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Not The Nine O'Clock News

Started by Stevie81, May 01, 2014, 10:40:11 AM

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Stevie81

I'm sure there's probably a thread for this, but I can't use the search.

I've been watching the original airings - as opposed to the 'best of' compilations and I am impressed with a great deal of it, I love anything that dates it, which would be seen as a negative by some, I like the way it captures the early stages of the Thatcher government and all the attitudes towards it.

The writing is so brilliant, especially when the gang take on controversial subjects such as racism which would never dared be discussed today.

Interesting seeing Langham in series 1, easy to see why he was replaced, he wasn't at the level of the other three.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

I don't think level is really respectful enough to Langham, he's more of a naturalist actor, and didn't fit in with the over-the-top performances. He was usually chosen to be the straight guy in sketches so that's a bit of a harsh judgement, I feel.

It is one of my very favourite shows- no The Day Today without NTNOCN, for certain. Genuinely anti-establishment and running through it was a schoolboyish mischievousness that felt like belonging to a secret club outside Normal TV.

It's not all about Gerald The Gorilla and Constable Savage, or even The Toilet Sketch, it's absolutely jam packed with sketches of different shapes and sizes, genuinely wonderful TV show.

Stevie81

It's great seeing Gerald the Gorilla, in context within the episode, and not plucked out of it for a 'best sketches ever' countdown on channel 4.

I do think Python deserve credit for inspiring the format of NTNON, but the anarchic nature (wouldn't put The Young Ones in the same league) of it is totally unique really, nothing like it since, that isn't dipped in the acid lake of political correctness.

I think Atkinson is on another level to Smith and Jones in the second series, but the pair of them step up in series 3 and you can see them gelling superbly, setting themselves up for 14 glorious years as a double-act.

Stephenson is used pretty flagrantly as the sex object in a lot of sketches, but her impressions of Rantzen, Rippon and especially Street-Porter are second to none.

jutl

Quote from: Stevie81 on May 01, 2014, 10:40:11 AMInteresting seeing Langham in series 1, easy to see why he was replaced, he wasn't at the level of the other three.

I thought that Langham was replaced not because he was a bad performer but because he was such a good heroin addict.

All time great moment from NTNON, in my view, was the Two Ronnie's send-up!

Ignatius_S

Quote from: jutl on May 01, 2014, 03:39:20 PM
I thought that Langham was replaced not because he was a bad performer but because he was such a good heroin addict.

Langham has said more than once that his early career was damaged by drinks and drugs – and IIRC, one time was on a respective programme about the series done for R4.

I'm not sure if a single reason has been given why he was replaced – FWIW, I've felt that there was more than one factor at play. I heard once (but can't remember where, which is helpful) that with the sketches, they were going for a certain amount of improvisation, which Langham didn't like.

Ignatius_S

Quote from: Phoenix Lazarus on May 01, 2014, 03:44:47 PM
All time great moment from NTNON, in my view, was the Two Ronnie's send-up!

Going from memory, but am pretty sure that John Lloyd really wasn't keen on that one, but the cast wanted it and took an 'okay, but you might regret it' approach. When Jones has discussed it (on at least one occassion anyway), I've inferred that he ended up feeling that to a degree.

Personally, I rather like it but I don't think it's brilliant – it's too hamfisted to be a really good parody and in previous discussions haven't been alone in this.

Don_Preston

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on May 01, 2014, 10:45:39 AM
I don't think level is really respectful enough to Langham, he's more of a naturalist actor, and didn't fit in with the over-the-top performances. He was usually chosen to be the straight guy in sketches so that's a bit of a harsh judgement, I feel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD8Y6ITFJ18

Asides from the Muppet Show.

Stevie81

Quote from: Ignatius_S on May 01, 2014, 03:57:34 PM
Going from memory, but am pretty sure that John Lloyd really wasn't keen on that one, but the cast wanted it and took an 'okay, but you might regret it' approach. When Jones has discussed it (on at least one occassion anyway), I've inferred that he ended up feeling that to a degree.

