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Crackanory Series 4 Preview

January 25, 2017 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

The latest series of the ever-popular, dark anthology series Crackanory is looming. Here is quick preview of the latest set of episodes, to give you an idea of what sinister gems this new series has to offer, in time for January 30th, when the series begins on Dave.

The first episode in the series, entitled A Close Slave, is written by Tony Way. Dara O’Briain narrates the story of a playwright in ancient Rome, who is aided by his helpful slave when suffering from a particularly troublesome bout of writer’s block. Way presents viewers with an interesting blend of uneasy politics and delightful silliness, with the addition of various pieces of historical trivia on top. The drama levels are high as there is certainly a lot for our young protagonist to lose here. But as long as he writes the perfect ending, everything should go smoothly, right?

Living With A Lie, written by Nico Tatarowicz and performed by Sheridan Smith, follows the turbulent experiences of office worker Russell as he struggles to write his first novel. This story is one of lies and false impressions, with Russell’s fictional and genuinely disturbing ‘Aunt Janet’ making an unwelcome appearance across all aspects of his personal and professional life. The writing in this episode is particularly beautiful, with Tatarowicz’s use of metaphor making for poetic storytelling; the kind of writing that inspires others to write. And not only this, Steve Oram stars as Russell’s unsupportive manager Phil. This is definitely a highlight of the new series.

Crackanory S4 – Episode 3 – Bob Mortimer – The Despot of Tea

Bob Mortimer narrates the third episode in the series, Arnold Widdowson’s The Despot Of Tea, and his trademark matter-of-fact delivery shines through in this tale of Geoff, who becomes an unintentional propaganda icon when his acting career takes a surprise turn. This somewhat uneasy tale follows Geoff as he travels to a former Soviet state for of an acting job, only to find out that he has been recruited by the country’s president Alexei to get the nation’s people back on side. If this twisting thrill-ride of a story wasn’t enough for you, it’s worth watching just to hear Mortimer say Sir Slurpington-Boots.

The Frankenstein-esque The Survivor is a delightfully unsettling piece of television. Written by Alex Kirk and narrated by Anna Friel, this tale recounts the difficult discoveries made by Thomas, who awakes in a strange house in the middle of the countryside to the news that his parents have died. He is bed-bound and helpless, pined over more like a family pet than a patient. Nothing is as it seems in the warped, dystopian world Thomas finds himself in, and viewers are kept guessing right up to the very last scene.

Episode five, Proxy Lady, features Mel Giedroyc’s recognisable, playful delivery that is pleasingly blunt in parts. Mel introduces us to 27 year old Beth, a miserable hotel worker who’s life becomes infinitely more interesting when she receives an ominous email from a woman named Greta (House of Fool‘s Ellie White). There is certainly something sick and twisted about the behaviour of the characters from the offset, but an unusual development is that it appears to be Beth who is the heartless one, rather than the mysterious loner she has dealings with.

Crackanory S4 – Episode 5 – Mel Giedroyc – Proxy Lady

Devil’s Haircut is written by Sarah Morgan and narrated by the ‘cool kid’ of comedy Doc Brown. It is a tale of ‘four white men in waistcoats singing stolen slave songs.’ Well, that’s what the sultry and mysterious Lil (Sophia Di Martino) claims a barbershop quartet is, and our protagonist, Spencer, happens to be a part of said barbershop quartet. Seduced by Lil’s red lipstick and intense gaze, the singer finds himself implicated in a pact that he had not intended to get involved in, with the love of his life suddenly becoming a source of great fear.

The Office‘s Mackenzie Crook narrates The Disappearance, written by Toby Davies. This is a story of misdirection, one that explores the border between magic and madness, pushing it to its absolute boundaries until, inevitably, something has to break. This episode is pacy and impactful, with an air of The Prestige about it. It features Dominic Coleman as Solomon the successful magician whose love for the craft, family relations and sanity begin to crumble around him.

