The One...

So. This follow-up series to The One Ronnie was being promoted as part of the BBC's Christmas schedule, with Lenny Henry appearing in the BBC's big Christmas trailer.

Then things went a bit quiet, they didn't turn up in the Christmas schedules at all, and now they're being quietly burnt off in pretty dreadful timeslots - The One Lenny Henry airs 6th January at 8.30pm, then The One Jasper Carrott Monday 9th at the same time.

So what's happened here? Did the BBC schedulers get a preview of them and decide they weren't worth giving much fanfare to?

Wow!! That Lenny Henry show last night was terrible, wasn't it? When's the fella gonna admit that the only reason he still makes it onto TV is becasue of his token value to the BBC, who give him a show every few years just to stop people complaining about there being no black comedy on the channel. If you think I'm being unfair saying this, ask yourself why the majority of his white comedy peers from his generation, who were all much funnier than he was, haven't been on TV for years.

It wasn't great, but I enjoyed it far more than I feared I might. A couple of good laughs, but plenty of nice ideas that just didn't work in the execution.

Quote: catskillz @ January 7 2012, 4:28 PM GMT

If you think I'm being unfair...

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No one said that.

Quote: Aaron @ January 7 2012, 5:20 PM GMT

It wasn't great, but I enjoyed it far more than I feared I might. A couple of good laughs, but plenty of nice ideas that just didn't work in the execution.

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It seemed to rely too much on Lenny being Lenny. The writing was quite lazy. I think it's time he reinvented himself. He obviously wants to be a funny man, so no need to go down a drama route. There is not much relevant about him these days. He did routines about post office queues FFS.

I don't think he's strong enough to carry his own show, not anymore anyway. It would be great to see him as a recurring guest character on a sitcom or something similar, he'd have to be heavily in character though. That could turn out quite cool. Not sure what show would work though?

I've been saying for years that he probably would've made a decent chat show host.

That might work. I wouldn't watch it. But I'd imagine others might.

Why bother with the comedy I would say.

Move on.

He got rave reviews for his RSC work, why not make a go of that?

about The One Jasper Carrott:

Can't wait for The Detectives sketch!

It is kinda odd that certain Christmas shows got delayed, leading to alot of repeats on over the Christmas season. On the plus side, I guess it allows these specials to be something of a cheer up note during that 'Christmas is over, back to the grind' season that kicks off every year.

The Lenny one didn't really break new ground but I found it decent for what it was. The Twilight parody was amusing but people really need to stop making them; not much sense in criticising something for being bad and drawn out when a glut of parodies do the same thing.

Really looking forward to the Jasper Carrot one.

Quote: Lee @ January 7 2012, 5:28 PM GMT

I don't think he's strong enough to carry his own show, not anymore anyway. It would be great to see him as a recurring guest character on a sitcom or something similar, he'd have to be heavily in character though. That could turn out quite cool. Not sure what show would work though?

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He stars in the radio sitcom Rudy's Rare Records, which is - IMO - very funny. Worth checking out if there's any doubt he can still perform good comedy.

Quote: Gelgoog @ January 9 2012, 12:51 AM GMT

It is kinda odd that certain Christmas shows got delayed, leading to alot of repeats on over the Christmas season. On the plus side, I guess it allows these specials to be something of a cheer up note during that 'Christmas is over, back to the grind' season that kicks off every year.

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The Henry one was crap, and given how they stopped being promoted as part of the Christmas schedules once they were filmed, the BBC probably saw it and didn't think it was worthy of a primetime Christmas slot. The Jasper Carrott and Griff Rhys Jones ones look better, though, so it might be guilt by association leading all three to be shunted into fairly poor slots.

At the end of The Detectives sketch, Bob (Carrott) says, "We'll be back!"

So is it coming back for a new series? There might be some mileage in that it was billed as "The (Private) Detectives". Now Sherlock Holmes is back on film and TV, it can lampoon that. Like a lot of retired coppers, they could also work in security (perhaps, to make it funny, they could work part-time in a bingo-hall, thinking grandiosely believing they are keeping thugs out when in fact all they have to contend with are old ladies).

If it did come back, they could do this:

BOB AND DAVE ARE CARRYING CARDBOARD BOXES INTO THEIR NEW OFFICE. On the door is a plaque written, 'DAVIS AND LOUIS - PRIVATE DETECTIVES'. A PHOTO OF THEM BOTH BENEATH IT BEAR THE WORDS 'TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE AND WE'RE HALF THE PRICE!'

BOTH ARE EXHAUSTED, BUT DAVE'S PRIDE MAKES HIM BERATE BOB FOR BEING SHATTERED AND IGNORES HIS OWN FATIGUE.

DAVE: You can't carry anything, can you? You were like this at the Super's funeral. A hopeless pall-bearer.

BOB: That wasn't my fault!

DAVE: Bob, you dropped the coffin! His body fell out and sprawled all over the floor!

BOB: Just a mistake. Could've happened to anyone.

DAVE: It's like when I saw you walking back from Sainsbury's the other week, heaving shopping bags, your bony arms dangling beneath your knee-caps. If that old lady hadn't stopped to help, you woudld've toppled over!

Thought the Griff one was pretty poor to be honest. A few smiles but largely disappointing. Plus what's up with Mel Smith's breathing? He seemed to be blowing an inordinate amount of air out of his nostrils.

Hope he's okay, he sounded quite ill

Haven't seen the Lenny Henry one yet.

Did Griff ever actually do solo standup back in his heydey? I don't recall ever seeing any of that, and it certainly didn't seem to be his comfort zone in this special.

I did like the skit with Mel, though.

Mel and Griff seemed to be doing their very own version of Atoll K at the end.....