Personally, I rather like it but I don't think it's brilliant – it's too hamfisted to be a really good parody and in previous discussions haven't been alone in this.

Didn't the Ronnie's - Barker anyway - throw the first stones by attacking the impurity of NTNON's material? They must have known that was asking for trouble.

It doesn't look right seeing young up-and-coming stars attacking the older legends, it comes off as disrespectful, but at the same time, its undeniably funny, and if Barker just took it in good humour, so would we all I guess.

Mel suggested it was only Barker that hated it, and that Corbett liked it.

Stevie81

Quote from: Ignatius_S on May 01, 2014, 03:46:22 PM
Langham has said more than once that his early career was damaged by drinks and drugs – and IIRC, one time was on a respective programme about the series done for R4.

I'm not sure if a single reason has been given why he was replaced – FWIW, I've felt that there was more than one factor at play. I heard once (but can't remember where, which is helpful) that with the sketches, they were going for a certain amount of improvisation, which Langham didn't like.

Wasn't there a disagreement where the writers did a scene mocking John Cleese and the MP team, and Langham, having worked on Life Of Brian, was against it, which was the catalyst for his removal? Clearly, there was drug use...and as we now know, he's quite a messed up dude.

jutl

Quote from: Stevie81 on May 01, 2014, 04:21:26 PMMel suggested it was only Barker that hated it, and that Corbett liked it.

Oh yes, he loves it, the dirty little fucker.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

I really enjoy the montages into the opening credits, there's a very anarchic one aimed at the royals which ends with a wide angle shot of firefighters tackling a blaze at a cathedral, before the huge NOT THE NINE O CLOCK NEWS caption- at that moment I felt that very wonderful feeling that this was a TV show for me, coming from the same angle, with the same preoccupations, and hangups and desire to stick one in the eye of the establishment, one that has you punching the air within about two minutes of the opening.

It's a special feeling being young, and having been introduced to the establishment, to the conventions, and to how everything is supposed to be, and then watch a show dedicated to dismantling it. Only The Day Today and Brass Eye come close since.

As you can tell it still excites me to talk about now. What a show.

Tiny Poster

Quote from: Stevie81 on May 01, 2014, 04:23:48 PM
Wasn't there a disagreement where the writers did a scene mocking John Cleese and the MP team, and Langham, having worked on Life Of Brian, was against it, which was the catalyst for his removal?


I don't think so, where did you hear that? The General Synod's Life Of Python sketch was affectionate, and I believe it was from a series after Langham's departure.

Ignatius_S

Anyone have any thoughts on material that they feel should be better known?

Quote from: Stevie81 on May 01, 2014, 04:21:26 PM
Didn't the Ronnie's - Barker anyway - throw the first stones by attacking the impurity of NTNON's material? They must have known that was asking for trouble...

Had that been the case, then the retort is not as strong as it could be - however, I don't believe that was the case. I don't recall that being claimed previously and am pretty confident that it would have cropped up to a fair degree in conversations such as this.

The nearest to Barker having a pop would have been talking about alternative comedy in general or a remark he made about Smith and Jones. With the former, the only time I can remember for sure Barker making such a comment was years after it had emerged and it was pretty restrained stuff - but am pretty sure that after The Two Ninnies, he made similar comments. With the latter, it was to do with a newspaper comment saying Mel and Griff were the Two Ronnies for the 1980s and Barker responded saying that he and Ronnie were, as they were still going - not sure if that was to with Smith & Jones, offhand.

Quote from: Stevie81 on May 01, 2014, 04:21:26 PM...It doesn't look right seeing young up-and-coming stars attacking the older legends, it comes off as disrespectful, but at the same time, its undeniably funny, and if Barker just took it in good humour, so would we all I guess....

Corbett remarked that one reason it was such a shock, is that in the industry, it was unheard of. They had both grafted hard in a world where it wasn't the done thing to have a go at other performers in such an aggressive manner - if you didn't like someone, you kept your mouth shut. In the case of performers that came above you, they were given respect - and in fact, with the really good ones, they were revered.

