Doing a total U-Turn on some shows

[Clownbaby]

This doesn't happen very often with me cause I usually know if I like something or not, but occasionally I'll completely change my mind about a show that I had just dismissed completely the first time. Im not really sure what causes this, I think a lot of the time (with me anyway) the hype of a really popular show or character will put me off cause I get sick of hearing about how great they are. I thought "what's the fucking fuss about Alan Partridge" until I watched the things with Alan Partridge in and quickly realised.

I posted a while ago about Seinfeld and how I wasn't really invested in it and I'd like to EAT MY WORDS IF I MAY cause I've since watched it right through and again right through. The first watch through, something was telling me that I'd like it more the 2nd time round and I did. First time round I obviously got that it was about a group of mates who are selfish and difficult and riddled with issues and obsessed with all of the awkward and confusing shit that happens when you communicate with other people on any level but it just wasn't sucking me in even though I usually really go for that sort of set-up.

2nd time round it seemed to all click. I don't really know why I found the tone difficult to place or the situations unfunny, and the main 4 have the best faces and physical reactions. The excessively slapstick Kramer moments still leave me a bit cold even though he's obviously incredibly good at falling over but I like him otherwise. I had initially thought "oh Kramer is just a collection of random silly quirks put together to create the illusion of an interesting character" but i do now think he's actually a charming and fleshed out weirdo. I thought Jerry was an unfunny smug twat but on the second watch through he's a very funny sarcastic smug twat.

It used to annoy me a bit when Jerry was clearly smirking at the other actors' performances but intentionally or not it adds a layer of genuine friendship to the group. They're selfish and self indulgent but those qualities bring them together as quite a tight unit with a strangely codependent bond, like a slightly saner predecessor to the Always Sunny gang.  They're nasty to eachother in a strangely loving way. Didn't like George initially but he's probably the funniest the second time round and his parents are precious.  Jerry Stiller is fabulous as Frank Costanza.  His weird cadences and just generally bizarre vibe is one of my favourite things about the show. He always seems like he's seething with confusion about something. There's a lot of genuinely deranged and/or hostile recurring characters who I love.

That being said, even though I love it now, I can still totally understand why someone would hate it or take the piss out of it. It's one of them ones.


There's a few more shows that Ill probably remember I disliked first time round that I'll probably mention later if I can be arsed. Anyone felt completely different about a show out of blue?

[Darles Chickens]

I'm still waiting for that moment of enlightenment with Father Ted. Nearly everyone seems to rate it highly, yet on the occasion that I've caught it, it's never done anything much for me at all.  Is it worth persevering with?  Should I even have to?

[Clownbaby]

I'm still waiting for that moment of enlightenment with Father Ted. Nearly everyone seems to rate it highly, yet on the occasion that I've caught it, it's never done anything much for me at all.  Is it worth persevering with?  Should I even have to?

I love Father Ted but I have tried to like The IT Crowd and I just can't. It's empty of life. I can't put my finger on why but it isn't alive. Maybe you're right and you don't like Father Ted, maybe it'll grow on you. If you aren't feeling the need to watch it again then you probably do just think it's shit

[Timothy]

Same here with Seinfeld. Whenever episodes on TV where on it irritated me. Jerry's smug and awful acting, weird things that didn't seem to make sense...

And then one week I was ill and decided on a whim to start watching it from the beginning.

Best comedy show ever made imo. You really have to grow with the characters before you like it, but during the episode the Pony I completely lost it and was hooked ever since.

[Darles Chickens]

I love Father Ted but I have tried to like The IT Crowd and I just can't. It's empty of life. I can't put my finger on why but it isn't alive. Maybe you're right and you don't like Father Ted, maybe it'll grow on you. If you aren't feeling the need to watch it again then you probably do just think it's shit

It's not especially that I think it's shit; I just don't really think it's anything.  Just a bit too trad sitcom for my tastes perhaps.

I was going to mention The IT Crowd as well.  I watched the first series (only because of Chris Morris's involvement) and found it difficult to love, but also rather more engaging than Father Ted.  Stylistically, it's like a cartoon with its fourth wall breaking and its overly exaggerated characterisations, so definitely not one to get emotionally connected with at any level.  My main feeling about it at the time was that it could have done with some better script editing: as it went out, it felt a bit haphazard and the pace was all wrong at times.  I think I just got bored with it after the first series, and never really understood the high esteem people hold it in (but then again, 14 million+ people love The Big Bang Theory).

