Fresh Meat - Series 4

[Icehaven]

The second that door opened I thought ''Oh, JP's brother is basically David Cameron then.''

[Blue Jam]

What, no-one watched this week's episode? I only just remembered it was on 4oD myself. Episode 1 was light on laughs but not in the way series 3 was. It's more like the first episode of series 1, with more attention paid to the setting up of subplots than to the jokes. So far I'm liking what seems to be coming:

JP being groomed to go into the family line and pretending to be up for it while showing off a suit even he must realise is crap.

JP realising he probably now has more in common with his plebian but fun mates than his obnoxious posho brother Tomothy, with his screaming baby, sexless marriage and well-paid but stressful and boring job.

Oregon being president of a failing student union with a membership who all hate her but not giving a fuck because she still gets to hobnob with mayors and MPs and minor celebrities- and make Professor Shales jealous

...not least by being so full of shit the only person she impresses is Tomothy. Sexually. Also the way she's naive enough to be impressed by his shit... or maybe he'll groom her for the job he promised JP... but there'll be strings attached...

Tomothy being less like David Cameron and much more like sleazy Gideon Osborne.

Tomothy being a manipulative shitbag and preying on JP's insecurities, for being preferable to King Ralph coming back and bullying him a third time- I really hope that doesn't happen...

Sabine (yaaaaay!) getting desperate and going all Breaking Bad at Vod's request- and having a really nice trip... and Vod turning out to be a crap drug dealer ("There is too much 'elf an' safety in the drug-dealin' game these days")

Howard being dumped by Candice but not having the social skills to realise. Awwww :(

Josie's childlike nostalgia at all the little things they soon won't be able to do anymore- and her being the one most aware of how things are going to get serious soon

I liked the farcical plot which ended with JP and Vod both listening through the wall of Oregon's room, but for very different reasons. Crap sex scene though, with both participants humping while zipped up- and this show usually does comedy sex scenes so well

As usual with this show I'll need to watch it a second time. but so far, so promising.

EDIT: sod the spoiler tags, it's been on.

[Quincey]

They all seem to be very good at "pulling", aside from Howard. Or maybe everyone was better at finding someone to sleep with at uni than me.

[Petey Pate]

Can any under grad students confirm whether this VICE article is accurate?

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/fresh-meat-final-series-student-life-503

[Pijlstaart]

Jack Whitehall and the black woman both forgot how to do their character's voices, sounded out of place. Tomothy didn't work at all, "Look at posh people" isn't a bottomless comedic well. The dutch woman, that was clumsily shoehorned in, didn't work. Italian woman widda-da-pasta, painful, Robbie William's american wife, should have tested out the accent before casting her.

No, rusty dialogue, rusty acting, rusty plot. I think there's plenty of mileage for a show like this but it simply isn't delivering. Not a happy bunny.

[Mini]

Has there ever been a worse line reading than when Joe Thomas said "promises promises"?

[Hat FM]

Hopefully Howard will kill them all at the end.  Apart from the blonde welsh one maybe...

[BritishHobo]

Aye, I dunno what the whole thing is with Kingsley. I get that he started out as an average twat affecting loads of 'cool' modes of behaviour, but they don't seem to have done anything with him beyond that. He's just milling around, being a bit obnoxious and getting ignored (apart from them all bullying him at the start, which made me think I'd forgotten a plot point where he'd fucked them all over, or something). There was a moment (when Tomothy called him by his name, and he said 'Oh, you remember my name now.') where I thought he might stand up for something, but he just went back to being a watered-down prick. Nothing against Thomas himself, who I do really like. The character's just nothing.

Anyway. I think they have set up some interesting shit. I always love JP, and I think him and Vod (and Josie, who I do properly love as a character even though I also hate her) having to deal with 'real life' getting closer should be really fun. Same for Oregon - I'm really excited to see her as SU President, it's the perfect set-up for her character. Got a good laugh out of Shales as well, with his can't-be-arsed, disillusioned seminar on The Wasteland.

