New Coogan show gets go ahead

[Darrell]

It can only look Flash-y? Despite not being made in flash at all.

Shapes moving around, all flat-looking, hardly that big a difference. Still essentially Flash-like, no matter how expensive the software was.

[bishopslovescifi]

Well here's an idea. Why not wait till the show is actually on rather than just a single still image on a beeb website :)

[butnut]

bishopslovescifi, are you the guy who was on the old forum a year or two ago, who was talking about working on the animation on this, and how you met Peter Baynham there?

[Neil]

It can only look Flash-y? Despite not being made in flash at all.

Well I've not seen the trailer yet, but judging from the pic he's right, it does look like it's desperately trying to pass itself off as being made by the unbelievably over-rated Joel Veitch.  I love American cartoons like Space Ghost, Sealab, Home Movies etc so I was hoping for some English toons of the same quality.

[Peking O]

Well here's an idea. Why not wait till the show is actually on rather than just a single still image on a beeb website :)

Sorry, no. We consider it our job to beat the life out of something before we've actually seen it. Who's turn is it next?

[Neil]

Sorry, no. We consider it our job to beat the life out of something before we've actually seen it. Who's turn is it next?

Sigh,,,from that screenshot, and from what Paul says after having viewed the trailer, it seems that they are choosing a very "trendy" style of animation for this programme, which while being popular with kids and fuckwits who think Colin Murray is a good presenter, may not necessarily be the best way to present a comedy programme.  What's wrong with passing comment on that?!

[bishopslovescifi]

Yeah I'm that guy who was on last year btw

When did this style become "trendy" would you say?
cos the characters for this thing had been designed months before I got there and i started there September 2002 so it's hardly "ooh quick jump on the bandwagon".

It might be a bit unfortunate that the kitten guy has gotten those high profile ads and things in the last few months.

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

This style of animation was first seen on TV in trailers for The Priory, no? How long ago was that? The b3ta itself was knocking around for a while before that.

So, this programme is passe and it's not even been shown yet.

[bishopslovescifi]

Anyway, cant blame me for being defensive eh?

If you go to see a film at the cinema and based on one image and someone else viewing a trailer you think "god this is going to be shit" you are already setting yourself up to hate it. And if then it's good I wonder how many would actually admit that they were wrong.

It's like deciding you hate someone, but have only seen one picture of them and herad someone else telling you about an encounter with them.

Give Peter Baynham a bit more credit eh.  He is rarely associated with crap. :)

[bishopslovescifi]

Hey the Simpsons is :O hand drawn. Oh My God! I mean that style was invented nearly a century ago! It was passe before it was even shown!

What sort of a stupid argument is that?

Oh no! that film was shot in colour!!! The colour film technique became popular in the middle of the last century!  All colour films they make now are soooo passe!


How about the content of the sitcom? Do you rate your comedy based on the filming/animation technique? or on the quality of the scripts/content/acting?
:D

[bishopslovescifi]

The scripts ive read made me cry with laughter, no exaggeration.

So I judge it based on what I've seen and heard, that is:

hillarious scripts
great voice cast
really nice animation
quality characters

I guess you guys are also judging it on what you've seen. So i cant really complain.

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

You foole. Judging from that screenshot, the style of the cartoon is a virtual rip of Veitch's initially weak and overexposed singing cats animation. A style that he did come up with himself; it'd be very hard to pin down someone as "the guy who created hand-drawn animation" or "the originator of the colour-film style".

The way a cartoon is animated does have an effect on the comedy, just as someone's timing or intonation does.

I was unsure about The Hulk from screenshots, but I did like it in the end.

Yeah, you worked on it. Now stop being silly.

[bishopslovescifi]

Says the person judging an animation from a screen shot.

So you could judge the quality of the day to day from a still image of Chris Morris in a field could you?

You could realise the genius of partridge from a shot of the KMKY studio?

Thats impressive

[Peking O]

You'll never get anywhere with this lot bishopslovescifi, seriously give up now it's not worth it. Good luck with it all by the way.

[bishopslovescifi]

And as for kitten guy inventing that style
you mean the style of cut out photographs, moving about?

monty python before your time was it?

[Darrell]

We're not judging the show, just expressing misgivings about the animation style, something which is perfectly easy to gauge from that still anyway.

[Lt Plonker]

A style that he did come up with himself;

*cough*

I can't see the style being chosen just to be trendy. CG-fucking I is trendy at the moment, but I wouldn't think that singing kitten stuff to be that influential. Is it? Besides there's fuck-all new animation on TV now days. I'm really looking forward to this.

What type of role did you have, bishopslovescifi?

[Lt Plonker]

Ooh, look at this.

The Keith Barret Show

Rob Brydon's comedy creation Keith Barret is the unlikely host of a new relationship discussion series.

The down trodden but always positive chauffeur, first seen in the critically acclaimed Marion & Geoff, asks the most famous married couples in showbusiness – what makes for a successful partnership?

Each week Keith uses a combination of questions from the studio audience and references to his own, often disastrous, relationship experiences to probe his guests, including TV favourites Richard & Judy, and discover how they've kept their marriage on the right track.

In addition to the studio based discussions Keith introduces filmed reports where he enlists the help of top sex and relationship experts, including Would Like To Meet counsellor Tracey Cox, who provide tips on attracting and keeping the ideal partner.

Not sure about this, myself. I'm sure if it's anywhere near as good as the Making Divorce Work show, then it'll be as funny as hell, but I hope Rob Brydon isn't trying to milk poor old Keith.

[bishopslovescifi]

Lt Plonker:  Modelled some of the lesser characters, designed a few things and photographed a lot of stuff.

