self-titled ‘The Harry Hill Show’ (simply ‘Harry Hill’ on screen) provided a perfect arena for Harry’s highly visual ‘as-live’ performance, incorporating stand-up monologues, running gags, musical numbers, dance, ventriloquism, pre-filmed sketches and elaborate stunts in an attempt to create the ultimate theatrical experience. But without the tragedy.
There’s a fantastic cosy, live feel to the whole show, performed mostly from one small stage in front of an unseen audience whose enthusiasm grows as each series progresses and catch-phrases become more apparent, in a style that can’t help but compare to the channel’s earlier success with ‘Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out.’ As with that show, there is a sense that viewers are missing out on what would be a spectacular live performance, but Harry’s familiar style translates well to television and makes use of some of its benefits in cutting to pre-filmed material recorded elsewhere. With its small cast performing a regular clientele of characters whose reliance on catch-phrases either spirals out of control or remains stubbornly fixed as each eight-episode series plods on, the show reminds me mostly of Lee and Herring’s ‘This Morning With Richard Not Judy’ from around the same time, which is perhaps inevitable considering Stewart Lee’s prominent role as the series’ script editor and the comedians’ history of performing together.
Harry Hill would present the bulk of each show from the small, brightly coloured stage in his regular guise as the eccentric frontman with ridiculously oversized collar and thick-rimmed glasses, delivering surreal new and classic stand-up material before moving seamlessly on to entirely unrelated subjects and running gags. The TV series is essentially a continuation of the long-running radio series ‘Harry Hill’s Fruit Corner’ and involved many of the same situations and characters, mostly from Harry’s own alleged family. Prior to winning his own Perrier for his Pub Landlord character, Al Murray reprised this series’ most consistent role of Harry’s dim-witted, belt-loving big brother Alan (“if it’s too hard, I can’t understand it”), while other notable characters included Harry’s tiny adult son also called Alan (who communicated only through tapping), the risqué Nana Hill, actor Burt Kwouk playing himself (but with an insatiable quest to capture chickens with increasingly elaborate gadgets), and Harry’s cockney “chief scientist,” bizarrely named Finsbury Park, who was paid for his services with pork or lamb chops, decided through an elaborate game show system.
No real attempt is made to explain why many of these characters turn up on stage when they do, adding to the frivolous atmosphere. All of these characters were intentionally one-dimensional and limited in scope, and many of their appearances amounted to little more than a direct repetition of the previous week, and the week before that, making the changeover between series something of a relief. Most successful are the brief scenes of banter between Harry and his big brother Alan, which usually involve them indulging in strange playground-style, name-calling games that gain momentum through the series and start to overlap with each other, before Harry reminds Alan to get back to organising the ‘badger parade,’ later replaced with an alphabet song, ultimately delayed due to various distractions until the final episodes. The show’s use of puppets is probably its most debatable move, despite being one of the few truly new additions after the radio show, and is really quite confusing. While the badgers’ sections are innocent fun, they are a little pointless, often the mere precursor to the show’s musical finale, while the use of the huge, monstrous, eye-popping recreation of Tufty the Road Safety Squirrel seems more aimed at giving children nightmares. Most memorable is Harry’s blue cat hand-puppet Stouffer, acting as an enjoyable, well-meaning parody of ventriloquism acts, in which Harry is fitted with a deliberately unconvincing Rod Hull-style false arm and makes no attempt to hide his mouth movements.
It’s clear that Harry intends his shows to be enjoyed by people from all walks of life and all ages – even to the extent of introducing a special section on biscuits in one episode “for older viewers” – and the series’ repeats in an evening time slot may have helped to spread its appeal to children, who can get just as much from the series as adult viewers. I certainly would have loved it when I was about seven, and the only real change that has been made for these repeats is the quite distracting and badly-dubbed word “slug” whenever the Little Orphan Boy calls Harry a slag. Unfortunately, it seems that these are the versions that were sold for endless circulation to the Paramount channel and can now be seen more often than the originals, which may have contained further material edited for the earlier broadcast. The series hasn’t been released on DVD or video, but there are always ways to see these things on the internet.
Harry Hill’s show is a highly enjoyable half-hour of television (twenty-five minutes if excluding the advert break), but its extensive range of styles makes it rather hit-and-miss by necessity. The reliance on formulaic jokes is incredibly high, even compared to similar series, and while the anticipation can increase the enjoyment in some cases, particularly when expectations are confounded a little, many of them get quite old, quite fast – it all depends on the individual viewer’s tastes. While it’s always enjoyable to see Burt ‘Tenko’ Kwouk stroll on unannounced with his latest chicken-catching gadget, you know it’s always going to be followed by his “hey little hen” song with no variation whatsoever. The good thing about this scattered approach is that each section is mercifully short, rivalling ‘The Fast Show’ in its frequency of scene changes, so even if a viewer isn’t fond of the dull clown sit-com, it won’t be long before Harry has a Savlon flashback leading to his Zeinab Badawi news section. The use of celebrity guests is also satisfyingly low-key and ridiculous rather than a genuine publicity stunt, as those involved are usually placed in a meaningless situation along the lines of “Garry Bushell sings the instrumentals.”
This certainly isn’t comedy for those who believe stand-up should be all about making angry satirical observations in the style of Bill Hicks, but as some unadulterated traditional entertainment it’s hard to beat it. The show rarely makes me laugh out loud, and I could never watch more than one in a day due to the degree of repetition, but it’s a nice, bizarre and heart-warming family show that viewers are invited to completely lose themselves in for half an hour. The show ran for two series and a Christmas special before being cancelled, but has been succeeded by Harry’s other projects such as ‘TV Burp’ and ‘The All-New Harry Hill Show,’ both of which I’ve avoided for fear of disillusionment. His tenure on ‘You’ve Been Framed’ inaugurated a new commercially viable Harry Hill that likely upset many of the die-hard cult fans who knew him when no one else did, but they should at least be thankful that the terrible rumours about Harry fronting a revamped version of ‘Beadle’s About’ have turned out to be a total lie.
Advantages: Simple and surreal entertainment from a variety of mediums.
Disadvantages: Too much reliance on repeated catch-phrases and tedious formulae.
Richard Herring: Someone Likes Yoghurt
One Sperm the Size of a Trout
*****
Written on 22.10.07
An eighteen year veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe with numerous radio and television projects behind him, Richard Herring nevertheless had a fear of stand-up in its pure form, without a projector screen or convenient script to work through, stemming from some particularly disastrous gigs as a young man in the early 1990s that culminated in him inviting a student on stage to voluntarily drop their trousers in unison. In early 2005, Herring confronted his demons and took to the small stage again, first with some trusty cock jokes and later introducing some of the more experimental and subversive material borrowed from his website’s daily blog, ‘Warming Up.’
The show that would eventually become ‘Someone Likes Yoghurt’ takes its inspiration from a variety of sources, with a topical look at the death of Pope John Paul II being the only time-bound piece, despite Herring’s apologies elsewhere in his set that “every comedian’s doing the Rudyard Kipling sh** at the moment.” The show consists of five major routines, the last forty minutes of which are entirely about yoghurt, but the DVD release helpfully divides this further into nine chapters, not that you’d ever use them. There’s no real connection between these topics, as diverse as monkey rape and a pedantic evaluation of the unfair magpie reward system (that leaps straight from sorrow to joy and only gets worse as it continues), but Herring still tries his best to pretend that there is by strategically inserting some tenuous call-backs in later material.
This loose structure doesn’t matter of course, and there are enough larger themes evident throughout to tie it all nicely together, but it also made it an easier process for Herring to abandon, edit or extend the show as he saw fit during its original Edinburgh run and later national tour, particularly the malleable yoghurt routine in which the comedian exerts his influence to extend a discussion that’s already of unreasonable length to even greater extremes depending on how much of the audience is really hating it. He claims to have once made the yoghurt stuff last for an entire hour when a vocal group of audience members seemed particularly nonplussed by it: laughter is anathema to him, and even without his tirades against overrated and more successful acts such as Peter Kay and Jimmy Carr, it’s clear that this isn’t a comedy show for everyone, and oddly for a return to more profitable stand-up it’s probably among the least mainstream work the comedian has ever done. This DVD strives to capture the full performance, even if the disappointingly cordial audience is on Herring’s side throughout, not even shouting the usual heckles such as “stop talking about yoghurt.”
One of the recurring themes is Herring’s unique and elaborately thought-out solution to what he sees as the problems of the world, planned out “in what some might consider far too much detail.” So from deconstructing and rearranging the magpie song to make it fairer as a magpie-based lottery, the atheist moves on to one of the show’s most memorable moments as he struggles to grasp the idea of a God who apparently hates sperm wastage providing males with such an inefficient and inherently wasteful method of sperm delivery. Herring’s solution is for a single sperm to be produced, the size of a trout, and he goes on to justify the numerous advantages of this ingenious notion (far more than you would think) in what some might indeed consider far too much detail. Particularly the sixteen-year-old girl he lecherously targets and questions on this matter, delighting in his unique freedom as a stand-up comedian to shout about shoving a fish-sized object inside a barely legal girl and be applauded for his twisted imagination by a crowd of witnesses, whereas if he were to say the same thing in any other situation it would be considered a form of sexual assault.
This lovingly produced DVD recording, complete with attractive yoghurt-based menus, was set up and released by independent comedy fans Go Faster Stripe, who essentially invite the country’s finest comedians (in their view, if not that of the stupid general public) to a dark comedy club in Cardiff and get them to revive their last show for one more night. The venture began when Stewart Lee’s first official, high-budget DVD predictably failed to sell to a larger audience, and desperate to record a second for posterity rather than unrealistic profit, the unholy Welsh union was struck. ‘Someone Likes Yoghurt’ was the third GFS release followed by one for Simon Munnery, and further shows continue to be filmed and produced on an irregular basis. It’s a really great enterprise, and all the DVDs and other stuff they’ve brought out in the cheapest possible packaging are available from their website at the cheapest possible price (usually about £10 with £1.50 postage for each delivery). Go there now, it is good. Special features include an extensive half-hour interview with Herring before the performance, and a clip from a previously filmed, inferior version of the show shot from a static camera at the BAC theatre, which at least shows the diversity of the trout material.
If your reasonable yoghurt purchases have ever been unfairly mocked by check-out staff, or you still feel stupidly proud of the flawless, trick-free genie wish you worked out when you were five, Herring’s unique, strange, obsessive, borderline autistic performance may be just what you’re looking for from a comedy DVD. And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
Available for a tenner from Richard Herring's gigs or http://www.gofasterstripe.com/cgi-bin/website.cg
Advantages: Richard Herring's bizarre, yoghurt-based return to stand-up, finally recorded for posterity.
Disadvantages: Daily Telegraph's Worst Comedy Experience 2005, an award the comedian cherishes.
Taming of the Goat Boy
***
15.10.07
Filmed for an HBO special in 1991 as the comedian’s popularity escalated, ‘One Night Stand’ is a short half-hour set of Bill Hicks’ current ‘greatest hits’ up to that point, or at least feels like it. There’s a natural progression between the three general subjects he deals with: smoking, drugs and pornography, all discussed under the larger idea of government control and stupidity when it comes to banning and promoting ‘evil,’ but despite the strength of this political material, the whole performance seems to lack the energy, spontaneity and genuine rage of many of Hicks’ other, more substantial filmed performances, most likely due to its filming for a TV audience at the end of an exhaustive nationwide tour.
That’s not to say that Hicks compromises his material or edits out any of the obscenities or more contentious points – as he was infamously required to do when appearing on ‘The Tonight Show’ before having his comparatively safe material cut in an action that was incorporated into his stand-up as further evidence of TV’s hypocrisy and idiocy – but the need to perform essentially ‘at his best,’ with little crowd interaction or improvised musings, works against this performance capturing the archetypal Bill Hicks show, as is the case for many other stand-up videos. A book was released a few years ago that printed up transcripts of Hicks’ numerous live shows and watching this video almost feels like reading the flatter material on the page when compared to some of his looser and more energetic gigs, but at the same time this won’t present a problem for newcomers to this late comedian who will still be seeing a fine performance.
I’m not usually fond of political comedians who elicit an audience response of an agreeable “whoo, right on man” as much as a laugh, but Hicks (despite his exaggerated legendary status) was inarguably a master of the craft, and always ensures that each aggressive tirade from his own hardened belief system is rounded off with a set of genuinely funny or ridiculous jokes, so the audience receives a dogmatic lecture on the necessity of drug use for the creation of good music and is rewarded for its patience with a piece about the stoned Beatles trying to prise each other off the ceiling, complete with enjoyable attempted accents.
And while Hicks’ belief in supreme love for all things obviously works against his hatred for key figures in the industries and governments responsible for wars and the other things that impede humanity’s progress, there’s no sense of offence or division on the part of the audience, as Hicks ensures that he berates and applauds the entire crowd in equal measure, seen perfectly in his attack on the self-righteousness of non-smokers followed up by a mockery of his fellow smokers’ ill health, all of which is justified by some fairly impenetrable logic. There is a fairly large frequency of “whoo!” exclamations from the more anarchistic members of the crowd, particularly during the self-proclaimed controversy of his “I used drugs, and I had a real good time – sorry” routine, but there’s a far greater frequency of laughs from the whole room that makes the whole thing work.
Hicks’ lecturing could deter people who see it as obnoxious, and at times it does feel that way – while it’s clear that his talking down to the audience with statements like “should I walk you through it again?” is largely a joke, it can be a little irritating to hear him declare his observations as “fact” (however accurate that may be), and telling anyone whose brain may be running through an “internal dialogue” to quite simply “shut the f*** up, you’re wrong.” At other times he puts himself down quite amusingly, but only in terms of unfortunate experiences while over-indulging in narcotics and alcohol, and never in terms of betraying his own life goals and ideology, which have obviously always remained infallible. He gets away with most of this as his political and social observations are all fairly accurate and predictable, so the audience will naturally be on his side to begin with and even more so when confronted with some of his reliable statistics, but Hicks fortunately remains a comic first and foremost and frequently goes overboard into exaggerated routines and abuse that could only be taken literally by those listening to each gag in complete isolation (as many right-wing people complaining about this type of thing tend to do), as Hicks’ overarching philosophies are made expressly clear throughout the performance to all but the one or two members of the audience lacking a sense of humour who may mistakenly believe they’re here to see a political speech.
Although it’s a little short and not too lively, and almost all of the material can be seen or heard elsewhere in a superior form, ‘One Night Stand’ is still a great show from a performer who burned out long before his time, dying from cancer at the age of 32 a few years later. Because the major material is so famous, it’s the smaller, personalised and time-bound parts that make this compulsory viewing for Hicks fans: he opens with a brief discussion of the Chicago winter, and later incorporates the contemporary Judas Priest trial seamlessly into his discussion of music as a supposed ‘evil,’ ridiculing the already-ridiculous claims of subliminal backwards messages on rock albums with plain logic. Hicks was a great comedian who struck a perfect balance between expressing his political views and cracking a great number of well-crafted jokes and routines at impressive speed, and although it only lasts half an hour this is much more than a bite-size sampling of the famous comedian, but still nowhere near as definitive or entertaining as his other DVDs.
Advantages: Classic routines captured on film as Hicks' career turns high profile.
Disadvantages: Recycling of material always presents a problem, and there's no room for improvisation.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Excellent Script
****
Written on 05.10.03
If the title seems to imply that I find the script the greatest thing, by far, about this 1980 sci-fi comedy show, that's probably because I do. Douglas Adams' Hitch-Hikers series began as a BBC radio show, then progressed onto book format (the books continued to come out and expand the stories well into the 1990s), and the TV adaptation. Personally, I find the books the superior incarnation of the stories, mainly because Adams' real humour comes through in his descriptions. This can be seen by the number of times the guidebook is brought in to narrate something irrelevant but hilarious in the show.
Prior to seeing the series, I had read on the internet that it was a disappointing show that looked too dated to be enjoyable, and with some bad casting decisions. I eventually decided to hire a video out from a library, after months of deciding I didn't want my mental pictures forever scarred by rubbish sets, an I was pleasantly surprised by the show which was supervised by Adams- thank God. Last thing the world needs is a BBC sitcomed-up version of a classic idea.
The storyline is more or less exactly the same as in the first radio series, with each of the six episodes beginning and ending at the same points. The books expanded on some ideas, took a couple away and basically added loads more to pad out the 200 pages, so I was already familiar with the plot, which is:
Arthur Dent lies in front of a bulldozer to stop his house getting demolished to make way for a bypass. "You've got to build bypasses" is the only logical answer a builder can give him. Arthur's peculiar friend Ford Prefect arrives and tells Arthur that the world is about to end, which it unfortunately does, however Arthur and his alien pal have managed to stow away on the attackers' vessel. Through the course of the series they are blown into space, reunited with Ford's relative Zaphod Beeblebrox, they discover an ancient planet, Arthur learns incredible things about the nature of the Earth, the group done at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, they are involved in an intergalactic conflict, and Arthur and Ford eventually end up where they began... about two million years in the past.
I cannot fault the storyline one bit, it had me laughing out loud when I read the books, and it is still very amusing on the screen. However, these are my major gripes with the TV series:
- stuff looks dodgy. This doesn't matter most of the time, but some things look cringingly crap. Zaphod Beeblebrox's second animatronic head is infamous for its unbelievability, while some of the model shots looks too much like toys for a time when Star Wars and Star Trek films were winning awards for such things. I know, the BBC's low budgets for shows like this, but it does distract.
- a couple of characters are not as enjoyable or interesting as in the book. Trillian, the pleasant looking lady, is physically different from the one described, and although she was clearly the least interesting character anyway, she is even less believable here with an American accent and bouts of extreme intelligence and stupidity. The guy playing Ford Prefect is sometimes a little annoying in the way he delivers lines too.
