British Comedy Guide

Harry & Paul - Series 4 Page 6

Quote: Tokyo Nambu @ November 8 2012, 7:53 AM GMT

a lot of traffic wardens are white

They are? Where do you live? Norway? In that there London town, just about every traffic warden is a person of colour, usually from an African country. Traffic Wardens by their very nature will be portrayed in a bad light irregardless of colour.

I don't want to get into a debate about reverse racism and television shows - the middle aged, white mugger, etc. or even reverse tokenism - the honky on Citizen Khan or what have you.

But I don't think Parking Pataweyo is racist, mainly because there is no mention of his skin colour or heritage, the joke is about an evil traffic warden portrayed as a friendly children's show character.

The sketch, like the show, is still shit though.

I might be misremembering, but I recall that the reason Parking Pataweyo kicked off a race debate in the first place is that the first sketch he appeared in *did* bring up his race in an unpleasant way.

EDIT: Yup, I was right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw5d8GwEC2s

It's ambiguous on the race front, imho.

That sketch tells us that the builder and the policeman are racist*, but it isn't racist in itself.

*or, at the very least, 'Little Englanders'

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ November 8 2012, 3:59 PM GMT

They are? Where do you live? Norway?

Laughing out loud

Watched it again this week, not sure why, don't find it that funny, I guess Harry and Paul are the warm cocoa of comedy.

To my surprise, I did enjoy the Arab running joke with everyone firing AK 47s in the air everytime something good happened.

We might never agree on the 'racism' argument...

(although if it was in any way racist the BBC wouldn't broadcast it)

...but surely we can agree that episode three was mostly shite.

It was utterly bizarre. Liked a couple of bits, but I was just thinking "Wow" for most of it - and not really in a good way.

Where are their critical faculties, most of this crap should have been weeded out at the writing stage. Who is script editing this crap? Is it commissioned on past glories alone, because if this was offered up by unknowns no way would it make it to air.

I couldn't help but laugh at the people firing off AK-47s.

Harry and Paul really don't give a f**k any more.

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ November 12 2012, 2:52 PM GMT

Harry and Paul really don't give a f**k any more.

I think that probably sums up the show perfectly. They're just writing to amuse themselves. Note that Enfield is also the director this series.

Episode 3 was either a total disaster or the brilliant first example of a new style of comedy. It certainly made me interact with the telly, saying things like "what?", "I hope this sketch has a good punchline" and later "I hope this sketch has a punchline". Utterly bizarre.

The show was only any cop when Geoffrey Perkins (RIP) was involved.

Quote: Aaron @ November 12 2012, 3:07 PM GMT

I think that probably sums up the show perfectly.

I expect to see it quoted in the next BCG newsletter in that case.

Can't understand how they keep getting new series

Whereas the last series of Shooting Stars was one of the best EVER in its history - yet gets dumped

Friggin beeb

Can't get owt right these days

Quote: lofthouse @ November 12 2012, 6:23 PM GMT

Can't understand how they keep getting new series

Whereas the last series of Shooting Stars was one of the best EVER in its history - yet gets dumped

Friggin beeb

Can't get owt right these days

It's amazing isn't it, how do they do it. Enfield I understand he gave up years ago, but I can't help but feel it's a real waste of Paul Whitehouse.

Share this page