Not really, no.
Lead Balloon - Series 1 Page 3
I watched the show for the first time last night. I enjoyed it, but I felt it was too much like a British Curb Your Enthusiasm.
I watched episode 1 (which I had originally missed) last night, and enjoyed it more than the episode which I had seen, #2 I think. Starting to warm to this more. 
Yes, Lead Balloon is certainly a slow burner. I'm really liking it now. For those that haven't heard a second series has been given the go ahead by BBC4 (not that surprising really).
I also watched this for the first time last night and I really enjoyed it.
Nice pace and good running gags. Well acted and written too. I've seen comparisons to CYE but can't really comment as I haven't seen CYE despite all the good things I've heard about it.
But surely being influenced by another show and style is all part of the game. It happens in all other branches of the 'arts' and as long as it's not outright plagiarism then it's ok by me.
Quote: Thomps74 @ October 16, 2006, 3:34 PMI see it as the sort of show that could do well on BBC2.
For the record...
MediaGuardian: "The hasty scheduling of Jack Dee's BBC4 hit comedy, Lead Balloon, onto BBC2 also proved popular, with the repeat of the first episode pulling in 2.6 million and an 11.8% share at 9.30pm."
Much as I've enjoyed Jack Dee over the years, I have to concur that Lead Balloon is a poor man's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Not having the show in front of my as I type, I can't be sure, but I seem to remember it even has the twee farcical music that is such a hallmark of Curb. This new series of Extras certainly took a cue from Curb and Seinfeld, but Gervais had the talent to make it his own, whereas I found it hard to enjoy Lead Balloon in the shadow of Larry David. Oh yeah, plus the jokes were few and the characters thin. That too.
Can I go out on a limb and say I actually thought the American writing partner a good addition, even if he is a bit smug? I can? I actually thought the American writing partner a good addition, even if he is a bit smug.
Mental note, never make a joke on a sitcom forum, it'll go down like a ... never mind.
Just watched the latest episode, realised Curb isn't the only American source of 'inspiration'; see also the silent visual gag at the end ala Frasier as the credits and end music roll.
Let's not steal from the Americans, let's just start showing the Colbert Report on More4 in addition to the Daily Show, one fix of brilliant satire isn't enough for me any more.
Welcome Bunty - even though you look frighteningly like my last girlfriend. I agree with your comments, if an unknown was playing Dee's part, this would have been rejected at the script reading stage (here, i refer to the first episode - surely meant to be the flagship script? - as i couldn't face losing another 30 mins of my life.) Another similarity re: frasier - the handwriting sections are very like the captioning in that show.
The Beeb apparently forced Dee to drop the character of Giles, his often-mistaken for a gay but cultivated brother, and the proposed family dog Teddie. The dog went through fear it would eclipse Dee with its wittier lines.
I came across this image the other day (credit goes to b3ta.com):
Haha, very true!
Thursday's BBC2 episode was a rip-off of the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode, where Larry gets in trouble for stealing a fork from a resteraunt.
I like Lead Balloon a lot, but saw an episode of Curb last night I hadn't seen before and the difference is immense. Curb is so near the knuckle while Lead Balloon is much more pleasant in comparison. I was crying with laughter at Larry David while Jack Dee makes me laugh but not as much.
I know its a bit naughty to compare them but it can't be helped.
Quote: Miranda Walker @ October 12, 2006, 4:04 PMI've heard having an American character helps to sell a show (and novels) to the states. I wonder if that's true, and if people might be tempted to add an American character for this reason? It occured to me when I watched Love Soup, Lead Balloon and Not Going Out, all recent and all with one American. Hmmm...
That would explain a lot, I thought these American's were a bit randomly placed. I have nothing against Americans on the whole (actually that's a lie but a different story) but I really dislike them in British sitcoms. I'm not xenophobic though because I equally dislike Brits in American comedies like Daphne in Frasier and whatever Helen Baxendale's character was called in Friends. Can anyone name a successful transatlantic comedy?
Anyone know if this is getting a 4th series? It is a hugely underrated show.