League of Gentleman

[bgmnts]

Currently rewatching it on Netflix and I don't know how people can get through it.

Not because it's not funny, it bloody is, but its so fucking gross and disgusting and sinister. Every sketch leaves me either depressed, filled with such tension or a feeling of wrongness.

Good show

Also, are there any towns out there like Royston Vasey? I'd love to spend a day in one.

[petril]

its the sitcom version of the Deso thread, essentially.

or a slightly better version of present-day Viz.

will never not laugh at the spinny café sign saying DOLE SCUM

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Papa Lazarou is an awesome character.

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

Also, are there any towns out there like Royston Vasey? I'd love to spend a day in one.

Get yourself to the North East of England, places like Royston Vasey are ten a penny.


Ferryhill is a good example. It used to be part of my patch when I worked on the East Coast Mainline and our access point to the track would always involve a chat with some lads whose evenings out consisted of trapping rabbits and drinking cans of Tennants Extra. The whole town is just desolation.

[DrGreggles]

Series 1 and 2 are pretty much faultless. Dark as fuck, but very funny.
I think the line was crossed in series 3.

[alan nagsworth]

The last time I rewatched it I remember thinking season 2 deffo pales in comparison to the first. There's a fair few bits I thought were quite crap, namely the musical number with Harvey and Val in the first episode.

[DrGreggles]

the musical number with Harvey and Val in the first episode.

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that bit.
Oh dear.

[Brundle-Fly]

I thought that number was a great Dennis Potter homage.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

As someone who had to attend a few Jobcentre job clubs in his time, that sketch struck a chord with me.

[markburgle]

I used to hate series 3 but now it's my favourite. I got sick of Tubbs and Edward, plus a few of the other recurring things that got old hat by s2, so now s3's totally different tone feels the freshest to me, even though it does have some of the nastiest stuff in it.

The reunion shows got off on entirely the wrong foot with me, bottling it by bringing T&E back and reneging on what had been a very ballsy and necessary move. Not only that but using them as a pretext to crowbar in a load of tired shit about Brexit. LOG was never satirical in that way and that sort of self-conscious stuff was really jarring.

Anyway - S3. The debt collectors. Laurence Lywellyn Bowen. Alvin. Brilliant stuff

[iamcoop]

I used to hate series 3 but now it's my favourite. I got sick of Tubbs and Edward, plus a few of the other recurring things that got old hat by s2, so now s3's totally different tone feels the freshest to me, even though it does have some of the nastiest stuff in it.

The reunion shows got off on entirely the wrong foot with me, bottling it by bringing T&E back and reneging on what had been a very ballsy and necessary move. Not only that but using them as a pretext to crowbar in a load of tired shit about Brexit. LOG was never satirical in that way and that sort of self-conscious stuff was really jarring.

Anyway - S3. The debt collectors. Laurence Lywellyn Bowen. Alvin. Brilliant stuff

Agree largely about that opinion of the reunion shows except for Mark Gatiss' bingo caller monologue which in my opinion goes straight into the catalogue of classic LOG sketches. His ability to deliver pathos is some next level shit.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

As someone who watched only sporadically, was that live man put up as a scarecrow only in one episode?

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

As someone who watched only sporadically, was that live man put up as a scarecrow only in one episode?

Yeah. The same sketch is used in the radio show and the TV iteration, but it wasn't a recurring piece.

[alan nagsworth]

I used to hate series 3 but now it's my favourite. I got sick of Tubbs and Edward, plus a few of the other recurring things that got old hat by s2, so now s3's totally different tone feels the freshest to me, even though it does have some of the nastiest stuff in it.

The reunion shows got off on entirely the wrong foot with me, bottling it by bringing T&E back and reneging on what had been a very ballsy and necessary move. Not only that but using them as a pretext to crowbar in a load of tired shit about Brexit. LOG was never satirical in that way and that sort of self-conscious stuff was really jarring.

Anyway - S3. The debt collectors. Laurence Lywellyn Bowen. Alvin. Brilliant stuff

Agree with all of this (except 3 isn't my favourite). It was a bold move to kill off Tubbs and Edward as they were the most quoted and beloved characters, I respected their writing chops greatly for that, and was amused at how they dangled the carrot at the start of series 3 and yanked it away again. Their inclusion in the comeback thing was one of the shittier aspects of it by far. And although the comebacks were decent enough I just don't really see any reason why I'd ever rewatch them, unlike seasons 1-3 which have excellent rewatch value.

[hummingofevil]

I live in Newcastle but am from North Wales but hate the journey so am always after an excuse to find a stop off M62 to break it up. Last year I had a day out in Glossop visiting and would highly recommend it. There is zero recognition that it's the home of LoG but you can literally see about 90% of the landmarks from the show in a 20 minute walk. Highly recommend.

It's an interesting aside that a show written by at least one liberal gay man has now become something of an example of comedy that is a bit un-PC and questionable but the TV show holds up for me. I saw the revival stage show last year and was less of a fan (it didn't upset me but it was not essential to the canon) but it was still worth it for giving some context for revisiting the original.

Is it cancellable? Probably? Should it be? Maybe...

[Mobbd]

Last year I had a day out in Glossop visiting and would highly recommend it. There is zero recognition that it's the home of LoG but you can literally see about 90% of the landmarks from the show in a 20 minute walk. Highly recommend.

Do you mean Hadfield? I know they filmed additional material in Glossop but landmark-wise (ie. the war memorial, most of the shops, the Denton house), Hadfield's the spot, no?

