Truth Seekers (Pegg & Frost)

[olliebean]

A couple of clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?autoplay=1&v=K-2eZbndOos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?autoplay=1&v=m7yjmOJh6iA

[beanheadmcginty]

Didn't realise Michael Fabricant was in this.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I've watched two episodes of this now, the gag rate is fairly low but I like the characters and the very British lowkey X-Files-esque cases they've explored so far.

[olliebean]

Spent a while during the first episode trying to remember where I'd seen the old lady before. Turns out it's Patricia Brake, who I don't think I've seen in anything new since Going Straight over 40 years ago.

[Shaky]

I've watched two episodes of this now, the gag rate is fairly low but I like the characters and the very British lowkey X-Files-esque cases they've explored so far.

Is Pegg in it much, then?

[dead-ced-dead]

Is Pegg in it much, then?

In the first two episodes (all I've seen) he's in about 5 minutes of each.

[Malcy]

I've watched the first 3 but it's not holding my attention so giving up for now. It's alright. Malcolm McDowell is a highlight for me but I just can't get into it. Weather's really bad outside and distracting which doesn't help.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm four episodes in now, and am surprised at the very low gag rate, but I'm enjoying the storyline and the cast are decent so I'll definitely make it through to the end.

[Malcy]

What's going on with the edges of the screen being really fuzzy and out of focus? It's the 3rd thing I've noticed it in on Amazon the past couple of weeks. Saw it in Borat & TWD: World Beyond as well. What's the fucking point of it? I find myself drawn to the out of focus parts of the screen more than what's in focus.

Julian Barratt being in this is probably the only thing making me want to go back at some point.

Spoiler alert

I thought the little jingle that was playing and the story connected to it would have been a series long arc but it just fizzled out. Started whistling it around the house earlier!

[close]

[kidsick5000]

I've enjoyed it. Wasn't expecting an out and out comedy.
Glad they altered the Pegg / Frost relationship dynamic

[ASFTSN]

thought the little jingle

It's a real 'numbers station', that. Probably the most famous one I think.

I've watched two of these and it's a bit boring, sadly. I feel like the atmosphere is one or two nudges away from being exactly the sort of thing I would love, and I like Nick Frost, but it's not grabbing me.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

What's going on with the edges of the screen being really fuzzy and out of focus? It's the 3rd thing I've noticed it in on Amazon the past couple of weeks. Saw it in Borat & TWD: World Beyond as well. What's the fucking point of it? I find myself drawn to the out of focus parts of the screen more than what's in focus.

It appears that some directors of photography are deliberately using old lenses, sometimes anamorphic, sometimes with light optical aberrations, sometimes with short depth of field, on digital cameras to stray away from the clinical look some of them can provide. It was particularly blatant on Homecoming (also on Prime Video), at least the first season with Julia Roberts, which was directed by Sam Esmail (of Mr. Robot fame).

[The Cloud of Unknowing]

I've watched two of these and it's a bit boring, sadly. I feel like the atmosphere is one or two nudges away from being exactly the sort of thing I would love, and I like Nick Frost, but it's not grabbing me.

Same here, despite an intriguing start to the first episode. There were some scary images despite the 12 rating, but apart from that it seemed like a show for Doctor Who fans children. The dialogue was dull and unsophisticated, and the banter between Gus and Elton just wasn't funny. I haven't quite given up on it yet though.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I enjoyed it overall but felt the finale

Spoiler alert

was far too predictable, and wish they'd mixed it up a bit. I'm intrigued to find out what's going on with Pegg and MacDonald, but if it does come back I hope they make it a bit odder and unusual and shake things up a fair bit. Or just give Malcolm McDowell's character

[close]

his own series, I'd have no issue with that at all.

[Noodle Lizard]

It was entertaining enough, in a very very gentle way. The finale was really, really poor though, and in fact it all took a bit of a downward turn after Julian Barratt's character was introduced (which is a shame, as I usually like him). Malcolm McDowell was easily the highlight, his scenes with Helen often being among the funniest. Nick Frost really just fell into the background by the later episodes - there's a lot of comic potential with a kind of neckbeardy character like that, but they seemed to stop bothering with it after the first couple of episodes. The bloke playing Elton had some really funny lines, but often some really ropey acting in the "emotional" bits, and that whole "reveal" was dreadful. Astrid was completely forgettable.

So a bit crap, all in all, but I'm not sad I watched it. Had some laugh-out-loud moments.

[holyzombiejesus]

I watched the first episode, thought 'oh, this isn't very good' but then watched another episode straight after. The culmination of the spooky stuff has been pitiful in each of the two I've seen.