(my hands and various other body parts feature in the show too :D hooray )

[alan strang]

Anyway, cant blame me for being defensive eh?

Indeed not. Damage limitation and all.

If you go to see a film at the cinema and based on one image and someone else viewing a trailer you think "god this is going to be shit" you are already setting yourself up to hate it.

Not if you recognise signs of previous appallingness from what's depicted in that picture - or indeed trust the viewpoint of the person who viewed the trailer.  

And if then it's good I wonder how many would actually admit that they were wrong.

In my experience of boards like this there tend to be more ordinary members of the public prepared to admit they were wrong in the face of a great show, than  PR-spouting media insiders prepared to admit the same if that show gets a public kicking. They tend to flee into the night.

Will you stick around if it gets a Nighty Nighty-style response? I do hope so.

It's like deciding you hate someone, but have only seen one picture of them and herad someone else telling you about an encounter with them.

Conversely, what you're doing is tantamount to expecting people to automatically like someone when they know that the person in question is paying you money. Babytalk analogies work both ways here.

Give Peter Baynham a bit more credit eh. He is rarely associated with crap. :)

Bob & Margaret wasn't much cop. Tony Ferrino wasn't up to much. Anglian Lives was really very very bad indeed. The Brass Eye Special, blahdi-blah.  Baynham's great but his judgement is hardly above reproach.

Ever since The Simpsons became popular there's been a conceit within the industry that we need a proper animation business in this country. Yet all the examples produced so far have been pretty poor, despite hiring some of the best voices from the comedy world. From Stressed Eric to Monkey Dust it's been wall-to-wall blandness. I hope this show isn't more of the same.

How about the content of the sitcom? Do you rate your comedy based on the filming/animation technique? or on the quality of the scripts/content/acting?

Personally speaking I rate my comedy holistically - if the presentation is conceited then the writing/performance will usually suffer as a result. I was rewatching World Of Pub the other night. That show had great scripts and good performances but it was killed by its presentation.

So I judge it based on what I've seen and heard, that is:

...a large cheque for services rendered. ...the promise of future work as long as it doesn't get gonged off after the first series. ...the chance to go on a public messageboard and scorn at people who, judging the situation from past form, aren't exactly hopeful about the potential end-result. You'll forgive people if they don't completely trust your viewpoint, yeah?

monty python before your time was it?

Terry Gilliam's work was just cut-outs moving about? Check out the fake Gilliam animations on any Python DVD. No character in the movement, no wit of presentation. The artless graphics companies who did those evidently thought much the same.

[Darrell]

The only British animated comedy of recent years of any worth was Rex the Runt, which I thought was excellent.

Bob and Margaret had some nice bits in it, even if the whole wasn't too strong.

[bishopslovescifi]

"Damage limitation and all."

Damage limitation? Bollocks
My viewpoint is based upon the fact that it made me laugh, i was proud of the work i got to do, and proud that i got to work with one of the comedy greats. I certainly never though "oh no its like the dancing kittens I'd best defend it".
As for hefty paycheck? oh yeah the placement student gets paid like a hollywood movie star don't they.

As it stands you are all attacking something that you haven't seen at all. other than a second hand trailer report, one still image and three paragraphs of text.

As per usual. Lets all assume the worst! After all no script or show could possibly compare to the wit on here.

Bunch of pessimists the lot of you.

[bishopslovescifi]

You say that Terry Gilliams work wasnt just cutouts and had life and character in the movement, and wit of presentation.  Well you lot have already decided that Animal is going to be "just cutouts".  You havent seen the character in the movment and the wit of the presentation yet.  You've already written it off as kitten style cutouts

(oh and I like Nighty Night, so of course I will stick around after you decide you all hate Animal - oh that was quick)

(see im still here)

[alan strang]

Hey, I love this guy!

[MojoJojo]

I always felt that animation should try and have a certain amount of beauty involved with it... And those cut out heads do look really ugly... I'll wait to see what the end result is like, but I just don't understand the entire cutout approach they've taken. I wander if they're just going for a distinctive style, in the same way local radio stations choose DJs with irritating voices.

rathergood.com is growing in influence... there is an advert for some sort of drink you add milk to which has been on a few times, which I can only assume has been done by the actual rathergood.com people.

I really dislike rathergood.com.

[bishopslovescifi]

Thanks alan, its nice to be loved ;)

Anyway appologies for all that. I do tend to get rather defensive about everything which is a nasty habit of mine. I guess we will all see the show and then make our minds up :)

Shake hands and make up? cos i really do like this site :)
either that or just kick me to death, it's up to you.

also heads up:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/news/20040324.shtml

Shock horror it has a picture of Peter next to it and not one of Steve Coogan which makes a refreshing change :D

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Any bits of dialogue you can quote, Bish?

Has it got proper thumping jokes in it, or is it more of the people-looking-appalled-and-awkward-after-a-character-says-something-inappropriate school of comedy? What's the tone of it all?

And when's it start anyway?

[bishopslovescifi]

Proper jokes, visual gags too, good characterisation. I have favourite characters already :)

can't go quoting script portions
I might want to go work on series 2 if it's a sucess :)

Starts in a few weeks time.

[bishopslovescifi]

Think it might get a website, though not sure if that will happen before it starts of after its been on.

[alan strang]

Shake hands and make up? cos i really do like this site :)

Sure. Hugs, etc.

You should realise though that there are few real 'pessimists' on this board - pretty much everyone is dying for truly great comedy, and that's as optimistic as you can be (especially in this climate). If people expect the worst it's probably only because the current state of comedy has taught people not to get their hopes up too high.

If the end-result turns out to be a great show then, on top of everything else, it's a nice surprise for everyone.