Lead Balloon - Series 4 Page 2

I may not have given LB a great chance to prove itself to me, but what I saw of it I found a bit smug, and it didn't seem a genuine thing all of its own, it looked like a copy, however loose that copy was. It also helps if you're a Dee fan. I'm not really, I don't hate him, but he's always seemed like a bit of a character of his own making to me, a bit made up.

I could be wrong about him but I'm not going to give LB another go, it takes more than clever writing and plot forming to make me love a sitcom. Many US sitcoms have failed to woo me by being too brain over brawn or just too script heavy. I like old fashioned British heartiness. So many of our new sitcoms are too sly, and just not funny enough. They are copying the modern American model that win all the awards but look fairly empty next to our own greats, imo.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ May 27 2011, 10:16 PM BST

So many of our new sitcoms are too sly, and just not funny enough. They are copying the modern American model that win all the awards but look fairly empty next to our own greats, imo.

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They're not. The American model (that you admit to not watching) is generally far funnier than the "sly" sitcoms you mention.

Superb News!!!

A lot of people I know, never ever "got" Jack Dee's dry humour, but this kind of thing, is definitely my cuppa-tea.

Really looking forward to more awkward Moments in LB4.

All the best,
Cal

That may be so, they possibly are far funnier than ours, but ours are still trying to emulate them, no question about that, LB included. They're simply falling short. You do not need a science degree to notice a trend in British sitcom following in the footsteps of a clutch of smart, star comedian persona based US sitcoms.

I don't watch them but I have seen them, I've sampled most of them. I don't watch any more because they are not for me. I watched an episode of Seinfeld once and I had to lie down afterwards, there was so much plot movement and narrative twistiness. Clever? Of course. Brilliant? Possibly. Funny? Reasonably, though not really my SOH. Sitcom at its greatest? Definitely not!

I coped with my one episode of CYE (I'm not on first name terms with the show, like many others here) much better, I have to say. I was still left a bit dizzied by the end though, and though I laughed more and sneakily admired the main character, I felt no great love for it, merely admiration.

Give me a single set with Rigsby/Fletcher/Spencer/Fawlty/Steptoe/Mainwaring/Trotter, I could go on, and a simple gag filled storyline with an ending you can see a mile off, and I will fall about in stitches and be totally hooked on it. That, says I, is the mark of true sitcom greatness. GB 1 US 0.

Alfred, I'm now resident in the Western World (since 2003). No matter how much I've tried, I simply can't watch TV on this side of the world. To cut a very long story short, in my opinion, the US have it covered, when it comes to movies .... but as far as Comedy, Drama & Documentaries go .... NOBODY! does it better than Blighty!!!!

TV over here has to be simple, with one line gags and laugh tracks every 20 seconds ... and it irritates the BLEEP! out of me. My wife (Canadian) can't warm to things like LB, but it's a very different kind of humour. British humour as a whole (as my wife has learned) is a very different flavour, where you have to really pay attention to the script, as there is often a conclusion, based on an earlier event.

All in all, horses for courses.

Great to have one of the most consistently funny sitcoms of recent years back. Hopefully we'll get a season 3 DVD release soon too.

We will indeed. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/lead_balloon/buy/

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ May 28 2011, 10:20 AM BST

That may be so, they possibly are far funnier than ours, but ours are still trying to emulate them, no question about that, LB included. They're simply falling short. You do not need a science degree to notice a trend in British sitcom following in the footsteps of a clutch of smart, star comedian persona based US sitcoms.

I coped with my one episode of CYE (I'm not on first name terms with the show, like many others here) much better, I have to say. I was still left a bit dizzied by the end though, and though I laughed more and sneakily admired the main character, I felt no great love for it, merely admiration.

Give me a single set with Rigsby/Fletcher/Spencer/Fawlty/Steptoe/Mainwaring/Trotter,

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Do give CYE another go you will see bits of Fawlty and Meldrew in Larry David. His dumb and dumber antics with Jeff and Leon are also influenced by Laurel and Hardy, hardly new fangled comedy.
Also CYE is not a typical US sit-com and like Lead Balloon gets low audience ratings. The typical American sit-com is some family based comedy just like My Family and just as shite.

Enjoyable if unspectacular start to the new series. They could probably cut down on the number of musical montages, though.

Quote: chipolata @ May 31 2011, 10:38 PM BST

Enjoyable if unspectacular start to the new series.

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This.

Lovely pig, mind. And the giant actress playing the journalist was sexy.

What was she off?

Quote: chipolata @ May 31 2011, 10:46 PM BST

Lovely pig, mind.

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Apparently that role was a close run thing between the pig and Miranda Hart.

The producers eventually opted for the pig because it was better house-trained.

Hilarious.

Quote: zooo @ May 31 2011, 10:50 PM BST

What was she off?

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The telly.

Or if I don't want zooo-wrath, it was Ingrid Oliver, soon to be seen in a sketch show: https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/watson_oliver/