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Chris Morris - Suicide Bomber Project News

Started by Tokyo Sexwhale, September 12, 2008, 02:19:28 AM

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Tokyo Sexwhale

I can't find a recent thread for this, so here's a new one with some news from today's Popbitch.

Quote from: Popbitch>> Brass neck <<
       BBC say Airline Plot good, Morris bad?

   Chris Morris. Role model for news and comedy
   shows on TV. He has a brilliant new show idea.
   The Brass Eye provocateur has written a comedy
   about a Jihadi wannabe suicide bomber cell
   in the North of England. It's funny and topical.
   The perfect TV show? Well, maybe to you and me.
   To the BBC and C4, the channels we hear he
   offered it to, it's not. They've said no to it.
   Possibly too scared at the subject content?

   Did you see the recent "Airline Plot" terror trial?
   The jury didn't convict but on the same day, the
   BBC thought it was appropriate to use their news
   programmes to attack that jury, and put out a
   Panorama show called "The Airline Plot" -
   when a jury had decided that no such plot existed.
   And Morris can't get his show commissioned!

13 schoolyards

Wasn't this supposed to be a movie?  I guess it could have been a telemovie (or "two-hour special"), but I got the impression (no doubt wrongly) that it was aimed at cinemas.

Godzilla Bankrolls

Plenty of films get made that never get picked up for distribution. And maybe Morris is finding it hard to get commercial backing for his film - a comedy giant he may be, but is he enough to sell a film to the public?

eluc55

Could part of the problem be that he's spent so long faffing about, and gone so long without a true celebrated hit on his hands, that he doesn't wield the kind of leverage he used to anymore.

I mean, its not like channel four has to prove its "edgy" nowadays, either. All they do is show weak paedophile jokes with their ballbags hanging out, and they're hardly targetting the "hardhitting satire" audience, are they?

Hell; maybe its a weak script with nothing new to say. I wish he'd just do something genuinely unexpected - like a silly OTT sitcom, with him playing multiple charachters. Or a radio show. Or a sketch show.

And please, please stop trying to be controversial, just because you can. 

Ambient Sheep

Thanks Tokyo, you saved me the trouble.  :-)

I thought it was going to be a six-part TV series, rather than a movie, but I could be wrong.

Rexel Matador

Quote from: eluc55 on September 12, 2008, 10:29:23 AM
Hell; maybe its a weak script with nothing new to say. I wish he'd just do something genuinely unexpected - like a silly OTT sitcom, with him playing multiple charachters. Or a radio show. Or a sketch show.

I too suspect that BBC & Channel 4 probably turned it down because it's just not that good - that and the bad ratings for Nathan Barley.  It's tragic really - quite a fall from grace.

I really doubt he's trying to be controversial, surely it's more likely he's working on subjects that interest him? He is a satirist, it would be pretty strange if he didn't turn his thoughts to Islamic terrorists when they loom fairly largely in the zeitgeist or whatever you want to call it.

Godzilla Bankrolls

I thought his aims (as far as I can make out) behind this new project were fairly commendable - highlighting ignorant Islamophobia as no better than anti-semitism, and showing how terrorists can be a load of bumbling idiots rather than super-intelligent agents plugged into some hi-tech global network - but whether he can make all that funny or not is another matter.

eluc55

Quote from: something is sacred on September 12, 2008, 11:12:42 AM
I really doubt he's trying to be controversial, surely it's more likely he's working on subjects that interest him? He is a satirist, it would be pretty strange if he didn't turn his thoughts to Islamic terrorists when they loom fairly largely in the zeitgeist or whatever you want to call it.

But the problem is, terrorism is pretty much the most obvious - and most heavily referanced -target for any wannabee satirist now - certainly one of them. And I'm just not convinced there's anything tremendously original for him to say on the subject.

Plus it really limits him in a way. His best shows, both on radio and TV, are those that take a central idea (eg. news parody) as a springboard for many more avenues (TV parodies, music parodies, impressions, etc).

I don't really care, so long as its funny of course. But rightly or wrongly, I just keep imagining it as Nathan Barley with terrorists, and i want to sob.

