Don't know if anyone caught that new Paul Whitehouse thing Help! on Sunday night, but I thought it was bloody marvellous. PW is easily a good enough actor to carry off all the different characters, and it's always nice to see Chris Langham on screen again (I thought I'd completely imagined Chris Langham being on the Muppet Show many many years ago, but there was a 'Best of' program a while back, and there he was). Not sure if People Like Us is available on DVD yet, but I really must get it soon.
I was starting to think that I just didn't get comedy on TV anymore. The focus at present seems to be on getting all the little details spot on, which is great, and not bothering with characterization or laughs, which isn't. Chris Morris's new show 'Ooh, Those Young People And Their Silly Trousers' hasn't make me laugh once, and Monday night's 'Weren''t The Late Seventies/Early Eighties Inherently Hilarious' proves that, um, no they weren't really.
In answer to queries (and neatly working in the Glass Houses/Stones theory), the last I heard, 'A Sad Load of Old Puerile Filth About People Only Barely In The Medical Profession Which Ran Slightly Too Long And Had Annoying Speedy-Up Bits To Distract From The Barely Competent Writing ' (thanks, Dad) is still coming out on DVD in October. But things change, and who knows which way C4's spinny wheel of decisions will... spin. But if it comes out any later than that, they'll miss out on the Christmas sales which are about four times higher than any other period (there, I learned something from five years in retail, other than that Waterstone's vouchers can also be spent in HMV, which is handy if reps insist on giving you rubbish crime novels as weak bribes for ordering more rubbish crime novels).
Head over to the Ori's blog if you fancy writing comedy stuff for radio 4 by the way, as there's a link to their BBC site, which is now preparing to look at unsolicited material for the new series. Unlimited riches and long walks up red carpets can only await the lucky few whose material meets the cruel and unrelenting standards of the Bearded Ladies. I tried last year and didn't get anything in, which can only suggest that the old It's Not What You Know It's Who You Know is complete bollocks. Although in restrospect some of the stuff was a bit rude for 6,30. And the rest wasn't that funny. Apart from that...
8 comments:
The last time I commented here you deleted your blog within half an hour. Let's see if I'm still wielding the same power, *flexes fingers*.
Anyway, I saw HELP! and I thought it was top. Hurrah for Paul Whitehouse.
I know, I really wanted to like it. I'm sure they'll shake off the shame and struggle on though...
And 'hurrah' for PW indeed. J. Depp thinks he's one of the finest actors currently around you know...
I loved HELP as well. Outlaws, though - which immediately follows it - is even better, in my opinion.
On it? On it? Dear boy, Chris Langham WROTE the Muppet Show!!!
Well - much of one series of it, anyway. Hence the appearance.
I enjoyed 'Help' - interesting to see if the premise lasts, though.
For which he will always have my undying love and respect. I had great hopes for the new (well, ish, it was a few years ago now) Muppet Show. But it was shite.
There's some truly dreadful stuff in the R4 6.30 slot at the moment. If it sounds so bad, I can't imagine how it looks on the page and how it ever gets commissioned.
I think you're meant to put 'IMHO' after such remarks. I used to think that meant 'I'm a homosexual' which once got me into terrible trouble in a chat room.
Welcome back, by the way. Please don't give us nasty shocks like that again.
That was today? Damn it. Damn it thricely. I may have to actually take my own life this time.
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