British Comedy

TV Review: Lead Balloon

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Although this show isn’t particularly new, I still feel it deserves some praise and I’d like to get some more people to check it out if they haven’t already. Not enough people talk about the SitCom Lead Balloon, that ran from 2007 to 2011 (running for four series) and was written by the brilliant Jack Dee and Pete Sinclair and also starred Dee as the down-beat and sarcastic Rick Spleen.

I would describe it as almost an anti-comedy as the plot revolves around Rick Spleen, a failed and world-weary comedian, going about his daily life and just upsetting people as he does so. Rick lives with his lovely wife, Mel, and teenage daughter, Sam. He spends his days with friend and writing partner, Marty, who is undeniably wittier than Rick himself, and they have lunch in the same café every day- the café belonging to Michael. Sam, her boyfriend, Ben, and the house cleaner, Magda, together manage to get under Rick’s feet and continuously irritate him as he grumpily goes about his daily business. As a result of his unaddressed anger, Rick manages to make all the wrong choices and simultaneously annoy everyone in his path. Every episode presents countless disasters for Rick that are actually caused by himself in the first place.

Lead Balloon

There are two characters that I absolutely adore: Michael (played by Tony Gardner), the loveable but almost certainly ‘unhinged’ cafe owner, and Magda (Anna Crilly), the house cleaner, who is grumpy and sarcastic and has a very strong, unspecified Eastern-European accent. One of my favourite episodes was S1E3, where Michael holds a sponsored skip to raise money for a mental health charity. To cut the story short (sorry, spoilers), Michael winds up being hit by a car (Rick’s) and the way the plot plays out is truly hilarious.

The format of the programme is simple, repetitive and homely. There are many recurring jokes throughout and I’ll outline them to give you more of an overview as to what each episode entails:

  • Marty is a lot funnier than Rick.
  • Sam’s boyfriend, Ben, never commits to anything properly.
  • Sam is always after her dad’s money.
  • Michael is creepy (unknown mental health issues).
  • Mel is always right.
  • Rick will always upset most people/dig himself a hole.

There are many parallels to be drawn between Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Jack Dee’s Lead Balloon:

“Many people have compared Lead Balloon with a similarly excruciating comedy from the US, Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Dee, however, says that Curb didn’t directly inspire his sitcom. ‘Lead Balloon was about me taking 20 years of stand-up and putting that kind of comedy into a dramatic situation. I would claim my right to that comedy because I’ve been doing it for a lot longer than Curb Your Enthusiasm has been around, much as I love it.’ “

I love Lead Balloon because it is simple, uncomfortable and warm. I’m a firm believer that it is also accessible to pretty much anyone and it has a fond place in my heart.

The Mighty Boosh, Revisited

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The 18th May 2014 marks the ten year anniversary of the first episode of The Mighty Boosh and as it is my favourite programme of all time, I thought I should do something a bit special to celebrate. I feel that the rush of everyday life can get in the way of appreciating the show in all its glory so have decided to revisit every episode from the very beginning. There will be an individual post each of the show’s 20 episodes, staggered over a few months, as I want to keep a variation of posts on the site. If you haven’t watched The Mighty Boosh before, this is your push to do so as it is honestly one of the loveliest, funniest and most original shows there has ever been.

© babycow

© babycow

But first, a little overview of the show for those of you who somehow haven’t seen it, or maybe just want a recap.

The Mighty Boosh is the birthplace of many of my favourite comedians and is a work of visual, as well as comedic art. The frontmen, of course, are Vince Noir (Noel Fielding) and Howard Moon (Julian Barratt), an unlikely pairing of two complete opposites. Howard, a sombre, mellow jazz maverick with a great interest in poetry and stationery, and Vince, doe-eyed bimbo sunshine man, obsessed with fashion and celebrity culture. Series One is set in the Zooniverse where the duo live with Naboo, the mystical shaman (Mike Fielding) and Bollo, the sarcastic gorilla (Dave Brown). The Zoo is run by foul-mouthed dancing queen Bob Fossil (Rich Fulcher). A well-rounded group I’d say. Throughout this series, the Zoo undergoes many difficulties as well as being visited by many questionable personalities such as Dixon Bainbridge (Matt Berry).

