Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ September 5 2010, 9:16 PM BSTWell said. Maybe the timing of this strikingly unoriginal looking thing starting the same week as the seemingly original looking Roger and Val was planned to deflect such criticism of the Beeb.
A friend of mine has this suspicion too, that the Beeb make some series better than others to make them stand out. I'm not so sure. It's more about commissioning and how much creative control they give established performers.
Re: Grandmas House...Curb your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, Larry Sanders Show, Annually Retentive, Lead Baloon, have all used this idea (i.e. a celebrity portraying a parody of themselves) to a degree and its just getting a bit stale. It might have its good points but in the end it's a re-hash of some of those shows but it doesn't offer anything new.