Television Shows

TV Review: Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience, Series 5

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Rhod Gilbert is the King of Similes and the possible love-child of Dylan Moran and Paul O’Grady. Words cannot easily express the comedic talent of this man, nor is it a simple task to pinpoint his style of comedy without relying on a selection of direct quotes.

Work Experience is a show that sets a challenge and then sees it accomplished. During each episode, the comedian is made to learn all about a new profession for the first time and complete a trial run of that career choice. It sounds simple enough. But what Work Experience teaches Rhod, and the television audience, is that there are a great number highly underestimated and undervalued workers out there with incredibly arduous jobs. When the slightly odd format and incredibly deadpan comedy of Gilbert are combined, this makes for real entertainment.

Rhod Gilbert

Not only is the programme humorous, but it is also informative and eccentric, with stunning camera work (particularly evident in episode one: Fisherman). With such a massive amount of laughs and lessons crammed into half an hour, you’d think it would feel heavy or even boring, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

These mini documentaries leave you feeling educated, entertained and contented (the latter being down to Rhod Gilbert’s presence alone). It is light-hearted, friendly and often pretty stupid (again, down to Rhod) and is one of those programmes that feels so personable, it’s as if we are reading funny man’s own diary. He allows himself to be vulnerable and makes it clear when he is afraid or out of his comfort zone and that is something of great value and importance to me as a viewer.

To catch up on the latest series, visit BBC iPlayer

TV Review: The League of Gentlemen

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The League of Gentlemen is a dark comedy classic, full of hideous characters and disturbing events. It is often a very difficult show to watch, if not only for the sheer number of times we must see Mark Gatiss die in the most brutal of ways. That would be pretty traumatic for anyone.

Royston Vasey is a place for misfits; a place for the flawed, the unsettled and the peculiar. It is obvious when there is an intruder in the village, and we all know what happens to intruders, to un-locals. From the iconic married couple: Tubbs and Edward, who insist that their shop is a “local shop for local people”, to the patronising head of the Job Centre: Pauline (who would have guessed that Steve Pemberton would make such a wonderful woman?), The League of Gentlemen covers a wide range of characters and sketches.

There is one advantage to being fifteen years late watching this programme and that is that I can clearly see how it has influenced, and shares similarities of, our British comedy culture today, especially shows like Little Britain and The Mighty Boosh. Another development that should be clear to today’s viewers is that of Inside No. 9: the most recent work from Shearsmith and Pemberton, and another dark and twisted comedy delight.

It is clear that a huge amount of care and general hard graft went into the making of this programme and this is evident in the fragments between sketches, such as posters for crazy things like missing fingers and downright disgusting things like an exploded tortoise stuck to the roof of a taxi. The camera work is wonderful at sweepingly through the village and showing some of the various absurd places and people.

The League of Gentlemen is a programme that no comedy-lover should miss, though I expect most people haven’t missed it at all; it was only I who was stupid enough to do that.

TV Review: Gadget Man, Series 3

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I know I talked last year about Gadget Man but I feel I can’t not write something new about its wonderful new series and the hilarity that is Richard Ayoade.

As always, Gadget Man is a programme that shows us, obviously, plenty of exciting and wacky gadgets but it is presented, with thanks to Ayoade, in a punchy, intriguing way that stands out against the handful of other gadget-related shows out there. Armed with a fluorescent orange suit with a knitted blue tie, Ayoade exudes confidence and sass. When this is teamed with his pessimistic comments and constant sarcasm, he really is a man not to be messed with.

Richard’s clear disgust at the prospect of public transport, during episode two, really resonates with me and to feel I am in some way similar to this genius should welcomed openly by us all. Richard’s general hatred of everything is summed up in one sentence uttered to fellow comic, Russell Howard: “being with you has reminded of how much I prefer being on my own”.

There are often two guests per episode in this series and these include Tim Vine, Marcus Brigstocke, Adam Buxton, Russell Howard, Phill Jupitus and Ade Edmondson amongst many others. It’s obvious that this show is at it’s best and I would watch a new episode everyday if that was possible.

The series so far is available, as usual, on 4OD and you can watch the next episode on Channel 4 at 8.30pm on Monday.