Series Two signalled a change for the Boosh Boys upon their move to the flat above the Nabootique, a gift shop. Bollo has been promoted to shopkeeper’s assistant and Bob Fossil has disappeared off the scene (although Fulcher reoccurs as various characters throughout). And finally, Series Three is where the boys are given reign over the shop, while Naboo goes out on various errands. In most episodes, Naboo returns with Bollo to find his shop in disarray and it is up to him to fix whatever went wrong. Oh trusty Naboo.

babycow

© babycow

The programme features many familiar faces (that I will go into as they appear during the episode guides) but most of the characters are played by Noel, Julian, Dave, Mike and Rich. I’m sure you are aware of the variety of characters involved, ranging from Tommy Nooka with his head of cheese to sexual predator of the sea, Old Gregg. The episodes are also broken up with the most wonderful little songs, called Crimps, that can lighten the mood no matter how desperate the situation.

Stay tuned for part one of The Mighty Boosh, Revisited!

THE REVISITED SERIES

Review: Joe Lycett – If Joe Lycett Then You Should’ve Put A Ring On It (2014)

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Yesterday evening, I finally got tJoe Lycetto see Joe Lycett’s show If Joe Lycett Then You Should’ve Put A Ring On It after waiting for such a long time. I saw him last month at a comedy night but we only got to see a limited set due to there being other comedians there.

Joe’s set was basically an extended version of the set I saw at the Comedy Hut but was just as funny, if not funnier the second time around. The show featured many of his famous letters of complaint that he had sent out to various companies (this was one of my favourite parts of the show) which were delivered in Joe’s brilliantly exaggerated manner and this is what really ‘makes’ them. The way these complaints were so pedantic and utterly self-indulgent is why they are fantastic- it reminds me a bit of Rich Fulcher’s book: Tiny Acts Of Rebellion which is full of silly but hilarious ways to break the rules of society. He also featured hate mail that he had received which was funny in the same way, and the insults were so imaginative, you can’t help but applaud the guy who sent them.

There was a big focus on homophobia but not in a heavy, rally kind of way, just in the sense that comedy addresses things that are often very serious but adds a lighter slant to them. (For example, Paul Foot talks about the levels of homophobia in his jokes called ‘Disturbances’.) There was a great game Joe played with the audience where we had to decide what percentage of ‘gay’ certain things had. Just counting the days until that becomes televised really.

My absolute favourite part, without giving too much away, is Joe’s spirit animal: Walrus. I agree with him that horoscopes etc are rubbish but absolutely love the idea of having a spirit animal like Walrus, he sounds like such a great guy. I’d love to be able to blame my horribleness on a walrus and the way Joe talked about his experience with Walrus had the audience in tears of laughter.

TV Review: GameFace

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roisin

Yesterday evening brought Roisin Conaty’s pilot episode of the show she wrote and stars in, GameFace to 4OD. I absolutely adore Roisin so knew it would be brilliant. Her role as Jo in Man Down (featuring Greg Davies) was utterly hilarious and it’s one of my favourite sitcoms of the past few months.

The pilot followed Marcella: a young, under-achieving party lover who is attempting to put her life back on track by starting driving lessons and attending therapy to enable her to have a ‘fresh start’ on her birthday. She describes herself as a ‘Lone Wolf’ but this is misinterpreted as ‘Lonely Wolf’ by her therapist (if that’s what I should call him), and I think this is something that could be followed up if and when a series progresses from the pilot because obviously the audience will eventually develop emotional attachments to the main characters.

Many familiar faces popped up throughout the episode including Joel Dommett (Conaty’s Impractical Jokers Pal) as the pizza boy, in one of my favourite scenes of the episode, and Mike Wozniak who played the part of Brian in Man Down. There were also lots of people I didn’t recognise which is always good as I’m always up for broadening my horizons.

As well as the pilot being very very funny, Roisin made me feel like a normal human by saying something along the lines of:

“Breakfast isn’t that important. If you’re hungry you’re hungry, if not just get on with your day.”

I’m SO glad someone else said it as this is the one thing in my life that makes me feel most like an outcast (ha).

I really can’t wait for a series to be made of GameFace as I love Rosin Conaty, the scripting was excellent and there were many unique aspects to the programme that I liked such as the parts where Marcella is sat in her therapist’s office and there are flashbacks to the events of her previous week. There is definitely space for the storyline to develop and I can’t see how I’d ever get bored of this wonderful new show!

