Yeah, I hope Bob's OK.
He was looking like shit in Ep2 ( I think) - the one where he mentioned his rheumatoid arthritis coming back.
I worked with him once - he was an absolutely lovely man.

Quote: Sitcomfan64 @ 1st October 2023, 9:25 PM

Not sure who's idea it was to book a vegan who hates fishing to fill in for Bob, but Lee Mack really didn't work. It reinforced how much the show is built about Bob and Paul's friendship.

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The other thing with that choice of fill in is, there are a few TV watchers out there who don't warm to Mack like they do with M&W and I'm one, although I didn't see that episode. Surely the idea is they are both recovering from heart disease so if one can't make it in, cancel the episode and say why. I've felt in the last few eps I've caught here and there that they've lost that focus on their health that was very much part of the early series.

I think it was a case of short notice.
Plus Mack must know Bob pretty well from WILTY - maybe Bob put him forward?
But without Bob, the programme doesn't work, full stop.

Yes indeed, which has been a nice surprise to me. Whitehouse I've always thought is just talented and good in everything he does, I was much less sure about Mortimer's qualities seeing him mainly as Vic's sidekick but he's got better and better with the episodes I've seen.

His is a much more casual comedy talent, he's almost not too bothered about showing it at times but he's very likable for being so unpushy and relaxed about things. Not a trait many famous comedians have been known for, which is like a breath of fresh air here.

Agreed.

I don't understand why they had to use Lee Mack and didn't just cancle the shoot and do it another time when Bob and Paul could do it. I like Lee Mack but don't think he's a good fit for the atmosphere of the show. I would definitely like to see other comedians appear on Gone Fishing but alongside both Bob and Paul not as a stand-in for one of them. Jim Moir and Harry Enfield would be obvious choices.

I haven't actually seen the Lee episode yet, but Jim would have made a lot more sense as a Bob stand-in.

I thought Lee was too sensible to be a vegan.

I think Lee was chosen as he has a similar silly sensibility to Bob, but it definitely changed the dynamic of the show heavily.

It was however bound to be quite different whatever: a single, wide and open coastal, resort location, rather than the usual not really identifiable two or three riverbank spots amidst the varied flora. A completely different atmosphere to the setting even if Bob had been in attendance.

Didn't say anything at the time as the reaction was already bad enough but yeah, I could've done without the Lee Mack episode. There's no one on Earth who could replace Bob but it still could've been a good episode if they had got someone who was either friends with Paul or who liked fishing.

It's a black mark on an otherwise unimpeachable series. Bob and Paul are doing a service here - people who like to talk about Men's Mental Health a lot could learn something from this show.

Watching the 2020 Christmas special where they meet Chris Rea and discovered he's had a Whipple operation. There's a page on Reddit where someone asked what is the most complicated surgery and the Whipple was a popular choice among all the surgeons that responded. It involves multiple organs and bits are in the way of bits that need to be removed so all things considered Chris was looking in good health back in 2020.

Chris Top Trumps both Paul and Bob with his much more senior operation....Whipple.