Quote: The Giggle-o @ July 31 2009, 10:43 PM BSTWow, that was truly abysmal. Moron television at its worst.
Really? I enjoyed it a lot. A spot on '1980s Hugh Laurie' impression; Horne & Corden getting dissed; Gok Wan served up neatly etc etc.
The production design impresses me too - I hate to think how much effort went into those three 'classic interviews as movies' sketches. Less than one minute on screen - but three studio sets required, loads of time in make-up, etc etc.
Quote: Mark @ August 1 2009, 12:10 AM BSTReally? I enjoyed it a lot. A spot on '1980s Hugh Laurie' impression; Horne & Corden getting dissed; Gok Wan served up neatly etc etc.
The production design impresses me too - I hate to think how much effort went into those three 'classic interviews as movies' sketches. Less than one minute on screen - but three studio sets required, loads of time in make-up, etc etc.
Yes, really. It isn't sufficient for every sketch to basically start with 'I'm...insert name (e.g. Gok Wan)' as a means of overcoming the fact the 'impressions' are woeful, or that there is no real attempt to do an impression. It is yet another referential show that trades on idiots at home going 'yeah, huh, huh *dribble* I recognise that from the telly box'. Every sketch felt like someone telling you the end of a book before you'd had a chance to read it i.e. the title of each sketch would come up and I knew exactly what was going to happen e.g. the FROST/NIXON sketches were easily telegraphed. This sort of show is the height of laziness nothing original, sub standard impressions, repetitious and lacking any idea development (going nowhere new once the 'cat is out of the bag'). But at least you enjoyed it.
(It's a shame to see the make-up artists, wardrobe department, set designers etc hard work go to waste on something like this).
The Kevin Bishop Show is hit and miss, when it's works it's very funny but when it's doesn't it falls flat on its face, the spoof Frost/Nixon interviews were funny but dragged too long, The 'Gritty BAFTA' sketch was hilarious and sums up most of the so called award winning drama, the House sketch was okay, the Gok Wan sketch was spot on and the Horne and Corden sketch was funny especially the guy who did James Corden.
Didn't find the Wii piss takes or Daily Mail free DVDs funny but they were hit and miss affairs in Series 1.
This show is truly the TV sketch show equivalent of Date/Epic/Disaster Movie/Meet The Spartans - it's just dire, lazy, cheap and unoriginal.
Lord knows why Bishop insists on having those sports skecthes in every episode where it cuts to a petrified Bishop screaming and swearing - that's got to be one of the unfunniest things I have ever seen.
The problem with shows like this is that they date terribly. It's not going to be funny in 5 years time when all the people being referenced have faded into obscurity.
Quote: Griff @ August 1 2009, 3:21 PM BSTWhy does it need to be funny in 5 years time?
I suppose it doesn't, but personally I prefer comedy that has longevity. I guess I respect it more.
Quote: Griff @ August 1 2009, 3:21 PM BSTWhy does it need to be funny in 5 years time?
DVD sales?
I never buy topical comedy DVDs. I guess some people do?
Quote: Griff @ August 1 2009, 3:34 PM BSTBut by that rule nobody would ever make topical comedy.
Beyond reading Private Eye and watching HIGNFY I have very little interest in topical comedy. Mostly the jokes are obvious, or just re-treads of previous themes. Also, the prevailing wind at the moment is for topical comedy, as opposed to satirical comedy (there is an obvious difference). Satirical comedy is at its best in something like The Thick Of It and at its most tedious in anything Rory Bremner does, but it is generally superior to topical humour.
There's absolutely nowt wrong with this show IMO. It's funny, pacy, it's got a lovely linking mechanism to the sketches and the performances are great. So what if Kevin doesn't get absolutely spot-on with the impressions all the time? He largely does a fine job, and anyway it's not meant to be an impressionist show, it's not Rory Bremner, it's a show that lightly takes the piss out of pop culture in a fun, unpretentious way. I'm not sure what all these "lazy" comments are all about either. And "cheap"? Again, I don't understand that comment. But anyway. I'm a fan.
Quote: Tim Walker @ August 1 2009, 3:54 PM BSTbut it is generally superior to topical humour.
Yeah, I don't really like topical humour, and I used to write the shitting stuff.
I haven't watched this yet, but I did enjoy a lot of the first series.
The difference between the two for me is that topical comedy makes jokes about current events, whereas satirical comedy makes jokes about the reasons behind current events.
Quote: Griff @ August 1 2009, 4:27 PM BSTDoes comedy always have to be clever? I love The Thick Of It. But I also love people making fun of John Prescott's mangled speeches which isn't clever at all.
But you have to be clever to understand who John Prescott is.
Quote: Griff @ August 1 2009, 4:27 PM BSTDoes comedy always have to be clever? I love The Thick Of It. But I also love people making fun of John Prescott's mangled speeches which isn't clever at all.
You should read Simon Hoggart's collection of political sketches from the first ten years of New Labour. Absolute scream, he's our best parlimentary sketch-writer. Especially on Prescott and citing the effects of "secondary Prescott" amongst government ministers.
Ann Treneman in The Times is pretty darn good too.