TV Review: Doll & Em

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Yesterday, I visited my best friend, Phoebe, and we watched the final two episodes of the gorgeous show that is Doll & Em. I knew I would love this show because I had seen a pilot clip of Dolly & Laura (a very simliar concept with Dolly Wells and Laura Patch) before from quite a few years ago, which features Noel Fielding (my absolute favourite), and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. Doll & Em follows two best friends, both aged fourty-something. They are Dolly, a clumsy, almost naive but entirely loveable lady who has just broken up with her longterm boyfriend, and Emily, the successful Hollywood actress with a load of famous phone contacts. At the start of the first episode, Em decides to hire Dolly as her personal assistant as an excuse for the two of them to spend more time together while the actress films for her latest movie project in LA.

phoebe & becca

Phoebe (left) and I (right)

The show is endearing, hilarious and extremely uncomfortable in places because Dolly often manages to say or do the wrong thing that leads to her either looking an idiot to the Hollywood stars or completely showing up Emily. The funniest moment for me happened pretty early on, where Dolly goes for a swim in the pool outside Emily’s apartment and ends up getting locked out there all day. Both Doll’s clumsiness and charm really come out in this scene and it had me and my friend laughing until we were in tears. The fact this show appeals to both of our senses of humour is great and I definitely feel that Phoebe and I have a similar relationship to that of Doll and Em (though we have never had an argument and neither of us are good at acting). This might be why I like it so much, it’s almost a sneak-peek into the future of our own friendship in a weird way.

What really makes the programme work is the fact that Doll and Em, much like Phoebe and I, have been best friends since they were little girls in real life and it really shines through beautifully. Their personalities are entirely different yet they bounce off each other brilliantly and have such a close relationship that it borders on dysfunctional. Also, I have loved Dolly for a long time due to her role in Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy but had never come across Emily Mortimer before… until it was pointed out by a hilariously slow customer at the restaurant where Dolly works that it was her in Shutter Island. I love that film, and almost feel like I have achieved something from learning this information: I feel like I already know Emily in the way I already knew Dolly.

doll and em

Doll (left) and Em (right)

The absolute cherry on the cake was the appearance of Noel towards the end of the final episode. Although he is acting so has toned his fashion sense down ever so slightly (he still wears a poncho, of course), when the camera pans out you can see the glimmer of his silver chelsea boots which I thought was fantastic. The final few scenes of the series featured Noel, which is always a positive, but the performances of both ladies were flawless: I could feel the love they have for each other radiating through the screen.

I’ve never seen a programme quite like Doll & Em and I can really tell it is a product of love, both for the show and for each other. I will be over the moon if this beauty is commissioned for a second series and I can imagine there being a wonderful film adaptation of Doll & Em one day.

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Noel’s scene

TV Review: The Alternative Comedy Experience

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The Alternative Comedy Experience is important because it aims to show what intimate comedy gigs are actually like so for people who don’t see a lot of live comedy, or only have experience of big arenas, it really shows a whole new world. The show consists of a whole load of individual stand up sets that have been chopped up into small sections and made into thirty minute episodes with as many as four or five comedians featuring in each one. The premise of the show was thought up by the genius that is Stewart Lee and features snippets of interviews conducted by Lee with each comic. The general criteria for the comedians is ‘alternative’ with some being more commonly known than others and I was drawn to the show because many of my favourites feature such as Paul Foot, Tony Law, Henning Wehn and of course, Stewart Lee.

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Programmes like this are great because they introduce a whole range of new comics to the viewers. For example, I fell in love with David Kay’s down beat tone which had everyone laughing in the breaks between talking, which is a talent. I had only ever seen Josie Long on panel shows before but I adored her brilliant political views that were hilarious and not too heavy. I think it’s important for comics to discuss politics in their material because young people especially need to be more familiar with things that directly effect them. And Britain’s politicians are laughable in themselves, lest us forget.

I only own series one of The Alternative Comedy Experience and know a second series was released early this year so need to get myself a copy of that. From what I did see though, I definitely wish there could have been more of Paul Foot in particular as I know he is a genius but he didn’t seem to get much stage-time. There were others who I would like to have seen more of also, including Bridget Christie, Robin Ince and David O’Doherty (I have many of his weird songs on my iPod- he’s fantastic, like the love child of Tim Minchin and a child? a chimp? I don’t know).

