British Comedy Guide

Lead Balloon - Series 4 Page 5

Yes, I prefer it when Rick's actually doing something well.

And I think Michael's being more of an arsehole to Rick this series. Which I quite like.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ June 7 2011, 10:34 PM BST

Really enjoyed this week's, though why was Big Suze in it? She didn't do anything! Bit of a thankless role.

Does she look exactly like the woman who was on it last week, as the interviewer?

Quote: Matthew Stott @ June 7 2011, 10:34 PM BST

Really enjoyed this week's, though why was Big Suze in it? She didn't do anything! Bit of a thankless role.

She's hardly Meryl Streep!

The first 60 seconds of "Dead" were beautiful, like a Terry F**kwit strip:

He's in Hollywood, speaking to an big agent!

No he's not, he's being scammed!

No he's not, he's in a commercial!

No he's not, it's just an audition!

Quality.

It was nice to see Rick getting laughs with his own material, even if his jokes ultimately weren't appreciated. We don't get to see that too often.

Really, really like 'Dead'. I thought 'Pig' was a low point for the series, so I'm especially happy they came through with some funny stuff this week.

Quote: Aaron @ June 7 2011, 10:43 PM BST

Liked that Rick found something (finally) that he was effortlessly good at. Pity it's not something comedy-related though.

I can see Dee relating to own expereince of not getting laughs until he developed his grumpy guy persona.

Is it me or is Mel barely ever in scenes with Magda?

Quote: Matthew Stott @ June 7 2011, 5:22 PM BST

Though Larry is almost always right, Rick often acts in quite a weaselly way and sets himself up for misery; Larry tells it like it is but people still poo on him.

I completely agree. That is what I like about Larry, and what provides the most laughs about Rick.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ June 7 2011, 5:02 PM BST

That's always bothered me about Curb, but not this show so far. Very often in this show he does act like a bit of a dick and so I suppose feels less worthy of others sticking up for him.

Definitely true with Curb at times, especially with his wife. It's got better in recent seasons though now she's out of the picture. And at least Jeff always took his side in the early episodes, even if it was because he felt he had to.

Series 4 and it still feels like a vanity project. Not-very-funny second tier comedian who can't act in an expertly made programme with very, very good actors. He stands out like a chip on a wedding dress.

The relationship between Mel and Rick has never worked or been believable. In the past I've criticised the lack of a sense of intimacy between them and levelled this mainly at Jack, but it isn't just his poor acting, the pairing is misconceived. Women like Mel - at least as played by Raquel Cassidy - marry stockbrokers and accountants. Not illiterate, penny-pinching stand-up comedians.

Rick isn't really a character anyway, just the bell-end of Jack Dee's ego. 7% c**t, 93% vacuum, he just isn't worth watching. You constantly want him to die or f**k off - not much good when he's the star.

It hasn't helped since he's tanked out a bit and started to look a lot like Damian Hirst - especially with those glasses he wore in the first episode. I suppose if you really like the way Hirst mugs to camera then this has made him more likeable.

The pig story didn't work at all. Every aspect of it felt forced and unconvincing. With a plot so contrived you better be funny, but the show wasn't funny at all. This week's shopping channel plot was better but the only funny bit for me was the montage sequence where he charged Magda a fiver for the brush. It was only funny because it was played without dialogue and that was probably the director's decision, not in the script.

Never mind Dan Arrowsmith, I think Jack Dee and Pete Sinclair are the luckiest men in show business, to make a living out of this slick failure.

Quote: Godot Taxis @ June 9 2011, 1:50 PM BST

Series 4 and it still feels like a vanity project. Not-very-funny second tier comedian who can't act in an expertly made programme with very, very good actors. He stands out like a chip on a wedding dress.

The relationship between Mel and Rick has never worked or been believable. In the past I've criticised the lack of a sense of intimacy between them and levelled this mainly at Jack, but it isn't just his poor acting, the pairing is misconceived. Women like Mel - at least as played by Raquel Cassidy - marry stockbrokers and accountants. Not illiterate, penny-pinching stand-up comedians.

Rick isn't really a character anyway, just the bell-end of Jack Dee's ego. 7% c**t, 93% vacuum, he just isn't worth watching. You constantly want him to die or f**k off - not much good when he's the star.

It hasn't helped since he's tanked out a bit and started to look a lot like Damian Hirst - especially with those glasses he wore in the first episode. I suppose if you really like the way Hirst mugs to camera then this has made him more likeable.

The pig story didn't work at all. Every aspect of it felt forced and unconvincing. With a plot so contrived you better be funny, but the show wasn't funny at all. This week's shopping channel plot was better but the only funny bit for me was the montage sequence where he charged Magda a fiver for the brush. It was only funny because it was played without dialogue and that was probably the director's decision, not in the script.

Never mind Dan Arrowsmith, I think Jack Dee and Pete Sinclair are the luckiest men in show business, to make a living out of this slick failure.

Godot the Pierrepoint of BCG

Welcome back, Godot. Nice to know that we continue to disagree on almost every point about some things. ;)

No problem Aaron, don't forget to quote me in the newsletter - as per usual. I thought you were lukewarm about the show?

Lukewarm's ... perhaps slightly unfair, but not wholly unreflective. I'm not a massive fan of it, certainly. But I don't think I agreed with a single point you made there.

Quote: Godot Taxis @ June 9 2011, 1:50 PM BST

You constantly want him to die or f**k off - not much good when he's the star.

On the contrary, I'm constantly hoping he'll go postal on the host of irritating c**ts he surrounds himself with. It's the unpleasantness of the supporting cast, particularly his godawful wife, that distracts me from the comedy.

Glad you said that Kevin - I couldn't agree more. They annoy me far more than the Rick Spleen character. Whenever I watch I always want him to come out on top.

Going postal? Perhaps with the daughter and her tw*t of a boyfriend.

It's beautifully made, acted and the tone's fantastic - I especially like the musical interludes as he writes his little notes on scraps of paper. But all his 'friends' and family just annoy me too much to enjoy it.

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