Fast And Loose Page 5
I don't think you should tarnish Miranda with My Family's dirty brush.
Quote: Charlie Boy @ January 16 2011, 12:41 PM GMTThere isn't any good comedy on. The only shows I watch/listen are QI, ISIHAC, HIGNFY, and The News Quiz. Shows like My Family, Miranda and Episodes give comedy a bad name.
That's quite a sweeping and ignorant comment, especially from someone who doesn't watch much comedy.
Quote: Charlie Boy @ January 16 2011, 12:29 PM GMTOnly recognised TWO of the performers.
Since when has how many performers you recognise in a show been a benchmark for quality?
I recognised seven of the eight people involved, and the other one is from a sketch group I am aware of, even I didn't know his face. Doesn't make it good (I wasn't a fan of the show). Just pointing out that it doesn't prove a thing!
Quote: Schwen @ January 16 2011, 12:54 PM GMTThat's quite a sweeping and ignorant comment, especially form someone who doesn't watch much comedy.
But, the comedy that's on now, is rubbish. I've seen Gavin & Stacey, Come Fly With Me, Episodes, Harry & Paul, The Trip, Gary: Tank Commander, and Him & Her. None of the above are worth watching again. Classics like Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Dad's Army, Porridge, Steptoe & Son and The Good Life will still be watched in 20 years. That can't be said about today's 'comedies'.
Quote: Charlie Boy @ January 16 2011, 4:04 PM GMTBut, the comedy that's on now, is rubbish. I've seen Gavin & Stacey, Come Fly With Me, Episodes, Harry & Paul, The Trip, Gary: Tank Commander, and Him & Her. None of the above are worth watching again. Classics like Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Dad's Army, Porridge, Steptoe & Son and The Good Life will still be watched in 20 years. That can't be said about today's 'comedies'.
For the most part they're all utter tosh. I think you're picking the wrong stuff!
Quote: Charlie Boy @ January 16 2011, 4:04 PM GMTBut, the comedy that's on now, is rubbish. I've seen Gavin & Stacey, Come Fly With Me, Episodes, Harry & Paul, The Trip, Gary: Tank Commander, and Him & Her. None of the above are worth watching again. Classics like Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Dad's Army, Porridge, Steptoe & Son and The Good Life will still be watched in 20 years. That can't be said about today's 'comedies'.
Certainly the vast majority of those shows are pretty shite, but that's just a small selection from a relatively short time period. The ones you mention as classics are from a much wider timescale. You would expect that a similar number of shows from between 1990 and 2010 will still be watched in twenty years from now.
Quote: Charlie Boy @ January 16 2011, 4:04 PM GMTThat can't be said about today's 'comedies'.
If we're just talking Brit comedies, then I'd say Peep Show, for one, will still be watched in twenty years.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ January 15 2011, 1:33 AM GMTWow, scripted improv. It'll never catch on...
This was my problem with the show. A lot of it was clearly not improvised. Watch it back and, in most cases, the performers could have easily have rehearsed their response. In fact, in some cases they obviously had - when they were dancing they knew who was going to speak next; and in the final round they made 'Surfing' without any discussion.
I guess the final round in Mock The Week (this is made by the same people) is scripted, and the gags in that can be very funny - so this is just another outlet for that kind of thing.
They should have adopted the Whose Line approach of getting the audience to shout out topics though - that would solve any niggling feelings about it being scripted. The cast have been selected for being sharp at improv, so they might as well make the most of that (or, if they can't do things without a script, just get Josie Lawrence, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops and the rest of the old skool team back who have proved they can).
Quote: Michael in London @ January 15 2011, 12:56 AM GMTAnd what were the secret fact and party piece rounds about? Some weird cross between a talk show and a straightforward gag seemed totally out of place with an improv show.
Hi Michael. Welcome - great first post.
