I thought Ben Elton was brilliant as a stand-up. Super sharp and frigging hilarious! I found him way funnier than Alexei Sayle. The Young Ones was so good and original at the time that it's now a defining moment in comedy history. Blackadder (after he got involved) became one of the best British comedies of all time. For various reasons I saw none of his TV work from then until now.
The Wright Way is so awful I cannot believe it comes from the mind of the same man. Cannot f**king believe it!!
Quote: Marc P @ April 26 2013, 11:16 PM BSTOooh political.. yes Elton was Thatchers nemesis... FFS.
Christ, I should have used used quotes in the first place - "Comedic nemesis" was what I actually said. I later went on to clarify (how slow is your Internet connection Marc?) that to papers like the Telegraph and the Mail he represented* a group of left-wing** comedians who hated Thatcher.
I didn't mean he was literally her "nemesis".
*Looking forward to an in-depth criticism of my use of the word "represented"
**And left-wing.
Quote: Frantically @ April 26 2013, 10:58 PM BSTBut to papers like the Mail and Telegraph he represented - once upon a time - an influential group of people who were an enemy to her and her way of thinking.
No one apart from him ever took him that seriously. He was never the spokesman for his generation. The idea that, twenty five or more years after the fact, a newspaper, most of whose staff were doing their O Levels at the time, would round on a weak sitcom to settle long-forgotten and in large part imaginary political scores is fanciful, to say the least.
Arthur Scargill really was a thorn in Thatcher's side, but earlier this year newspapers could barely bring themselves to print the savage spat between him and the remains of the NUM over his pension and luxury flat. If they can't be bothered to kick Scargill when he's down, they're hardly going to bother with Elton over issues from the same era.
No, they're having a go at him because they hate the BBC, because they enjoy seeing the proud laid low (so long as it isn't them) and because a bit of snarking is fun. It's the equivalent of printing photographs of actresses' cellulite. I doubt anyone on the showbiz desk of the Mail or the Torygraph had left primary school by the time Thatcher left office, and they are no more going to leap to her defence that they are going to worry about the long-term reputation of the Bonar Law administration.
Hmmm - a man being soaked was the first joke captured on film (in that case by a hose).
Quote: Tokyo Nambu @ April 26 2013, 11:52 PM BSTNo, they're having a go at him because they hate the BBC
I suspect they're rather more having a go because they simply loathe that which the public loves best, the studio sitcom.
I've watched the first episode and I didn't think it was that bad. I've seen funnier sitcoms, but I've also seen many that were far worse. I thought the bit in the shop was quite funny, and I got a good laugh from the toilet scenes.
I do think it's pretty obvious that they're trying to check off as many character categories on the "PC diversity checklist" as possible though.
Quote: Aaron @ April 27 2013, 12:46 AM BSTI suspect they're rather more having a go because they simply loathe that which the public loves best, the studio sitcom.
Studio sitcoms can be much much better than this though Aaron, I'm sure you'd agree.
If Ben Elton's name wasn't on it I doubt it would have received nearly as much interest or harsh criticism.
Quote: Aaron @ April 27 2013, 12:46 AM BSTI suspect they're rather more having a go because they simply loathe that which the public loves best, the studio sitcom.
Just because the public love something doesn't mean it's a good thing.
Quote: Frantically @ April 26 2013, 11:39 PM BSTChrist, I should have used used quotes in the first place - "Comedic nemesis" was what I actually said. I
Sorry. Didn't realise Thatcher was a comedian and there was a battle of wits going on between them. 
Quote: sootyj @ April 26 2013, 6:18 PM BSTHis last book was a very serious work of satire that was reminesent of Brooker in a good way,
The Brothers was!?
You may all think I'm a mental, but I enjoyed this, yes it was creaky, yes it was old fashioned, but it made me laugh. The David Haig character kind of reminds me of Brittas. Full of old chestnuts with over the top performances, I really liked it. 
It wouldn't matter what Elton did everyone has it in for him, but he's a quality jobbing writer, good luck to him.
Quote: Ian Wolf @ April 27 2013, 7:48 AM BSTJust because the public love something doesn't mean it's a good thing.
Define 'good'.
Quote: Aaron @ April 27 2013, 12:46 AM BSTI suspect they're rather more having a go because they simply loathe that which the public loves best, the studio sitcom.
No, it really is just because they hate the BBC and the liberal Guardian reading intelligentsia that run it and will use any stick to beat it.
Quote: chipolata @ April 27 2013, 1:56 PM BSTNo, it really is just because they hate the BBC and the liberal Guardian reading intelligentsia that run it and will use any stick to beat it.
That would only not be a bollocks argument if the Guardian et al weren't equally (and in some cases, more) venomous.