TV Review: Big School, Series 2

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Big School is a British Sitcom that began last year and was highly successful and incredibly popular. It has a common set up, being set in a regular secondary school, but the two main roles are filled by the nation’s sweethearts, and comedy legends, Catherine Tate and David Walliams. The double act is striking because it blends two of the biggest comic actors from when I was very young, and I wouldn’t necessarily have thought they could work so well together. But, God, do they.

We all know that Walliams is a brilliant character actor from his memorable performances in Little Britain, but here he plays a character I have never seen him attempt before. Socially inept and shockingly childish, Mr Church is a Chemistry teacher at Greybridge School. Upon the arrival of the new French teacher, Miss Postern (Tate), Church falls head over heels in love and makes it his mission to sweep her off her feet.

Tate and Walliams’ personalities bounce off each other fluently and with great ease. They compliment one another with their quick, abrasive dialogue and clearly find each other utterly hilarious. Their obvious compatibility makes this programme a very easy and enjoyable one to watch, with the help of Philip Glenister’s role of PE teacher, Mr Gunn. Trevor Gunn is painfully dense but also very likeable. He has a fantastic screen presence, and a certain vulnerability that makes him very endearing.

Another stand out performance is that of Frances de la Tour, who plays the role of Ms Baron, the abhorrent but hysterically funny headmistress of Greybridge. Her character is similar to that of Michelle Gomez’s Sue White in Green Wing but a little less insane, and significantly more hateful. Morgana Robinson pleasantly surprised us all with a guest appearance in one episode as Miss Postern’s school ‘friend’ turned novelist who seems somewhat more successful than the French teacher herself, much to Postern’s disgust.

The only criticism I have of this show regards a very minor detail, and that is the role of the school children at Greybridge. Individually they are all wonderful actors, of course, they wouldn’t be there otherwise, but the way the school acts as a collective seems abnormal to me- though this may be because I spend most of my life at school. And then again, Greybridge isn’t an entirely normal school, so maybe that’s just me being too rational: something that Big School definitely is not! You will have to make your own judgements in that case, and that can only be done by catching up with the whole series on BBC iPlayer.

Top 5 Moments… The IT Crowd

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The IT Crowd ran between the years 2006 and 2010 for four series (with one special finale episode in September 2013). With it being such a well-known and loved British sitcom, jam-packed with such immense comedy talent, I thought it would be a nice idea to present to you my top five moments from all of the twenty five episodes.

5) A Suicide at Reynholm Industries (Series 2, Episode 2)

Denholm Reynholm, played by the infamous Chris Morris, was the original head of Reynholm industries until one fateful day during series two of the show. Everybody already knew that Denholm was prone to getting a bit hot under the collar, with frequent moody stares and bellowing fits, so we shouldn’t really have been too surprised to see his latest smart move. Upon being interrupted in a meeting to be told that the police want to look into some “financial irregularities” in the industry’s accounts, he promptly gets up and jumps out of the window, falling quickly to his death. The promptness and simplicity of this will always make this funny for me, and it was the perfect way for the talent that is Morris to leave the show (though it’s a shame he had to).

4) Roy and his Disabled Legs (Series 2, Episode 1)

During a work outing to the theatre with Moss, Jen and Jen’s new boyfriend, Roy and Moss encounter a dreaded toilet attendant so are forced to visit the disabled toilets instead. Roy quickly regrets this decision when he mistakingly pulls the emergency cord rather than the toilet chain and is bombarded with theatre staff thinking he is in a crisis. In typical IT Crowd style, of course Roy pretends he is disabled and has, in fact, had his wheelchair stolen. He informs the staff that he is disabled “in the legs” and the reason for this is “acid”, and of course, that makes perfect sense to them and they try to help him in every way they can…

3) That’s Right, We’re Looking at You (Series 3, Episode 6)

Roy is sent to do something that a man from IT is very rarely sent to do: go and fix something IT-related. While he is there, he notices a framed picture on a girl’s desk. The picture shows a young man looking “absolutely mental” in Roy’s opinion. This is because the man is boss-eyed. In a rapid string of strange events, Roy ends up directing a “geek” calendar in order to raise money for the charity and he rakes in all of his nerd friends in to help.

