Quote: HRG @ 30th May 2019, 3:54 PMWas this the first film to do this I wonder?
No, it had been done previously - the most famous example being, perhaps "A Hard Day's Night" (1964).
Another example popular with comedy fans is Woody Allen's "Take the Money and Run" (1969).
Quote: Rood Eye @ 30th May 2019, 4:17 PMNo, it had been done previously - the most famous example being, perhaps "A Hard Day's Night" (1964).
Another example popular with comedy fans is Woody Allen's "Take the Money and Run" (1969).
Thanks 
I'll have to give these a watch, I've obviously missed some classics!
Quote: Rood Eye @ 30th May 2019, 4:17 PMAnother example popular with comedy fans is Woody Allen's "Take the Money and Run" (1969).
Good little film. And on the Woody Allen mockumentary front there's also Zelig, which is one of my favourite of his.
Quote: Rood Eye @ 30th May 2019, 4:17 PMAnother example popular with comedy fans is Woody Allen's "Take the Money and Run" (1969).
Gub?!
Yes, the mockumentary format is terribly old hat. There are far fewer actual documentaries of quite the same style now.
However, that's in part down to the glut of low quality ones we've had. Something like Scot Squad can still be blisteringly funny, because it has actual laughs in the characters and stories, beyond the format itself. Many sell themselves on being a mockumentary rather than on the situation and people portrayed, and as such fail miserably because it's not remotely new or novel.
Whilst not strictly a mockumentary, 1960's The Strange World Of Gurney Slade is the earliest comparable fourth-wall-breaking, presented-as-fact, following-the-character comedy I can think of.
Quote: Aaron @ 1st June 2019, 2:23 PMWhilst not strictly a mockumentary, 1960's The Strange World Of Gurney Slade is the earliest comparable fourth-wall-breaking, presented-as-fact, following-the-character comedy I can think of.
Brilliant.
We nicked the music (and the look, if I'm honest) for some TV ads we did.
Quote: Aaron @ 1st June 2019, 2:23 PMYes, the mockumentary format is terribly old hat. There are far fewer actual documentaries of quite the same style now.
However, that's in part down to the glut of low quality ones we've had. Something like Scot Squad can still be blisteringly funny, because it has actual laughs in the characters and stories, beyond the format itself. Many sell themselves on being a mockumentary rather than on the situation and people portrayed, and as such fail miserably because it's not remotely new or novel.
Whilst not strictly a mockumentary, 1960's The Strange World Of Gurney Slade is the earliest comparable fourth-wall-breaking, presented-as-fact, following-the-character comedy I can think of.
Yes I think you're right. I do remember there being loads of documentaries like Airport and similar on at the same time as The Office originally aired. It's part of what made it seem quite new perhaps.
This was quite a decent one, People Like Us.
I didn't know there was a radio version....
Quote: HRG @ 1st June 2019, 8:51 PMYes I think you're right. I do remember there being loads of documentaries like Airport and similar on at the same time as The Office originally aired. It's part of what made it seem quite new perhaps.
Precisely. It hit the zeitgeist of the time. Now it would be reality/contest shows: except, as Peter Kay proved with the lacklustre Britain's Got The Pop Factor And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice, they're too ridiculous in themselves to be spoofable.
Mocdoc sitcoms suck like a budgie with no teeth, to misuse a Benny Hill line. Done brilliantly, they are genuinely great sitcoms but there's only ever been one, The Office. Most of the rest are lazy and poor copies of this very sitcom, following its form and style of dialogue and actors' delivery but not the quality of script. Take its intriguing new form (at the time) away and The Office had a very funny script, with a very trad sitcom lead character and a very good one.
The endless stream of irritating rubbish that's ensued from the success of The Office has made mugs of many in broadcasting, who've just waved it all through one after a similar other because it was trendy and popular, despite being samey and dull and increasingly less and less like real sitcom. And because they don't know what they're f**king doing anymore.
Could not agree more.