Chickens - Series 1 Page 2

Quote: Tursiops @ August 28 2013, 10:54 PM BST

It is worth contrasting with Blackadder Goes Forth, which required more suspension of reality in terms of production values, but which had characters who for all their absurdity felt believably of their time. Both more silly and more real.

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Yes, but with 'Blackadder' we already knew the characters very well - transferences from Series 3 - and part of the whole point of Blackadder (from Series 2 onwards) was that here were dependable characters who showed us an ironic wink towards the future. Their modern sensibilities were less blatant, but more easily accepted.

I also thought Bert was the stand out character. I found it a little strange though that he spoke quite 'of the time' whereas the other characters spoke as though they had been transplanted from modern day. This made it a bit difficult to accept the situation we were presented with. There were a couple of quite funny moments but not a huge amount of laughs.

It did just about enough to hold my interest for a second episode.

I think it's great

Lots to enjoy in episode 2. Jonny Sweet is stealing the show (some great Bert moments this week) but there was also some very nice work from Bird and Thomas.

'Chickens' is good fun so far and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

It's a grower. Bert's a quality character, you can see massive nods to Leslie Phillips in the way he's played.

Really enjoyed episode two, I think it is very well written and performed and very comfy and nice to sit and watch after a long day!

It is getting a lot better, I really enjoyed the second episode. The pissing on the grave at the end was so well done, I didn't even think to worry about him pissing outdoors until it was revealed! The caning of the child was just perfect.

Episode 2 is the re-shot pilot episode, it always irks me when they do that. It's pretty decent overall though.

Episode 3 was a relative disappointment (wooly plot, too episodic), but episode 4 was strong. The montage of Bert teaching was definitely a highlight. Commercial half-hours (ie 23mins) are difficult beasts & I feel the extra 5 mins a Beeb half-hour affords would allow the comedy to be less rushed, but this is a strong, funny show with some very good writing & great performances.

One of the best things on this year. No wonder it's flying-under-the-radar..,

Same here.

Overall, this has been a good hidden gem and has proved to be quite funny throughout. I would like to see more in the future if they could take the story anywhere.

Quote: T.W. @ September 14 2013, 7:15 PM BST

Commercial half-hours (ie 23mins) are difficult beasts & I feel the extra 5 mins a Beeb half-hour affords would allow the comedy to be less rushed, but this is a strong, funny show with some very good writing & great performances.

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Not sure I agree that the BBC half-hour is ideal, either. Look at US shows like "Happy Endings", which often manage three or more fully formed storylines in a 21 minute run-time... they don't feel "rushed" to me. I love their energy and the fierce economy brought to the scenes as a result. The UK commercial half-hour is perfect, I think. By the time most BBC shows hit minute 28 they've outstayed their welcome.

I think that's more to do with the different writing set-ups than the running time - but it's certainly true that that few less minutes force the writers to be a little tighter.

Finally caught up with episodes 5 & 6...

Really have enjoyed this series. It's been written and produced with a lot of love and hard work - and it shows. Great cast throughout the series, with a couple of notable cameos in the final episode. Although Bert has been the scene-stealing character, I have been increasingly impressed with Simon Bird and Joe Thomas's performances. They're certainly not just 'The Inbetweeners'. They can also write - the scripts have obviously been carefully worked-on by the boys (with Tim Key script-editing, I see).

Congrats to everyone involved in this. They've created an identifiable and welcoming sitcom world and it's one to which I hope to return to in a second series.

This show would probably be getting more love and attention if it was on a terrestrial/Freeview channel, as opposed to Sky. Then again, it might not have been made at all if it weren't for Sky's faith in creative talent. I certainly think that Sky should consider developing a free-to-air channel where everyone is able to eventually watch their home-grown stuff. I appreciate the subscribers pay for Sky's investment in original shows, but it's a shame if a show like 'Chickens' doesn't reach a wider audience.

Quote: T.W. @ October 2 2013, 10:05 PM BST

I certainly think that Sky should consider developing a free-to-air channel where everyone is able to eventually watch their home-grown stuff. I appreciate the subscribers pay for Sky's investment in original shows, but it's a shame if a show like 'Chickens' doesn't reach a wider audience.

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Pick TV.

Loved the last two episodes. The men coming back on leave was an inspired touch to break up the pattern of the previous episodes.