[Clownbaby]

A lot of people say the IT Crowd better than The Big Bang Theory but they're really the same level I'd say

[olliebean]

A lot of people say the IT Crowd better than The Big Bang Theory but they're really the same level I'd say

There are over 10 times as many episodes of The Big Bang Theory, and that's why The IT Crowd is better.

[Clownbaby]

There are over 10 times as many episodes of The Big Bang Theory, and that's why The IT Crowd is better.

Fair point yeah

[Utter Shit]

The first time I saw Anchorman I didn't really get it at all, didn't think it was shit so much as baffling. It's now probably the movie that's made me laugh more than any other.

I also thought Zoolander was total dog shit when I saw it in the cinema, but really enjoyed it on the rewatch.

[Clownbaby]

The first time I saw Anchorman I didn't really get it at all, didn't think it was shit so much as baffling. It's now probably the movie that's made me laugh more than any other.

I also thought Zoolander was total dog shit when I saw it in the cinema, but really enjoyed it on the rewatch.

I got that with Napoleon Dynamite. I know that's a polarizing one.  Thought it was boring and stiff first time round and loved it a couple years later.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

It was Mr. Show for me. I'd heard such great things about it, so I ordered the DVD set from America. I had to go to the (not particularly) local sorting office to pay the import duty. Finally I brought it home, loaded up the first disk and... meh. It just seemed like some student comedy revue or something. I came on here to say as much and folk told me to stick with it. I did so, but my hopes weren't high. Sure enough, I persevered through the first three series and it didn't seem to improve much. Then I got to The Story of Everest in the fourth series and and it all just seemed to click. I went back to the earlier episodes and laughed myself silly.

[Petey Pate]

I'm not sure if this really counts but in the very early days of On Cinema (when it was just a podcast with episodes rarely over a minute long) I thought it a repetitious one-joke idea. Then in the run up to the 2012 election when the show was 'hijacked' by politics I began finding it hilarious. However even at that point I never envisioned it having yearly Oscar specials, an action movie parody spin off and a fictional court room trial. It's astonishing how much came out of those minute long podcasts where Tim and Gregg were just dicking around with a phone.

[Clownbaby]

It was Mr. Show for me. I'd heard such great things about it, so I ordered the DVD set from America. I had to go to the (not particularly) local sorting office to pay the import duty. Finally I brought it home, loaded up the first disk and... meh. It just seemed like some student comedy revue or something. I came on here to say as much and folk told me to stick with it. I did so, but my hopes weren't high. Sure enough, I persevered through the first three series and it didn't seem to improve much. Then I got to The Story of Everest in the fourth series and and it all just seemed to click. I went back to the earlier episodes and laughed myself silly.

I still think it's a hot mess even though I love it but the first watch through for me was an annoying sensory overload of overlong sketches and ideas that really varied in quality. In spite of all this I like it. It's another one, for me, like Seinfeld, where there's a lot of stuff crossing over and going on per 20 minute episode that can seem scrambled and fidgety the first time round but then kind of settles in my mind more comfortably by the second watch. I also started fancying Bob Odenkirk

[imitationleather]

I'm really surprised anyone could think The IT Crowd is better than Father Ted. The IT Crowd, in my opinion, has one good episode (the gay musical one) and then a load of others that either feel like they'd be good if they had put a bit more effort into the writing and performance, and then some that are just dreadful and it is genuinely surprising that Linehan ever bothered to try to turn their half-baked plots into full-length episodes of a real sitcom. Father Ted varies from excellent to just okay. I'd concede it's possibly a generational thing but I'm not old, damn it. I am still down with the kids! I know who 6ix9ine is! (Never heard any of his music, though.)

It's all academic now though because both are obviously #CANCELLED.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I refuse to let Linehan's latter day shittiness ruin Father Ted. If that happens he wins.

[Clownbaby]

I thought Garth Marenghi's Darkplace was nothing when I first watched it.

[Utter Shit]

Father Ted varies from excellent to just okay.

Which are the only okay Father Ted episodes, Lynn? I've gotta hear this.

