From the stable of Graham Linehan, certainly looks like it will be worth a look. 
BBC Four, Thursday, 10pm.
The Walshes
I saw the 1st episode last Thursday on RTE. I thought it was quite good. There were a few misses but far more hits I'm happy to say. I'll definitely be sticking around for the 2nd episode.
I'll give it a watch, the trailer looked funny.
Quote: Otterfox @ 10th March 2014, 11:29 AM GMTI saw the 1st episode last Thursday on RTE. I thought it was quite good. There were a few misses but far more hits I'm happy to say. I'll definitely be sticking around for the 2nd episode.
Thank you for that!
Cor, the first ep of this was brilliant, really funny, quirky stuff.
Liked it, different, odd, made me laugh, the big three.
Caught the repeat late last night. Very good stuff.
Wasn't quite in the style I was expecting from Linehan, he's a versatile chap.
Just watched my recording and really enjoyed it - dunno why particularly but the bunch of flowers/dog and him still carrying them tickled me.
Wonder how much Linehan input was in it though.
Think it has potential and will watch again.
I enjoyed it
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 14th March 2014, 8:39 PM GMTWonder how much Linehan input was in it though.
The Graham character seems to be based on Linehan.
Quote: MTpromises @ 16th March 2014, 6:32 PM GMTThe Graham character seems to be based on Linehan.
Ummm, good point.
Generally love anything Graham Linehan-related, but...not this. It felt like a bad episode of 'Hebburn' (Okay, so I didn't need to use the word 'bad' in that sentence) and had acting that made me fondly recall the 8 minutes I watched of 'Badults'.
Looks good had a quick look on YouTube just now. I'll definitely be tuning in.
Starting looking at my watch only 7 minutes into this. Script pretty much all over the place - brimming with gags, but not really any funny ones. A lot of heavily set-up, elbowed-in jokes which seemed to serve no purpose other than to hope (somewhat desperately it seems) for a laugh. The style of comedy performance varied quite bizarrely, from mugging to under-acting, which seemed odd. Characters were all 'out of stock' and none of them particularly likeable. This felt like it should have been a studio audience sitcom and the single camera approach just felt like a weird choice.
Style and performance wouldn't have been such an issue if the script had been funnier. Unfortunately it wasn't. Humour that feels forced is never a good sign in a sitcom. This was jokes mostly being put into the mouths of the characters, as opposed to developing out of the characters. But probably the most damning criticism is that this show doesn't seem to know what kind of comedy it's trying to be. If you're going for a 'wacky' family sitcom then you've got to really go for it. Trying to tag-on bits of pathos, here and there, just doesn't work. Graham Linehan is a master of the cartoon character sitcom, but struggles when attempting to write characters with depth. Probably shouldn't try?
Not one for me.
From a review in our local rag . .
"I REFERRED last week to highly paid BBC executives who feel the need to try out new comedy on smaller channels because they don't have the wit to recognise that series such as Gavin & Stacey and Little Britain are simply brilliant.
The same lack of discernment seems to be happening in reverse with The Walshes (BBC4), a doomed effort which should have been quietly binned before it got anywhere near a studio.
It was not so much a comedy, more an assembly of items which could have been taken from Father Ted or Mrs Brown's Boys (wacky Irish family, normal boyfriend, lurking DIY-mad neighbour) and should have been funny, but were not. It was like eating a cake made by someone with all the right ingredients but no sense of taste, and no oven.