Black Books

[sfj]

I think you need to catholic or very close to some to understand all jokes in Father Ted. It was my wife's favorite show for awhile.

I'd have to disagree with that. I find Father Ted incredibly funny and I have little to no knowledge of Catholicism. I think the humour is pretty universal.

Watch out for the DVD release of 'The Armando Iannucci Shows' as well.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I was going to ask about "Father Ted" since this season3 of BB is a tv rip and has the trailer voice overs at the end talking about what episode of FT is coming up next.

I'll hunt it up and check it out, and I'll check out all those other links once I get done with a list of stuff my wife just gave me to find. (My price for keeping this phatty 4Mb/s cable connection to meself whilst the rest of the family uses the DSL, it's well worth it. 8) )

 

[Diplo]

Where to begin!
.... <snipped>

Sir, I salute your good taste!

I think 'The Day To Day' or 'Brass Eye' would be particularly great in a US election year Anything with Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) is great, too. All of those you listed are classics, though. Not sure how some will translate to a US audience, but be interesting to see!

 

[PatrickL]

Btw, digi, have you seen a rather ol british show called "Bottom" ? If you have not try to catch online the Halloween episode

 

[digitalwanderer]

Gads, never heard of Bottom. As for English shows in the US, well I'm sort of weird with 'em....I grew up with Monty Python, The Goodies, Dave Allan at Large, No Honestly, and Doctor Who being regular staples in me weekly TV viewing curteousy of the local PBS and it just sort of spoiled me.

The Young Ones I started getting back into it with, but not seriously....after I saw Shawn of the Dead and someone turned me on to Black Books from it I kind of realized there was a whole country worth of bad sitcoms I could pilfer!

Sidenote-Does anyone else feel in a weirdly way that BB was kind of designed/thought of based on "Seinfeld"? I just can't get over this Fran/Elaine comparison. :?

 

[PatrickL]

I have no idea why BBC produced Bottom because it is really rough humour. But once a week it was a good laugh.

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

I have no idea why BBC produced Bottom because it is really rough humour. But once a week it was a good laugh.

It was an extension of Rik Mayall's and Ade Edmonson's original stage show (IIRC, the Dangerous Brothers). It's completely slapstick, somewhat childish, and very, very funny.

If you like it you should also look up Rik Mayall doing Alan B'Stard in "The New Statesman". Much more clever humour, but with a sharp streak of crueltly for those of us that lived through the Thatcher years.

 

[digitalwanderer]

It was an extension of Rik Mayall's and Ade Edmonson's original stage show (IIRC, the Dangerous Brothers). It's completely slapstick, somewhat childish, and very, very funny.

If you like it you should also look up Rik Mayall doing Alan B'Stard in "The New Statesman". Much more clever humour, but with a sharp streak of crueltly for those of us that lived through the Thatcher years.

Rick and Vivian? OMG, I LOVE them!!!!

My sister was a big fan of their show after The Young Ones, but I never caught it....I'll be sure to check these out, thanks!

 

[sfj]

Nearly forgot this one:

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=R2&title=132277&p=57&g=72


I can't honestly claim it's as good as Black Books. Still pretty damn funny though.

 

[davefb]

Btw, digi, have you seen a rather ol british show called "Bottom" ? If you have not try to catch online the Halloween episode

watched em live 3 times . . .. same gag all the way thru , but *very* very amusing . . .

 

[digitalwanderer]

Please, PLEASE tell me there is a season four of Black Books!

 

[Hanners]

There isn't yet - I'm not sure whether one is planned or not though.

 

[Simon F]

Gads, never heard of Bottom.

Apparently, it was nearly going to be called "my bottom" just so Rik and Aid could imagine people saying "Did you see ... last night?"

However, I thought most of the series was a bit purile.

Black Books (and Spaced) OTOH were quite good... this is stretching my memory, but I especially liked the episode where they were trying to go on holiday by using a lot of bargain flights.

Still my favourite was "Coupling". Some of the episodes are written with the skill of a canon with themes crossing over but all tied together.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Well I made it thru the first episode of Father Ted, but it was trying...not really my cup-o-tea.

Black Books just stands out head-n-shoulders above the rest so far, but I think it's time to give "Spaced" a bit more of a chance.

 

[davefb]

father ted is a 'grower' . . honest

feck grrrls (etc)

the 'speed' episode is a particular favourite . . .

-dave-

 

[Tim]

One british serie i like is called "Coupling". Not sure if it is the orignial name.

"Coupling" rocks, my favorit character is/was Jeff, to bad he is out of series now

Other Britcoms that I like (in random order):
Black Books
Black Adder (the only good series with Rowan Atkinson)
Father Ted
Red Dwarf
Yes Minister/Yes Primeminister
Keeping up Appearances
Fawlty Towers
Allo Allo

 

[digitalwanderer]

Black Adder, Faulty Towers, & Red Dwarf I already got....also Young Ones, Bits of Fry and Laurie (EXCELLENT!!!!), and a few others I can't recall right now.

 

[Tim]

Black Adder, Faulty Towers, & Red Dwarf I already got....also Young Ones, Bits of Fry and Laurie (EXCELLENT!!!!), and a few others I can't recall right now.

You should get your hands on Coupling, a couple of qoutes from coupling (to get the idea of the kind of humor):

Patrick:
If I don’t like a woman, if there’s no chemistry, if I’m not attracted to her, then I don’t lead her on, I just get out of there... every time, before she even wakes up.

Patrick:
I like films with lesbians in them because it’s nice to think there are attractive women out there who can’t find a boyfriend.

Jeff:
I need breasts with brains. I don’t mean individual brains, obviously... I mean, not a brain each. You know, I like intelligent women, but you’ve got to draw the line somewhere... I think breast brains would be over-egging the woman pudding.

Steve: Jeff, Jeff, I know about the giggle loop, the sock gap, the nudity buffer, and what you said to Audrey Watkins. Believe me, there is nothing you can possibly say that will surprise me. What’s gone wrong this time?
Jeff: I’ve got too many legs.

Jane:
I really thought I’d gone to his house, you know, to heal our spiritual divide. But it turns out I was just gagging for a shag. Those two are so similar.

Jane:
Vegetarianism for me is about saying ‘yes’ to things - even meat.

Jane:
Friendship’s more lasting than love, and more legal than stalking.

And the incredible thing is that the characters stays believeble.

 

[digitalwanderer]

"Coupling" sounds like a must get, I'm on it. 8)

 

[Tim]

Black Adder, Faulty Towers, & Red Dwarf I already got....also Young Ones, Bits of Fry and Laurie

If you liked "Bits of Fry and Laurie" you might very well like "Alas Smith & Jones" too.