- some jokes don't work. I get the distinct impression that if I hadn't read the books first, and been granted time to dwell on some of the great non-plot moments, I would have found some of the things happening here a little unnecessary. An example is the morphing of attacking missiles into a whale, which proceeds to fall to the ground and try and understand its existence before the end, and a bowl of petunias, which only thinks "oh no, not again."
Aside from this however, if I had been able to appreciate non-child TV programmes in 1980, this would have been one of my very favourites. As far as I can tell, this was the first successful science fiction-based comedy, obviously forerunning the amazing Red Dwarf. A good thing about the TV format is the portrayal of things that are not completely unconvincing, or at least not so much that it's rubbish. Planetscapes and pieces of galactic history are shown which is very nice. Also, Simon Jones' portrayal of Arthur Dent is fantastic; from the physical description to the 'not quite at ease with himself' personality and that hilarious questioning voice, Simon Jones was the perfect choice for Adams' protagonist.
One of the main attractions of the programme for me is the Hitch-Hiker's Guide itself; an electronic book that is basically the narrator of some of the less easily-understandable issues such as the Babel Fish translator and galactic wealth. Although the limited computer graphics and animation look like the old BBC Schools programmes you may have had to endure in school, or low budget 'head to the snack bar' ads in cinemas, it works surprisingly well and doesn't actually look that dated if you assume that the guide is trying to explain things as simply as possible. The narration is by Peter Jones, who also narrated on the radio show. In fact, many faces (voices) from that show reappear here, including Zaphod, Arthur and Slartibartfast.
My advice to fans of the science fiction comedy medium would be to DEFINITELY get round to either seeing, hearing or reading the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It is a fantastically written comedy with a huge number of obvious and subtle descriptions of completely warped alien ideas and characters that will keep you laughing and wishing you could remember all the best bits for your Dooyoo review. You should be able to work out which incarnation would be the most enjoyable for yourself; having read the Red Dwarf books and finding them even better than the first couple of series, it was no surprise that I would enjoy the books. They'll always be in your local library, or if you can't be bothered with reading you'll probably find the Hitch-Hiker's guide videos in a local Cash Converters or whatever second hand video sellers are.
Not my favourite version of HHGTTG, but certainly worth my viewing time. I would definitely buy it on DVD now if I didn't already own the books and radio shows... I still might. All fans will like this, although some less than others! This also has the advantage that it could be enjoyed by all ages, I know that if my dad had watched it when I was little I would have loved it.
Advantages: Fantastic scripts by Douglas Adams, Simon Jones is excellent, Music's pretty catchy as well!
Disadvantages: Stuff is dodgy!
I
The Greatest Comedy Character of the 90s?
*****
Written on 26.04.04
Two series, in 1997 and 2002 respectively, observed the ups and downs of life for an unsuccessful, arrogant and fairly dull ex-TV personality called Alan Partridge. Played by Steve Coogan, and written by the partnership of Coogan, Armando Ianucci and Peter Baynham, 'I'm Alan Partridge' has gone down as one of the most successful comedy ventures of recent years, and its influence on the genre has undoubtedly been understated. The series is a testament to failure, delusions of grandeur, and unfortunate situations.
PREMISE
The first series of 'I'm Alan Partridge' follows the depressing and hilarious life of failed (fictional) TV personality Alan Partridge as he lives in a Travelodge by the motorway and tries making every effort to get back on TV. Hosting a long, abusive and uninteresting show in the early hours on Radio Norwich, Alan is divorced and relies on his unappreciated "PA" assistant Lyn to gain him every opportunity possible to return to the limelight where he feels he belongs.
The huge popularity of this series afforded the writing team future opportunities to utilise the character, and they fittingly chose to wait a number of years before "catching up" with his life. Filmed and set in 2002, five years later, Alan has been up to quite a lot. Having been back on TV, he is now only present on the pathetically obscure 'UK Conquest' channel (that doesn't really exist!) presenting a strategy-based gameshow, and he has returned to his graveyard slot on Radio Norwich. He has a lot more money behind him and feels he has "bounced back," although his autobiography with that title fails to be as popular as he had hoped. With a young, Ukranian girlfriend, he now lives in a caravan (that he refers to as "the static home") as he waits for his custom-designed house to be finished.
ALAN PARTRIDGE: HISTORY
The Alan Partridge character was created by the team behind the topical radio comedy 'On the Hour,' which transferred to television as the hugely successful 'The Day Today.' Alan was responsible for the sports coverage, which entailed him visiting the Grand National and mistaking a pint-sized jockey for a child, taking a passenger ride in a racing car and fearing for his life, and setting up an over-complicated and ultimately stupid system for 1994's World Cup groups. Coogan's character was excellent at showing his ignorance and ineffectiveness, and was ultimately hilariously inept at his job.
Steve Coogan was awarded his own series by the BBC following 'The Day Today,' in the form of a spoof chat show hosted by the Alan Partridge character, and often featuring alumni from his previous work. Although very good at being humorously embarrassing and silly, 'Knowing Me Knowing You, with Alan Partridge' failed to be a huge success, but in light of 'I'm Alan Partridge' this only serves to boost the authenticity of that show; its catch-phrase of "Aha!" proved to be less than successful, and Alan's use of it in this series, in an attempt to remind viewers, is comically sad.
STYLE
Both series were filmed in a very realistic way, using genuine locations and mostly-believable characters, and in some ways can be seen as a pre-cursor to the recent hit, 'The Office.' There are noticeable differences however, as this is not intended to be a documentary of any kind; the cameras are not mentioned, and it is treated simply as if we are gaining a very intrusive insight into Alan's life.
Broadly speaking, the show could be classed as "black comedy," in that its humour stems from very bleak sources. The character is seen in every possible emotional state, and is often the target of quite deserved abuse, but is not completely unlikeable. After all, following twelve episodes of spending time with the man, it's impossible not to feel some compassion and sorrow for what he's going through, and genuine delight when he succeeds, even if it is through very shady means.
NOTABLE EPISODES
Every episode is centred around a clear event or theme, unlike the very serial nature of something like 'The Office,' which makes it easier for the viewer to recall certain events. There are no dodgy episodes in my view, as the character's development (and lack of) throughout each show is great to behold.
SERIES 1
WATERSHIP ALAN - Alan has insulted farmers for little reason on his radio show, accusing them of in-breeding and making references to "spines in baps" and other such ridiculous nonsense following the BSE crisis. When asked to present a corporate video for a river cruise company he accepts, as always, but the producers (familiar comedy faces Simon Pegg and Peter Baynham) get more than they bargained for when the local farmers pursue a vendetta against their abusive tormentor.
This also features an incredibly rare appearance by underground comedy deity Chris Morris as an irate farming representative who tries persuading Alan to apologise, before realising how relentless and arrogant he can be. Alan has also had a problem with his TV in the Travelodge "accidentally" screening fifteen minutes of 'Bangkok Chick-Boys,' which he apparently had nothing to do with.
TO KILL A MOCKING ALAN - Two executives from Ireland (comedy writing duo Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews - 'Big Train' and 'Father Ted') are travelling through the area, and Alan decides to stage a live version of his show to "impress" them. It soon becomes necessary however for Alan to pretend he has a house, and doesn't simply live in a room at the Travelodge, and so reluctantly allows his biggest fan to take him and the representatives to "their" home. The execs soon leave, and Alan is faced with the prospect of spending time with his self-proclaimed "biggest fan"; a man who has an entire room dedicated to the star, and has a huge tattoo of his face across his chest. He's clearly "a mentalist."
SERIES 2
THE TALENTED MR. ALAN - Now living in his caravan, Alan looks for an opportunity to further his career in presenting CCTV videos of crashes. He visits a school with one of the videos, recorded several years earlier when he was incredibly fat, and this rekindles some resentment with the old pupil, now a teacher, who once drew a chalk penis on Alan's back. This man is prepared to forget, until Alan decides to get his own revenge.
NEVER SAY ALAN AGAIN - Alan has planned his annual James Bond weekend, which he will spend watching every James Bond film in the caravan with his friend Michael. But the discovery that Michael has other friends, including a truck driver who likes "American things," indicates to Alan that their friendship is over, and he seeks a new friend in one of the builders. The arrival of Lyn's new lover means Alan has to agree to raise her salary from £8000 a year up to £9,500 (but not ten, he gets away with that by singing) and his video collection is unfortunately ruined, meaning Alan has to act out scenes in front of those gathered.
OWNING ALAN
Both series of 'I'm Alan Partridge' are now available on video and DVD, as are his other projects. The DVDs include some very interesting features, such as commentaries by the actors in character and some extended and deleted scenes. I shall be buying these soon!
PERSONAL VIEW
I had not seen any of the 'I'm Alan Partridge' series until the recent series was broadcast on the BBC, but I was very impressed and made an effort to see the rest. Being a fan of other dark comedy shows as the League of Gentlemen, The Day Today and Brass Eye, it was right up my street. The character of Alan Partridge is unique and very compelling, and in many ways the disgust and sympathy felt by the viewer makes him even more endearing. Let's face it, it's much more fun to watch someone make a complete mess of their life, digging every hole deeper and never apologising, than it is to watch someone have a good time. Or maybe that's just me.
A lot of people were disappointed by some of the changes made for the second series, but change was vital in order to keep the show interesting. Now moderately wealthy, and with a home and love interest, Alan is no longer the pathetic character from the first series, but his interactions with other characters are still top quality entertainment. If fans thought that some of his nonsensical sayings from the first series were funny (i.e. "smell my cheese," "you're a mentalist" and "Jurassic Park!" when he was ecstatic), these episodes are full of them. When he feels he has won a competition by having a girlfriend fifteen years younger than the wife of an old comrade, Alan exclaims "back of the net!", and "cashback."
In my view, the first series is slightly funnier, due to the location and the fact that Alan is so miserable and deservedly unsuccessful. The second series relies slightly more on plot devices which, although very funny ("I've pierced my foot on a spiiiike"), feel a little more contrived. The regular characters are also not quite as musing as the Travelodge staff from the first series, although the very stupid and army-obsessed Geordie, Michael, is still hilarious. There are no current plans that I am aware of to make another series featuring Alan Partridge, but such an event would be unsurprising, and a better treat even than a cup of beans.
Advantages: Very original style, Hilarous jokes, Believable and relatable
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's tastes, Some of the charm was lost by series 2
I'm Alan Partridge – Series One
I'm at a Loose End
*****
Written on 28.07.04
PETER: You seem to alienate everyone you come across including, I gather, your wife, which is you end up living like some bloody tramp in a lay-by.
ALAN: It’s a Travel Tavern.
PETER: I don’t care what you call your sordid little grief-hole…
‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is summed up excellently on the front cover of the DVD: “the bitter life of a failed TV personality turned early morning radio presenter.” The idea of basing a sitcom on the often depressing life of a failure does point to a distinctively ‘dark’ comedy style and this certainly isn’t a series that would appeal to everyone: the principle character is irritating, pathetic and embarrassing to watch at times, but if you’re into that sort of thing (and I certainly am), it’s all the better for it.
Some fans would say that the pseudo-reality TV angle of this 1997 series makes it ahead of its time in light of the later trend for such genuine programmes and other spoofs such as ‘The Office,’ but the rest of them were simply too late: ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is the natural but brilliant successor to shows such as The Day Today, Fist of Fun and the Saturday Night Armistice as many of the same faces that made cutting edge mid-90s comedy so memorable were present here.
HE’S ALAN PARTRIDGE
The character of Alan Partridge has become one of the most well-known in modern British comedy, and it’s these six episodes of television that really expand on the character and provide the depth necessary to make him a truly classic character. Alan was originally developed as the sports correspondent for the radio series ‘On the Hour,’ developed by Steve Coogan, Armando Ianucci, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring, and the mildly ineffective but highly amusing character was kept on board when the series transferred to television as ‘The Day Today.’
Soon after, Ianucci and Coogan teamed up with Patrick Marber to produce the Alan-fronted chat show ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge’ for the radio that also transferred to TV: while not the best example of the character or the writing team, it effectively mocked the stream of tedious chat shows with ego-centric presenters and rubbish guests that were such a feature of the decade. It also saw the start of Alan’s bitterness, clumsiness and strange sense of humour, but ended on a disastrous note (for the character) when he punched the head of BBC programming on the Christmas special for refusing to give him a second series. Alan’s TV career was over, consigned to the graveyard slot on Radio Norwich and kicked out of the house by his wife to live in a Travel Tavern on a dual carriageway in Linton.
EPISODES
These six episodes all feature stand-alone plots, but the running themes and jokes mean that each consecutive show rewards the dedicated viewer. Alan’s increasing mental instability is evident through his pole-dancing hallucinations (himself dancing in a thong in front of TV executives), his friendship with ex-military Geordie cleaner Michael evolves from friendly insults to quite serious insults and the frustration of the Travel Tavern staff with Alan’s constant presence is clear by the final episode.
1. A ROOM WITH AN ALAN – Alan’s meeting with the BBC’s chief commissioning editor doesn’t go too well, which is a shame as Alan just bought a big house with a Buck Rogers-style lavatory.
2. ALAN ATTRACTION – Now his second series has been cancelled, Alan has to sack everyone at Peartree productions including Jill, a fifty-year-old woman with whom he is infatuated. As it is Valentine’s Day, Alan avoids telling Jill the bad news and instead takes her to an owl sanctuary and back to his hotel room for some chocolate mousse.
3. WATERSHIP ALAN – Some abusive comments towards farmers eating spines in baps by Alan on the radio leads to the Anglian farming community dropping a dead cow on him while he presents a corporate video for Hamilton Water Breaks.
4. BASIC ALAN – Alan is bored: he walked down the dual carriageway to buy some windscreen washer fluid and then drove to B&Q to buy some tungsten-tip screws he will never use. Fortunately, he does have a chance to use them as claws in a rather badly timed zombie impersonation to ‘amuse’ the hotel staff.
5. TO KILL A MOCKING ALAN – TV executives from Dublin are less than impressed by Alan’s improvised non-TV, non-Sue Cook chat show, and Alan receives the fright of his life when trapped in the home of his biggest fan, a man who lay in a tattoo parlour for fourteen hours for an Alan Partridge tattoo on his stomach. The man is clearly a mentalist.
6. TOWERING ALAN – Tony Hayers is dead! After hosting a demeaning country show, Alan attends the BBC commissioner’s funeral with the express purpose of chatting to his replacement about his future at the BBC. The old friend is very eager, but there’s more dying to be done today…
CAST & CREW
The difference in comedic style between ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is primarily due to the replacement of Patrick Marber with Peter Baynham, complimenting the writing of Armando Ianucci and Steve Coogan. Peter’s slightly strange view of the world and way of thinking means that his comedy is very distinctive, from his tramp character in ‘Fist of Fun’ to the more strangely satirical observations of ‘Saturday Night Armistice.’ He even appears briefly in episode three as the disturbing man with an artificial voice box.
The cast are all excellent without exception, although the main credit clearly lies with Steve Coogan’s legendary Alan Partridge persona. After watching these episodes it’s difficult not to expect Coogan to be quite similar to Alan in many ways. But he isn’t. The laughter track and running gags give this series less credibility as a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ than ‘The Office’ and ‘Operation Good Guys,’ but Coogan’ portrayal of Alan actually convinces me more than that of David Brent – it’s easy to see how his mind is working after a while, and to understand exactly why he says the things he does. The best example comes when Alan is questioned by the police over his attempted traffic cone theft and he has to come up with an alias: the dialogue isn’t predictable by any means, but it seems strangely credible, as are his overlong descriptions of everything he comes across:
ALAN: If you tried to hang a hawk, they could always hover so the rope went slack. So, I suppose if you were going to execute a bird of prey the most humane way would be death by firing squad.
Felicity Montagu is very effective as Alan’s low paid but very loyal PA Lynn, who is much more enjoyable here than in the second series. This is also the case for Simon Greenall’s character Michael, a man who clearly left more behind in the jungle than the monkey he threw into the sea. The Geordie speech jokes get a little tiresome after a while, but are replaced with a genuine friendship that is fun to watch. The hotel staff did not return for the second series due to the change of location, but Barbara Durkin’s frustrated smiling Susan and Sally Phillips’ giggling Sophie are highlights of the show. The brief exchanges between Alan and his self-styled enemy Dave Clifton (Phil Cornwell) as their radio shows intersect also some of the finest scenes and thankfully remained for the second outing.
ALAN: Lynn’s a reliable worker, but I suppose she’s a bit like Burt Reynolds. Very reliable, but she’s got a moustache.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The popularity and slightly cult nature of the series demanded the BBC make some effort with the DVD, and this is among their most impressive releases alongside other shows with a manically loyal following such as Red Dwarf. Spread across two DVD discs as was the BBC custom until recently, the double helping of audio commentaries for all episodes and the collection of extended and deleted scenes provide plenty of “extra purchase,” as Alan would say.
The first audio commentary is quite a funny idea and is handled by Steve Coogan and Felicity Montagu in their roles as Alan and his PA Lynn Benfield (fifty). Both performers were fresh from reprising their roles for the second series of ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ to remain loyal to their personas here and although it’s quite a fun idea, it doesn’t really add anything to the experience – there are some good quality improvised moments of nonsense and abuse as well as the very obvious fact that they have chosen not to rehearse anything beforehand, although this can lead to large gaps in the dialogue. ‘Alan’ tries covering for the fact that there is audience laughter by confirming that this is a television drama series based on events that did happen to him a year earlier, but it’s not very convincing.
The second commentary by the writing team of Peter Baynham (Fist of Fun, Monkey Dust), Armando Ianucci (The Day Today, Saturday Night Armistice) and Steve Coogan as himself is a lot more entertaining and informed, confirming that the Travel Tavern is only a set in a TV studio (it had me fooled) and also discussing the origin of many of the jokes and scenes. They are all very familiar with the series and individual episodes, enough to draw links between them and point out minor moments such as a woman tripping over a step in the background of episode one shortly before she does so.
