notice I didn't add the word comedy to that. What did you peeps think?
Kevin Bishop Showcase
I actually laughed! At one sketch - the canned laughter one at the end
The shock with which one reacts to laughing at Kevin Bishop illustrates how talent-free he is.
I keep forgetting these things because of JR on BBC1. Dee was good.
ah, perhaps it picked up I switched it off after a while.
Perhaps it's me, i haven't liked anything recently. angelo's, peter serafinawitz(sp!), vivyanne vile, armstrong and miller, lead balloon etc.
The only things I've really liked are the new series of HIGNFY and Marcus Brigstocke clips on youtube(who i didn't know of until recently).oh and the boosh!
I genuinely prefer some of the sketches in the critique section. 
I actually quite enjoyed it, some good bits; made me laugh quite a few times.
which clips stood out for you matthew?
Liked Kevin Bishop in Spoons, but this was a disaster. And yet again they do the TV channels (like in PS) which they tell us not to do. I'm quite glad they tell us not to do it though because it clearly doesn't work.
About ten of them wrote it and all were seemingly devoid of writing talent. Going for all the easy targets (Pete Doherty, Amy Winehouse, Nigella Lawson). And how many penis jokes were there? "If you can't think of anything do a penis joke."
The US Last Of The Summer Wine was a rare good idea but lacked bite, while Jim Howick will go on to much better things. He is a talent.
There was some okay ideas and then some really appalling ones, "28 Gays Later" made me bow my head in shame. But that one about 'ruining famous punchlines, like Del-Boy not falling through the bar' got a laugh from me and that canned laughter escaping. I didn't see all of it though as I turned over to watch Russell Brand on JR.
Quote: jacparov @ November 24, 2007, 12:11 AMwhich clips stood out for you matthew?
Canned laughter bit, ruining great comedy moments, last of summer wine U.S., 'the tactless twat' bits. There were some all right bits, I apologise for not completely hating it, but, at least as a one off, I quite enjoyed it.
Quote: David H @ November 24, 2007, 10:31 AMLiked Kevin Bishop in Spoons, but this was a disaster. And yet again they do the TV channels (like in PS) which they tell us not to do. I'm quite glad they tell us not to do it though because it clearly doesn't work.
About ten of them wrote it and all were seemingly devoid of writing talent. Going for all the easy targets (Pete Doherty, Amy Winehouse, Nigella Lawson). And how many penis jokes were there? "If you can't think of anything do a penis joke."
The US Last Of The Summer Wine was a rare good idea but lacked bite, while Jim Howick will go on to much better things. He is a talent.
I liked it, I thought it avoided the self-indulgence of the PS show by not allowing the sketches to ramble on past the punchine.
Kevin Bishop clearly has a lot of talent, but I can see how he isn't so popular on these forums. I think there is something quite broad and mainstream about his recent output.
David H, are you an aspiring writer?
I've just watched this - sadly, I think I'm in agreement with some of the comments above - a bit disappointing. In fairness there were some stand-out good sketches, just a shame that they were packed around dross.
One thing this show did well though - punchline then move straight on! It was a refreshingly fast pace - most sketch shows recently have lingered on each sketch long after the main joke has been delivered.
Quote: Mark @ November 24, 2007, 3:50 PMI've just watched this - sadly, I think I'm in agreement with some of the comments above - a bit disappointing. In fairness there were some stand-out good sketches, just a shame that they were packed around dross.
One thing this show did well though - punchline then move straight on! It was a refreshingly fast pace - most sketch shows recently have lingered on each sketch long after the main joke has been delivered.
Although it is true that a few recent sketch shows do linger on too long after the punchline I'm still waiting for a new sketch that can do 'proper' long sketches again, like Python or Cook & Moore. I prefer long sketches, as long as they are packed with great comedic dialogue and good performances and a brilliant punchline. I'm tired of sketches that are empty up until the punchline, where you can tell the writers have thought of the punchline first and then said.."oh we can just do this to get to that bit" and haven't put enough effort into the rest of the sketch. Sketches that are just in and out don't really impress me that much either unless the idea is really original but unfortunately Bishop didn't do that.
I'm begging for a sketch show that can deliver a good four to five minute sketch that is just consistently funny right up to the punchline.
Something like this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=yigeqIohNL4
Quote: Martin Holmes @ November 24, 2007, 4:28 PMI'm tired of sketches that are empty up until the punchline, where you can tell the writers have thought of the punchline first and then said.."oh we can just do this to get to that bit"
Yes - good point Martin. I think that's it isn't it - writers are now trying to 'fill up their half-hour' rather than focusing on what they should be doing - making sure every line of every sketch is either funny or taking the scene somewhere quickly that is funny.
Perhaps that's the answer - ban the currently rather prevalent "middle-length sketch". Everything has to be under 1 minute or over 4 minutes (I too like long sketches, particularly Python's) - anything in between no doubt contains padding the script editors should have shed before it got to us.
(Armstrong and Miller's Russian football club owner sketches are a modern example of a long sketch done well IMHO)
I'm not a big fan of the Armstrong and Miller sketch, but I admire that they are trying out longer sketches and not just padding along to an obvious punchline.
I think League of Gentlemen did long sketches fairly well too come to think of it, adding their own dark twist to the proceedings.