The Old Guys - Series 1 Page 11

I find it quite slow going, not for me.

A virtually gagless slog through comedy hell (Even for the BBC)

I didn't think the second episode was quite as good as the first, but overall still think this show has just enough to warrant me spending half an hour a week to watch it. I think there's hope for this show yet.

Quote: Jack Massey @ February 8 2009, 8:34 PM GMT

I really enjoyed the second episode, not as good as the first but still really good. The scripts aren't that great, but Lloyd-Pack and Swift are. I'm going to carry on watching it.

I agree that there are solid perfomances but for me part of the problem is that there is not enough character coming through and I think this might be possibly due to the fact that the actors just seem to be playing themselves - especially Clive Swift; it is hard to really tell his character apart from Richard in Keeping Up Appearences.
The same in a way can also be said of the one from The IT Crowd who appears to be playing a slightly madder version of her The IT Crowd character. (Is it Catherine? I know it's not Moss or Roy.)

It's Jen

KP isn't helped by having another character called Roy in it. If someone told me this was from the writers of Peep Show I would have never believed it. It seems they've written the sitcom in the way they think other studio sitcoms are written instead of in their own style. It would be interesting to see the ratings.

Quote: Mark @ February 8 2009, 12:06 PM GMT

Can we try and keep this discussion about The Old Guys:

I saw last night's episode after one too many drinks, so I'm not really in a position to judge it fairly. That said, it did seem quite weak.

What is odd is I thought that this was supposed to be a comedy for the family to watch... hence the show can be forgiven for not being too risky with the comedy. However, episode 4 - due in a couple of week's time - is about the lads sharing a prostitute! I suspect that's not going to tick the family-viewing box.

Wasn't that the episode in the Last Laugh thingummy?

Quote: ContainsNuts @ February 10 2009, 11:18 AM GMT

KP isn't helped by having another character called Roy in it. If someone told me this was from the writers of Peep Show I would have never believed it. It seems they've written the sitcom in the way they think other studio sitcoms are written instead of in their own style. It would be interesting to see the ratings.

Someone posted on earlier pages that it had 5 million viewers, for ep one. I just didn't believe they would be that high and therefore double-checked the source on Digital Spy and unbelievably, repeat,
u n b e l I e v a b l y, yes it achieved just under 5 million! (4.95), Simply astounding, and more to do with the 9:30pm slot and the fact that a majority of viewers will watch the first episode of something new that's received reasonable write-up's.

However, I should imagine after the first ep, a lot of people won't have bothered to tune in for ep 2, so once my preferred source (the BARB figures) are out (they're only up to Jan 25th at the mo'), I expect to see a massive drop.

What I'm really looking forward to seeing, are the figures for arguably Britain's number one sitcom at the moment, Not Going Out; which I expect to be considerable.

P.S. If Digital Spy's figures are backed up by BARB then the quote of just under 5 million is truly astonishing when you consider the iconic, Bafta and Int Emmy award winning, Life On Mars was considered a critical and viewer success with average viewing figures for series one of 6.8 million. Just 6.8 million, yet plaudits and sales all over the world for the BBC (okay it wasn't a sitcom but The Old Guys ep 1 ratings are almost right up the arse of an acclaimed hit TV series).

Quote: Danny K @ February 10 2009, 1:36 PM GMT

Someone posted on earlier pages that it had 5 million viewers, for ep one. I just didn't believe they would be that high and therefore double-checked the source on Digital Spy and unbelievably, repeat,
u n b e l I e v a b l y, yes it achieved just under 5 million!

What's unbelievable about it?

Quote: Matthew Stott @ February 10 2009, 1:40 PM GMT

What's unbelievable about it?

The standard of episode two. (Admittedly, the figures are for Ep1).

Episode two had only 3 funny lines in the full half hour. I don't think they'll hold on to those 5 million viewers from Ep1 after that. So slow were the gags in coming during Ep2 that at first I thought they were going for some sort of tale of 'whimsy' tone rather than funny lines/gags per se.

I don't think this show deserves to be mauled. I've quite enjoyed the first two episodes overall - there are problems but that's only to be expected until everything beds down a bit. I've seen enough flashes of genuine funniness to convince me it's worth sticking with and that it will improve over time.

I was looking through my old 'DVD Review' magazines and came across a review of Peep Show series 4, where it said that whenever Bain and Armstrong do something that isn't Peep Show, like the film 'Magicians' or 'That Mitchell and Webb Look' (which they co-wrote with Mitchell and Webb as well as others), it always ends up being shit. That review is a few years old but it looks like it's still true.

Quote: johnny smith @ February 11 2009, 1:39 PM GMT

I was looking through my old 'DVD Review' magazines and came across a review of Peep Show series 4, where it said that whenever Bain and Armstrong do something that isn't Peep Show, like the film 'Magicians' or 'That Mitchell and Webb Look' (which they co-wrote with Mitchell and Webb as well as others), it always ends up being shit. That review is a few years old but it looks like it's still true.

That Mitchell And Webb look is, IMO, far from shit. Magicians wasn't great though; passable enough without actually being funny.

Not entirely certain that the characters are that well defined. Not that interesting or remarkable, perhaps. Enjoyed ep 2 more than the first. Can only improve, I guess.

I hope this sitcom and Life Of Riley sink without a trace after their 1st series, just like...

The Savages http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281483/

Doctors And Nurses http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395387/

TLC http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339972/

The Crouches http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375290/

Mad About Alice http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364804/

All About Me (OK, this show lasted 3 series, but it shouldn't have done) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306273/

Home Again http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0775368/

...because I can't see The Old Guys stretching to more than one series, and Life Of Riley is in the same league as Mad About Alice and All About Me in terms of crapness and unfunniness.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ February 11 2009, 1:46 PM GMT

That Mitchell And Webb look is, IMO, far from shit. Magicians wasn't great though; passable enough without actually being funny.

I don't think it's shit either. I've got the first series on DVD, but I did think the second series was rubbish because a lot of those series 2 sketches went on for too long and they just weren't as funny as series 1. However, 'That Mitchell and Webb Look' is still the funniest sketch show since 'Big Train'.

Quote: Dave @ February 7 2009, 4:40 PM GMT

I wish the girl from The IT Crowd wasn't it - she's in everything! Can't they find someone else or are the pages to Spotlight stuck together?

I know, in the last year or two she has been in

- The IT Crowd
- Extras (series 1 - The Ross Kemp episode)
- Doc Martin
- Those stupid 'Maltesers' adverts with Amanda Abbington
- The 'Jonathan Creek' 2008 Christmas Special
- How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)
- Easy Virtue (2008)
- Christmas at the Riviera (2007) (TV)
- Love Triangle (2007) (TV)