The deleted scenes mostly appear to be cut for time, or occasionally because they drag a joke on past the punchline a little too far (although this is part of Alan’s humour). My favourite is a scene in which Alan tries to impress Tony Hayers in his lunch with him by having Lynn ring his mobile claiming to be Noel Gallagher, but unfortunately she says ‘Nigel Gallagher.’ Alan asks Nigel to remove a CD from the glove compartment of the car and read it to confirm whether he is indeed Nigel or Noel, or just poor Lynn. The extended version of the car park discussion from ‘Basic Alan’ is quite tedious but it’s interesting to see how the actors improvise on the set, although the inclusion of ‘jingles’ and audio clips to be listened to is fairly pointless.
VERDICT
In my opinion, 1997’s ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ is a work of comic genius: easily accessible to casual viewers but with enough substance and clever techniques to appeal to the most ardent comedy fan who hates all the news stuff and longs for the glory days of Monty Python or something. This is essentially a sitcom, but a different kind of sitcom and certainly not one that will appeal to everyone, although I can watch it again and again. The studio environments are completely convincing right down to the harsh, realistic lighting casting a dingy feel to the hotel and the lack of actor make-up hiding nothing. I really like the idea that the lowest point of this man’s life is being perversely shown in all its horror, but after spending six half-hour slots with him it’s easy to empathise with him on all matters, even though he is a talentless bastard.
The DVD package is also excellent, providing commentaries for more nerdy fans (yes, I listened to all six hours over a couple of months) and excellent deleted scenes. Many of the talented comedians, performers and writers who really made the nineties a great time for comedy had input into this series, situated slightly before dark comedy became the big thing with ‘The League of Gentlemen.’ This series thankfully remained popular with comedy fans and the general public and so avoided fading into obscurity like so many other great series of the time.
The recent second (and final) series was fun, but didn’t recreate the qualities that made this series so fresh and enjoyable. These aren’t just the ramblings of a stubborn comedy fan living in the past (although they are a little bit) as I saw the second series before the first: I only saw these six episodes over Easter on UKTV Gold and immediately bought the DVD. Strange that I missed it originally, especially considering the other rubbish I subjected my eyes to in those days (‘The High Life,’ ‘Sunnyside Farm’ and ‘Rab C. Nesbitt’ all come to mind…)
Advantages: Original and funny, Excellent acting and writing, Great special features
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste, Not one to watch when you're down
J
James Randi: Psychic Investigator
[Not technically a comedy, but it's still pretty funny]
****
Written on 15.02.10
James Randi is one of the most well-known paranormal investigators and sceptics, most notably as founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) which has for many years offered an award of $1,000,000 for anyone who can demonstrate their psychic abilities in laboratory conditions that both parties agree upon beforehand. The prize has been hanging in the air for decades now, and still hasn't been claimed. Indeed, the world's foremost self-proclaimed 'psychics' seem bizarrely reluctant to put their skills to the test. You know, almost as if their powers are a load of made-up rubbish.
(To be fair to psychics, I have met and befriended many of them over the last few years, and I no longer believe that they're all liars. Some are just deranged).
Like many sceptics - Derren Brown among them - Randi began his career as a magician, and says he started to dedicate himself to exposing charlatans when he saw just how many performers were claiming their magical feats were due to psychic abilities. The fraud Uri Gellar is Randi's most famous case, as the spoon-bender tried unsuccessfully to sue Randi following the publication of his book 'The Truth About Uri Gellar,' and television performances in which Randi was able to successfully recreate all of Gellar's supposed feats through simple conjuring tricks. Only in recent years has Gellar publicly admitted that he may not have psychic abilities after all, though he's still evidently happy to accept the accolade when it's banded around by people who didn't get that particular low-key press release.
'James Randi: Psychic Investigator' was a television series of six episodes that aired on Channel 4 in 1991, and is now available to watch back on torrent sites and video sharing sites such as YouTube, in nostalgically poor VHS quality. While not exactly a landmark paranormal show, its intention is much more noble and practical than most of the others that came in its wake, as rather than simply showcasing a supposed paranormal demonstration with the underlying message that this stuff probably does exist, it strives to put claimants to the test under incredibly simple conditions.
The show's title is apt. Randi has stated on many occasions that he doesn't like to be seen as a 'debunker,' but rather as an investigator. While there may be a certain level of satisfaction in seeing an arrogant spoon-bender suddenly fail to perform after you replace his customised equipment with regular cutlery, the JREF and other organisations would welcome displays of genuine psychic phenomena if the occasion ever actually arose, which of course it never has. Despite the typical opinion that followers of the scientific method are arrogant, there really is no arrogance on display from Randi and the gathered sceptics in this commendably fair series.
There's a huge amount coming from the side of believers however, as they struggle to justify their failed performances in the face of negative evidence, particularly the repugnant 'psychic surgeon' Stephen Turoff in the series' most memorable episode.
Turoff claimed he could cure peoples' ailments without invasive surgery, though his unqualified and ridiculous methods still put patients at risk of infection, and when asked to justify himself he could simply use the convenient scapegoat that the surgery was being performed by 'Dr Khan,' a dead healer with a borderline-offensive Asian accent who possessed Turoff during the procedures. The guy is a menace, and depressingly, an internet search reveals that his business is going stronger than ever. Similar to another of Randi's more famous debunkings, that of 'faith healer' Peter Popoff, who tragically seems to be doing better than ever in today's paranoid and gullible climate.
The format of each episode is roughly similar: Randi begins by demonstrating through sleight of hand how to achieve some of the supposedly psychic feats that audiences are about to see, and leaves it up to viewers to decide for themselves whether what they are seeing is genuine or fraudulent. Some of the UK's leading 'psychics' of the time are invited on to the show and applauded for their bravery in trying to practice their range of arts - from mediumship to astrology, dowsing, psychometry and graphology - and put to a simple test, the result of which is proven statistically with no bias from either side.
In all but one of the episodes (one experiment on dowsing), the psychics were - drumroll - shown to have no magical abilities whatsoever, their analyses and claims being no more accurate than what would be permitted by random chance. This sole positive result may be leapt upon as evidence of the existence of the paranormal by believers, which would be sort of missing the point. You can't selectively decide that one out of six shows (and only one experiment within that show; the other dowsing attempts all failed) is a positive result. One lucky experiment out of twenty or so is expected according to random chance.
It's an informative show, and there should really be more like it today. Maybe something presented by Ben Goldacre or Simon Singh about the dangers of alternative medicine such as acupuncture , homoeopathy and chiropractic, demonstrating why none of these treatments is effective or beneficial in any way. It could save a lot of people a lot of time, money and suffering if these things were more widely reported, plus it would be pretty funny seeing practitioners struggling to justify themselves.
You can find out more about how all of today's media-friendly 'psychics' (and I do mean all of them) lie and cheat their way to success by checking them out at the comprehensive badpsychics.co.uk
Keep it rational!
K
A Kick Up Yer Eighties
****
Written on 24.09.05
"I'm Kevin Turvey, and here's a good one: why does Mrs Thatcher wear barbed wire underwear? ... She doesn't, it's only a joke!"
This long-deleted BBC title sees Rik Mayall in what many consider his finest hour, adopting the persona of investigative reporter Kevin Turvey, assigned by his BBC bosses to investigate such myriad phenomena as death, leisure, nasty little sticky things, depression and the supernatural to enlighten "armchair Britain." Unfortunately for them, Kevin Turvey's only skill lies in digression.
An easily distracted, utterly inept reporter in an anorak, Kevin is a far cry from Mayall's best remembered later characters, the anarchistic pacifist Rick and the campy middle-aged loser Richard Richard, but the solo performance and affected Birmingham accent keep this early role different enough to appeal even to those that are put off by the oddball style of 'The Young Ones' or the over-the-top comic violence of 'Bottom.'
'Kevin Turvey,' co-written with Colin Gilbert, was easily the most memorable and enjoyable little segment of 'A Kick Up the Eighties,' one of the BBC's less successful satirical shows and certainly one of the most oddly titled. I assume so anyway, although I must admit that my experience is solely limited to the later video release collecting together all of these relatively brief "investigations," as it would be four years until I would even be a glint in my father's scrotum.
"Good evening armchair Britain, tonight I'd like to talk about shark fishing. But I don't know the first thing about it. So I'm afraid I'll have to talk about sex again."
Kevin begins and ends each instalment in a dignified manner, facing away from the audience and the cameras and holding a pose with his thumb as deceptively regal music pipes through the studio. Seemingly new to the television medium, Kevin does tend to meander completely around the topic he is supposed to be covering, leaving the audience no closer to understanding "leisure" but possessing a detailed knowledge of Kevin's unrequited obsession with Theresa Kelly, his alcohol-induced hallucinations of leg-jealous slugs and the precise layout of his flat, including the position of his doors and furniture and the approximate number of Cornflakes he consumes.
Then-newcomer Mayall succeeds in keeping the early 80s audience titillated throughout with a mixture of excellent character performance, intentionally terrible jokes and the occasional foreshadowing of his future projects, such as when he shouts to his off-screen producer "I'll turn round when I'm ready, bogie-face." Although it is a little annoying that each instalment is so short, running from approximately two to six minutes each, the stereotypically dodgy editing together of the episodes by BBC Video ensures that there is very little time to wait between each "until next week" and "good evening" and the video comes in at just over forty minutes.
'Kevin Turvey Investigates' is an entertaining and easily overlooked piece of comedy history and remains my favourite offering from alternative comedy's leading man Rik Mayall. Not (yet) available on more useful DVD format, which would allow viewers in a hurry to choose any of the ten episodes for a cheap thrill, the Kevin Turvey character went on to star in a feature-length spoof documentary titled 'Kevin Turvey: the Man Behind the Green Door,' co-starring Adrian Edmondson, but that video title is difficult to come by and generally a lot more expensive second hand than this brilliantly pointless collection of meanderings titbits.
"I thought 'oh no, I've smashed my face open on the fridge door again.' But the ringing was the front door, so I went down to the end of the hall, where I keep my front door, and you know them little holes that you look through and everyone looks all big? Well I haven't got one of those..."
L
Lee and Herring Live from BBC TV's Fist of Fun
A Gnat's Chuff is Literally as Tight as a Gnat's Chuff
***
"A really correct review of the Lee and Herring live video" – Richard Herring
Written on 03.06.05
It's 'Fist of Fun!'
I mean, it's 'Lee and Herring from "Fist of Fun" due to legal difficulties!'
Influenced by many but emulating no-one, Lee and Herring's live performances were relaxed and enjoyable romps that were at best a fascinating and hilarious postmodernist exploration of the nature of "comedy," and at worst a load of rubbish about shagging flies and having wees, with some swearing thrown in.
There was always an erudite and solid belief behind every routine on the nationwide 'Fist of Fun' tours, as well as a friendly, improvisational atmosphere that this video, the only Lee and Herring material ever released by the BBC, fails spectacularly to express in its overlong running time.
THERE'S NO NEED TO BE SARCASTIC
This, Stewart Lee's opening line addressing the riotous applause that he and Richard Herring earned thanks to being off of the telly on that BBC2 'Fist of Fun' thing, demonstrates the relationship the duo had between their on-stage personas and their real-life human being selves. Stewart Lee off of TV's 'Fist of Fun' and 'This Morning With Richard Not Judy' is a world-weary curmudgeon despite his youth, similar to a Shakespearean Iago, but one that's very good in bed. He is forced to live in a world of intellectual inferiors who don't understand his music or haircuts, but who do produce the alcohol and class-A drugs that he enjoys on a daily basis. The real Stewart Lee is grumpy and funny, and although his liver and lungs are clearly on the way to disrepair, he admits that the extent if his familiarity with drugs is "only the occasional puff on a funny cigarette, mum."
Richard Herring off of TV's 'Fist of Fun' and 'This Morning With Richard Not Judy' is a jolly, childish, virginal fat idiot who, despite his status as a comedian, fails to comprehend even the simplest of joke forms or the concept of simile. The real Richard Herring is not an idiot, and in fact lost his virginity "at the embarrassingly late age of nineteen."
Stew and Rich are clearly a double-act with exaggerated and contrived differences, but it is their acknowledgement and, in this video, clear demonstration of these differences that makes them all the more honest and understandable as overeducated nineties comedians. Stew smokes; Rich is a good boy. Stew likes to attend sex parties and get drunk; Rich likes playing 'Super Mario' on his GameBoy. Stew is affected by gigantism; Rich is a wee dwarf, although this may have been a camera trick.
The routine grinds to a cracking halt when Stew informs Rich that he has to be the homosexual one, because he himself has "baggsied being heterosexual." This often self-indulgent and completely trivial nostalgia of childhood idioms and beliefs beats any lazy reminiscing routine of Peter Kay reminding the audience about the sweets and red fizzy pop sold in corner shops.
THE FUN
"With loads of stuff that wasn't even in the TV series!" boasts the video cover. Although their present-day solo stand up is much more spontaneous, learned and evolutionary, Lee and Herring were always the first to admit that they recycled material between shows and between mediums. Although some classic crowd-pleasers such as "the moon on a stick" and the False Rod Hull would not enter their canon until the second series in 1996, this video still contains many Lee and Herring "classics": Rich having sex with a gnat, a joke which leads brilliantly to an explanation of how he has "misunderstood the art of simile" ("you've mistaken being like something, sharing similar traits, to actually being the thing that it is"), Stew's hatred of Patrick Marber and Peter Baynham's "pork slush puppies," those being frozen sausages whisked up and put in cold water. Nice.
The duo do add some new routines, although these do feel restricted from what could be excellent performances in a less orderly live show. Rich's description of how he spent his weekend rescuing his Princess girlfriend from a big lizard is soon stopped by Stew when it becomes obvious that he has gotten his own life mixed up with the computer game 'Super Mario Bros.' ("yes, you're right, that's what I've done. It's really good though, it's like you're there"), although a less scripted observation of audience members who are trying to look like Stew and Rich deteriorates, completely ruining the attempted punchline that someone has tried to look like Rich by dressing up as "some dog's muck."
THE VIDEO
Perhaps tempting fate, Stewart Lee wags his finger at the camera lens imposing on their unusually restrictive live show, noting that, rather than being a successful release, the person at home watching this video "probably bought it in one of those bins in a video shop for 89p in 1998." As with any live video, 'Lee and Herring Live' is visually uninteresting, unless you have a thing for the young comedians and their smelly special guest, and it does become very samey after a while, especially in contrast to the colourful epilepsy of the previous television series. The "natural break" Peter Baynham seems far more randomly placed between routines than he did previously, although his "unemployed 32-year-old stinking Balham virgin" persona is as funny as always, and the attempts to bring hobby obsessive Simon Quinlank (played by multi-talented comedy actor Kevin Eldon) into the piece are a little too contrived, but it's a funny and entertaining show all round.
Lee and Herring have both voiced their disappointment at the video many times, and bemoaned the lack of a proper video release of their forgotten TV shows. In their view, and that of many fans, the restrictions placed on them by the BBC for their night at London's Cochrane Theatre - primarily those of including popular material in its original form and holding back from experimentation, crowd interaction and out-of-character discussions - makes this inaccurate and more stale as a result. Unlike brief moments in the 'Fist of Fun' TV show, and throughout the much more refined Sunday lunchtime live comedy masterpiece 'This Morning With Richard Not Judy,' the viewer gains no real insight or understanding into the people behind the performances; Rich's limited improvisation merely consists of shooing away a camera on stage, while Stew feels the need to talk very slowly and monotonously in some of the slower pieces, before really hitting his stride in the unexpected seven minute deconstruction of a postcard showing two cats and a dog at a piano.
As was the case with many comedy video releases, the stars recorded some severely last-minute additions to bookend the tape. Now we're all spoiled with hours of special features on DVDs, it seems strange that tagging a brief "making of" or, in this case, one minute's footage of Rich in an empty theatre telling a young girl what to say the camera while Stew lingers like a curmudgeon in the background, seemed like such a treat.
Maybe I just want the moon on a stick. Then I could stop being grumpy that a discontinued mediocre double-act were never given quite the credit they deserved.
www.richardherring.com
www.stewartlee.co.uk
www.fistoffun.net
Advantages: Funny and original, Contributions from Peter Baynham and Kevin Eldon, Mid-90s nostalgia
Disadvantages: Too restrictive, Stew's heart isn't really in it, Lost in time
M
It's...
*****
Written on 04.07.00 [2018 rewatch]
It's loved in Britain for its controversial and incomprehensibly silly humour; it's loved in America more because the Americans… well, they're just Americans really. The reason for Monty Python's success is that their sketchers are incredibly funny. Some were very intellectual, such as the famous Dead Parrot sketch, while others were so hilariously stupid (The Ministry of Silly Walks, How to Defend Yourself Against A Man Armed With A Banana) that it takes a very intellectual mind to invent such mindless comedy. The thing about Monty Python, that is Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, is that they all went to Cambridge/ Oxford university and graduated. They were incredibly clever. And they came up with The Funniest Joke Ever Invented, the Man With a Stoat Through His Head and Déjà Vu.
Their TV programme lasted for three series, and gained so much public praise that four consecutive films were produced (Monty Python's And Now For Something Completely Different, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life- read my opinions on the last three films please. I get more miles that way). These films would have continued no doubt if not for the death of Graham Chapman in 1984. However, Monty Python night, which occurred last autumn on BBC2 to celebrate thirty years of Monty Python) undoubtedly introduced a new generation of Pythonists to the world and although they're getting on a bit, the Python team have become living legends in the television world. Even that name, Monty Python… what's that all about???
Advantages: Very funny and a landmark in comedy history.
Disadvantages: Some things were too silly to be funny.
Vic Reeves in a Haunted House!
***
Written on 24.08.03
"Most Haunted - Almost Live" is a programme I've seen several times on Sky Channel LivingTV, recommended by my friend's nan. I found it more entertaining than other programmes of that type that I'd seen in the past, such as some Carol Vorderman one ages ago, mainly because it managed to make me laugh.
