Too Much Information

This new 'comedy' started on Radio 4 last night in the 6.30pm slot and I would suggest that this programme and its ilk, are the kind of radio sitcoms that put people off radio comedy for good.

I do like to make the occasional effort with radio comedy, and there are often some good examples of the genre: Cabin Pressure, Double Science, Hut 33 and Safefty Catch have all been recent decents.

There is, however, this rather desperate strain of comedy, underwritten, overplayed and not in the slightest bit interesting, that always seems to get on.

Did anybody else hear this? Am I talking out of my crack-hole?

What is it about, John? Tell me the premise and I shall instantly tell you whether or not you are right that it's shit.

It's about a tourist information centre. In some made up town called Waft. It's about their 'inept staff' trying to get people interested in their town.

*enters data into the comedy computer*

*computes*

It's shit.

Do you think it's one of those Radio 4 sitcoms where they thought up the title and then added a script as an after-thought?

I thangyo!

And most probably yes.

Quote: john lucas 101 @ October 7 2009, 9:44 AM BST

Did anybody else hear this?

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Yes. It was disappointing Radio 4 Sitcom By Numbers. No real laughs, laboured, and a waste of a decent cast.

Quote: john lucas 101 @ October 7 2009, 9:44 AM BST

Am I talking out of my crack-hole?

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As ever, Crack Hole Boy.

I heard the first ten minutes of it in the car on the way back from Tescos. It didn't keep me sitting in the car when I arrived home, let's put it that way. Why do so many Radio 4 comedies sound like 1970s TV sitcoms? It sounded very dated and laboured to me. But then I'm not the audience it's intended for.

Quote: chipolata @ October 7 2009, 12:07 PM BST

As ever, Crack Hole Boy.

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Ah, excellent, another top notch sobriquet for my bad self!

Quote: john lucas 101 @ October 7 2009, 9:49 AM BST

It's about a tourist information centre. In some made up town called Waft. It's about their 'inept staff' trying to get people interested in their town.

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There seems to be a few radio comedies that have been about bored porochial civil service departments. Clare in the Community even makes the superb Sally Phillips sound unfunny, although social workers might find as funny as the Office I don't no.

Quote: youngian @ October 7 2009, 1:26 PM BST

Clare in the Community even makes the superb Sally Phillips sound unfunny

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Clare in the Community's a good show.

Ugh. Heard this last night over the family tea, we all gonged it off within the first five minutes. Usually with these things, there's at least one line an episode that makes me smile a bit, or at the very least it's better than silence, but this was a definite exception. >_<

Quote: chipolata @ October 7 2009, 1:42 PM BST

Clare in the Community's a good show.

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Debatable! Just from the people around me, it's about a 40:60 like-hate. ...maybe it's different taking everyone else into account too. ^^

Quote: Liëka @ October 7 2009, 3:59 PM BST

Debatable! Just from the people around me, it's about a 40:60 like-hate.

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I'll debate you, sir! In this office of one it's 100% people like-like.

Aye, debatable, but not by this particular (female) member of the species. I can only judge one round-abouts my area, I can barely remember the program personally (got turned off too quick), so I'm not really in a position to elaborate.

Anyway. That's the wrong show.

Quote: Liëka @ October 7 2009, 5:21 PM BST

Aye, debatable, but not by this particular (female) member of the species. I can only judge one round-abouts my area, I can barely remember the program personally (got turned off too quick), so I'm not really in a position to elaborate.

Anyway. That's the wrong show.

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Bloody hell, another woman I'd wrongly assumed to be a man! You lot should wear little pink badges!

The other thing I dislike is the title. It's too Friends 1998. Like calling a show "Don't Go There".