Heap's usually great in anything, even if he does usually play the same variety of oddball. Enjoyable show. Interesting to see Tamsin go from glamourous star-f**ker to Jewish mum.
Friday Night Dinner - Series 1 Page 5
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Not sure how this is able to stretch the joke to an entire series. Woody Allen it ain't.
Quote: john lucas 101 @ February 28 2011, 10:49 AM GMTInteresting to see Tamsin go from glamourous star-f**ker to Jewish mum.
Weirdly she looks sexier as Jew Mom than she did as Joey F**ker in Episodes.
Quote: chipolata @ February 28 2011, 11:04 AM GMTWeirdly she looks sexier as Jew Mom than she did as Joey F**ker in Episodes.
Ya bladdy weirdo!
Thing is, an old New Scientist from the 1960s would be worth something wouldn't it?
At least a couple of pounds each. They were acting like he should chuck them out and not sell them on eBay. THE IDIOTS.
Quote: zooo @ February 28 2011, 12:44 PM GMTThing is, an old New Scientist from the 1960s would be worth something wouldn't it?
At least a couple of pounds each. They were acting like he should chuck them out and not sell them on eBay. THE IDIOTS.
The mother wanted rid. Not sure the sons really cared that much one way or another.
The sons thought he was crazy not to chuck them out.
Quote: zooo @ February 28 2011, 12:48 PM GMTThe sons thought he was crazy not to chuck them out.
I understand what you're saying, zooo. You think that as Jewish characters they should be motivated by money above all else.
*wonders if zooo has been standing too close to Kipper*
Chip when did you become so mendacious?
You've been bitter and stirring for days now.
Have you joined the 40% of men at 40?
And it definitely felt like the show needed more Jewishness.
We Jews having a wonderful sense of humour to accompany our streamlined cocks.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ February 27 2011, 2:57 PM GMTI doubt anyone goes into writing a sitcom with such an odd frame of mind as that. Popper has stated that the concept behind this show comes directly from his own experiences and was something he wanted to explore. Not 'artistic machismo', whatever that is.
This is very true. I know someone who is a good friend of Popper's and the main characters (father, mother, brother) are based on Popper's own family. Having said that the show did nothing for me. Had a few funny moments but overall found it a little laboured and boring.
Quote: zooo @ February 26 2011, 11:25 AM GMT(Nowhere near as good as Grandma's House, but then I love that an inhuman amount.)
Yes. Me too.
The odd thing is that I probably enjoyed this more than I did the first episode of Grandma's House, which I was not too keen on. But despite my misgivings about the latter, and my dislike of Amstell, there was something to it which made me think it was worth watching again, and actually want to do so.
And I was right. In the second episode everything clicked for me and I was in hysterics. In contrast Friday Night Dinner was simply alright, and I do not feel I would care if I never saw it again.
It coming so soon after Grandma's House does not help as it makes it very difficult to watch it on its own terms and not make comparisons. The shows just have too much in common, and Tasmin Grieg seemingly doing an impression of Rebecca Front's grandma only enforce that further.
Putting the two aside, for me the biggest difference is in the characters. In Grandma's House there is so much more to them, between Simon's career and crush, grandad's cancer, Clive, Aunt Liz and Adam. They were all interesting individually and the the comedy came from the clash of personalities and motives.
The family in Friday Night Dinners just seemed like some people, within no reason to care what happens to them. Instead it seemed to rely solely on the situations - Mark Heap's regular, erm, regularity, and the plot of the week with Matthew Holness - to drive the show. And having a character being slightly deaf so you can have jokes from mishearing things (dad as dog) just seems too old fashioned and cheap.
I guess this though is the main difference between the two, whether you prefer the comedy to be character or situation driven. For this kind of show I am definitely the former, I like my situation based comedy to be much bigger.
But, for all that, it is the best new Channel 4 sitcom I have seen in ages.