The Grey Room - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Author

Message

Topic Search

Topic Options

NutterAlert View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 07 2005
Location: In transition
Status: Offline
Points: 2808

Posted: November 14 2006 at 08:52

Can't beat "Farty Towels"

Proud to be an un-banned member since 2005

Neil

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 04 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1497

Posted: November 14 2006 at 10:53

Or flowery t w a t s

Aha, you can fool the expletive detector by adding spaces

Edited by Heavyfreight - November 14 2006 at 10:57

When people get lost in thought it's often because it's unfamiliar territory.

alias10mr

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 25 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 218

Posted: November 14 2006 at 12:03

Let's see if it works: s h e d

Atavachron View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 65266

Posted: November 14 2006 at 23:15

Always was partial to 'Fatty Owls'

Edited by Atavachron - November 14 2006 at 23:15

bhikkhu

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: April 06 2006
Location: A² Michigan
Status: Offline
Points: 5109

Posted: November 14 2006 at 23:30

alias10mr wrote:

Heavyfreight wrote:

You tell the men from the boys by the cost of their toys

Or their divorce settlements...

That's when you don't have any toys left.

a.k.a. H.T.

http://riekels.wordpress.com

Jim Garten View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Retired Admin & Razor Guru

Joined: February 02 2004
Location: South England
Status: Offline
Points: 14693

Posted: November 15 2006 at 03:45

sleeper wrote:

Dear god, IMO Ricky Gervais is the worst thing to have happened to comedy in a long time.

sleeper wrote:

Speaking of which, why are modern comedies so terrible compared to some of the older greates like Python and Fawlty Towers?

Ah - rose coloured hindsight; remember, for every Fawlty Towers, there was half a dozen "Terry & June"s, and for every Monty Python there were dozens of "Father Dear Father"s; there are decent, well written comedies around at the moment, it just takes a while to find them - I'll probably be berated for these choices, but for good writing and genuinely funny programmes from the last decade:

Two Pints Of Lager & A Packet Of Crisps
Coupling
Monkey Dust (not for the faint of heart)
League Of Gentlemen (definitely not for the faint of heart)
The Fast Show
Father Ted
The Royle Family

See - it's not all "My Hero" or the appalling "Titty Bang Bang"

Edited by Jim Garten - November 15 2006 at 03:46

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012

Neil

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 04 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1497

Posted: November 15 2006 at 04:20

I am so glad that you didn't put Little Britain in that list

When people get lost in thought it's often because it's unfamiliar territory.

mystic fred View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: March 13 2006
Location: Londinium
Status: Offline
Points: 4252

Posted: November 15 2006 at 04:48

Jim Garten wrote:

sleeper wrote:

Dear god, IMO Ricky Gervais is the worst thing to have happened to comedy in a long time.

I'd disagree on that one - admittedly, his standup routines are embarrassingly unfunny, and there is a picture of him in the dictionary next to the word 'smug', but The Office and Extras are two of the best-written comedies from the last few years.

Ricky Gervaise is the King of gawkishly embarrassing situations, but the real art of situation comedy is rare these days!

sleeper wrote:

Speaking of which, why are modern comedies so terrible compared to some of the older greates like Python and Fawlty Towers?

Ah - rose coloured hindsight; remember, for every Fawlty Towers,

there was half a dozen "Terry & June"s, and for every Monty Python there were dozens of "Father Dear Father"s; there are decent, well written comedies around at the moment, it just takes a while to find them - I'll probably be berated for these choices, but for good writing and genuinely funny programmes from the last decade:

Two Pints Of Lager & A Packet Of Crisps
Coupling

good shows, but really based on American style "relationship" story lines

Monkey Dust (not for the faint of heart)
League Of Gentlemen (definitely not for the faint of heart)

quirky British comedy, but is it really funny?

The Fast Show

masterly sketch/character driven comedy show of the Python/NTNOCN school

Father Ted

brilliant masterpiece of self-effacing situation comedy, last of the greats, it's got everything - satire, good characters, very funny situations - the "lost in the ladies underwear dept. in the big store" is a classic - brilliant!

The Royle Family

makes being ordinary and common-as-s**t an art form

See - it's not all "My Hero"

or the appalling "Titty Bang Bang"

a good idea completely wasted

British (and Irish!) Comedy is still the best in the World, with new writers experimenting and trying out new ideas constantly! still waiting for the "next" Python team, though!

(p.s. sorry needed the Peter Rideout style text!)