Obvious or not, I can't think of any other comedian who's really tackled the subject in this format. Providing a list of comedians who have tackled the subject is obviously somebody's next move, but even if every comedian in the history of comedy had tackled the subject I'd still be interested to see Morris's take on it, not cos I'm a fervent fan (I'm not) but because I think he's quite good. Accusing him of being controversial for the sake of it is (I think) just wrong, and accusing him of being predictable just seems unfair!

vrailaine

I thought Brooker had more of an input into Nathan Barley?

He should go to ITV.

Godzilla Bankrolls

Quote from: something is sacred on September 12, 2008, 12:10:56 PMaccusing him of being predictable just seems unfair!

Well, given his record over the past 11 years or so, I don't think that *is* unfair.

Ignatius_S

Mmm... as this was on Popbitch, I would take it with a large bucket of salt – not just of a case that it's tended to be pretty favourable to Morris (if I remember correctly), but these days PB does seem to be used as a way to distribute favourable stories/puff pieces about celebs (e.g. Ricky Gervais auditioning for the Mac 'n' PC adverts).

Quote from: Godzilla Bankrolls on September 12, 2008, 11:20:12 AM
I thought his aims (as far as I can make out) behind this new project were fairly commendable - highlighting ignorant Islamophobia as no better than anti-semitism, and showing how terrorists can be a load of bumbling idiots rather than super-intelligent agents plugged into some hi-tech global network - but whether he can make all that funny or not is another matter.

Aye, that was what I had thought.

Sadly, I don't think with C4 would be concerned if it was funny, intelligent, perceptive etc.– but how 'shocking' it is. This is going on what I've been told of late (rather than being appalled by its schedule... well, that as well) – e.g. one friend had a script for a one-off drama optioned by a rather bankable TV star's production company, C4 'regretfully' took a pass because the only type of work they're commissioning in this format is avowedly controversial... which is a bit of a bugger, as no one else is interested in one-off dramas at the moment. My friend's agent was told that the channel is especially interested in Islam and terrorism at the moment and she should keep that in mind....  But I would have expected this to play nicely with Morris' project.

naniwaelegy

Quote from: eluc55 on September 12, 2008, 11:51:35 AM
I don't really care, so long as its funny of course. But rightly or wrongly, I just keep imagining it as Nathan Barley with terrorists, and i want to sob.

I know it's wrong... but the idea of Nathan Barley with terrorists does amuse me a little. It would be "well weapon".

Jack Shaftoe

Mmm, futuristic, cyberpunky version of NB, with a Barley who actually puts his money where his mouth is, arranging terrorist incidents as art pieces, with Dan Ashcroft as the tired copper vowing to bring him to justice, knowing that will only make him more popular...

Could work.

EDIT: oh hang on, that's The Dark Knight.

Godzilla Bankrolls

Also, Adam Sandler has beaten him to the 'comedy terrorist' idea with his new film.

Jemble Fred

I thought Monkey Dust nailed the idea yeeeeears ago. The crap terrorist was the only bit of that show that I genuinely admired.


I wish Morris would get back on the radio, where he is best. I'm sure this terrorist thing be adapted into a comic radio play, if that's what he really wants to do. TV comedy is always crapper than the radio equivalent anyway.

Quote from: Godzilla Bankrolls on September 12, 2008, 11:20:12 AM
highlighting ignorant Islamophobia

Ahhhhhh, 'Islamophobia'.

While there are plenty of people who couldn't name even two of the five pillars - truly ignorant of even the basics (of many other religions too, I'd venture), it seems that this term "Islamophobia" is all-too-often a nefarious coinage that is pushed to mean unfounded discrimination (a la homophobia and xenophobia*) against a righteous plucky underdog religious faith, when the truth of the matter is that there are plenty of 'phobics' whose dislike of Islam is very rationally founded. I'm quite sure that Morris is capable of presenting all gradients on the topic, but he seems more inclined to the supposed 'underdog' (Islam) in this affair, and I'm not sure that a comedy piece on Islamic terrorism is a vehicle for subtlety on the matter anyway.





* only without the legitimacy of either

Personally I'm plenty Islamophobic - seems to me there's a lot not to like - but I'm still interested in seeing other points of view. I can't remember what happened in that Amis -Morris barny but I seem to recall Morris went for a cheap shot somewhere. Even if I wind up disagreeing with him though, I think he's brave to consider this subject, considering the response his paedophilia special got.

jutl

Quote from: Ambient Sheep on September 12, 2008, 10:46:29 AM
I thought it was going to be a six-part TV series, rather than a movie, but I could be wrong.

