TV Heaven, Telly Hell

TV Heave, Telly Hell was an interesting insight to watch comics love and hate on television. It aired on Channel 4 from 2006-2007 and was presented by Sean Lock. The usual set of comics were on: Alan Davies, Jimmy Carr, Alan Carr and Bill Bailey but there were some people I had never heard of: Johnny Vaughan and Nick Hancock. There were some surprised on what people like to watch although I suspect some of the choices were just funny. Most of them didn't go for well known shows the exceptions being Johnny Vegas for hating Sex and the City and Ronnie Ancona for liking Friends. Alan Davies' choice for TV heaven included The littlest Groom which makes be rethink him as a person. Of course Jimmy Carr chose Flavor of Love as a slice of TV Heaven while Babestation as telly hell. Alan Carr was fun to watch but the best was Jack Dee. I think Jack Dee and Sean Lock have the same cynical humor so they work well together and their cynical outlook is perfect for the format of the show.The story about Alan Davies dressing as a matador for the British Comedy Awards was funny but having been in that situation before I know how he felt, at least I wasn't on television when it happened.

Really the highlight of the series are the reenactments of television moments. Each guest gets to reenact something that was shown on television. I remember, while watching Comic's Choice that Bill Bailey had said his reenactment with Lock led to his having to go to the hospital because Lock through the handbag at him hitting him in the face. So the back story to that made the moment funnier than what it was. Jack Dee reenacted Tinker Tailor Solider Spy which was really good.The comedy was subtle but it really worked well. The best by far was Jimmy Carr and Sean Lock reenacting Manstation - a parody of Babestation and Jimmy Carr trying unsuccessfully not to laugh. 

Lockipedia

I was slightly disappointed with Sean Lock's standup performance in Lockipedia. I usually really enjoy Sean Lock. He's one of my favorite regulars on QI and I've recently began watching TV Heaven Telly Hell and 15 Storeys High (entries forthcoming) but compared to that his standup wasn't as funny. It didn't help that before I watched Lockipedia I watched him interviewed on The Graham Norton Show promoting the DVD and so he did some of the same jokes and clips were played so I had already seen parts of it. Not that it wasn't funny but it wasn't side-splitting, piss my pants funny as 15 Storeys High is which Lock not only stars in but also wrote. Lock is aware of this that his and he points to it in the very beginning that it not entirely funny but it's not boring either which is a great description of the show. I was smiling the whole way through and enjoyed watching it but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to other people which I see as a failing. It did pick up about 3/4 of the way through but there's a lot to get through before you get to that point. It might just be that I'm not in a point in my life where I necessarily identify with what Lock is saying. He has three children and that brings lots of comedy which I think perhaps my mom would like and she could relate to but I can't. Now my favorite bit is his jokes on Madonna that is told towards the end of the show.

 

On The Graham Norton Show, Lock explained that for this tour he would call out a seat name and ask for a letter and a word that went along with that letter and he would tell a joke about it. Of course why he needs to ask for a letter and not just a word I don't understand but anyways I was quite excited about this, it seemed new and interesting but again I was disappointed mainly because he had nothing in his book about any of the words the audience members choose. It was sort of like watching a fish flail about on land which is I grant you still amusing to watch but I was expecting someone with quicker wit, like he shows on QI and TV Heaven. He seemed unprepared which he admits especially since he was surprise that a) he didn't have anything for 'tits' and b) no one else in the tour had chosen 'tits'.

My other problem with his approach to comedy is in his lying. Most comedians make things up or exaggerate the truth and its the comedian's job to make the audience believe their story and laugh at it. Common techniques are used, 'this is true' 'this genuinely happened' ect. Lock starts off saying this is true, tells the story, tells what he did and then says no I'm lying it didn't really happen. I could see him building a pattern but it just wasn't funny which was its failing.

