Mick, you wanna do an introduction thread, tell us about your good self and then be overwhelmed by how warm and welcoming we are here at BSG Towers.
https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/forum/6
Coogan also had the chance to take Partridge out on the road and bring in a whole new audience.
Welcome Mick. 
Trouble with Saxondale is that there's so little depth to his character. Apart from that he was a roadie in the 60s/70s, and now a pest control guy with anger issues, do we really know much at all about him? I don't think so.
The difference with Alan is that although we may not like him, there are aspects of him which we can relate to and sympathise with, even if only subconciously. At the end of the day, although he is a total cock, he does try. He just tries far too hard, and doesn't know when to leave it alone and walk away. I'm sure everyone's had situations like that, or at very least has a fear that they'll be totally misunderstood or misjudge the situation themselves, just like Alan.
And besides, Alan is just far more generic overall. Since there's so little character development in Saxondale, we have to at least have some basic knowledge of cars and the 70s music scene in order to understand it in the slightest. There's nothing quite the same with Alan or his various shows - certainly not the limited number I've seen.
Quote: Aaron @ September 12, 2007, 3:02 PMWelcome Mick.
Trouble with Saxondale is that there's so little depth to his character.
I think there are some subtle nuances to his character, such as his 'perversions', like when he came downstairs for breakfast wearing make-up and his infamous home video collection. Also, to some degree, he's coping with a past that he no longer (completely) revels in, not to mention basically growing up. In series one, he had that friend who wanted to get pissed all the time, and he realized that just wasn't him anymore; in a recent episode, he first thought his friend was stuck in the past and he was beneath him (big guy ... I'm horrible with names), then when faced with the corporate friend (Simon Greenall) he saw things differently. I dunno, maybe I'm talking shiznit, but it seems that there's a lot of depth if you look for it.
See, for me that's all one thing. Each aspect of that is past vs. now. Which is all part of the same thing as the music. He's still obsessed with the 60s and 70s - particularly the music - and everything revolves around that. The friend had grown up and moved on and was enjoying other things. Saxondale hadn't. It all seems to be aspects of the same thing.
Quote: Aaron @ September 12, 2007, 3:02 PMTrouble with Saxondale is that there's so little depth to his character. Apart from that he was a roadie in the 60s/70s, and now a pest control guy with anger issues, do we really know much at all about him?
Thats the funniest thing i've read fro ages. You doing a Judain People's Front impression?
And we know he wears make-up in the bedroom and likes being sodomised by magz with a dildo, but the writers have told us nothing about his sex life.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ September 12, 2007, 4:41 PMAnd we know he wears make-up in the bedroom and likes being sodomised by magz with a dildo, but the writers have told us nothing about his sex life.
Quote: ajp29 @ September 12, 2007, 3:58 PM
No... Perhaps you need to read my post again.
Quote: Aaron @ September 12, 2007, 6:52 PMNo... Perhaps you need to read my post again.
Its even funnier the second time 
Quote: Aaron @ September 12, 2007, 3:25 PMSee, for me that's all one thing. Each aspect of that is past vs. now. Which is all part of the same thing as the music. He's still obsessed with the 60s and 70s - particularly the music - and everything revolves around that. The friend had grown up and moved on and was enjoying other things. Saxondale hadn't. It all seems to be aspects of the same thing.
I see what you're saying, but I don't think that's always the truth. Take, for example, his run in with the squatters, or his predicament with Kevin Eldon's character. Both of those situations have nothing to do with past vs. present. Also, regarding his character being redeemable, in both cases he tried being a good guy at first, and I think he really wants to 'do the right thing', but it just went too far, and he couldn't handle it any more.
I think he is like a lot of people, they want to (and do) do the right things, but they want to make some kind of a stand. He doesn't want to move his car off the road, so he gives his neighbour a bit of a hard time about it, but in the end, he does move it. He isn't an extreme character and I think a lot of us are middle of the road like he is.
Quote: ajp29 @ September 12, 2007, 11:42 PM
What browser are you using? It's evidently doing some weird shit to make anything that I wrote there 'funny'. (Or maybe you're smoking something a bit strong...)
Quote: Mick Dolan @ September 13, 2007, 12:18 AMI see what you're saying, but I don't think that's always the truth. Take, for example, his run in with the squatters, or his predicament with Kevin Eldon's character. Both of those situations have nothing to do with past vs. present. Also, regarding his character being redeemable, in both cases he tried being a good guy at first, and I think he really wants to 'do the right thing', but it just went too far, and he couldn't handle it any more.
I think he is like a lot of people, they want to (and do) do the right things, but they want to make some kind of a stand. He doesn't want to move his car off the road, so he gives his neighbour a bit of a hard time about it, but in the end, he does move it. He isn't an extreme character and I think a lot of us are middle of the road like he is.
Good point(s). Certainly true that he tries to be tolerant a lot of the time but ultimately fails. I still don't think that that's really enough to forge a bond with the audience though? I guess we've all been like that from time to time, but probably don't consciously consider it in a way that we can identify with it in others. Or something. Maybe...?
Quote: Aaron @ September 13, 2007, 2:47 PMGood point(s). Certainly true that he tries to be tolerant a lot of the time but ultimately fails. I still don't think that that's really enough to forge a bond with the audience though? I guess we've all been like that from time to time, but probably don't consciously consider it in a way that we can identify with it in others. Or something. Maybe...?
I meant that his character isn't only about past vs. present, not necessarily that that makes him any more identifiable with the audience. Is that really important though? Look at a show like Nighty Night where the characters are monstrous, yet the show (to me at least) is really well written and the characters are believable despite being so far gone.
Hmm, yes, very true!
Maybe people were expecting another Alan Partridge. The character really is as far away as you could get - apart from them both being male.
I don't think there's much point comparing Partridge and Saxondale, but I can see why people do it. Its a bit of a lazy comparison though and reminds me when people complained about Futurama, because it wasn't Simpsons 2.
Enjoyed yesterday's episode. Saxondale is growing on me. Not mind blowing but watchable. I get the feeling I'll like them better on second viewing.
