Press clippings Page 24
On BBC Four, there's a new series based on a comedy character who's already had success on radio...
If you've not seen Bob Servant, Independent, it's about a businessman from the Tayside coastal town of Broughty Ferry, who made his name after coming out victorious in the town's "Cheeseburger Wars". The story follows Bob's plans to stand in the local by-election as an independent candidate...
The opening episode started off well, but like Bob's campaign, it seemed to peter out towards the end. The best part of this episode saw Bob (Brian Cox) launch his campaign on local radio. During the interview and phone-in with the resident DJ (played by Greg McHugh), Bob manages to please one or two people with some on-the-spot ideas, but offends hundreds more in the process. His biggest 'controversy' comes with his plan to stop dog fouling in the local park by banning all dogs from it. If a dog does enter the park, he plans to shoot it. Bang.
There were some a few other highlights - like Bob's attempts to appeal to young voters at a primary school, but near the end - when he tries to sort out the mess he's caused - the show just seemed to fade.
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 28th January 2013This sequel - re-make, or whatever you want to call it - of the classic 1980s satirical sitcom, began on digital channel G.O.L.D. last week. But having being informed that the second episode was better than the first, I thought it best to reserve judgment until after seeing 'em both.
These six new episodes of Yes, Prime Minister are set in Chequers, with PM Jim Hacker (David Haig) running a coalition government in the middle of a Euro crisis. He's still being "helped" by Sir Humphrey Appleby (Henry Goodman) and Bernard Woolley (Chris Larkin), - but Humphrey's idea of sorting everything out involves the creation of an oil pipeline built by the Islamic nation of Qumranistan (formerly Qumran) joining all the EU countries. The problem's that in order to strike the deal, Britain has to join the Euro...
The first episode appears to just set the ground for the forthcoming five, all of which appear to be set in a short period of time. In the second episode, Chequers entertains the Qumranistan foreign minister, when Hacker, with next to no information, has to make a speech for the minister. You know what you're getting when the opening line is, "Welcome our very welcome guest... welcome."
The series contains the same satirical digs as the original, though so far the institution that's been attacked the most over the course of the two episodes is the BBC, which Hacker insults and manipulates in order to get a live interview. Given the revised series was rejected by the BBC because they didn't make a pilot, it makes the attack even more vitriolic. Naughty boys.
Let's face it, though; this new series will always be in the shadow of the original. But on its own, this updated version has its moments - most of them in the form of long speeches from a certain Cabinet Secretary.
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 28th January 2013This three-part documentary series, narrated by journalist Eddie Mair, looks at the 'darker', money-making side of the comedy world.
The first episode looks at how many comics, in particular stand-ups, make money by performing at corporates. It shows performances from The Real Variety Show where comics play in front of business people keen on booking them for events.
Then it follows the world of adverts, discussing comics like Mark Arden and Stephen Frost (who did ads for Carling Black Label) to QI creator John Lloyd (who first met Alan Davies when Lloyd directed ads for Abbey National.) I know there's a history of comics doing adverts - despite the public outrage at Mark Watson a few years back - but I was suprised at the frequency of appearances. Most of the ads were produced 'before my time' as it were, so were quite shocking in a way. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie advertising tobacco?
It's definitely a growing trend, though; if you're feeling bored, you can play a little game where you try to spot how many times in a three-minute period you can hear the voice of Hugh Dennis.
Off all the people on Funny Business, though, the most interesting was Rhod Gilbert. Rhod explained how one corporate gig resulted in him sacking them off altogether, and how he justified doing adverts for the Welsh tourist board because he was promoting a country rather than a product. There were also interesting contributions from Mark Thomas, who attacked just about any involvement of comedians and advertising. The only advertising I can think that he has been involved in was with early episodes of The Mark Thomas Comedy Product, which were sponsored by small independent shops - like a gentlemen's hairdressers and a record shop.
Funny Business declares that the problem with advertising is that there's no funny ads. I can't help but think the problem's that there are ads to start with.