The Mighty Boosh

 The Mighty Boosh was on the BBC for three series but it started out as a radio show and Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt have done live shows as well. The comedy isn't necessarily laugh out loud funny but there's something about it that keeps you interested. The first series takes place in a zoo and Fielding and Barratt open the show by addressing the audience in front of a curtain like some of the older comedy teams. The second series moves to their flat and the third to their shop. My favorite episode was the second series finale, The Nightmare of Milky Joe. I normally would have given up with a series if it took me that long to get into it but although it's crazy, wacky and odd there's something about it that stands out beyond the zaney costumes. I think the series got better and better with each episode which is rare for television, although with the history of starting in radio that might have helped. The use of words and verbal comedy makes it articulate and different from most slap stick comedy.There's nothing you can really compare it to either, it's very unique.

I first encountered Fielding on the IT Crowd and then on Buzzcocks and other panel shows but on The Mighty Boosh I was surprised in his ability to change his already unique look to appear different. There were several characters he played that it took me a while to realize it was him behind all the makeup and costumes. I wasn't a fan of Fossil so I was glad as he gradually became less and less important in series two and three. The music of the show is great, already I've got the theme song stuck in my head, but I especially loved the crimping songs. The one about soup is my favorite but I also love the mod wolves as well. Fielding makes it look cool. The costumes deserve an essay all on their own. They were fantastic and outrageous. The mirror ball suit, I couldn't image wearing that but somehow Fielding pulls it off. His obsession with boots and staying in fashion always made for a laugh. 

I kept thinking it wouldn't be as fun to play Barratt's role the straight man but at the same time it wouldn't work with just Fielding, you need the double act for it to work. The Mighty Boosh is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's strange and out there and you have to keep watching. It grows on you slowly but it will manage to grab a hold of you and then there's no turning back.

Good Will Hunting

 Good Will Hunting is one of those films that you need to watch in the moment I think to really understand the hype it received.  The film won two of the nine Oscar nominations and I remember when it came out there was this great hype behind it but I fail to see what all the fuss was about. The film is good, Robin Williams and Matt Damon are fantastic but I'm not sure it deserved all the hype. Halfway through nothing had really happened and I was getting bored with it. The film is slow paced but has good dramatic moments and really a breakthrough role for Damon. I do enjoy his fast intellectual talk so I can see why he and Ben Affleck got the Oscar for best writing but there was a lack of depth I felt in the overall picture. The film was still based on stereotypes of poor-boy-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks-getting-a-big-break-because-he's-super-smart-even-though-he-continually-screws-up-but-still-manages-to-get-the-girl. It's just that more recent films have made it a racial issue, which this films skirts just barley with mentioning the Irish in passing. Although it does deal with class and education, especially in this fun little scene.

When it came out I wanted to see it and it's always been a film on a list somewhere of films I wanted to see but just never got around to but I was disappointed in it, like a lot of films that i end up putting off. I think the sign of a really good film is it's ability to stand the test of time, it should be a film that is amazing dislocated from the moment it's from and sadly I was blown away after finishing Good Will Hunting and instead moved on to something else as the film lacked it's ability to retain my attention for a period of time after the film was over. There are moments that are brilliant but I'm not sure I would watch it again any time soon or add it to my collection, which in my book is not a good sign. However, I do see the reason for William's Oscar, this scene is powerful and the most memorable for the emotion of the entire film.

Eureka Season 4.0

When am I going to learn that shows that can include time travel are always going to be open to change. I had taken a big break from Eureka but as it's due to come back next week I thought it would be go to finish it up so I'm ready to watch as it airs. Season 4.0 as it's released on DVD featuring the first half of the season has me on the fence. James Callis as Dr. Grant I thought was a great additive. I love the 40s attitude and his voice is amazing which was a big surprised when I looked him up and realized he had played Tom, friend to Bridget Jones! I liked the initial story of going back to 1947 but I thought it would end differently. Eureka is turning out to be more like a soap opera in the respect that characters never get together, although I guess by the end Carter and Allyson made it happen I was very upset about Jo and Zane. My favorite couple on the show, there's a proposal and then nothing. And the Zoey kink just didn't work. I'm hoping, as it has been hinted at that Zane and Jo end up back where they were. I mean really if Henry can tell his wife what happened and they can share a brain thing why can't Jo and Zane? The change with Kevin didn't really bother me as much, really nothing bothered me as much as Jo and Zane. In fact I really liked Dr. Grant especially when there was a chance of him going back I was torn between wanting him to go and wanting him to stay.

