Was starting to think the impressions section was going on too long. It's very slow but 30 mins went quite quickly 
The Trip - Series 1 Page 2
Oh, and obviously there's no way on earth this should be nestling in the 'Sitcom' section...
In fact, if you described tried to tell "a version of" Steve Coogan that this was a sitcom he was starring in, he'd probably look at you with a rather incredulous sneer of disbelief, for a very long time, until it finally became amusing.
Oi, Walker -- three jokes a page or don't bother! 
I enjoyed this a lot and was chuckling throughout. I laughed out loud at one bit, but can't remember what it was. Something to do with Coogan being incredulous with Brydon at the table. Make your own punchlines up.
Looking forward to next week. If it is self-indulgent, they've realised that being self-indulgent is funny to others rather than just doing it for the sake of it.
Dan
I really enjoyed this, although I suppose it's not that good.
Rambling as chip says and I agree with Walker that Coogan and Brydon could be applying themselves to a more traditional project. Then again, perhaps we don't need to see any more of Brydon at the moment. We don't want a 'Living with Rob Bryden' thread, do we?
Coogan is sort of like the mirror image of Ricky Gervais - admired by his peers but trapped by his talent. Anything about him is interesting to me. I still think he hasn't expressed his full potential (unlike Brydon and Gervais) and he may never, as in some way he seems out of step with our times. A problem that sometimes occurs with artists of great facility - their talent cannot come to terms with the medium through which it's conveyed.
Enjoyed it.
Just liked being in front of the telly while it was on.
Could have gone on longer for me.
I will certainly watch again.
With things like this and Psychoville around it's getting harder ( and increasingly pointless) trying to box stuff off into 'sitcom', 'comedy/drama', 'drama' etc etc.
Good telly/Bad telly is my new criteria...
I vote 'good'.
Not as disappointing as I feared, it was quite funny in places. I hope it improves though.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ November 2 2010, 10:48 AM BSTCoogan is sort of like the mirror image of Ricky Gervais - admired by his peers but trapped by his talent. Anything about him is interesting to me. I still think he hasn't expressed his full potential
Do you not think Alan Partridge was a fulfillment of that poential?
Although I would agree that he seems to drift nowadays, flitting from one unsatisfying project to the next, never really recapturing his glory days.
There is nothing wrong with comedians playing a version of themselves - it has been a staple of sitcom since the days of Jack Benny, but this seems to me to be relying on the goodwill attached to the performers to paper over the absence of any substance.
I enjoyed this. Brydon is a true comedy master, and always watchable.
Don't rate Coogan much. Partridge aside, he's had no better or worse career than, say, Alan Cumming.
Quote: Timbo @ November 2 2010, 11:05 AM BSTThere is nothing wrong with comedians playing a version of themselves - it has been a staple of sitcom since the days of Jack Benny, but this seems to me to be relying on the goodwill attached to the performers to paper over the absence of any substance.
I have to say that this is spot on.
What do you mean by substance, though? I'm not sure many current sitcoms have a great deal of it. Most seem pretty lightweight.
Well it's a f**k of a lot better than Grandma's Arse.
Quote: Timbo @ November 2 2010, 11:05 AM BSTThere is nothing wrong with comedians playing a version of themselves - it has been a staple of sitcom since the days of Jack Benny, but this seems to me to be relying on the goodwill attached to the performers to paper over the absence of any substance.
Totally agree with this, what was/is "The Trip" supposed to be? It was tortuously unfunny so I'm struggling to see how it was a sitcom or even any other type of comedy, just seemed like a really dull vanity project, Coogan and Brydon are fine playing other characters but as "themselves" they are tediously boring (Brydon) and unlikable (Coogan).
Oh and for balance, I'd like to point out that I love Brydon in "Geoff and Marion" and "Gavin and Stacey" and Coogan in most things he's done, just that like most actors, comedy or otherwise, they actually seem to be really quite dull people when they are being themselves, it's like they have to be a blank canvas with very little personality in order to be able to become different characters on screen.
Coogan's amusing "I work with amateurs" remark wasn't followed through and it will be interesting to see how far Coogan goes in sending up his so far very modest Hollywood career.
Coogan has done this before with Alf Molina in a segment for Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes in which Molina keeps bigging up his Brit newcomer colleague to fans who recognise him but still haven't the faintest clue who Steve Coogan is.
Also preferred Brydon's radio banter with Jonathan Ross, which is one of the funniest things I've heard either of them do.
I like Brydon's Coogan impression which was so deliberately Alan Partridge.
I thought it was very good, the impressions scene at the dinner table was fantastic.
I don't really understand the criticism. They were mainly just mocking their own public personas.