2) Goth 2 Boss (Series 4, Episode 6)

When Douglas Reynholm’s wife, Victoria, returns and demands a divorce, with significant monetary payouts, he realises that he is going to need a lawyer. And who better to represent Douglas than IT Relationship Manager, Jen? (She knows about relationships, right?). So Jen is stuck trying to form some kind of defence for Douglas and is rapidly running out of ideas; that is until Richmond, renowned socially-rejected goth at Reynholm Industries, steps up with his fantastic “Goth 2 Boss” related reason for why Victoria is a fraud. Unfortunately, and typically, Richmond turns out to be mistaken but we still get remarkable insight into his new business venture.

1) She’s Dead! (Series 1, Episode 5)

When Moss is left to tell a little white lie to Jen’s new boyfriend, Bill Crouse (Adam Buxton), regarding why Jen wasn’t at the office at that present time, he accidentally blurts out that she has, in fact, died. As the lies spiral out of control, Bill continues to see Jen walking around the building (because, believe it or not, she isn’t actually dead). The circumstances are painfully poised to convince the poor man that he is being haunted by the ghost of his past lover, and he becomes increasingly terrified throughout the episode:

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

What is your favourite IT Crowd moment of all time? Let me know in the comments, or by tweeting me at @moodycomedy.

TV Review: Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, Series 2

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I wrote a post towards the end of July reflecting on the first episode of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy: Tales from Painted Hawaii (series two) but this series has been so dense with artistic talent and clear passion, that I couldn’t possibly not revisit it after all five episodes.

It’s no secret that I am a massive fan of Noel Fielding and his work, so was obviously hugely excited that the long-anticipated second series had finally arrived. These episodes have taken a long time to produce because they are one of a kind; the process of making them seems to be more rigorous than that of various other Sitcom style shows. Love Luxury Comedy or hate it, it is impossible to deny that the makers of this show have presented their audience with great innovation: with the bright and complex animation from Nigel Coan; an eccentric soundtrack from Fielding and Kasabian‘s Serge Pizzorno; along with brilliantly intricate set and costume design from James Dillon and Ameena Kara Callender.

As well as the obvious beauty and detail involved in the visuals of Luxury Comedy, the stories are also packed full of references to art and literary culture such as Andy Warhol (of course), George Orwell and Yoko Ono. This alone is proof for me that the makers of Luxury Comedy have not been lazy during the creative process: every scene is punchy, a little bit mad, but also intelligent.

Reality Man

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Watchers of series one who weren’t impressed may be pleased to know that this series is a lot more relatable for audiences, with occasional cynical statements that can catch you off guard.

Smooth: “What do you do to escape?”

Reality Man: “Panel shows. What’s funnier than five men in shiny shirts taking a side-ways look at the week’s news?”

In this way, I think this series is a lot more self-aware, in fact, one episode even focuses on the idea of the show only having one viewer (a Brummie named Terry, played by Steve Oram) and the fact that they must save him from certain death.

In addition to the lovely Noel, the show is full of immense comedic talents such as his Mighty Boosh co-stars (Dave Brown, Rich Fulcher, Richard Ayoade, Simon Farnaby and Tom Meeten) and of course, the delightful star of Doll & Em: Dolly Wells and Tom Meeten’s partner-in-crime: Steve Oram (Sightseers).

I would have to say that this programme is probably one of my favourites to ever appear on television, particularly this new series. It appeals to all of my interests: comedy, music and art (and Noel Fielding of course) but most importantly of all: Luxury Comedy is a source of inspiration to me. Every aspect screams quality and I sincerely hope the show and its creators flourish in the coming months as a result.

The whole of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy: Tales From Painted Hawaii is available on 4OD.

TV Review: Green Wing

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I know I’m late to the party with this one, with Green Wing having first been broadcast in September 2004 (though you could say I’ve chosen the best time to watch it: on its ten year anniversary).

IMDB describes the show as a “funny hospital-based sketch-comedy-drama type show,” which I think is very accurate, but if I had to describe Green Wing in just one word, I would probably say it is ‘dense’. This is neither a negative nor positive judgement of the show, though I do like it very much. I think my feelings stems from a few core values it holds throughout: firstly, the episodes are physically very long (each around 50 minutes) and there are nine of them in the series. As well as this, however, I think this feeling of density comes from the vast amount of quality acting, writing and directing throughout.