If you had been brought up in that kind of way professionally, it's going to be a shock.

I had a quick look for an account by Jones meeting Barker and this is what he said:

QuoteI only met Ronnie Barker once, 25 years ago, when he was already the king of television comedy. It was at a "light entertainment party". (A misnomer of an event.) I had recently been in a sketch called "The Two Ninnies" on Not the Nine O'Clock News. This rather crude lampoon had gratuitously, unfairly and quite amusingly savaged the bespectacled duo (they had become the sacred cows of the BBC comedy department, so I suppose our excuse was that we resented it). John Lloyd, the producer, claimed that it was really a "hommage" last week. Well if it was "un hommage" it was one that annoyed Mr Barker.

I was just trying to leave the party under a table of halved scotch eggs when he spotted me and, in a curious embrace, half hug, half throttle, presented me to a group of men in pale grey shoes and wide lapels. "Here he is!" he said grimly, but stopped there. He was too generous or too professional to do much more than tweak me. I was about to play Fancourt Babberley in Charley's Aunt. So he wished me luck. He had once played the part of the butler in the same play in rep at the Oxford Playhouse. "There is a laugh on every entrance and there are 78 entrances," he said. He got them all, I'm sure.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3620242/Its-like-being-in-a-marriage-except-that-you-always-end-up-in-bed-together.html

I'm pretty sure that I've heard Jones tell the story - however, my memory might be playing tricks - where Barker greeted him rather sarcastically, but the details are the same. That said, I think his comments about the sketch are interesting.

Your comment about how if Barker had been better disposed towards it, we would be as well, is interesting and think there's a decent size grain of truth of it. I remember watching it for the first time in years and think it was brilliant - however, I watched again almost immediately and it didn't seem quite as good or as clever. Although I do enjoy it, as I say, I don't feel that it's a brilliant take-off - it's too de trop.

Quote from: Stevie81 on May 01, 2014, 04:21:26 PM...Mel suggested it was only Barker that hated it, and that Corbett liked it.

I think it's fair to say that Barker was more upset, but Corbett publicly said that it affected him similarly - e.g. in his autobiography. It's possible that he was being guided out of deference to his partner, but equally, if the Mel story is correct, he was merely being polite.

Quote from: Tiny Poster on May 01, 2014, 08:11:45 PM

I don't think so, where did you hear that? The General Synod's Life Of Python sketch was affectionate, and I believe it was from a series after Langham's departure.

My gut instinct was that it was post-Langham. In any case, would be very surprised if that would have upset Langham - quite the opposite, I would have thought.

Also, as I say, my feeling is that there was more than one factor at play with the departure.

Quote from: Ignatius_S on May 01, 2014, 08:30:48 PM
it was to do with a newspaper comment saying Mel and Griff were the Two Ronnies for the 1980s and Barker responded saying that he and Ronnie were, as they were still going - not sure if that was to with Smith & Jones, offhand.

Didn't Barker reply in the national press, on that?

Tiny Poster

Peter Brewis's song parody remains untouchable.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

QuoteAnyone have any thoughts on material that they feel should be better known?

Sketches like the Conservative Party Conference, Are You A Gay Christian, Trout Hatchery (the amazing pisstake of Badminton Horse Trials), Roughage K: The Bag Of Nature, Made In Wales (the welsh harmony singers listing the businesses that closed since the Conservatives took power), and all the very brief, slight but brilliant sketches that are too short to include.

I'd love a show like it now which had young hungry comedians going direct at our institutions rather than being marginalised to the internet and other corners. The BBC is too demographic led to take the sort of risks that led to the commission of this show.

Quote from: Tiny Poster on May 01, 2014, 08:43:06 PM
Peter Brewis's song parody remains untouchable.

'Me and him, we're marching on the spot, 'cause the sodding choreographer's a great big clot...!'

And who could forget the classic line, 'Oh vagina, oh vagina, over Chinatown!'?

Mark Steels Stockbroker

What surprises me now is finding out that anyone hated it. It seems that though us schoolkids thought it was great, all the trendy young 20something students like Alexei Sayle and David Quantick detested it. Too busy laughing at Jim Barclay and Keith Allen's stand-up.

