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TV Review: After Life

March 17, 2019 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

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Ricky Gervais has completely shaken up our perceptions of what he is capable of with his latest series After Life, showing how this comic can do heart-breaking as well as hilarious.

© Netflix

Set in the height of a beautiful English summer, After Life follows Tony, a middle-aged man who becomes suicidal after the death of his wife leaves him without purpose and without joy. He works as a features editor for a free local newspaper, cares for his dog Brandy, and visits his senile father (David Bradley) each day. In the fog of his depression, Tony decides to abandon all rules of politeness when it concerns people whom he deems undeserving. He chooses say what he wants, to whoever he wants because he no longer cares about the consequences.

After Life, at its core, is about the loneliness of losing that one person that makes the rest of the world fade into insignificance. It’s the kind of loss that forces you to look out into the world and take accountability for your place within all of that. The death of his wife Lisa completely shakes Tony’s world because he no longer has the excuse of locking the front door and turning the TV on, safe in the comfort that it’s those two against the world. In a strange way, the death of Lisa has forced him to acknowledge that he too is a participant in the world. And it’s this realism that makes After Life so terrifying. Gervais is not presenting us with anything particularly out of the ordinary; this is a real, genuine tragedy that many of us will endure at some point in our lifetimes.

Viewers will no doubt have an inkling as to where the narrative will end up, and After Life is almost the modern day A Christmas Carol that the trailer suggests it might be. Some of the dialogue is clunky in places, particularly Tony’s self-righteous, morbid verbal attacks, which are more frequent during the first episode as the programme begins to establish itself.

© Netflix

The words spoken do, however, consistently feel as though they are aiming at truth. Gervais’ personal passions are at the forefront of this series, more so than ever before. His love of animals and contempt of religion are prominent themes. In the moments where the writer’s personal views are most prominent (such as when Tony informs Sandy that ‘humanity is a plague’), criticisers of Gervais’ stand-up will no doubt have a field day. Yes, some of Tony’s arguments seem to be lifted straight from Gervais’ past stand up shows and old XFM Radio podcasts, but why not? They remain relevant because Gervais remains passionate about the ideas, and articulates them so persuasively.

The cast is made up of many of Gervais’ regulars, and is saturated with an abundance of strong female talent, from Mandeep Dhillon, to Roisin Conaty, to Diane Morgan. Whilst most characters arguably exist as pawns for After Life to drive its message home, they are still relatively complex and each have their unexpected quirks. Penelope Wilton in particular delivers a brilliant and emotive performance as Anne, a widowed senior who exudes the compassion that Tony doesn’t know he needs. Another character refreshingly overt in her moral judgements is Tony’s father’s nurse (Ashley Jensen), who, like Anne, doesn’t take any of Tony’s shit.

© Netflix

These outspoken characters are pivotal for Tony’s own journey, as they highlight how Tony’s grief is making him selfish and leaving him failing to remember (or care) that every person is hurting in some way, to some extent. At the end of the day, Tony isn’t really a Scrooge. In fact, as the series progresses it becomes increasingly clear that there’s a bit of Tony in all of us. He has a hatred of idiocy and a contempt of pointless conversation, but he is also kind, quick-witted and down to earth.

Gervais perfectly captures the rage that can come with feeling depressed. He subtly and intricately depicts how everything can feel like an offence, everyone else is an obstacle that reminds us of our own pain, and yet what hurts more is turning the mirror and reflecting on one’s own actions. But as the series develops, the genuine, pure humanity in each character is allowed to shine through. After Life shows human nature in its best light. The vast majority of people are kind and generous people who suffer and live.

After Life is a stunning and heartbreakingly poignant depiction of love, loss and the human condition. And with the soundtrack being enough to induce tears alone (including the master, Nick Cave, as well as Mogwai and Daughter), it is an undeniably moving dramatic feat. The overwhelming message is that good people (and dogs) really can remind you that you are good too. And what could be more beautiful, or important, than that?

Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: After Life, Ashley Jensen, Diane Morgan, Kerry Godliman, Mandeep Dhillon, Penelope Wilton, Ricky Gervais, Roisin Conaty, Sitcom

TV Review: Taskmaster, Series 1

September 8, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Taskmaster is the brainchild of comedy heavyweight Alex Horne, recognisable to many as the front man of the Horne Section and occasional appearances on Friday night television on shows such Cats Does Countdown. Alex Horne is a comedian who knows how to make the Edinburgh Festival exciting; for fifteen years he has been delighting crowds with whacky conceptual shows and experimental games, with an admirably positive attitude when it comes to testing these extravagant possibilities. He is not afraid to push the boundaries and this gives Horne a fantastic creative advantage.

Taskmaster began as a year-long competition with comedians (and sometimes critics) being pitted against each other in a set of bizarre challenges, with Horne hosting and Mike Wozniak as his trusty assistant in recent times. Now the game has been given a new medium, a risk for a television channel (though perhaps not for Dave, which is already renowned for its experimental nature) and no doubt a delight for countless comedy fans. The television adaptation of the game is hosted by Greg Davies and Alex Horne and has a regular group of contestants, which binds the show together well and allows a sense of camaraderie to build as the episodes progress and the responses to tasks to become slightly more competent and imaginative. The comedians are diverse in their background, audiences and generations, making the whole programme feel accessible to a larger audience, with the five contestants being Frank Skinner, Josh Widdicombe, Roisin Conaty, Romesh Ranganathan and Tim Key.

uktv-taskmasterIt is fascinating to watch the contestants figure out the best way to approach obstacles, particularly in group tasks where the thought processes are made vocal, but this perhaps makes them less constructive as opposed to when certain individuals are allowed to work on their own. As the series develops it becomes clear that the comics excel in varying areas. Take Roisin Conaty as an example: hopelessly slow at carving up a watermelon but a high-flyer in any rounds that require social skills, such as the task involving high-fiving a 55 year old member of the public. If you want canny solutions to problems that bend the rules, sometimes to the point of breaking them completely, Tim Key is your man. Time and time again on Taskmaster Key proves himself to be a devious, quick-thinking non-conformist, shaking up the system so carefully crafted by Davies and Horne, with hilarious effects.

Greg Davies is fantastic; he’s harsh, loud and ridiculous, completely giddy with power, and the relationship between Davies and Horne is clearly a long-lived one. They find each other, and themselves, utterly hilarious and it’s not self-indulgent because they are absolutely right. The whole group act like children and it’s refreshing to see it contrast against a genuinely sharp wit from all players. It helps dramatically that the tasks are so varied, often absolutely mental and incredibly funny to see carried out. A highlight has to be poor Josh Widdicombe’s attempts at counting the number of beans in a can, of spaghetti hoops in a can, of grains of rice in a bag… All in vain, however, because nobody else was even set that task. Poor soul. But anyone would be hard pushed to pick a favourite moment when the likes of Romesh’s backwards film Tree Wizard and Roisin’s demands that Alex Horne eat a toothpaste pie are involved.

CATCH UP WITH SERIES ONE OF TASKMASTER ON DAVE NOW

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH ROISIN CONATY

Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: Alex Horne, British Comedy, Comedy, Frank Skinner, Greg Davies, Josh Widdicombe, Roisin Conaty, Romesh Ranganathan, Tim Key

TV Review: Man Down, Series 2

July 6, 2015 by Becca Moody 1 Comment

One of the silliest, most ludicrous new sitcoms from the last few years is finally back on our screens; Greg Davies writes and stars in the highly anticipated second series of Man Down.

Davies and his costars Roisin Conaty and Mike Wozniak make a perfect comedy trio, with Dan’s hopeless communication skills, Jo’s fearlessness and general ineptitude and Brian’s constant moaning and criticisms creating a diverse and integrated unit. I don’t think anyone is sure why these three are friends, but the consequential dramas are priceless. Roisin Conaty’s character of Jo in particular is a favourite of mine. She’s brash, idiotic and absolutely hilarious; always plotting schemes which often involve her pursuit to get a decent job, or any job for that matter, which she is hopeless at. Man Down is a glorious combination of a group of painfully ordinary people, in their truest sense, with the strangest of circumstances.