The cast is thriving with young (therefore not so young and very well known now) British comedy talent, including Tamsin Greig, Mark Heap, Stephen Mangan, Michelle Gomez and Olivia Colman (a few of my favourites, though there are more than ten big roles). I admire the cast of this programme because they aren’t afraid to look foolish: the writers make it clear that this is not a serious drama from the offset by scripting in surreal situations along with extremely childish behaviour.

green wing

There is a great deal of slapstick comedy with an almost Mr Bean-like quality to add to the entirely strange experience of watching Green Wing. The use of camera and soundtrack will often accentuate this in cases where everything will speed up at times and then slow right down to less-than-natural levels.

A stand-out performance for me would have to be that of Michelle Gomez, who plays Sue White, an actress who recently appeared in a recent episode of Doctor Who: Deep Breath and is also recognised as Bad Education‘s Isobel Pickwell. She captures the insanity of Green Wing effortlessly with her deadpan delivery of lines like: “I could put a spell on you” in the middle of a mature conversation.

Although Gomez is a particular favourite of mine, it would be impossible to pick an overall ‘best’ performance because they are all incredible and devoted actors. The insanity of Pippa Haywood and Tamsin Greig’s characters teamed with the typical almost-character-tropes of Stephen Mangan, Olivia Colman and Karl Theobald’s roles makes for truly excellent viewing.

This is obviously a show for every comedy-lover out there and I regret being so late to the party.

TV Review: Siblings

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It’s always a great feeling to discover a new Sitcom on a popular television channel that surprises you with its innovation and originality. Siblings is one of those programmes for me.

This show follows the lives of sibling housemates Hannah (Charlotte Ritchie) and Dan (Tom Stourton) as they go about their days attempting to do as little work as possible and spend their time having a good time instead. Hannah has a regular office job where her manager is a ‘functioning alcoholic’ which means it is incredibly easy for her to escape responsibility on a daily basis, and generally spend less than five hours at work each day. Dan, on the other hand, spends all his time at home being bored out of his dim-witted brain. This results in him doing the most moronic things yet somehow avoiding the consequences (due to luck, rather than skill), a rather over-used concept but approached in an entirely new way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soMOeO_7Mdk

This is a Sitcom set in an entirely normal environment, yet what makes Siblings so insane is the characters within it. It’s a familiar habit of mine to allow my brain to tick over and get distracted while watching these kind of programmes but this one is an exception because of the wacky dialogue and actions of the brother and sister duo. As well as making many stupid decisions throughout, Hannah, in particular, is actually quite a horrible person (though I love her, but maybe that says a more about me than it says about anything else). For example, in order to make a good impression on her new boss in Episode One, Hannah makes it her duty to prove that the other office workers are not a patch on herself. Whilst in conversation with her new boss, Annette (Tracy Ann Oberman), and co-worker, Kevin, she suggests rather loudly:

“Kevin, what was that thing you were saying the other week about how gay people shouldn’t be allowed to live by the seaside?”

Siblings is a true breath of comedy-fresh-air and I look forward to watching the rest of the series over the coming weeks. You can catch up with the episodes so far on BBC iPlayer and watch Episode Three on BBC 3 at 10.30pm tonight.

TV Review: Friday Night Dinner

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Friday Night Dinner is a fast-paced and brilliantly written sitcom about the slightly dysfunctional and entirely deranged Goodman family. Although the brand new series three has recently been shown on television (Channel 4), I have been catching up on all of the previous series as well as this one, with each being equally as strong as the last.

The format is relatively simple: it follows the family every week, where the boys visit their parents for Friday night dinner. The true skill here is evident in the excellent script writing (the programme is written and produced by the insanely talented Robert Popper) for the conversations are utterly insane but have been injected with a surprising amount of wit. The characters in the programme are consistently getting themselves into terrible situations, often involving difficult grandparents, girlfriends and troublesome neighbours.

