New sitcom from Iain Morris and Damon Beesley.
Did anybody else see Episode 1? The Inbetweeners comparison is obvious (the main character is essentially Will) and the laddish humour doesn't do much in its favour.
The bitchy PR character was too on the nose, but Will Arnett did make me laugh, as he does in pretty much everything I've ever seen him in. I'll give it one more episode.
I saw the trailers which mean I won't be watching the series. According to early reviews I made a good choice. The odds of seeing a new decent and genuine sitcom made by and starring younger generations is almost nil. Relegation looms.
There hasn't been much fuss about this, considering the writers.
Quote: jsg @ 29th May 2020, 9:12 AMThere hasn't been much fuss about this, considering the writers.
The Inbetweeners is a fantastic, show, made at exactly the right time with the right cast. Ever since then, I've been hoping they could, if not follow up on it at least deliver something different. And they haven't. White Gold was about a bunch of deeply unpleasant rich lads and one nice guy to latch onto. The First Team.... is about a deeply unpleasant bunch of rich lads with one nice guy to latch onto. Fair play it keeps getting them commissioned but it's getting dull.
Quote: Sitcomfan64 @ 29th May 2020, 10:32 AMThe Inbetweeners is a fantastic, show, made at exactly the right time with the right cast. Ever since then, I've been hoping they could, if not follow up on it at least deliver something different. And they haven't. White Gold was about a bunch of deeply unpleasant rich lads and one nice guy to latch onto. The First Team.... is about a deeply unpleasant bunch of rich lads with one nice guy to latch onto. Fair play it keeps getting them commissioned but it's getting dull.
I think the cast is key, yeah. The Inbetweeners had a certain charm despite its laddishness.
This isn't as convincing.
I didn't see any similarity with The Inbetweeners whatsoever.
Fewer laughs than TI might've lead me to expect, but some good jokes sprinkled through, and a nice character dynamic was set up that I'm interested to see how it follows through.
Plus, as sports-allergic, just generally a lot better and much more accessible than I'd feared.
I mean, I don't know where to start? I have so many questions....
Firstly, this garbage is commissioned with licence payers money. This is a high budget sitcom, does anyone know what sort of BBC money was used to pay for high profile actors who actually did a terrible job. Character casting was really really bad.
Secondly, the first episode got viewing figures of 560,000 which is terribly low and was beaten by all other channels BBC1, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. I have seen all episodes on iPlayer and it doesn't improve at all.
I read today that they are hopeful for a second series! I work hard for my money, I despise paying my licence fee especially when it is to line the pockets of writers, directors, actors and producers who have done a terrible job.
Don't reward totally failure - Anyway I give it ZERO stars out of FIVE.
Quote: funnycom @ 29th May 2020, 10:29 PMthe first episode got viewing figures of 560,000
It's pretty good compared to certain other recent shows I shouldn't mention by name...
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 29th May 2020, 8:18 AMThe odds of seeing a new decent and genuine sitcom made by and starring younger generations is almost nil. Relegation looms.
Very unfair! Peep Show. The Inbetweeners. Peter Kay's Car Share. Fleabag. This Country. Young Offenders. The IT Crowd. The Thick Of It. The Mighty Boosh. Miranda. Nighty Night. Gavin and Stacey. Catastrophe. Fresh Meat. Green Wing.
Just a few of the new decent sitcoms produced by young or youngish writers in the last 20 years.
I guess it depends what you mean by 'young!' All the writers above were under 45 when these shows started (perhaps about half were under 40, but I've not worked this out properly).
The writers of The First Team are both in their late forties, so not exactly spring chickens!
I watched episode 2 last night. Whoops, so this is what Comedy has been reduced to? (especially the scene with the ladies football team and the video in the background) and the abusive language at the end!?! I have clearly just wasted my time sending in what I considered to be a lighthearted script to the BBC Writers Comedy Room, because it will have no chance with anyone if this is the level of 2020 comedy!!
Quote: Chris Hallam @ 4th June 2020, 2:09 PMVery unfair! Peep Show. The Inbetweeners. Peter Kay's Car Share. Fleabag. This Country. Young Offenders. The IT Crowd. The Thick Of It. The Mighty Boosh. Miranda. Nighty Night. Gavin and Stacey. Catastrophe. Fresh Meat. Green Wing.
Just a few of the new decent sitcoms produced by young or youngish writers in the last 20 years.
I guess it depends what you mean by 'young!' All the writers above were under 45 when these shows started (perhaps about half were under 40, but I've not worked this out properly).
The writers of The First Team are both in their late forties, so not exactly spring chickens!
"Within the last 20 years"- there you said it yourself. The chance of anything remotely funny in the near future is now even less remote considering the recent politically correct backlash and beebs commitment to being even more diverse, but risk averse. The fact you count Miranda as a shining example I find incredulous!
Laughed out loud at quite a fair amount in tonight's episode.
A far more accessible and enjoyable series than its subject matter would initially suggest.
It's certainly not going to go down as a classic but I enjoyed it, watched over a few nights as opposed to each week. Enjoyed seeing the actor from Waterloo Road playing one of the footballers.
