Wow - long post!

I just didnt laugh....and I didn't see where I should have. It wasnt that I didnt find the gags funny, there just weren't any.

If you get a copy of the script and highlight the funny sections you would be hard pushed.

As an example - at one point someone calls someone and asks "are you at work" to which the response is "you called my work number" - is that supposed to be charming interaction between two people or is it suppose to be funny? I just don't get it (or see what I am suppose to get).

Oh, and I watched Friends in my late teens and for me and my mates missing an episode was unheard of - think you are being a little hard to suggest it was for women and no one cared about character. Ross and Rachel was an iconic pairing.

Welcome Crazyeyeskilla! Long, and very thoughtful post. I think I agree pretty much entirely, and hadn't even considered previously a couple of the points you raised.

Regarding the Catherine Tate/Little Britain accusations, I can't see anything of that at all. Seems to be people justifying hatred of one show by comparing it something they already dislike.

And to M Lewis, do you like The Office?

I am entirely liking Gavin & Stacey, and I'll tell you for why. The comedy arises naturally for the most part from the characters, and the characters drive the plot rather than the other way round. The characters are people you can imagine actually existing in real life, rather than the grotesques you'd find in Two Pints.

Incidentally, Sheridan Smith - the female Neil Fitzmaurice? Discuss.

Quote: Aaron @ April 21 2008, 10:35 AM BST

And to M Lewis, do you like The Office?

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To summarise:

I like Catherine Tait, i just don't like it being ripped off for no point - the scene i saw had the bloke that always has his shirt done up all the way (has he had a tracheotomy?) pull over so his mates sister could do an "am i bovered" sketch for no obvious reason.

I like The Office.

I think Ricky Gervais is a bit of a tool....but find him funny. (i would listen to him talk but wouldn't want to dine with the guy - i think he uses the "we are laughing AT the person being insensitive" as a defence for just laughing at minorities. In 2007 in the UK if you have a gag of a bloke laughing at a disabled person you KNOW 50% of your viewers are laughing AT the disabled person, so irrespective of what you THINK you are achieving, for a lot of people you are just doing spastic gags...which is fine, but don't get high and mighty about it)

I like the fat guy that wrote Gavin and Stacey - seems like a laugh, i would dine with him (donuts i expect)

Its not that i think G&S is bad.... But i dont get it...or see what i'm missing. In last nights show there was no laughs until Rob Brydon showed up with an ipod (and that's more down to him that the script)

Quote: Graham Bandage @ April 21 2008, 10:57 AM BST

The characters are people you can imagine actually existing in real life, rather than the grotesques you'd find in Two Pints.

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I agree - but making them natural doesnt make them funny.

Seriously, if someone posted the script for the first 5 mins of last night in the critique forum it would be ripped apart for being unfunny.

As would the script of The Office. That's the nature of these "realistic" shows. Remember Gervais and Merchant had to find the cash to film their own pilot (IIRC), in order to convey what they were trying to do? The format and basis of the show meant it didn't work on paper, and I'm pretty sure you'd find the same with much of the Gavin and Stacey scripts. If you don't find the show funny, and can't see what is meant to be funny (much like myself with The Office), then that's fine. It's just not appealing to your sense of humour. But don't start ripping apart the script as written, because the same and more could be said of programmes.

The Office pilot was funded by the BBC and the scenes that they shot to get there were done by Merchant as a homework project for his BBC course....anyway, i see your point about the office script but it is still obvious where the humour should be whether you find it funny or not.

This isnt so much like or dislike...i just dont see whats funny. Maybe last nights was a bad example but the first 5 mins just had no attempt at a laugh....i dont mean there were laughs that i didnt find funny....there were just no laughs attempted.

I haven't seen the last episode yet, but well done on winning the BAFTA. I've always liked the show and always found it funny. The fact that people some people think it should be a comedy-drama proves that they don't get the many jokes that are made (not all punchline ones), they obviously just go over people's heads. To those that get the jokes and don't find that funny, well that's the beauty of humour. Its subjective and we all have different tastes.

To be fair there isn't much competition at the moment either, but I was surprised they weren't up for best sitcom - having been best comedy. Weird.

lol - it didnt go "over my head"...i understood where all the humour was, i was just surpised at the lack of it.....and bearing in mind it wasnt full of funny i was a bit disapointed at some of the easy lines. For example, girl jumpping over car roof was superb...getting in and saying "i always wanted to do that" was lazy. Smithys "well done" when they all walk in at the end and disturb him and fat lass was class...the whole "neil" thing was lazy.

It's ok but it tries to rip off Peep Show etc and fails. Rob Brydon is funny because he's a funny guy. The Fat girl is just annoying (playing a hard nut), and the Welsh (portayed as cute and funny)tries my patience after the 18th joke.

PULLING is soooo much better!!

Quote: Aaron @ April 21 2008, 12:09 PM BST

As would the script of The Office. That's the nature of these "realistic" shows. Remember Gervais and Merchant had to find the cash to film their own pilot (IIRC), in order to convey what they were trying to do? The format and basis of the show meant it didn't work on paper, and I'm pretty sure you'd find the same with much of the Gavin and Stacey scripts. If you don't find the show funny, and can't see what is meant to be funny (much like myself with The Office), then that's fine. It's just not appealing to your sense of humour. But don't start ripping apart the script as written, because the same and more could be said of programmes.

