Harry & Paul - Series 3 Page 13

I expect he's saying some of his fans 'got it' and weren't racist, and some didn't and were.

Or something like that.

Johnny Speight always used to say he didn't create Alf, he merely reported him. Certainly around the time TDUDP was screened, I wouldn't be surprised if half the audience had agreed, to a varying extent, with Alf's bigoted opinions. But that just reflected the age, it didn't in itself make the show itself racist.

It was always made very clear in the writing and the performance that Alf was the butt of the joke, the idiot. The reason it's a more acceptable programme than, say, Love Thy Neighbour, is frankly because it was better written and much funnier. Plus Warren Mitchell and the rest of the cast gave the characters three dimensions, which most sitcoms dealing with difficult issues never achieve.

Back on topic, 'Postman Pateweyo' is not racist at all. You'll never convince some sensitive white, middle class liberal zealots of this, but as they're terminally thick and confused - why worry about them?

Quote: maidenpriest @ October 30 2010, 11:59 PM BST

From an Alf Garnett fan, do you have proof of all these so called 'racist' fans, or are you saying to enjoy TDUDP and ISAIH you have to be racist?

No, that's not what he said in the slightest.

A so-so ending to a so-so series. I watched it last night, but I'm hard pressed to remember any of the sketches, other than the Ask The Dysfunctional Family one. I hope it comes back for a fourth series, but they need to sharpen up the writing.

Quote: chipolata @ November 3 2010, 12:01 PM GMT

A so-so ending to a so-so series. I watched it last night, but I'm hard pressed to remember any of the sketches, other than the Ask The Dysfunctional Family one. I hope it comes back for a fourth series, but they need to sharpen up the writing.

Yeah. I really didn't like 'Ask The Dysfunctional Family' though - far too shouty and annoying (I know that was the general idea, but it was a turn off).

I like the fact the series took risks (Writer & The Landlady for example), had some funny mimicry (Psycho Bean), some on-going sketches (Polish Cafe, Mike Noughts), some good social satire (Saw You Coming) but, yeah, other bits weren't 'punchy' enough. Like the first Radio 4 sketch in this last episode - they were only in her garden. It'd have been funnier if the woman complaining was working-class, as that would have been more un-expected.

That was a bloody nice garden though.
Anyone know where it was filmed? (So I can buy the house).

I'd like to see an entire show devoted to the Writer and the Landlady. I want to be *really* baffled.

I love that stupid kid and his bloody potatoes.

The stand-out for me was the benefits family. The repetition didn't wear on me at all, for some reason.

Pirate I don't believe how much time I've wasted on watching this series just for about two laughs per show. I really looked forward to watching it but as Harry is responsible for the funny character Stavros being indirectly responsible for thickoes ending sentences with 'innit' and the obnoxious 'Loadsamoney' yobs, who were, honestly, relatively harmless, I fear for the future if anybody starts copying the Benefit characters.
I find that intimidating, 'too close to home' and completely unfunny.
I've always loved the Dragons Den and Cafe Polski sketches though to inform you that I'm not entirely against the show but everything else is nasty, weird or unfunny. Even PsychoBean can be a bit off-centre which could be a funny idea.
Sorry Paul and Harry. Get Kathy Burke back quickly, bring back old characters and why not reincarnate the Double-Take Brothers?

Quote: Nemesis @ November 5 2010, 2:55 PM GMT

bring back old characters and why not reincarnate the Double-Take Brothers?

Mark could step in and play the blonde one!

Quote: Nemesis @ November 5 2010, 2:55 PM GMT

Harry is responsible for the funny character Stavros being indirectly responsible for thickoes ending sentences with 'innit' and the obnoxious 'Loadsamoney' yobs, who were, honestly, relatively harmless, I fear for the future if anybody starts copying the Benefit characters.

Yep, and Matt Lucas is responsible for the shocking rise in fraudulent disability claimants, plus the ruination of the traditional Welsh village as everyone starts to pursue deviant homosexual lifestyles. And of course Catherine Tate's 'Lauren' has led to a pandemic of teen schoolgirls repeating three word catchphrases which become really irritating and unfunny after the first couple of times you hear them...

Quote: Nemesis @ November 5 2010, 2:55 PM GMT

Get Kathy Burke back quickly, bring back old characters and why not reincarnate the Double-Take Brothers?

Do you fear change in general, or just in relation to TV sketch comedy?

I did enjoy seeing the wobbly randy old ladies the other day on GOLD.

Have to say I was disappointed with this series. Sadly the material and characters just weren't as funny as earlier Enfield shows. Danny for instance - the secret intellectual who's embarrassed by his love of culture and art etc - left me cold every time.

Still - Harry and Paul are comedy royalty and great performers, and always watchable.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00w6dqh/Harry_and_Paul_Series_2_Compilation/

Despite being billed as a "compilation", this seems to be entirely new material. New to me, anyway.