Do I believe in ghosts? It's much the same story as everyone else, I've never seen one, but I'd like to think they're real. I've been a big fan of 'real life' ghost stories since I was young, but I found some of the things on the programme a little too far-fetched. The "almost live" episode I saw had been recorded several weeks earlier with a large audience outside some old, scary castle, presented by some woman called Yvette Fielding and the real star of the show, apparent psychic medium Derek Acorah. With the aid of his spirit guide, Derek seems to make contact with the dead in the house, often very dramatically- my first laugh came when he was silent and concentrating for a while, then burst out, "Lopped her head off! Lopped her head off." He does seem very convincing, so if what he's doing isn't actually happening he's either insane or a very good con man. Another of Derek's talents was gleaning information from these spectres that turned out to be the true history of the house; me and my friend joked that this information could be found incredibly easily off the internet or from the local bookshop, so it didn't reall serve to convince us any more.
Anyway, before you start assuming that the title of this review was simply a stunt to get more opinion reads, last night's "Most Haunted" was a special celebrity edition featuring comedian Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves- you didn't know that was his name did you? Well maybe you did), and this review is going to focus on that episode. He and his wife, self-confessed fans of the show, came along with Yvette, the camera crew, the usual team of partly-sceptic observers and of course Derek, and they stayed in an old house which I'm afraid I've forgotten the name of, it isn't too important. In any case, the hour long programme showed a night of events inside the house which were both interesting, funny, scary and disappointing.
Vic himself didn't attempt to crack any jokes and steal the programme, which was good although the main reason I watched was to see that funny guy. Vic told of how he had a paranormal experience when he was young an playing in a band, when he and his friends saw "a big egg" floating outside and going through a wall.
The usual exploration of rooms proceeded as usual, with the build-up of cold and hot areas being felt and the occasional creak in a corner. The identities of young children who hated someone called Edmund Craddock, the man who had the house built and lived in it for several years until his death, came through Derek, and I was forced to laugh again when the concentrating silence ended with Mr. Acorah making childish train noises, apparently commuinicated to him by someone who worked on the railway.
Things really started livening up when Vic, tired of waiting around in a nursery he seemed to loathe, went off by himself with a camera. Only as soon as he clibed a flight of stairs was he shouting profanities and legging it back to join the team, who all complimented him on his bravery before having a little laugh. Vic had seen a "little red light" and heard some bangs from within a room.
Possibly the most entertaining part of the programme, I have no idea whether any of this alleged paranormal activity actually happened or not, so I'm just reciting events as I saw them, was when Derek attempted to contact the spirits. His head banged against the wall several times, culimnating in guttural noises and the attempted strangling of one of the crew. It's parts of the programme like that which provide so much tension and fear that one begins to doubt whether it is all just a big show. Vic was later persuaded to go upstairs, drawn by forces unknown, where he shouted at a corner he believed to be "that wa***r" Edmund Craddock. Following the programme, Vic was back to his smiling, confident self.
The frustrating thing about the programme, voiced by Yvette in this episode, is the complete lack of proof they are getting of spirits in all of these locations. I've seen an episode where an apparent "orb," looking like a fly or maybe even a simple computer effect, was floating by some people, but whenever a ghost is sighted they are never able to get a camera there in time. For instance, one of the shaken men saw a white figure walk along the side of bushes and vanish.
"Most Haunted" is an enjoyable program that does serve to get the tension rising if you're watching it alone, but it doesn't persuade me any more that Derek's gifts are in fact real, or that spirits do walk in abandoned places. Too many things could be easily manufactured, such as banging sounds, but provided the people are not just all good actors some of the events could be either true, or completely in their minds. I was just surprised that there was a program with "Celebrity" in the title that actually featured someone I like.
Advantages: Entertaining, Serves to raise tension more than most horror films, It had Vic Reeves in
Disadvantages: Still no proof that the envents are real, Sometimes very similar, there isn't much variety in the episodes
N
Funny Title, Shame About the Show
***
Written on 11.04.04
To me, 'NTNOCN' seems a fairly mediocre sketch show between the surreal days of Python and the fast-paced character sketch shows of the 90s, from the likes of the Fast Show and Harry Enfield's shows. Being much more a fan of the earlier example, I don't find this show too bad, but it certainly has more than its share of poor sketches. The series is occasionally repeated by the BBC every few years, but as almost everything they satirised is no longer relevant it essentially serves as a "Rowan Atkinson before Blackadder" and "Do you remember Smith and Jones? The fat one was good, but the other one wasn't that funny really."
PREMISE
As can be gathered by its name, NTNOCN was a satirical sketch show inspired by current events. These mainly included Margaret Thatcher's Government - something that became increasingly tiresome as the 80s carried on, despite the fact that it needed to be done - and youth culture. In fact, it's surprising that Ben Elton was not listed on the endless credits of writers - the show's "open door" policy accepted ideas from just about anyone with a typewriter, but only the higher quality material was filmed and broadcast.
The show was performed by Mel Smith, Griff Ryhs-Jones, Rowan Atkinson and Pamela Stephenson. All four had large fan bases, but personally I didn't find this ensemble particularly compelling as they appeared in every sketch. The show was quite short for a comedy, running at around twenty minutes an episode for its four series, but the brief nature of many of the sketches meant that it never felt like it was dragging on. The show would always end on a musical number, the most memorable of which were the parody of the MTV culture - 'Nice video, shame about the song' - and the final episode's controversial 'Kinda Lingers.'
MEMORABLE SKETCHES
No matter how highly people may value Smith and Jones, Rowan Atkinson's sketches always proved to be the most entertaining. His stint as Gerrold the Gorilla, a very tame and sophisticated creature caught in the wild, is perhaps the most memorable, as is a sketch in which he is specifying his ideal bathroom with a miniature model and for some reason seems obsessed with inserting over seven toilets. The very well-known and popular sketch in which he simply walks down a street and distractedly walks into a lamp post is quire over-rated though.
One of the cleverest and most respected sketches from the ensemble would have to be their parody of the infamous interview with John Cleese on the release of Monty Python's 'Life of Brian,' in which the film was (wrongly) claimed to be offensive and anti-Christian. The NTNOCN sketch switched the roles and had a man arguing that the Church had invented its Jesus character in a deliberate attempt to copy and blaspheme "Our Lord of Comedy, John Cleese":
"Even his initials are the same! The last scene is the ultimate blasphemy. It is set in a hotel, in Torquay, where literally hundreds of Spanish waiters are being clipped about the ear by this Jesus Christ bloke in a ghastly cartoon of the Comic Messiah's Greatest Half-Hour!"
VERDICT
NTNOCN is not generally considered a classic of comedy in the way that Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and the Young Ones are considered "classics," but it is usually thought of in high regard. True to its status as quite a mediocre series it has been released on BBC DVD, but only with a "Best Of." Earlier merchandise included several soundtrack CDs and video compilations, but overall I don't think this programme did anything to further British sketch shows or comedy in general.
Advantages: Some very funny sketches, Rowan Atkinson pre-Blackadder is still funny
Disadvantages: Nothing too original, The ensemble became tiresome, as did the format
O
The Office – Series One and Two
I'm a Friend First, Boss Second. Probably Entertainer Third.
*****
Written on 13.07.04
The spoof documentary series ‘The Office,’ written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, followed the highs and lows (concentrating mainly on the humiliating lows) of life at an unimpressive paper merchants in Slough. The filming style was scarily believable, the humour was original and very successful and the characters were so enjoyable to watch as they coped with the monotony of adult life in a very dull workplace.
The success of the series led to even more impressive DVD sales of the two series and it didn’t take the BBC long to release the collected set of both series in a wide cardboard sleeve in late 2003. In 2004 this was updated to an official re-release of both series under the title ‘Complete Series One & Two.’
THE WHOLE PIE
The release of this collected set is a little disappointing in that nothing new is added that wasn’t already available: the special features and menu designs are identical to the original DVD releases, apart from a ‘© 2004’ amendment to the pressings, and there hasn’t even been an effort to combine the first series onto one DVD disc rather than the two disc release that the BBC used to be so fond of. This serves to make the ‘3-disc set’ label a little less impressive than it would be otherwise, but regardless of these initial disappointments this is still an easier and more affordable way of owning both excellent series of The Office than buying the individual releases.
CAST & CREW
The series is written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and despite the very realistic and spontaneous style it is a credit to the writers that very little is improvised on set. Ricky also plays the leading role of regional manager David Brent, arguably the finest and most recognisable comedy character of the last few years, while the taller and less obese Stephen features in a small role as the Og-Monster, one of Gareth’s oddball friends, in the second series. The main characters in the Office are all different enough to keep the show interesting without it seeming too contrived and false, although none of them are completely satisfied with their personal lives or occupations.
If RICKY GERVAIS was not already responsible for co-creating the part of David Brent, I would say that the role had been made for him. But it actually was, so that doesn’t serve as that great a compliment: the giggling, somewhat childish fool would rather be popular and “have a laugh” than increase output and staff skills and his many slip-ups caused by his personality and lack of sound judgement have left many people, including myself, being forced to turn away from the television screen. Brent is hilarious in all moods and the introduction of Neil and the Swindon staff in the second series only increase this viewing embarrassment as he tries to upstage his new boss and charm the newcomers with an irrelevant and offensive comedy routine.
MARTIN FREEMAN is the honest everyman of the Office, the thirty-year-old Tim. Despite his charming and funny personality, Tim is an unfortunate loser in both of the series in his attempts to turn his friendship with Dawn into something more, but he always triumphs in his continuing feud with Gareth. The constant whining and survival tactics from his workmate drive Tim to quite petty acts that are enjoyable to watch, such as encasing Gareth’s stapler in jelly, building a wall of files and gluing his phone.
MACKENZIE CROOK plays Gareth, the ex-Territorial Army lieutenant whose obsession with the art of war parallels that of even the most ardent ten-year-old Warhammer collector. Mackenzie’s bird-like features and general goofy acting of the role makes Gareth a little less plausible than the less extreme characters but he is still rooted firmly in reality and is one of the highlights of the show. Gareth is devoted to David but also assumes that his title of ‘team leader’ actually means something and he is the butt of many a childish prank by Tim and Dawn.
LUCY DAVIS, Jasper Carrott’s daughter who decided to forego the vegetable-based stage name, is the receptionist Dawn. After a less central role in the first series, Dawn receives a lot more attention in the second year as she becomes jealous at Tim’s relationship with Rachel. Despite the fact that she is engaged herself. As well as having to carry David’s bags around and thereby experience the embarrassing horror of his motivational talks, Dawn’s finest moments come when she is involved in David’s ‘practical joke’ of the first episode and when David confides in her that he is fed up, making her sit through his impressions of the Muppets.
There are a number of regular characters who also deserve mention. Neil (Patrick Baladi) is the successful and popular regional manager of Wernham Hogg’s Swindon branch who is promoted and relocated in the second series to Slough. Although Neil’s role essentially drives Brent to even further foolishness he is a likeable character and his calm confrontations with David are one of the best aspects of the second series. Ewan Macintosh is great as Keith, the large man with practically no communication skills and exam on his feet, while Ralph Ineson plays Chris Finch, the only genuinely unlikeable character of the series who is basically a bully even to his friends. He does have some funny lines though, the swearing sexist xenophobe.
STYLE
There have been a number of spoof fly-on-the-wall comedy series in the last decade, but The Office truly perfects this art. As the writers explain on the enjoyable interview on the series one DVD, none of the characters are ever able to show the full extent of their feelings because of the camera observations: in the ongoing lack of relationship between Tim and Dawn, Ricky Gervais says, “a touch becomes a kiss, and then a kiss becomes a shag.” The characters do reveal a lot more about themselves however in the ‘talking heads,’ the brief discussions with the characters by themselves in a small room that are interspersed between scenes. “When a camera is filming you, it’s flattering,” explains Gervais.
The humour is often very subtle and is kept within the confines of reality, especially as it is almost entirely character-based rather than plot-based, as was the trend for earlier sitcoms such as ‘Fawlty Towers’ and ‘Red Dwarf.’ The humour will not appeal to everyone but it is very clever and well-written, and this is a programme I can watch repeatedly without getting bored. It’s not really a question of ‘getting’ The Office as it’s quite straightforward, but I had a long laugh when my brother told me his friend’s reason for not liking the series: “that boss, his jokes are rubbish.”
Both series follow the same brief period of time in Slough, but by the 2003 Christmas special the characters had all ‘seen’ the earlier series and are able to offer their comments. Most enjoyable is David Brent’s accusation that the BBC deliberately edited the events to make him appear like a bumbling incompetent, but you only have to watch any episode for three minutes to see that this was no fault of editing – the man is an idiot, but we love him.
DVD FEATURES
All twelve episodes are presented in a very clear widescreen format and have simplistic animated menus retaining the bland black-and-white look that made ‘No Frills’ crisps so popular in the playground. The second disc of series one contains a documentary exploring the creation and development of the series and includes scenes from the original pilot episode, as well as a whole load of bloopers and a section answering frequently asked questions. Deleted scenes are enjoyable to watch, especially those that were cut for time purposes, but some were clearly removed as the style is a little different than the ‘realistic’ tone of the show. The series two disc contains an interesting video diary, more out-takes and deleted scenes.
VERDICT
Some people may think that The Office is over-hyped but I feel it completely deserves its success. Some people find it unbelievable that David Brent could remain in charge for so long when he lacks certain management skills and the desire to succeed, but it’s obvious that he has been a good employee in the past to rise to such a position, even earning the trust of the board of directors after he increases efficiency without losing any staff. It seems to be a combination of playing up to the cameras and, of course, his attitude towards Neil that leads to the conclusion of series two, resulting in scenes that are both depressing and wickedly hilarious.
This collection sells on Amazon.co.uk for Ł18.99 and is a very worthwhile purchase, especially as I always feel like watching more than one episode at a time. The excellent Christmas specials from last year that ended the series will be available on DVD in the autumn and the BBC may even decide to release another ‘collected’ release of The Office, but for now this is a tidy and affordable way to own the most inventive and engrossing comedy series of the century so far.
I resisted the temptation to litter this review with quotes, especially as they don’t really convey the sense of the programme to anyone unfamiliar with it, so here are some brief glimpses into life at Wernham Hogg:
GARETH: I’m assistant regional manager…
DAVID: Assistant to the regional manager.
KEITH: I watched that Peak Practice.
TIM: Yeah, I’ve never seen it.
KEITH: Bloody repeat.
TIM: Annoying innit?
KEITH: Not for me, I hadn't seen it. Boring isn’t it? Just staying in, watching Peak Practice with your life.
TIM: Mmm, yeah.
KEITH: Not for me. I like it.
TIM: Yeah, I just stayed in, had a big w**k.
TIM: Team leader is just a title someone’s given you to get you to do something they don’t want to do, for free. It’s like making a div kid at school milk monitor. No one respects it.
GARETH: Um, I think they do.
TIM: No they don’t Gareth.
GARETH: Er, yes they do, because if people were rude to me then I used to give them their milk last. So it was warm.
DAVID: I don’t look upon this like it’s the end, I look upon it like it’s moving on you know. It’s almost like my work here’s done. I can’t imagine Jesus going ‘Oh, I’ve told a few people in Bethlehem I’m the son of God, can I just stay here with Mum and Dad now?’ No. You gotta move on. You gotta spread the word. You gotta go to Nazareth, please. And that’s, very much like...me. My world does not end within these four walls, Slough’s a big place.
Advantages: Excellent performances and writing, Original and believable style, Both series in a slipcase
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste, No added features
Incompetence Squad
****
Written on 11.08.04 [2015 rewatch]
‘Operation Good Guys’ was a BBC show focussing on a special police unit set up to bring the notorious criminal mastermind ‘Smiler’ McCarthy to justice for his numerous crimes. Sadly, the team proved themselves not only inexperienced, but also massively inept and the second series saw them humiliatingly demoted to uniform duty and put in charge of less vital investigations. Don’t feel sorry for them though; it was only a comedy series.
This spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary thankfully never took itself too seriously, and while not being quite as good as ‘The Office,’ it was a bit better than ‘People Like Us.’ The show was written primarily by Ray Burdis and Dominic Anciano, both of whom star in the series, but the rolling credits for each episode also indicate that the cast heavily improvise within the scenes to achieve the realism. It has to be said that, although the situations and characters are clearly beyond belief sometimes, the performances by all involved are flawlessly genuine: this is what makes it worth watching.
CAST & CHARACTERS
Many of the cast are common faces from more high profile TV series such as Eastenders, and although some characters feature a lot less than others, the performances are excellent all round. Many of the characters retain the first names of the actors also, presumably to help them in creating a believable scene: this could also indicate that each actor is more similar to their television counterpart than they would have us believe.
D.I. Jim Beach (David Gillespie) is the inexplicable head of the division, a bawling, diminutive man who still lives with his mother and has a number of creepy qualities that are expertly weaved into episodes – especially his love of transvestism. Beach is often the root of the team’s incompetence, and is a truly unlikable man who is still somehow fun to watch.
D.S. Raymond Ash (Ray Burdis) is Beach’s second-in-command and has been for all the seventeen years they have known each other, even when off duty. Ash’s utter devotion to Beach is reminiscent of Mr. Burns and Smithers in ‘The Simpsons,’ but seems even stranger when played out in live action like this. Ray is quite likeable and is clearly held back both career-wise and socially by Beach’s domineering attitude. Most of their scenes are together, and make for some of the funniest of the show.
Sgt. Dominic de Sade (Dominic Anciano) at first appears to be a regular, well-built law enforcer, and is indeed a much finer and more competent leader than Beach could ever hope to be, but even he has his darker side. On a number of occasions, de Sade is seen indulging in weird S&M bondage antics with prostitutes and friends, and he isn’t above breaking the law a little in the course of duty – as shown when he is secretly filmed extracting Victorian fireplaces from the police commissioner’s house and flogging them at a nearby scrap yard for a new sports car.
