Quote: chipolata @ March 7 2011, 9:16 AM GMTThat said, I can't think of many recent C4 sitcoms that would get better ratings.
I think this one has been, though that may obviously change, it's only been two episodes.
Friday Night Dinner - Series 1 Page 10
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I think Episodes almost seems funny in relation to this dog's dinner.
"Dad can I see your cock" wahhahaahahaha...please stop... you're killing me.
Wasn't it 'show us your cock'?
(Not that that's necessarily more or less funny!)
It made me snigger.
Quote: bob4apples @ March 6 2011, 9:04 PM GMTNot to stray too much off topic but I disagree. The first episode of a new series should be good enough to keep viewers interested. ( I know there have been some exceptions to this but mostly this is the rule, right?)
Quote: chipolata @ March 6 2011, 9:21 PM GMTAgreed. Films and plays don't get a second, third or fourth chance to impress, they have to do it first time round, so why make an exception for sitcoms?
Yes, let's not get too off-topic, but just to offer a bit of a reply/defence: obviously a sitcom should grab your attention first time. But you can't necessarily write one off if it doesn't. Unlike plays etc, sitcoms are more about getting to know the characters, and it can take some weeks (Only Fools and Horses)...
Early Doors, for example, was good... but it turned into one of my all-time favourites after we'd got to know the characters more. e.g. Discovering Eddie alway talks about traffic lights, it wasn't just a one-off. There's a few examples of this very forum on where people were too quick to judge. Episode 1 of The Inbetweeners for example - people going 'meh', but loving it by the end... then going back and re-watching Episode 1 and liking it more because they had got to know Jay etc better. Grandma's House is another thread in which you can see people saying 'oh, I actually really like this after all'.
Equally, there are a number of sitcoms I've sat through waiting for it to get better and it doesn't!
Anyway, back on topic, let's see what people are saying after Episode 6 of Friday Night Dinner... no idea at the moment which way it'll go, but it'll be interesting!
Quote: Mark @ March 7 2011, 10:01 PM GMTYes, let's not get too off-topic, but just to offer a bit of a reply/defence: obviously a sitcom should grab your attention first time. But you can't necessarily write one off if it doesn't. Unlike plays etc, sitcoms are more about getting to know the characters, and it can take some weeks (Only Fools and Horses)...
Early Doors, for example, was good... but it turned into one of my all-time favourites after we'd got to know the characters more. e.g. Discovering Eddie alway talks about traffic lights, it wasn't just a one-off. There's a few examples of this very forum on where people were too quick to judge. Episode 1 of The Inbetweeners for example - people going 'meh', but loving it by the end... then going back and re-watching Episode 1 and liking it more because they had got to know Jay etc better. Grandma's House is another thread in which you can see people saying 'oh, I actually really like this after all'.
I wouldn't disagree that sitcoms often get cumulatively better, the more we get to know the characters. But with all the ones that have I've felt a spark at the beginning. In terms of Friday Night Dinner, I didn't feel that crucial spark.
My God. Finally got round to watching this last night and it was truly awful, appalling, agonising to sit through. Indeed, my good lady and I sat there in stony, astonished silence throughout. I can't think of one redeeming feature. Not one. What was Tamsin Greig thinking? And that Mark Heap fella. How it got commissioned I don't think anyone could ever explain to me adequately. It has to be up there with The Persuasionists or whatever it was called, as the single most dreadful sitcom this side of the millennium.
Quote: Badge @ March 4 2011, 10:26 PM GMTAfter tonight I think it's a bit "so what".
This.
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ March 5 2011, 12:50 AM GMTBut there seemed to be a lot of room in that Toilet under the stairs
Exactly what I thought. Quite a cavernous little WC.
That's far too many posts lately where Aaron and I have been in agreement. Fortunately they have been telly related so I don't have to shoot myself.
Quote: Mark @ March 7 2011, 10:01 PM GMTYes, let's not get too off-topic, but just to offer a bit of a reply/defence: obviously a sitcom should grab your attention first time. But you can't necessarily write one off if it doesn't. Unlike plays etc, sitcoms are more about getting to know the characters, and it can take some weeks (Only Fools and Horses)...
But plays, films etc are about getting to know the characters as well. Without this they would be pretty poor. What is it that makes sitcoms so different? Because they are episodic?
Quote: bob4apples @ March 9 2011, 8:52 AM GMTBut plays, films etc are about getting to know the characters as well. Without this they would be pretty poor. What is it that makes sitcoms so different? Because they are episodic?
It's pretty obvious why something which is episodic can be treated differently to something that is a one off.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ March 9 2011, 8:54 AM GMTIt's pretty obvious why something which is episodic can be treated differently to something that is a one off.
You're right. A series or serial must work twice as hard to engage the viewer because it's asking them to invest more of their time and energy in it. Thankfully the good shows by and large do this, and almost all of the good ones of recent years engage from episode one. Sure, they often get cumulatively more funny, but they most start well.
I guess my problem with Friday Night Dinner is because of the limited and limiting premise you pretty much know what you're going to get for the rest of the series. And sadly, that ain't much.
Watched last night's episode, and I have now decided that 'ok' is all this is going to be. Slightly funny sometimes but mostly tedious and boring, don't care about the characters and don't care if I miss an episode: ok?
I'm still loving Mark Heap... his facial expressions as his dog licked gran, and the awkwardness of the pub meeting had me chuckling.
Two week wait for the next one now, because the other channels aren't going to try and compete with Comic Relief.
I did love the bin bag thing! Not as funny as last week's, but a decent watch.