Topic: Lunatics (New Chris Lilley show) April 19th

[Poison To The Mind]

Mr G was his funniest character. There were rumours of a spin-off for a while, but I'm glad he left him alone.

He'd been doing Mr G for fifteen years by the time Summer Heights High finished. Ja'mie only had eight years of public appearances.

Remember when he tried to make "sneaky nuts" a thing?

Always wondered if this was ripped off of Moby's "nob touch," except more cowardly.

[13 schoolyards]

The depressing thing about all this is that if he was ever going to try anything new it'd be now - his Jonah and Ja'mie solo shows both bombed hard, there was a bunch of recent controversy around Jonah (which had been his character with the most goodwilll attached) and both HBO and the BBC washed their hands of him. He really had nothing to lose by striking out in a new direction.

Instead he comes up with this.

[Urinal Cake]

He's in a weird place now (Australia) must be wishing for a Coalition victory since they're still worse than anything he can do. Further he's sort of got the short end of the stick compared to the Little Britain guys. His reluctance to do press/talk shows etc doesn't allow him the opportunity to charm his way out of any criticisms implicitly or explicitly.

I think he's a good actor and decent writer. He's a guy with talent that needs to be less self-indulgent and work with better creatives.

In short there is more potential in Chris Lilley than most of onscreen Australian comedy.

[olliebean]

Looking him up on IMDB to see if he's ever been in anything he didn't write (not much, a couple of bit parts in the early 2000s), I found that he's played Mr G as well as other characters in two previous series - Hamish & Andy, and Big Bite (sketch shows, I presume). Has anyone seen either of those? Are they worth seeking out?

[Malcy]

Looking him up on IMDB to see if he's ever been in anything he didn't write (not much, a couple of bit parts in the early 2000s), I found that he's played Mr G as well as other characters in two previous series - Hamish & Andy, and Big Bite (sketch shows, I presume). Has anyone seen either of those? Are they worth seeking out?

I'm working my way through Big Bite. It's not bad. Someone on here managed to get it for me which was good because I was having no luck finding it. Can't find the Hamish & Andy series that Mr G was in at all.

[13 schoolyards]

Looking him up on IMDB to see if he's ever been in anything he didn't write (not much, a couple of bit parts in the early 2000s), I found that he's played Mr G as well as other characters in two previous series - Hamish & Andy, and Big Bite (sketch shows, I presume). Has anyone seen either of those? Are they worth seeking out?

Big Bite is definitely worth checking out for Lilley's work - he's just doing short sketches but they're easily the best thing in the show (and some of his best work, as he can't really fuck around and has to focus on the joke).

The Hamish & Andy sketch show was cancelled two weeks in, but there'd been (I think) six or eight episodes made. Years later they were screened one or twice on a digital channel when digital was a new thing, so they're pretty rare. Lilley's stuff was just left over sketches from Big Bite (the Hamish & Andy show was really just another version of Big Bite with them hosting), and worth checking out if you can find them but not exactly essential.

[BritishHobo]

This is on Netflix now, if anyone fancies a day in Chris Lilley's company.

[Malcy]

This is on Netflix now, if anyone fancies a day in Chris Lilley's company.

Awaiting 1080 rips. It's 10 episodes and I was going to binge it but I think I'll ration them! Read an article about how he was blackfacing again but isn't really. The tweets some people were making were ridiculous.

[famethrowa]

Jesus Christ. Embarrassing and boring. Concepts and characters that you or I could come up with in 10 minutes, and every scene is made by just "point the camera at Chris and let him improv, that'll do". There's been a lot of effort put into sets and costumes, but zero effort in script writing and development. There aren't any jokes either.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Jesus Christ. Embarrassing and boring. Concepts and characters that you or I could come up with in 10 minutes, and every scene is made by just "point the camera at Chris and let him improv, that'll do". There's been a lot of effort put into sets and costumes, but zero effort in script writing and development. There aren't any jokes either.

That's all there is to say about this. It's just more of the same, a tedious, joke-free slog of self-indulgence in which Lilley points a camera at himself and improvises witlessly.

He's never going to improve. This is all he can do. 

[BritishHobo]

Yeah I stopped halfway through episode one because there's not been a single joke. What was meant to be funny in the opening?

[famethrowa]

Yeah I stopped halfway through episode one because there's not been a single joke. What was meant to be funny in the opening?