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 21st January 2013The words "Paddy McGuinness" send shivers down your spine - and not in a good way. McGuinness made his TV debut on Phoenix Nights, if you recall, and his career has been going from bad to worse ever since in the eyes of just about every reviewer and critic around.
Paddy's TV Guide follows a spate of cheap clip shows, with McGuinness presenting clips from TV shows (old and new) using a weekly theme. The first episode focused on health and fitness, with shows recorded on his "Paddy Player".
The clips themselves are mildly amusing, from an old exercise show featuring a woman dancing with candles to a tough American fitness instructor shouting at just about any mode of transport. But this programme, along with others like it (BBC One's Animal Antics for example) illustrate what I think is the main problem with clip shows; the way they're presented.
If you have a show which is just about clips, from TV shows, the internet, or recorded by members of the public, then what you want to see is just those clips. You don't want to see Paddy McGuinness doing some small routine in-between them, or Matthew Crosby dressed up as a dog in the case of Animal Antics. All you need's a voice-over.
Harry Hill made You've Been Framed watchable. We all know it's the cheesiest programme around, but because Hill's contribution is minimal, the viewers get to see more of what they want, rather than putting up with Jeremy Beadle and Lisa Riley trying to be funny between the clips.
Of course, it could just be the fact that Hill's funnier than any of those people, and that's probably Paddy McGuinness' biggest flaw too; he's not much cop.
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 21st January 2013Blandings is a new comedy series adapted from a collection of novels by P.G. Wodehouse, but it's already attracted a wide range of criticism. Much of the vitriol targets the show's family-friendly, 6.30pm slot on a Sunday evening, but there's also criticism from die-hard Wodehouse fans who believe that any adaptation of his work is sacrilege. Hey ho.
The series follows the residents of Blandings Castle; Clarence (Timothy Spall), who just wants a quiet life - and to spend time with his beloved pig, the Empress; his sister Connie (Jennifer Saunders), who constantly interfering with other people's business; and Clarence's loyal butler Beach (Mark Williams) - all of whom are pestered by visits from Clarence's idiotic son Freddie (Jack Farthing). In the opening episode, Clarence tries to enter the Empress into a fattest-pig contest, but his pig man is put in jail by his main rival.
The first thing that came to me when watching Blandings is that Spall can play a toff better than I thought. His performance as Clarence was great, as is his delivery of Wodehouse's lines, like when he demonstrates how persuasive his late wife was: "She once put forth such a forceful case for beetroot I actually put some in my mouth."
I was a bit annoyed by the gimmicky use of comic sound effects, whether it be with Freddie's terrible driving or Connie's stormy demands. You can try to ignore it, but it gets a bit tedious after a while.
On the whole though, Blandings is an entertaining half-hour and a decent way to pass the time - although I still expect a few comments from fans trying to push his books into my hands.
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 21st January 2013ITV has a great reputation of making drama, but not such a great reputation for comedy. Great Night Out seems to fall somewhere in between; not bad, but not great either.
The series follows four friends from Stockport: self-appointed leader Hodge (Lee Boardman), divorcee Beggsy (William Ash), nervous Glyn (Craig Parkinson), and pessimistic Daz (Stephen Walters). The quartet each spend a big night out, often with their wives, girlfriends and love interest, while getting impractical advice from their local pub landlord Warren (Ricky Tomlinson).
In this opening episode, Hodge has cocked-up his anniversary party, which is being held at a big hotel in Manchester (the entrance into which results in a chorus of boos from the Stockport Four). As Hodge parks his car he thinks he knocks over someone, but it turns out that the person is a drunk wanting to go to London. He, Beggsy and Daz get him on the train, only to find out he is a groom who has ditched his wife at the altar. The two rush to get him off the train, but (perhaps all too predictably), they don't get him off the train in time and they find themselves going to London. Meanwhile, Glyn "stalks" his childhood sweetheart to her salsa class, with help from Warren.
