W1A (mockumentary with Hugh Bonneville) - starts 19th, March

Mr Pseudonym · 19-03-2014 2:56am #1

A sequel to Twenty Twelve (a spoof documentary which focused on the members of the fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission and satirised the management-speak and conflicting ambitions/egos of an organisational team), W1A follows the protagonist, Ian Fletcher, who has been recruited by the BBC as "Head of Values" on the back of his performance with the ODC.

On the basis of the trailer, I don't think it looks as good as Twenty Twelve. But, I'm looking forward to be proved spectacularly wrong!

squonk · 19-03-2014 10:04am

Can't watch the trailer as I'm in work. The second series of Twenty Twelve wasn't quite as good as the first. I think with shows like this it's hard to maintain a standard though, overall Twenty Twelve was excellent! I'm delighted they've made a follow up and I'll take it as I find it. Twenty Twelve took an episode or two to grow on me but once it did, it turned into a classic!

evilivor · 19-03-2014 11:45am

squonk wrote: »

Can't watch the trailer as I'm in work. The second series of Twenty Twelve wasn't quite as good as the first. I think with shows like this it's hard to maintain a standard though, overall Twenty Twelve was excellent! I'm delighted they've made a follow up and I'll take it as I find it. Twenty Twelve took an episode or two to grow on me but once it did, it turned into a classic!

Twenty Twenty was a show that got better as it went along - second series was a huge step up from the first.

mike65 · 19-03-2014 12:08pm

I imagine there will be a few insiders watching this either through their fingers or with a knowing smile.

OldRio · 19-03-2014 1:12pm

Twenty twelve was brilliant TV. Looking forward to this.

Mr Pseudonym · 20-03-2014 1:19am

What did everyone think? Clearly has a bigger budget than Twenty Twelve, resulting in lots of elaborate external shots. I thought it was good, but that it was less subtle than TT. Some of the "satire" wasn't especially perceptive - mobile phone's ringing in meetings, for instance.

Little bit concerned that show might get tiresome mid-way through the series.

ProudDUB · 20-03-2014 1:46am

Will deffo check it out, as I thought that 2012 was brilliant. But I dunno...it's going to have to be really top notch to keep viewers interested. The Olympics were on and all over the news when 2012 was on. That made it relevant. It was a show about something that people were already really, really interested in. A show about a broadcasting company won't have any of that going for it.

madmaggie · 20-03-2014 2:18am

I tuned out halfway through, found it too smug. Repetition of gags, no offices, folding bike. That said, might give it a look next week.

brian_t · 20-03-2014 2:32am

ProudDUB wrote: »

Will deffo check it out, as I thought that 2012 was brilliant. But I dunno...it's going to have to be really top notch to keep viewers interested. The Olympics were on and all over the news when 2012 was on. That made it relevant. It was a show about something that people were already really, really interested in. A show about a broadcasting company won't have any of that going for it.

You have to remember that it's target audience is British viewers.

How their licence fee is spent is pretty relevant to them.

evilivor · 20-03-2014 8:50am

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

What did everyone think? Clearly has a bigger budget than Twenty Twelve, resulting in lots of elaborate external shots. I thought it was good, but that it was less subtle than TT. Some of the "satire" wasn't especially perceptive - mobile phone's ringing in meetings, for instance.

Little bit concerned that show might get tiresome mid-way through the series.

Only four episides.

ProudDUB · 20-03-2014 3:49pm

brian_t wrote: »

You have to remember that it's target audience is British viewers.

How their licence fee is spent is pretty relevant to them.

That's true. I suppose if someone came up with a similar idea lampooning RTE we'd all tune in. But there are only so many times you can go to the well and make jokes about insert name of overpaid RTE/BBC presenter that we all love to rag on here

> and wasting tax payers money, before it starts to become old.

I think it will need to be very well written to engage viewers long term. It doesn't have the interest factor already built into it, that a big, splashy event like the Olympics had. I suppose time will tell.

OldRio · 20-03-2014 11:58pm

A little underwhelming to be honest. I'll stick with it but meh.

Fred Swanson · 03-04-2014 1:53am

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FunLover18 · 01-05-2015 11:49pm

This started back again, has anybody been watching? Love Will, Jesus, the thing with his password was so absolute cringe.

evilivor · 02-05-2015 1:23pm

FunLover18 wrote: »

This started back again, has anybody been watching? Love Will, Jesus, the thing with his password was so absolute cringe.

I thought they would struggle with an hour-long opener but no, it flowed very well.

Second just as strong. Great show.

Fred Swanson · 23-09-2017 9:50pm

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FunLover18 · 24-09-2017 1:36am

Fred Swanson wrote:

Anyone watching Season 3?

I saw the first one (that's all there's been so far yeh?). Enjoyed it. Will and the Welsh lady are still the best things in it.

NIMAN · 24-09-2017 3:37am

Its just getting a little annoying now.....all that fast paced dialogue with nothing getting said.....its funny to begin with but gets on my nerves now.

Fred Swanson · 24-09-2017 10:41am

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W1A (mockumentary with Hugh Bonneville) - starts 19th, March

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