‘Strings’ (John Beckett) is so-called due to his aspirations of being a successful singer-guitar player, and he in particular is unhappy when the team are demoted to uniform as he sees himself very much as a ‘non-conformist.’ John Beckett also provides the music for the series.
‘Bones’ (Perry Benson) is the most outrageous of the characters, next to Beach, but still not enough to ruin the atmosphere. Short, fat, bespectacled, mono-testicled and completely devoted to his job (in his spare time he is a vigilante crime fighter), he is the understandable target of a lot of jokes and is one of the funniest to watch. I would hate him if I knew him though.
Mark Kemp (Mark Burdis) is the commissioner’s nephew and the least experienced of the team, although after these jokes in the first series he feels a little unnecessary. Mark at least serves to bulk out the cast, and makes a great addition to a number of scenes – especially when he is taken patrolling by Bones and when he acts as Beach’s boxing trainer.
There are a number of characters who are ever-present or part-time but don’t contribute quite so much. The most notable of these is Gary Barwick (played by Gary Beadle) whose status as the only black man in the squad leads to some great scenes – especially when the team are sent to a re-training course run by a man whose attitudes are fully exposed when he is seen dancing around a burning cross in white robes at night. Gary’s domestic trouble with his wife is one of the funniest aspects of the first series also, leading to her shoving his pet fish through the letter box. Bill Zeebub, Kim Finch and Roy Leyton act as additional supporting cast, while the famous BBC comedy producer Paul Jackson appears as himself in several episodes when criticising the team’s performance and suggesting new ideas to spice up the show – such as a survival course on a deserted island. His idea of a Christmas special doesn’t go to plan though, once Beach’s love of music hall resurfaces.
STYLE
The first series is noticeably different to the second and third, and as such it is a lot less enjoyable. The omission of a laughter track and the focus on more mundane and potentially believable scenarios made for a more original show, but it also left me feeling bored at times, and the laughs were scarce. The laughter track and introduction of sharper editing and performances in series two made it much more fun to watch, and by the third series there was a distinct ‘anything goes’ attitude that kept it entertaining but did so at a cost to the slight, bizarre believability that made the second series the classic year.
The show is filmed in a very grim, untreated style without any noticeable make-up or special lighting to keep the viewer fooled (for several seconds anyway). This allows the producers to parody some of the techniques used in documentary shows, especially when it comes to editing straight between a cause and consequence to get a laugh, and the whole show has a very ‘one take’ feel.
The humour is often quite dark, and not particularly mainstream: this is either a show you will really like or really dislike (although there’s always them people that like to be difficult). Beloved pets being accidentally killed (and given back to the owner as a prize… don’t ask), penis enlargements, accidental drug addiction caused by cocaine snow effects and violent confrontations between characters are just some of the scenes that may put potential viewers off, but within watching a couple of minutes it becomes apparent whether this is your kind of comedy show or not. I like it a lot, but this is as politically incorrect as you’ll get in modern TV.
VERDICT
Operation Good Guys wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it never really set out to be – the idea of a spoof documentary goes right back to acts like Monty Python and the 1982 film ‘This is Spinal Tap,’ but Good Guys came along at the right time, during a decade obsessed with such real-life shows. The episodes could be very hit-and-miss even for a fan of the show, and the first and third series both had their flaws, but it was the performances by everyone involved that made it so enjoyable to watch. The laughter track allowed viewers to watch without having to feel embarrassed (something that spoils ‘The Office’ for some people), but you could still end up feeling sorry for Ray, hating Beach and laughing at Bones.
Operation Good Guys is currently being repeated once again on UKTV G2 (Sky Digital channel 111) at 8.30pm, and has now reached the third series. All three series were released several years ago on BBC video but have yet to be released on DVD. The BBC also released the soundtrack entitled ‘Complete Filth’ which featured all the music from the show in a form that completely removed the humour, while also featuring less than incredible interludes with a couple of the cast in the recording studio. I bought it off eBay and I sold it again.
Advantages: Faultless cast and crew, Very funny, if you like that sort of thing, Quite varied
Disadvantages: Some less impressive episodes, Unbelievable at times, May cause offence
R
Smeggin' Fantastic
*****
Written on 01.07.00 [2018 rewatch]
Red Dwarf is simply amazing. It's managed to last over ten years, while its original concept was turned away by the BBC many times. It has now become one of the most-loved British programmes, and manages to balance science fiction and comedy like no other show.
The first few series, now remastered, mainly focused on the comedy angle, but with the addition of Kryten in series 3, the stories started to veer more towards science fiction with series four and five, while series six, my favourite series, kept the balance perfectly. Series 7 was created by Doug Naylor alone after his co-creator Rob Grant left the franchise, and the stories became generally duller and less funny thsn previous series. However, in 1999s series eight, the balance was restored and Red Dwarf became popular again.
I've followed the programme for years although I'm only fourteen, and with the new film due to begin filming in 2001 it seems fans like me will have plenty to sink our teeth into in the future. I only wish the videos for series four to six would be re-released as I desperately want them.
Advantages: An incredible show, and by far my favourite TV show ever.
Disadvantages: The first few series suffered a low budget, and these aren't as good as the later ones.
Elvis and a Curry Monster
*****
Written on 28.04.04
One of the most successful and long-running programmes to come out of BBC 2 is the sci-fi comedy series, Red Dwarf. Now moderately well-known internationally, and with promises of an eventual feature film always seeming just over the horizon, Red Dwarf's entire run is currently being released on BBC DVD in the UK, America and Australia.
RED DWARF: SO WHAT IS IT?
Astronomer and xylophone enthusiast Patrick Moore would tell you that a red dwarf is a form of aged star towards the red end of the light spectrum, which has cooled slightly and gone through an expansion, before reducing in size and living out its final millennia as a red dwarf star. He is wrong obviously, as Red Dwarf is the sitcom set in space, written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor and starring poet Craig Charles, impressionist Chris Barrie, dancer Danny John Jules and comedian Robert Llewelyn. The series had a turbulent start, but was finally accepted and produced in 1988. The first series of six episodes was incredibly low budget and overwhelmingly grey, but it was the interaction and antagonism between the lead characters of Lister and Rimmer that kept it interesting. A year later, the second series continued in a similar vein, before the third series in 1990 involved a redesign of almost everything, the switching of characters, and a new style. Series 4 continues in this style.
CAST & CHARACTERS
DAVE LISTER (Craig Charles) is reluctantly the last human being alive, presumably, having been frozen in stasis for three million years when the rest of the crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf were wiped out in a radiation leak. Lister has long been resigned to his fate as the last human and, despite some ups and downs, is now content to be the slobbiest entity in the universe, describing his occupation as "bum."
ARNOLD RIMMER (Chris Barrie) was Lister's commanding officer, although still the second lowest ranking crew member on Red Dwarf. His failure to secure a drive plate led to the radiation leak that unfortunately killed him, but the ship's computer Holly resurrected Rimmer in hologram form to keep Lister "sane." Rimmer would be despicable and annoying if he weren't so hilariously pathetic, and this series sees some of his truly nerdish qualities coming to light; his photograph collection of 20th century telegraph poles and his notebook detailing every dice roll he has ever played during 'Risk' keep him a gnat's wing away from popularity with the others.
THE CAT (Danny John Jules) is a slightly deranged and ultimately self-obsessed member of Felis Sapiens, the humanoid result of evolution from the pregnant cat Lister stowed away in the ship's ventilation system. Ineffective and never ingenious, this vain feline nonetheless provides companionship for Lister when he feels like discussing 'Tales from the Riverbank' and unicycle polo.
KRYTEN (Robert Llewelyn) joined the crew when they found him on a ship filled with corpses, and is an utterly obedient Series 4000 mechanoid. Lister has been teaching Kryten to evolve from his service functions, however much Rimmer protests, and this series sees Kryten learning to lie and almost call Rimmer a smeg head.
HOLLY (Hattie Hayridge) is the ship's deranged computer, who had an IQ of 6000 before being alone in space for three million years. Originally a male, Holly performed a head sex change operation prior to series 3 and manages to at least steer the ship clear of most danger. The characters are easy to relate to and become very familiar and friendly once the viewer is used to seeing them.
This series is notable for making Rimmer seem less arrogant and a little more sad, which I feel helps in understanding that character, who is often seen as the funniest of the bunch. Craig Charles' Lister now feels very comfortable and not as awkward as in the first series, while Cat is granted some great jokes and scenes but still doesn't get an episode centred around him. The writers seem to favour the relative newcomer Kryten, who takes the lead role on a number of occasions, while the increasingly overlooked Holly is also given a moment of glory in 'White Hole.'
The SERIES IV VERDICT
Each of Red Dwarf's eight series is distinctive and memorable, which has allowed the show to stay fresh for so many years. Although it is common opinion that the more recent series have failed to capture the charm of the earlier years, mostly due to the break-up of the writing partnership, series 4 is still firmly entrenched in the show's glory years. Similar in tone and appearance to series 3, this series does not seem quite as funny or innocent as the earlier years, but the quality of storytelling has improved considerably. Those who felt Red Dwarf became too much like a science fiction show rather than a comedy will be able to see the beginnings of that trend here, with alien threats cropping up most weeks, and more focus on plot than developing some of the characters, but there are still a great deal of laughs in every episode.
The humour aside, series 4 improves on the show's earlier years in a number of ways. For a start the acting is always getting better, most notably with Craig Charles, and although it is the Lister and Rimmer interactions that usually proves most successful, the other cast members are given their chances to shine, especially Robert Llewelyn's Kryten. The episodes are all very memorable and the plots are genuinely very good, while the sets, models and special effects manage to balance quality, a low budget look and style perfectly.
If you don't like Red Dwarf, this series isn't going to do anything to turn your head, but most fans will be able to list episodes from this batch of six that are among their favourite. It's not the funniest show in the world, and it's not the most ingenious sci-fi, but Red Dwarf has great characters and a fantastic atmosphere that has kept me a loyal fan since I first saw an episode when I was about eight. It was from this series!
EPISODES ON THE DVD
Series 4 has a healthy balance of classic Red Dwarf and quite good episodes. Everyone who owns this DVD will have their favourites. An interesting point to note about this series is that virtually every episode was shown in a different order than intended, and the television run is now always used as the "official" order. It doesn't affect the storyline, as these are all stand-alone episodes without any of the overlapping arcs of the later series, but there is some sense of imbalance; for example, the first three episodes are all heavily Kryten-based, and the final episode was originally supposed to start the series before the Gulf War indicated that its "anti-war" message was inappropriate. The war fortunately ended in time for it to air sixth.
CAMILLE
Lister has been teaching Kryten to lie and act as he sees fit, which leads him to disobey Rimmer's orders when Starbug picks up a distress call. Kryten goes into investigate and discovers a female mechanoid (played by Llewelyn's real-life wife). Returning to Red Dwarf, it soon becomes apparent to Lister that everyone is seeing 'Camille' as their ideal partner, and she admits that she is a genetically engineered pleasure GELF (Genetically Engineered Life Form). But Kryten still loves her in her true form, even though she is a huge green blob with antennae.
Rimmer: No one's ever said I'm charming before. They've said "Rimmer, you're a total git."
D.N.A.
A lifeless ship shows up on the sensors, and investigation reveals that a DNA modifying machine caused the crew to be wiped out by their own creation. The Dwarf crew do not intend to go the same way, but Cat wastes no time in accidentally turning Lister into a chicken, and a hamster. Returning him to human form, Cat accidentally does the same for Kryten, granting the mechanoid his greatest dream. Unfortunately, Kryten soon realises that he does not enjoy being a human; he is resentful of his spare heads, now bickering in a storage room, and he is still thinking like a machine. When he shows Lister a double-polaroid picture of the effect a washing machine catalogue had on his new penis, they decide to change him back... but they brought some curry along with them.
Kryten: What I want to know is, is that normal?
Lister: What, taking pictures of it and showing it to your mates? No!
JUSTICE
Lister's space mumps have left him with an oversized head that resembles something that dropped from a whale's nose, and he hasn't been informed about the pod brought aboard Red Dwarf. It contains a survivor of a space wreck in suspended animation that could either be the lovely crew member Barbara Bellini, or a psychotic Simulant being ferried to a prison planet. Kryten suggests they change course to the nearby station 'Justice World,' long abandoned but with facilities to detain their unwelcome guest, but it soon becomes clear that Rimmer will be faced with millennia in incarceration for his crime of wiping out Red Dwarf's crew.
Cat: Oh my God... his... head... burst.
WHITE HOLE
Kryten has developed a device that should restore Holly's IQ of 6000. Surprisingly it works in restoring her intelligence, but the cost on her run time means she will expire in a matter of minutes. Switching off everything but the back-up systems, she leaves the crew alone and on a diet of baked beans and eggs cooked with a bicycle-powered hairdryer. A crisis arises however, when it appears Red Dwarf is on a collision course with a planet and being affected by time dilation effects, and Lister decides he will take action in playing pool with planets...
Kryten: This leaves us galloping up diarrhoea drive without a saddle.
DIMENSION JUMP
In another dimension, "Ace" Rimmer is applauded for another successful mission as a Space Corps test pilot. A new theory has come up based on dimension-hopping, which should take Ace to meet an alternate version of himself in another universe. By an unfortunate stroke of bad luck, he arrives alongside the goit version of Rimmer in Starbug, causing the crew to crashland on an ice planet. They must rely on the dashing and charismatic man to save them, while Rimmer has to come to terms to being presented with the man he could have become, rather than the gimboid he is.
Ace: Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
MELTDOWN
A matter paddle found in the ship's Science labs can send whoever touches it to any inhabitable planets in range. It's not a trip back to Earth, but it's certainly a start. It is a little confusing then, when Rimmer and Kryten arrive on a planet with unconvincing dinosaurs and Elvis Presley. This is an ancient Wax Droid amusement park, where historical figures have been fighting an endless war and Rimmer, unbalanced after some time spent with his light bee inside Lister's mouth, decides to take charge as the general he has always wanted to be, and never should have been.
Lister: Is that Mahatma Gandhi? What's he doing, doing press-ups?
SPECIAL FEATURES
More than any other DVD release in history, the Red Dwarf releases include overwhelming amounts of extra material; not counting the commentaries, there are over three hours' worth on the second disc. Here is a brief run-down:
COMMENTARIES - Commentary by all cast members across the six episodes, with interesting insights and a lot of funny banter. It's interesting how they value 'Meltdown' very highly, considering it is often seen as one of the weakest Dwarf episodes by the fans.
BUILT TO LAST - A documentary interviewing almost everyone involved in producing, creating and starring in this series (aside from co-creator Rob Grant, who has distanced himself from Red Dwarf since 1996).
DELETED SCENES - The thing that attracts those hardcore fans who already own all the videos, these scenes have never been shown before. There is a particularly interesting cut from 'Justice,' which was removed as it resembled a park in London a little too obviously.
SMEG UPS - Not my cup of tea, but many people enjoy seeing the cast fluff their lines and improvise.
ACE RIMMER: A LIFE IN LAMË - A look at Ace Rimmer in the three (or two and a half) episodes he's been in, presented by Hattie Hayridge in Holly persona.
"LURVE" FEATURETTE - The latest compendium of clips across all eight series, as a music video to a popular song.
CAN'T SMEG WON'T SMEG - One of the shows created and screened for BBC's Red Dwarf Night in 1998, presented by Ainsley Harriot, who was in an episode of Red Dwarf series 6. Didn't know that did you?
TRAILERS - Hilariously bad quality trailers for series 4, taken from fans' video recordings. Quite fun.
RAW FX FOOTAGE - The BBC's original photography of models and effects, without sound or additional graphics.
ISOLATED MUSIC CUES - A chance to hear the music used across all the episodes, including the alternate ending themes played by Hammond Organ and Mark Clayton's Elvis impression respectively.
TALKING BOOK CHAPTERS - Extracts from the audio book to 'Better Than Life,' which had elements of series 4 in its plot.
PHOTO GALLERY - A lot of photos, in varying degrees of professionalism.
WEBLINK - A link to reddwarf.co.uk
EASTER EGGS - These are hidden, and quite enjoyable
The DVD also comes with the usual collector's booklet, explaining a little more about the episodes, and behind-the-scenes info.
Series IV is a great series of Red Dwarf to own, before it took the relative downturn after series 6. The episodes are largely high quality, my favourites being 'Dimension Jump,' 'White Hole' and 'Justice,' and the humour content is still high. There is, however, a tendency to rely on these monsters-of-the-week and "Kryten's made something" plots a little too much, but the episodes can still be enjoyed by people of all ages many times over.
Although it's not as funny as a lot of other shows, Red Dwarf is still enjoyed by millions of people, and these DVDs have been painstakingly put together and contain so much new material, even for the long-time fans, that this couldn't be awarded anything other than five stars.
Boys From the Dwarf!
*****
Written on 08.01.06
From 'Back to Reality':
BILLY DOYLE: I'm not a hologram...
JAKE BULLET: I'm half human...
DUANE DIBBLEY: And what the hell happened to my teeth???
Okay, so I'm a couple of releases behind in the spectacularly satisfying Red Dwarf DVD line, but avoiding buying the disappointing 'Red Dwarf VII' for as long as the obsessive compulsive fan in me can last out led to me returning to the fifth series of the sci-fi based sitcom, the action-packed six episode run that series VII tried, and completely failed to emulate.
Before I even go on to outline the episodes or even the show itself, I have to draw attention to the amazing quality of the Red Dwarf DVDs in terms of the time, care and attention that have obviously gone into each one. The series could so easily have been released as a no-frills arbitrary update from the VHS format, complete with primitive out-of-focus cover art and only adding such "special features" as scene selection and interactive menus (ooh), as has plagued shows with less fanatical following such as 'The Young Ones' and 'The Fast Show,' but Grant Naylor Productions under the leadership of Andrew Ellard have continually put in the expense and effort to track down every possible deleted moment and related footage from baffling BBC archives and have produced, and this is perhaps their greatest feat, definitive merchandise for Red Dwarf in which all the cast's names are spelled correctly and the basic vital details of the show are given correctly. All in a nice collector's booklet too. But on to series 5, summed up by the title of the accompanying documentary as 'Heavy Science.'