Young actors Madeleine Harris (Paddington) and Alfie Davis are fantastic in their roles as ‘know-it-all’ and ‘angry kid’ respectively, and are consistently given a platform by Greg Davies to be the stars of the scene, which shows considerate comedy writing and reflects Davies’ compassionate character. The presence of the kids allows Greg’s childish side to come to the forefront, therefore accentuating the brilliant ridiculousness of each episode’s plot, and ridiculousness is always guaranteed with this manic comedy presence.

A new character has also joined the group: Dan’s over-involved Aunt Nesta (Stephanie Cole). This new arrival seems to provide company for Dan’s widowed mother (Gwyneth Powell) but that doesn’t mean she feels the need to stop doing his washing for him, or generally interfering in every aspect of his life. The onscreen relationship between Daniel and his mum is hilarious, partly due to the height difference, but also the fact that Davies often refers to her as “old woman”.

Many worried that the death of comedy royalty Rik Mayall, who played Dan’s father in series one, in June last year would signal the demise of Man Down, because perhaps no ‘replacement’ as such for Rik could ever be sufficient. Filming was set to begin in August and it looked unclear to viewers where the programme was set to go from here. But with a writing crew and cast as skilled as this, it soon became clear that not only was Man Down still going to continue, but the spirit of Rik Mayall was to live on in the show also. Greg Davies’ comedy, much like Mayall’s, is known for being silly and widely accessible, so it is impossible not to be reminded of Rik while seeing Greg mincing up and down the exam hall, playing a game of ‘Snorkel Parka’ or buying Flumps in a supermarket.

Dan may be absolutely hopeless, but I’d have loved for Greg Davies to be my teacher, even if it was just for the chance to go bike riding down dangerously steep hills rather than doing any work.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH ROISIN CONATY

Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: British Comedy, Comedy, Greg Davies, Man Down, Mike Wozniak, Rik Mayall, Roisin Conaty, Sitcom

Seven Questions With… Roisin Conaty

March 20, 2015 by Becca Moody 4 Comments
Roisin Conaty is a stand up comedian, actress and writer. With her optimistic outlook and often silly sense of humour, Roisin is one of those comics that makes you feel happier, which is so much more than just making you laugh. She plays the hilarious layabout, Jo, in the fantastic sitcom Man Down, which will return this year (starring Greg Davies and the late Rik Mayall) and also wrote and starred in her own pilot GameFace. As well as this, Roisin is currently filming for a new comedy series, Taskmaster, which will be fronted by Greg Davies and Alex Horne.
To learn more about Roisin, I asked her these seven questions…

1) What makes you laugh?

Everything. Eventually. Life is pretty ridiculous really, I mean, we are spinning in a ball in space. Any part of it slowed down, held up and examined is equally beautiful, tedious, painful and funny.

2) How good are your timekeeping skills?

Ooof awful. It honestly feels like minutes sneak away from me, out of my pockets, under the door. They leave in groups of 10, silently, hiding my phone/shoe/keys on their way. The bastards. Then sometimes they have the audacity to show up when they are not needed, all pissed and slow, like when I am waiting for a night bus or dominoes to open.

3) What one thing could you not live without?

The brilliant work of other women who ensure my safety, my rights, my voice. Women who have worked and continue to work tirelessly for progress and equality. Women who put themselves above the parapet, so they are seen and heard. The brilliantly funny and supportive women in stand up comedy who I need for inspiration. They are my sisters in arms. Basically women… oh yeah and men for kissing and sexing and stuff.

Roisin Conaty4) Do people talk too much?

No, sharing our stories & communicating with each other is how we feel connected. I think ultimately that’s all humans want, to feel connected to someone or something. It’s the motivation behind everything. Good and bad. Small talk is something I find hard, I think a lot of comics do. It has all the hallmarks of connection but you feel drained and deflated at the end. A really honest, intimate conversation about your fears, ideas, hopes and experiences with a mate can be better than a holiday in my experience.