As I mention, some of the plot elements do seem to be somewhat predictable, as are some of the characters. For example, there is the instant dislike of the Australian man now married to Beggsy's ex, who has also taken his daughter down under. However, there are some nice visual gags, such a roadside seller of fridges called "Sellfridges", and other odd moments such as accusations that Fireman Sam might be gay.
These moments are fleeting, however, in a show that will probably not receive the kindest of obituaries...
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 14th January 2013CBBC's been trying to produce a range of sketch shows that can be enjoyed by both adults and children, such as Horrible Histories and the now axed Sorry, I've Got No Head. While these shows have been big hits - and the former has become one of most awarded sketches of recent years - I've never been that keen on them myself. Having said that, for the purpose of this column, I thought I'd give this new sketch series a go...
Fit is - you guessed it - a sketch show based on health and fitness. It has a wide range of sketches, which include an epic coin toss in the latest test between England and Australia; the Misspelt Games, which holds "trifle shooting" instead of "rifle shooting"; drinking fountains working out of sync; and a reality TV show take on athletics.
Some sketches, especially some of the one-joke quickies, fail to hit the mark, and others seem to have little to do with the show's theme (what have two mimes putting up shelves got to do with fitness?) But there were plenty of others worth an airing, like a charity collecting farts to help Britain's wind farms, and a sports wearhouse run by Peter Serafinowicz's long-running character Brian Butterfield (which I loved and I must admit is the main attraction for me.)
Despite its scattergun approach, this show's definitely worth a second chance - though how many kids it will encourage to get fit I don't know. Maybe the problem's that they spend too much time watching sketch shows on CBBC...
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 14th January 2013Gigglebox weekly #71
This week Ian Wolf gives his nightmare vision of the forthcoming royal birth, learns about a nude swimming pool and hears Charlie Brooker talking positively about something.
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 7th January 2013Charlie Brooker's take on 2012 was enjoyable for many reasons, no more so than the fact it took place after the year had ended - unlike all the other comedy reviews of the year.
Another reason, of course, was because the show covered quite a lot of events that people forgot about; the sinking of the Costa Concordia in January, for example, which Brooker covered by showing the idiotic comparisons made by Entertainment Weekly between Concordia and the film Titanic, including the probing question: "Was Celine Dion playing when it sank?"
There were other decent moments too, but some of these, like the campaign against Joseph Kony and Brooker's mocking of both Kony and the strangely cult-like people campaigning against him, were covered more in-depth by Brooker himself on 10 O'Clock Live. Speaking of which, 10 O'Clock Live also appeared on the show when Brooker covered Jimmy Carr's taxes.
However, when it comes to Brooker the most interesting part is when he stops going on about how awful things are and actually finds the positive things around us. In the case of 2012 it was the Olympics and Paralympics, and while these are, on a whole, not the funniest moments, they do provide us with a glimmer of joy in an otherwise gloriously miserable show.
With more Wipe programmes coming up in February, Brooker's work is perhaps the most satirical comedy around. Other shows should be encouraged to be as cutting and thought-provoking as this is.
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 7th January 2013Usually I tend not to cover solo stand-up shows on TV because they're usually just edited-down versions of DVDs, but this isn't the case with show from Simon Amstell. Fed up with all the stand-up DVDs out there, Amstell has decided to make to perform his latest stand-up show for the BBC rather than just release it as a DVD.
Numb, broadcast on BBC Four in a specially minimalist set at the TV Centre, is mostly about Amstell's own anxiety, relationships with his family, friends and boyfriends, and his views on pain, feeling and life itself.
There were so many high moments in the show, such as his experiences of holidaying alone in Amsterdam, going to a nude swimming pool, and how he is now so lonely he watches the least ethical porn he can find.
The show was indeed a good one, and for those who are perhaps not into this kind of comedy, Amstell could help start a trend. Hopefully other comedians might go this way of taking their comedy routines to TV rather than DVD. I would certainly welcome it.
Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 7th January 2013