New Irish Sit-com on RTE TWO?????

Elmo

Elmo I think he meant that channels he receives via Sky Digital.

And RTE show many of those shows he is talking about and UPC also provide a similar service. Sky do not produce TV all that often and when they do the show are dreadful.

Sorry of the topic, I just think it stupid to praise Sky!

And yes it is a matter of personal opinion. I found it funny. But also thought that the voice over was over used. I also think most people had pre-judge this show from the out set, I had and wasn't expecting much. It was far better then The English Class.

Wertz

lol once again my opinion is in the minority.


I didn't see this English Class...would this show be considered "worse" by those slating both here?
Also, why so many new accounts set up to poke fun at this?

is_that_so

I am all for development but like all writing write, rewrite is the guiding mantra. This suffered from aimlessness and from what I would describe as extremely juvenile humour. It was really not well-written at all. This show was not helped by the very poor acting.
I can see where some of it might have been going but I also think it might been better as a single 30 minute slot. Personally not inclined to go near the second 30 minutes now that I seen it.

Polly Hill

What I can't understand is how RTE can commission and produce some very good drama, yet the lack of decent comedy is just absurd. It's not for lack of talent so who decides something like this is actually broadcast quality?

afatbollix

a 55 year old man who hasent watched scrubs or fimily guy in his life

Amz

anto-t wrote: »

a 55 year old man who hasent watched scrubs or fimily guy in his life

Scrubs and Family Guy are hardly the epitome of good comedy though.

super_furry

It was shockingly bad. I heard nothing of it before accidently flicking over to it while browsing. I don't have massive high-brow comedy tastes - I even liked Fergus' Wedding, when everyone else thought it was ****e - but that was just something else. Everything, from the writting to the acting was terrible, it was like a college project by a group of kids who had watched too much Spaced.

afatbollix

but they are comedy and this guy is in charge of comedy for rte i think he should watch at least one epp. for christs sake scrubs has been on rte for 6 years

ianrush

This show got made because the RTE entertainment department has nobody to read the scripts it has and instead commissioned this on the basis of a pilot dvd which the guys involved had shot themselves. RTE wanted to put the pilot on the air (which I can tell you was a helluva lot worse than you saw tonight) but then were persuaded otherwise. I'm not going to knock the creators because honestly you can't expect anyone to knock it out of the park on the first try. My problem is with the whole system of creating comedy in this country. Nearly EVERYTHING of any comedy note on the BBC has been first tested on radio where people can develop their comedy writing and characters until they have something ready for tv. Just throwing talent to the wolves, which seems to be RTE way, is just daft. Another point to make here is that the budget for these two episodes, I've heard, was 60 grand each, which shows "you get what you pay for". Develop talent properly, then give them proper resources. That's the only way RTE will create anything to reach the expectations that we all have.

Elmo

but they are comedy and this guy is in charge of comedy for rte i think he should watch at least one epp. for christs sake scrubs has been on rte for 6 years

Where did you get this information from, it does seem bizzare that he never watched Scrubs (which has its off-episodes as does Family guy).

Another point to make here is that the budget for these two episodes, I've heard, was 60 grand each, which shows "you get what you pay for". Develop talent properly, then give them proper resources. That's the only way RTE will create anything to reach the expectations that we all have.

I always assumed that the BBC had create most of their great comedies on a shoe string in the 70's. I always assumed that Monty Python had no money when it was first aired.

There are very few comedies coming from Britian in recent years, maybe once a year.

yayamark

terrible.

If this was the states it would be stopped now,

But its ireland. sure we'll struggle on.

Wertz

anto-t wrote: »

a 55 year old man who hasent watched scrubs or fimily guy in his life

I hate Scrubs but like Family Guy....what are you getting at with your post?

fast74

it's bad, really bad and basically suffers the same problems that previous attempts at comedy at RTE have suffered from, namely:

the actors can't act, as in, overacting is not acting.
there is no straight-man, think Fr. Ted, The Office, Faulty Towers et al. where insanity surrounds the central character(s) or the central character is himself the insanity.
on a similar thread, there's no-one to relate to, they have tried to make each person "zany", does anyone know people in real life like these people?! better yet would you want to hang around with them for long? This was where Bachelors Walk got it dead on, Barry & Michael were idiots, but were at least likable idiots.
accents aren't funny

the script, I think in fairness the script was good in places, like if you read it before ever seeing the thing it had moments but was let down by the above.

I'm not saying that every great comedy must follow these rules, but they must have known something was wrong in the editing room...

-Shane
-keep working on it guys

Deiselad22

good post fast.

Boardsbud

ianrush wrote: »

I've heard, was 60 grand each, which shows "you get what you pay for".

Start the tribunal now !!

How could anybody believe that 60 grand was spent on this episode ? I've seen student films far better than this, both in story and technically, made for virtually nothing, certainly nothing near 6 grand, never mind 60 grand.

Mr Stubbs

Hi guys,

Thanks for your honest opinions about our show. Let me explain something right here and right now:

This was the best we could do. This was the best script i could write and this was the best we could direct for the tools, budget and timescale we were provided.

I'm sorry if you think it was a pile of effluent -- believe me we did not intend it to be of such.

