Looking back on Chris Morris' career

[An tSaoi]

We don't really discuss him that much these days, do we? That's understandable seeing as he hasn't released anything in a while (and what he has released received mixed reviews at best on here), and the suicide bomber thing won't be out for a while. So, in this lull between projects, I thought we'd have a little retrospective. Let's look back on his work as a whole.

When you consider his career, do you focus on the highlights, or has it been sullied in your eyes by Nathan Barley? Or do you consider it on the whole, with its various ups and downs? Does that leave you with an overall positive or negative attitude? And do you think his recent output sets the tone for your expectations of his future work?

Take Armando Iannucci for example. When he made Time Trumpet, a lot of people said it was terrible (although a few liked it), but nobody made out that Iannucci himself had become terrible. There was a feeling of "Oh well, he's made a bit of a slip-up here, but hey, I'm still looking forward to his next show". The negativity towards it was focused entirely on the show as a particular project, and not as the end result of his career at that point in time. In fact he's had his fair share of slip-ups (IAP S2 for example), but we rarely dwell on them, instead focusing on his great stuff (AIS, TDT, TTOI etc). However, when Chris Morris made his blunder (NB, although some would say it's not all that bad) we seemed to apply that as criticism of the state his career was in as a whole. Is the difference that Iannucci then went on to redeem himself and prove he's still got it overall, and that Morris hasn't done that yet? Or do we feel that Morris can't do it? After all, his suicide bomber thing isn't exactly hotly anticipated by the majority of CaB.

At what point does someone's poorer output begin to sap the goodwill towards their greater output? When we consider John Cleese we think of Python and Fawlty Towers, and pay little attention to his "post-funny" output. When we consider Ben Elton we both admire his greater work (Blackadder 2-4, The Young Ones*) and deride his later career.

Should someone get a pass because of the brilliance they once had? Or should someone who was once brilliant be held even more accountable when they stumble, or crash? Can the Day Today and BrassEye and whatever other things you like make up for Nathan Barley and The Smokehammer and whatever things you didn't like?

If Nathan Barley is The Very Bad Thing that Morris did, does that drag the rest of his output down with it in your eyes, is it just symptomatic of a dip in his career after a certain point or do you see it as a one-off mistake that doesn't affect what came before it? And if Morris has gone to shit now, when did that happen? Can it be quantified, can we say Chris Morris has been in terminal decline since (Blue Jam S3/Blue Jam/BrassEye Special/Nathan Barley)?

Or has he not gone to shit? I like Jam (more than Blue Jam, but maybe that's because I saw it first). I think that The BES is just as good as some of the original parts of BrassEye (It's no more badly assembled that Decline, it's no less funny than Science, and the hoodwinked celebs bits are up there with bits of Drugs. JL-b8 stands beside Fur Q and Blouse in my estimation). I even think that Nathan Barley, while clearly his poorest work, is not entirely without merit (It made me laugh. It was well-observed. It was generally well-acted). I do hate some of the defenses used for it like "You didn't get it/You just don't know these people/You ARE these people", but equally I hate some of the arguments used against it (If I read DAN REACTS one more time...). Yet I thought Morris' performance in the IT Crowd was poor, as is the show, including Ayoade. No, he's not good in the part, he's still shit.

It's hard for me to completely write Morris off when even his worst stuff still amuses/intrigues/entertains/resonates with me on some level at least. So his output in total** is still in the positive bracket for me. Is this just deluded fanboyism? Am I trying to convince myself that while he's clearly declined, he's not totally rubbish? Do the older fans detest some of the younger ones for feeding the Meeja Terrorist perception and for liking Nathan Barely? There certainly feels like a bit of a schism.

What are your thoughts on his career, how you used to see him, and how you now perceive him?

<sub>* I don't like The Young Ones personally but I'm talking in general terms here.
** I know I left out his radio work. Thoughts on that are very welcome too.

[tag]Threads that will fall off the main page within a day[/tag]</sub>

[Retinend]

I wrote a stupid post answering your dozens of questions with monosyllabic narkiness, but it wasn't big or clever.

I think the BES holds up well. Some brilliant phrases and one-off gags. I would put it above Drugs and Science in the original series. I think the message was definitely relevant, and, dare I say it, important, as I'm often reminded of it by any nonce-related article in the tabloids, but the satire is pretty clumsy at times - the 'you want to have sex with my son?' scene springs to mind, and the JL-B8 stuff didn't correspond to any reality I was familiar with, although it might have been a topical reference.