Ahem, the guy's surname was "Dick"

[Malcy]

Struggled to make It through episode 2 before falling asleep. No much humour and the characters aren't great either.

[BritishHobo]

Ahem, the guy's surname was "Dick"

Oh yeah and it looked like he was giving the guy mannequin a gay blowjob!!

[olliebean]

Episode 1 was a slog at 36 minutes. I presume there's going to be some character development or storytelling throughout the course of the thing, can't see anyone sticking with it for 10 episodes otherwise. I don't have any particular yen to watch any more atm, might give it another try if people say it gets good later.

[Malcy]

Episode 1 was a slog at 36 minutes. I presume there's going to be some character development or storytelling throughout the course of the thing, can't see anyone sticking with it for 10 episodes otherwise. I don't have any particular yen to watch any more atm, might give it another try if people say it gets good later.

I laughed at a bit in episode 4. That's about it so far. I've given it a break for a while as well.

[famethrowa]

Whilst watching the "rude kid" bit, I wondered if Lilley ever gets halfway through a scene/improvised monologue like that and just goes "no, this isn't working"? After seeing more I doubt that's ever happened.

[Dr Sanchez]

I've watched two episodes and mostly enjoyed it. The ex pornstar character is dull though. This is mainly silly,  physical comedy but I have a soft spot for that kind of thing.

[up_the_hampipe]

He'd been doing Mr G for fifteen years by the time Summer Heights High finished. Ja'mie only had eight years of public appearances.

Aye, but he was still funny in the time frame he was using Mr G. He never dragged that character through to the latter stages.

The Guardian has given Lunatics one measly star https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/20/chris-lilleys-lunatics-review-unfunny-boring-and-utterly-unrelenting

[Malcy]

I've made it to ep 8 so may as well see it to the end. I haven't read the Guardian review but unfunny and boring sum it up well. What a disappointment.

[famethrowa]

The Guardian has given Lunatics one measly star https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/20/chris-lilleys-lunatics-review-unfunny-boring-and-utterly-unrelenting

A few reviews have used the word "problematic", which I think might be a bit generous? It suggests there's some intent and forethought there, but this has no thought put into it at all.

Remember in Derek & Clive when he was on a charge of fucking a fireplace? It was the funniest thing in the world, out of nowhere and just knocked you down with shock and outrageous hilarity. Well here we have a long and boring setup just so we can show a guy fucking a cash register and nothing is funny.  You rotter.

[The Lurker]

Just watched the first episode. Can't say it was for me. The only bit I laughed at was when he was in love with the cash register - not sure why I chuckled but there you go. I'm guessing the second episode isn't worth a watch then?

[ASFTSN]

I watched episode 1. Complete shite. Is all this bloke's stuff just the Australian version of Little Britain? I've got some discerning mates that loved Summer Heights High, but I've never watched it.

[remedial_gash]

I watched episode 1. Complete shite. Is all this bloke's stuff just the Australian version of Little Britain? I've got some discerning mates that loved Summer Heights High, but I've never watched it.

Got through 20 minutes of the first episode, did laugh at a few things until I went 'isn't this like come fly with me?' and then I stopped and watched 'working moms' which isn't great but is quite funny and a bit sad. Plus tits.

[Malcy]

I watched episode 1. Complete shite. Is all this bloke's stuff just the Australian version of Little Britain? I've got some discerning mates that loved Summer Heights High, but I've never watched it.

This isn't a patch on his previous work. Same format but with minimal humour or heart to it.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

A 44-year-old man in the guise of a horny teenager asking an actual teenage girl if she wants to see his dick is just ghastly beyond belief.

[Malcy]

A 44-year-old man in the guise of a horny teenager asking an actual teenage girl if she wants to see his dick is just ghastly beyond belief.

I couldn't tell if it was the daughter or someone who looked after the horses on the estate. Was it the daughter who would actually be his cousin?

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I don't know, I gave up after the first episode. My point is that Lilley comes across as a creepy fucker when he does things like that.

[Urinal Cake]

This was pretty bad. Become a bit or character actor. Maybe ingratiate yourself with Sandler and become the best version of Rob Schneider.

[Dr Sanchez]

I'm slowly getting through this. The initial silly laughs have given way to general awkwardness and most things just seem mean. Comedy can be mean but for it to work the target needs to be hateable in some way.

The sweet student character who is 7ft+ is constantly bullied and physically injured but there's absolutely no pay off or humour in it..