And finally comes the final episode in the series: Pickled, written by Kevin Eldon and narrated by Miriam Margolyes. This tale begins with a close look at Benedict, a man who goes from riches to rags as his extravagant lifestyle catches up with him. Benedict’s life is in tatters around him, entirely of his own doing. Add a haunted house to the mix and it looks likes things aren’t going to be looking up anytime soon for our poor protagonist. Margolyes’ storytelling is fantastic and dramatic here; perfect for portraying the tense relationship that develops between Benedict and the ghostly old man he meets in the abandoned house.

This latest series of Crackanory perfectly epitomises what the art of entertaining storytelling is all about. The narrators are well-chosen and each story is innovative and unpredictable; definitely worth a watch. Crackanory series 4 begins on Monday 30th January at 10pm on Dave.

Posted in: Comedians, Previews, Television Shows Tagged: Bob Mortimer, British Comedy, Comedy, Crackanory, Dara O'Briain, Doc Brown, Dominic Coleman, Ellie White, Kevin Eldon, Mackenzie Crook, Mel Giedroyc, Nico Tatarowicz, Sophia Di Martino, Tony Way

TV Review: Upstart Crow, Series 1

June 21, 2016 by Becca Moody 1 Comment

Written by Ben Elton (of The Young Ones and Blackadder fame), Upstart Crow is a BBC Two sitcom about the life and works of William Shakespeare, as part of the channel’s commemoration of the Bard’s 400th birthday. The cast is diverse and exciting, ranging from television-screen veterans David Mitchell, Liza Tarbuck and Harry Enfield, to stand up comedians Rob Rouse, Gemma Whelan and Spencer Jones, topped off with Helen Monks (Raised By Wolves), Mark Heap (Friday Night Dinner, Green Wing) and Dominic Coleman (Miranda). From the outset, viewers feel as though they can trust this cast.

David Mitchell’s portrayal of Shakespeare is a refreshing role change for the comedian. He plays a disrespected and under-appreciated playwright, whose work is openly criticised as being confusing, superfluous and grandiose (the bard himself having being famously labelled by the dramatist Robert Greene as an “upstart crow”, in effect, a boastful scavenger).

BBC

© BBC

Many of the moments of laughter in Upstart Crow come from miscommunication, with Mitchell’s depiction of Shakespeare having an extra hurdle to negotiate as no other characters seem to be able to make head nor tale of his rhetoric. For those of us having briefly studied the playwright at school, we are frequently permitted the smug satisfaction of being able to appreciate a reference; something we were no doubt unable to do whilst actually studying. In this way, Shakespeare’s works are made accessible for an audience of all ages, humorously slammed by less-appreciative characters almost before Will has managed to utter beginnings of a metaphor.

The satirical misogyny is in abundance, highlighting the ridiculous nature of inequality spanning way back to the 16th century. Rob Rouse’s character, Shakespeare’s servant Bottom, is particularly moronic in his sexism (along with Kit Marlowe, played by Tim Downie; “A clever girl’s an ugly girl, Kate,”); stupid in such a way that is almost refreshing, as for once the female character is sympathised with by a modern audience. Predictable in places, perhaps, but the ridiculous nature of some of these plot lines is arguably in the same vein as of the bard’s own greatest comedies. It may be a push to label Upstart Crow an informative piece of television, but it certainly encourages further research. The life and works of Shakespeare are fondly ridiculed, with the satire skirting lightly on the border of cynicism. Here we have a modern twist on a widely-known historical figure that encourages a greater understanding of the wider context of Shakespearean Britain, and is already set to return for a second series.

UPSTART CROW IS AVAILABLE ON BBC IPLAYER

Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: Ben Elton, British Comedy, Comedy, David Mitchell, Dominic Coleman, Gemma Whelan, Harry Enfield, Helen Monks, Liza Tarbuck, Mark Heap, Paula Wilcox, Rob Rouse, Shakespeare, Sitcom, Spencer Jones, Steve Speirs, Tim Downie, Upstart Crow
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