And heres a final suggestion -- how about you guys take pen to paper and do something better -- and i dont mean that in a patronising way ---seriously we were given a chance and we did our best. You guys want good comedy on RTE? Well you are all evidently eloquent enough to do much better --- so God bless and good luck.

Peace and love to all.

SS.

Jackz

Aww dude don't attack/slag the creator personally.

Deiselad22

That kinda shut me up

But it is why I didn't want to criticise the individuals concerned. This wasn't my cup of tea, but some liked it.

But it's not in the right place. There should be room for these kind of shows - late night weekends possibly. This was supposed to be the replacement for Podge and Rodge. I think RTE needs to look at the options - even if it's hiring foreign writers to produce Irish comedy.

Nightwish

RTE got it right with Paths To Freedom. Why, when they know how, do they continue to get it so wrong?

Capt'n Midnight

Elmo wrote: »

Well we still go on about the cassidy's, upwardly mobile and Mrs. O'Brien which all predate Paths to Freedom.

Wasn't Leave it to Mrs O'Brien an export success to Nigeria ?

I was watching the remake of Dawn of the Dead over on C4 and flicking back and forth. [insert comparisons about lifeless characters, script by numbers etc.]

Polly Hill

ianrush wrote: »

Another point to make here is that the budget for these two episodes, I've heard, was 60 grand each, which shows "you get what you pay for". Develop talent properly, then give them proper resources.

The Irish feature Once was made for 100k, that show tonight could have been made for 10 times that and it still wouldn't have been better than the English Class. Low budget was not the problem.

Elmo

it still wouldn't have been better than the English Class

Polly don't be so critical it wasn't as bad as the English Class. It was far better.

4 posts, I didn't realise that this thread would be so negitive even for boards.

Basq

To be honest - Mr Stubbs has a point.

But writing comedy is not an easy task.. what appears funny to some may not be funny to others.

Many comedies have gotten plenty of critical panning, and still been successful. 'Two Pints Of Lager..' and 'Coupling' to name but two.

Haven't seen the show but i wouldn't dismiss it just yet. I remember when i was much younger being driven up the country in a car with my parents stuck listening to a critic on the radio pan this horribly unfunny and blasphemous TV show - it was 'Father Ted'. People were calling in backing up the reviewer - odds are as 'Father Ted' continued, a couple of their opinions changed.

As i said.. I have not seen the show but i'd never dismiss something outright after one episode. It might simply be finding it's feet.

Polly Hill

Elmo wrote: »

Polly don't be so critical it wasn't as bad as the English Class. It was far better.

4 posts, I didn't realise that this thread would be so negitive even for boards.

I honestly think the English class was less embarassing. Maybe this thread would be less scathing if this show was imported, the fact that our license fee funds homegrown talent being ignored and overlooked for such rubbish is very offensive. If it weren't for the impressive drama and sports programming plus the foreign comedy bought in, I would stop paying my license fee and throw away my television.

ianrush

I always assumed that the BBC had create most of their great comedies on a shoe string in the 70's. I always assumed that Monty Python had no money when it was first aired.

All the python members (except terry gilliam) had years of comedy performance under their belts before being given their own show. Comparing 70's budgets and production values to what is expected today is not a realistic arguement.

standbyme

Im just about getting over it now, i havent seen anyone come on here complainin about the place bein used, was it crumlin?

Somethin about it made me feelin green, or was that Incredible Hulk theme bein copied from Makin Jake earlier on

I'll cheer myself up with Desperate Housewives tomoro nite, as this was just Desperate...

Mossy Monk

I wonder if any of the lads recorded this on the sky box. I would like to see it now.

ianrush

The Irish feature Once was made for 100k, that show tonight could have been made for 10 times that and it still wouldn't have been better than the English Class. Low budget was not the problem.

I disagree. I think low budget was PART of the problem. There was loads of ideas in the show (some good, some bad, but at least it was trying, unlike the english class) but with the budget they had, you just can't do all the quick cut "arrested development"-style comedy to any decent standard.
It just all came across as being rushed out, under developed, not rehearsed enough and basically RTE have screwed over the viewing public and the creators of this show by incompetant management of this project.

Drag00n79

Mossy Monk wrote: »

I wonder if any of the lads recorded this on the sky box. I would like to see it now.

If not, it's again late next Sunday night.

AngelinaJolie

Boardsbud wrote: »

Start the tribunal now !!

How could anybody believe that 60 grand was spent on this episode ? I've seen student films far better than this, both in story and technically, made for virtually nothing, certainly nothing near 6 grand, never mind 60 grand.

Dear everybody on these boards.....

And especially this guy/girl,

First off, I want to point out how pilots are generally received: people hate them. No, let me clarify that: people hate what's actually got the potential to be something be good.
Fact: Seinfeld was almost cancelled after the first season because people thought it was crap.
Fact: Arrested Development, one of the best sit-coms to come out of America in years, was cancelled in the third season.
Fact: Family Guy was cancelled.
Fact: Futurama was cancelled.
So......
Do you want RTE do spout the bull that comes from American networks or do you want to support the writers who love the above shows?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but for this seems to be pissing on something for the sake of pissing on something.

When have you ever seem something like this on RTE?

Better than The English Class?

You mean a cheap rip-off of Mind Your Language meets The Office is the height of comedy compared to The Roaring Twenties?

If you really think this, well, sir, you really don't know comedy, in my opinion.