The Thick of It

[Monte Carlo]

Don't tell him your name, Pike!

[Aram]

I do find it odd that despite the BBC being basically government paid for (maybe I'm wrong?) they have a better history for shows that are satirical or critical toward government, country, and police agencies than all self supported American channels combined.

 

 

Are ye daft, man?! The very reason the BBC can do political satire and so on is because they're goverment funded and thus independant. They dont have to go out of their way to make sure their stuff isnt offensive to the companies paying for commercials or the owner of the network.

I think that's pretty much the case. And it's not just for offensive messages -- narrative method itself is twisted into something designed to ensure as many commercials are seen as possible so every show becomes like bland fast food. A show like The Wire could never exist on a major network.

[Gorth]

You're a sick bastard-ess. The truth is that, contrary to popular opinion, every single monty python sketch is great. They range from great to so enourmously genial that it makes your pants hurt. Like this sketch

that most people just dont get.

They just don't make woody entertainment like that anymore

 

Mass produced tinny stuff is all that seems to come out of the assembly lines these days

[~Di]

America does awesome TV, the consistency is there time and time again across all genres. I have loved Frasier, Dexter, The Wire, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Two and a Half Men, Band of Brothers and even more mainstream stuff like NCIS and The Shield.

 

BBC does awesome TV.... occasionally. Although The Thick of It isn't really for me it is critically acclaimed, but stuff like this comes across once in a while. Not all the time. A lot of BBC comedy is dreck.

 

I'd get rid of the BBC tomorrow, but that's an entirely different argument and my POV isn't mainstream in the UK.

 

I love British TV. I love their dry humor sitcoms, although I don't see them as often over here as I did 10-20 years ago. But the series Spooks or as we yanks call it, MI-5, is one of my favorite tv dramas of all time. Husby and I just bought the boxed set of all eight seasons, and are treating ourselves to popcorn nights watching it several times a week now! Yum!

[mkreku]

Most sitcoms start out interesting but quickly degenerate into utterly predictable trash.

 

It's like, in the beginning they're experimenting with the characters and their roles within the structure, but as soon as someone in the audience laughs, they make that character stick to that one joke forever. A good example of this (even though it's not really a sitcom) is The Simpsons. At the beginning, Homer was just a bad father trying to raise his hopeless kids. He wasn't predictable at all and that made him funny. Then he evolved (or.. rather the opposite) into a complete retard who always does the dumbest thing possible and always tells the same joke. Predictable as hell.

 

This happens all the time in every series. Makes me lose interest after 4-5 episodes max.

[SteveThaiBinh]

Better Off Ted is the funniest comedy I've seen on TV in ages.

 

The BBC has a system of commissioning comedy writers to make radio series for Radio 4 - the series that are successful are then adapted for TV. The problem is that the radio originals are almost always much better than the TV versions. This was true for The League of Gentlemen, Little Britain, The Mighty Boosh etc.

[Kaftan Barlast]

Better off Ted is exactly like Arrested Development. An absolutely brilliant show that has a zillion rabid followers, but who mysteriously gets cancelled and then goes on to sell a zillion DVD boxsets and gets aired all over the world. Im beginning to think Rupert Murdoch just doesnt want people to be happy.

 

 

-Yes, hehlo Kevin Reilly speaking.

-Hiya Kev, its Ruuupert. Listen I heard ya got this bleedin new show thats got everyone knickers in a bunch, and I dont like it.

-Really, sir?

-Indeed, Kev. See, there is only one thing I hate more than spending money, and that is laughter.

-Laughter, sir?

-Well, to be more precise it's the tought of other people enjoying themselves, 'having a good time' and what not.

-Uhu?

-Anyway, Kev. What I meant to say is; be a good boy and close the bloody thing down or Ill have yer balls fed to the dingoes.

-But we're making millions, sir.

-Kev, let me repeat that, mate. Your balls. Fed. To the dingoes.

-Oh. Consider it cancelled, sir.

-That's a good lad, Kev. See you at the christmas party.

[LadyCrimson]

Most British humor, for me, is very hit & miss. Even Monty Python, who in general I love, their actual series rarely made me LOL. It was more their comedy writing that I found hysterical - rather than the visualization. Fawlty Towers & Are You Being Served made me chuckle now & then too.

 

 

You're a sick bastard-ess. The truth is that, contrary to popular opinion, every single monty python sketch is great. They range from great to so enourmously genial that it makes your pants hurt. Like this sketch

that most people just dont get.

I'm guessing there's some culture or history satire that I don't "get" a lot of the time, and some of their tv sketches were too bizarre for me. Ones I liked were the more generic ones like Argument Clinic, Silly Walks, Cheese Shop etc. + the songs. John Cleese was always a fave.

[Oblarg]

In case you haven't seen The Thick of It:

Edited September 21, 2010 by Oblarg