Forums

Topic: The Comedy Thread

Posts 21 to 40 of 59

RogerRoger

@ralphdibny I quite liked Veep. I felt like it didn't need a central Malcolm Tucker equivalent because times and styles had moved on, and we'd started to see other shows attempt to replicate his freewheeling insanity, so they spread his particular brand of crazy about a bit, shared it between several separate characters, and the show definitely became its own thing (beyond the cultural differences). I still haven't seen how it all ended, but my tastes have changed in recent years, so I'm nervous to return!

Speaking of US sitcoms, I've recently started 30 Rock. I was aware of it back in its heyday, and was shown plenty of clips from it, but I never actually "watched" it and so, when I saw it on Amazon Prime, I thought now was as good a time as any. It's pretty interesting!

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

ralphdibny

@RogerRoger I've got a bit into season 2 now. It almost seemed like they were setting up a new Capaldi with Gary Cole's character (Gary Cole also played Bill Lumbergh in Office Space which is probably one of my favourite comedy films) but this new character is like a numbers guy instead of a spin doctor and is nowhere near as mean so I'm interested to see how it all unfolds. But yeah, definitely seems like they've spread out the crazy and it's kind of made new characters out of the combinations.

I've bought a few new DVDs recently after my brief and disappointing soirée with BritBox. Stuff I've mostly seen before on TV or a borrowed DVD but I think they are good to have for a rainy day. I got a complete set of The Thick of It and In the Loop. The Day Today, BrassEye and Nathan Barley. Complete Blackadder and Fifteen Stories High.

I've got my eye on a few more like The Office (English) and Dad's Army which I might pick up in store if I pop down to HMV one day. Also I will probably pick up that blu ray box set of Red Dwarf at some point as it seems like the cheapest way to get all the seasons plus the special features that were on the original DVDs. Not sure if I'm going to wait a bit because there was some issue with a few of the discs so I'd probably want to watch it right away so I can get replacement discs if need be.

I haven't actually seen 30 Rock, it seemed quite popular among my partner's PhD lot but I never got into it myself. I need to watch some more American comedy TV when I get a chance!

See ya!

ralphdibny

@lolwhatno 😂 yes probably for the best... Just kidding, you are always welcome

Just to riff on your second joke...

Why is Eminem like cellophane?
Because they are both sweet wrappers

Ok I will leave with you now...

See ya!

RogerRoger

@ralphdibny I never did get around to seeing In the Loop (or I did and it's just blended together with the show in my brainspace). Tracking down all those DVDs at an affordable price must be quite the undertaking. That's where a bricks-and-mortar HMV might come into its own as, in my experience at least, they tend to have better deals on a store-by-store basis.

I've often thought of getting a few classics, and I did buy the complete 'Allo 'Allo set earlier in the year, but every time I start to add more than one or two impulse purchases to my basket I see the price creeping up and I bottle it. Mainly because I'm not 100% sure whether I'll actually end up liking things enough nowadays. I watch some of the classic British sitcom clips on YouTube and laugh out loud, but then I'll watch a whole episode of something like Dad's Army and it'll barely raise a smile beyond its repetitive catchphrases. Not to put you off tracking down Dad's Army, of course!

30 Rock is a strange one. For such a relatively modern show, there have been quite a few "I can't believe they got away with saying / doing that!" moments. It's a great cast, though.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

sorteddan

I watched the first episode of Brass Eye on All 4 on a whim this evening. It made me laugh more than anything seen in a while. Probably not for everyone but still holds up. I will definitely be watching more.

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

JohnnyShoulder

@Sorteddan Brass Eye was my go to show after the pub, as it was always on quite late. Can get quite surreal at times, which I found hard to get my head round after I've had a few!

Life is more fun when you help people succeed, instead of wishing them to fail.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

PSN: JohnnyShoulder

Thrillho

@Sorteddan The Day Today is fantastic too. It was on the bbc but would be surprised if it was on iplayer.

A great cast and writing team, and the first place Alan Partridge appeared.

This one they did years later is good too;

Edited on by Thrillho

Thrillho

sorteddan

@Thrillho
Thanks. Yeah it is similar spoof news format. I remember enjoying that at the time as well but honestly can't remember any of it right now so may be worth me digging around for.
@JohnnyShoulder
Well I can confirm it is still as absurdly ridiculous - and I was absolutely sober! Though maybe a little tired.

I think the closest thing on TV I have seen recently is the News Desk bits on the Mash report and whatever the new version of that is called (Late Night Mash? I think)

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

ralphdibny

@RogerRoger it's not too bad actually, they are sort of between £5-£35 on either Amazon and HMV but the trouble is trying to fill up a basket to get the free shipping over £20 on both sites. Naturally you want to get everything at a decent price so you kinda wait a few of them out.

There's a couple shows that I think had limited print runs that I really want but are just too expensive second hand. Stuff like Harry and Paul, even the later series of Mitchell and Webb Look and also Warwick Davis' Life's too short. It's all stuff I doubt would get a reprint in today's marketplace. Bit of a shame really

I'm not sure what I like about Dads army actually. I never used to watch it when I was little but I've seen it on TV over the last few years and I just find it hilarious. It's just a well crafted sitcom, I could bore everyone with loads of sitcom tropes that it uses well but I will refrain 😂 (also I'd have to refresh my memory!)

@Sorteddan @JohnnyShoulder @Thrillho I love brass eye too much and same with The Day Today. I think Day Today is actually only a fiver in HMV at the moment. I'm like 99% sure that I've already told this story but one day, my mate and I decided to put on The Day Today before his stepdad came downstairs. His stepdad would just watch the news all day and we thought it would be funny to see if he noticed. I think we got about 15 mins in before he turned around to us and said "What the F--- is this S---?!" 😂

I'm going to have a good Chris Morris binge when my DVDs of Brasseye and Nathan Barley arrive. Will be watching through The Day Today and Four Lions too

See ya!

