British Comedy Guide

The Trip - Series 1 Page 3

Quote: dennispennis123 @ November 2 2010, 4:12 PM BST

I don't really understand the criticism. They were mainly just mocking their own public personas.

I think you have answered your own question. That is all it is. Three hours of watching people eat while they show what good sports they are by pretending to be less likeable than they believe (and want you to believe) they really are. Or is there another level of irony here that I am missing? In which case the entire project may well suffer the fate of the oozlum bird.

Quote: swerytd @ November 2 2010, 10:35 AM BST

Oi, Walker -- three jokes a page or don't bother! ;)

Peasant! What I write is mostly for the benefit of future comedy historians, who will be grateful for my erudite and informed opinion as they write their thesis on 'Early 21st Century British Single Camera Comedy'... Unimpressed

http://channelhopping.onthebox.com/2010/11/01/the-trip-review-its-not-grim-up-north/

'The Trip is, arguably, the funniest BBC comedy since The Thick Of It...'

Laughing out loud Laughing out loud Laughing out loud

Was this the same reviewer who was responsible for the quote "The best film ever!" on the DVD for A Cock And Bull Story?

Really enjoyed this. I wasn't really sure what to expect having read the previews but I thought it was both funny and interesting. It wouldn't have worked if we didn't already know the characters. It is all about the characters and there is only a faint trace of a plot but I found it enjoyable to watch something that has a slower than normal pace. Quite refreshing. I think that if something is interesting then there doesn't need to be a joke every 10 seconds. There was a lot to like here if you are a fan of Steve and Rob's other work. Nice to see a 30 minute comedy programme that didn't end on a big pay off. For me the half hour passed very quickly.

I've sounded pretty harsh over the last couple of pages... The thing is that I actually found the first episode pleasant to watch, there was nothing really that put me off. But neither was there anything in the opener which really engaged me in any way. Perhaps my hopes were set too high? Or maybe the show really gets going in episode 2? *crosses fingers*

Dunno. I'm starting to go the other way - I'm more and more disappointed the more I think about it.

I'm prepared to reserve judgment on the series, but if it carries on like this I reckon it'll have been a massive missed opportunity. I think Coogan's one of the best comedy writer/performers this country's ever had, and Brydon's not bad either.

The thing I think missing from this first episode is drama - the American girlfriend thing added nothing and there wasn't even an argument with the waiter/waitress!

I agree it's nice to watch two great comedy acts pootling about, but I think they're far better than this show seems to be from Ep 1.

Episode one can kinda be summed up in this exchange, about nine minutes in.

ROB: I don't understand why you have this aversion to doing things that make people laugh.

ALAN: I just find it tiresome.

Quote: Tim Walker @ November 2 2010, 6:10 PM GMT

http://channelhopping.onthebox.com/2010/11/01/the-trip-review-its-not-grim-up-north/

'The Trip is, arguably, the funniest BBC comedy since The Thick Of It...'

Laughing out loud Laughing out loud Laughing out loud

That review is not so much funny as scary.

Quote: Martyn Jay @ November 2 2010, 6:23 PM GMT

I found it enjoyable to watch something that has a slower than normal pace. Quite refreshing.

Really? I mean, seriously? 90% of the past couple of years of British TV sitcom is that slow, and a good proportion in the 8 or 9 years beforehand too.

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