Jam was, like any sketch show, quite hit or miss. The tedious Mr. Bentham and Doctor sketches didn't do it for me, but I thought the atmosphere of it was wonderfully creepy, and I didn't find it a problem to be both creeped out and made to laugh. I consider it a success.

Nathan Barley didn't make me laugh much, but I was young when I watched it and I didn't really know much about the subject it was satirising. I consider it more of a Brooker thing (the 'Merchant' argument) anyway. IT Crowd was just a character, although it was nice to see him in something cheap and cheerful.

The film was alright, but too short and recycled to really give a shit about.

I think the fact that this is essentially his body of work in a DECADE shows that he's probably not going to be wowing us with what's left of his career. It's rare that an artist has two peaks. Maybe that's just me being cynical, but it's better to be that way - you can only be pleasantly surprised.

edit: The 'FACKING GENIUS' types have surely died off now that the man's output is so slow that even the forum dedicated to him has gotten bored of bringing him up.

[An tSaoi]

I wrote a stupid post answering your dozens of questions with monosyllabic narkiness, but it wasn't big or clever.

I appreciate that. I asked quite a few questions.

Some brilliant phrases and one-off gags.

Very true. "Roboplegic wrong-cock" and "a stairwell nonce-bashing" entered the common vocabulary on here. And it was certainly relevant, still is in fact. Some of it was quite prophetic. The reformed American paedo who dishes out "gunishment" reminded me of NBC's To Catch a Predator, where they lure paedos into a child's back garden and have a SWAT team surround them. The nonce profiting from his crimes reminded me of our very own Jonathan King and his musical, as well as being a pretty good send-up of all those East End geezahs who do tours of former gangster hotspots.

I have to concede some of it's a little heavy handed. I'm not entirely sure who JL-b8 is satirising either (apart from Eminem, who as far as I know isn't a paedo). However, saying it's better than Drugs is a bold claim.

Jam was, like any sketch show, quite hit or miss. The tedious Mr. Bentham and Doctor sketches didn't do it for me

Bentham wasn't great, far too much build-up for the punchlines, although having a hot chin amused me. The Doctor sketches are great though; they completely capture the vague creepiness of doctors. I've always thought there's something sinister about people who want to sit in an office all day and look at sick people. I can't help buy remember the sketch any time I go to the doctor.

I didn't really know much about the subject [Nathan Barley] was satirising.

It seemed like a lot of people thought that, which was in turn countered by the horrible "Well, you don't like it because you are Nathan Barley" argument. I'm no expert on the subject either, but I've seen enough eye-melting fashion magazines and self-obsessed video bloggers (or "vloggers" as they insist upon being called) to have a general idea what the targets were. I'm sure the journalist selling out and giving up their principles in order to get published resonates with people (there's a bit of Brooker in Ashcroft), and those scenes where he tries to tell his idiot fans that he's not a messianic Preacher Man must have been written out of Morris' own frustration with the more slavish elements of his fan-base (Remember that BBC ident before Blue Jam where the announcer asked us to "worship at the altar of Chris Morris"?).

The film was alright, but too short and recycled to really give a shit about.

Ooh, forgot about that. Still, it proves he certainly knows how to set a mood.

I think the fact that this is essentially his body of work in a DECADE shows that he's probably not going to be wowing us with what's left of his career. It's rare that an artist has two peaks. Maybe that's just me being cynical, but it's better to be that way - you can only be pleasantly surprised.

That's why the suicide bomber thing is going to be make or break (if it hasn't been broken for years now).

[amputeeporn]

That's why the suicide bomber thing is going to be make or break (if it hasn't been broken for years now).

It's going to be tricky. The ideas in it need to be excellent to make it worthwhile, but mainly I just can't see it outfunnying In The Loop - which it will inevitably be compared to. Iannucci made a lot of wise decisions for his first feature; a larger scale version of something he'd done before, writers he'd made gold with in the past and - possibly the big hitter - one of the strongest and best established comedy casts in recent memory. Morris seems to have side-stepped all the advantages I assumed he'd take as a matter of course.