JohnnyShoulder

@ralphdibny Four Lions is a great film! I'll have to watch that again soon as I've seen it for ages.

Life is more fun when you help people succeed, instead of wishing them to fail.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

PSN: JohnnyShoulder

Th3solution

@RogerRoger 30 Rock is really hilarious and the type of comedy I like. The jokes are often understated, subtle at times, come rapid fire and are easy to miss. You hardly have time to laugh at one thing and then the drop another. Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt is a similar style as it’s also created by Tina Fey. (It’s a Netflix exclusive series over here) It can be pretty irreverent, but makes fun of all sub groups of society so it’s hard to be offended by any of it. But yeah, I’m not sure how well it translates from American culture to Europe/UK. But you all like The Simpsons and I didn’t think that would translate well.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

@Th3solution It's really grown on me, although I think it helps that I consume a lot of American culture, because I'm halfway through Season Four and there have only been one or two references that've gone over my head. I love its cutting satire of network television and you're right, some of the jokes are so fast and sharp that I get the feeling some were snuck in without permission, so to speak. I also agree that, in making fun of everybody and everything, it gets away with... well, with making fun of everybody and everything. Tina Fey is superb. The chemistry between her and Alec Baldwin has got to be one of the greatest casting victories of all time. I'd be very interested in seeing more of her work (old SNL clips notwithstanding, as I've already spent many an hour on YouTube laughing at her pitch-perfect Sarah Palin sketches).

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Th3solution

@RogerRoger Do you all have Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt over there on Netflix? If you like 40 Rock I think you might dig it. However, one of the main characters is gay and I’m not sure if the portrayal is offensive or not, so fair warning. I don’t think so but I just can’t be sure given lack of first hand perspective. But it’s even more “let’s make fun of silly aspects of every single subculture” than 30 Rock. The main target is orthodox religious cults, but Kimmie’s gay roommate doubles down on tropes, although it seems all in good fun to me but I can’t be sure. Certainly the show also has fun with the uber wealthy, the elderly, the naive, American immigrants, ADHD, health care, substance abuse, etc, etc. It’s been a while since I saw 30 Rock, but it’s similar, just since this isn’t network TV it’s a little more aggressive in the writing. Although I’m not necessarily easy to take offense, I have been known to roll my eyes at some of the shows that go to hard after a special interest group I belong to. Whether it be corporate America, geek culture, straight white males, people with certain physical traits, etc. So when a show just makes silly on all aspects of life it sits better with me from a balance standpoint.

I watched part of an interview with Tina Fey and in some ways she’s very different from the characters she plays and writes. I guess this should go without saying, but some actors and writers are just being themselves in their work, but she came across as rather buttoned-up and reserved, but she still had a touch of biting wit too. She seemed self aware and made fun of herself, which I think is why she can write comedy that would otherwise come across as offensive. I don’t know.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

@Th3solution I believe we do, yes. I recently abandoned my Netflix subscription but I plan on getting the occasional month to work through a few upcoming things, so I'll add it to my "if there's time" list and can always extend another month if it reels me in. I appreciate the stereotype warning. Based on the strength of 30 Rock, if there's anybody I trust to make such a character work, it's Tina Fey. Similar to what you describe, I get angry when stereotypes are presented as normal (or worse, aspirational) in some shows but, if the purpose of a comedy is to send up or satirise something, then I laugh, and just hope that everybody else gets the joke. Most of my cringes or eye-rolling moments are because I worry about how others will interpret certain things, and not because I've taken personal offence.

Yeah, for some reason, Amazon included a two-minute promo as part of 30 Rock's fourth season and it had a brief clip of Tina Fey being interviewed, and I had that same reaction; she seemed so quiet and formal, even for those few seconds. It's why I think some of the characters' awkwardness works. I'm not usually a fan of cringe humour when it's written by somebody who just likes to laugh at people's discomfort, but if somebody's writing from experience then I think it lands better.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Th3solution

@RogerRoger Well definitely let me know if you dive into Kimmie Schmidt. If you find any of the portrayal distasteful then I’ll abandon the show (I’ve only watched 3 out of the 4 seasons so far) and cease recommending it to others. I respect your level-headed opinions.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

@Th3solution Whilst I'm deeply flattered by the gesture, you should always continue to laugh at whatever you find funny, my friend. Life's too short, and humour's too subjective. There'll always be somebody, somewhere, who takes offence but chances are, if a particular show has made it to its fourth season on one of the major streaming services, it isn't crossing, and hasn't crossed, any distasteful lines. Besides, you're a smart and good person, so I'm willing to bet that you can tell the difference between deliberately humourous and deliberately hurtful. If it makes you laugh, then laugh!

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Th3solution

@RogerRoger Thanks, bud. I do try to be aware and sensitive; I’m always paranoid that I might unknowingly create or support offense toward someone.

But you make a good point that by season 4 we would have had alarms sounded if content had crossed the line.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

Th3solution wrote:

I do try to be aware and sensitive; I’m always paranoid that I might unknowingly create or support offense toward someone.

That thought alone is what makes all the difference, and it's why you've got nothing to worry about.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

BowTiesAreCool

@Sorteddan the UK used to mean United Kingdom, but ask anyone today and they’ll tell you it stands for Unbelievable Krimewave

BowTiesAreCool

nessisonett

@BowTiesAreCool Unbelievable Krimewave sounds like an early 00s garage act. Like Sweet Female Attitude or DJ Pied Piper & The Masters of Ceremonies.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

Sorry, this topic has been locked.