Weak, weak, weak writing. Again, thinking performing talent equates to material being strong. Simply shoddy and lazy scripts. Insulting to suggest that this is the best we can give the US.
Matt Lucas and David Walliams are great performers, but not great comedy writers. Sorry.
A decent finish. I think the problem is they've given some of these characters previously fitting send offs, so it's hard to trump that. Lou and Andy specifically got that nice send off with Lou briefly being replaced by the Irish lady.
I'm not sure if this will have won them any new fans. There were some ok ideas but alot which was just pure toilet humour or taken out of context. I especially wonder if Americans got the point of Daffyd, since his character kind of relies on having seen the original sketches. I can imagine Americans missing the point and thinking the joke was he was 'the only gay in the village' and feels threatened by meeting gays in the wider world.
I think after this they should take a break from or just drop Little Britain. They've pretty much done all they can with it and teeter between milking it and being aware of tired catchphrase comedy.
Quote: Gelgoog @ November 8 2008, 1:22 PM GMTThey've pretty much done all they can with it and teeter between milking it
Teeter?! The milking started two or more years ago.
Perhaps...but often, they have moments where they seem to be saying 'We've seen as many catchphrase comedy shows as you and so we're gonna do something a wee bit different here..'. It's this odd mix of pandering and yet being 'genre savvy', as TV Tropes calls it.
Quote: Gelgoog @ November 8 2008, 1:28 PM GMTPerhaps...but often, they have moments where they seem to be saying 'We've seen as many catchphrase comedy shows as you and so we're gonna do something a wee bit different here..'. It's this odd mix of pandering and yet being 'genre savvy', as TV Tropes calls it.
Dunno about that. I really enjoyed series one. Got a little bored half way through series two, as it was just so similar and none of the new characters were any good; really quite peeved at the treading water, no ambition, more of the same yet again of series three. The only thing I now see is a couple of good performers, with a very limited pool of ideas, squeezing them for all they're worth. When they started they felt quite different and even exciting; now they feel so tired and cynical. I don't really see the savvy; unless it's the ability to sell the same scripts again and again, now not only to us but across the pond also. If nothing else, don't they themselves want to do something new and fresh? What can be the driving force, beyond cash, of doing the same thing over and over again? I mean, I like money as much as the next man, but surely they have enough now that they can just take a chance?
Some of the characters (Lou and Andy in particular), they've been doing for more than a decade now, IIRC. Presumably they just enjoy them.
Quote: Aaron @ November 8 2008, 5:08 PM GMTSome of the characters (Lou and Andy in particular), they've been doing for more than a decade now, IIRC. Presumably they just enjoy them.
I know this; and I assume they do enjoy it; but I'm saying, to me, it's dull. They never do anything new with the characters, because on the whole they are 2D creations; one gag characters. Very funny to start with, but they have nowhere else to take them. They seem like ideas that ran out of steam a long time ago and, as creative people, I would have thought they would now be rich enough, and eager enough, to move onto something new and exciting.
Maybe it's time for a Lou & Andy special, much as Ted & Ralph did after The Fast Show. They're the only characters that you could really push any further/make deeper. Hmm, Little Britain spin-offs thread, methinks...
Dan
Quote: swerytd @ November 9 2008, 4:46 PM GMTMaybe it's time for a Lou & Andy special, much as Ted & Ralph did after The Fast Show. They're the only characters that you could really push any further/make deeper. Hmm, Little Britain spin-offs thread, methinks...
Dan
I always thought there was a great one off/series lurking in the fat fighters character.
A Lou and Andy special is something they were discussing years ago. I get the feeling any such plot for it went into the earlier mentioned episode. At this point they'd probably have to handle the idea of Lou finally finding out Andy has been lying. They got pretty close to that with this series.
This show has been super weak for me. Recycling scripts from British versions and writing safe Americanized characters utilizing toilet humor I never thought Brits would be low enough to stoop to.
Anybody know how this has gone down in the states in terms of viewing figures?
Quote: chipolata @ November 10 2008, 10:50 AM GMTAnybody know how this has gone down in the states in terms of viewing figures?
There's a ratings figure on this page, but I'm not quite sure how to read Nielsen ratings as they're not the same as BARB stats. If I'm reading it right, it doesn't seem very high though... in fact less than the BBC One episodes got.
It doesn't seem to have been picked up my the media over here yet, but Little Britain USA has actually been recommissioned for a second series so HBO must have been pretty happy with it.
Of course it's been recommissioned... they've got two more seasons of scripts to recycle...
kjs
Quote: KJSmyling @ November 19 2008, 9:41 AM GMTOf course it's been recommissioned... they've got two more seasons of scripts to recycle...
kjs
Or, more precisely, they've got one series of scripts to recycle over, and over again; that's what they did over here!
