Come and watch a DVD
September 26, 2008 3:16 AM Subscribe
Um...
So, then, is...
I guess...
Oh hell with it. That kid, Stewie. Does the family hear what he's saying?
posted by JHarris at 3:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
So, then, is...
I guess...
Oh hell with it. That kid, Stewie. Does the family hear what he's saying?
posted by JHarris at 3:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I remember reading, years and years ago, some guy's explanation as to why there were so few successful Australian sitcoms. Basically, the problem is that Australian writers define the situation so narrowly that they leave no room for the comedy. He used Friends as an example of a successful sitcom - the central conceit being that it's all about a group of friends and that's all.
I watched the first couple of episodes of this series, and it was really funny, but after that I got bored with it. The central conceit is good for a few gags, but that's as far as it got me. I really wanted to like it, but it just didn't do it for me.
posted by Ritchie at 3:57 AM on September 26, 2008
I watched the first couple of episodes of this series, and it was really funny, but after that I got bored with it. The central conceit is good for a few gags, but that's as far as it got me. I really wanted to like it, but it just didn't do it for me.
posted by Ritchie at 3:57 AM on September 26, 2008
Yeah, this could be a funny movie (if they can avoid marketers who want to call it Look Who's Talking Like A Dog). As a show...tricky.
posted by DU at 5:51 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by DU at 5:51 AM on September 26, 2008
So what's the deal? Better than the Dogwoman Mysteries, or worse?
posted by infinitewindow at 6:02 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by infinitewindow at 6:02 AM on September 26, 2008
Is that the postman? Tell that cunt I want a word with him.
Americans shouldn't waste their time watching this.
posted by strawberryviagra at 6:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Americans shouldn't waste their time watching this.
posted by strawberryviagra at 6:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Not all Americans need a laugh track with their comedy.
posted by BrotherCaine at 6:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by BrotherCaine at 6:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I think it started out as a Tropfest short film and then went onto TV - I watched a couple of them - and they are funny in parts but its hard to watch. by the 3rd or 4th I just lost interest.
posted by mary8nne at 7:01 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by mary8nne at 7:01 AM on September 26, 2008
Adorable? That's not the word I'd use! Menacing maybe. Bizarre perhaps. Surreal, definitely.
Quite good... and funny!
posted by no1hatchling at 8:57 AM on September 26, 2008
Quite good... and funny!
posted by no1hatchling at 8:57 AM on September 26, 2008
Ritchie: I remember reading, years and years ago, some guy's explanation as to why there were so few successful Australian sitcoms. Basically, the problem is that Australian writers define the situation so narrowly that they leave no room for the comedy. He used Friends as an example of a successful sitcom - the central conceit being that it's all about a group of friends and that's all.
Ah. So that's the trick - come on, then, Australians, you can do this! It's simple: just write jokes dumb enough and blunt enough that a large market share will find them amusing enough to continue watching. It's remarkable that other countries haven't yet caught up with the fantastic progress we've made here in the US on the comedy-by-focus-group-and-marketing-team model.
posted by koeselitz at 9:53 AM on September 26, 2008
Ah. So that's the trick - come on, then, Australians, you can do this! It's simple: just write jokes dumb enough and blunt enough that a large market share will find them amusing enough to continue watching. It's remarkable that other countries haven't yet caught up with the fantastic progress we've made here in the US on the comedy-by-focus-group-and-marketing-team model.
posted by koeselitz at 9:53 AM on September 26, 2008
More bizarre than anything. I honestly derived no entertainment value out of this at all, it just made me confused and uncomfortable. Maybe I'm not reading far enough into it. Can somebody who "gets it" explain?
posted by tehloki at 9:53 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by tehloki at 9:53 AM on September 26, 2008
"Americans shouldn't waste their time watching this."
Should we watch "Are You Being Served?" instead?
posted by WerewolvesRancheros at 11:02 AM on September 26, 2008
Should we watch "Are You Being Served?" instead?
posted by WerewolvesRancheros at 11:02 AM on September 26, 2008
Very funny. However, great comedy is like great food. Good food, is really, really, good, tasty, chow down and gorge, nom nom nom. Great food is an exquisite experience, and not necessarily entirely pleasant. That's why they put the bitter bits in a salad, or an anchovy. I think psychologists call it the contrast effect.
It's actually rare when something can be both good and great. Friends was good, but unwatchable for me. I just hated the characters, wanted to slap the snot out of them half the time. Seinfeld was both good and great. Funny on so many levels, and sometimes almost painful to watch.
More currently, The Office is good and great. And painful. Ooooooh lots and lots of pain in Flight of The Conchords. One of the best damn shows ever.
So, yeah, I could watch this. But they still need to tell a story, even if it's of the Seinfeld "man-hands" variety.
posted by Xoebe at 11:43 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
It's actually rare when something can be both good and great. Friends was good, but unwatchable for me. I just hated the characters, wanted to slap the snot out of them half the time. Seinfeld was both good and great. Funny on so many levels, and sometimes almost painful to watch.
More currently, The Office is good and great. And painful. Ooooooh lots and lots of pain in Flight of The Conchords. One of the best damn shows ever.
So, yeah, I could watch this. But they still need to tell a story, even if it's of the Seinfeld "man-hands" variety.
posted by Xoebe at 11:43 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Those outside the US may find this list of public HTTP proxy servers useful. I certainly do, since even though I'm in au, I have no telly.
Xoebe, I think you'll find, if you work through the episodes from ifc.com in order, that there's plenty of story being told there.
posted by flabdablet at 11:48 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Xoebe, I think you'll find, if you work through the episodes from ifc.com in order, that there's plenty of story being told there.
posted by flabdablet at 11:48 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
I think it started out as a Tropfest short film and then went onto TV.
That makes sense. As a short film it could be brilliantly funny.
... come on, then, Australians, you can do this! It's simple: just write jokes dumb enough and blunt enough that a large market share will find them amusing enough to continue watching.
Oh believe me, we've been there. There was this one show called Hey Dad, and ... oh god ... *shudders*. Anyway, that show lasted for years.
Nudge is going to be in my nightmares tonight.
posted by Ritchie at 3:11 PM on September 26, 2008
That makes sense. As a short film it could be brilliantly funny.
... come on, then, Australians, you can do this! It's simple: just write jokes dumb enough and blunt enough that a large market share will find them amusing enough to continue watching.
Oh believe me, we've been there. There was this one show called Hey Dad, and ... oh god ... *shudders*. Anyway, that show lasted for years.
Nudge is going to be in my nightmares tonight.
posted by Ritchie at 3:11 PM on September 26, 2008
Was expecting something to happen.
But the Shane Warne comment got me interested. Now if that dog had bowled a leg break, that would have been exciting. As it was, more like the first day of the first test at Adelaide. A little slow, but you don't want to take your eyes off the thing in case there's a fast wicket.
Turns out we went to lunch with 60 on the scoreboard and 15 maiden overs.
posted by salishsea at 3:35 PM on September 26, 2008
But the Shane Warne comment got me interested. Now if that dog had bowled a leg break, that would have been exciting. As it was, more like the first day of the first test at Adelaide. A little slow, but you don't want to take your eyes off the thing in case there's a fast wicket.
Turns out we went to lunch with 60 on the scoreboard and 15 maiden overs.
posted by salishsea at 3:35 PM on September 26, 2008
Perhaps you Americans can make your own version of it a la Kath And Kim
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:34 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:34 PM on September 26, 2008
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It's a pity the guy who played Wilfred went on to that horrible Shane Warne look-a-like show.
posted by harriet vane at 3:35 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]