Tony Law got quite a lot of time which was brilliant because as you know, he’s one of my all time favourites. I worship that guy, seriously- his material is quick, insane and SO surreal which is everything I could want. Henning Wehn was also on top form as usual (he is rapidly becoming one of my favourites) and I can’t wait to watch the DVD I have of his latest stand up tour: No Surrender.

I am looking forward to series two of this show but in the meantime, I will be looking out for names like David Kay, Alun Cochrane and Bridget Christie in particular as these new names stood out for me. Also, I have an important query- HOW ON EARTH IS BRIDGET CHRISTIE 42?! She must be a time traveller or something, she looks wonderful.

I don’t really know anyone who watches this show, so let me know if you do and restore my faith in humanity thanks!

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March: Comedian Of The Month #2, James Acaster

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james acaster

Each Comedian of the Month on MoodyComedy is a comic who has never previously featured on the website. Reasons for selection can include various current projects the comedian is involved with, or perhaps recent appearances on television programmes or podcasts. There is no strict criteria however, as Comedian of the Month simply stands as a collection of recommendations, highlighting interesting and original aspects of certain comedians and their work.

I’ve known who James is for quite a while but only seen him on the odd panel show here and there so this month I made a conscious effort to check out some of his work. I decided to do this after seeing his recent appearance on 8 Out of 10 Cats where he was absolutely hilarious- a complete weirdo, but a brilliant one. He really stood out during this episode as he seems to carry a strange kind of energy with him that is really refreshing to a panel show as they can get tedious very easily if the panel isn’t rotated regularly enough.

I think I like James because he reminds me of Paul Foot, one of my all time favourite comedians, though of course he has his own quirks that make him so original. They both have brilliant confidence that is hidden behind an apparent shyness, so it is surprising when they come out with something either quite profound or very shocking. His presence on panel shows is a powerful one: he just needs to give a certain look and everyone will be laughing and I think that must be a really hard skill to master.

James is young-looking, wide-eyed and innocent but also incredibly quick-witted and wise for his age. I thought his material about the apple in the orchard, featured in the clip below, was very clever yet didn’t feel self-indulgent in any way. With complicated material, many comics get caught up in the selfish side of it: of appearing clever or superior, but James doesn’t do this at all. He remains charmingly simple but we can see he has a sharp mind.

I definitely recommend you check James Acaster out as he is gaining more and more fans with every passing week. His twitter is here so follow him if you’re into that twitter malarky.

For more information, visit James Acaster’s website and follow him on Twitter.

FEBRUARY COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Podcast Review: The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast

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Stuart Goldsmith

I thought I’d share with you my favourite ever comedy podcast, made by a really nice guy, and something that I think every comedy lover should know about. The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast was created by stand up comedian, Stuart Goldsmith and began in 2012  (though I only started listening in the past year or so). It is my favourite for a number of reasons:

Firstly, the guests are all absolutely  brilliant comedians. Although I haven’t listened to  all of the episodes as of yet, the ones I have picked out and listened to have been hilarious but interesting as well. Brendon Burns, Tony Law and Gary Delaney’s episodes proved particularly engaging because as well as being obviously funny people, they actually offered details into how they workand what their comedy means to them which is something other podcasts don’t offer.

Stuart Goldsmith himself is very funny and extremely knowledgable which I think is very important as you can see he is passionate about what he does. I always love seeing people get excited about the work they do and this was particularly clear when Stuart interviewed Tony Law (and who can blame him). Tony is one of my all time favourite comedians, I met him last year and he is just as lovely as he is hilarious.

Sara Pascoe

Listening to this podcast has taught me a lot about comedy but it never feels as though I am being lectured: it’s an entertaining kind of learning. My all time favourite episode was Sara Pascoe’s because I learnt so much about her but also about the kind of person it takes to be a successful comedian. She described the general personality type that ends up in an art form such as comedy and also explained how she works; how she forms her shows. Sara is another of my favourite comedians/actors because she has a unique comic style and is also just a really nice person, which is always good.

Basically, you should definitely check out this podcast, even if podcasts aren’t really your thing (I don’t listen to them all that often). As I’m doing my GCSEs very soon and Art is one of my best subjects, I spend a whole lot of time sat on my own painting or drawing or whatever but listening to Stuart Goldsmith’s shows really help to pass the hours!

