Did folks read the Guardian “How to Write Comedy” series this week? I thought it was better than expected, if still a bit facile (well, it’s the Guardian, ain’t it).
Don’t know if you’ve seen it already Graham. But here’s a video me and my friends made…a Soviet Exercise video from the 1930’s. If you get to watch it please tell me what you think…
Also if anyone here is into photoshop or wants to learn…there are some really good tutorials on this site http://psdtuts.com/
For those of you who may have missed it last week I thought I would post this again for your comedic enjoyment. 100 of the finest pieces of sketch comedy ever produced. Strong Graham Linehan representation in there as well as other firm favourites. Enjoy. Debate. Share.
Hi Graham, funnily enough that issue of Entertainment Weekly reviews the US premiere of
The IT Crowd
10-10:30pm
This funny UK import’s premiere introduces snobbish techie Moss (Richard Ayoade), his luckless-in-love buddy Roy (Chris O’Dowd) and their pretty but computer illiterate new boss Jen (Katherine Parkinson).
Think The Big Bang Theory meet’s SNL’s “Your Company’s Computer Guy”
B
Robert, writing this just before we start our first studio record. But we do have big news on the DVD competition and it’ll be along as soon as I get a proper break. (Maybe the weekend, maybe after five weeks when the show’s over).
Tell Ayoade the Irish girl from the Boosh warmup made it over to London despite his best efforts to deter me but didn’t get tickets to the studio filming, and I’m awfully suspicious that he had something to do with it…
Hi Graham, just dug out an issue of Edge magazine from a few years back and found the interview with yourself, Simon Pegg, Charlie Brooker and Peter Serafinowicz. It’s a damn good read, and funny too. Ever thought of doing a games column for Edge? or anything similar? It’s amazing to read a (fairly) mature discussion on the topic. Also, thanks for the realistic representation of videogames in the I.T. Crowd (in that they aren’t space invaders being played with Xbox controllers, etc.).
also liked the guardian comedy thing, didn’t know it was going to be 90 percent herring’s stuff so that was good, had some solid advice, i wish him and Lee would update the lazy boring comedy slags segments so much material for that recently
over it instead. Just a hunch. It worked. I am now excited… Come on Zach, final cut’s not due until March, just plaster The Who over the whole thing and you’ll have the GREATEST FILM EVER MADE! You’re welcome.
Just thought I’d wind you up, Graham… Not sure if you were insane enough to stay up ’til 3am watching the irritating snoozefest that was the presidential debate, but if you did, you would have heard Obama referring to Iran and Venezuela as “rogue states”.
xbox games contributed to my losing interest in console gaming. I hated all those identikit grey, adolescent male shootits. Finally I just gave up on it. I guess the closest I came to actually enjoying myself on the thing was with ‘Crackdown’.
Timewaster letters, Ali G, Borat, Trigger happy tv, the gotcha oscars (Maybe not them) I have a severe problem with even really gentle cruelty when it comes down to members of the public/interviewees etc. I can’t watch people be humiliated for the sake of some lazy pricks new half hour piss festival. There are lots of notes, but everyone seems to be happy hitting he same one over and over again.
Today I dreamed from IT Crowd Season 3 before I woke up. In my dream the first episode of the new IT Crowd season got leaked, and man even for a dream it had really bad quality, probably badly encoded. However, I can’t recall much but Denholm was back from the dead and he and Moss walked into the lobby of Denholm Industries. I can recall an reception desk but I dont know what they talked about. Then I woke up, wondering why I dreamed from IT Crowd.
This really happened today. Weird dream that was… Graham, was it by any chance a vision of the first new episode or just my fantasy going crazy while I sleep? I mean… Moss is cool… but dreaming from Moss is a whole other thing. Its like a rollercoaster!
“I can’t watch people be humiliated for the sake of some lazy prick’s new half hour piss festival.”
Wow. I have to say, I second that emotion…but I do think Robert has a gentler, more honestly funny approach than most. He puts people on a little merry-go-round and when they step off they’re only mildly discombobulated.
But in general, yes, with you. Pranks and prank shows suck.
I’m not a big fan of those sort of prank shows either, but I like the way Robert does it. He doesn’t aim to piss people off, I think he just tries to bemuse people slightly. I don’t think I’d mind a phonecall from him at work because it’d keep me amused… and he stays very polite too! ‘The Timewaster Letters’ is hilarious, he manages to pass himself off as ridiculous, but still quite charming at times. Keep meaning to buy the second book and the diaries, but my book list is far too big! Someday…
Saying all that, though, I will admit that I’ve enjoyed old Chris Morris pranks. But maybe because it’s Chris Morris and I’m biased and hypocritical in that sense!