[Kryton]

Agreed with those who think Series 3 was a brilliant move. It felt like the right choice to make changing the tone (and removing the laugh track). Some clever intertwining of unrelated characters too.

Far less of the grotesque, cartoon-ish characters (except say Papa Lazarou) and more of the humanised, realistic characters in some very bleak situations. I was hoping they'd go for something similar with the latest television show but I guess they were going for a bit of fan-service.

That said, I love how they brushed off the ending of series 3 in the new stuff 'Is it 'cos you're having flashbacks of being trapped in that elephant?'. Just one throw-away line. Brilliant.

[holyzombiejesus]

Do you mean Hadfield? I know they filmed additional material in Glossop but landmark-wise (ie. the war memorial, most of the shops, the Denton house), Hadfield's the spot, no?

Yeah. We visited once and it was really odd. Filming had stopped months before we visited but the whole town still had loads of the props up - the pub had the Creme Brulee chalk board up, the butchers was selling 'special stuff', the dating agency was still there although not open (obvs) - but apart from that seemed utterly fucking dead. The local shop was just a cardboard prop apparently. Some of Series 3 was filmed in the town where I live.

Saw this online...

I'm an actor and I grew up in Tod[morden] - my dad is still a GP there - and comments about the Royston Vasey nature of the place are closer than you think. Last year I was filming a sitcom with Reece Shearsmith from the League of Gentlemen. I told him where I was from and he said that the League scouted Tod as a location. What nearly swang it was when Reece went for a leak in the Gents next to the indoor market and saw a sole piece of graffiti. Alone on a recently painted wall was the simple plea "Is there any man who wants cock in Tod?"

[Yussef Dent]

Just watched Neds and Maxie Power back again... my word that is some bleak stuff!

[chrispmartha]

living in west Yorkshire LOG always reminded me of quite a few of the towns around here!

Whats the CABers view on the film? I haven't seen it in years and there was only really one bit that stood out for me - When Geoff is tortured and he complains he was too hot as he had his coat on.

Geoff Tipps:
[on being tortured] They put me in a box with me coat on... I know, it don't sound much when you say it out loud.

[alan nagsworth]

I don't really think it's something that should be written off because of the Barbara stuff. I'd say it's fairly shortsighted of them to have made such jokes but overall it feels like they were probably more focused on creating something amusingly grim than having any sort of transphobic agenda. They should have known better but they have acknowledged this and apologised. Also, IIRC the things Barbara said were comedically structured but she never came across as an actual laughing stock herself, right? She always came across as quite sweet and good natured to me.

[holyzombiejesus]

I don't really think it's something that should be written off because of the Barbara stuff. I'd say it's fairly shortsighted of them to have made such jokes but overall it feels like they were probably more focused on creating something amusingly grim than having any sort of transphobic agenda. They should have known better but they have acknowledged this and apologised. Also, IIRC the things Barbara said were comedically structured but she never came across as an actual laughing stock herself, right? She always came across as quite sweet and good natured to me.

Yeah, that's how I feel. I actually felt the comment addressing the palaver in the recent specials was far shittier than anything in the original series.

[MigraineBoy]

Series 3 has a magnificent cast of characters that could've had whole episodes:

Dean Tavoularis.
The Polo crunching doctor.
The Maxi Power pair.
Owen Fallowfield the morgue technician (and that look he gives camera).

[alan nagsworth]

The debt collectors in S3 are brilliant. Pemberton's character Barry Baggs has some great lines. I love it when they're doing the roleplay and he has that childish view of his imaginary home: "This is me 'ouse, all 'ere". The subsequent enraged belt-thrashing from Lisgoe is really fucking bleak as well.

[holyzombiejesus]

There'a an outtake of the belt-thrashing scene where (I think) Gatis mutters 'fucking hell Reece' at the end.

[poodlefaker]

The grotesque stuff is the weakest - Tubbs, Harvey and Val, Mr Chinnery,  Herr Lipp - all of it Little Britain standard. It's Geoff Tibbs, Les McQueen etc that make it worthwhile.

[Bazooka]

The grotesque stuff is the weakest - Tubbs, Harvey and Val, Mr Chinnery,  Herr Lipp - all of it Little Britain standard. It's Geoff Tibbs, Les McQueen etc that make it worthwhile.

You have never watched either shows I guess?

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

There'a an outtake of the belt-thrashing scene where (I think) Gatis mutters 'fucking hell Reece' at the end.

1:45 into this compilation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYthuMmOIGA&t=208s

It's been said many times before, but it probably bears repeating: Reece is second to none when it comes to playing disturbingly angry and violent characters. He can be a bit prickly in real life, we all know that, but he's not an actual maniac. He appears to be a fundamentally nice, quiet man, so his ability to summon up genuinely startling reserves of furious intensity while acting is quite extraordinary. The De Niro of comedy! 

[chrispmartha]

The grotesque stuff is the weakest - Tubbs, Harvey and Val, Mr Chinnery,  Herr Lipp - all of it Little Britain standard. It's Geoff Tibbs, Les McQueen etc that make it worthwhile.

It's Geoff Tipps stop getting LOG wrong ;-)

And he's my favourite character

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The grotesque stuff is the weakest - Tubbs, Harvey and Val, Mr Chinnery,  Herr Lipp - all of it Little Britain standard.

Chinnery is a one-joke character, I'll give you that, but those other characters are far more rounded than anything you'd find in Little Britain.