Just follow the canned laughter Chappers. 
Quote: Chappers @ 20th December 2016, 11:51 PMI think the trouble was it needs subtitles. Although there is the lovely Doon....
Two Doors Down Page 2
I don't know what's more impressive: the commissioning or the writing.
Unrelatedly, am starting a Get That Shit Commissioned By Becoming And Remaining A Commissioner course, of course. Details to follow.
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ 20th December 2016, 1:09 PMI've been quite enjoying it
Nice & cosy with some great performers
I wouldn't say it's the funniest thing I've ever seen, but the characters are nicely done & there's some good laughs in thereGlad it's back for a second series
If you want "nice and cosy" I would suggest watching repeats of The Good Life: the original and best in that category!
Quote: Charlie Boy @ 20th December 2016, 7:34 PMIt's back for a tird!
A turd more like!
I'm quite enjoying Two Doors Down, I must say. Although, for me, the hot tub episode will take some beating.
I missed this when it first came out and only just catching up on iPlayer. As someone who lives in west of Scotland, I love this programme and can totally relate to the characters. Very strong cast with Doon and especially Elaine C Smith stealing the show.
I can understand the actors but can believe that some may struggle with the accents and the Scottish terms.
Saw my first few minutes of this and it looked so similar to many current ongoing sitcoms, ie. ones that don't get cancelled after one series. And I thought it's all that is wrong in sitcom now, rambling domesticity that's changed a once snappy format into a soapy gentle comedy drama with no big laughs or even attempts at them, with way too much chat and not enough action. How did the great sitcom format turn into this?
No major lead characters either and again too many of them, all quite middling with slightly different traits. I came in with them just chatting on sofas and left it believing they'd all still be there chatting on sofas at the end. It's now got its 6th series, and could go on as long as Coronation Street, which it and all the others don't seem to be too different from, to me. ?
I quite like it but you really would tell them all to f**k off.
The little Scottish guy and his letching is funny though.
Will put some sort of spoiler buffer/barrier thing here since it's not aired on TV but is on iPlayer
- SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE OF THIS SERIES -
As per Stephen Goodlad's "you really would tell them all to f**k off" above, it was cathartic to see Cathy get called out by the guest character played by Julie Graham in the last episode. Cathy used to be the funniest but has got grating so it's good to see them get called out for being cringey bullshitters.
Ironically Cathy was momentarily back to great earlier this series in the Girl's Night episode. The funny awkward little group hug + her enthusiasm for all the different porno categories and trying to get the other ladies to watch, haha.
Is that the episode when they've invited everyone round to boast about their Italian holiday? I enjoyed that, although the shadow of Abigail's Party looms large. One of the writers, Gregor Sharp, is also a BBC comedy commissioner. The dialogue is excellent.
I've bored everyone already with saying how I adore Doon, who had a part in my sitcom. As soon as she entered the rehearsal room she started telling disgraceful stories about other actors, which started the other actors off with their own anecdotes...I was helpless with laughter. One of them involved someone playing a soldier doing something with his lance that I couldn't possibly repeat here...
Quote: beaky @ 30th July 2022, 11:19 AMOne of them involved someone playing a soldier doing something with his lance that I couldn't possibly repeat here...
Oh, go on
New season was going swimmingly until the last two episodes jumped the shark with the current political flavors intruding.Twas hoping this wouldn't be the case but alas
Quote: beaky @ 30th July 2022, 11:19 AMI've bored everyone already with saying how I adore Doon, who had a part in my sitcom. As soon as she entered the rehearsal room she started telling disgraceful stories about other actors, which started the other actors off with their own anecdotes...I was helpless with laughter. One of them involved someone playing a soldier doing something with his lance that I couldn't possibly repeat here...
Yeah, I've enjoyed her stuff since the late 90s/early 2000s when I retrospectively went back and looked at The Day Today after loving I'm Alan Patridge and Brass Eye etc and seeing what the cast did before (in 1994 when TDT was first on, I was only 10 so missed it at the time, heh). At the point of early 2000s when I was in my later teens stuff like The Day Today, Brass Eye, and some contemporary sitcoms were the best thing since sliced bread (they're still all great).
Slight sidetrack, popped into your profile like a stalker to see what sitcom you wrote as mentioned... The Rebel! That was good fun, great cast too, and yeah a shame it didn't get picked up further!
Glad this thread's been revived, as I was expecting to have to start up a new one!
As far as the new series has gone, the first four episodes (as well as the Christmas special) left me feeling like the show was going on the downturn quality-wise. Scripts were getting bogged down with too much bitterness, too much drama, the Bairds' neighbours getting too daring to be unfairly avoiding punishment for their audacity; I wrote on the Not Going Out thread a while back about how modern sitcoms seem to be going gritty and engaging too much in the negative side of domesticity that doesn't particularly leave a nice taste in the mouth or lasting impression, as if to be able to relate to the audience more in a television landscape where you have to capture viewers' interest/attention from the off or they're gone.. and it seems to be in vogue, not least with episodes I'd argue were weak getting higher ratings on IMDb (tonight's excluded).
I will say, though, that the last two episodes have left me feeling hopeful the magic is still there, and tonight's was easily a return to the show at its best. It was as if they went back and revised the two with the break in filming, the glaring difference between them and the ones before. The writers do seem to have taken on board feedback, though, regarding toning down Cathy a bit (after s4 and the 2020 special), yet even in a reduced form she's too forthcoming with her acid as she used to be, not as 'balanced out' in her traits as she was. I also think Ian and Gordon are starting to be sidelined/caricatured compared to previous series (have the writers forgotten their - kind-of a SPOILER ALERT - engagement in the 2020 special?!). The peculiar broadcast pattern hasn't been much of an issue, but still hope a similar fate won't befall the sixth series due later in the year; I wonder whether this series has aired out of the original episode order (would explain Ian and Gordon's gaping absence), and if they'll be as intended on the DVD release?
(Oh, and I'll join the slight thread digression and also praise @beaky and The Rebel, which I enjoyed at the time and deserved to go on longer.)