Comedy Showcase 2009 Page 13

Just watched PhoneShop on 4oD. Not trying to be controversial or anything, but I didn't think it was all that bad. I quite liked it.

I think maybe it was a mistake to leave it right to the end of the episode to reveal that the black/wigga sales guys are buffoons. Those two could have alienated a few viewers, very nearly me, early on.

Quote: Jo Eden @ November 12 2009, 8:35 PM GMT

Campus had a couple of characters that seemed like they could be quite relatable (the accountant and the maths lecturer struck me as the 'everyman' elements of the pilot) but the rest appeared (to me at least) utterly two dimensional.

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That's a fair comment. I guess I'd just forgotten about those characters in the few minutes between watching the show and posting here about it.

Reflecting:

Never got to see the Maths Girl's eyes. That bothered me a lot. I kept thinking it was Olivia Colman talking. I couldn't tell you what the actress looked like.

The accountant dude at least had a mission, but I couldn't help but think that it wasn't really the strongest story they could have given him for a pilot.

I didn't really like it. The only character I really liked was Christopher, but that was mainly out of pity.

Quote: Martin H @ November 13 2009, 11:13 PM GMT

Ah damn those children. Is Friday The 13th in 3D?

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Showing "as part of 3-D week" apparently, but I've no idea exactly how they'll manage it.

Quote: johnny smith @ November 14 2009, 12:59 AM GMT

I couldn't help but think that this show could have done with the casting of Mssrs. Merchant, Williamson and Gaffney.

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I quite agree, actually!

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ November 14 2009, 3:20 AM GMT

Never got to see the Maths Girl's eyes. That bothered me a lot. I kept thinking it was Olivia Colman talking. I couldn't tell you what the actress looked like.

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I had to check on the excellent British Comedy Guide website to see if it was her or not. (It wasn't.)

Quote: Aaron @ November 14 2009, 1:32 PM GMT

I had to check on the excellent British Comedy Guide website to see if it was her or not. (It wasn't.)

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Link?

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/campus

Quote: Aaron @ November 14 2009, 1:41 PM GMT

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/campus

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I was joking, but cheers anyway

Quote: James Cotter @ November 9 2009, 4:10 PM GMT

I didn't see this show was it like Back to Class? (in it's setting and characters not how shit it was before anyone says it)

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Set in a Campus, so a universty not a sixth form college like yours James. Some mockumentary stuff to camera if a I recall correctly. Very different in stle to your own opus.

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ November 14 2009, 1:56 PM GMT

I was joking, but cheers anyway

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A link never hurts.

PhoneShop was alright. I don't think it was as bad as everyone's saying; it was entertaining enough and I'd watch a full series. I thought the actors did quite well and would believe in the characters if I spent more time with them.

Agree that the two salesman were the hardest to like, though the guy who told him what to do about making his one sale won me over a bit with that scene. I assume the black guy is going to show us a nicer side of himself with his infatuation with Emma Fryer's character, but felt like a scene in that direction may have been cut.

I did like Emma Fryer's character too, but do feel she's playing Gaynor (from Home Time) all over again.

Dan

I didn't mind it. The newman character seemed to be doing a Ricky Gervais reaction to stuff - ah... no... I wasn't... no. Sort of thing but as he ws script editing and casting it I imagine it was deliberate. All very well performed and I did laugh out loud here and there. I'd look forward to watching more.

PhoneShop felt like a show written by somebody who wants to be a sitcom writer but who has nothing new or original to say. Yes, it was professional and zipped along, but the characters were one diminsional, and I couldn't for a moment imagine wanting to spend any more time in their company.

Quote: swerytd @ November 14 2009, 9:09 PM GMT

I did like Emma Fryer's character too, but do feel she's playing Gaynor (from Home Time) all over again.

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She could do with eating something as well. The girl's wasting away.

It was written by Phil Bowker - Head of Comedy at TalkbackThames.

Phone Shop - Amusing enough, but with no real room for development. The Ricky Gervais input made it look a bit old hat.

Campus - Really good cast makes this a cert for a series.

Hmm, I think Campus might well get a series, but I thought the horny lecturer was crap. I found his constant chomping of food highly irritating.
Didn't like the Dean much either.
Of course, if they film it on location it will take a huge investment. And at forty minutes it's not going to work, so it will either l have to be shrunk back to 28 mins or extended to fit in an hour long slot. Some real obstacle to overcome if it's to make it to series. In the past this wouldn't have been such a big concern, but the bottom line is now a deciding factor.

Quote: YesNo @ November 16 2009, 4:34 PM GMT

And at forty minutes it's not going to work, so it will either l have to be shrunk back to 28 mins or extended to fit in an hour long slot.

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I'm pretty certain it *was* 28 mins.