Mega Thread The Random Thoughts Thread Part 1

[Powerstufff]

Anyone watch Whitechapel? ....

Ages back I saw the episode with the Kray twins storyline and thought that underlay the series - which IMO it could have. But after a great start it all got solved within that show and I don't really watch cop shows much so after a brief look at another episode or two I let it go. I do like Foyle's War which has consistently failed to disappoint me.

 

[bomberclifford]

Why because I have my own opinions?

No, because your opinions always seem to be 'controversial'.
Tends to be a good indicator of a troll.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

You drink too much

I don't drink enough.

 

[BIG MATTY WHITE]

No, because your opinions always seem to be 'controversial'.
Tends to be a good indicator of a troll.

By saying correll > ricky ....I must be a master troll

 

[bomberclifford]

By saying correll > ricky ....I must be a master troll

There's nothing masterful about your posts at all.

 

[BIG MATTY WHITE]

There's nothing masterful about your posts at all.

Feel free to ignore...or you know don't quote me

 

[Noobz0r]

I love both, but theres no way the US version is better. Though I guess it depends on what you look for in a comedy.

But the Creed Macca!

In the '60s, I made love to many, many women, often outdoors, in the mud and the rain, and it's possible a man slipped in. There would be no way of knowing.

That said I much prefer the British version, there is much more depth to the characters.

 

[Powerstufff]

But the Creed Macca!

In the '60s, I made love to many, many women, often outdoors, in the mud and the rain, and it's possible a man slipped in. There would be no way of knowing.

That's (probably) going to get some puzzled reaction.

 

[tribey]

The Brits know how to end them on a high, without watering down the quality or over staying their welcome. US is more about money, theyll stretch it out for as long as possible so long as they keep making money from it. Most of their shows go for 2-3 seasons too long to the detriment of the shows quality. Only really freaks n geeks and BB that didnt, with the first being cancelled and the second being told to wrap it up by the studio

Which is why Breaking Bad is so mindblowingly fantastic. An immaculate story arc.

99% of other American TV shows would've exploited the fanbase's loyalty by meandering through another 3-6 seasons of plotholes and watered down production values before ultimately taking a huge cloudy piss in the audience's face - see Dexter.

 

[tribey]

Yeah fair enough. I liked the Office when I saw it, but now I hate Ricky Gervais so I my memories of it have been tainted.. if that makes any sense?

I basically just assume that anyone can do a better job than him, but the original office did suit him very well.

Extras. Watch it*.

*As in on your screen, not 'careful now'.

 

[tribey]

There was an episode of Seinfeld that summed up the whole show, where George and Elaine were forced to go out together without Jerry because he was sick...and all they did was laugh at the stupid things Jerry did. Then when they had to do it again, they couldn't laugh, because they'd already talked about all the things that were funny about Jerry.

It's the same with the entire concept of the show. Once you've seen all the episodes, it isn't funny the second time around, because most of it is observational humour. Close-talkers, low-talkers, people who don't wash their hands before cooking...that sort of thing. If you've seen it...that's it.

A show like Blackadder or Black Books, on the other hand, is timelessly funny because it's about the witty repartee and back and forths between the characters. In other words, it's the characters that are funny, and not the situations they find themselves in.

I reckon you're underselling Seinfeld.

It's an often facile defence of faded glory - 'oh yeah? well without Elvis there'd be no Eminem!' - but for its time Seinfeld was mindblowing compared to its contemporary sitcoms such as The Cosby Show (a quirky old father knows best standard via pulling faces mainly, brash Theo learning a lesson that proves he must walk before he can run, etc) or Hey Dad (a middle-aged father knows best standard who has to deal with his 'tarded secretary and Nudge eating his Monte Carlos with HILARIOUS RESULTS).

While Seinfeld was rooted in the observational humour of Jerry S and Larry David, it had a revolutionary story arc what with the main characters' seemingly mundane and innocuous actions and interactions having a butterfly effect leading to chaos visited on multiple friends, acquaintances and strangers that all ties up to a singularity at the end. No lessons. No audience saying "awwww!". No "oh Betty!". Just a really satisfying conclusion.

There was also heavy use of traditional comedy standards that passed into television lore - the physical comedy of Kramer and Elaine's dancing etc, prop comedy (the Pez Dispenser, the AIDS ribbon) and catchphrases that found their way into everyday parlance: "No soup for you", "Serenity now!" and so on.

A lot was made of the 'show about nothing' angle but it was much much much more than just "what is the deal with airline peanuts?".

 

[Powerstufff]

.... it (Seinfeld) had a revolutionary story arc what with the main characters' seemingly mundane and innocuous actions and interactions having a butterfly effect leading to chaos visited on multiple friends, acquaintances and strangers that all ties up to a singularity at the end .....

Yeah it was different humour at the time. And I'm pretty sure the 'slow burn' used in quite a few episodes was new to me then. Minor things would add up in one episode to a very funny conclusion (e.g the 'Marine Biologist' episode). Screen time devoted in that episode to Kramer practising golf by hitting balls into the sea was pointless and boring of itself. But for experienced Seinfeld watchers you knew there would be a pay-off. The butterfly effect of some events would ripple on unpredictably through following episodes e.g. George and the cheap wedding invitations.
I quite like 'Always sunny in Philadelphia' but while by no means unoriginal that show owes a huge debt to Seinfeld with slow-burn jokes within and between episodes, and a cast of recurring characters.

 

[bomberclifford]

 

[Natman]

"You know that I always wanted to pretend to be an Architect"

 

[I Dont Care]

Pommie comedies are on another level that Yank's cannot comprehend. Fawlty Towers for example, the Yank's tried to make an American version....without Basil in it

 

[Dylan8]

 

[Dylan8]

My album of the year. Enjoy.

Mine; there is no full album upload on the 'tube so i'll just give you one song

 

[Powerstufff]

Pommie comedies are on another level that Yank's cannot comprehend.....

That hasn't been true for 30 years. US TV comedy really lost it in the 70s and 80s and from an Australian point of view left a vaccum for the UK to fill. But those days are past. If you want to talk of different levels (rather than just competent, watchable stuff) the best material is nearly always from the US now.

 

[Dylan8]

US tv is brilliant

 

[Powerstufff]

Owch! Make it stop, how is that funny? The sad thing is he is a genuinely funny performer. I mean really good.

 

[Trewth]

Mine; there is no full album upload on the 'tube so i'll just give you one song

Shreds.

This board has some pretty good taste in music for a bunch of footy supporters.

 

[I Dont Care]

That hasn't been true for 30 years. US TV comedy really lost it in the 70s and 80s and from an Australian point of view left a vaccum for the UK to fill. But those days are past. If you want to talk of different levels (rather than just competent, watchable stuff) the best material is nearly always from the US now.

True, and I have enjoyed recent Yankee comedies such as Malcolm In The Middle, Scrubs and even Seinfeld from the 90's, but I wouldn't even compare it to the British classics of years gone by. Blackadder was a masterpiece as was Fawlty Towers, and the beauty of them was that they had limited runs ensuring their uniqueness and rerun popularity, instead of the Yankee system of doing a show to death while the ratings are good....something not lost on the producers of Seinfeld and Everyone Loves Raymond

 

[bomberclifford]

 

[Peck]

Extras. Watch it*.

*As in on your screen, not 'careful now'.

Yeah Extras is really good too, but I credit that to the guest actors more than Gervais

Note that my hatred of him extends mostly from watching some of his stand up, "the invention of lying", and one of my school friends liking him. Trust me, you'd understand if you met him.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

Frankie Boyle is funny and offensive.

Just my cup of tea.