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It appears that he’s now a few inches taller, twice the weight and ten times less comical. I dunno why they bother.
I agree wholeheartedly.
Why DO they remake these classic shows?!
Channel 5 attempted to update "Minder"….and what a travesty that was.
Zip
A travesty.
Just goes to prove that today’s sitcom writers are bereft of original ideas and talent.
It only adds fuel to the belief all the best comedy writing was indeed better decades ago.
Bin it now – along with Minder.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Err, it’s the same writer – although he does have a co-writer this time.
The real problem is that the original wasn’t funny either, but gained ‘cult’ status which protected it from criticism. That, and a couple of catch phrases – "I didn’t get where I am today" and "Great. Super".
Err, it’s the same writer – although he does have a co-writer this time.
The real problem is that the original wasn’t funny either, but gained ‘cult’ status which protected it from criticism. That, and a couple of catch phrases – "I didn’t get where I am today" and "Great. Super".
Nonetheless, it’s still bad. I happen to agree with you – I didn’t find the original funny either.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
What AP said, basically. A more charismatic lead in Leonard Rossiter probably helped first time round, too – which isn’t to say Martin Clunes is dreadful.
It does all make the cancellation of the superior
Not Going Out
seem that bit more mystifying, mind.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I am hugely disappointed in this. Loved the original as one of the funniest sitcoms ever and eagerly awaited a new version. Can understand it not being everyone’s taste.
From the start of the first episode when Clunes walked past the Sunshine deserts office I kind of knew it would not work. This new modern take on the same story is dismal. The canned laughter is irritating. The characters are nowhere as good as the originals (the old doctor creased me out). Apart from the sexy Jane. Their catch phrases are tired already.
Really this sitcom only made it to telly on the back of the original and in turn by failing to be a tenth as good it should be humanely put to sleep.
Not for the first time my taste in comedy / music / arts seems to be out of kilter with everyone elses.
I absolutely hated the original with a vengeance – one of the most unfunny "comedy" shows I have ever seen.
Whereas I actually laughed in places at the new version.
That does not make it brilliant of course (highly unlikely I will make a point of watching the rest of the series – only if I really have nothing better to do) but certainly much more enjoyable than the original – which isn’t difficult.
What AP said, basically. A more charismatic lead in Leonard Rossiter probably helped first time round, too – which isn’t to say Martin Clunes is dreadful.
It does all make the cancellation of the superior
Not Going Out
seem that bit more mystifying, mind.
gc
Oh, goody, now I finally get to disagree with you emphatically, GC. I’ve been waiting ages!
Not Going Out is the biggest, steamiest pile of dog excretion I HAVE EVER SEEN.
The "jokes" could not amuse a 3 year old child, let alone a fully-grown adult. The comedy (*cough*) lines are signposted to the point of being on the A-Z map.
I do not understand how they could recommission this woeful attempt at
funny
. Never before have the depths of lameness been so plummeted.
Still, as long as you enjoyed it.
Zip
Enjoyed the original series though without Leonard Rossiter it wouldn’t have been anything much at all; he, his face, his mannerisms, his voice were joyous one-offs and it was sad he died so young.
This lazy remake does nothing for me and is essentially an exercise in poor impersonations of the original characters. Martin Clunes seems to be doing no more than sleep-walking his way through the weak script by reprising his role as the bored well-behaved office functionary who – and here’s the clever twist
– rather than actually behaving badly, just wishes he could.There was an equally poor revival of the show some years ago with the original cast – bar Rossiter – which lasted just the one series, if memory serves.
In general sitcoms may amuse at the time, but are of their time, and rarely work out of that time.
You don’t know what’s going on
You’ve been away for far too long
You can’t come back and think you’re still mine
You’re out of touch, my baby
My poor discarded baby
I said, baby, baby, baby, you’re out of timehave they taken chris farlowe off youtube in the uk too?
Oh, goody, now I finally get to disagree with you emphatically, GC. I’ve been waiting ages!
Only now? I’ve not been trying hard enough.
Not Going Out is the biggest, steamiest pile of dog excretion I HAVE EVER SEEN.
Your house cannot be in possession of anything of Jim Davidson’s meisterwerken, I trust.
The comedy (*cough*) lines are signposted to the point of being on the A-Z map.
But tangible comedy lines there undoubtedly are. Heaven knows enough sitcoms make the fatal error of omitting these. Doh!
I do not understand how they could recommission this woeful attempt at
funny
.
The words "Lee Mack" and "golden handcuffs deal" had a lot to do with it. Still, I hoped the show might have outlived beyond that particular arrangement.
Still, as long as you enjoyed it.
My pleasure. Happy to adopt a contrary position. Same time next year?
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Anyone having a bash at doing anything genuinely funny is up against it, in the brave Nuworld.
If South Park wasn’t a cartoon and the Borat character wasn’t a Jew, we would never have heard of either of them.
Still annoyed along with GC about Not Going Out being cancelled.
On the Perrin front the new version is ok in bits and has been modernised to a point which fits in with the lifestyles of today.
Their are a few things which let it down though.
Those two workers who are the new Tony and David are annoying and should be shot as they simply are not funny.
The idea of a boss being someone who is feared was ok in the 70s but in this new age someone would have had him sacked as no boss is like that anymore and calling him Chris Jackson is plain lazy.
On the plus point things like the Train ride in where people are plugged into their iPods and Laptops is true enough as nobody talks on the trains and even the London Underground in the most quiet place in the whole City.
If someone like Steven Moffatt had done a new version then it would have been brilliant but Simon Nye is trying to go back to his old MBB style of writing and bring this into the new Perrin.
And the name of Reggie Perrin should have been changed as you very rarely here of anyone called Reggie anymore.
All in all id say its ok but could do so much better.
One thing i do agree with is what GC wrote about Jim Davidson, the man is an unfunny Tory C.U.Next Tuesday.
GC and Gang,
"Oh, Dr Beeching" – discuss
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh,_Doctor_Beeching!
Now come on, someone here is a closet fan.
Zip
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