Friday Night Dinner is one of the rare television programmes that has a solid cast through and through, with the four recurring characters consisting of two grown-up sons, Jonny and Adam (played by Tom Rosenthal and Simon Bird respectively) and unlikely married couple: Martin and Jackie (Paul Ritter and Tamsin Greig). As well as this, the fantastically talented Mark Heap plays the family’s sinister neighbour: Jim Bell, a character that has had me crying with laughter on multiple occasions.

My favourite character would have to be Jim. With his seemingly irrational fear of his Belgian Shepard, Wilson, and obvious lack of social skills teamed up with the fact he clearly fancies Jackie, every encounter with this tricky neighbour is absolutely hilarious. Mark Heap is a very talented comedic actor and this is made apparent through his uncanny ability to generate a laugh from the viewer purely from a facial expression or body stance. Heap has been given the role of a very typical comedy trope but has managed to make it his own, whilst demonstrating originality and skill.

It is hard to single out any other stand out actors in this programme because they are all undeniably outstanding, with Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal effortlessly filling the role of annoying, immature, and yet somehow loveable young men and Tamsin Greig and Paul Ritter adding an interesting twist to their parenting personas. The character of Martin (Ritter) triggers many of the biggest laughs in each episode with his absurd catchphrase: “Shit on it!” and generally stupid and disgusting antics whereas Jackie (Greig) has expertly mastered the art of suggesting her emotions through her facial expressions, which has amusing consequences.

Friday Night Dinner deals with multiple recurring jokes that the viewer can never tire of, such as the way Jim always gets confused between Adam and Jonny:

Jonny: “Jim have you seen Adam?”

Jim: “I thought you were Adam?”

Jim is also ignorant regarding the family’s Jewish heritage, but not necessarily Jewish faith. He often tries to join in on their ‘Jewish traditions’ such as fashioning himself a “Jewish hat” and presenting them with a Schmoigle which is an offering of a basket of fruit.

This is easily one of my favourite sitcoms of all time and I hope there are many more series to come. You can catch up on all previous episodes from the past three series on 4OD.

I will leave you with the words of Jim: “Thank you all for the lovely evening. Well, except for everything that happened.”

TV Review: Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy: Tales From Painted Hawaii

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Yesterday, on the 24th of July, 4OD previewed the first episode of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy: Tales of Painted Hawaii, which was, of course, greeted with open arms by the Fielding community. Noel has previously said that this series took a lot longer to write than the first, and that audiences should be prepared for a very different show format. This is down to the fact that the making of series one of Luxury Comedy was a chance for Fielding and the other creative minds behind the show to throw lots of ideas into the mix, as well as there being an obvious need to establish a few core characters and concepts, and as a result, the show’s debut was a colourful combination of the insane and the psychedelic.

Although this first series was adored by fans all over the world, it also received a fair amount of criticism from people who thought it was a step too far and many suggested it was self-indulgent. I can’t say I disagree with the latter, but I wouldn’t say it was a bad thing: it is important that creators of content are in love with what they are producing, and I think Fielding’s passion for both art and comedy shone through. From what has been shown of series two, however, Luxury Comedy has evolved into a wonderful sitcom, rather than the fast-paced sketch show it was previously. By approaching the format in this way, Noel and Nigel Coan (who co-wrote the show) have been able to add a great deal of depth to all the characters, which is evident from the first episode alone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmND4XGw0zE

There is a fresh new energy within the cast, that is made up of Noel Fielding, Mike Fielding, Tom Meeten and Dolly Wells, but still has the same feelings of warmth and familiarity of previous episodes. Actually, there are many subtle changes as well, such as the way Noel is much more self-depreciating and, therefore, more ‘human’. That is a definite theme I picked up on: the show has suddenly become a lot more human. This is made clear in the dialogue where characters often refer to the audience, or the fact that the show didn’t have many viewers (though it did, of course).

With the immense talent that is Serge Pizzorno (Kasabian) working with Noel to create the show’s music and the famously gifted Dave Brown putting together the unique and recognisable animation, the programme is absolutely seamless. Subsequently, right at the start of this first episode, with the title sequence that features efforts from both sides, there really is a lot to sing and dance about.

I cannot wait to see the rest of the new series of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy and will probably write up a full post about it when it finishes as I just can’t help myself; Noel is my idol.