Surely the scene with Richard Griffiths fluffing the audition would've worked better if they (the American producers) had asked him to do it in an American accent and he'd protested saying that he couldn't do one? Then had him really mangling it with a ridiculously over-the-top Yankee accent.

Interestingly, a lot of the media, including that other comedy website that we dare not speak it's name, C*****e, is calling this "Matt Le Blanc's new sitcom" which considering he wasn't even in the first episode seems a bit rich.

Yes I wonder how much filming LeBlanc actually did for the show - I have a suspicion that his scenes are going to be rather rationed...

Quote: Timbo @ January 10 2011, 11:56 PM GMT

an essentially laugh free script.

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Gags I can recall: 'walking into polystyrene columns', pointless to start with, irritating when repeated. Presumably it was some sort of metaphor for the whole experience they were having, but so what.

'Security guard not knowing their name'. Where's the funny?

'Bath takes a long time to fill up'. About as funny as a bath filling up slowly.

And why were the main characters so amazed that an American might not want to use the established lead? Haven't they noticed that it happens all the time?

Trouble is you lot all have too much inside knowledge to judge this dispassionately. Watched this with the wife (who's not in the biz) and she loved it. I thought it was fun, and sparky, certainly worth sticking with for now.

Yes there are loads of 'in' shows around, maybe too many, and a lot on BBC Two, but there are good ones and bad ones. 'All About Eve' is a great movie about showbiz, 60+ years old but still fresh.

If you want to see a great film about writers having their vision screwed with watch David Mamet's State and Main.

Or Woody Allen's Bullets over Broadway

Oooh, one of my favourite films.

Follow the link below to read the American versions of Outnumbered, The IT Crowd, No Heroics, Ab Fab, Pulling etc, etc.

http://sites.google.com/site/tvwriting/us-drama/pilot-scripts/09-10-season

It seems that someone on the site that must not be named has REALLY laid into it, attacking Episodes left, right and centre.

I was really disappointed... but I'll give next week a go. Just 'cause I like Matt Le Blanc.

Didn't really find it that funny.

Quote: Ian Wolf @ January 11 2011, 1:57 PM GMT

It seems that someone on the site that must not be named has REALLY laid into it, attacking Episodes left, right and centre.

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Hmmm just read that and have to kind of agree.

It was predictable... and it was really quite dull.

I wanted more laughs.

Aw, Mangan just tweeted to urge people who weren't so keen to stick with it, as it gets better.

I choose to believe you, Sir Mangan!

Quote: zooo @ January 11 2011, 3:13 PM GMT

Aw, Mangan just tweeted to urge people who weren't so keen to stick with it, as it gets better.

I choose to believe you, Sir Mangan!

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I will give it another go... fingers crossed for the second episode of... Episodes.

Some of the criticisms levelled have been perfectly valid, but they needed to rush through the whole set-up of the American move - it could easily have made its own entire series, I'm sure. So there was a lot to set up, introduce and establish in episode one; yes there were more laugh opportunities that weren't taken, but I didn't think it was too bad, particularly given what it needed to do. Once they get into the actual production process, presumably next week, things should - with any luck - pick up pace a little.

Quote: Aaron @ January 11 2011, 3:23 PM GMT

Some of the criticisms levelled have been perfectly valid, but they needed to rush through the whole set-up of the American move - it could easily have made its own entire series, I'm sure. So there was a lot to set up, introduce and establish in episode one; yes there were more laugh opportunities that weren't taken, but I didn't think it was too bad, particularly given what it needed to do. Once they get into the actual production process, presumably next week, things should - with any luck - pick up pace a little.

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A sitcom should be funny from the first line to the last line. There's no build-up period where you endure tin-ear dialogue while the writer tries to get his dick hard or nipples pert.

This is a bad idea, badly made.

True, it should be.
But I wouldn't like to miss 6 potentially funny episodes just because the first one (for some reason) didn't work. So I will be watching the others.

Of course if I'd hated the first (rather than just feeling it could have been better), I wouldn't bother.