Unrelated, but I’m excited to find out how the DVD competition went. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a roll-over though, it was devilishly tricky! (I try to end comments by sounding like an old woman. Och, you are WICKED! [insert knee-slap])
I just wanted to second what Tracy has said earlier. I was also there on Friday and wanted to say thank you very much, it was truly mirthful evening indeed. I’m very much looking forward to the rest of the series – it’s off to a wonderful start!
Also Graham, ‘I second that emotion’ Is my favorite Smokey Robinson song and I sing it when I’m on my own. ‘Smokey’ Robinson was so called because Robinson was his parents surname.
Thought you might like these two excellent speeches given recently by Sen. Marcy Kaptur. I hadn’t heard of her before this, but her genuine passion (and anger) are great to hear on the floor of an otherwise unmotivated and pliant congress:
re 360: How about Bioshock and portal, obviously PC shooter ports, but top of their genre. In terms of decent new games on, I dunno.
As a multi-platform owner its all about Little Big Planet wherein Stephen Fry narrates and hilarity ensues./
I’m sketching out my Bladerunner inspired level now, complete with light stick umbrellas and rooftop denouement. Plus lots and lots of rain, if poss.
Any nods to gaming in the IT crowd? Cant remember any. South Park have done fantastic work with the Wii release and WOW, but the WoW episode is not really that funny outside gamer circles, more of a throwaway / homage than anything.
Hi Graham. I wondered what your thoughts were regarding writing a comedy series as a ‘mouthpiece for a specific viewpoint’? – I have written a comedy with author, Joe Cawley, called ‘Debunked’ which episode by episode looks at a different biblical story or theme, and satirizes the events in an intelligible way with the modern outlook we possess today and highlighting the absurdities and offensive, chauvinistic attitudes of those ancient times. A ‘Life Of Brian’ for TV, if you like, which in my mind hasn’t really been explored before. Anyway, we thought we was on a winner and expected Hat Trick or Baby Cow to laud us from atop Mount Sinai, but alas we were told that sit com is no place to satirize n stories which are already unintentionally comedic. What’s your views on that and how far you can go in TV Comedy?
“…but alas we were told that sit com is no place to satirize n stories which are already unintentionally comedic.”
Sorry, Lee, but I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s sort of why I hate webcomics about Super Mario or whatever. A satire of something that is intentionally or unintentionally funny already is a coals to Newcastle situation.
At least, I think this is what I mean, and I think it’s what I think. Can anyone think of an example that proves me wrong?
“Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy” maybe? If one of sitcom’s great strengths as a medium is nailing Character, the introduction of that discipline to a genre like sci-fi or fantasy in which characterization is so often an afterthought could certainly bring something to the party, no?
Hi Graham, don’t know if you’ve heard this before; it’s the most cringe-worthy interview I think I’ve ever come across. It makes Jools Holland’s chat with Carla Bruni the other week look like Frost/Nixon
Re references to gaming in the IT crowd. That bit in episode pne where
Jem (Jen?) is instructed to “get out of the lift”, the corridor to the IT department, full of obstacle and threat- Half Life no?
In terms of sit-com using a voice or satirizing a touchy subject, I can only really think of US animated series’ like American Dad, and to a lesser extent, The Simpsons, which promote liberal ideals and satirize the conservative ‘Republican’ outlook. There were a few UK shows in the 80’s which had a political edge and were ‘anti-Thatcher’ in tone (think The Young Ones, etc) and used good social commentary. The Pythons enjoyed a frequent and fun poke at authority. And Brasseye (which you know a bit about!) which satirized the media. But in terms of a comedy series dedicated to putting the boot into a doctrine or establishment such as The Bible or the monarchy, I don’t think it’s been done, and can’t help believing that it would be immensely popular if tried. Sure, it would cause an inital stir, but that could be used to an advantage if everything was handled intelligently from the off. Religion is regularly tackled in stand-up and film, so why not TV?… Still, I’ve had no luck ‘debunking’ the Bible so I’ll go back to my lighter offering, ‘Nuking Nagasaki’! (and yes, just to be completely clear here, that was a crap gag…)
I say go for it, Lee. Subject matter is unimportant if the jokes are quality, cliché-free and above all, funny. If the easy and obvious jokes are avoided I’m sure you can make something of it. I reckon it depends on your approach to the material.
