I hadn't heard the radio show but I was struck by how many sketches - almost all of them in fact - seemed more radio than TV.
Not that I expect people on here to say so, it wasn't very good. I'd like to have seen some Bussell/Stott sketches on show.
It's Kevin Page 2
Quote: Badge @ March 18 2013, 11:15 AM GMTI hadn't heard the radio show but I was struck by how many sketches - almost all of them in fact - seemed more radio than TV.
Not that I expect people on here to say so, it wasn't very good. I'd like to have seen some Bussell/Stott sketches on show.
Unfortunately, I agree somewhat.
Well, that kind of proves me wrong.
Who else can say they've been in all these comedies.....
Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge
Hippies
Jam
Black Books
Spaced
Brass Eye
Big Train
Smack the Pony
Nighty Night
Green Wing
Look Around You
Nathan Barley
Saxondale
The IT Crowd
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Four Lions (2010)
(shame he's never been in The Day Today, Peep Show or The Thick of It, though)
....and that's not including the lesser known and more cult-y stuff he did with Lee and Herring (and later, Lee on his own)
It was a bit lacklustre and a bit heavy going and indulgent at times. Kevin could have done with a few more writers perhaps. Oh well, let's see how this one develops.
For me it needed one or two fully formed, traditional sketches to ground things. Good fun, though.
Quote: gappy @ March 18 2013, 10:53 AM GMTDidn't like it as much as I expected, but I think it's because I'd come across all the best parts on the radio show or in his live show
I don't get this. The bloke is a writer - so why not, y'know, write something new? Raiding your knicker draw for old sketches is terribly lazy.
Quote: johnny smith @ March 18 2013, 11:58 AM GMTWho else can say they've been in all these comedies.....
Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge
Hippies
Jam
Black Books
Spaced
Brass Eye
Big Train
Smack the Pony
Nighty Night
Green Wing
Look Around You
Nathan Barley
Saxondale
The IT Crowd
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Four Lions (2010)
(shame he's never been in The Day Today, Peep Show or The Thick of It, though)....and that's not including the lesser known and more cult-y stuff he did with Lee and Herring (and later, Lee on his own)
Jeffrey Archer
Billy Liar
Absolutely brilliant.
It was better than I thought it would be. I liked the fact most of the sketches had no real punchlines as such. The surrealism of it all was enough to keep me entertained. I think it has just enough actual jokes to keep most comedy fans happy.
The fact he's recycling his old radio material is perfectly fine and pretty much universally accepted as the done thing when making the transition to TV.
It's 'fine', it's 'universally accepted'? Hogwash. It's f**king lazy.
Quote: don rushmore @ March 18 2013, 3:43 PM GMTIt's 'fine', it's 'universally accepted'? Hogwash. It's f**king lazy.
I suppose you think stand-ups should write new jokes every night too? It'd be terribly lazy to hone a joke over a period of time I expect.
That's not the same thing, and you know it.
I was sympathetic towards Eldon regarding the rubbish time slot, thought he deserved better. But now I know he's rehashing old material - f**k him.
Whether he was offered the radio slot as a dry run for TV, or if it was liked well enough that he was offered a television version after the radio one was broadcast, I don't know. But I'd be more inclined to blame BBC scheduling and heads of comedy for this than Kevin Eldon himself. Because I doubt that he went to R4, pitched his show, then turned around and pitched the same material to BBC2.
I was similarly a little disappointed that it was using the radio material. I thought the series bubbled along without being too memorable, and that some sketches were very derivative of Blue Jam and Monty Python. So that doesn't necessarily bode well for the rest of this run.
The one thing that surprises me is that he is refusing to play to his strengths. Kevin Eldon's best material has been his surreal character comedy (Simon Quinlank, Paul Hamilton, that "What Am I???" ...thing... from Attention Scum). Six episodes of his best characters, recurring each week, and with this incredible cast in support could make for one of the all-time great sketch shows.
Let's cut to the chase: it was piss poor.
Bringing on mate after mate didn't help either.
The whole thing walked a tightrope between embarrassing and desperate!