The First Team

[Utter Shit]

An actual new sitcom on British terrestrial TV! Anyone watch it last night?

Made by the guys behind The Inbetweeners, based around a Premier League football team. The first episode was...ok-ish. Good performances, a bit light on jokes but hopefully the first episode was just scene-setting. Looks like it had a fortune spent on it as well.

[The Lurker]

Just watched the first episode so I was about to start a thread myself. Not that impressed, good concept but I think I only laughed once.

They've already uploaded the entire series on iPlayer, I'll definitely give it another go to see if the first episode was just setting the scene like you say.

[Utter Shit]

I did at least think some of the performances were good - the nutter Petey (who was previously in The Inbetweeners movie) and the Scouse lad were both good in different ways, and the manager was believable even if you could see where that scene was going a mile off.

[Marner and Me]

Get rid of the Yank player.

[The Lurker]

Second episode much, much better it has to be said.

[Ludicrous Display]

The first episode was shite.

[Utter Shit]

Second episode much, much better it has to be said.

Yep definitely better, although it still isn't very funny. In fact the most interesting strand at the moment is the OCD stuff, which has been dealt with quite sensitively so far.

[Marner and Me]

They've done their research, alot of players are OCD and highly superstitious.

[Utter Shit]

Oh also that is Sleaford Mod man as the kit man isn't it?

[rue the polywhirl]

I probably would have shown no flicker of interest in this if Will Arnett wasn't in it but the first episode was fairly good, full of lots of snickers. Arnett, very indubitably husky now, helped lift it up a notch despite not much presence beyond the opening scene but the young yank player was strong as the lead and if it picks up even more in later episodes then waheey.

[rue the polywhirl]

Just finished this off. Episodes 2 and 3 were considerably scant on laughs but it picks up a lot episode 4 onwards. 5.2 on IMDb atm which is a hella harsh score. My verdict would have been at least a 7 - well made and very moderately entertaining.

Having said that, you do have more or less a subs bench as opposed to a first team worth of distinguishable footballer characters so they don't have to drift from the Inbetweeners formula too much.

[Mobius]

Yeah I'll check this out for Arnett - loved him as the boss in Todd Margaret so hoping for something similar

[A Hat Like That]

I thought the first two scenes were very good but then it drifted a wee bit. Solid 6ish/10.

Theo Barklem-Biggs has been pretty solid in a lot of things. He is excellent in Our World War. Also liking the Scouse actor, very solidly deadpan.

[mrspangles]

Cast was very good considering some of the writing was a bit lazy. I thought in the original press release BBC2 were going to have this as part of a new comedy night with What We Do In The Shadows. Seems like they lost their arse with it and dropped it on iPlayer in haste, might have fared better in the 9pm slot. But can you say cunt at that time? Some of the choices like that, for example, was bewildering. Especially after spending so much on the look and feel of it. Jack McMullen very good as the deadpan simpleton.

[paruses]

Just watched 2.25 episodes of this and remembered there was a thread. Am pretty sure I'm not its target audience but have had a few laughs.It's mainly on in the background. 6/10 maybe.

It's pretty much The Inbetweeners in a football club which is what prompted me to look at the thread and was massively unsurprised by the OP. Just seen the #metoo pep-talk scene and the PR character is a the Will character almost to the point where they've asked her to do an impression of Simon Bird.

[neveragain]

Was Will Arnett in it much?

[paruses]

Not really but probably less is more given his character. From my memory of Todd Margaret his character is very similar. When he is in it it is a joy.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I watched episodes 2 - 4 for review purposes and still think it's dog shit. There's the odd decent line and it improves an enormous amount whenever Will Arnett pops up, but given that he has about five minutes of screen time during those three episodes it's no where close to making it watchable, and the rest of the time it's fairly hate-able, all the stuff with Petey bullying the others especially. I'm really confused as to why Chris Geere is in it too, and can only presume he has a much bigger role in the final two episodes, as otherwise coming off You're The Worst and a recurring role in Modern Family for an all but cameo role in this makes no sense to me at all.

[Better Midlands]

I watched episodes 2 - 4 for review purposes and still think it's dog shit. There's the odd decent line and it improves an enormous amount whenever Will Arnett pops up, but given that he has about five minutes of screen time during those three episodes it's no where close to making it watchable, and the rest of the time it's fairly hate-able, all the stuff with Petey bullying the others especially. I'm really confused as to why Chris Geere is in it too, and can only presume he has a much bigger role in the final two episodes, as otherwise coming off You're The Worst and a recurring role in Modern Family for an all but cameo role in this makes no sense to me at all.

I agree with all of this, I liked The Inbetweeners & White Gold but don't know what is going on here.

I think Chris Geere was brilliant in You're The Worst, one of my favourite shows of the last five years - been totally wasted in anything else I've seen him in, Aya Cash too.

[Rolf Lundgren]

Only watched one and it was fine but feels like it's been done. Every few years someone tries to have a go at a sitcom about footballers but top level football nowadays is so ridiculous you can't really parody it. The Sunderland Til I Die documentary made me me laugh more than this.