Sad that they fucked Howard off from his relationship so quickly. Hopefully they'll build up to him getting back in.

[dr beat]

Can any under grad students confirm whether this VICE article is accurate?

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/fresh-meat-final-series-student-life-503

Well the final year class I teach have consistently failed all year to turn up for their one weekly 9am lecture - this week I had 3 out of 35 turn up.  I'm told by other colleagues that Thursday mornings are still known as the graveyard shift as its the morning after the sports social the night before.  So I'm not buying that Vice article and in some lights it reads a little like a pro-fees 'hey look how the kids are working hard now they know the costs eh?' propaganda rap.   

[Noodle Lizard]

Okay, it's never been the most subtle of shows, but how fucking broad has this become?  That opening scene was like something out of When The Whistle Blows.

[Noodle Lizard]

Oh right, Sabine's a drug manufacturer now.  That makes perfect sense.

[Petey Pate]

Well the final year class I teach have consistently failed all year to turn up for their one weekly 9am lecture - this week I had 3 out of 35 turn up.  I'm told by other colleagues that Thursday mornings are still known as the graveyard shift as its the morning after the sports social the night before.  So I'm not buying that Vice article and in some lights it reads a little like a pro-fees 'hey look how the kids are working hard now they know the costs eh?' propaganda rap.

I asked my brother who's a first year undergrad about it and he said it didn't match with his experience either.  He did say that there are a lot of Jack Whitehall students, but they were a fixture back when I was at university as well.

[j_u_d_a_s]

Anyone else remember the first series when there was a whole character (who you never saw) that was just a long lead up to a piss poor wanking joke?

That's always been the problem with this show. It never knew what to do with itself so fell back on cheap innuendo. Neither broad enough to be a sitcom and its drama was either inconsequential or relied on you being invested in absolute cunts. Characters motivations are constantly shifting and change on a whim of an episode, Candice had a different personality each week before being written out clumsily.

I've always wanted this show to be something great but it doesn't have anything to say. A huge missed opportunity.

[BritishHobo]

Oh aye yeah, they had that mystery roommate, didn't they?

I think the way Sabine was initially treated is a good example of the show's confusion. It's one of those things where the writers try an Always Sunny-style plot with the characters being absolute cunts, but still expect viewers to be unironically emotionally invested in them as people. Nobody wants well-written happiness for the characters in Always Sunny, they just enjoy watching them.

As I'll never tire of saying, Josie and Kingsley might be the most hateful fucking couple I have ever seen.

[Noodle Lizard]

Also in the space of three relatively short seasons, and with many characters to play with, they repeat themselves so often.  How many times have we had Vod go on the straight & narrow now?  Because it looks like it's about to happen again.  How many times have we had Oregon end up in a tricky relationship?  Because it looks like it's about to happen again.  How many times have we had Kingsley fancying some not-Josie girl and finding himself out of his depth?  Because it looks like it's going to happen again.  How many times have we had JP try and impress his posh superiors only to have them treat him like shit?  Because that's already happened again.  Looks like we'll also be getting a repeat of the Kingsley/Josie/JP dynamic.  Looking forward to that(!)

Then you've got Howard, whose deliberate social awkwardness has developed into full-on mental deficiency, and Sabine who's become a drug manufacturer whose randomly turning up in this episode is some of the laziest writing I've seen this side of Derek.  Just create a new character for whom that behaviour would actually make sense, for fuck's sake.  To think how much people got paid to come up with that script, Christ.

[Paul Calf]

Fucking hell, 'Tomothy'

Spoiler alert

is a prick. I hope he dies in a club toilet with a dildo up his arse.

[close]

Are any of them likeable really? I keep changing my mind about which one I most want to die in a house fire.

