NB was top dollar content - absolute skill-sets.
Nathan Barley Page 6
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ January 6 2010, 12:50 PM GMTnow it seems as relevent as Curry and Chips.
Curry and Chips
Barley Casserole
Barley Risotto
Barley Recognisable & Chips
Quote: swerytd @ January 6 2010, 1:10 PM GMTone of the funniest sitcoms ever.
I watched this whole series yesterday. Quality stuff.
I have just watched the episode where he got a suck job off a 'thirteen' year old. 'You beautiful mess' in context has to be one of the greatest sitcom lines ever.
At least three things stopped Nathan Barley being a big hit. The first was the title, which as Brooker fans will know should have been 'C**t'. Even I can understand why they didn't use that - although I'm not happy about it, obviously.
The second problem with the show is that Morris directed it and he's not a very good director.
The third reason is it had awful grading - presumably some sort of reflexive joke but it was still unpleasant and alienating.
I felt sorry for Brooker at the time - they f**ked up his great idea.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ January 6 2010, 12:50 PM GMTAs much as I enjoyed it, NB has really dated now and was far too incestuously 'meeja' to ever get mainstream acceptance. If you were aware of that new media, Brit Pop, trendy Hoxton crowd at the time, then it was quite a telling indictment but now it seems as relevent as Curry and Chips.
When this first came out I was under the impression it was a massive hit because everybody I knew was talking about it (as ever, behind on these things, I continously forgot to watch it and didn't see it till much later). I was in a remote part of Cumbria with very none media types at the time and they all seemed to get it. I don't think it's about understanding a media environment, it's a satire on youth trends as a whole. The types were recognisable simply because annoying knobs like that are everywhere! And I actually think that kitsch/ironic style and attitude is still around and the up-their-own arse attitude of the people who follow it is still annoying. So it still feels relevant to me. But I might just be misanthropic.
Anyway, I wouldn't have said it was the funniest sitcom in the world but I did enjoy it. What NB has is "cool", which is difficult to describe but maybe you know what I mean. Spaced definitely had it too. It just sort of feels..."cool"...which does attract me to it. I have not explained that anywhere near well enough. The writing wasn't brilliant in that the structure was off and some of the characters were shite (and badly acted). Though if anyone has seen the pilot episode, it looks like they salvaged something good out of a complete shambles. There's some good lines there though, and I did find it funny. I think Dan is endearing and likeable enough for you to get hooked as well. You start siding for him.
I'm on the side of the NB lovers. Though as previous poster said, Chris Morris' direction is a bit shit. We'll see soon whether he's improved for his feature, I suppose. Hope so, I'm looking forward to that.
I know it is just your oppinion but I didn't have a problem with the direction. It is a great shame that the one sitcom (as far as I am aware) that he has written got ignored because he is easily one of the comedy Gods of all time and IMO far greater than Steve Coogan. It is a small scale possibly irrelvant tragedy (but a tragedy non the less) that he is probably best known for being the dick in The IT Crowd than for his own works of genius.
Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ January 8 2010, 12:23 AM GMTI know it is just your oppinion but I didn't have a problem with the direction. It is a great shame that the one sitcom (as far as I am aware) that he has written got ignored because he is easily one of the comedy Gods of all time and IMO far greater than Steve Coogan. It is a small scale possibly irrelvant tragedy (but a tragedy non the less) that he is probably best known for being the dick in The IT Crowd than for his own works of genius.
I don't know. I thought he was better at spoof than narrative. Saying that, his monologues on Blue Jam were excellent and probably my favourite thing of his.
Not sure if I'd go as far as to call him a comedy God but I'm not sure I'd go that far about anybody. Excellent writer though, particularly for rhythm and sound - "paraplegic wrongcock". I know I sound a bit of cock being that analytical but I am like to swoon at really great rhythm in writing. Larvely.
Quote: sglen @ January 8 2010, 12:18 AM GMTAnyway, I wouldn't have said it was the funniest sitcom in the world but I did enjoy it. What NB has is "cool", which is difficult to describe but maybe you know what I mean. Spaced definitely had it too. It just sort of feels..."cool"...which does attract me to it. I have not explained that anywhere near well enough.
I know exactly what you mean: there's a certain vibe about it which, dare I say, is also evident in The Mighty Boosh (even though I'm not a fan). I agree with the rest of your post as well.
I liked Nathan Barley but it wasn't terribly funny in my opinion - even the old Morris leitmotif of edgy paedoism fell flat on its arse this time (most may disagree). With NB I notice people tend to either take the stance 'brilliant, everyone has met a Barley, best sitcom evaaarrrr' or 'dated, cliquey, lacking in jokes: shit' but I think that ascribes it too much importance in the canon of 00s comedy. There's not enough substance for it to be a love it-hate it type of affair.
Of course there were some excellent ideas in there (it's Chris Morris after all) but as a sitcom I'm pretty ambivalent about it.
As an aside, I've noticed shades of NB in Brooker's Screenwipe character Barry Shitpeas.
Barley is Charlie Brooker's creation. Essentially it is nothing to do with Chris Morris. He originally featured in a TV show called 'C**t'.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ January 8 2010, 1:07 AM GMTHe originally featured in a TV show called 'C**t'.
Yeah, I remember that TV show.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ January 8 2010, 1:07 AM GMTBarley is Charlie Brooker's creation. Essentially it is nothing to do with Chris Morris. He originally featured in a TV show called 'C**t'.
Yes I know this, but we're discussing Nathan Barley the sitcom character. TV Go Home may well have nailed its target(s) in 1999/2000 but was it really so relevant in 2005? Genuine question, that.
As for Morris' non-involvement...
Glossal frag: Chris Morris & Charlie Brooker
Director: Chris Morris
Haven't seen that for ages.
Of which, I read Justin who has the Twitter account 'shitmydadsays' is in talks to do a TV show based on it.
Thank f**k Chris Morris is busy.