I was watching some more today. What occurs to me is that the genius of the writers were to develop plots with interesting characters, and not to constantly slow down the action to work in a gag. The funny bits often come from the absurdity of the characters' behaviour and language, and awkward moments they encounter. They are surprising and genuinely funny for the fact that they are unpredictable. Gag after gag is monotonous, and you soon know what you're in for for the rest of the show - I'm glad these guys did something different. The observation of the film styles they recreate is also excellent and shows the talent of the directors, many of whom went on to much bigger things.

Quote: lofthouse @ May 3 2011, 6:26 PM BST

80% of them are bloody awful!

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I don't know about 80% but there's a lot of sloppy stuff in there. I guess they were hot enough that nobody could tell them 'no'.

On the other hand, if you were offered an open commission and a cheque, would you go all Kubrik on them? I wouldn't.

Quote: Marc P @ June 10 2008, 2:55 PM BST

The Vicar out of Emmerdale and Mark Bannerman. Neither of them was bigger than me.

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Or maybe just not as excited?

Quote: Supergrass @ May 4 2011, 6:46 PM BST

I love most of the work, except for "Wild Turkey" (I think that was the title).

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I think "Wild Turkey" was well named...

Quote: ToddB @ May 3 2011, 10:23 AM BST

Oh, come on! The "Carry On..." films were regularly funny but rarely the apogee of wit nor ground breakers for their time... The "Comic Strip..." crew, however, were satirical and edgy - even now they still feel fresh as comedy has, in many ways, become more conservative again since this group of people have been producing less output.

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I notice that you describe the Carry Ons as "regularly funny", but the Comic Strips as just "satirical and edgy".

Quote: Aaron @ May 12 2011, 7:47 PM BST

I notice that you describe the Carry Ons as "regularly funny", but the Comic Strips as just "satirical and edgy".

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In case that needs clarification - that means I find them much funnier than the "Carry Ons".

Quote: ToddB @ May 3 2011, 5:48 AM BST

I quite like the parodies

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That's all they ever were though - just smartarse parodies.

I watched through some of them and just sat there scratching my head

I mean, stuff like 'Slags' , 'Consuela' , 'Oxford'....

Not interesting, not funny ..so...WHY?!

Quote: Chappers @ May 13 2011, 4:08 PM BST

That's all they ever were though - just smartarse parodies.

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Yes - but they were, as that infers, smart.

Quote: lofthouse @ May 13 2011, 5:54 PM BST

I watched through some of them and just sat there scratching my head

I mean, stuff like 'Slags' , 'Consuela' , 'Oxford'....

Not interesting, not funny ..so...WHY?!

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Some of the parodies require some pretty esoteric knowledge to see the humour - but if you know what they're going for - its hysterical.

My interest in gothic romance made "Consuela" as funny to me as "The Bulshitters" is to many others, it's just that most people are more familiar with the conventions of the action/cop genre.

Hello everybody,

Five Go Mad in Dorset, and Five Go Mad on Mescalin plus a Fist Full of Travellers Cheques were the best for me. Great send up of the Enid Blyton books, and the fact that a lot of people were going on the 18-30s holidays I think sparked travellers cheques and then there was another one that involved Nigel Planer being over 30. Apart from these and a few others they were mainly crap and only the most loyal of The Comic Strip will defend them to the hilt. But they were just cutting their teeth in what was to become the alternative comedy circuit. Which, thank God came.

Quote: lofthouse @ May 13 2011, 5:54 PM BST

I watched through some of them and just sat there scratching my head

I mean, stuff like 'Slags' , 'Consuela' , 'Oxford'....

Not interesting, not funny ..so...WHY?!

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Slags was dreadful, as were most of the episodes not penned by Richardson and Richens.

Oxford and Consuela found their targets accurately enough though.

Glad to hear they're filming a new one!

Yes, me too. More news from the Beeb: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13764658

God I HATE Stephen Mangan...

They should do another Four Men In A.....

Stephen Mangan's great. It could be rather good.

Quote: Agnes Guano @ June 15 2011, 2:03 PM BST

Yes, me too. More news from the Beeb: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13764658

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"Planer and Saunders will also return to the show in the roles of Peter Mandelson and Baroness Thatcher"

Amused to see Meryl Streep is playing Thatcher, a role she first did in GLC the movie.

Not sure what defines Comic Strip anymore, is it just a comedy with 'Comic Strip Presents' tagged on to it?

Is Churchill the War Years a comic strip film?