Quote: lofthouse @ 12th November 2016, 2:18 PMClarence
Yeah, I covered that one in the article. I always remember watching that with my Mum.
One Series Comedies Page 2
Great article and a few more obscure gems to add to my list of things to watch. I obviously have dodgy taste going by how many of the programmes I really enjoyed.
As well as a couple already mentioned (The High Life, All Along the watchtower, Suntrap (is it cancelled?)) I'd add TLC, Sold, Shelfstackers and Lazarus & Dingwall (one series I think).
Quote: Sixty3closure @ 21st November 2016, 5:20 PMSuntrap (is it cancelled?))
...
Lazarus & Dingwall (one series I think).
Yes and yes.
Lazarus & Dingwall is available on DVD now though!
I forgot about Lazarus and Dingwall! Love that show! Shame it only did one series as Arden and Frost were fantastic in it!
Quote: Aaron @ 21st November 2016, 6:03 PMYes and yes.
Lazarus & Dingwall is available on DVD now though!
Heads off to Amazon....£19..need to think about that one. I do have some very old VHS transfers of one or two episodes and it was as good as I remember so I think I might have to pay up.
Max & Paddy's Road To Nowhere was brilliant and that only ran for one series of six episodes, with at least another special to come in the future, hopefully!
Quote: TheBlueNun @ 4th November 2016, 5:52 AMGreat blog post Ben, even I'd forgotten some of them.
I think that, personally Garth Marenghi's Darkplace had more than a single series' worth of material?
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is up there. There was definitely room more material, considering the plots. I mean how many Stephen King books are there? The sky is the limit! I mean maybe they felt they'd covered each topic broadly? I'll never understand why they made a series of Man to Man with Dean Learner though, rather than a second series of GMDP.
I think Life's Too Short was a pretty good series, it was a pretty unique plot line, and it was done quite intelligently I feel. Although I guess they wrapped it up quite neatly with the special.
Not to get too Steve Merchant-y but Hello Ladies I thought was great too. Had a good mix of clever jokes and slapstick comedy. Really enjoyed it, I just don't think it should have been aired in the states via HBO, although I expect he got the offer of a series from them on the back of his stand-up.
I just basically had an argument with myself?
Happy Families; have yet to see enough of it to see if it contains any comedy.
But Red Dwarf is legendary.
Tripper's Day, Leonard Rossiter's last TV comedy while not as good as his other work was better than it was painted.
Going Straight I think was 1 series but I enjoyed it.
Enjoyable article Ben. Some there I need to check out.
Thieves Like Us was a recent(ish) one I enjoyed.
In The Looking Glass written by and starring Johns Wells and Fortune and directed by Andrew Gosling is one I would love to see again. A blend of comedy and animation that had been piloted earlier in Moving Pictures. The same team went on to make feature length adaptations of The Snow Queen and The Light Princess.
Misfits is another I have dredged from my memory. Enn Reitel and (iirc) Niall Padden as criminals hiding out with Anne Stallybrass. According to imdb it was written by Eric Chappell, which seems unlikely.
A famous one series flop was The Losers written by Alan Coren and starring Leonard Rossiter. And I say that as huge fan of both.
I am sure others will come to mind.
Quote: Tursiops @ 30th January 2017, 9:27 PMMisfits is another I have dredged from my memory. Enn Reitel and (iirc) Niall Padden as criminals hiding out with Anne Stallybrass. According to IMDb it was written by Eric Chappell, which seems unlikely.
It was indeed.
I seem to recall a few attempts around that time to make Enn Reitel a star. Another was Mog, written by Clement & la Frenais. He can't claim he didn't get the writers. But Mog ran to two series so I am drifting of topic.
Another by Clement & La Frenais was Over The Rainbow, written as a vehicle for Commitments stars Angeline Ball and Branagh Gallagher. Unfortunately the actors cast as their male sparring partners lacked the same charisma and struggled to nail the Likely Lads style dialogue.
Didn't he star in a version of 'Lucky Jim' as well? I remember enjoying this when much younger but not a lot else.
Five of my favourite comedy shows were sadly one series, though perfect in their one series entirity:
- The Armando Iannuci Show
- JAM
- Human Remains
- Nathan Barley
- Catterick
Every episode perfect. It's these one series shows which make me proud of the British comedy tbh. Unlike some of the tiresome 24-episode US series' which soon outlive their popularity and originality.