Tiny Poster

Quote from: Phoenix Lazarus on May 01, 2014, 08:46:45 PM
'Me and him, we're marching on the spot, 'cause the sodding choreographer's a great big clot...!'

And who could forget the classic line, 'Oh vagina, oh vagina, over Chinatown!'?


Ahem: "We're marching up and down upon the spot, spot spot, because the sodding choreographer's a twot, twot, twot..."

("And he couldn't care a jot, if we're milit'ry men or not, with a BUM! TIT! Howsyerfather, whoops, diddly-i-doe...")

Mark Steels Stockbroker

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on May 01, 2014, 08:44:57 PM
Made In Wales (the welsh harmony singers listing the businesses that closed since the Conservatives took power)

Made In Wales was the actual TV advertising campaign that was lampooned in the "Failed In Wales" sketch.

Trouble with topical TV reference comedy - the context gets lost. Ditto for the sketch about cottages in Wales, and Windscale, which referenced TV adverts.

Phil_A

In that retrospective documentary that was on a couple of Christmases ago, Langham was essentially blamed in absentia for everything that didn't work about the first series. But I have to say, all the clips they showed made it look a rather more interesting proposition than the total failure all the others seem convinced it was.

Incidentally, has everyone seen this? The unaired 1979 pilot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l39UyS8u5Y0

Aside from the Fawlty Towers gag at the start, it's pretty laughter free if I'm honest. There's some very peculiar stuff with puppets which doesn't work at all, the Dennis Healey human/puppet hybrid is just unnerving.

checkoutgirl

Quote from: Stevie81 on May 01, 2014, 11:21:23 AM
It's great seeing Gerald the Gorilla, in context within the episode, and not plucked out of it for a 'best sketches ever' countdown on channel 4.

I think best of compilations are generally a load of old shite. They're made for casual fans and Christmas stockings and not for the likes of the average Cabber.

Brundle-Fly

Quote from: Tiny Poster on May 01, 2014, 08:43:06 PM
Peter Brewis's song parody remains untouchable.

Were Howard Goodall and Simon Brint responsible for any NTNON parodies?  I'd rather hear from CABbers than Google.

As a nerdy teenager Gob On You ('because your hands are cold and you're far too old!' Poetry.) Confrontation Song tellingly spoke more to me than Sham 69 in 1979. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5N3q0lGi4w&feature=kp

What was this supposed to be parodying anyway?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZigGOPezYE

And if only Oi was ever this good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPCZvYu0QBA

TRIVIAs: Peter Brewis was in Magnet The folk band from The Wicker Man OST.

Pepotamo1985

Quote from: Stevie81 on May 01, 2014, 10:40:11 AM
I've been watching the original airings - as opposed to the 'best of' compilations and I am impressed with a great deal of it, I love anything that dates it, which would be seen as a negative by some, I like the way it captures the early stages of the Thatcher government and all the attitudes towards it.

I find the 'it's too dated' argument about old satire incredibly weak. Unless it's something specifically and suffocatingly 'topical', like HIGNFY, funny satire made in the 60s, 70s and 80s is still fucking funny. The same arguments were made about/against releasing the full seasons of Spitting Image for years. Thank Christ Network didn't listen...

Quote from: Stevie81 on May 01, 2014, 10:40:11 AM
Interesting seeing Langham in series 1, easy to see why he was replaced, he wasn't at the level of the other three.

As others have noted, that's incredibly unfair. Ranking the performers would be a little pointless and subjective, but Langham is objectively an absolutely tremendous comedy performer.

There's not really that much substantive CL stuff in the commercially available material (so I haven't seen that much) but I think he did a reasonable enough job given that his style is utterly divergent from the others' and, in the sketches where he took centre stage, he seemed to be going for something completely different than his co-stars. As Phil notes too, a rather unpleasant received opinion seems to have coagulated in recent years that Langham basically ruined the first series singlehandedly. I remember watching that retrospective and coming out of it really disliking Mel Smith, who at one point (if memory serves) even gloated a bit that Langham wouldn't be appearing and thus had no right to reply. Ick.