As a lot of people have pointed out, dialogue is one of his main strengths, but just sounds plain wrong in the mouths of other people. I'd say my feeling at the moment is that I never appreciated how much of his talent lay in front of the camera until he got behind it.

It's unreasonable to feel owed anything by an artist, but you can't help but wonder what he'd have done if he'd worked a little more regularly and openly - perhaps even more collaboratively. It's no secret that things like The Daily Show were influenced by Morris. Do I see him doing a show five nights a week in front of an adoring crowd? Of course not, but there must be a happy medium to utilise this mans amazing talent more.

I suspect the high quality of his back catalogue is what's kept him away in recent years though, and you have to respect that in some ways. He could have really exploited the profile and acclaim he had back in the day and be bigger and more average than Coogan now.

[An tSaoi]

possibly the big hitter - one of the strongest and best established comedy casts in recent memory.

I'm largely unfamiliar with the cast of the suicide bomber thing. What are they like? Although Eldon always manages to raise a smile.

As a lot of people have pointed out, dialogue is one of his main strengths, but just sounds plain wrong in the mouths of other people.

Gina McKee managed it quite well I thought. Some of her lines in BrassEye work even better than if Morris had said them ("What next for these little fuckers?"). I also thought the guy who played Jonatton Yeah? had good delivery ("I hope we haven't offended absolutely everyone..."), although overall I agree that few people can match, let alone better Morris. However, The IT Crowd showed he's not the actor he was.

I suspect the high quality of his back catalogue is what's kept him away in recent years though, and you have to respect that in some ways. He could have really exploited the profile and acclaim he had back in the day and be bigger and more average than Coogan now.

I suppose. Maybe his sparse output is a good thing. Maybe he's put an enormous amount of time and effort into the new film, and he's going to pull something spectacular out of the bag.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

("What next for these little fuckers?").

It's "And the future for these little fuckers?" actually, and that's important to point out because it's the mirrored 'fu-ure' sound that makes the line brilliant, along with being so well delivered. It's not alliteration- I'm at a loss for the exact term for what it is- but it is fucking good. A sort of phoenetic symmetry.

Another example of McKee's brilliance as a performer is the delivery of "Would anybody really care if one of these men died?" As she lingers ever so slightly on 'died' there is a slight quiver in her voice. Plus I like how it's such a flat and cold delivery of what is effectively a horrible horrible thing to say.

[Artemis]

when Chris Morris made his blunder (NB, although some would say it's not all that bad) we seemed to apply that as criticism of the state his career was in as a whole.

I wouldn't say that's true. NB was undoubtedly a blunder for him, but if anyone else was responsible, the response would probably be more favourable. It's certainly not as bad as a lot of people said when it was first broadcast and revisiting it recently, I actually quite enjoyed it. The problem is that compared to CM's earlier work, which I think were at worst brilliant and often masterful, it was much more comedy-by-numbers with laboured shots of reaction and so on which were tedious. But it was essentially quite a funny show and well put together.

Morris's career? Looks like this for me:

TDT > R1 Shows > BE > Blue Jam > GLR Shows > Jam > NB

I've not seen 'My Wrongs' so can't comment on that.

[Jemble Fred]

He's one of a very long line of comic auteurs who vastly underestimates his own skill as a performer, with his best work since Brasseye being in The IT Crowd.

I suppose I'm not the only one here who'd advocate a return to radio.

[Talulah, really!]

It's "And the future for these little fuckers?" actually, and that's important to point out because it's the mirrored 'fu-ure' sound that makes the line brilliant, along with being so well delivered. It's not alliteration-

Yes, it is, though technically partial alliteration with an element of consonance in the closing 'r' sound of future and fuckers. Notice also that "for" also fits in this pattern, so there are actually three words fitting the f-something-r pattern which is what helps give the line its rhythm.

Also, from memory, I may be wrong here, doesn't McKee deliver it with with a rising intonation after future, suggesting a question before closing down emphatically on "fuckers"? Thus suggesting the positive connotations of future, youthful prospects "children are our future" then crashing that into the contemptuous dismissal of the youths as written off "fuckers." The classic compare and contrast, set up as one thing, reveal it as another, comic quip.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Ah, I assumed alliteration was strictly covering two words next each other. Yes, it's delightful. I enjoy the wonderful pacing in her delivery of 'fuckers'.

