Terrible, what a waste of time and money.
The Royal Bodyguard Page 6
It's been badly scheduled to say the least. It could pass as a CBBC show or a Sunday teatime, Last Of The Summer Wine type show but it's not a post-watershead show.
Firstly, I think the suggestion of someone like Rik Mayall to play the lead character wouldn't have worked. This is, as others have said, a Naked Gun style thing so the straighter the main actor can be the better.
I think it's sad that it's getting slated so much. It's just an old-fashioned, silly, knockabout sitcom. I would much rather watch something like this than watch something 'clever' like The Trip.
I watched 5 minutes, it was a collection of every joke about wigs in a sitcom ever. In order in the same tone.
I assumed it was some sort of Alan Yentob avant garde poetry project.
Quote: Nick @ January 3 2012, 10:47 AM GMTI think it's sad that it's getting slated so much. It's just an old-fashioned, silly, knockabout sitcom. I would much rather watch something like this than watch something 'clever' like The Trip.
I was no real fan of "The Trip" as I thought it was self-indulgent, egotistical twaddle, dressed up as something pretentious and meaningful, however, I'd rather watch endless re-runs of that than watch 5 minutes more of David Jason falling over.
I like silly, knockabout sitcoms but "The Royal Bodyguard" would be substandard as a sketch on Crackerjack, it is truly, truly, mindblowingly awful.
What's wrong with Crackerjack?
Quote: Nick @ January 3 2012, 10:47 AM GMTI think it's sad that it's getting slated so much. It's just an old-fashioned, silly, knockabout sitcom. I would much rather watch something like this than watch something 'clever' like The Trip.
It's not sad at all...you can't hide away from the fact that Royal Bodyguard is unoriginal, not in the slightest bit funny and the storylines are just lame.
Quote: Nick @ January 3 2012, 10:47 AM GMTFirstly, I think the suggestion of someone like Rik Mayall to play the lead character wouldn't have worked. This is, as others have said, a Naked Gun style thing so the straighter the main actor can be the better.
Toby Stephens then?
I'd probably put this on a par with Grandpa In My Pocket, though James Bolam is probably a little more active and the overall nature of Grandpa is slightly more risque viewing.
I can't really understand how even reading the script is marginally funny. Was the attempt to gain those who no longer have Strictly Come Dancing to watch, as I could only liken the humour to a Brucey-style introduction.
DJ is a classic, a facial, wordy kind of actor who can bring a charisma and quality to a character when the writing allows. This was visual and as such an absolute nonsense - I don't know how drunk one would have to be to picture 83-year-old David Jason careering after a carriage, or rolling around the floor. What MIGHT have worked would have been plays on his elderly status, such as a wheezing inability to get anywhere near the carriage, or with him checking under beds being such an ordeal that he threatened to put his hip out. But no - we're supposed to somehow believe this guy was ever in the army, let alone managed to get 60 years out of his service. I've never seen a more patronising opening sequence than the old "not Hubble? Please tell me it's not Guy Hubble? Because if it is, then what can go wrong, most probably will go wrong." Not even a wink or nod to the camera - just 100% purest stilton for our delectation. Stinky, ugly cheese. Cannot understand for the life of me how DJ took it on, or how the thing got commissioned. The hoops we aspiring types have to attempt to go through to even get a script looked at, and this absolute dross gets full production? For shame, Auntie.
It's a crime. How they dare to even call this comedy? How did this make it on TV?? Absolute rubbish. Telegraphed jokes, stereotypical, badly executed set ups, and awful performances. But besides that, it's really poor. They should show it to would-be writers as an example of how to get it completely wrong.
7.4M down to 4.8M - I think the viewing figures for Ep3 will be even worse.
Quote: Ian Fryer @ December 28 2011, 8:36 PM GMTHaven't seen this yet, but didn't David Jason do something very similar in the seventies: The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs?
Or A Sharp Intake Of Breath, which I vaguely remember was funny.
This also reminded me of those bad Morecambe and Wise films, also containing a comedy legend doing his best with some third rate slapstick.
Quote: Tony Cowards @ January 3 2012, 11:42 AM GMTI was no real fan of "The Trip" as I thought it was self-indulgent, egotistical twaddle, dressed up as something pretentious and meaningful
Surely it is one or the other old bean?
Quote: Park Bench @ January 4 2012, 12:31 PM GMT7.4M down to 4.8M - I think the viewing figures for Ep3 will be even worse.
That sort of confirms what someone said about the BBC cleverly casting David Jason for the role, he's pulled them in to start with, but many are fleeing in horror at what he's in. He hasn't been in many turkeys but the Christmas slot to start off this new sitcom was just right for this big fat turkey.
I don't really blame the Beeb for doing it, it's clever marketing if nothing else, and I don't blame Jason for taking it on, he likes to work, that's okay. But how on earth are they going to be able to justify turning down superior scripts just because they're from unknowns, or cutting sitcoms such as HNTLYL when they are commissioning such...things as this? 
I bet the Chuckle Brothers are furious that TRB's nicked about 99% of their future material.
There's nothing wrong with the Chuckle Brothers!
I think this show feels above all else unloved. I mean I was no fan of Trollied, but that seemed to be going for a similar audience. And it atleast felt crafted; proper characters, jokes etc.