[imitationleather]

Which are the only okay Father Ted episodes, Lynn? I've gotta hear this.

Okay you made me look at a Wikipedia list of episodes there. I can't pick out any and say "They're not that great" because by the standards of other sitcoms they're obviously leagues ahead. I would have sworn down that series 3 wasn't that good but looking at the episode titles every single one of them completely shows up The IT Crowd.

Gah, fuck you. I'm flouncing!

[Clownbaby]

On the subject of Father Ted, I love the episode with "Father Todd Unctious" and it pissed me off to switch on the commentary and hear Graham Linehan whining for 45 minutes that the episode is going on forever and he wishes Father Ted was more like Seinfeld blah blah blah

I actually think that might be one of the things that put me off Seinfeld originally. The Linehan hype. "See what I really like about Seinfeld is this and that"  "I see Jen (IT Crowd) as my Elaine" fuck off man Jen is crap and you know it

[Utter Shit]

Okay you made me look at a Wikipedia list of episodes there. I can't pick out any and say "They're not that great" because by the standards of other sitcoms they're obviously leagues ahead. I would have sworn down that series 3 wasn't that good but looking at the episode titles every single one of them completely shows up The IT Crowd.

Gah, fuck you. I'm flouncing!

Hahaha! Yes! I win!

Honestly looking at them now and there isn't a single one that I would say is less than great, with so many 'all-time classics' that you can't really call them that because they're the norm. I'd argue the entire series 2 is almost wall-to-wall brilliant , and the only episodes that stand out as below the average level IMO are And God Created Woman (series 1), Rock A Hula Ted (series 2) and Going To America (the last ever episode). And all of those are bloody great anyway, just slightly worse than the rest.

[ArtParrott]

Always Sunny didn't work at all for me. I started watching it on Netflix a few years ago and got to 'The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell' before jacking it in. That's season 4 ep. 11 so I really gave it a good go.

It must have been a year or two later that I saw one of the threads about it on here and decided to give it another go, picking up from where I left off. I don't know what must have happened in that time or if there had been some kind of CaB brainwashing effect but I was completely swept away.

Since then I've prob watched it through at least 3 more times from start to finish. Only on my last rewatch did I begin to take notice of the peaks and troughs between certain episodes and seasons.

[Utter Shit]

On the subject of Father Ted, I love the episode with "Father Todd Unctious" and it pissed me off to switch on the commentary and hear Graham Linehan whining for 45 minuted that the episode is going on forever and he wishes Father Ted was more like Seinfeld blah blah blah

It feels like Linehan has slightly poisoned that episode, in that it's almost viewed as 'the shit Father Ted episode' because he criticises it so much. I think it's bloody brilliant, and the scene in Ireland's biggest lingerie section I understand is one of the best in the entire show. I have a vague memory of people not really liking the plane episode but I think that's great too.

[St_Eddie]

I have a vague memory of people not really liking the plane episode but I think that's great too.

One of my favourite comedy moments from anything ever.

[Menu]

When I was 17 I used to love TFI Friday. Now even the thought of it makes me feel ill. It was terrible. Just ghastly. Chris Evans couldn't deliver the lines that Danny Baker wrote him. The interviews were awkward and stilted. The sketches and set pieces were self-satisfied and often bullying. And the audience never genuinely laughed, they just sort of cheered when Evans had finished speaking. And felt smug that they were in the upstairs bit. Ooooh Billy Big Bollocks in the upstairs bit oooooh. Jesus. What was I thinking?

I was a big fan of Danny Baker at the time so it was probably that. Maybe if he'd have presented it it would have been better. I think Jonathan Ross was supposed to have been the host in the early stages - that might have been good.

Vietnam-style flashback to the big U2 heads. <shiver>

[DrGreggles]

I have a vague memory of people not really liking the plane episode but I think that's great too.

I love that episode.
"He doesn't know he's a priest!"

Sorry, each to their own and that, but if you don't like Father Ted you're just getting life wrong.

[jobotic]

It feels like Linehan has slightly poisoned that episode, in that it's almost viewed as 'the shit Father Ted episode' because he criticises it so much. I think it's bloody brilliant, and the scene in Ireland's biggest lingerie section I understand is one of the best in the entire show. I have a vague memory of people not really liking the plane episode but I think that's great too.

