Quote: Aaron @ October 1 2008, 10:07 AM BSTOh, and a great post, Tim.
Cheers. I've got a producer pitching a script of mine to the BBC next week, so I don't think I could have timed this better. 
Quote: Mark @ October 1 2008, 10:16 AM BSTNot at all! Was the best post on the site this week.
It came from the heart, at least.
I think you're being a bit harsh on the guy. What he looks like shouldn't come into it.
It struck me as though he was going for an American Pie type comedy with some of the characters and constant sexual references. There were undoubtably way, way too many, but the girl in the bedroom and her relationship with the lad reminded me of the Band Camp girl. And the teacher (from Teenage Kicks) seemed to have a bit of Rowan Atkinson about him at times with his delivery.
I didn't think it was anything like as good or funny as American Pie, but it was okay, and seemed to have a bit of warmth. The 'Aw's' got on my nerves though.
Also, someone mentioned robbing the glove puppet from Coupling. I've read scripts from the 70's/80's with glove puppets in. It's all derivative.
Ahhh! Teenage Kicks! That's where I recognised him from. Thanks.
After listening to an interview with the writer on the BBC Asian Network (?!) it turns out he wrote the pilot script when he was 17. In other news, the girl with the big hair would get it as long as she didn't speak. 
P.S. More angry/drunk posts from Tim, please.
and 
I thought it was a nice fact that's all. That and it explains it's crapiness.
That's the lad from Frank Skinner's 'Shane'.
This show is basically BBC3's 'Inbetweeners'. And the gulf in intelligence, charm, humour and honesty couldn't be wider.
The Inbetweeners was so wonderfully and unashamedly realistic - yes every episode has 'f**ks' and throwing up and wank gags and cheap jokes, but they were delivered in such an believable way.
Every little jibe ("He's made you look a RIGHT knob") had something genuine and likeable about it. They were real and likeable guys. You'd love to have been mates with them. They were a tangible, identifiable bunch of losers. Everyone can see themselves in those guys, and everyone knew one of them.
Coming Of Age however, is nothing short of an irrelevant abortion of a show. Nothing could be further from the truth in terms of tone and gags. It's lazy, uninspired and cheap written by someone who appears to have no real grasp on the world.
If you were told one of these shows was written by a 19 year old, and the other by two 30 something guys - you'd never have guessed who'd be so out of touch.
Quote: Johnny Green @ October 1 2008, 5:47 PM BSTThe show seemed to use an unusual mix of humour and style. It was like a CBBC production gone wrong: The kids appeared to have all downed a bottle of cider and tied up the camera people and studio management team in order to make some X rated version of Grange Hill.
Ha ha ha - great post! It made me laugh. Cheers (makes up for my half-hour of silence when watching this show).
I watched this yesterday and was mildly entertained. It was certainaly a shit-load better than the original pilot, mostly cos the actors didn't overact their way through it.
That said, as mentioned by most of you above, this in no way reflects what it's like to be a teenager in any way at all. Certainly in my very-average experience.
Dan
Quote: Seefacts @ October 1 2008, 11:11 PM BSTThat's the lad from Frank Skinner's 'Shane'.
This show is basically BBC3's 'Inbetweeners'. And the gulf in intelligence, charm, humour and honesty couldn't be wider.
The Inbetweeners was so wonderfully and unashamedly realistic - yes every episode has 'f**ks' and throwing up and wank gags and cheap jokes, but they were delivered in such an believable way.
Every little jibe ("He's made you look a RIGHT knob") had something genuine and likeable about it. They were real and likeable guys. You'd love to have been mates with them. They were a tangible, identifiable bunch of losers. Everyone can see themselves in those guys, and everyone knew one of them.
Coming Of Age however, is nothing short of an irrelevant abortion of a show. Nothing could be further from the truth in terms of tone and gags. It's lazy, uninspired and cheap written by someone who appears to have no real grasp on the world.
If you were told one of these shows was written by a 19 year old, and the other by two 30 something guys - you'd never have guessed who'd be so out of touch.
Out of interest, which of the two writers' ages are you closest to?
I don't think it's meant to be realistic, is it? In the same way Father Ted probably doesn't reflect the life of the average priest, or Might Boosh reflect the life of a zoo keeper.
But even then, surely as a teenager you either were or knew someone who was desperate to get laid, someone who was getting laid and was a bit of a cock, someone who was a slag, someone who was far too cute and girly to be interesting and someone who's nice enough at a distance but a bit too dull to be friends with?