From its roots as a character-driven sitcom that happened to be set in space, Red Dwarf soon developed into something more. Whether the move towards action-oriented shows dealing with complex science fiction premises was a wise or successful one has been a source of debate among fans over the fifteen years or so since the evolution took place, but most regard all early years of the show as a classic run.
Many Red Dwarf fans are sci-fi fans; the two go hand in hand, despite each episode's thirty-minute run time and laugh track from a live studio audience. To these fans, Series 5 is often considered the show's peak, but it isn't without its faults. The increasing complexity of the storylines meant that episodes were almost always severely overlong and needed to be drastically edited, something that is quite obvious when watching shows such as 'Holoship' (which infamously ran some ten minutes over) and, perhaps most importantly, it wasn't incredibly funny. While the first three years, and even the fourth to a lesser degree were filled with memorable lines, series 5's "classic Dwarf" quotes are still excellent, but are much more spread out, and spoiled somewhat by long scientific speeches from Kryten that the writers feel need to be included in order for the casual viewer to understand the sci-fi concepts they are using. So while this great exchange from early in 'Holoship' is memorable, and a rare moment for the underused character Cat to shine:
KRYTEN: Sirs, they've taken mister Rimmer!
CAT: Quick, let's get out of here before they bring him back.
...the far longer and far less interesting discussion of holoships ("able to move as super-light speed particles, tachyons, through wormholes and stargates" etc.) could put off anyone who tuned in hoping to see monsters made of curry and robots with ludicrous groinal attachments helping a man to remove his shrinking boxer shorts.
But, of course, this is a DVD - made for the fans, and fairly accessible to the average viewer also. The six episodes here are all memorable, despite some being more entertaining than others, and the tightly edited scripts and performances guarantee a show that is entertaining throughout. So while the head-scratching time travel of 'The Inquisitor' renders it a little inaccessible, the high-budget rescue drama of 'Terrorform,' the most popular Red Dwarf episode in America, and the strong, compelling plots of fan favourites 'Quarantine' and 'Back to Reality' all make one of the most vital and respected series of the show.
1. Holoship - a ship crewed by holograms, computer resurrections of the best and the brightest officers of the Space Corps, materialises by Starbug and abducts Rimmer. Delighted with his ability to touch objects and people on the Holoship, and especially impressed by the vessel's Sex Deck, Rimmer challenges an officer for a position on the fully-manned ship, requiring a snappy mind swap operation by Kryten.
2. The Inquisitor - the crew are put on trial by the Inquisitor, a Simulatn who has evidently lived until the end of time and now roams history deleting those who have wasted the precious gift of life. Lister, Rimmer, Kryten and the Cat are in serious trouble.
3. Terrorform - recovering Kryten after his ship crashlands (again), the crew find themselves on a Psy-Moon that has constructed itself around Rimmer's mind. A despicable landscape dominated by personifications of his lust, depravity and self-loathing.
4. Quarantine - the crew discover an ancient research station and the accidentally revive the insane Dr. Lanstrom. Infected with Lanstrom's holo-virus over the radio link, Rimmer terrorises Lister, Cat and Kryten by locking them in the quarantine bay with a wallpapering video and a knitting magazine.
5. Demons and Angels - Kryten has developed a triplicator to solve Red Dwarf's supply problems, but the machine backfires and creates both improved and decadent copies of the ship and its crew.
6. Back to Reality - crashing on an ocean moon, the crew awaken in unfamiliar surroundings and are told that everything they remember over the last five years occurred in a total immersion video game.
The special features on this set are vast and excellent value for money, as usual for Red Dwarf. Cast commentaries for each episode are augmented by a special fan commentary for 'Back to Reality' that is actually a lot more entertaining than it may sound. The deleted scenes are probably the highlight of the release, especially as by this point in the series, scenes were mostly cut for reasons of time rather than unsuitability. Incidentally, Rimmer's attempt at telling a joke is my favourite of all the deleted scenes I've seen so far, and really should have made it into the episode.
From series 3 onwards, the DVD documentaries have been compelling viewing, featuring every relevant cast member and guest star in a well edited hour-long discussion of the series as a whole, and each episode in turn. The absence of co-creator/co-writer Rob Grant is still very noticeable (Grant has distanced himself from Red Dwarf since the end of his writing partnership with Doug Naylor in the mid-90s), but the documentary is surprisingly frank about some of the less successful aspects of the series, paying special attention to the unskilled director Juliet May who was called in after series regular Ed Bye was found t be unavailable. I only hope the documentaries on the series 7 and 8 DVD sets are as frank about the poor quality of writing on those later series...
Other special features are less vital, but nice to own. There are the usual 'Smeg Ups' and trailers pulled from bad quality fan VHS recordings, which are always amusing, a music video with clips from all eight series and hidden Easter Eggs.
Red Dwarf V is a little heavy-going but is ultimately worthwhile. 'Quarantine' has always been my personal favourite episode, a truly cinematic offering featuring the infamous penguin puppet Mr. Flibble and such genius concepts as the luck virus, while 'Back to Reality' deserves all the attention it has been given over the years: many viewers watching this landmark episode in 1992 were convinced that Grant and Naylor were ending the series, and ending it with a bang, until it became clear towards the end of the episode that the crew are hallucinating. And, of course, it introduced the Cat's alter-ego, Duane Dibbley, "a no-style gimbo with teeth that druids could use as a place of worship."
Now over a year old, this series, along with series 1 to 4 and 6, can be found at fairly low prices from websites such as Amazon. Series 7 and 8 (the final DVD, released on March 27th) cost quite a bit more as these are three disc sets, needed for the extra number of episodes. Red Dwarf V isn't my personal favourite series as some of the episodes try too hard to craft an action adventure in under thirty minutes, while others - namely 'Demons and Angels' and 'The Inquisitor' - are devoid of much to laugh at. There is too much of a focus on Rimmer over the other characters, which becomes distracting by the series' end despite Chris Barrie's excellent performance, and the episodes do feel a little too packed in.
Bring on Series 6, my personal favourite, which took the strengths of Series 5 and solved its main problem by making it funny again.
Better Dead Than Smeg
*****
Written on 22.05.05
"I'm some kind of robot, who's fighting this virus, and none of this exists, it's all in a fever, except for you guys, who really do exist, only you're not really here, you're really on some space ship in the future. Hell, if that's got to make sense I don't want to be sober!" - Kryten (Gunmen of the Apocalypse)
Nearly ten years after the BBC videos tapes were deleted from production, Red Dwarf's sixth series is once again available to own, and is the best Red Dwarf DVD package yet. As well as containing all six episodes from what is commonly regarded as the last classic series of the hit sci-fi comedy, and my personal favourite, the BBC have topped the high standards of the previous five series with more entertaining and expansive special features than ever before.
THE STARBUGGERS
"You're the one who parked it, Lister. You're the one who couldn't remember which planetoid you'd left it around." - Rimmer
With Red Dwarf VI, writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor made the brave and wise decision to ignore the desires of their ever-growing legion of fans, changing the premise and look of the series substantially while building on and perfecting the show's distinct style. After the action-packed and heavily science fiction tone of series V, fans wanted more episodes set on the eponymous Red Dwarf and more lines for the ship's deranged computer, Holly.
Welcome to Red Dwarf VI, where Red Dwarf, and along with it Holly, are missing.
Shifting the action to the more flexible Starbug transport ship meant that the writers could finally break free of their own constraints. Likewise, the acquisition of a "hard light drive" for the holographic character Rimmer means that the audience's patience no longer has to be tested with ever more elaborate ways of making him temporarily damageable. The Cat finally gets the screen time and importance he deserves, even if he is still a one-joke character, and Lister once again seems to be the heart of the series at long last. Best of all, it's funny again.
EPISODES
As always, episodes are presented in their original screening (TV) order, rather than order of production. Due to the greater need for continuity in this series, Grant Naylor took extra care to ensure that the BBC didn't mess things up with the scheduling or the video releases, and the only swapping was that of 'Emohawk' with 'Rimmerworld,' for the latter's apparent set-up of the final episode.
1. Psirens (originally aired 7/10/1993)
2. Legion (14/10/93)
3. Gunmen of the Apocalypse (21/10/93)
4. Emohawk - Polymorph II (28/10/93)
5. Rimmerworld (4/11/93)
6. Out of Time (11/11/93)
From the opening titles of 'Psirens' to the dramatic cliffhanger finale of 'Out of Time,' these three hours are among the finest the show has to offer, enhanced by greater picture and sound quality than was previously available. It's something of a shame that Red Dwarf was recorded and edited on video tape in the early nineties, rather than more treatable film, in that the episodes will always look slightly fuzzy and "video like," but Red Dwarf was never meant to be about the visuals. That said, series six boasts impressive special effects and high quality, believable model shots, the highlight of which is the tremendous lava planet in 'Gunmen of the Apocalypse.'
In terms of plot, every episode is a gem. 'PSIRENS' opens with an amnesia scene that allows Kryten to effectively explain the concept and history of the series to the viewers, while also bringing back Lister's more foul traits, not properly seen since the early days. This episode is full of action, danger and suspense, setting the tone for the rest of the series.
'LEGION' is another dark episode that features some of the most classic Red Dwarf moments, including the celebrated "step up to red alert" gag that I will have to insert later out of necessity, and also the episode where Rimmer is updated to a hard light form.
'GUNMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE' is the award-winning "Western episode," in which the Starbug crew enter Kryten's subconscious to battle a computer virus. A lot of fun and more excellent dialogue, especially during the opening scenes when it transpires that Lister constantly uses the artificial reality system for sex. Give him a break, it has been four ice ages since he's had a human woman (although only one if you count them in leap ice ages).
'EMOHAWK - POLYMORPH II' sees the return of the shape-shifting emotional vampire species seen in series 3's 'Polymorph' as well as Ace Rimmer and Duane Dibbley from memorable episodes in series 4 and 5. Despite this fan-pleasing approach, most of the episode is excellent, as Lister is forced to marry an enormous, hairy GELF so the others can obtain an O/G unit for Starbug.
'RIMMERWORLD,' as the title implies, sees a planet full of back-stabbing Arnold Judas Rimmer clones and their descendants, after the original hologram is sucked through a time dilation wormhole. The weakest episode of the series, and a little too reminiscent in places of last series' 'Terrorform,' this does feature a lot of long-overdue Rimmer-bashing and proves why, perhaps due to all his insecurities and ineptitude, he is often the most popular character.
'OUT OF TIME' was a rushed episode, and it shows. Although heavy in plot and ideas, the cast can clearly be seen reading unlearned lines from autocues that were necessitated by the lateness of the script and the BBC's deadlines. Upon discovering a time drive, Starbug's crew meet their corrupted, bloated future selves, resulting in a heroic fight to the death with a vastly upgraded ship.
SPECIAL FEATURES
"We've got less choice than a Welsh fish & chip shop" - Lister (Rimmerworld)
In fact, disc 2 of series 6 features over three hours of bonus material, and that's not counting the audio commentaries for all six episodes by the cast or the subtitle options and scene selections, which it is only polite to include on all DVD releases. The highlights include the regular series documentary, this time entitled 'The Starbuggers' (the unofficial title for series 6 given on the shooting sctipts), the fantastic deleted scenes, extensive additional interviews with director Andy de Emmony and composer Howard Goodall, a fun piece where Robert "Kryten" Llewelyn revisits Laredo, the Western recreation in Kent where 'Gunmen...' was filmed, and a radio sketch of 'Dave Hollins - Space Cadet,' Grant and Naylor's earliest incarnation of Red Dwarf. An interesting addition is the footage filmed across a couple of days for the unmade 'Behind the Scenes' programme on the show's production, allowing for some amusing sights including proof that Craig Charles really didn't give a damn about the No Smoking signs on set.
Also included for completists are the usual raw FX footage, musical cues, Smeg-Ups, music video featurette, trailers, photo gallery and lovely glossy collectable book with further information inside the DVD case.
VERDICT
"They can easily outrun us."
"Kryten, the Eastbourne zimmerframe relay team can easily outrun us. It's not about speed, it's about wits, brains and cunning."
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to that sir." - Lister and Kryten (Emohawk)
Series VI is perhaps as close to perfect as Red Dwarf gets, and certainly my memories of following this series religiously as a child means it will always be my favourite of the lot, but it is not without its problems. The structure of each episode is noticeably formulaic, beginning with nice character jokes aboard Starbug before moving to an encounter with a dangerous situation and finally a hasty humorous conclusion, with the exception of 'Out of Time' - although the original, unimpressive ending can be found in full within the deleted scenes. There are also the distractions of odd camera angles, audience laughter drowning out jokes, the autocues of episode six and Craig Charles' apparent need to mouth Danny John-Jules' lines as he is saying them.
These niggles apart, Red Dwarf is a comedy series, and a highly successful one. Series 6 restores the balance of humour versus sci-fi concepts / action sequences and gets it just about right, before the three-year absence of Red Dwarf that unfortunately resulted in the sub-par final two series. This is an excellent DVD, and a must-buy for anyone who enjoyed the style of series 5, but found the plots too dense and cramped, and the jokes too sparse. It's a steal at only £12.99 (from some retailers; there will be no problem finding it at £14.99 from major internet retailers) and the only real problem is that sticking the disc in for just one episode never seems to satisfy; before you know it, three hours have passed, but you are sufficiently suffonsified with Dwarf.
EPILOGUE: That Darn Blue Alert Gag from 'Legion'
(The ship may be in danger)
RIMMER: Go to blue alert.
LISTER: What for? There's no-one to alert, we're all here.
RIMMER: I would just feel more comfortable if I know that we're all on our toes, 'cos everyone's aware it's a blue-alert situation.
LISTER: We all are on our toes.
RIMMER: May I remind you all of Space Core Directive 34124?
KRYTEN: 34124... "No officer with false teeth should attempt oral sex in zero gravity."
RIMMER: Damn you both, all the way to Hades! I want to go to Blue Alert!
LISTER: Ok, ok.
(Lister presses a button. The "Alert" box on the wall starts to flash
blue).
RIMMER: Thank you. A bit of professionalism at last.
(Shortly after, the ship finds itself in real danger)
RIMMER: Step up to red alert!
KRYTEN: Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb.
Red Dwarf – Smeg Ups & Smeg Outs
He Got It Wrong Again! Wahey!
**
Written on 19.08.03
I'll clear this up right now: Red Dwarf is my favourite programme/form of entertainment that will likely never be beaten. I buy as much as I can within reason, and will definitely own all 52 episodes once they have all come out on DVD. There, I haven't given Red Dwarf 2 stars, it'd go off the star scale (I know that a literal red dwarf is towards the red spectrum on the star scale, but don't care).
The reason for two stars is that the "Smeg Ups" can divide the 'Dwarf audience: it's not really love em or hate em, but I kind of hate them. This could equally be marketed as "Red Dwarf's Greatest/Naughtiest-But-Censored Bloopers," and be presented by Dennis Norden but as it is presented by Kryten, aka actor Robert Llewellyn, and concerns my favourite show, 2 stars are therefore gained.
The only reason I bought these videos, for a low price, was that they would show scenes of Red Dwarf that I had not seen for years due to the deleted videos, now solved by eBay and DVDs, and some of the mistakes that are kept within character are funny. But I just don't find Danny John Jules (aka "the Cat") struggling to get a line right over ten times in a row entertaining. Another problem is that when you inevitably hear the correct version of the line on an episode, you're likely to think "that's that line he smegged up on the Smeg Ups!"
Basically, liking Red Dwarf doesn't mean you'll like these, and possibly vice-versa. The DVDs (which I commend on their thoroughness and excellence) now include all the Smeg Ups/Outs off these videos which are relevant to each series.
The only real bonus to fans like myself is the extra 'smeg' on offer on these videos, such as an alternate ending to series 6, convention footage and a chance to win a competition. This unfortunately expired about five years before I bought these. My basic advice if you're a fan of Red Dwarf would be to either just buy the DVDs, you won't get more Red Dwarf than is available on those, or to buy these cheap or not at all. On a double video that can sometimes be sold for £17.99, it's taking the Smeg a bit!
Advantages: It's Red Dwarf, Some previously unavailable material (now available on DVD)
Disadvantages: Not very funny for people like myself, Very expensive for what it is, people getting stuff wrong
S
Subversive Comedy from a Deceptive Format
****
Written on 16.04.04
One of the most successful comedy shows of the 90s inspired different generations of people to spout foolish catch-phrases, show each other their wiggling fingers and sing songs in a silly Club fashion. That show was 'Shooting Stars,' written and performed by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and featuring regular contributors Mark Lamarr, Ulrika Jonnson and Matthew Lucas.
PREMISE
'Shooting Stars' is always introduced as "the celebrity show-biz quiz," as each week it features celebrity alumni from the worlds of comedy, entertainment, music and the media. The idea for a quiz show came from an idea by Bob Mortimer and comedians Stewart Lee and Richard Herring, and although the structure of the show- two opposing teams of three members each- makes it at first appear to be nothing special, this deceptive platform allowed the relatively unknown Reeves and Mortimer to launch their careers as successful TV personalities.
The regular rounds of the quiz that take it through its thirty-minute instalments are:
QUICK-FIRE ROUND: A fast-paced section in which Vic and Bob ask questions and anyone can press their buzzer and answer. Spawned the popular Mr. Bennett catch-phrase, "we really want to see those fingers." [Referencing my year five teacher, as if that will mean anything to anyone.]
TRUE OR FALSE: Self-explanatory, but some of the true facts are very funny.
CLUB SINGER: Vic sings a well-known song in the indecipherable style of a club singer, and contestants have to work out what it is.
