Quote: Andrea Waters @ February 4 2011, 1:41 PM GMTWhere she had more to do than whinge. I'm talking about the laugh free 30 mins that is Episodes.
Yeah, but I assume your saying your new version wouldn't be like that, ergo he would work.
Episodes - Series 1 Page 21
Quote: Matthew Stott @ February 4 2011, 1:43 PM GMTYeah, but I assume your saying your new version wouldn't be like that, ergo he would work.
Good point. You may well be better at this arguing business than me.
I'm only worried that past success is pretty meaningless in comedy. Ben Elton co-wrote the sublime Blackadder, but then gave us the awful Blessed which starred Ardal O'Hanlon who was great in Father Ted...
If you need further proof look at the plummeting career of Nicholas Lyndhurst.
Episodes (never buoyant) sags whenever we cut to a Sean/Beverly scene. I think Atkinson would have brought more edge, that's all. I'm not saying Mangan can't act (he's clearly very talented) just that he's not doing it for me in this.
Then again, like Tamsin Greig, he may be making bricks without straw. Or mud. Water...
Quote: Matthew Stott @ January 31 2011, 10:42 PM GMTThey've written Tamsin Greig a very odd character. Are we supposed to like her? Or sympathise with her? Or just grind our teeth and wish she'd lighten up?
Yeah, this character is really beginning to look odd.
It's supposed to be about two writers getting screwed in Hollywood - and they're not! They've got a house, a car, credits, and the new sitcom is so unlike the old there's no cross contamination. And she complains. Is she mad?
The Mangan character's starting to work great, though.
Will she get sacked and beg for her job back - or have I seen that somewhere before?
Okay where are we now? 4 episodes or 2 hours into this debacle? Which, incidentally, is the length of a hefty feature film, and nothing ...that's right...NOTHING, has happened!
I am now watching incredulously, purely to try and understand what sort of comedy gets commissioned by the BBC.
Have watched the first 3 parts of this so far, mainly on the back of my gf insisting on watching it due to the hype. I wouldn't have bothered after the first one tbh. We already know what happens at the end given they showed us at the very start of the series. Would be ok if it was a bundle of laughs all the way through, but I don't think I have even raised a proper smile yet. So far Joey from Friends is well endowed in real life after showing it in the bathroom, that's as 'funny' as it has been so far. I like the blonde assistant character but she's only had about 5 lines. I know that might be the point, but c'mon.
Now removed from series link on my PVR.
When I heard about this show I thought "that sounds good, I need a new comedy to get into". But how disappointing I have found what I've watched of it. Episode one, not a laugh anywhere. Episode two, drab and boring - and I have since given up on watching any more of it. I so wanted to like this show, but have to say it's rather poor.
This is being savaged and I'm not sure exactly why. Must just be the old "one man's meat syndrome" I suppose. I find it enjoyable without it being laugh-my-bollocks-off-side-splittingly-hilarious.
I think that it's been incorrectly billed as a sitcom as I still maintain that it plays much more as a comedy drama to my way of thinking. Although I certainly seem to be in the minority as most seem to believe it was incorrectly commissioned, written, acted and produced. 
Quote: Blenkinsop @ February 7 2011, 5:13 PM GMTThis is being savaged and I'm not sure exactly why. Must just be the old "one man's meat syndrome" I suppose. I find it enjoyable without it being laugh-my-bollocks-off-side-splittingly-hilarious.
Agreed.
LeBlanc is the best thing about this. His scenes with Mangan are the only enjoyable bits for me.
Oh dear, porn fail.
Quote: Nil Putters @ February 7 2011, 10:28 PM GMTLeBlanc is the best thing about this. His scenes with Mangan are the only enjoyable bits for me.
Agree about LeBlanc. It's really his show. And while his star rises poor sour joyless whiny Tasmin's sinks. Mangan would be better off with Morning. At least she's fun to be with.
A few laughs tonight but overall just not up to snuff.
Mangan and Greig look too much like they could be brother and sister. 
Quote: Corey O'Graffor @ February 8 2011, 12:50 AM GMTMangan and Greig look too much like they could be brother and sister.
I noticed that. But it's only from certain angles - now they are ... now they're not ...
I thought the last episode was really enjoyable but it's getting even less sitcom-y as it goes on. That episode was definitely more drama than comedy in my eyes.
The end of the ep make me quite sad.