It was okay. Certainly worth the effort. Didn't laugh, but smiled a few times. Probably quite an easy one to start with: a dating agency, and once the audience had laughed twice in the first couple of lines at nothing in particular you knew you were in for them laughing all the way through.

Few gripes. I hate the kind of monologue-type thing. "I'm 49, I'm this, I'm that and the other." You're told not to do that and just let the info seep out through the script. Also, I thought the girl's reactions to Vernon getting off with her lecturer were unbelievable. And his kids didn't seem to have any personality. The Chinese guy did a good job, but him appearing between them was the most obvious gag of the show.

The line mentioned several times on this thread was a very good one, but if they've shown it on the trailers so many times I'm sure it lost its appeal to many.

Quote: David H @ March 29, 2008, 9:57 AM

I hate the kind of monologue-type thing. "I'm 49, I'm this, I'm that and the other." You're told not to do that and just let the info seep out through the script.

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There's a difference between having a character indulge in a random monologue as a way of plot progression and character development, and a realistic, depressed moan of a middle aged man after his wife leaves him, whether used as progression and/or character building or not. At the end of the day, it wasn't out of place with the character's predicament. Anywhere you're told or advised to steer clear of monologues is going to be in terms of discouraging laziness in establishing a show or setup, not a blanket ban if it fits.

Besides, as has been said elsewhere in the past week, rules are there to be broken.

Just watched it. I liked it, but it has to be said, the audience were very generous with there laughter.

Quote: Jack Massey @ March 29, 2008, 2:05 PM

Just watched it. I liked it, but it has to be said, the audience were very generous with there laughter.

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I agree with this. Particularly at the start when any minor joke would be drowned out by the laughter. Either the sound engineers are to blame, or the studio warm up guy actually did his job too well.

My thoughts on this first episode was that the first ten minutes were absolutely dire. Very basic 'set em up, knock em down' gags which I thought (and had hoped) had died out a long time ago...

Somehow though about ten minutes in it got much better. Quite likable. I think it was as Vernon started to get drunk... he almost started to turn into Eddie. I guess by that point the cast has started to relax into their roles too.

Quote: Jack Massey @ March 29, 2008, 2:05 PM

Just watched it. I liked it, but it has to be said, the audience were very generous with there laughter.

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Yeah, but studio audiences generally are. If you've been at any recordings there are people there who are determined to laugh no matter what. It's an event, the audience want the performers to succeed. This leads to even the weakest gags getting big laughs. Even on the fourth or fifth re-take.

I wonder if there are any shows that actually have to tone down the audience reaction because it's too extreme?

Quote: Tim Walker @ March 29, 2008, 2:46 PM

I wonder if there are any shows that actually have to tone down the audience reaction because it's too extreme?

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Reportedly, I think on the My Family recordings, they've had to reduce the size of the audience because the laughs were becoming too distracting. (no comment). Aaron was at the same thing as me where it was mentioned, he might remember what show it was.

Quote: Mark @ March 29, 2008, 2:56 PM

Reportedly, I think on the My Family recordings, they've had to reduce the size of the audience because the laughs were becoming to distracting. (no comment).

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My lord. They must put marijuana in the ventilation system or something.

But you can tell when you're in a studio audience that there are some people who deliberately laugh loudly (or weirdly) at certain less-than-funny gags, so they can tell all their friends, "That's me laughing, that is" when it's broadcast. Sad really.

my family is crap. meaning the "comedy" show

Have to agree with your take on it Badge and I too expected it to get a rough ride but just goes to show.

I thought that the writing was fair enough but the performances were absolutely dire. In particular the son and daughter and in very particular the daughter.

AE himself wasn't too bad but he wasn't fabbo either, mind with him what you see is what you get. His performances always seem to have that sort of OTT quality.

Quote: Mark @ March 29, 2008, 2:56 PM

Reportedly, I think on the My Family recordings, they've had to reduce the size of the audience because the laughs were becoming too distracting. (no comment). Aaron was at the same thing as me where it was mentioned, he might remember what show it was.

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I think it was everything Hendrie and Brown do, before they start a new series they ask the sound engineers to get the laughter turned down. And it never happens. I think?

Quote: Mark @ March 29, 2008, 2:43 PM

Either the sound engineers are to blame, or the studio warm up guy actually did his job too well.

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Well, the warm-up guy was Billy Whasisface (the old white-haired 'uncle' character who does a fair bit of warm-up at Teddington). He was alright to be fair, kept us entertained.

This was the pilot recorded *well* in advance of the rest of the series that was going to ITV to sell them the series. The actual series got recorded *so* much later it was unbelievable, so I'd give the second (and subsequent) episodes a chance before writing it off completely.

The funniest bit of the recording was just before the ad break in the show when Ade proclaims that 'if anything, I have *too* much sophistication' and then bent down to show us his bum crack. Two things: in the atmosphere of the recording this was very, *very* funny (which wasn't as good in the viewing of the show) but primarily, someone f**ked it up majorly just at the end of the scene so it didn't get the on-screen laughter it deserved afterwards.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show. I think this is a perfect example of the 'studio audience' sitcom the BBC want (although they clearly missed out on this due to Michael Grade going to ITV). Whether it's what the viewers want anymore is another opinion...

Dan

Interesting Dan, thanks! I thought that someone had said they'd been to see one recorded, but couldn't remember who.

I can't remember Billy's surname either, but in my experience, he is a man who would make a BBC News special on a spate of paedophilia seem hilarious.

Incidentally, Vernon's 'kids' in the radio version were much better, though at *that* recording they were some (quite attractive) lass from (my girlfriend tells me) Casualty and stand-up Spencer Brown. The girl was more authoritative than the TV version and Spencer didn't come across as as much of a twat as his son in the TV version, but they were both way too old to get away with being his kids on TV, hence the 'new' two.

Dan

Quote: Tim Walker @ March 29, 2008, 2:46 PM

I wonder if there are any shows that actually have to tone down the audience reaction because it's too extreme?

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I am pretty sure that Graham Lineman once mentioned on The IT Crowd or maybe the Father Ted commentary that they had to tone done laughs because they went on fortoo long and you couldn't hear the character's next line. They had to do something similar on Friends as well.