I was just waiting for a reaction. 
Miranda - Series 3 Page 4
Quote: Tim Walker @ February 22 2011, 8:40 PM GMTFrank Spencer is, to all intents and purposes, a fairly severely educationally and emotionally retarded man. What the hell his rather shell-shocked and depressed wife is doing having a child with him - when he clearly needs some form of supervisory social care - is anyone's guess. Yes, apparently some vicious bastards find this sad state of affairs excruciatingly funny. Be that as it may, it's a bit unfair to compare Miranda with such dribbling effluent.
Quote: ToddB @ February 23 2011, 1:26 AM GMTAt last - someone else who finds Frank's utter hopelessness and wild stupidity a little saturating and, in its real world setting, unbelievable.
If he is indeed meant to be intellectually impaired, it is more believable and, in fact, revolutionary. It still does not, however, make sense that in all his interractions with educational institutions, his family and with medical profesionals, that this disability is not touched on even lightly.
Some comedic premises, but all in all I groan at this more regularly than laugh.
I should like to see a little more of Miranda. It doesn't seem to be to my taste, but I have not seen enough to know it. It seems that it is about another awkward, misfit - but a little subtler than something like "Some Mothers...". It seems a little old fashioned, but whether it is in fact a comment on the older sitcoms is yet to be seen (by me anyway).
Oh for goodness sake, its a C O M E D Y chill out my friends, you could say the same for other slapstick greats like Harold Lloyd, Laurel And Hardy or the recent great late Sir Norman Wisdom. It is funny because it IS NOT REAL LIFE, and Frank Spencer is just fiction, Spencer is far from retarded, but just ACCIDENT PRONE and nervous, there is a difference? He doesn't just stand there in a retarded mental state unable to have a conversation, comedy often is built from tragedy and terrible situations !!
Quote: maidenpriest @ March 22 2011, 1:14 PM GMTOh for goodness sake, its a C O M E D Y chill out my friends, you could say the same for other slapstick greats like Harold Lloyd or Laurel And Hardy, and its funny because it IS NOT REAL LIFE, and Frank Spencer is just fiction !!
Quite. Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em is brilliant; and this show is rather fine too.
Quote: maidenpriest @ March 22 2011, 1:14 PM GMTOh for goodness sake, its a C O M E D Y chill out my friends, you could say the same for other slapstick greats like Harold Lloyd, Laurel And Hardy or the recent great late Sir Norman Wisdom. It is funny because it IS NOT REAL LIFE, and Frank Spencer is just fiction, Spencer is far from retarded, but just ACCIDENT PRONE and nervous, there is a difference? He doesn't just stand there in a retarded mental state unable to have a conversation, comedy often is built from tragedy and terrible situations !!
I don't have a problem with those old slapstick greats - they are set up in a world where these bizarre things can happen. Similarly - I love plenty of sitcoms with tragedy at the heart. "Mother and Son" (an Australian sitcom) sets up the story of a mother who has dementia being cared for by her constantly exasperated son. "Some Mothers do 'Ave 'Em" is set in a real world setting and it is touched on that Frank Spencer has had a problem of some kind all of his life. For this never to be touched on again in a whole series, while we watch professionals, teachers and employers of all kinds treat him like a reject without any thought as to why he is like this seems like a very strange set up.
Nah, it's just silly and very, very funny.
Silly would be my assessment - funny, not for me.
I like "Miranda" though!
Miranda is co-hosting a show with Jon Holmes on BBC Radio 2 between 8 and 10pm tonight.
If you're interested!
Stephen Fry no less, is a guest.
Interesting note regarding your observations in the "Bottom" thread, lofthouse.
I think Miranda must have been quite the fan of the folks from "The Comic Strip" generation. In an episode I watched recently, Miiranda and Gary pretended to be parents when caught out playing with the toys in the joke shop by a customer.
They claim that their children's names are Cliff and Richard, before stating that they are big fans (remember "The Young Ones" - Rik in particular?). They then sing "Summer Holiday" - a la "The Young Ones". They claim that their last name is Richards - making one of their sons Richard Richards (see "Bottom" - Rik Mayall's character is Richard Richard).
On waking, Miranda and Stevie sing "Morning Has Broken" - like Richie did in an episode of "Filthy, Rich and Catflap".
I don't think any of this is ripping-off - but "Miranda" is knowingly a post-modern take on older sitcoms - something that those shows did, and a homage/tribute to what has gone before, but with fresh ideas.
I think that was more about just Cliff Richard than a nod to The Young Ones to be honest.
Who knows, though.
Does anyone know when "Miranda" returns?
Think it's now expected at some point in 2012.
Our guide gives all known info, Todd!
Thank God this is coming back! This is the best sitcom on TV at the moment. So well written and performed. Miranda Hart is great.
Great news! I love this sitcom! Hilarious! Miranda Hart is the queen of comedy! MIRANDA IS THE BEST TV PROGRAMME EVER!
Garbage. Utter, utter garbage.