Save BBC3

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On Wednesday, a large part of the nation was swept up in fury when they heard the rumours that the BBC were planning to axe BBC3. It all developed extremely quickly and now there are people all across the country desperately trying to save the channel. This has been done through articles (like this but actually with an audience), petitions and Twitter trends (#SaveBBC3). We have been assured that all BBC3 shows will still be available online but this offers no comfort to me as there will be thousands of people without internet access who will now miss out altogether.

The reason this is so high-profile is because it is an insanely massive decision and will affect so many of us, including hundreds of well-known celebrities who’s work relies on broadcasts from BBC3. Some of the biggest names to speak out about it this week include Russell Kane, Jack Whitehall and Greg James.

This was the particular article that inspired me to write. It pointed out that the BBC plans to spend £30 million on Drama and also wants to create a BBC1+1 which seems pointless as we already have iPlayer. When I first heard of the plans, a small part of me thought fair enough, they are on financial difficulty. But they’re not! They just want the £100 million to put back into the other channels and the difference won’t even be that noticeable. What a huge sacrifice for a change that nobody wants. Not to mention that most of this money comes from the nation’s pocket: my parents’ money and one day, my own. So we are paying for something we don’t actually want?

The Mighty Boosh

BBC3 has brought us so many influential and brilliant programmes, from The Mighty Boosh in 2004 and Little Britain in 2003 to last summer’s Mental Health Season: It’s a Mad World. I admit that some other programmes have been less well-received but at least the channel is taking risks. It is the major platform for new comedy in the UK, for example, Uncle was broadcast earlier this year and was brilliant, in my opinion. Other SitComs that the nation loves have been produced by BBC3 like Gavin & Stacey and brought new, young people into the public eye.

If this decision goes ahead, I, as a young person who loves comedy, am going to lose out on so much. The majority of my school are going to be affected also and I know a lot of them are as outraged as I am. Ja’mie: Private School Girl was a massive hit with the older years of my school when BBC3 first broadcast it recently. Most of the people who watched it probably wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been on television as it is easier to access.

Talking in general terms, I feel as though the BBC are completely skipping out the younger generation. BBC1, 2 and 4 often focus on the more serious side of things such as the news and The One Show, history documentaries and programmes about antiques. If you axe the main source of our comedy and innovative documentaries- what do we have left?

I honestly don’t know if we can make a difference but we can’t just sit there and let them take away our favourite channel. Please sign this petition to show the BBC that actually, we will not let them disregard us so absentmindedly. Sharing this blogpost would also be a massive help, we need as much support as we can get- surely the BBC can’t ignore so many people?

Review: Joe Lycett and Friends

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Comedy HutYesterday, on March the 5th, I went to the first comedy night at the Custard Factory in Digbeth and it was a really unique experience as there were only 100 seats so the crowd was really nice. The night was hosted by Karen Bayley and featured sets from Freddie Farrell, Jon Pearson and of course Joe Lycett.

Freddie Farrell is local to the area and reminded me of some Brummies I know. I really liked his often sarcastic and down-beat tone because it is reminiscent of Jack Dee. His material about his girlfriend and kids received big laughs, his impressions of his children with their Birmingham accents especially. Jon Pearson was next and I also really liked him as he was kind of a hybrid of lots of comedians I’ve  seen. He has a skill for building a story and while constantly flitting back to things he mentioned at the very beginning in a similar way to that of Rhod Gilbert (though he didn’t have enough time to build it to Rhod’s intensity).

Then it was finally time for Joe Lycett, one of my favourite comedians ever and just a really nice guy. The set was hilarious and heavily featured the two Mexican students sat in front of me who were adorable. At one point, Joe had climbed over the front row and was sat flirting with Diego and Ivan. Joe showed us some of the material for his new series Junk that is about to be recorded, and I am really excited for. The junk he had was pretty disturbing to be honest- it featured a frog doll with a baby’s head, holding a wasp- incredible. I would have liked his set to be longer as I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw of the set and will definitely be seeing him again soon!

Also, if you live in or around Birmingham, do look into the Comedy Hut in Stourbridge and Digbeth as they show lesser-known acts and could do with support from people like us.