Quote: ContainsNuts @ October 19, 2007, 9:29 AM

That five minute monologue by the psychologist just went on and there was no pay-off.

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I've not seen this episode yet but it sounds very much like Jennifer Saunders has allowed her co-writer (Dr Tanya Byron, a real life psychologist) to get whatever was bothering her off her chest. Not really the time or place in a comedy is it.

Vivienne Vyle is so mixed - I think the problem is it doesn't know what kind of show it wants to be: sketch show, parody, serious comment on daytime tv, sitcom, satire, comedy drama... it needs to make its mind up.

Quote: Mark @ October 19, 2007, 10:57 AM

Vivienne Vyle is so mixed - I think the problem is it doesn't know what kind of show it wants to be: sketch show, parody, serious comment on daytime tv, sitcom, satire, comedy drama... it needs to make its mind up.

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It's shit.

Quote: Mark @ October 19, 2007, 10:57 AM

... co-writer (Dr Tanya Byron, a real life psychologist) ...

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If you're talking about the sewing up incident - no - it was just an explanation of something that must be extremely rare so what was the point.

A friend of mine had bowel cancer so had to have it done. Funny eh?

Perhaps the confused style of this programme is down to rewrites and re-shoots after it didn't work properly as a sitcom when they showed it to test audiences? As indicated by the start of this thread, the programme has been promised (threatened?) for ages and I think it even changed name before broadcast ("The Life and Times of..." being added). There must be some reason for the delay, and it's possible the dramatic bits were added to give it a bit more depth.

I have zero evidence on which to base this, but that never stops people on this forum.

Perhaps the confused style of this programme is down to rewrites and re-shoots after it didn't work properly as a sitcom when they showed it to test audiences? As indicated by the start of this thread, the programme has been promised (threatened?) for ages and I think it even changed name before broadcast ("The Life and Times of..." being added). There must be some reason for the delay, and it's possible the dramatic bits were added to give it a bit more depth.

By the way, I have zero evidence on which to base this, but that never stops people on this forum.

(My guess is that they just wanted to keep it for broadcast alongside some other 'funny' programmes. But a good and very interesting theory nonetheless!)

I liked it when he started to do his little soliloquy. But it did go on much too long.

I don't know whether anyone has pointed this out, but one good thing about the show is that Jonathon is played by a really good actor, Jason Watkins.

For the those of us old enough to remember, or for those who want to see more of him, Jason played Wayne in the very funny 1980's film, 'High Hopes'.

Having only seen him once or twice on stage since that film it's nice to see him at least get a comedy role.

Those of you who think Mike Leigh a bit trite and socially judgemental should really check out 'High Hopes' (obviously you comedy fans will have seen his 'Nuts In May') as a really funny social comedy film.

Anyway, despite being in 'Vyle', which doesn't really seem to know what it is (comedy/drama usually fails by being neither good enough comedy or drama), it warmed my heart to see Jason Watkins back on the screen.

Ah - the thread seems to have ended. Is this the death knell for the series?

I watched another 15 minutes of the last episode... sorry, but as much as I like some of the members of the cast, it's not very good!

Good job this isn't their first time out as newbies, 'cos I doubt if the pilot would have got as far as being read through!

This show has really grown on me and I really like it now. More please, Beeb!

Oh, fair enough. I'm joking. I only saw one and a bit episodes and it was crap. But interesting crap, cos what I saw seemed to be trying too hard to be funny at times but at others seemed written like outright drama. Not great drama, but drama all the same.

Point is then, don't sell it as 'comedy' as opposed to 'comedy-drama'. There is huge difference.

If you write a comedy with scope for drama, it must establish itself first as a comedy. Audiences forgave (and were sentimental for) the down-beat scenes in, oh, I don't know, 'Only Fools And Horses', once they knew that they were primarily watching an out-and-out comedy. Similarily were the emotional scenes in 'The Office'. Dramas are allowed comic elements, comedies have to be comedies before they can be anything else.

Jennifer Saunders has been drifting into naturalism since Jam and Jerusalem but seems to have little idea of it's techniques. It's so realist that it feels more like a genuine fly on the wall than a mockumentary.

The thing is though I bet everyone expected a sitcom as JS was involved. I'm not sure why though on recent performances.

I wonder whether anybody had high hopes...