Bringing back Beverly and Taggert I thought was unnecessary. Well that actually needs more explaining. Beverly I don't care about and really haven't since the first season. If what she was doing in this season the same as what she had been doing its just boring and doesn't have a sinister appeal which I think it needs. Whenever she comes on the screen I tune out when I should be trying to figure out her motive and angle. Taggert is a different story. It always seems that once I start wondering what happened to him and notice that he hasn't been on the show he appears under strange circumstances, the ice in the last season and now as Santa. I think they haven't been able to keep has a steady character but yet keeps trying to bring him back. The same can be said of Tess, Zoey and Nathan's appearances. Either decide to keep the character or not.

I think Allyson's job as the medical officer is much better suited for her, she's actually doing research now which is refreshing but Fargo as the director is ridiculous. I know I had wanted him to be smarter and less of a comedy relief, which instead has moved on to Larry, but he's just not believable as the director of GD. Eureka has been picked up for another season but it has also changed it's scheduled day so I'm not sure how long it will last, usually a change in day or time, for American television is the first nail the coffin. Even with all my complaining I'm looking forward to next weeks premier, like I said before although it might not always be for the good everything can change.

Jonathan Creek Series 4, 'The Grinning Man' and 'The Judas Tree'

The end of Jonathan Creek has come, unless they decide to do anymore specials. I'll begin with series 4 which I've touched on a bit with 'The Satan's Chimney.' The replacement of Maddy with Carla just didn't work. For the special there was a hint of a relationship but by the 4th series she was married and because of that there wasn't anywhere for her relationship to go with Jonathan. It was a clever way to keep Jonathan involved with mysteries but I think the series lost its interesting hook with the loss of Maddy. The mysteries were still there but Carla was just too annoying. The more recent specials, 'The Grinning Man' and 'The Judas Tree' brought in yet another companion, Joey played by Sheridan Smith was a good addition, Smith of course from Gavin and Stacey. As the series progresses the women seem to get younger and younger although they tried to counter that by giving Joey back problems, somehow I just don't believe that! A young woman, who in the next special becomes part of the magic show because she can be fold up into the basket would not have back problems, but I guess that was the only way they would be able to solve the mystery of the attic.

'The Grinning Man' had a load of people in it that I know from other things, Mina played by Naomi Bentley and Glen played by Ciarán McMenamin both from different series of Primeval and finally Katherine Parkinson playing Nicola. Her character acted as a nice transition from Carla in series four allowing the series to acknowledge the change without going into it. I do find it funny that Jonathan has gotten better at talking to women from his first meeting with Maddy all those series ago. (And of course since I had just seen Parkinson and Davies together in Whites this was a nice surprise) The mystery behind the disappearances was plausible after it was explained and it put one of our main protagonist in great peril. Everything fit together really nicely and it was funny. This scene was hilarious.

Jonathan Creek Christmas Special 

Bringing Joey and Jonathan together was nicely different, Joey wasn't actively seeking him out but his reputation had preceded him. It was nice that Joey had been investigation stuff for her own website and made for some tension when he looks over the room that she's already looked at. I'm not sure about his not being interested in solving mysteries anymore, that was kind of a weak plot point not that he really volunteered for any of the others in the past...so maybe in a way it works. Somehow because Joey had been successful at solving other mysteries Jonathan lost some of his intellectual aura, leaving him just a bloke who solves murders and mysterious crimes. The continual stress on Adam's magic show I think takes away from the fun part. Adam just never really grew on me and I preferred his story more in the background.

The Judas Tree just really lacked in ingenuity. The plot was boring. It was different because it wasn't in a locked room just an impossible crime. It wasn't jazzy enough for me I guess. I was excited to see Paul McGann's name in the credits but then I totally missed him as the main character! I guess I was looking for the 1996 McGann as the 8th Doctor and not the 2010 McGann.