[Shaky]

It might be a result of my compromised mental state but I enjoyed this. Just a nice, undemanding, cosy slice of British weirdness. Another rewrite and it could've been excellent but I liked most of the elements of what was there.

It is very beholden to other things, goes off the rails a bit and the plot and some of the character reveals are jarringly silly but still... I liked.

Very strange watching arch "I'll do anything for the money" ham Malcolm McDowell give a relatively restrained performance, though.

[steveh]

I thought this was okay. Probably would have been better as a tighter six episodes. It's only in the last two that it picked up the pace it needed, even if was incredibly predictable by that point, while some of the early ones stumble about for a bit then have rather dashed-off resolutions. You expect Pegg / Frost things to find a new angle on their concept but other than some contemporary updates this didn't really have that.

[frajer]

You expect Pegg / Frost things to find a new angle on their concept but other than some contemporary updates this didn't really have that.

Watched this over the weekend and I think that'd be my main problem with it too.

It's fine, with likeable characters and enjoyable performances, but it wasn't very innovative. Rather than dismantling or putting a fresh twist on the genre, it was happy to play within its confines. All felt a bit Sunday evening ITV2.

[dead-ced-dead]

Watched this over the weekend and I think that'd be my main problem with it too.

It's fine, with likeable characters and enjoyable performances, but it wasn't very innovative. Rather than dismantling or putting a fresh twist on the genre, it was happy to play within its confines. All felt a bit Sunday evening ITV2.

I think the issue is that without an Edgar Wright or a Joe Cornish, who put unconventional spins on genre trappings, Pegg and Frost on their own are happy to dip into the pool of their nostalgia. Paul has the same issue. It's a funny, likable film, but it takes no risks at all.

Wright with his Cornetto trilogy and Cornish with Attack the Block were able to really twist the genres they love. Especially Attack the Block, which made the "hoodie" character the subject of social satire and make them antiheroes during the peak of the Harry Brown-hoodie horror subgenre of British cinema.

Without them, Pegg and Frost are very safe.

[holyzombiejesus]

Really annoys me that the female character never changes her clothes. The state of her knickers...

[The Giggling Bean]

I had to go for a covid test on Thursday so I've had a couple of days off work. This was recommended to me by a friend on the basis that it felt like an old 80s show and had a Dr Who vibe. I basically blitzed 5 episodes in one day and finished it off on the Friday.

I enjoyed it and am looking forward to a second series. I got the impression that Pegg was basically a guest star, although he does have a hand in the action at the end. It was easy enough watching and kept me engaged enough. The scene with the doll I thought was genuinely creepy.

Yes the gag rate was pretty low but I did like Frost and McDowall. They were worth sticking it out for.

[kidsick5000]

I think it suffers from what affects a lot of streaming series – how much do you put in series one?

If you throw too much in, do you have enough for series two?

Of course, nobody creating a new series these days should expect to go beyond two series.

[ASFTSN]

If a ritual says you have to drink brine but you misread it as urine and drink some of your own piss but then someone points out it says brine you'd have to go and get some brine to finish the ritual not just go cuh oh yeah so it does say that and then carry on with the ritual especially if you were meant to be a neckbeardy type that takes the occult all serious and that

[Malcy]

Cancelled. I didn't even finish the series. Couldn't get in to it.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/online/news/6209/truth-seekers-will-not-return/

[dead-ced-dead]

Cancelled. I didn't even finish the series. Couldn't get in to it.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/online/news/6209/truth-seekers-will-not-return/

It's pretty rare that a VOD show gets cancelled, in this day and age of people binging whole seasons while doing other things no matter how bland and banal the show.

[frajer]

On the one hand, a bit of a shame as I think the concept had potential and the cast were good.

But it really was a surprisingly bland showing and felt like it was happy tootling along within expected genre tropes rather than trying anything new. Also had that lacklustre hybrid feeling of not having enough laughs, but also not enough thrills, to make either side of the show memorable.

[petril]

yeah. I watched it twice, once as it was out, but I've watched it again last month.

been on a weird kick where I just end up running entirely out of work by half three, so to get out of my usual rut I was finding old afternoon children's programmes on youtube and sticking them on.

turns out Truth Seekers is handy to have in that role because the energy and the feel is a bit coming home from school on a gloomy wet Tuesday or Wednesday and waiting for an ISO standard council house tea. it's not that challenging, but nice enough and it plods along and fits

[Mobbd]

I've not seen it yet and I have three questions:

1. Is it better or worse than Paul?

2. Does anyone feel that they've ripped of The Parapod?

3. Anyone fancy a cheese-and-chive Pringle? One, mind.

[Virgo76]

A shame it was cancelled.
Had some potential and Malcolm McDowell was good in it.
And yes, definitely better than Paul.