Edited by mystic fred - November 15 2006 at 07:26

Prog Archives Tour Van

Jim Garten View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Retired Admin & Razor Guru

Joined: February 02 2004
Location: South England
Status: Offline
Points: 14693

Posted: November 15 2006 at 07:34

mystic fred wrote:

Two Pints Of Lager & A Packet Of Crisps
Coupling

good shows, but really based on American style "relationship" story lines

I'd agree to an extent, Steve, especially where 'Coupling' is concerned, which was effectively a 'Friends' for the UK market (only with sharper writing); with 'Two Pints', Susan Nickson took the basic idea of the group of yuppies & transferred it to the other end of the social scale, set it in a run down suburb of Manchester and created a comedy masterpiece which I find no problem re-viewing again & again (just as well, as they repeat them often enough).

mystic fred wrote:

League Of Gentlemen (definitely not for the faint of heart)

quirky British comedy, but is it really funny?

To my mind, yes... the problem being, it is at times so extreme & so bizarre, it pretty much backs itself into a minority corner (when they tried to go 'mainstream' with the full length movie, the humour was watered down & castrated, resulting in an appallingly written farce) - either love it or hate it, there are few who sit on the fence with this one...

...personally, I'm local & proud of it

A collection of genius (...or the prog-metal team celebrating the inclusion of Iron Maiden, I'm not sure

)

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012

mystic fred View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: March 13 2006
Location: Londinium
Status: Offline
Points: 4252

Posted: November 15 2006 at 11:12

Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps

yeah i watch the show when it's on (wasn't there a punk song with that title..?), and i quite fancy that little blonde!!

Prog Archives Tour Van

VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372

Posted: November 15 2006 at 14:34

I cannot stand the League of Gentleman or Little Britain! Pinch

Even the godawful Shooting Stars is better than those messes.

And as for Katherine Tate, help me!

Give me Jam or The Mighty Boosh!

Father Ted was damned good though, as were bits of The Fast Show.

And of course, The Now Show on the radio with Punt and Dennis is great also.

Going away from comedy (although some may still think it's a comedy), who else hates Ruth from The Archers?

sleeper

Prog Reviewer

Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
Status: Offline
Points: 16449

Posted: November 15 2006 at 15:55

Jim Garten wrote:

sleeper wrote:

Dear god, IMO Ricky Gervais is the worst thing to have happened to comedy in a long time.

I'd disagree on that one - admittedly, his standup routines are embarrassingly unfunny, and there is a picture of him in the dictionary next to the word 'smug', but The Office and Extras are two of the best-written comedies from the last few years.

I admit I havnt seen Extras, but since The Office ahs never made me laugh in the few times that I have seen it I have no intention of seeing Extras. As for his smugness away from the shows, I thought it was an act at first, but he's been doing it so long that I'm beginning to wonder....

sleeper wrote:

Speaking of which, why are modern comedies so terrible compared to some of the older greates like Python and Fawlty Towers?

I dont know about rose tinted hindsight, I wasnt even borne until halfway into the 80's. As for the list above, I havnt seen Monkey Dust, but I cant stand League Of Gentlmen and The Royale Family, the rest are great though. Must admit that I liked the first series of My Hero but it went down hill fast. Add My Family to that list as well. Most comedy advertised today I find to be really poor sketch shows (Cathrine Tate anyone Dead

Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005

VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372

Posted: November 15 2006 at 16:16

That Mitchell and Webb Look is not bad either. I used to enjoy Peep Show on Channel 4.

I agree, Andy, the first series of My Hero was not bad, but since they've bought in the dire James Dreyfus, it's horrid. I hated Gimme Gimme Gimme too.

Atavachron View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 65266

Posted: November 15 2006 at 18:23

The last really good American comedy was probably 'Third Rock from the Sun'-- I hope it made it to Britan, it's a great, wonderfully wacky show.

Edited by Atavachron - November 15 2006 at 18:23

Dan Bobrowski View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: February 02 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 5243

Posted: November 15 2006 at 18:53

Anyone remember the Marty Feldman Show? Nearly pissed myself numerous times.

Atavachron View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 65266

Posted: November 15 2006 at 19:00

No-- but I loved Marty. Do you remember a little Gene Wilder movie from 1975 called 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother'?-- I just found it on DVD. Very silly, and Madeline Kahn is simply brilliant. What a loss her death was.

Edited by Atavachron - November 15 2006 at 19:01

VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372

Posted: November 15 2006 at 19:46

Ah yes, Marty Feldman was cool. He was a part of the Mel Brooks comedy scene, but was actually English and was friends with Monty Python and all that lot.

Oh, yes, we did get Third Rock From The Sun and it wasn't too bad. However, That 70s Show and Scrubs are much better!

Infact, Scrubs is rather good.

For some strange reason, I also enjoyed Prince of Bel Air.