Any comedy that’s ‘dedicated to putting the boot in’ to anything is off on the wrong foot. You’re coming at your subject from a position of superiority and scorn, whereas you really should be looking to creating characters for whom you feel some degree of affection. After all, you are going to be spending a lot of time with them.
Also, you seem to be gearing up to write a polemic. Polemics are not good.
True. Hopefully we’ve avoided the polemic problem. The comedy was coming from the premise of ‘what if’, rather than looking to lay in with the size 12’s! Accepting that the bible isn’t written documented truth, you ask the questions, in this case via a modern day protagonist who’s having a spiritual crisis and finds himself witnessing first hand some of the better known biblical stories via the ‘Good God!’ Channel, which sucks him in and spits him out the other end (tcalss). What if Adam had self-knowledge before the apple incident and was horny from the outset. What if Eve was flirtatious and drawn to the protagonst instead of Adam, etc. And scenes such as a solitary planet Earth pinging to life, Adam naming a line-up of animals, Eve being born from Adam’s rib and a 600 year old Noah gathering wild beasts, play out as visually very funny. Without any need to add scornful dialogue. A kind of Hitchhikers meets Life Of Brian!… you know what. It’s occurred to me. Maybe I’ve finally lost my marbles. Is that a good thing for writing comedy?!…
I think this might interest a few people here.
Here’s a little clip of George Lamb of Radio 6 Music interviewing the music legend that is Ray Davies of the Kinks. (As linked in Richard Herring’s blog).
George Lamb should be shot, and I doubt I’m the only person here who’ll feel that way! This is fairly typical of his laddish nonsense.
No worries Graham. Thanks ever so much for your comments (and Darren). We’ve started work on quite a fresh idea for something a bit more character driven and broader and put the offensive one aside for a spell! – Out of interest, obviously you have quite a midas touch when it comes to ideas and timing (to say the least!) – Do you have any particular routine or starting point when it comes ot beginning work on a new comedy? For example, sitting down and thinking up a theme or plot first, or developing a couple of half-formed characters first, etc? – And how much of real-life and actual people do you put into your characters? (if you can divulge such secrets?!)
Achewood! I love Achewood. Such a strange, perfectly formed, hilarious and unique world. Apart from Calvin and Hobbes, Jimmy Corrigan and of course everything Jim Woodring has ever done, Achewood’s the best.
Why, That\'s Delightful!
Well I don’t know about anyone else, but I speak fluent Shite …
Is there a winner of the it crowd 2.0 competition?
How cool is this?
http://www.youtube.com/experiencewii
Very.
Should probably add that you’ve got to watch it ’til the end.
Best viral ad I’ve ever seen.
Did folks read the Guardian “How to Write Comedy” series this week? I thought it was better than expected, if still a bit facile (well, it’s the Guardian, ain’t it).
Seriously? EVER?
Best viral ad you’ve ever been paid to promulgate, more like
Sorry, I’m being quite rude to people today (not deliberately – it’s not like it’s Rude Friday or anything)
Here I go, plugging my own stuff again.
This owes a profound (and now achnowledged) stylistic debt to Graham Linehan’s Filmgoer’s Companion, from good old Neon magazine.
Hope tonight goes well, sir! x
Don’t know if you’ve seen it already Graham. But here’s a video me and my friends made…a Soviet Exercise video from the 1930’s. If you get to watch it please tell me what you think…
Also if anyone here is into photoshop or wants to learn…there are some really good tutorials on this site http://psdtuts.com/
A link to the video might be handy…http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/1f6da3de47
:-)
I’m sure many have had their fill of the Republicrats, so….
Three Way Presidential Debate – Obama, McCain, and Nader
For those of you who may have missed it last week I thought I would post this again for your comedic enjoyment. 100 of the finest pieces of sketch comedy ever produced. Strong Graham Linehan representation in there as well as other firm favourites. Enjoy. Debate. Share.
http://www.artlick.com/100greatestsketches/100to91.html
Hi Graham, funnily enough that issue of Entertainment Weekly reviews the US premiere of
The IT Crowd
10-10:30pm
This funny UK import’s premiere introduces snobbish techie Moss (Richard Ayoade), his luckless-in-love buddy Roy (Chris O’Dowd) and their pretty but computer illiterate new boss Jen (Katherine Parkinson).
