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March 28, 2024, 10:11:28 PM

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The inspirations for Brass Eye characters and sketches

Started by Thomas, February 13, 2018, 03:00:47 PM

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Thomas

I was watching Peter Taylor's 1988 Panorama documentary 'The Long War' yesterday, and I was struck by how similar the mannerisms of army bod John Glover were to Chris Morris' borstal man, and perhaps the naval character as well.

And this 1985 report about a moving statue of the Virgin Mary in Ballinspittle, Cork, seems clearly to be the direct inspiration for the sketch about the driving statue, right down to the introduction of the village. The interviewer even sounds like Chris Morris at points.

'They come from as far as Dublin and Belfast, in special coaches laid on for the pilgrimage.' Lovely real-world use of that classic Morris word, special.

Any more?


Shoulders?-Stomach!

Quote from: Thomas on February 13, 2018, 10:13:46 PM
Another, of course: GET-IN-THE-BACK-OF-THE-VAN and LICK-THE-SHIT-OFF-HIS-SHOE.

Aye, both concurrently remind me of each other.

Hate to whale on Eldon but get in the back of the van is slightly funnier.

Barry Admin

I should have thought to ask about this at Oxide Ghosts, but there's long been a theory that Senator Agsby was inspired by the tragic suicide of Budd Dwyer.

homesickalien

Just because of the Aussie accent I always though Ted Maul was based on John Pilger

Shaky

Quote from: homesickalien on February 27, 2018, 10:56:44 PM
Just because of the Aussie accent I always though Ted Maul was based on John Pilger

But... Ted Maul doesn't have an Aussie accent.

H-O-W-L

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on February 15, 2018, 06:11:10 PM
Aye, both concurrently remind me of each other.

Hate to whale on Eldon but get in the back of the van is slightly funnier.

I think it's because Eldon is a well-known comedy figure that we recognize as, you know, Eldon playing a character, subconsciously. Whereas Mister GETINTHEBACKATHEVAN just looks outright deranged.

TJ

There was a reporter on the BBC show Brass Tacks that looked (but didn't especially sound) like Ted Maul. I've also long suspected the bits in a bare black studio with big cutouts etc were influenced by early Channel 4 current affairs shows, particularly 4 What It's Worth and the Who Killed Kennedy? discussion/debate.

Petey Pate

The monologues in Blue Jam are clearly inspired, in both tone and content, by those of the recently deceased American radio legend Joe Frank.

https://soundcloud.com/thejoefrank/no-more-my-lord-from-bad-karma

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: Petey Pate on March 13, 2018, 01:14:11 PM
The monologues in Blue Jam are clearly inspired, in both tone and content, by those of the recently deceased American radio legend Joe Frank.

https://soundcloud.com/thejoefrank/no-more-my-lord-from-bad-karma

Holy shit!

Shaky

Holy shit x 2. Been listening to bits and pieces of Frank's stuff and Morris even used some of the same pieces of backing music.

Barry Admin

I only found out about his sad passing recently, thanks to Apexjazz.  Frank had been ill for a long time, but still a very sad loss. I can't recommend his stuff highly enough, he really was phenomenal.

Petey Pate

For ages I thought that Joe Frank was massively underrated, but it was quite heartening seeing the numerous accolades for him when he died.

His influence on Morris doesn't get acknowledged very much but its quite clear. Frank did work with a few American comedians, including David Cross, who was a guest on a 1999 radio show called Jam. I believe that in that instance the Morris connection is just a coincidence.

Dr Rock

Quote from: Shaky on February 28, 2018, 11:55:29 PM
But... Ted Maul doesn't have an Aussie accent.

Ted Maul seemed very John Pilger to me, putative Aussie accent notwithstanding.

Er... Chris Morris as Dr (of Physchoverasity) Rupert Fripp* at Leeds University in the drugs episode sounds a bit like Alan Bennett.

*wasn't it a running joke that a lot of the names were nicked off prog people? Or was that something else? Vic and Bob did something similar didn't they?

Mr Banlon



walydug

Listen up you bastards, I haven't posted for about 90 months, your 'Warning' is a mere invitation to me.

Most of the 'Drugs' episode is ripped directly from the Cook Report episode where he traces the ecstacy trade from Amsterdam to the UK. It's one of very few surviving episodes of the Cook Report after Gromit destroyed most of them in a warehouse fire, and is on youtube. I'm not going to re-watch it to collect quotes for you, but if my memory serves me then it even contains Czech Neck.

flotemysost

I ran into Chris Morris a few years ago at the Royal Court Theatre before a performance of Samuel Beckett's Not I. I'd been thinking earlier that day about whether Beckett might have been one of the inspirations for the tone and turns of phrase in some parts of Blue Jam, so it felt like I was almost expecting to see him there, in a weird way.

There was an audience Q&A session afterwards and I did listen out for him, but I don't think he piped up.

Edit: Ah, just re-read the thread title and seen this is about Brass Eye. I guess the characteristics I was thinking of (sort of playful surrealism presented in a matter-of-fact way) applies across most of Morris' work anyway, but the first-person monologues in Blue Jam seemed the most obvious comparison.

manticore

The Beckett that seems most like Blue Jam to me is the novel Murphy, I suppose because it's absurd black comedy and has a lighter touch and  actually makes me laugh, whereas in Beckett's work after that any laughter sticks in my throat.