The classic compare and contrast, set up as one thing, reveal it as another, comic quip

On top of it being the last thing a documentary reporter about juvenile crime would normally say.

I know this really is micro-analysis of comedy here, but this is the detail that sets a show like Brass Eye apart, along with its more obvious attractions.

Much of these details are a product of natural talent as well as neurotic attention to detail I would say, two attributes sorely missing from sketch/current affairs based comedy these days.

[lipsink]

TDT > R1 Shows > BE > Blue Jam > GLR Shows > Jam > NB

No 'On The Hour'?

On that Gina McKee crime section, that is Morris who says: "Up your arse!" isn't it?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Yes it is.

[Lookalike Mark Chapman]

I've always thought there's something sinister about people who want to sit in an office all day and look at sick people.

The medical profession, there.

[lipsink]

Do the older fans detest some of the younger ones for feeding the Meeja Terrorist perception and for liking Nathan Barely?

Is there kids that are fans of 'Barley'? I was pretty sure that it's been largely forgotten and may get some interest from Boosh fans for Fielding and Barrett's appearances. Out of the whole wave of Ayoade/Barrett/Fielding shows like Boosh, The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi, Barley hasn't really built up much of a following.

I watched it again recently and it still seems to be largely dull and unfunny. There's also lots of bits here and there that seem to go nowhere but were put in because Morris/Brooker thought they were funny. It seemed a bit last minute too. The straight-on-straight guy from the toilets that Dan attracts? Where did that go?

Anyway:

BE > TDT > R1 Shows > OTH > Blue Jam > Why Bother? > Jam > My Wrongs . Nathan Barley

Still haven't heard the GLR shows.

[DJ One Record]

On that Gina McKee crime section, that is Morris who says: "Up your arse!" isn't it?

Yep, and I love Gina's flatly expectant reaction to it - beautifully understated. I also love that little skip she does in the Sex episode when she says "The M.O.D."

Fuck it, I just thought she was brilliant all round, even with that pony moustache in Decline. I do wonder whether the BES would've been better with her in it, or that it was actually better that she wasn't associated with it.

_{(this is rapidly turning into the Gina McKee appreciation thread)}

[Artemis]

She is beautiful though, isn't she.



Just look at that. Look at it.

[lipsink]

As a lot of people have pointed out, dialogue is one of his main strengths, but just sounds plain wrong in the mouths of other people.

David Cann also does a good job. I like his 'Blue Jam' moments of filth, using terms like "cocoa-valve" and "dick snot". Plus the gush sketch when he says "spunk expert".

[Retinend]

It seemed like a lot of people thought that, which was in turn countered by the horrible "Well, you don't like it because you are Nathan Barley" argument. I'm no expert on the subject either, but I've seen enough eye-melting fashion magazines and self-obsessed video bloggers (or "vloggers" as they insist upon being called) to have a general idea what the targets were. I'm sure the journalist selling out and giving up their principles in order to get published resonates with people (there's a bit of Brooker in Ashcroft), and those scenes where he tries to tell his idiot fans that he's not a messianic Preacher Man must have been written out of Morris' own frustration with the more slavish elements of his fan-base (Remember that BBC ident before Blue Jam where the announcer asked us to "worship at the altar of Chris Morris"?).

Just for the record, I think that NB's target of ridicule was a fully worthy one, now that I'm older and have encountered similar (well, aspiring) such types of people - 'Nathan' or 'Barley' is used quite a lot as a pejorative, so it seems to have some resonance. edit: I'm from t'north n all.

I haven't seen it since it was first shown, and I was only 13/14 then, so I don't have an opinion on how badly or how well it was executed.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I'm at a loss for the exact term for what it is- but it is fucking good. A sort of phoenetic symmetry.

Assonance.

As for Morris, it's really just the high points that stick in my mind. Specifically The Day Today and Brass Eye. Whatever else he does, those will always be great.

[Ginyard]

She is beautiful though, isn't she.

Yes. Absolutely.

[Artemis]

I haven't seen it since it was first shown, and I was only 13/14 then

Bloody hell I feel old.

I agree that Cann was brilliant in Blue Jam, probably his finest hour. I can't think of a sketch he's in that doesn't make me laugh.

[QDRPHNC]

On that Gina McKee crime section, that is Morris who says: "Up your arse!" isn't it?