Think The Big Bang Theory meet’s SNL’s “Your Company’s Computer Guy”
B
Graham this is as good as 7.35am in the Morning
Sprechen sie shite!
quite amusing sir. You should do this for a living.
Robert, writing this just before we start our first studio record. But we do have big news on the DVD competition and it’ll be along as soon as I get a proper break. (Maybe the weekend, maybe after five weeks when the show’s over).
Graham wrote: “just before we start our first studio record”.
This makes me all giddy and warm inside. Not long now…
Good luck with everything!
Tell Ayoade the Irish girl from the Boosh warmup made it over to London despite his best efforts to deter me but didn’t get tickets to the studio filming, and I’m awfully suspicious that he had something to do with it…
Hope everything is going/went well :)
Hi Graham, just dug out an issue of Edge magazine from a few years back and found the interview with yourself, Simon Pegg, Charlie Brooker and Peter Serafinowicz. It’s a damn good read, and funny too. Ever thought of doing a games column for Edge? or anything similar? It’s amazing to read a (fairly) mature discussion on the topic. Also, thanks for the realistic representation of videogames in the I.T. Crowd (in that they aren’t space invaders being played with Xbox controllers, etc.).
Graham…
Think you may have answered a question similar to this in the past, but having just bought a xbox 360 I wondered what games you liked/recommended?
Cheers.
also liked the guardian comedy thing, didn’t know it was going to be 90 percent herring’s stuff so that was good, had some solid advice, i wish him and Lee would update the lazy boring comedy slags segments so much material for that recently
oh Alan Moore luurves the new Watchman movie
http://jhomunculus.blogspot.com/2008/09/wow-alan-moore-cant-wait-for-watchman.html
Trying to get excited about Watchmen I turned the volume down on the trailer and played Won’t Get Fooled Again
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6-wG5LLqE
over it instead. Just a hunch. It worked. I am now excited… Come on Zach, final cut’s not due until March, just plaster The Who over the whole thing and you’ll have the GREATEST FILM EVER MADE! You’re welcome.
Thank you very much for a most mirthful evening. If the first episode is anything to go by we are all in for a fantastic treat with series 3.
Just thought I’d wind you up, Graham… Not sure if you were insane enough to stay up ’til 3am watching the irritating snoozefest that was the presidential debate, but if you did, you would have heard Obama referring to Iran and Venezuela as “rogue states”.
Not a glint of irony in his eyes.
xbox games contributed to my losing interest in console gaming. I hated all those identikit grey, adolescent male shootits. Finally I just gave up on it. I guess the closest I came to actually enjoying myself on the thing was with ‘Crackdown’.
(which at least didn’t take itself too seriously)
Timewaster letters, Ali G, Borat, Trigger happy tv, the gotcha oscars (Maybe not them) I have a severe problem with even really gentle cruelty when it comes down to members of the public/interviewees etc. I can’t watch people be humiliated for the sake of some lazy pricks new half hour piss festival. There are lots of notes, but everyone seems to be happy hitting he same one over and over again.
That sounded quite aggressive, sorry.
Today I dreamed from IT Crowd Season 3 before I woke up. In my dream the first episode of the new IT Crowd season got leaked, and man even for a dream it had really bad quality, probably badly encoded. However, I can’t recall much but Denholm was back from the dead and he and Moss walked into the lobby of Denholm Industries. I can recall an reception desk but I dont know what they talked about. Then I woke up, wondering why I dreamed from IT Crowd.
This really happened today. Weird dream that was… Graham, was it by any chance a vision of the first new episode or just my fantasy going crazy while I sleep? I mean… Moss is cool… but dreaming from Moss is a whole other thing. Its like a rollercoaster!
Thats my shite.
“I can’t watch people be humiliated for the sake of some lazy prick’s new half hour piss festival.”
Wow. I have to say, I second that emotion…but I do think Robert has a gentler, more honestly funny approach than most. He puts people on a little merry-go-round and when they step off they’re only mildly discombobulated.
But in general, yes, with you. Pranks and prank shows suck.
I’m not a big fan of those sort of prank shows either, but I like the way Robert does it. He doesn’t aim to piss people off, I think he just tries to bemuse people slightly. I don’t think I’d mind a phonecall from him at work because it’d keep me amused… and he stays very polite too! ‘The Timewaster Letters’ is hilarious, he manages to pass himself off as ridiculous, but still quite charming at times. Keep meaning to buy the second book and the diaries, but my book list is far too big! Someday…
Saying all that, though, I will admit that I’ve enjoyed old Chris Morris pranks. But maybe because it’s Chris Morris and I’m biased and hypocritical in that sense!
