Great episode that seemed to fly by. And Limestone Man telling Coogan stuff he already knew was very funny. Pity it ends next week.
The Trip - Series 1 Page 22
The way Steve said, "Help me, I'm a small man stuck in a box" had me in a fit of laughter. Another top episode, really did feel like it flew by this week.
I enjoyed tonight's compilation show.
Quote: Gerry McDonnell @ November 29 2010, 10:48 PM GMTI enjoyed tonight's compilation show.
BAFTA anyone?
I reckon it stands a pretty good chance of picking up something.
Loved it again.
Do you think Coogan really is unhappy with his career?
I know it's just acting, but Brydon hasn't complained about his lot.
If Coogan wanted to kickstart things in America, why didn't he make a Partridge film in 2005?
Or has he considered doing a TV show over there instead of a films? His style of humour is similiar to 30 Rock or Curb Your Enthusiasm.
I think it's probably an exageration, but I dare say Coogan does feel a certain amount of frustration that his career hasn't hit the highs that it did in the nineties. As for a Partridge movie kickstarting his career in America, I'm not sure it would.
The Michael Sheen stuff in last night's episode was interesting because they are exactly the sort of films Coogan should be doing but isn't.
Even given the amount of fictionalisation (one presumes to exist) in the character Coogan portrays in The Trip, it only serves to highlight how massively overrated and overestimated his talent is. And, probably, how much he buys into his own hype. There's no doubt he's done some great - if not excellent - work in comedy, but the smokescreen surrouning him and his 2 or 3 successful characters is astonishing.
Navel gazing is standard amongst creative types, more so now than ever before. I see no difference in this than the type of self-absorption in a show like Extras, which actually shares a number of its central themes with The Trip.
To my way of thinking it's a minor but hugely enjoyable work, that will probably be enjoyed most by Coogan fans. It's not doing anything particularly radical or innovative, or telling us anything new about the human condition, but what it does it does very well. And if crude juvenilia like Two Pints of Lager, Lunch Monkeys and Coming of Age can get money thrown at them, I see no problem at all with something like this being made.
After the discussion on this forum last week I tuned in to the Episode 5 with an unusual level of excitement and anticipation. I brought my best open mind and a generosity I'd lost after the first episode.
Sadly, I was still let down. Although I did laugh twice!
Is anyone else bothered that each episode is almost exactly the same? They drive, talk directions, see a sight, check in, eat, do impersonations, Coogan calls someone, and they go to bed.
It's so rigid it's hard not to call it formulaic.
If they had classified this as a drama I'd feel so differently about it. Coogan shouting "I AM brilliant!" at Brydon was actually dramatically potent.
This episode did it again - it set up a number of threads and then abandoned them: Coogan talked about writing a song, the discussion of the ABBA song, Coogan talking to his son.... all of these would have made for fine stories if they had gone somewhere or been used by the characters to pursue their wants or needs.
Sure there are lovely moments but is that enough?
For some yes, of course, but not for me. Do I have high standards? Yes, I suppose. Shouldn't we demand high standards from the BBC? Yes, probably. But as M. Stott pointed out earlier, lots of people like it so why am I bothering trying to yuck their yum....
Good question - I'm not so sure myself...
Quote: JPM1 @ November 30 2010, 12:19 PM GMTIs anyone else bothered that each episode is almost exactly the same?
Yes.
It's not about high standards. It's about different tastes.
Yes, Nat, of course there should be room for different tastes but I think we should also hold ourselves and the BBC to high standards.
If we made a half hour of Coogan and Brydon sitting at a table throwing poop at each other, wold that be ok with you as long as some percentage of the population said "I like it?"
But you're arguing against subjectivity with more subjectivity! Your arguments are consistently flawed.
Quote: JPM1 @ November 30 2010, 12:46 PM GMTyes, Nat, of course there should be room for different tastes but I think we should also hold ourselves and the BBC to high standards. If we made a half hour of Coogan and Brydon sitting at a table throwing poop at each other, wold that be ok with you as long as some percentage of the population said "I like it?"
Yes.