I think the chat bits were a way of trying to introduce the main cast to the audience as, based on comments in this thread, many of them are unknown to a TV audience. Also, as you said at the top of your post, there's probably copyright issues around getting too close to Whose Line, so this was another differentiator for the show.
Seemed all a bit clunky though didn't it.
Quote: martin warmer @ January 15 2011, 11:16 AM GMTSome parts were as funny as anything I have seen on TV in a long time. The orange floor/wall and David Armand were superb.
Hi Martin. Welcome too! The floor/wall game was very inventive and visually funny - I'll certainly give them that!
Quote: Charlie Boy @ January 16 2011, 12:29 PM GMTOnly recognised TWO of the performers.
Just for the record, as it seems not everyone is familiar with the cast yet...
From Left-to-Right:
David Armand (bottom left of pic): sitcom and sketch show regular. See him in How Not To Live Your Life and The Armstrong & Miller Show, for example. Also part of sketch troupe The Hollow Men. He's also famous for his dance mimes (as he performed in this show). His mime of Natalie Imbruglia's Torn has millions of hits on YouTube.
Humphrey Ker: Probably the least well known to TV audiences at the moment. As Ian says, he's part of sketch troupe The Penny Dreadfuls.
Pippa Evans: A regular on the live circuit, with strong musical skills. She's one of the stars of the Showstopper! improvised musicals; and performs regularly as angry rocker Loretta Maine.
Hugh Dennis: Everyone should know the host, he's been regularly on TV and radio as a comedian and actor since 1991.
Justin Edwards: A prolific actor, with loads of radio and live credits to his name. He's had bit-parts in loads of TV sitcoms too - most recently The Trip. Performs live as drunken kids entertainer Jeremy Lion.
Laura Solon: Perrier Award winning comedienne who performs regularly at Edinburgh and elsewhere. She's got her own Radio 4 show and is an ensemble actor in sketch shows like Harry & Paul.
Marek Larwood: One third of We Are Klang. Also had an ITV sketch show with Laura Solon (and comedian Ben Willbond) back in 2008; Laura, Ben & Him.
Greg Davies (not shown on picture): Another We Are Klang member, regular on Ask Rhod Gilbert, regular guest on Mock The Week, Mr Gilbert in The Inbetweeners, and delivered an Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated stand-up show last August.
Despite my criticism of the 'improv' aspect above, I did laugh quite a lot at Fast And Loose (especially Greg Davies) so still looking forward to next week's episode.
Were getting off the subject. Continue this thread at https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/19848#P715735
Quote: Mark @ January 16 2011, 5:35 PM GMTThis was my problem with the show. A lot of it was clearly not improvised. Watch it back and, in most cases, the performers could have easily have rehearsed their response. In fact, in some cases they obviously had - when they were dancing they knew who was going to speak next; and in the final round they made 'Surfing' without any discussion.
Actually, I didn't have a problem with either of those. For example, the dancing one they could just have been told what order they were being taped in. (Though this clearly gives them enough time to prep answers, but it doesn't mean it necessarily can't have been improvised). And I've seen similar things to the surfing bit happen without any discussion in shows which I can guarantee are improvised.
I thought it was really good, well done people :-)
Quote: Simco 247 @ January 16 2011, 11:26 PM GMTI thought it was really good, well done people :-)
Hey, no problem, you're more than welcome! 
Another great advantage Whose Line had over this was Clive Anderson as the host. Although very funny, he wasn't really a comedian in the traditional sense, and his waspish put downs stopped everything from becoming too much of a love-in. As much as I like Hugh Dennis, he's very much "one of the gang", and as a result it can all get a bit smug and back-slappy.
I saw an early Whose Line..? last week and he seemed quite uncomfortable and actually giving proper points to everyone!? What was *that* about?!
That said, you can be too much of 'one of the gang'. cf. Drew Carey joining in with some of the games in the American version! What was *that* about?!
I'm trying out a new catchphrase. Anyone think it's working?
Dan