Also, which of these situations in no way reflect what it's like to be a teenager?
Going to college.
Doing course work.
Fancying a girl who thinks of you as a friend.
Not having done your homework on time.
Wanting to get revenge on a teacher.
They've got to be reasonably accurate depictions of a college teen's life, haven't they?
Quote: Phill @ October 2 2008, 4:29 PM BSTBut even then, surely as a teenager you either were or knew someone who was desperate to get laid, someone who was getting laid and was a bit of a cock, someone who was a slag, someone who was far too cute and girly to be interesting and someone who's nice enough at a distance but a bit too dull to be friends with?
Not really; though probably more from just being oblivious rather than noticing it. It certainly didn't *feel* at the time like you've mentioned above. But then, I was never interested in even trying drinking or smoking; didn't particularly like going to pubs and clubs and was completely obsessed by football.
Also, which of these situations in no way reflect what it's like to be a teenager?
Going to college.
Doing course work.
Fancying a girl who thinks of you as a friend.
Not having done your homework on time.
Wanting to get revenge on a teacher.They've got to be reasonably accurate depictions of a college teen's life, haven't they?
Alright, but they're not particularly *funny*, are they? And I always did my homework on time and never really wanted revenge on a teacher cos I was a goody-two-shoes swot. The third one is just ridiculous cos I couldn't even *talk* to girls I fancied so they were never my friends
But like I said, it was alright -- vast improvement on the original pilot cos of the calibre of the actors.
And I thought Father Ted was a documentary.
Taking everything I've written into account, I, once again, realise I have no real point... in so many ways...
Dan
Sorry, that looked like I was having a go at you - I wasn't. It was just a general reply to stuff and your post happened to be the last one I read.
I thought it was alright too. If it was on when I was a teenager I would only have liked it if no one else did.
Quote: Phill @ October 2 2008, 4:29 PM BSTOut of interest, which of the two writers' ages are you closest to?
I don't think it's meant to be realistic, is it? In the same way Father Ted probably doesn't reflect the life of the average priest, or Might Boosh reflect the life of a zoo keeper.
But even then, surely as a teenager you either were or knew someone who was desperate to get laid, someone who was getting laid and was a bit of a cock, someone who was a slag, someone who was far too cute and girly to be interesting and someone who's nice enough at a distance but a bit too dull to be friends with?
Also, which of these situations in no way reflect what it's like to be a teenager?
Going to college.
Doing course work.
Fancying a girl who thinks of you as a friend.
Not having done your homework on time.
Wanting to get revenge on a teacher.They've got to be reasonably accurate depictions of a college teen's life, haven't they?
Errr, age wise closer to Tim Dawson.
It's got the feel of being realistic though. But it just isn't. Ted doesn't look real. It looks like a cartoon. It basically is one.
It's not the base idea, it's the execution.
It's more 'here's something that happened at school, and here's how I wish it would have happened but didn't'.
Quote: Phill @ October 2 2008, 5:00 PM BSTSorry, that looked like I was having a go at you - I wasn't. It was just a general reply to stuff and your post happened to be the last one I read.
I thought it was alright too. If it was on when I was a teenager I would only have liked it if no one else did.
No, didn't think you were specifically!
I was expecting it to be as bad as the original pilot which, though the script wasn't bad, was ruined by basically all the performances bar Dani Harmer's. In a way, I was pleasantly surprised after all that expectation!
Dan
Quote: Seefacts @ October 2 2008, 5:02 PM BSTErrr, age wise closer to Tim Dawson.
It's got the feel of being realistic though. But it just isn't. Ted doesn't look real. It looks like a cartoon. It basically is one.
It's not the base idea, it's the execution.
It's more 'here's something that happened at school, and here's how I wish it would have happened but didn't'.
I was just wondering about the age thing because I'm 36 and if I said the 30-somethings knew more about being a teenager than the 19 year old I'd probably be a bit off the mark.
See, I didn't see it as being realistic - I thought of it as heightened reality - more like Blackadder or Father Ted than Only Fools and Horses.
Not that I'm comparing it quality wise to those shows, mind.
I think the non-reality think was cemented for me by things like the rolling shot of the kid offering the presents to the fat girl. If it was meant to be realistic he wouldn't have been able to get ahead of her without her noticing. Or the end scene which would probably have killed both of them. Didn't that mark it out as an over-the-top reality?
