I think it's more satire than sketch, really.
Suppose it is a bit of both though.
Bellamy's People Page 13
Good, well that's cleared that up then.
Quote: chipolata @ March 12 2010, 9:55 AM GMTAs for the last episode, I thought it ended largely how it begun. Shapeless, but with a ramshackle charm. There were a couple of cracking moments ... but not enough to make it a classic.
I agree with this.
Quote: Tim Walker @ March 18 2010, 9:58 PM GMTWhy is this show in 'Satire & Panel Shows'? It's a sketch show first and foremost and doesn't really qualify as social satire... Aaron? Aaron!...?
We've classified it as a satire of modern Britain. It's far more sitcom than sketch show.
A great shame. It had it's problems, but there was enough talent and promise involved to warrant a second series.
I hope we'll get another series of Down the Line, though.
Higson seems pretty pissed, but it can't have been that much of a surprise; I don't think it got great numbers, did it?
Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 13 2010, 4:17 PM BSTHigson seems pretty pissed, but it can't have been that much of a surprise; I don't think it got great numbers, did it?
Oooh, numbers! Get you with your industry jargon!
Really sad this is has been cancelled - easily one of the best UK shows I have seen in ages with amazing performance, wonderful jokes and really skilful editing. Watching the interlinking between the Red Button content and the main body of the show was beautiful - the driving, the middle england Christians, Robert Popper etc and it's one of the few shows to use extra content ( bar the Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle) well. A totally unfunny section in episode 1 is revealed to be deliberately unfunny in the Red Button content in episode 8 - that level of detailed set up/payoff is quite frankly amazing.
And Whitehouse's performance ... well Graeme Down's semi tear eyes and slight pause before "people can be very cruel Gary" in response to Gary's cheerful fat joke was one of the best things I've seen in a long time ... and I've seen a lot. Felix Dexter, Adil Ray and Simon Day of course did wonders.
Coming in as a Down the Line fan I loved lots of the hidden references ("Twitter what is point?" being a favourite). Bellamy's People was easily one of the best British Comedies made in recent times - up there with The Thick of It and 4 Lions.
Going to sulk in front of the telly and watch loads of American shows at that clearly seems to be the direction BBC is forcing me in.
My feelings about the show are pretty much the same as this blokes:
In response to the question "Any news on the second series?", Rhys Thomas (on Something for the Weekend today) said "We've filmed enough for a second series so it will get out there somehow, whether it's on BBC Two... but it will get out there." Sounds like it may end up on another channel or even go straight to DVD.
But there is a difference between filming enough content to put together another 6 or 8 episodes and filming another series. You couldn't really have him going around the country in exactly the same way again. A second series would have to have him finding out something specific about British society/people, rather than just out on the road chatting in general terms about attitudes etc, as was the case in the episodes to date, no? They couldn't really do exactly the same thing again, surely?
Certainly sounds like there may be a lot of extra material on the DVD.
Hey, I'm just passing along what I heard, I didn't even like it. 
Is the DVD for this out yet?
Quote: chipolata @ September 10 2010, 8:37 AM BSTIs the DVD for this out yet?
I would say "look at our guide lazy", but seeing as you're pretty () I'll save you the bother. It's not. The DVD has been put back to at least 2011... a sign it may just be ditched.