posted
I think BBC 3 was supposed to be the youth channel; it was part of Greg Dyke's epic attempt to make the BBC 'modern' and 'relevent' (ie. to dumb it down). It's ended up as being essentially used to test show new comedy for BBC 1 and 2.
I didn't watch the Swiss Toni spin off, but it didn't get very good reviews.
-------------------- "I am an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman, which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-bitch when it suits me." --Jubal Harshaw
Registered: Feb 2002
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quote:Originally posted by TSN: Okay, I've watched a few more episodes of "Little Britain", and I've come to a conclusion: the narration is actually the best part. The sketches themselves, however, get really really really repetetive after about one episode. I mean, did they get drunk one night and accidentally buy a fifty-gallon drum of fake vomit, so they decided they had to use it, or what?
Seriously, a lot (most?) of the jokes just don't really work more than once when you don't really change anything about them. And yet, they use them every episode, if not multiple times in each.
True jokes are repeated - but the show is still funny and yes Tom Baker is fantastic as the narrator! LOL (Some of the best things he says is in the last episode).
From what you've said, I really think you'd enjoy "The Book Group". Always suprising and engaging and deliciously subtle humour made this series a favourite of mine. Good luck trying to find any to download - if you find the last episode of season 2 for download - please let me know.
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
posted
BBC3 is where they test the lightweight stuff and if it's at all popular it gets stuck on BBC 1 or 2 so anyone can see it. BBC4 makes BBC2 look like Bravo, it's heavyweight stuff but does actually have some interesting documentaries now and again. The rest of the time it's waaay up it's own arse with art and book shows that will appeal only to the people on them.
The Swiss Tony show sucked. It's a shame, I loved the fast show, but the spin-off just wasn't strong enough to survive on it's own and the acting was dull.
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
Too bloody many. You have BBC1 and BBC2, the traditional stations. Then there are the new channels, via Cable/Satellite/Freeview (the latter being the BBC's own digital service, subscription-free, just about �100 for the box I think) - BBC3, as mentioned youth-oriented with a high comedy quotient; BBC4, the arts channel, never really watched it, except for the occasional foreign-language film or documentaries which will come onto BBC1 or 2 anyway; CBBC - children's BBC, I think there might even be more than one kids' channel. . . Plus BBC News 24.
The other day I was commenting sarcastically about how Sky News had flown their various news anchors out to assorted earthquake-struck regions to anchor the news on the spot; only to switch over to News 24 to find they'd done exactly the same thing. . .
Lee forgot to mention the deeply exiting BBC Parliament. Live coverage of all the select committees! Slow motion replays of the best debates! Commentary by Des Lynam.
-------------------- "I am an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman, which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-bitch when it suits me." --Jubal Harshaw
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
Conversely, BBC TV never shuts up about the guy. Just this Christmas we had a documentary called, I think, Dennis Potter: Still Dead - A Retrospective.
posted
To be fair to Little Britain, it works much better at a rate of one episode a week. Watching more than one in a row does make the jokes repetitive.
And they do say the word "fuck". Tom himelf says it several times. I want him to narrate at my wedding.
"If you didn't like this show, why don't you take down the names of the people in the credits and give them abusive phone calls. Look, there's mine now!"
My favourite sketches are Lou and Andy (if only because I can actually do a good "yeah I know" voice), and the bloke who always wants extremely specific things from the shop. "That pirate memory game is not piratey enough", etc...
Oh, and the policeman outside number 10. I pissed myself when the striped jersey criminal ran past.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
The PM's aide Sebastian - might only be in the second sseason, I'm not sure - is a bit crap, although Anthony Stewart Head as the PM is brilliant. Tom Baker's closing line from this week's show was good - "If you enjoyed tonight's episode, why not travel back in time half an hour and watch it again?"
posted
Sebastian is in season 1 - VERY funny. Funny when the PM's wife comes in - he's all bitchy to her.
And another time he 'pretends' there's a sniper and he pushes the PM onto the couch and he lies over the top of him... he won't move.
Another Tom Baker voice over before the Sebastian sketch... something like "We visit 10 Downing street to see the Prime Minister, well not the real Prime Minister, it's just that guy from Buffy".
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
posted
I also like the line that was something like:
"Television is extremely popular in Britain. Most popular of all are Doctor Who, Doctors, and that episode of Blackadder I was in."
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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"It's nought o'clock, and at this shop in Phlegm, Mr. Mann is looking for a book. I read a book once. It was called Who on Earth is Tom Baker?."
I like when he says what time it is, but uses people's names for the numbers. "It's nearly Harry o'clock", "it's half past Wilhlem", "it's a quarter to Gran and Grandpa Moses".
Registered: Mar 1999
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