I thought the idea was to orchestrate a series of satirical explosions. 

13 schoolyards

After a moments thought - and assuming this story is true - it actually makes me more confident in the quality of the product as it currently exists.  If the networks are interested in the subject matter (and it seems that they are), then for them to refuse to comission a show / movie / whatever on the subject from an experianced provider seems to come down to a matter of quality: either it's too hard-hitting / scathing / controversial for the networks to be comfortable showing it, or it's too awful for the networks to be comfortable showing it. 

Considering the quality of programs that make it onto the air these days, the second scenario simply doesn't seem as likely as the first.

Deadman97

Quote from: eluc55 on September 12, 2008, 10:29:23 AM
I wish he'd just do something genuinely unexpected - like a silly OTT sitcom

I know I've truncated your quote there, but what was his stint in The IT Crowd if not his doing a "silly OTT sitcom"? I certainly didn't expect that, nor did I expect his cameo to be the best thing about the show. What little news we have about this- the dabbling in arabic and showing up at seminars for example- makes me feel like he's given this one some serious fucking thought. If the decision to commission was being taken at the same time that ITV news were trying to convince us of a bomb plot that doesn't exist then I can well believe that it's been refused due to the piss-weak sensibilities of nu-4 rather than a downturn in his stock among television executives.

Vitalstatistix

Quote from: Deadman97 on September 13, 2008, 12:29:14 AM
what was his stint in The IT Crowd if not his doing a "silly OTT shit sitcom"?


But seriously, The IT Crowd was fucking awful, with or without Morris. It wasn't his baby, it was him helping out some bad people he's fallen in with. I agree with Kelvin, that it would be more unexpected if Morris produced something very silly/absurd. This reputation he's honed for himself as being a genius satirist just gets more and more ridiculous the longer he sits on his arse without bringing anything out. Yes Chris, there's lots going on in the world right now, how about a comedic take on anything? No? The less prolific the guy's been over his career, the worse his material's been, and there's no reason to think this will be otherwise, despite the admirable intentions behind his choice of subject matter.

Edit - I'd love this to be good though!

As far as the popbitch story, I don't buy it one bit. TV execs fucking love "edgy" stuff, regardless of quality. The publicity alone would give them boners all night long. If he's made it, someone will show it.

ThickAndCreamy

Well I for one want this project to come out desperately, think it's an almost perfect idea and would be both hilarious and might even educate a few people. In essence to me this sounds like his best idea since Brass Eye and I will be thoroughly depressed if it doesn't come to fruition.

eluc55

Quote from: Deadman97 on September 13, 2008, 12:29:14 AM
I know I've truncated your quote there, but what was his stint in The IT Crowd if not his doing a "silly OTT sitcom"? I certainly didn't expect that, nor did I expect his cameo to be the best thing about the show. What little news we have about this- the dabbling in arabic and showing up at seminars for example- makes me feel like he's given this one some serious fucking thought. If the decision to commission was being taken at the same time that ITV news were trying to convince us of a bomb plot that doesn't exist then I can well believe that it's been refused due to the piss-weak sensibilities of nu-4 rather than a downturn in his stock among television executives.

To take your first point, you're right he has done a silly OTT sitcom in the IT crowd, but I'd like him to have a stab at one himself, playing lots of characters maybe, or at least doing his own material. No reason it couldn't be satirical or controversial, but just one that went for big laughs like Brass Eye and his earlier stuff first and foremost.

To address your second point, I agree completely that he seems to have done a commendable amount of research for this thing. That's the one thing that gives me hope.

vrailaine

Graham Linehan said on an irish documentary that Chris Morris filled in at the last minute when someone else pulled out

wargoesbang

Looks like the Jihadi project has hit an unsurprising first hurdle:

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/people,,morris-suicide-bomber-sitcom-gets-rejected,46062

Maybe, like The Junkies, it'll be web only?

13 schoolyards

Not sure why the headline calls it a sitcom when the article itself refers to "the film", but still - it does seem to make the BBC / C4 refusal angle more official.

Warp Films also finance / make actual, go-to-the-cinema films, don't they?  Considering how profitable My Wrongs turned out to be for them as a sell-through title, I would've thought they could have raised the cash on their own based on potential DVD sales.