Also, women speak on average 10,000 more words a day than men and I think that must be one of the reasons why we are not as violent… it’s a shame a lot of those 10,000 words are just us repeating ourselves, as men pretend they didn’t hear our great ideas the first time.

5) Would you eat insects for money?

No… well, how much money?… No… well, unless there were condiments involved. Boy, do I love a condiment. I have the best condiment selection I have ever seen.

6) What irritates you most?

Pomposity & shit pillows. Wait, that sounds like the title of a rubbish indie film, I mean separately. Pomposity in people and shit pillows wherever I seem to stay… Don’t get me started on shit pillows.

7) If you stopped working in comedy, what would you do next?

Country and western singer. DONE.

WATCH ROISIN’S COMEDY PILOT: GAMEFACE ON 4OD

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

Posted in: Comedians, Seven Questions With... Tagged: British Comedy, Comedy, Interview, Roisin Conaty, Seven Questions With

Christmas Round Up

January 6, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

The Christmas period presented multiple comedy gems to our television screens last month, and here is a summary of a few of my particular favourites:

Derek

Ricky Gervais’ Derek reached its natural conclusion with a wedding, a fight and a baby. Gervais has shown a great subtlety in his writing that I had not noticed in his other projects that often displayed, in fact, quite the opposite. I found the episode to be dealt with sensitively and with great humour, with the character of Derek remaining endearing yet dignified throughout, as was noticeable from this year’s series two. Available on 4OD.

House of Fools

House of Fools has been one of my favourite sitcoms since it first aired in early 2014, as it is written by, and stars, the incredible Vic and Bob. This Christmas spectacular presented many problems for the duo: Erik has demanded a particular bobble hat for his present but it has been set on fire. The strange gathering must set off to steal a replacement, and meet Father Christmas (Reece Shearsmith) on the way. Available on BBC iPlayer.

Not Going Out

Not Going Out has been consistently and delightfully cringe-worthy with frequent small laughs and a few brilliant lines per episode (and there have been an impressive seven series, so that’s some great feat). This final episode did not disappoint, and audiences were finally given an answer to the age-old question: will Lee and Lucy ever actually become a couple? Available on BBC iPlayer.

Gadget Man

Richard Ayoade returned with a Gadget Man’s Guide to Christmas with special guests Adam Hills, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Merchant, Jonathan Ross, Reece Shearsmith and Robert Webb. With a wonderful array of toys and vehicles and strange household items, Ayoade presented us with an entirely new take on Christmas gifts and dinners. Available on 4OD.

Charlie Brooker’s 2014 Wipe

Charlie Brooker brought his infamous positive little rays of sunshine to Christmas by overviewing a seemingly awful year for everyone in the entire universe. From Farage to Ebola, Charlie’s typically sarcastic and cutting commentary overed it all, with help from Barry Shitpeas and Philomena Cunk. I should probably warn off people who are prone to depression from watching this programme but Brooker’s wit really takes the edge off, as does the wonderful song at the end. Available on BBC iPlayer.

Man Down

Man Down has to be one of my favourite new sitcoms from the past couple of years because it stars a couple of my most loved comedians: Greg Davies and Roisin Conaty. The Christmas episode was a beautiful tribute to the late Rik Mayall, who played Dan’s father in the show, and sent both Mayall himself, and the character he played, off in a hilarious but touching fashion. Available on 4OD.

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Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: Bob Mortimer, Charlie Brooker, Derek, Gadget Man, Greg Davies, House of Fools, Lee Mack, Man Down, Not Going Out, Reece Shearsmith, Richard Ayoade, Ricky Gervais, Rik Mayall, Roisin Conaty, Vic Reeves

TV Review: GameFace

April 24, 2014 by Becca Moody 1 Comment

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!

Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: British Comedy, Comedy, GameFace, Roisin Conaty, Sitcom
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