I agree with you. What's his problem with it?


I remember not bothering with the IT Crowd because I thought it would be shit. Then I watched it after everyone else and liked it a lot. Then on rewatches I've realised it's really not very good., and that's before I knew about Twitter Linner.

[Huxleys Babkins]

It feels like Linehan has slightly poisoned that episode, in that it's almost viewed as 'the shit Father Ted episode' because he criticises it so much. I think it's bloody brilliant, and the scene in Ireland's biggest lingerie section I understand is one of the best in the entire show. I have a vague memory of people not really liking the plane episode but I think that's great too.

I almost understand what he means.

It's bloody long and it feels like it drags, but every time I try to mentally edit it down, I can't. It feels bloated and slow, yet it's densely packed with gags and moves at a decent pace so there's nothing you can cut. It's a bizarre phenomenon.

Perhaps it would have worked better as a two parter.

[Jerzy Bondov]

It feels like Linehan has slightly poisoned that episode, in that it's almost viewed as 'the shit Father Ted episode' because he criticises it so much. I think it's bloody brilliant, and the scene in Ireland's biggest lingerie section I understand is one of the best in the entire show. I have a vague memory of people not really liking the plane episode but I think that's great too.

One of the best Christmas specials ever. So many funny moments and lines in that. I've watched it a countless number of times and I still laugh my head off.

Ted throwing a stone into the sea and hitting a bloke in a boat. Dougal's matador outfit. 'Ruud Gullit sitting on a shed'. Mrs Doyle falling off the window. Mrs Doyle guessing Todd's name. Todd coming in to their bedroom in his pants - 'Well, here we are now, all the lads'. 'Ahhh that's completely unfair!' The priests' chatline. The priest coaching the choir. The way the mic goes really loud when the nun mentions Ted's 'financial irregularities'. Dougal helping with the lights on the Christmas tree. 'He gives good mass!' Dougal going down to watch a scary film - 'i just came down to carry the milk around'. The noise the broken Teamaster makes. 'Oh so a Protestant is better than me?!' The bishop playing a drum kit. Jack getting left in a crèche. Everything in the lingerie section scenes. 'Not that way for feck's sake!' 'You let Dougal do a funeral?!' The way Dougal drops the phone on the table when Ted says he's not in.

That's all off the top of my head and I've forgotten loads. Thinking that episode is rubbish might well be Linehan's worst opinion.

[purlieu]

he wishes Father Ted was more like Seinfeld

This is probably why around half the gags in The IT Crowd are ripped directly from Seinfeld. I loved the first couple of series of the show (despite their obvious flaws) until I watched Seinfeld, and realised just how far he'd taken his 'influence'. I recall someone from here mentioning it in a very friendly way in a comment on Linehan's blog back in the day and he went apeshit and did the whole "making bunny cry" bollocks.

The IT Crowd just feels like Linehan's personality moulded into sitcom format that it's just unwatchable these days now anyway. No big loss.

[jobotic]

One of the best Christmas specials ever. So many funny moments and lines in that. I've watched it a countless number of times and I still laugh my head off.

Ted throwing a stone into the sea and hitting a bloke in a boat. Dougal's matador outfit. 'Ruud Gullit sitting on a shed'. Mrs Doyle falling off the window. Mrs Doyle guessing Todd's name. Todd coming in to their bedroom in his pants - 'Well, here we are now, all the lads'. 'Ahhh that's completely unfair!' The priests' chatline. The priest coaching the choir. The way the mic goes really loud when the nun mentions Ted's 'financial irregularities'. Dougal helping with the lights on the Christmas tree. 'He gives good mass!' Dougal going down to watch a scary film - 'i just came down to carry the milk around'. The noise the broken Teamaster makes. 'Oh so a Protestant is better than me?!' The bishop playing a drum kit. Jack getting left in a crèche. Everything in the lingerie section scenes. 'Not that way for feck's sake!' 'You let Dougal do a funeral?!' The way Dougal drops the phone on the table when Ted says he's not in.

That's all off the top of my head and I've forgotten loads. Thinking that episode is rubbish might well be Linehan's worst opinion.

"And now we move on to the trans..."