Wonderful, now I'm thinking about putting something up Gina McKee's arse. That's me for the day.

[lipsink]

What's some of the insults Cann's doctor gives to the other doctor in one of the 'Blue Jam' sketches - "serial rapist" is one, and doesn't he call him a "massive clit"?

I just found out today that the guy who played Doug Rocket was 'The Divine David'. I remember finding him quite terrifying when he did that show. According to wikipedia he had a breakdown in 2000 and killed off the character.

[klaus]

The desire to see Morris return to radio depresses me.  What we've been lucky to have with Morris is a comedian who has attempted a variety of different forms to create comedy.  Unlike Coogan, or say, Adam Sandler, who stick to and beat to death their comedic personae (Mike Myers is actually perfect as an example of this), Morris has attempted every form.  He's perfected the DJ, he's made sketch shows for radio, short film, Sketch show, daily news satire, sitcom, now a film.  Each attempt, whether successful or not by your standards, is far more interesting then what most comedians get up to.  Look at Gervais.  He's gone from sitcom to movie to pod cast all to showcase his personality and look how people on CAB feel about him. 

Even if the Suicide Bomber film fails by CAB standards, Morris has already taken a big risk moving into a medium (film) that he hasn't succeed at yet, and collaborated with two people (Bain and Armstrong) who he hasn't worked with in the past, and to my mind then, the movie's already half won.

I think when judging Morris' career so far, people should realize how lucky we've been to see someone experimenting in different ways without sticking to what has worked before.  The closest comparison is maybe Kubrick in terms of audience expectation and how Kubrick subverted those expectations every time.  What comedian has taken as many chances as Morris has?  The pedo special would have been career ending for anyone else.

[Artemis]

What's some of the insults Cann's doctor gives to the other doctor in one of the 'Blue Jam' sketches - "serial rapist" is one, and doesn't he call him a "massive clit"?

I believe it was an "unbelievable clit", along with a "fucking paedophile" and "serial rapist", as you said. I love that sketch. My favourite Blue Jam sketch would have to be the one where Cann is refused service for alcohol by someone even though he's clearly old enough (though the shop assistant believe's he's "clearly over 16" and can buy cigarettes). Cann's gradual build up to anger which culminates in him going back out onto the street and announcing the injustice only for someone to laugh at him ("You wouldn't be laughing if it was you..... yeah, go on, fuck off!") is absolutely brilliant.

Do we have a favourite Blue Jam sketch thread anywhere? If not we need one.

[Lfbarfe]

The desire to see Morris return to radio depresses me. 

It doesn't depress me, because it's not an either/or thing. There would be nothing to stop him doing anything he likes, films, whatever, as well as doing a regular radio show in some form or other. I think he'd still be great on radio. Different, hopefully, but still great. It's not just the comedy. When you take something like the Radio 1 shows, he's obviously someone who loves music and has a wide-ranging taste. Those shows put me on to so much great stuff. Playing Ghost Town Blues by Prefab Sprout made me go out the next day and buy Swoon, for which I will be eternally grateful.

[Jemble Fred]

It's the suggestion that radio is somehow a lesser artform, something from which one either progresses (and never looks back) or is a loser, that depresses me.

[Lfbarfe]

It's the suggestion that radio is somehow a lesser artform, something from which one either progresses (and never looks back) or is a loser, that depresses me.

Aye. Acts like Morecambe and Wise and Les Dawson kept doing radio all through their TV careers.

[candlelightoptometrist]

Brixton banknote Morris snub SHOCKER!

I also saw the Guardian article mentioning Morris today. Those Brixton banknotes seem like pointless glorified discount vouchers, you can only use them in a couple of places. Still, it's a shame the online poll to decide whose face is on the notes has already ended, with CM garnering a mere 12 votes, though in the event honest votes went to no avail as the poll appears to have been hijacked by a gang of marauding David Bowie worshippers. (http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1760488/?view=results)

_{*edit:Sorry, I just noticed that Bowie didn't actually win the poll. The winner, "Other", will be announced tomorrow*.}

[rudi]

Aye. Acts like Morecambe and Wise and Les Dawson kept doing radio all through their TV careers.

Ooh you've made me shudder. 'Listen to Les' was frequently awful (and I love Dawson).