DrGreggles

Quote from: Ignatius_S on May 01, 2014, 08:30:48 PM
Anyone have any thoughts on material that they feel should be better known?

Had that been the case, then the retort is not as strong as it could be - however, I don't believe that was the case. I don't recall that being claimed previously and am pretty confident that it would have cropped up to a fair degree in conversations such as this.

The nearest to Barker having a pop would have been talking about alternative comedy in general or a remark he made about Smith and Jones. With the former, the only time I can remember for sure Barker making such a comment was years after it had emerged and it was pretty restrained stuff - but am pretty sure that after The Two Ninnies, he made similar comments. With the latter, it was to do with a newspaper comment saying Mel and Griff were the Two Ronnies for the 1980s and Barker responded saying that he and Ronnie were, as they were still going - not sure if that was to with Smith & Jones, offhand.

Corbett remarked that one reason it was such a shock, is that in the industry, it was unheard of. They had both grafted hard in a world where it wasn't the done thing to have a go at other performers in such an aggressive manner - if you didn't like someone, you kept your mouth shut. In the case of performers that came above you, they were given respect - and in fact, with the really good ones, they were revered.

If you had been brought up in that kind of way professionally, it's going to be a shock.

I had a quick look for an account by Jones meeting Barker and this is what he said:

I'm pretty sure that I've heard Jones tell the story - however, my memory might be playing tricks - where Barker greeted him rather sarcastically, but the details are the same. That said, I think his comments about the sketch are interesting.

Your comment about how if Barker had been better disposed towards it, we would be as well, is interesting and think there's a decent size grain of truth of it. I remember watching it for the first time in years and think it was brilliant - however, I watched again almost immediately and it didn't seem quite as good or as clever. Although I do enjoy it, as I say, I don't feel that it's a brilliant take-off - it's too de trop.

I think it's fair to say that Barker was more upset, but Corbett publicly said that it affected him similarly - e.g. in his autobiography. It's possible that he was being guided out of deference to his partner, but equally, if the Mel story is correct, he was merely being polite.

My gut instinct was that it was post-Langham. In any case, would be very surprised if that would have upset Langham - quite the opposite, I would have thought.

Also, as I say, my feeling is that there was more than one factor at play with the departure.

My recollections on the reason for the Two Ninnies sketch/song was that someone involved in the show (possibly John Lloyd) read an interview that Ronnie B gave where he criticised the offensive and smutty content in modern comedy (I'm not sure if he generalised or named specific shows/comedians).
Lloyd then watch an episode of the Two Ronnies and noted down how many innuendos appeared in the show - and there were a lot. Pretty much every sketch mentioned tits, bums and willies, but with mild euphemisms.
The conception of the sketch and song was probably made there.

This may well all be wrong though.

doppelkorn

Quote from: DrGreggles on May 01, 2014, 10:41:07 PM
Lloyd then watch an episode of the Two Ronnies and noted down how many innuendos appeared in the show - and there were a lot. Pretty much every sketch mentioned tits, bums and willies, but with mild euphemisms.
The conception of the sketch and song was probably made there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taaaapXFOSA

Like that ^

Bloody funny sketch though

Stevie81

Quote from: Ignatius_S on May 01, 2014, 08:30:48 PM
Anyone have any thoughts on material that they feel should be better known?

Had that been the case, then the retort is not as strong as it could be - however, I don't believe that was the case. I don't recall that being claimed previously and am pretty confident that it would have cropped up to a fair degree in conversations such as this.

The nearest to Barker having a pop would have been talking about alternative comedy in general or a remark he made about Smith and Jones. With the former, the only time I can remember for sure Barker making such a comment was years after it had emerged and it was pretty restrained stuff - but am pretty sure that after The Two Ninnies, he made similar comments. With the latter, it was to do with a newspaper comment saying Mel and Griff were the Two Ronnies for the 1980s and Barker responded saying that he and Ronnie were, as they were still going - not sure if that was to with Smith & Jones, offhand.