And the relationship between Jonathan and Joey seemed rather forced, more so than Joey's predecessors. The Judas Tree I felt was more like beating a dead horse. Sadly it didn't hold my interest as much and I felt the show should have ended with The Grinning Man. I would rather though have them do another special to make up for the Judas Tree so the show can end on a high note again, maybe bring back Maddy. Well one can hope right, and if all else fails there's always fanfiction. :) 

Whites

Once and a while you find a show that is amazing but is cut short. This is the case for BBC's comedy Whites starring Alan Davies which aired in 2010. Davies stars as Roland White a washed up chef who's rather cranky and doesn't like to do much work. Katherine Parkinson, from The IT Crowd  plays the restaurant manager Caroline who has just the right about of sassyness to her. Isy Suttie, a comedy newcomer plays the stupid girl with a heart but she has some funny moments. 

Yes, I am obsessed with Alan Davies but I also love shows about kitchens. I watch cooking reality shows; Hells Kitchen and Masterchef, instructional cooking shows; America's Test Kitchen and John and Capril's Kitchen and non-reality shows such as Chef! Having experience working in kitchens it gives me something to identify with. 

I do have to say Davies in kitchen whites not a bad look. His look was a bit different from what I'm used to. (Of course I just watch his early stand up so I was jumping over a decade of time) It was quite a shot to see the greying hair, the added weight and facial hair. For the first few episodes he reminded me of someone else but I couldn't put my finger on it and then it dawned on me, and unlikely as it sounds he reminded me of Leonardo DeCaprio. Although the picture doesn't show it well while watching Davies in action I couldn't stop thinking of Leo, it's the facial hair I think.

Really it's such a different role from Davies' usual stuff. Roland's not quite a villain but he's well on his way to becoming one. He's a horrible person, rude to everyone and there is no question as to why he's divorced but despite all of that there's a likability to him. There is a vulnerable side to him that he covers by being an asshole and taking the credit for everything good. The fact that Roland dismisses vegetarians and goes on a rant against them, while Davies is a vegetarian added an extra layer of comedy, just a little icing on the cake. If the show would have gone on there was an interesting relationship brewing between Roland and Caroline. Katherine Parkinson did a good job as Caroline although it she seemed to be just a tamer version of her character in The IT Crowd. 

 

The style of the show like some of the more recent comedies, most notably The Office has no laugh track and really lacks much of a soundtrack completely which gives it a darker tone but it's still laugh out loud funny. The comedy though is through words and not slap stick forcing the audience to pay attention and not just sit back and absorb it. Skoose is super annoying and you really just want to strangle him throughout the whole series especially when he gets the better of Bib. It adds a fun tension to the show. Overall the series is full of witty zingers making it definitely my brand of comedy. The cast worked really well together, very well casted and brilliantly acted.

Comic's Choice

  

Airing from January 16th-20th 2011 leading up to the British Comedy Awards Bill Bailey interviewed 5 British comedians; Alan Davies, Lee Mack, Jo Brand, Jessica Hynes and Sean Lock to get their nominees and winners in different comedy categories. Comedy is such a hard genre to narrow down into favorites because comedy, unlike other genres is more subjective to an individuals type of humor. I found I disagreed with Lee Mack the most and of all the five comedians he's my least favorite. Not surprisingly, of course I agreed the most with Alan Davies who's my favorite of the five. Comedy is also very culturally specific, there are universal gags but some comedy doesn't translate well. There happens to be a lot of cross dressing in British comedy that for the most part I just don't get but it's something you see repeated again and again in a British context. I did enjoy Sean Lock dressed as the Queen throwing his handbag at Bill Bailey and knocking him out. It's also interesting to see how these comedians are influenced by what they watched growing up and how their type of comedy is a reflection of what they enjoyed watching. 

Gavin and Stacey - The Complete Series

 

I recently re-watched Gavin and Stacey one of my first shows I watched at the beginning of my British television obsession. The concept of the show is great English boy falls for Welsh girl and some chaos ensues. Although Gavin and Stacey are the main couple the side couple of Smithy and Nessa is as equally interesting if perhaps not more in the later series. And of course the families of both Gavin and Stacey are crazy. This also started my love for the Welsh which has just grown over time.

