Quote: Aaron @ April 27 2013, 2:14 PM BST

That would only not be a bollocks argument if the Guardian et al weren't equally (and in some cases, more) venomous.

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I was referring to attacks from right-wing papers like the Mail, who really will use anything to beat the BBC with (Peter Sissons not wearing a black tie when the Queen Mother died, showing footage of George Osbourne crying like a baby during Thatcher's funeral - I think that was the criticism I didn't really pay attention, etc).

As for the other attacks, I've now gone and had a look at them and...aren't they just reviews basically saying the show's a bit shit? Which it sort of is.

The reviews seem to me to be far more venomous and numerous than is the case for any other show they deem to be "a bit shit". Not only are there (arguably) valid standard TV review/critic columns digging at it, but there've been articles criticising Elton personally, others making a meal out of viewing figures that were actually an increase on the slot average, and others detailing how Twitter (hardly a bastion of right-wing media commentary) apparently tore the programme to pieces. Any other programme would simply get negative reviews, not acres of vitriol. Much of that can be found on the pages of the Guardian, BTW, not necessarily the Mail.

The right-wing branches of the media are having a go, but no more than the people and publications on the left. (And all of it, IMO, way over the top.)

Quote: Badge @ April 27 2013, 2:53 PM BST

"Off-topic posts in this forum will be hidden".

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@ Aaron

I'm watching this finally and whereas the acting is lumpy and the laugh track invasive, the writing seems fine and quite amusing.

Quote: Frantically @ April 26 2013, 9:29 PM BST

To the Mail and the Telegraph that's probably the TV equivalent of those "Witch is Dead" parties. Unsurprisingly they're having some fun with it. They'd probably have torn it to shreds even if it'd been brilliant.

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Mail and Telegraph readers seemed to be the target audience of this sit-com; politically correct 'elf & safety' busybody it felt like a Richard Littlejohn diatribe. Although in Elton's defence is wasn't that poorly written.

Also even in his heyday Ben Elton was would often speak of his admiration for classic family studio ensemble sitcoms. But this wasn't Dad's Army. Or even My Family.

Quote: Aaron @ April 27 2013, 5:00 PM BST

The reviews seem to me to be far more venomous and numerous than is the case for any other show they deem to be "a bit shit". Not only are there (arguably) valid standard TV review/critic columns digging at it, but there've been articles criticising Elton personally, others making a meal out of viewing figures that were actually an increase on the slot average, and others detailing how Twitter (hardly a bastion of right-wing media commentary) apparently tore the programme to pieces. Any other programme would simply get negative reviews, not acres of vitriol. Much of that can be found on the pages of the Guardian, BTW, not necessarily the Mail.

The right-wing branches of the media are having a go, but no more than the people and publications on the left. (And all of it, IMO, way over the top.)

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I suspect you didn't mind quite as much when the same people heaped exactly the same amounts of bile on Life's Too Short.

Quote: youngian @ April 27 2013, 6:25 PM BST

Mail and Telegraph readers seemed to be the target audience of this sit-com; politically correct 'elf & safety' busybody it felt like a Richard Littlejohn diatribe.

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Quite. White men in charge, funny lezzers, the black people in their place (ie, cleaning the lavatory) and risible local authority employees. Racist, sexist, homophobic and mocking of the public sector: why would the right knock it, when the real lesson is "don't worry about lefties, they grow out of it and join us in the end"?

Quote: chipolata @ April 27 2013, 7:09 PM BST

I suspect you didn't mind quite as much when the same people heaped exactly the same amounts of bile on Life's Too Short.

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Did they? I don't know. I'm surprised they had the good taste to judge so, if that is the case.

To be clear, I am not refuting their right to be critical of a programme (although I do feel they have laid into this one overly heavily, and as earlier alluded, will initially criticise any studio sitcom regardless). My original point re: media was that the left wing press have been as negative as the right, whereas other comments in this thread suggest otherwise.

Quote: Aaron @ April 27 2013, 7:57 PM BST

My original point re: media was that the left wing press have been as negative as the right, whereas other comments in this thread suggest otherwise.

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The right have also been rather more analytic. See, for example:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/comedy/10017963/Ben-Elton-has-always-been-a-Middle-Englander.html

It felt like a below par Thin Blue Line which was no bad thing.
I think people forget how focussed and professional Belton is, his stuff can be pretty soulless and yes very middle class.
But he can write a mean gag and get it in the show.

Quote: Tokyo Nambu @ April 27 2013, 7:18 PM BST

Quite. White men in charge, funny lezzers, the black people in their place (ie, cleaning the lavatory) and risible local authority employees. Racist, sexist, homophobic and mocking of the public sector: why would the right knock it, when the real lesson is "don't worry about lefties, they grow out of it and join us in the end"?

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Oh dear.

Racist, sexist, homophobic? Walk and talk us through this please, or is this forum just a place for online graffiti. These aren't words to bandy about.

Quote: Marc P @ April 27 2013, 9:52 PM BST

Oh dear.

Racist, sexist, homophobic? Walk and talk us through this please, or is this forum just a place for online graffiti. These aren't words to bandy about.

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White man in charge. Black woman cleaning the lavatories. Isn't that a remarkable coincidence?

Quote: Tokyo Nambu @ April 27 2013, 8:49 PM BST

The right have also been rather more analytic. See, for example:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/comedy/10017963/Ben-Elton-has-always-been-a-Middle-Englander.html

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I hadn't actually read that one, but it really is fascinating. Very interesting read. Thanks for pointing it out.

That is a good article.

Albeit you couldn't really mock the greed is good Thatcherite policies without poking fun at the end result.

Said he who was at school when every body wanted to grow upto be an estate agent.

Quote: Tokyo Nambu @ April 27 2013, 10:30 PM BST

White man in charge. Black woman cleaning the lavatories. Isn't that a remarkable coincidence?

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Second in command an asian woman. As it was a vehicle for David Haig in the main, would it be better if he 'blacked' up for the part. And homophobia? Racism?

You can accuse it of being unfunny if you didn't find it so but these criticisms don't apply. And yes, Ben has always been middle class middle English, his Dad was a history lecturer at Sussex University where he would have come across a lot of left wing political idelology but one only had to look at Ben's shiny Top Man jacket and Rik's shiny red shoes to grasp that his act was just that. Shame he knocked other comics but he did apologise in some ways when he grew up a bit.