Unrelated, but I’m excited to find out how the DVD competition went. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a roll-over though, it was devilishly tricky! (I try to end comments by sounding like an old woman. Och, you are WICKED! [insert knee-slap])
PS, that Choque thing was fantastic. I don’t think I watched 7:35 in the Morning but I think I’m going to have to now.
hey, muxtape is dead, long live http://favtape.com !
The late, great David Foster Wallace. This Aaaawesome speech seems to answer every question from ‘is there a god?’ to ‘How to be happy’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/20/fiction
I think you’re in AD/BC for a moment. I’m either hella slow for having missed you the first time I saw it, or it’s not you. Perhaps both. Likely.
I’ve never linked a vidyo on here before, so here goes. I love Ellen DeGeneres.
About the ‘Jesus is a friend of mine’ song. So Jesus taught him to turn the other cheek when people laugh at him. That probably comes in useful.
I just wanted to second what Tracy has said earlier. I was also there on Friday and wanted to say thank you very much, it was truly mirthful evening indeed. I’m very much looking forward to the rest of the series – it’s off to a wonderful start!
There’s actually some debate over whether the ‘Jesus is my friend’ video is real or fake. Personally, I think it may be fake but I really hope it’s for real, “Zapp”.
Link; http://endie.net/cs/blogs/endie/archive/2008/09/07/Sonseed_Im_calling_it_as_fake.aspx
My earlier post was a bit negative, so here’s a snl video with Kristen Wiig, who is the funniest person in the world.
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/update-judy-grimes/704103/
Also Graham, ‘I second that emotion’ Is my favorite Smokey Robinson song and I sing it when I’m on my own. ‘Smokey’ Robinson was so called because Robinson was his parents surname.
Thought you might like these two excellent speeches given recently by Sen. Marcy Kaptur. I hadn’t heard of her before this, but her genuine passion (and anger) are great to hear on the floor of an otherwise unmotivated and pliant congress:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mbD62gNi9WE
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=S27yitK32ds
Great
Bit unnerved by this video. Is it true Obama has to win Michigan to win the election?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2008/sep/28/uselections2008.sarahpalin
New ‘W’ trailer:
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/w/trailer-b
Not that convinced by it personally.
re 360: How about Bioshock and portal, obviously PC shooter ports, but top of their genre. In terms of decent new games on, I dunno.
As a multi-platform owner its all about Little Big Planet wherein Stephen Fry narrates and hilarity ensues./
I’m sketching out my Bladerunner inspired level now, complete with light stick umbrellas and rooftop denouement. Plus lots and lots of rain, if poss.
Any nods to gaming in the IT crowd? Cant remember any. South Park have done fantastic work with the Wii release and WOW, but the WoW episode is not really that funny outside gamer circles, more of a throwaway / homage than anything.
The nub, as struck by the onion:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/report_60_million_people_youd
Hi Graham. I wondered what your thoughts were regarding writing a comedy series as a ‘mouthpiece for a specific viewpoint’? – I have written a comedy with author, Joe Cawley, called ‘Debunked’ which episode by episode looks at a different biblical story or theme, and satirizes the events in an intelligible way with the modern outlook we possess today and highlighting the absurdities and offensive, chauvinistic attitudes of those ancient times. A ‘Life Of Brian’ for TV, if you like, which in my mind hasn’t really been explored before. Anyway, we thought we was on a winner and expected Hat Trick or Baby Cow to laud us from atop Mount Sinai, but alas we were told that sit com is no place to satirize n stories which are already unintentionally comedic. What’s your views on that and how far you can go in TV Comedy?
So what’s Fr Dougal doing selling property in Dunedin, New Zealand?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Property/Residential-Property/Houses-for-sale/auction-166532126.htm
Ted and Fr Jack join in at the end.
“…but alas we were told that sit com is no place to satirize n stories which are already unintentionally comedic.”
Sorry, Lee, but I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s sort of why I hate webcomics about Super Mario or whatever. A satire of something that is intentionally or unintentionally funny already is a coals to Newcastle situation.
At least, I think this is what I mean, and I think it’s what I think. Can anyone think of an example that proves me wrong?
“Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy” maybe? If one of sitcom’s great strengths as a medium is nailing Character, the introduction of that discipline to a genre like sci-fi or fantasy in which characterization is so often an afterthought could certainly bring something to the party, no?