Corbett remarked that one reason it was such a shock, is that in the industry, it was unheard of. They had both grafted hard in a world where it wasn't the done thing to have a go at other performers in such an aggressive manner - if you didn't like someone, you kept your mouth shut. In the case of performers that came above you, they were given respect - and in fact, with the really good ones, they were revered.

If you had been brought up in that kind of way professionally, it's going to be a shock.

I had a quick look for an account by Jones meeting Barker and this is what he said:

I'm pretty sure that I've heard Jones tell the story - however, my memory might be playing tricks - where Barker greeted him rather sarcastically, but the details are the same. That said, I think his comments about the sketch are interesting.

Your comment about how if Barker had been better disposed towards it, we would be as well, is interesting and think there's a decent size grain of truth of it. I remember watching it for the first time in years and think it was brilliant - however, I watched again almost immediately and it didn't seem quite as good or as clever. Although I do enjoy it, as I say, I don't feel that it's a brilliant take-off - it's too de trop.

I think it's fair to say that Barker was more upset, but Corbett publicly said that it affected him similarly - e.g. in his autobiography. It's possible that he was being guided out of deference to his partner, but equally, if the Mel story is correct, he was merely being polite.

My gut instinct was that it was post-Langham. In any case, would be very surprised if that would have upset Langham - quite the opposite, I would have thought.

Also, as I say, my feeling is that there was more than one factor at play with the departure.

I've got most of my information from the NTNON documentary that was repeated after Mel's death last year, they were very candid about Langham's departure, and I'm pretty sure it's said that the Monty Python pisstake sketch offended Langham and put him in a bit of a state, enough for the producers to use that, along with his unreliability due to drug use, to drop him from the show.

The same is true for everything I've said about Barker on here, I got it all from the documentary. While Barker is no longer around to defend himself, Langham is.


Stevie81

Quote from: Pepotamo1985 on May 01, 2014, 09:50:36 PM
I find the 'it's too dated' argument about old satire incredibly weak. Unless it's something specifically and suffocatingly 'topical', like HIGNFY, funny satire made in the 60s, 70s and 80s is still fucking funny. The same arguments were made about/against releasing the full seasons of Spitting Image for years. Thank Christ Network didn't listen...

Absolutely. I prefer things that ARE dated as I don't really like the world we live in today and prefer to see it as it was.

QuoteAs others have noted, that's incredibly unfair. Ranking the performers would be a little pointless and subjective, but Langham is objectively an absolutely tremendous comedy performer.

Unquestionably, he is, though I still haven't sat down and watched the first series of The Think of It, yet. But he didn't suit the sketch show, in my opinion, his performances didn't convince, and he just wasn't funny.

QuoteThere's not really that much substantive CL stuff in the commercially available material (so I haven't seen that much) but I think he did a reasonable enough job given that his style is utterly divergent from the others' and, in the sketches where he took centre stage, he seemed to be going for something completely different than his co-stars. As Phil notes too, a rather unpleasant received opinion seems to have coagulated in recent years that Langham basically ruined the first series singlehandedly. I remember watching that retrospective and coming out of it really disliking Mel Smith, who at one point (if memory serves) even gloated a bit that Langham wouldn't be appearing and thus had no right to reply. Ick.

I've got some Australian versions of the first season, that form 5 episodes from the 6 that were aired in the UK, so that's most of the Langham footage. I might have chuckled a few times, there was one about self-defence that was funny, but not much else. Atkinson was the big draw in season one. I can sort you out a copy of that first series if you like.

Gurke and Hare

Quote from: Phoenix Lazarus on May 01, 2014, 08:46:45 PM
And who could forget the classic line, 'Oh vagina, oh vagina, over Chinatown!'?

I first heard the song on whichever of the LPs it's on, and it was ages before I saw the sketch on screen. Because I obviously couldn't see them doing the slanty eyes thing, I just used to wonder what vagina town was and why they were singing in praise of it.