IMPRESSIONS ROUND: The random light takes flight and selects members of both teams in turn to perform impressions of wildly varying success.
GEORGE'S SONG: George Dawes is the overgrown baby on the drumkit, but he is often given the chance to sing an interesting song which always takes a turn for the silly at the end. A question based on the subject matter of George's song follows.
THE DOVE FROM ABOVE: One of the more memorable rounds, the large dove descends, with categories flashing for selection. If a contestant selects the topic behind which is the star prize, he or she are greeted by Vic mysteriously saying, "eranu." Alternatively, an incorrect answer to any question receives an "uvavu." Mental.
STAR CHALLENGE: The final round, this is often the funniest as a contrived situation is set up that results in the chosen member of the winning team being thrust into a silly situation. Classic examples include pulling pints for a King (while attached to wires that are yanked), walking against a strong fan with large cardboard sails on arms, and not flinching when shot in the bottom cheeks with a potato gun. The prizes are usually fairly modest book tokens to the value of £1.
THE CAST
Formerly of Channel 4's 'Vic Reeves' Big Night Out,' Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer were commissioned to write a series for the BBC and this became 'The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer.' Highly subversive and wild, the pair were seen as unnecessarily bizarre and silly by some, but I personally found them the funniest thing I had ever seen. With Shooting Stars they attracted a much larger audience and although the more surreal aspects of their routine are watered down, their unique silliness and penchant for sounds is still present.
Team captain Mark Lamarr is better known as a long-time radio presenter and presenter of 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks,' while the unusual choice of Ulrika Jonnson as captain of the opposite team is obviously more famous for sensible roles as a presenter. Matthew Lucas (George Dawes) has recently become famous for his role as co-writer and co-star of 'Little Britain.'
VERDICT
I am more a fan of Reeves and Mortimer's more bizarre comedy shows, and I do feel that Shooting Stars has lasted much longer than necessary to keep it original and special. The guest stars can be annoying but bring appeal to the show, and the chemistry between all the regulars in the early years made it worth tuning in even if you found it all a bit daft. When I was ten, my class teacher Mr. Bennett allowed his obsession with the show to filter into his teaching methods, and he instructed a group of my classmates to make him a large Dove From Above for his personal use. Not a story that's vital to your understanding of the effect Shooting Stars had on people, but a funny tale nonetheless. With little swearing or explicit content, Shooting Stars can indeed be enjoyed by people of all ages, as long as they appreciate the humour.
TIME MARCHES ON
As with many series, 'Shooting Stars' could be seen as having lasted for too long. Three series between 1995 and 1998 kept the show fresh and original, especially with modifications and tweaks to the set design and rounds, but when the show returned in 2002 it was noticeably less original. Mark Lamarr had been replaced by the much duller Will Self, while the popular (but irritating) Johnny Vegas was granted permanent residence as part of Team B alongside Ulrika. With the 2003 series, Shooting Stars became funny again but still had the air of something which should have been stopped at its prime.
MERCHANDISE
Two videos of Shooting Stars were released in the late 90s, along with a quiz book that came with an audio CD of club songs. Personally I found this a bit tacky.
Advantages: New and innovative when released, Great chemistry between cast, Side-splittingly funny
Disadvantages: Not original anymore, Some guest could be annoying
Why is this in the Kids section?
*****
Written on 08.07.00 [2013–14 rewatch]
The Simpsons is the longest-running cartoon series in history, in terms of how much material has been accumulated across the last ten years. The show that started, like South Park, as a "watch this and you're cool" teen show has eventually evolved into a family show that is continuing to get better all the time.
The first series had childish storylines which virtually always featured Bart and Lisa as he main characters, because of their similarity to the audience, but the stories gradually grew funnier and more controversial and featured all the characters, including Homer, who has now mostly replaced Bart as the most popular character in most peoples' opinions.
With great episodes such as "The Itchy and Scratchy Movie", "Treehouse of Horror IX" and "The Springfield Files", there's something to entertain everyone, and the continuing success of the show means it'll be here for a while longer, maybe even going to the big screen, an event that should have happened years ago. The license rights were eventually bought by BBC2 a few years ago which introduced a whole new satellite-less British audience to the show, but half the time the programmes are repeats, so it's good that the new videos contain four episodes per tape, rather than the two episodes on the videos when the programme first came to Britain in the early 1990s.
The Simpsons will continue to get better and funnier with time, and go down in history as one of the greatest successes in television history.
Advantages: Very funny and original for a cartoon show.
Disadvantages: The early years were a bit childish.
The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
I Love the Smell of Cilla Black's Back Pack
*****
Written on 22.05.04
Before they shot to stardom with their celebrity TV quiz 'Shooting Stars,' Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer - real names Jim Moir and... Bob Mortimer - wrote and performed the most bizarre and, in my opinion, funniest sketch shows of recent years. The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer ran for two series of six episodes each and is still considered by most Reeves and Mortimer fans to be their finest and weirdest achievement.
STYLE
Vic and Bob present the majority of the show from their large studio (which they call their house), emerging from huge 'R' and 'M' letters at the beginning to sing a song and spending a lot of the show sitting behind their desk of assorted props. The interaction between the two exaggerated characters is my favourite aspect of the show and becomes something of an interesting, running storyline as the series progresses, but Vic and Bob's show was also interspersed with sketches featuring familiar characters, with varying degrees of success.
The humour is quite unlike any other show, with its mixture of silliness and downright bizarre events balanced out by comic violence and petty disagreements between the foolish Vic and the (slightly) more sensible Bob. This is the kind of show that will only appeal to a minority, but that minority will love it; I am a huge fan of the show, but some of it seems too daft even for me to enjoy, especially the scenes with puppet gangster dogs, and the farting men (explained later).
STORYLINE
It may seem odd to attach a storyline to this weird and largely random show, but Vic and Bob made an effort in planning out a lot of their studio scenes to result in a great ending, during the first series. There was constant talk of Vic over-spending on foolish items and rubbish guests, leading to Bob eventually telling him to consult him on any expenditure over £2,740. In the final show it comes to light that the high budget fruit advertisements that had littered the previous five weeks had all been part of Vic's elaborate plan to advertise Reeves and Mortimer fruit products, but when Bob informs him that they don't actually sell fruit Vic admits that he spent over two million pounds on the lavish ads. This sense of continuity made this series enjoyable to watch week by week in a way that less structured sketch shows never did.
One of the catch-phrases throughout the series is "it doesn't really matter does it?", said in a silly voice, but as it approaches the end it is Bob's duty to become responsible and tell Vic that it does indeed matter as they will become bankrupt. But he does have gorgeous hands.
CHARACTERS
In-between Vic and Bob's banter and feature presentations are short sketches featuring recurring characters.
SLADE
The most memorable are perhaps the soap operas chronicling the life of seventies pop group Slade, with 'Slade in Residence' and, in the second series, 'Slade on Holiday.' Vic and Bob starred alongside 'Fast Show' stars Paul Whitehouse and Mark Williams in the low-key domestic squabbles between the family unit, usually based around sending the younger ones to bed without a Cup-a-Soup. Slade on Holiday was equally pointless and saw the foursome enjoying Tuesday and Wednesday-flavour Cup-a-Soups in the great outdoors.
MULLIGAN AND O'HARE
This fictional singing duo, played by Bob and Vic wearing a false beard and artificial breasts respectively, often sang about lost love and their love of the outdoors in funny operatic voices it is difficult not to imitate. O'Hare's beloved fiancé Rose left him for a bloke from Allied Carpets, which was the inspiration for their most popular song on their two-day nationwide tour.
LE CORBUSSIER ET PAPIN
One of the more stupid offerings, this saw two Frenchmen with dubbed grunting walking around in trenchcoats and glasses, breaking wind in silly tunes.
OTIS AND MARVIN
Vic and Bob black up for this weird performance that sees their heads above tiny false bodies with arms moved by obvious wires. They sit in a dock for the whole series, watching the boats coming in and going out again, and occasionally offer advice to Vic and Bob through their TV screen, such as when Queen guitarist Brian May contracts the dangerous condition, Guy Fawking of the leg.
THE BRA MEN
Two irritable Northern men who take offence at anyone mentioning their bras, even when they were not doing so. Lines that caused such outbursts include "I thought you had popped out" and "Strap it on."
UNCLE PETER
Not a separate sketch, this deranged old man would wander onto the set during the studio scenes and shout about donkeys or demand payment for his rubbish band performance.
ONE-OFFS
The sketches can get a little too silly sometimes, something you will have no doubt noticed from reading that, but the one-off specials that make each episode unique are where the real comic genius of Vic and Bob comes into play. The documentary film presentation of their Reeves and Mortimer Secret Factory shows a hilarious use of amateur filming, while their rendition of Masterchef complete with huge-headed, floating presenter for no apparent reason and a woman who has used her real ears in a dish resembling Jesus' face, are priceless and memorable.
Some of the humour of Reeves and Mortimer comes from unexplained visual jokes; their version of Noel's Telly Addicts sees Bob dressed as Noel Edmonds by wearing a huge naked suit with cans and items shoved in to make lumps, and the incomprehensibility of this would make me wee my pants, were I of that disposition. An episode also featured a very long drawn-out affair in which Bob tried to trick people into sitting on his matchstick chair, eventually succeeding.
MUSIC
Even if you hate the humour, this programme is raised above the competition for its grand scale, helped greatly by the opening and closing songs. Most episodes ended with a variant of the same song in which Vic and Bob would discuss smells they enjoyed, the best example being when this was converted into a song, with visuals, about how many things Bob had given birth to.
"You've given birth to a Ford Fiesta
I've also given birth to Frank Bough's wife Nesta
You've given birth to a horse-drawn necklace"
The opening songs were more impressive and covered a number of events from air conditioning systems and getting trapped in a flat, to the story of a boy who slipped on a vicar's Loose Muesli:
"Watch out, clergy on a cliff top
Don't let your children run free"
And my personal favourite, Vic's ode to his lucky charm; an enormous roll of carpet.
"It's my lucky carpet, let me tell you how it's at."
"Where did you get it Vic?"
"I bought it from a ma rket!"
"Who from?"
"The bloke who sells carpets."
The songs were all very well planned and executed, and viewers could at least be drawn in to the show before deciding they preferred the easier viewing of the Good Life instead of these modern young men. At least they hardly ever swear, so it's funny viewing for all generations.
VERDICT
As you can tell, I love this programme, and I have done since I first saw Slade on Holiday at about age eight. The duo returned with a similar format show called 'Bang Bang it's Reeves and Mortimer' in 1999, and although it was similar it lacked some of the originality and enjoyment of this, perhaps coming as it did after the less extreme 'Shooting Stars,' a popular and funny show but one that many people, including Vic and Bob themselves, felt a little disappointed by.
Reeves and Mortimer were truly comedians who stood alone during the mid 90s, separate from the dull 'Men Behaving Badly'-style sitcoms and the excellent dark side of comedy pioneered by 'The Day Today,' 'Fist of Fun' and 'I'm Alan Partridge.' Both series of the Smell of Reeves and Mortimer are still available on BBC video, but have yet to be released on DVD format.
Advantages: Original and crazy, Great performances and writing from Vic and Bob, Songs added a sense of scope and class
Disadvantages: Could be too silly sometimes, Won't appeal to everyone
Oh My God! It's not funny!
***
Written on 05.07.00
South Park had a huge audience during its first year and became the cool thing to watch, but then people stopped and it now has a much lower audience, at least in the UK, and is seldom spoken about now. The videos from series one were best sellers, as were the swearing cuddly toys, but the principle of making an extremely easy cartoon using simple computer animation and a lot of mild, and bleeped-out, swearing was incredibly simple and makes one wonder why it became so popular. And it was, of course, because it swore and showed children swearing. which is what goes on in real life.
However, South Park should have concentrated on more realistic stories about life, such as series two's "Ike's Wee Wee" in which Ike, Kyle's brother, tries hiding from a Jewish ceremony he never went through, rather than the more far-fetched and childish tales such as the Godzilla-like "Mecha-Streisand" and shows focusing on aliens and monsters, such as "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe," "Volcano" and "Mister Hankey- the Christmas Poo."
I think a lot of people who used to say it was brilliant have now re-evaluated their opinions as it has faded from popularity and, speaking as one of them, now prefer to watch whatever is on teh other channel, usually BBC2, which is nearly always funnier. There will always be fans, especially with the new movie which was actually very funny, but there's a large possibility now that South Park, and indeed Kenny, will eventually die.
Advantages: Sometimes funny, with some good ideas.
Disadvantages: Sometimes too far-fetched to be funny.
Putting Macclesfield Back Where it Belongs – at the Forefront of Space Exploration
***
Written on 02.10.07
Following in the wake of the popular and similar ‘Nebulous,’ Paul Barnhill and Neil Warhurst’s unambiguously titled ‘The Spaceship’ was a rare original production for BBC7’s daily hour of science fiction, fantasy and horror ‘The 7th Dimension,’ which is otherwise clogged up with repeated ‘Doctor Who’ audio dramas. Unusually, this five episode series was broadcast in five consecutive days in June 2005, and although a second series doesn’t seem to be in the pipeline, this fleeting space opera spawned a tiny yet firm fan base in the way that all little-known science fiction or comedy shows tend to, particularly when the show in question is a combination of the two.
The last twenty years have repeatedly proved that spaceship-based comedy series are bound to fall into three distinct categories: Hitchhiker’s Guide knock-offs, Red Dwarf imitations (‘Hyperdrive’), or else just lazy Star Trek parodies. While the main inspiration for The Spaceship seems to be its BBC7 predecessor ‘Nebulous,’ the series manages to overcome the limitations and clichés of its format to deliver quite a compelling and somewhat humorous sci-fi saga with some sense of a larger overarching plot. Though it’s still quite a bit like Hitchhiker’s Guide.
The premise of The Spaceship is the standard one: a vessel in the near future has been launched from Earth (in this case, the Really Invincible III from the “Macclesfield Division” that is never clearly defined as either prestigious or embarrassing), with a small crew of men and women with very different personalities (woohoo, what’s going to happen?), and a sort of generic mission overview that will lead them into all sorts of random scrapes and encounters, in this case the directive to “search for new life” that I’m sure I’ve heard somewhere before. To their credit, writers Barnhill and Warhurst are clearly fully aware of the repetitive and formulaic nature of comedy sci-fi, and after the basic premise is laid down, they strive to explore new avenues that haven’t really been done before, or that at least avoid being blatant Trek parodies – there’s one single instance of the Captain instructing his crew to “make it happen” in the first episode as a sort of weak Picard reference, but this is thankfully abandoned immediately thereafter. The situations are all fairly familiar: touchy diplomatic contact with alien representatives (or “non-Earth beings” as we are consistently reminded is the politically correct term), dangerous space phenomenae and, most interesting of all, crew rivalry and ship-board conspiracy.
Without very many new sci-fi concepts left to invent – the ship’s cloned doctor/scientist Clive 55 being the only one really notable, and still seeming like a basic continuation of the holograms and androids of well-known sci-fi series – the series’ chief focus is on the interaction between the characters, whose performances and dialogue are mostly enjoyable. James Fleet (the stupid bloke from ‘The Vicar of Dibley,’ not that I would watch that) is perfectly cast as Captain Taylor, possessing a mixture of commanding authority, utter cluelessness and fundamental indecisiveness, and he is granted a great brash, ambitious, militaristic, borderline psychotic foil with his second in command, Security Officer Melissa Paterson (Emily Joyce, the woman from ‘My Hero,’ a show that no one should ever watch, ever). Sharing equal presence with these bigger names are the more down-to-earth and Northern Communications Officer Karen Trex (Rosie Cavaliero, who was also in ‘Nebulous’) and Engineer Stuart Jackson, played by writer Paul Barnhill who writes himself most of the funny lines but isn’t afraid to undermine his character increasingly as the episodes go on. Neil Warhurst also gets a role as the slightly lesser-seen Clive 55, most prominent in the second episode, while Nick Bolton provides opening, closing and incidental narration in the flat tone of a television documentary, which initially sets this up to be something like ‘Operation Good Guys’ or ‘The Office,’ but in space.
It takes an episode or two to become accustomed to these characters, but from then on there’s never an out-of-character moment, and the greater focus on continuity in the last few shows is well suited to the original daily airing. Captain Taylor acts as the reliable upper-class buffoon, never really knowing what’s going on and even suffering an unfortunate encounter with some dark matter near the end of the series which results in his head being shrunken “so tiny, it’s almost impossible to see,” and his voice becoming chirpy, in one of the series’ slightly less riveting sound-effects-based running gags. Melissa is necessarily unlikeable as the killjoy and xenophobe whose presence on this mission is inherently questionable, and she competes with the sinister Clive 55 as listeners try to uncover the true culprit of the unexpected goings-on that have been going on, while Stuart and Karen spend most of the time engaged in awkward and initially very one-sided cycles of flirtation and rejection in their Northern romance B-plot. As the everyman, Stuart is clearly intended to be the most likeable character, though he does become equally as ridiculous as the rest, and it’s hard not to develop a soft spot for the incessant hippie optimism of Karen, whose unwavering faith that “this is such a lucky ship” keeps her cool where many lesser crew members would go insane.
Nevertheless, the series is very shaky, ranging from blatant Hitchhiker’s Guide influence in the first episode where the hideous Urg seem just like Vogons without the poetry, to effectively dramatic but laugh-free suspense in the second episode when the crew explores the hulk of a dead spaceship and is attacked by Alien. I mean, an alien. I mean, a non-Earth being. Whatever Barnhill and Warhurst’s prior writing experience, they show signs of being newcomers to radio, as characters can often be found (in the earlier episodes) explaining the events to the sightless audience in an unrealistic way, e.g. “what’s she doing?”/”Rearranging a hairdryer.”/”Oh.” A scene where Warnhurst talks to himself as two different Clive clones would be a fairly standard split-screen trick in TV sci-fi, but just ends up being hard to follow in a radio play. I was also never really convinced by the narrative frame of the documentary, apparently compiled from broadcasts transmitted automatically and constantly from the Really Invincible III’s futuristic CCTV back to Macclesfield but never playing a role in the plot, and the brief opening and closing music played on a bass guitar and Hammond organ is rubbish; though, obviously, that’s just about the least important thing to consider. Fortunately the writers learn fast and overcome these obstacles as time goes on, and are able to use the slow-reveal nature of radio to withhold some pieces of information until late in the dialogue to comic effect. A second series or future project from Barnhill and Warhurst would certainly be an improvement, but this is far from an amateur production.
