Quote: Firkin @ 3rd August 2018, 12:37 PMwho would you have cast as Mike?
Jennifer Saunders.
Martin Freeman.
Bob Mortimer.
Julian Barratt.
John Thomson.
Max Von Sydow.
Overrated sitcoms? Page 24
It's also important (don't exaggerate) to remember Chris was the only main character to have a role foisted on him. The others developed their characters through live performances so were clearly more comfortable with them.
I once heard Ben Elton was also considered - really wouldn't work in my opinion (this is English for I am right). His farty persona is the antithesis of Mike, and while he was a great scriptwriter back then, his acting abilities remain, um... Try Al Fresco. Don't.
Easy one for me Miranda. I know a lot of people who love it but I can't see it myself, it's awful and cringeworthy to watch.
Mrs Brown Boys, it's awful and very overrated.
Ab Fab is another one. It's probably one of the worst sitcoms I have ever watched. I personally hate it with a passion and doesn't deserve the good reviews it gets IMO.
Quote: Wheel @ 3rd October 2018, 12:59 PMMrs Brown Boys, it's awful and very overrated.
Absolutely agree.
The thing about comedy is that very few people are actually going around "rating" it. What people do with any particular example is love it, like it, feel indifferent towards it or hate it.
Millions of people love Mrs Brown and her associates but millions can't understand why anybody would want to watch what they regard as a load of tripe.
The same is true of Shakespeare.
Accordingly, if I were Brendan O'Carroll I'd feel quite proud of myself.
Quote: jsg @ 29th December 2018, 3:18 AM
Agreed, I don't see why people like it in my opinion. I've watched it before and didn't find it very funny at all. I much prefer The Vicar of Dibley.
Out of 90s sitcoms my favourite's probably Chef!.
Quote: jsg @ 29th December 2018, 3:18 AM
I think "Father Ted" is one of the all-time great sitcoms.
The only way it could be overrated is if somebody declared it to be the greatest sitcom of all time and, even then, it might not be overrated because, depending how one defines greatness, it might very well be the greatest sitcom of all time.
In any event, it's up there with the very very best of them.
I can't believe anyone would find Father Ted overrated. Oh well.
The IT Crowd: Was funny for one season, and I'm always a fan of Matt Berry, and Chris Morris being on TV is always a plus. But after that first season it really lost steam for me. Even Berry couldn't save it. Katherine Parkinson never did anything for me as a comedic actress (think her best performance for me was in that one off episode in Inside No. 9). Richard Ayoade hasn't come close to topping Dean Learner, although he's a good director. This is Graham Linehan's most overrated work.
The Mighty Boosh: Give me The Flight of the Conchords over this hipster unfunny wannabe The Goodies and Monty Python clap trap. Never understood why so many fell over themselves to love this show. Noel Fielding needs to be taken to court for cheating a living been a "comedian". Also for bringing to screen that horror known as Rich Fulcher. Although I think Julian Barratt has some talent, But this show won't age well at all.
Gavin & Stacey: God this show, for starters has there been a more dislikeable main character as Stacey? Horrible creation and I feel bad for actress Joanna Page. Another person who should join Noel Fielding in court for cheating a living is James Corden, most unfunny man on TV. The guy has gone on to get himself a damn TV chat show in America and get cast in big American films. He must have sold his soul to the devil. Rob Brydon can't even save this even though he's by far the best thing in it. I just dislike "safe" shows and this is far too play it safe for me.
I don't particularly care for either but I'd say Father Ted is more overrated than The IT Crowd because it seems like most people still think it's really good, whereas with The IT Crowd I think more people can admit it wasn't that great, despite an amazing cast. If you want a good Irish comedy, Black Books is the better choice.
Quote: Looper007 @ 19th January 2019, 1:26 PMGavin & Stacey: God this show, for starters has there been a more dislikeable main character as Stacey? Horrible creation and I feel bad for actress Joanna Page. Another person who should join Noel Fielding in court for cheating a living is James Corden, most unfunny man on TV. The guy has gone on to get himself a damn TV chat show in America and get cast in big American films. He must have sold his soul to the devil. Rob Brydon can't even save this even though he's by far the best thing in it. I just dislike "safe" shows and this is far too play it safe for me.
You're not alone, most of its fans don't really like Stacey either.
Quote: Looper007 @ 19th January 2019, 1:26 PM
When Gavin & Stacey was first broadcast, I decided within ten seconds of the start of episode one that it was going to be really good.
To my mind, it was indeed consistently good until the episode where the two families had some sort of a row. I can remember saying to myself "That would never happen" and I remember feeling disappointed that such an ill-conceived scene should be included in such a very good series.
James Corden's series The Wrong Mans looked great for a few minutes of episode one but it then became ridiculous so I turned it off and never watched another episode. I'm still reeling from the news that he's been given his own talk show on American TV so, all in all, I'm not a fan of James Corden.
Having said that, however, I still regard Gavin & Stacey as a top quality sitcom series, barring the flawed scene mentioned above.
Quote: jsg @ 29th December 2018, 4:18 PMOut of 90s sitcoms my favourite's probably Chef!.
Couldn't agree less. Snoozeworthy.
Quote: jsg @ 29th December 2018, 3:18 AM
Yes. Funny but massively overrated.
Father Ted was technically patchy but its fans aren't technically minded critics or even lifetime sitcom lovers, they're mostly casual viewers. That's why so many more recent sitcoms are higher on those ever ridiculous sitcom lists than the 70s classics.
Anyone said The Royale Family yet? I got the gist of it and smiled at the little clips I've seen but thought it too tedious to watch a whole episode of.
Whereas coolcoms IT Crowd and Black Books I never really got but oddly found watchable if on, especially Black Books which I wouldn't say was overrated, irritatingly trendy at times but most eps I saw were enjoyable. Morning.