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That isn't true at all. The office scripts are on-paper-funny. They don't require Gervais to take off. It's also a myth that the show was a slow burn. I saw the first episode when it was first broadcast and liked it immediately and you all know what i think of Gervais (He's a c**t). The first scene of the first episode contains a joke. I posted it a long time back when Chapman said there were no obvious jokes in the show (there are lots and lots). G & S is a ground-breaking show, because even people who like it admit that it isn't funny - much. But they still like it. I've taken against it only at a script level. I don't think old crazy-eyed corden can write comedy very well. But it seems that only M Lewis agrees with me.

Godot....EXACTLY my view!

And spot on about The Office scripts...the UK version opens with Brent on the phone to the guy and asks about his wife...who it turns out left him (funny or not its an obvious stab at humour) Likewise the US version re-jigs it to have Scott on the phone to get a sale and mistakes the female caller for a bloke ("must be a smoker"). While Gervais and Carrell take those lines to new levels its obvious they written for funny.

Smithy's sister was a dreadful, and entirely unfunny, addition to the script - it was so derivative i almost can't believe it. I don't find the show to be laugh a minute...which is fine in itself, but I don't think this is deliberate. An awful lot of the jokes fall flat. For me, I can at times 'hear' two different voices in the writing...and unless I'm mistaken this would be the first time that Jones and the fat lad have written together. Mixed.

Quote: M Lewis @ April 21 2008, 9:30 AM BST

Wow - long post!

I just didnt laugh....and I didn't see where I should have. It wasnt that I didnt find the gags funny, there just weren't any.

If you get a copy of the script and highlight the funny sections you would be hard pushed.

As an example - at one point someone calls someone and asks "are you at work" to which the response is "you called my work number" - is that supposed to be charming interaction between two people or is it suppose to be funny? I just don't get it (or see what I am suppose to get).

Oh, and I watched Friends in my late teens and for me and my mates missing an episode was unheard of - think you are being a little hard to suggest it was for women and no one cared about character. Ross and Rachel was an iconic pairing.

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Like i said i did admire the writing in Friends, razor sharp at times which is good going over so long a period but by the 6th 7th 8th seasons i really couldnt care less about missing an episode - just my thought.

It does make me smile this criticism people have about GS not being "funny" enough - i smiled at the "you phoned my work number" line it obviously was not meant to be split your sides laughing! it was just another well observed line slotted in there which myself and many other people would recognise as having happened to them sometimes - that's it! nothing more nothing less. I think it just maybe disappoints you from the point of view that if you were a huge fan of Friends then they used to hatchet in a couple of their "big" gags at the start and end of the show - i think largely because they went for an ad break in the States straight after the credits!

If i did get the script i would have no trouble whatsoever highlighting the funny parts - the whole script is simply "laced" with an undertone of smut throughout both series which is part of the appeal for me hehe
just trying to see when and where they slip these gags in and if my missus "gets" it.

last night's funny bits included "Barry's Island, Four fingers or five, I could speak for the Welsh, I thought your name was Colin, Don't want another Fatwah......." etc etc I've only watched it once but they are some of the lines i remember.

Anyways - as always it is each to their own, does intrigue me the amount of people who come onto this thread to run it down as not being funny though EVEN after it beats the flipping Apprentice (comedy gold itself at times and friggin popular show) to win a viewers award!! A f**king viewers award after being shown on BBC3!! Christ almighty WHAT more proof do the critics of the show need to realise that the show must be doing something right???

Quote: M Lewis @ April 21 2008, 12:22 PM BST

The Office pilot was funded by the BBC and the scenes that they shot to get there were done by Merchant as a homework project for his BBC course....anyway, i see your point about the office script but it is still obvious where the humour should be whether you find it funny or not.

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Sorry, but to me it's no more or less obvious in Gavin and Stacey than The Office. I really think it comes down to taste in a show like this. There aren't traditionally obvious gag gags or comedy moments in that sense. It's the overall atmosphere which fuels things. Having said that, I've not got around to watching the past few episodes, so don't have direct reference to the specific scene(s) you're noting.

Quote: Crazyeyeskilla @ April 21 2008, 1:59 PM BST

i smiled at the "you phoned my work number" line it obviously was not meant to be split your sides laughing! it was just another well observed line

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I suppose that sort of answers my question - there were funny lines in there that i missed as being funny.

I recognise that situation as being true to life - i just dont see why its funny.

When i hear a good line i often regret that its not something i would have thought of......i cant even imagine coming up with that dialogue to open that phone call...and if someone suggested it to me I'd have thought they were nuts...hence my confusion ( i guess i am not destined to write subtle well observed comedy )

Quote: Aaron @ April 21 2008, 3:14 PM BST

Sorry, but to me it's no more or less obvious in Gavin and Stacey than The Office. I really think it comes down to taste in a show like this. There aren't traditionally obvious gag gags or comedy moments in that sense. It's the overall atmosphere which fuels things. Having said that, I've not got around to watching the past few episodes, so don't have direct reference to the specific scene(s) you're noting.

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I will watch the others in this series in case last night was a bad example....seriously, it kicked off with 5 mins of ZERO gags (Barry's Island was the first i think)

YOu cant find 5 mins of the office were there isnt a gag (whether you like the joke or not)