Hi Graham, don’t know if you’ve heard this before; it’s the most cringe-worthy interview I think I’ve ever come across. It makes Jools Holland’s chat with Carla Bruni the other week look like Frost/Nixon
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/when-hardeep-met-les
Re references to gaming in the IT crowd. That bit in episode pne where
Jem (Jen?) is instructed to “get out of the lift”, the corridor to the IT department, full of obstacle and threat- Half Life no?
In terms of sit-com using a voice or satirizing a touchy subject, I can only really think of US animated series’ like American Dad, and to a lesser extent, The Simpsons, which promote liberal ideals and satirize the conservative ‘Republican’ outlook. There were a few UK shows in the 80’s which had a political edge and were ‘anti-Thatcher’ in tone (think The Young Ones, etc) and used good social commentary. The Pythons enjoyed a frequent and fun poke at authority. And Brasseye (which you know a bit about!) which satirized the media. But in terms of a comedy series dedicated to putting the boot into a doctrine or establishment such as The Bible or the monarchy, I don’t think it’s been done, and can’t help believing that it would be immensely popular if tried. Sure, it would cause an inital stir, but that could be used to an advantage if everything was handled intelligently from the off. Religion is regularly tackled in stand-up and film, so why not TV?… Still, I’ve had no luck ‘debunking’ the Bible so I’ll go back to my lighter offering, ‘Nuking Nagasaki’! (and yes, just to be completely clear here, that was a crap gag…)
I say go for it, Lee. Subject matter is unimportant if the jokes are quality, cliché-free and above all, funny. If the easy and obvious jokes are avoided I’m sure you can make something of it. I reckon it depends on your approach to the material.
Any comedy that’s ‘dedicated to putting the boot in’ to anything is off on the wrong foot. You’re coming at your subject from a position of superiority and scorn, whereas you really should be looking to creating characters for whom you feel some degree of affection. After all, you are going to be spending a lot of time with them.
Also, you seem to be gearing up to write a polemic. Polemics are not good.
Guess what Ireland’s best TV show ever is?
http://www.lecraic.com/2008/10/01/irelands-top-100-tv-programmes-the-rte-guide-list/
True. Hopefully we’ve avoided the polemic problem. The comedy was coming from the premise of ‘what if’, rather than looking to lay in with the size 12’s! Accepting that the bible isn’t written documented truth, you ask the questions, in this case via a modern day protagonist who’s having a spiritual crisis and finds himself witnessing first hand some of the better known biblical stories via the ‘Good God!’ Channel, which sucks him in and spits him out the other end (tcalss). What if Adam had self-knowledge before the apple incident and was horny from the outset. What if Eve was flirtatious and drawn to the protagonst instead of Adam, etc. And scenes such as a solitary planet Earth pinging to life, Adam naming a line-up of animals, Eve being born from Adam’s rib and a 600 year old Noah gathering wild beasts, play out as visually very funny. Without any need to add scornful dialogue. A kind of Hitchhikers meets Life Of Brian!… you know what. It’s occurred to me. Maybe I’ve finally lost my marbles. Is that a good thing for writing comedy?!…
Well, sorry, Lee, it’s not my type of thing but good luck with it!
Nice interview with Richard Lemonade in the Guardian today..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/oct/02/comedy.television
I think this might interest a few people here.
Here’s a little clip of George Lamb of Radio 6 Music interviewing the music legend that is Ray Davies of the Kinks. (As linked in Richard Herring’s blog).
George Lamb should be shot, and I doubt I’m the only person here who’ll feel that way! This is fairly typical of his laddish nonsense.
No worries Graham. Thanks ever so much for your comments (and Darren). We’ve started work on quite a fresh idea for something a bit more character driven and broader and put the offensive one aside for a spell! – Out of interest, obviously you have quite a midas touch when it comes to ideas and timing (to say the least!) – Do you have any particular routine or starting point when it comes ot beginning work on a new comedy? For example, sitting down and thinking up a theme or plot first, or developing a couple of half-formed characters first, etc? – And how much of real-life and actual people do you put into your characters? (if you can divulge such secrets?!)
Achewood! I love Achewood. Such a strange, perfectly formed, hilarious and unique world. Apart from Calvin and Hobbes, Jimmy Corrigan and of course everything Jim Woodring has ever done, Achewood’s the best.
That Lil’ O’Reilly was excellent. Spot on.