Quote: Aaron @ March 21 2010, 12:56 PM GMTSo what are the chances of commissioning? I'm guessing quite high, given your reviews.
I would say very high too but I read that they had ideas for other characters too in a similar vein.
Lizzie And Sarah Page 6
I thought this was Suburban Shootout with varicose veins. Some very funny moments but woman in suburbs shooting people has been done. Up until that point it was quite dark, sometimes too dark but I loved it when they played the younger girls. Not sure where they could go from here, but I thought the same after series one of Nighty Night and they did that quite well.
Quote: Aaron @ March 21 2010, 12:56 PM GMTSo what are the chances of commissioning? I'm guessing quite high, given your reviews.
As much as I respect and admire my fellow BCGers (
), I'm not sure they're that influential. If they were, Gavin & Stacey, My Family, Two Pints and pretty much most of BBC Three's output would have bitten the dust long ago.
Quote: chipolata @ March 21 2010, 1:31 PM GMTAs much as I respect and admire my fellow BCGers (
No, but they're representative of most people who are vocal in their opinions on comedy. I've no doubt that the BBC will be keenly watching for feedback on this pilot.
I hope the BBC do look at this site for comedy prog reviews, I think they'll be getting a much more considered and knowledgable opinion than on their very general POV board. To stick a pilot show on at nearly midnight either shows they have made their mind up they don't like it or are testing the market for black comedy. I hope it's the latter, and whatever the viewing figures were for it, I hope they look at the viewer opinion, which on this (specialist) site have been very good. There is your market then, just sign the contract and make the series. Simples.
I haven't watched it yet but my money is on zilch chance of being commissioned. As Alfred said the slot it was given could suggest it is dead in the water already.
I stumbled across this last night by mistake. I thought it was fairly enjoyable and laughed out loud a few times - the piano lid slamming bit really made me laugh, but I guess that's because I'm not a very well adjusted person.
The cast were well suited to the content - it was basically the cast of Jam plus Jessica Hynes, innit?
Not sure how a whole series would unfold, but certainly good as a one off.
Quote: Badge @ March 21 2010, 4:04 PM GMTI haven't watched it yet but my money is on zilch chance of being commissioned. As Alfred said the slot it was given could suggest it is dead in the water already.
I assumed the timeslot was because it was a repeat, but then I checked and it wasn't. Does look like a lack of faith by the Beeb. I mean, the 11:45 slot is even later than The Persuasionists got! I thought they would have stuck it on BBC Three first, but there we go.
Quote: Aaron @ March 21 2010, 2:56 PM GMTNo, but they're representative of most people who are vocal in their opinions on comedy.
I disagree. The people on here who watched were a narrow self-selecting group, who had largely made up their mind to like it before they even tuned in. I certainly wouldn't dismiss their opinions, but they don't amount to a balanced cross section of potential viewers.
To an extent, yes - but are they the people that the BBC will be looking for the opinions of? Will the BBC care who the opinions are from anyway?
I'm really quite unsure as to what exactly the Beeb's motives were in broadcasting this.
What's in its slot next week?
Quote: Aaron @ March 21 2010, 4:37 PM GMTI'm really quite unsure as to what exactly the Beeb's motives were in broadcasting this.
My guess is that it was originally intended as a non broadcast pilot, but they thought it was of sufficient quality to be broadcast. Whether it gets a full series is probably another matter entirely. Not least because Psychoville 2 might take of the beeb's quota of dark comedy for the immediate future.
But surely that is exactly what you don't want here, a balanced cross section? The arts are full of niche markets - very lucrative niche markets who'd pay top dosh for what they crave. Black Comedy (on TV) is a niche market (I don't entirely understand why, being a fan), but if you ask a general audience to review it, you will obviously not get the true value of the product; ask a specialist audience to review it and they will give you a much more considered opinion - I don't believe that the viewers would have made up their minds before hand to love it no matter what - anoraks are more inclined to be critical and compare it with their favourite shows, so if it was bad they would say so, imo, but that is debatable. Personally, big thumbs up for this pilot, but it's more like a film, how they make a series out of this without overkill I do not know. But I want to know why they've taken to calling every new one off show a pilot - I remember the brilliant Boys From The Blackstuff being aired as a TV film, not a pilot; it was so popular that it became a series. This L&S to me was a TV film, why not advertise it such? Surely would have got far more viewers.?
Quote: chipolata @ March 21 2010, 4:48 PM GMTMy guess is that it was originally intended as a non broadcast pilot, but they thought it was of sufficient quality to be broadcast. Whether it gets a full series is probably another matter entirely. Not least because Psychoville 2 might take of the beeb's quota of dark comedy for the immediate future.
Perhaps Davis and Hynes have already declined a series, and the Beeb chose to broadcast it in order to get a fandom and pressure for them to make one... I've seen far better pilots that haven't been broadcast but HAVE gone to full series (Miranda for one), and equally better that haven't been broadcast OR been commissioned. Doesn't quite make sense.
If this does get commissioned it won't be because anyone in that process thinks it is any good.
It felt as though the story was a little rushed to me. I would have liked to have seen more of a breakdown from Lizzie and Sarah because the story progression seemed a bit hurried. The content didn't make me feel uncomfortable but Jessica Hynes didn't pull off the role, IMO. I cringed on a few occasions during her parts, I just wasn't buying her in the role whereas Julia Davis definitely has a dark comedic persona. I don't really see that with Hynes.
I would like to see a series though, there were enough funny moments to justify a series and it would be interesting to see how they would stretch the idea to six episodes.
Quite enjoyable. 