I think it had more laughs than Beautiful Dreamers did.
Current radio comedy Page 44
Quote: Tim Walker @ October 20 2010, 7:25 PM BSTAnyone heard this Craig Brown Lost Diaries thing? I presume it's his Private Eye diaries done by impressionists? Any good?
It's not LOL funny, but it good if you like that sort of thing. Not unmissable.
Been catching up with stuff. Arthur Smith's Balham Bash was good fun. It's an interesting spin on stand-up (don't change the stand-up, change the traditional location!)
Working through Radio 2's Comedy Showcase season of pilots.
The Alex Lowe Double-Act sounded like a really crap idea at first, but was actually really, really good and very funny. I'd happily listen to a series of this.
Hamilton's Ode-ssey was okay. Not amazing but entertaining enough. It was written by the Actor Kevin Eldon, script-edited by Stewart Lee and had Peter Serafinowicz in it.
Strings, written by and starring Tim Minchin, was good too. It's sort of a bit left-field in that he's written a traditional sitcom around the songs he's written but it works. There is a lot of his stand-up in it, but rather than just putting it (and his songs) in there verbatim, he's contextualised it nicely in a traditional sitcommy story sort of a way. Serafinowicz is in this as well. I think radio comedy could do with a series of this, as it's a bit different and kind of a new angle on things. I liked it. However, I do think Minchin is one of the best stand-ups around, so am probably biased.
Dan
Quote: swerytd @ November 1 2010, 10:35 AM GMTBeen catching up with stuff. Arthur Smith's Balham Bash was good fun. It's an interesting spin on stand-up (don't change the stand-up, change the traditional location!)
They were actually in a house? I thought they were just in a studio pretending it was a house.
WTF was that crappy literary quiz/condescending piece of rubbish that was on in the 6.30pm "comedy slot" last night?
Get it off now, or at least shunt it off to a time when it won't inconvenience me with it's snobbish crapulence, it was like "Quote Unquote" but even worse.
I presue you are referring to The Write Stuff.
Quote: chipolata @ November 3 2010, 12:05 PM GMTThey were actually in a house? I thought they were just in a studio pretending it was a house.
Yes. Actually the house. Some videos of the recordings are here as 'proof': https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/arthur_smiths_balham_bash/videos/
Quote: Tony Cowards @ November 3 2010, 12:26 PM GMTWTF was that crappy literary quiz/condescending piece of rubbish that was on in the 6.30pm "comedy slot" last night?
There seems to be a lot of other shows invading the comedy slots at the moment but, fear not, Safety Catch, ElvenQuest and Bleak Expectations are all on the way soon to save the day...
Quote: Mark @ November 3 2010, 1:14 PM GMTThere seems to be a lot of other shows invading the comedy slots at the moment but, fear not, Safety Catch, ElvenQuest and Bleak Expectations are all on the way soon to save the day...
To be fair, The Write Stuff is a comedy show. I used to hate it but it's grown on me over the years. and while not laugh a minute, it has the odd moment. Shame on you, Mr Tony "Book Hating" Cowards!
Quote: chipolata @ November 3 2010, 1:16 PM GMTTo be fair, The Write Stuff is a comedy show. I used to hate it but it's grown on me over the years. and while not laugh a minute, it has the odd moment. Shame on you, Mr Tony "Book Hating" Cowards!
I just couldn't stand all the sneering snobbery over the "Twilight" books and the fact that in the 20 minutes or so I was able put up with it there was not a single moment of amusement or wit, this despite the fact that the host took every opportunity to criticize or be witheringly sarcastic about any novel or writer which was even vaguely populist.
It just seemed like the most stereotypically condescending and snobbish Radio 4 fare. I've nothing against intelligent comedy but don't see the need for it to be so nasty, bitchy and without wit.
Martin Brundle Speaks To The Nation was quite good now I've finally got around to it too.
Been listening to North By Northamptonshire. It has its moments but the lack of any real plot is starting to really grate. Mackenzie Crook's Supermarket Announcer is the funniest bit but I'm finding it difficult to like any of the characters and find my self thinking about other stuff. The first episode was okay, because I thought it was all subdued build-up to a massive event at the end of that episode (that was certainly how Sheila Hancock seemed to be ominously narrating). So I was expecting 'big thing' then ensuing fallout in the subsequent episodes. But then, nothing actually happened. And the subsequent episodes had... erm... nothing happening.
Have I missed the point entirely?
Dan
Quote: Tony Cowards @ November 3 2010, 1:24 PM GMTI just couldn't stand all the sneering snobbery over the "Twilight" books and the fact that in the 20 minutes or so I was able put up with it there was not a single moment of amusement or wit, this despite the fact that the host took every opportunity to criticize or be witheringly sarcastic about any novel or writer which was even vaguely populist.
Well, the Twilight books aren't particularly good or well written. Some populist writing is, but they aren't. And I think the Writing Paraody round at the end is quite good.
Having said that, I'll be glad when the series is over and we get some more straightforward comedy fare in that slot.
Quote: chipolata @ November 3 2010, 1:32 PM GMTWell, the Twilight books aren't particularly good or well written. Some populist writing is, but they aren't. And I think the Writing Paraody round at the end is quite good.
I just thought that the lines read out of context and then laughed at was extremely lazy and, actually, quite nasty in it's mocking tone which was much more "listen to this rubbish" rather than gentle mockery.
I'm sure you could read out lines from "Moby Dick" or " The Great Gatsby" which sound equally stupid, but, of course, it's much easier to be intellectually superior and mock something for being popular with the proles.
Quote: Tony Cowards @ November 3 2010, 1:37 PM GMTI just thought that the lines read out of context and then laughed at was extremely lazy and, actually, quite nasty in it's mocking tone which was much more "listen to this rubbish" rather than gentle mockery.
I'm sure you could read out lines from "Moby Dick" or " The Great Gatsby" which sound equally stupid, but, of course, it's much easier to be intellectually superior and mock something for being popular with the proles.
But the Twilight saga isn't very good. Even Stephen King says they're a bit shit, and he's hardly an intellectual snob!
That Hazelbeach looks very similar to Hotel Trubble.
Another enjoyable episode of Richard Herring's Objective. Pity it got such a short run.
Quote: chipolata @ October 27 2010, 5:42 PM GMTBit disappointed with What Went Wrong With The Olympics? so far. Predictable jokes about gross overspending and a naff opening ceremony. Oooh, and there's a camp dance choreographer in it now.
I thought the second episode was an improvement on the first. Still doesn't really capture the feel of an olympics, though.
Quote: Chappers @ November 4 2010, 1:07 AM GMTThat Hazelbeach looks very similar to Hotel Trubble.
I'm actually quite impressed somebody reads something other than the forum!