[Hat FM]

i wonder if there has been a suggestion of a spin off in the offices of channel 4.  I think Josie is the only one that jumps out as being in any way funny.

did not safe for work get a second series?

[Utter Shit]

If there was a spin-off I think Josie and Kingsley are the only ones who don't jump out as possibilities. It would probably be JP, as Whitehall is clearly the show's star now.

Quite enjoyed the first episode of the new series, with Sabine a real highlight, although I could have done without the birth of another tedious Josie/JP will -they/won't-they/they-already-have-who-cares plotline.

Someone earlier in this thread complained about Joe Thomas' "promises, promises" line, I thought that was one of the episode's best moments.

[Hat FM]

If there was a spin-off I think Josie and Kingsley are the only ones who don't jump out as possibilities. It would probably be JP, as Whitehall is clearly the show's star now.

Quite enjoyed the first episode of the new series, with Sabine a real highlight, although I could have done without the birth of another tedious Josie/JP rivalry.

Someone earlier in this thread complained about Joe Thomas' "promises, promises" line, I thought that was one of the episode's best moments.

surely Jack Whitehall is too big for that now? That's why i discounted him really. I think Josie would be good in her own show as a bit of a mental clutz.  Maybe a bit like one of the characters in 'Pulling'?

[Noodle Lizard]

surely Jack Whitehall is too big for that now? That's why i discounted him really. I think Josie would be good in her own show as a bit of a mental clutz.  Maybe a bit like one of the characters in 'Pulling'?

I don't think anyone's too big for their own sitcom, are they?

But yeah, you're right.  Jack Whitehall's being groomed for America now.

[Quincey]

It would be interesting to have a spin-off from Sabine's point of view, where she's living awkwardly with Howard. Perhaps Howard could be in a triangle with Sabine and Candice.

Howard seems the most realistic person in Fresh Meat, to be honest.

[neveragain]

It's been so long since the last series I thought Sabine and Candice were the same character (or rather I forgot about one of them).

[Noodle Lizard]

It would be interesting to have a spin-off from Sabine's point of view, where she's living awkwardly with Howard. Perhaps Howard could be in a triangle with Sabine and Candice.

I don't think that would be a very good idea, to be honest.

[dr beat]

I'd like to see a spin-off featuring the Professors Shayles and life in their department - Tony Gardner's always watchable and there's plenty of mileage in the comings and goings of academics.  There was quite a bit of this in the early series but it seems to have dropped off a bit.

Also a bit surprised the Fresh Meat format hasn't been picked up in the States - I think it would translate well and it would be interesting to see a more realistic take on college life there.

[up_the_hampipe]

It would be interesting to have a spin-off from Sabine's point of view, where she's living awkwardly with Howard. Perhaps Howard could be in a triangle with Sabine and Candice.

I would rather have a show about anything else.

[Mini]

I'd like to see a spin-off featuring the Professors Shayles and life in their department - Tony Gardner's always watchable and there's plenty of mileage in the comings and goings of academics.  There was quite a bit of this in the early series but it seems to have dropped off a bit.

They should bring back Campus and put Tony Gardener in it.

[Noodle Lizard]

Shit.

[Noodle Lizard]

I mean, imagine coming up with an idea for a show which you're (presumably) passionate about, and then being put in a place where you can actually make it with a considerable amount of creative control for a major network.  And then, after only three seasons, and in its final season, you read scripts for episodes like that one and just go "Yeah, fine".  For fuck's sake.  I'm not saying everything has to be perfect, but you're so fucking lucky, try harder.

(I think that was directed at Armstrong & Bain, but I bet they barely even check their e-mails about this show anymore[nb]EDIT: No, they wrote the first episode of this season.  Fuck me.[/nb])

[Paul Calf]

Every single character is fucking infuriating in different ways.

[Mini]

Why does Howard suddenly care about being considered "downbeat"? None of this makes sense. It's a shame because Tom Basden's radio 4 sitcom Party is excellent.