I have known Joanna Page from the bit part she did as a porn stand in for Love Actually so it was nice seeing her in a proper role. Alison Steadman  I knew of course as Mrs. Bennent in the BBC Pride and Prejudice she kept some of the crazy aspects of Mrs. Bennet to her role as Pam. Pretending to be a vegetarian! Pam just starts digging a hole and never knows when to stop, awkward but entertaining. Of course I cannot forget Rob Brydon who I'm a definite fan of as previous entries can attest to. And seeing Russell Tovey was a real treat.

There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about the show but it's a great story which has led to its success. There was even talk of trying to adapt it for American television which thankfully didn't happen. There is just no way we could recreate the Welsh/English binary, especially in the television format. It would have to be something like an interracial relationship which I think is too dramatic for it to be seen as a comedy or not exciting enough to sustain a television series.

Gavin and Stacey is special as it tells a great story of a relationship through the ups and downs but its full of characters you want to keep coming back to week after week (although I almost always watch things in one go) It has an innocence about it which is refreshing. It's not bogged down by crime and mystery. The show does have some faults that on the second time through are more noticeable than the first time. Nessa was a little more annoying as well just because she was so rude to Gwen but that is her character so she can get away with it to a point. Stacey does tend to be annoying and pushy. She doesn't really think about anything and does things without thinking about the consequences. I don't know why she was just more annoying this time around. She is just so upbeat that it's unbelievable. However when she runs into the woman she doesn't like in the store and has a starring contest that was her best moment. It was so out of character but at the same time felt so natural, and to have Gavin totally confused made for a great comedic moment.

Jonathan Creek Series 3

Another series of Jonathan Creek is complete and unfortunately it's the last with Caroline Quentin. Now I know I've been saying that Jonathan and Maddy should get together but I guess it was sort of a case of be careful what you wish for. They got together just to agree not to do it again. Kind of a let down actually. Holding out for all of series two I think was detrimental to their romantic relationship. The chemistry was there from the beginning but just wasn't followed through with. Of course I'm a bit of a romantic so the non-romance aspect of their trails made it less appealing. My problem is with the back and forth nature of Maddy. She wants Jonathan but doesn't want him at the same time while still preventing any other romantic entanglements with other women he happens to meet. Although as the fourth series is beginning to show this is a reoccurring theme for the women in Jonathan's life. When Maddy told the woman in Miracle in Crooked Lane Jonathan's secret sex fetish, which was a secret even to Jonathan, it was funny but at the same time it made me like Maddy less.

However, the stories were really good, granted a lot more silly than some of the previous stories. Case and point, The Omega Man about aliens but it was fun and lighthearted. The Jonathan Creek doubles in Miracle in Crooked Lane was pretty funny but The Omega Man was my favorite of the series. The third series just seemed to find its voice again and the mysteries were more enjoyable to watch.

The Christmas Special brought in Jonathan's new companion (Now I'm thinking of Doctor Who) Carla played by Julia Sawalha. I immediately didn't like her but it's not all Sawalha's fault, part of it is replacing Maddy and the way they dealt with her departure through a postcard. (I'm not a fan of Martha from Doctor Who because she replaced Rose) But even when I get passed that aspect of my dislike there's still her character that I don't like. Looking  Sawalha up I realized she played Lydia in the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice and she was just as annoying there, although in that instance it fit her character. You only see glimpses of Lydia in Sawalha's performance but there's just enough there to make it unenjoyable. The story though was really good and I enjoyed it, lots of twists and turns. The addition of Bill Bailey was also nice. I was really surprised, but pleasantly so that he was in it. I'm getting more used to Stuart Milligan but he's still a tad annoying and I miss Anthony Head although if he had stuck with Jonathan Creek than he wouldn't have been able to do Buffy so I can see the positive side. One more series and a few specials to go and I'll be finished with Jonathan Creek. It's all been over too quick, that's the trouble with British television.