Quote: Greg @ February 1 2009, 5:00 PM GMTAfter all the talk of the first episode being a lot more 'adult' am I the only one who thought that it was actually a lot more childish?
Humour sophistication, maybe. Content, no.
Quote: Mark @ February 2 2009, 12:42 PM GMTstray seamen
Those dirty sailors!
(semen*)
Quote: Mav42 @ February 1 2009, 2:41 PM GMT. . . the following dissection of his critique was remarkably condescending for a response devoid of any worthy counter-argument.
Fortunately, the baffling hyperbole above suggests that you were indeed being ironic.
Unclench thy buttocks!
Relax, and I'm sure you'll find it far easier to remove the cork that's been ever so firmly, well and truly wedged up your arse.
Condescending? Bugger off and read the paid-for-professionals art and media reviews if you want considered 'perfection'. In my posts you'll find first thoughts, half-thoughts, misspellings, grammatical errors - all borne from enthusiasm for something I'm in a hurry to well ...enthuse about. Enthusiasm; try it sometime - you might like it.
Oi. Getting too personal and confrontational here now. Let's not descend into a slanging match please.
Quote: cylon6 @ February 1 2009, 6:18 PM GMTDigital Spy are reporting that it was watched by 3.45m losing out to Trial & Retribution with 5.26m on ITV.
I'm sure that must be partly down to regular viewers knowing the programme is repeated - tonight. Loved Tim's pratfall too. I think I laughed out louder at that than anything else in that episode. Perfectly executed.
Quote: Danny K @ February 2 2009, 4:23 PM GMTUnclench thy buttocks!
Relax, and I'm sure you'll find it far easier to remove the cork that's been ever so firmly, well and truly wedged up your arse.
Condescending? Bugger off and read the paid-for-professionals art and media reviews if you want considered 'perfection'. In my posts you'll find first thoughts, half-thoughts, misspellings, grammatical errors - all borne from enthusiasm for something I'm in a hurry to well ...enthuse about. Enthusiasm; try it sometime - you might like it.
Surely the result of such hurried enthusiasm is often exactly the opposite of condescension. In fact, your haughty rebuke was spiced so lavishly with quotes and links (at one point you dismiss a valid criticism as simply "not the case", offering an irrelevant quote in support) and so pragmatically structured, that I would sooner accept the excuse of over-thinking to have bred such a supercilious tone.
It might have perhaps been forgivable had you confronted Blenkinsop's criticism with the response it deserved, but instead you proceeded to a) miss the point entirely, b) assure him, incorrectly, that he was simply "misled", c) somehow link toilet humour to a quote referencing hard-hitting political satire and d) offer a patronising olive branch with a reference to "paid-professionals", before making an incoherent point about originality.
Finally I feel I ought to highlight that my eagerness to skewer the pomposity of your post does not immediately lend itself to a demand for "considered perfection" - though, having said that, I would suggest that if you spent as much time constructing your counter-arguments as you do coming up with half-baked synonyms for anal-retention, you might next time achieve something other than simply ratifying the inarguable nature of Blenkisop's points.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - I . . . didn't . . . like it.
The plot was a bit dull and it relied to heavily on 'Lee Mack is Northern' jokes.
I thought series 2 took a bit of time to get going, before having four or 5 corking episodes so I'm not giving up but I have a horrible feeling NGO might never reach the heights it did.
Maybe it lacks heart? I know Andrew Collins said he and Mack wrote everything in the first series from scratch, maybe the process has changed?
I don't know. It just didn't seem right.
Quote: Mav42 @ February 2 2009, 9:10 PM GMTSurely the result of such hurried enthusiasm is often exactly the opposite of condescension. In fact, your haughty rebuke was spiced so lavishly with quotes and links (at one point you dismiss a valid criticism as simply "not the case", offering an irrelevant quote in support) and so pragmatically structured, that I would sooner accept the excuse of over-thinking to have bred such a supercilious tone.
It might have perhaps been forgivable had you confronted Blenkinsop's criticism with the response it deserved, but instead you proceeded to a) miss the point entirely, b) assure him, incorrectly, that he was simply "misled", c) somehow link toilet humour to a quote referencing hard-hitting political satire and d) offer a patronising olive branch with a reference to "paid-professionals", before making an incoherent point about originality.
Finally I feel I ought to highlight that my eagerness to skewer the pomposity of your post does not immediately lend itself to a demand for "considered perfection" - though, having said that, I would suggest that if you spent as much time constructing your counter-arguments as you do coming up with half-baked synonyms for anal-retention, you might next time achieve something other than simply ratifying the inarguable nature of Blenkisop's points.
And there, we shall leave it. There need be no more critiquing of others' critiques of the show.
When a critique goes to more than 4 lines I lose interest and don't bother reading them.
Watched it, enjoyed it. The 'April Fools!' resolution was awful though. There must have been a better way of it coming out that it was all a trick rather than her saying those dreadful, draining words. Still, overall it was an engaging, easy watch with some good funny.
Quote: Seefacts @ February 2 2009, 9:15 PM GMTAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - I . . . didn't . . . like it.
The plot was a bit dull and it relied to heavily on 'Lee Mack is Northern' jokes.
I thought series 2 took a bit of time to get going, before having four or 5 corking episodes so I'm not giving up but I have a horrible feeling NGO might never reach the heights it did.
Maybe it lacks heart? I know Andrew Collins said he and Mack wrote everything in the first series from scratch, maybe the process has changed?
I don't know. It just didn't seem right.
Obviously, the episode I wrote with Lee that comes next week is a whole lot better. But I would say that, wouldn't I?
You would, wouldn't you?
Quote: Andrew Collins @ February 3 2009, 12:09 AM GMTObviously, the episode I wrote with Lee that comes next week is a whole lot better. But I would say that, wouldn't I?
Well, I just wonder if your EastEnders background gives you another edge? An extra dimension regarding storytelling.
I can appreciate how hard it is to write good plots (which this opener lacks) and that the temptation may have been there to just have 'gag-gag-gag'. And while that is very much NGO territory, I think most of the past episodes have had a strong story skeleton to hang the jokes off.
The show felt a bit different as well. Obviously the departure of Alex Hardcastle might have contributed, but the whole thing left me a tad cold.
Yeah, the opener did lack the panache I found with series 2 (I've yet to watch series 1) but I did enjoy it. 
I know Andrew Collins said he and Mack wrote everything in the first series from scratch
Don't get this? Surely everything in any writing is written from scratch. (or am I missing something?)
Quote: Mikey J @ February 3 2009, 1:02 AM GMTYeah, the opener did lack the panache I found with series 2 (I've yet to watch series 1) but I did enjoy it.
Don't get this? Surely everything in any writing is written from scratch. (or am I missing something?)
I tend to do that - type and then not really read it back.
You're right, of course, but I meant the first series (I believe) was written by both Mack and Collins basically from nothing, in an office. So it was crafted carefully and deliberatly. In fact I think in AC's blog he has a wonderful picture of loads of post-its on a wall for the plotting. I could be be wrong, but I wonder if LM's gag-based humour took over and we were left minus AC's 'story head'. So what we got was a linear plot, with a lame reveal and too many 'Northern' jokes.
I could be way off, of course, but just an idea.
There's even more gag writers this series (I'm only bitter because I'm not one of them, of course) so maybe the joke-joke-joke thing has just taken over. We'll see!
Quote: Seefacts @ February 3 2009, 12:27 AM GMTObviously the departure of Alex Hardcastle might have contributed, but the whole thing left me a tad cold.
Why, where he's gone?