With only five episodes and a substantial focus on each individual plot-of-the-week (or more accurately, the day), there is plenty more that could be done with the crew of the Really Invincible III – a joke in itself, when you consider what must have become of the previous two ships, though one that smacks distinctly of Douglas Adams’ ‘Starship Titanic’ idea. The series is left wide open at the end just in case BBC7 ever realise they’ve run out of Eighth Doctor audio plays and need something to fill up the time-slot. It’s better than ‘Hyperdrive’ at least.
Advantages: An enjoyable sci-fi audio adventure with some memorable characters.
Disadvantages: Laughs are minor and inconsistent, and the series takes some time to establish its identity.
*****
Written on 19.03.09
I don't usually watch television, but the return of comedian Stewart Lee to BBC 2 after an absence of almost exactly ten years is a defining event for the obsessive comedy fan.
As mainstream audiences seem increasingly, tragically content to lap up the latest catch-phrases and unadventurous routines from the likes of Horne & Corden and whoever else is around (I don't know do I?), the BBC has finally been convinced to offer a platform to one of the nation's finest and highest-rated comedians, in an uncompromising show that presents stand-up comedy exactly as the fans are familiar with it. If you're accustomed to the inimitable style of Stewart Lee, that is. Something has gone seriously right.
Simply titled 'Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle,' this is half an hour of pure stand-up, with the exception of a few brief sketch cutaways to illustrate a point, and is unnervingly exactly like watching one of the comedian's live DVDs. Unnerving only in that a shift of perspective is needed, as only a couple of years ago, no-one but a fledgling production company working out an arts centre in Cardiff would dare approach the infamous director of 'Jerry Springer: The Opera' with a camera, for fear of further death penalties from right-wing Christians who took offence at a show they hadn't seen.
Lee's strong fanbase will not be disappointed, as there are no concessions to the mainstream here. Lee is as intimidatingly smart, often irritatingly erudite and tediously repetitive as his fans have come to love, with a perfect use of silence and some of the most excruciating build-ups to anticipated punchlines that you'll ever experience. A comedian with a microphone in a bar, talking about stuff, the conceit is that each weekly half-hour is centred on a distinct theme. This allows Lee relative freedom to incorporate routines old and new, many of which have been road-tested to perfection over the last five years since his return to stand-up in 2004.
This week's theme was 'books,' affording plenty of opportunities for unapologetic, learned criticism over Waterstones' spawning of 'celebrity hardback' and 'tragic lives' genres, with extensive digs at the lowest-common-denominator lad humour of Chris Moyles and the opportunism of Dave Pelzer taken to their logical conclusions and then beyond that to the realm of the surreal, the latter culminating in a sketch with Michael Redmond playing the part of Paddy MacGinty's abused goat.
Whatever loose themes are contrived for subsequent weeks, there are still plenty of memorable routines that have a chance to surface, including Lee's initial disbelief, soon evolving into fully-fledged mental breakdown, over the nation's decision to vote Del Boy falling through a bar as the funniest thing ever broadcast on television. There's also his deconstruction of Franklyn Ajaye's 'Serious About Comedy' LP that has been highly influential on Lee without him ever having bothered to remove it from its plastic wrapping, and of course plenty of stuff about Jesus of Nazareth.
It will be interesting to see how far this already bold venture is willing to risk pushing things, and it seems unlikely that some of Lee's more extreme (and thus most memorable) routines will be required to fall by the wayside, just to show that he has at least learned something from the Jerry Springer debacle, even if it's only that a small proportion of BBC viewers are reactionary buffoons. In particular, I won't hold my breath that Lee's spectacular closing set-piece from his 2005 '90s Comedian' show will be making its way onto terrestrial television any time soon, but it's pleasantly surprising to see just how authentic this whole enterprise is.
Stewart Lee must be incredibly satisfied with the result, as should be the comedy circuit in general, and many of Lee's contemporaries are even afforded brief cameo appearances. This is a great moment for comedy, as a truly subversive act - not in the way you might imagine Russell Brand to be subversive - receives the mainstream spotlight, however fleetingly.
Typically, if a stand-up comedian appears on television in this manner, the performance will usually be broadcast from an arena large enough to warrant terrestrial telly's attention, so it's great for comedy fans and newcomers alike to see the more intimate comedy club atmosphere replicated, the only major difference being significantly brighter lighting. However this mainstream attention will prove to affect Stewart Lee's turbulent career, fans can rest assured that the extra publicity won't go to his head. He's scheduled to play a new show at the reliable Stand Comedy Club during August's festival, and it's unhealthy that I'm excited already.
Advantages: Authentic, uncompromising stand-up from one of the nation's finest.
Disadvantages: Insert sketches don't always work.
T
Al Murray – The Series?
***
Written on 01.04.04
In 2001, Sky TV's interest in producing their own comedy programmes to rival other channels was generally regarded as a bit of a letdown. Harry Enfield and David Baddiel both produced quite mediocre series that failed to grasp the digitally- and satellite-able public, although "Time Gentlemen Please" fares slightly better.
Essentially a vehicle for comedian Al Murray's 'Pub Landlord' stand-up character, a show which I hope to see sometime in the next few years, the series was mostly written by comedy Christ, Richard Herring- of Fist of Fun and This Morning with Richard Not Judy "fame" and also a celebrated stand-up and playwright, and is a sitcom set, quite unoriginally, in a bar.
According to Herring and Murray, the series could be distinguished by its long-running character jokes rather than usual jokes related to the situation and location. Unfortunately this did not always work, and there were far too many fart and sex jokes to properly 'distinguish' it for me.
THE PLOT
The action centres around the slighly uninteresting and unsuccessful pub with no name, presumably somewhere in London. The landlord, known only as 'Guv,' has had a bad time with his wife and son being whisked away by a Frenchman. Only his regulars Terry, the Prof, the Old Man and his bar staff prevent him from losing his mind. Until the second series at least, when he does in fact lose it.
Al Murray's 'Guv' serves as both the show's premise, and its only real saving grace; after watching several episodes, most notably those that occur later on, his catch-phrases become eagerly awaited and very funny. "Damn these useless hands," (on Guv's Barman&# 39;s hand condition), "Oh dear, what a pity, never mind" and "two years" (since Guv has been with a lady) don't look like much when typed, but their delivery and context makes them expected and infectious.
CAST
"Guv" - Al Murray. Prejudiced but also quite pathetic owner of the pub. Al's Landlord character is award-winning and regularly toured, but he has also appeared as Harry Hill's big brother Alan in the comedian's Channel 4 programmes.
"Terry" - Phil Daniels. Terry likes crisps and farting. Phil has appeared in various roles, such as a voice actor in 'Chicken Run' and the narrator in Blur's hit 'Park Life.'
"Connie" - Emma Pierson. The rather lovely young barmaid who stresses over her incredibly easy college exams. Emma has appeared in a variety of films and TV shows, and removed her clothes in the recent Charles II: The Power and the Passion on BBC.
"The Prof" - Andrew MacKay. So-called because he wears glasses, and once won £1 on the Fact Hunt quiz machine. Andrew MacKay has appeared in Lee and Herring's series as a mad scientist who brought the Curious Orange back to life, and a man who is sick into a large pie made out of other pies. It is a crime that the BBC never repeated these series, as you can see.
"Steve" - Jason Freeman. The virginal bar lad with aspirations of becoming anything else. Jason has appeared in shows such as the Comedy Network.
"Janet" - Julia Sawahla. The Australian barmaid from the first series with a dirty mouth. The source of Herring's affection s in Fist of Fun, Julia has appeared in many series such as Pressgang and recently Jonathan Creek.
"Old Man" - Roy Heather. Apparently having never been allowed to die, the depressed old man is always present but never really gets involved with anything. Roy has appeared in Only Fools and Horses as a barman.
PROBLEMS
The major problem with the show is no fault of the writers, and that is the fact that Sky demanded 13 episodes as opposed to the usual six, presumably for American syndication. Many jokes also seemed disappointingly to be based around farting and innuendo; not the kind of writing I'd expect from Mr. Herring, author of 'Talking Cock' and the gnat's chuff joke. Lee & Herring's excellent catch-phrases and routines also seem wasted when delivered through some of the actors in this show.
Overall, a series that did not lend itself into becoming a success. Al Murray's recent live video/DVD seemed to perform quite well in the charts, it was even in my local newsagent's, so it seems the Landlord is doing alright for himself. I'd recommend seeing Al's character live, where his interactions with the audience and undiluted prejudice against pretty much every European race make for much more laughter. This series is regularly repeated on the Paramount channel.
Advantages: Some good lines and catch-phrases, Al Murray is a very funny man, The rest of the cast are also quite good
Disadvantages: Unoriginal premise, Suffers from scheduling
W
Whoopi Goldberg Presents Billy Connolly
Planes, Strains and Automatic Retching Response
*****
Written on 08.10.07
This performance of Billy Connolly live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music was recorded for broadcast on the American channel HBO, presumably as part of a series in which Whoopi Goldberg would use her celebrity status to introduce a different famous comedian each week and then walk on stage to kiss them at the end and share in their applause. Broadcast in 1989, this relatively short set of around forty minutes is Billy at his best, holding nothing back for the television cameras and allowing his mind to flit freely between topics with his customary lack of direction and without any pretence that this material has been prepared or selected especially for the occasion.
That’s one of the things that marks Billy out from the other famous stand-ups, as apart from his unique stage presence and ability to grip the audience with the most humdrum or scatological of stories, he has a genuine, natural talent to spin material off the cuff, or at least decide on a rough set of topics he wants to talk about and fill in the precise wording later. Taking the audience on a journey that begins in their local New York, travels out to Mozambique and ends in the unpleasant intimacy of Billy’s home toilet bowl, every movement of this meandering, sweary symphony really is the comic at the height of his ability, and would doubtless be quoted endlessly as his other shows tend to be if only it had been officially released over here.
There is a clear foundation for all of this material in the broad topic of air travel, which I found quite fascinating, but I’ll avoid the temptation to amateurishly dissect it and thus drain it of all its comedic energy, much as I want to in a way. The air travel theme seems to act as a means for Billy to keep track of where he’s going, however far he veers from the source, and it’s clearly helped him to generate his usual mix of clever observations, angry philosophising and toilet humour. Oh no, there I go. The show begins with the clean-shaven comedian applauding New Yorkers on their violent city and even giving it the honour of a comparison to his native Scotland, though the guffawing audience would clearly be on his side throughout even if he had ridiculed them and cursed their city into the dirt.
Some ingenious ideas of how New York can compete with the glitz of L.A.’s Hollywood Boulevarde move on to some extremely personalised accounts of Billy’s flight abroad for Comic Relief, which launches him into his air travel safety routine that’s been performed elsewhere, though with the usual touches unique to each performance. It’s fantastic to see the comedian making some quite clearly unreasonable demands for a greater quality of service in the Third World, perhaps as a stab at his own increasing wealth and status during this period, and the funniest side of it all is that any sense of knowing irony is completely buried under what seems like genuine anger. Maybe it is, maybe he really does believe in the godlike status afforded to him by his peers, but he never tackles Jim Davidsonesque areas of prejudice in any of his rants, so it never seems threatening.
The second half of the show sees this knowing satire of middle-class values balanced out very nicely by some toilet humour of the most basic level, the most basic level being Billy imitating different types of fart sound into the microphone and actually succeeding rather well. His re-enactment of suffering from an itchy rear in public, and the extent to which people fail miserably to conceal it, ought to teach a thing or two about hilarious observational comedy to the gathered comedians present in the crowd, while his closing routine about the trauma of being sick rang so true with me that it was almost disturbing, particularly as I was recently sick for the first time since about 1997 and had developed something of a phobia about it inevitably happening again. But it was my own fault for drinking milk with a hangover. And then for eating that shepherd’s pie I’d left in the microwave overnight the following day. I am an idiot. Judging by the teary eyes of the audience, it’s clear that some of them can relate to the stories of public farting, and it’s only really a discussion over environmental protests that ends up predicting an inevitable Nazi uprising in reunified Germany that I didn’t enjoy an awful lot, partly because the material is so dated and also because a man striding across the stage in wide Nazi steps wasn’t the most original joke on the circuit by 1989. No, he’s much better when talking about farts.
As a fan of inventive, hard-working stand-ups, I have a huge admiration and respect for Billy Connolly and am looking forward to seeing more of his material in the near future in the form of the seemingly limitless bounty of DVDs and videos that have been released over the decades. He’s someone I haven’t really run across before as the comedians I usually see perform in small, darkened rooms in Edinburgh throughout August, working for love and often losing a large money in the process (especially if a big name like Ricky Gervais sets up a crowd-stealing show in the vicinity), and this comparatively short and sweet performance was the perfect introduction, without being any sort of compromise and only selling out in the positive sense.
The show isn’t available on DVD, despite being recorded by television cameras, but I think a VHS release was available at the time in America, as well as an audio CD that may or may not have been bootlegged. Needless to say, the version I watched was far from legitimate, but still captured the excellent performance as originally filmed. It’s comforting to know that Billy Connolly is big in America, something that’s been confirmed by his more recent ‘Live in New York’ DVD, and it proves that you don’t have to share the sort of background and ideologies that he has in order to be thoroughly engrossed and amused by his yarns. It does help if you’ve had at least some unpleasant experiences in a toilet though.
Advantages: A faultless stand-up performance with something for everyone (well, almost).
Disadvantages: People may turn up their noses at the prolific use of that F-word.
Y
Shame About the Music
****
Written on 01.12.03 [2015 rewatch]
British alternative comedy was at its satirical prime in the 1980s, and shows such as the Young Ones managed to tread new ground with the franchise as well as make a lot of over-emphasised comments on Thatcher's Government. The series was written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer, with the latter two working independently from Ben, leading to the very disjointed and oddball nature of the episodes; this was part of the programme's charm. The series charted the lives and exploits of four different students living in Central London who meet bizarre people and hurt each other a lot.
Running for two series of six episodes each, the Young Ones starred Rik Mayall as Rick the 'peoples' poet' virginal fan of Cliff Richard, Adrian Edmondson as insane and violent punk Vyvian, Christopher Ryan as 'cool guy' Mike and Nigel Planer as depressed hippie Neil. Alexei Sayle would also often show up as part of the Russian/scouse/cockney Balowski family, crack a joke, and leave.
The series was famous for its very strange style; episodes would always include something impossible happening both as part of the plot or as aside gags such as talking food, as well as its musical interludes. Not being a young rioter in the early 1980s, I was not even a young human, these can often be annoying 'fast-forward' material although some of the later ones integrate well into the plot.
Follwoing the success of the first series in 1982, the Young Ones (although without Mike, who they claimed had died) toured the country with an awar-winning stage show, which meant that their second and final series in 1984 proved even better in terms of character interactions and coherent plots.
Noteable episodes include:
"BOMB" - a bomb falls out of an aircraft and lands in the students' house, although they don't notice it until they try and get tomato ketchup for Rik's cornflakes out of the fridge. When they do, Vyvian begins ecstatically smacking it with a hammer while Neil paints himself white to deflect the blast and hides under the table.
"BORING" - boredom sets in, although it's not enough for the Young Ones to bother actually going to college. Neil digs himself a grave in case he accidetnally decides to kill himself and Vyvian's entertainment comes when he cuts his own finger off. It's not an accident.
"BAMBI" - the classic University Challenge episode in which Scumbag College take on the Oxbridge Footlights. Despite problems of decapitation on the train journey the students eventually arrive at the show three weeks late and don't stand a chance unless they replace the sensible questions with "who has the world's stupidest bottom burp?"
"NASTY" - the scary (well alright, not really) Halloween episode in which Harry the Ba***rd and a vampire are out to get the smelly students.
"SUMMER HOLIDAY" - the gripping (well, not really) final episode in which the Young Ones hijack a bus but accidentally drive it off a cliff. They're alright though, at least until it explodes.
Needless to say, the Young Ones' target audience seemed to be seventeen to twenty five year olds who would get a kick out of the exaggerated political humour, although simply calling everything a "Nazi" didn't seem particularly intelligent. Others will have been attracted to the cartoon-style violence, unusual talking things and musical tracks, but for me the real humour just comes from the idiocy and stereotypical nature of the characters, and the way they deliver their lines. Both series are now available on DVD.
TRIVIA: The music in the series, which ranged from Madness to Motorhead with loads of rubbish in-between, integrated well into the plot but is only present so that the show could come under the BBC's 'entertainment' budget, which was larger than its comedy budget.
The early 1990s sitcom "Bottom" stars an older Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondon, although Christopher Ryan makes a number of guest appearances, and while this is often seen as the middle aged equivalent of the Young Ones it doesn't really have much in common. I prefer Bottom's more straightforward style as the silliness of this show sometimes detracts, but I always try and watch it if it's on- an advantage of this programme is that apart from the occasional "b***ard" it's swear-free and will likely be enjoyed by children as well: I know I used to love it.
Advantages: Original and inventive
Disadvantages: Some segments are far too silly
Bottom *****
Da Ali G Show ***
Family Guy *****
The League of Gentlemen *****
The League of Gentlemen – Series One *****
Red Dwarf I *****
Red Dwarf II ****
Red Dwarf III *****
The Royle Family *****
Vic Reeves' Big Night Out ****
