Our Flag Means Death

[phantom_power]

Maybe this is what you were thinking of:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/a_word_in_your_era/episodes/1/5/

HAW does look quite Josie Lawrenceish here:

https://adamnostalgia.wordpress.com/2020/05/08/citv-memories-tales-from-the-poop-deck/

[Hank_Kingsley]

The 90s CBBC show Pirates, but that didn't have Lawrence.
There was the pilot Woodcock with Prunella Scales and Imelda Staunton for BBC2.
Also, Tales from the Poop Deck with Helen Atkinson-Wood.

You beautiful bastard. That was it!

[lauraxsynthesis]

The CaB hive mind

[neveragain]

Actually very common for the first episodes of many sitcoms to be duffers (see Blackadder, Father Ted, Mrs Brown's Boys etc) It's not deliberate.

Nothing wrong with the first series of Ted. It was a decent starting point, just a couple of episodes that feel a bit out of place (and certainly not the first, which is quite strong.)

[Replies From View]

Sitcoms that can easily be grouped together such as for example Fawlty Towers, Steptoe and Son and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.

[Virgo76]

Nothing wrong with the first series of Ted. It was a decent starting point, just a couple of episodes that feel a bit out of place (and certainly not the first, which is quite strong.)

The first series of Ted was brilliant. I never said otherwise. The first episode was far from strong though (aside from the Spider Baby bit)

[Virgo76]

Isn't your point that the first two episodes of Mrs. Brown's Boys were a bit duff but after that it hit its stride and, like Blackadder and Father Ted before it, became excellent?

No. Mrs Brown's Boys has always been rubbish.

[Replies From View]

No. Mrs Brown's Boys has always been rubbish.

I understand you now

[neveragain]

The first series of Ted was brilliant. I never said otherwise. The first episode was far from strong though (aside from the Spider Baby bit)

I said 'first series' and then banged on about 'except a couple of episodes' because I couldn't remember what the second episode is. But I am very fond of the first episode. It's full of great moments and it introduces the characters/setting quite well I thought.

[Berries]

It picks up when Taika Waititi appears around about episode 3/4.

There's a reason not to bother. Great director but probably best to stay behind the camera.

[lauraxsynthesis]

There's a reason not to bother. Great director but probably best to stay behind the camera.

I thought his performance was terrific

[Virgo76]

I thought his performance was terrific

Agreed. A great actor and director.

[Jack Shaftoe]

Yeah, I can see how you could have too much Waititi (I may have sighed a little when his voice popped up in Lightyear) but his performance in this is genuinely great, it's when the show comes together properly.

[phes]

Shit for about three episodes but improves almost immediately in direction and purpose when Blackbeard is introduced. It's far from perfect but there's plenty of reasons to watch this if you're prepared to wade through the boggy start

Chalk me up as another who thought Waititi was fantastic in this

[phantom_power]

I think the reason some sitcoms can take a while to get going because you need to set up the "sit" before the really good "com" comes along. That and it sometimes taking a while to really get a grip on the characters, who need to be stereotypical enough to write gags for but individual enough not to just be walking tropes

[phes]

I've got a great deal of patience for slow burning shows but in this case I believe it was also poor for about three episodes. I think it doesn't help that they're trying to set up the sit for an extended cast, with variable quality

[Aindíles]

I thought it was great. As a queer person, usually when we're supposedly "pandered to" it isn't even pandering, it is just queerbaiting, hints and innuendo, or alternatively, death, tragedy, rejection and hate. Refreshingly different here. I didn't have the Taika fatigue mentioned above as I'd literally never heard of him before I started watching, but I'm a fan now.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Can I just skip to the good episodes, or is it necessary to start with the ploppy ones?

[Aindíles]

Can I just skip to the good episodes, or is it necessary to start with the ploppy ones?

You could if you really want, but you'd miss out on some of the characterisation. I managed to watch the whole thing in one day, theres only about 5 hours total. First few episodes it was fun, like 'okay, this is alright,' then by episode 3 or 4 loved it and was pure hooked.

[phes]

I thought it was great. As a queer person, usually when we're supposedly "pandered to" it isn't even pandering, it is just queerbaiting, hints and innuendo, or alternatively, death, tragedy, rejection and hate. Refreshingly different here. I didn't have the Taika fatigue mentioned above as I'd literally never heard of him before I started watching, but I'm a fan now.

This is a good enough reason anyone who came to this forum as a comedy geek should give it a go. It's definitely a bit of milestone, isn't it. It's also pretty decent as a whole season   

[Kankurette]

I saw the pilot and thought it was fun. Gay pirates! Didn't know Jim's actor was NB either.

Cats. They steal babies and have knives on their feet.

[Kankurette]

From what I've seen of that 'dedicated fanbase' on social media, there's a lot of anime and unicorn avatars, links to '18 ONLY - Minors DNI' home-made porn and fan-fiction, laughably bad pirate tattoos and a smorgasbord of various mental illnesses.

Although that could be the 'dedicated fanbase' of most things in TV, tbh.

Ahhh, you've been on Tumblr too. And loads of wholesome this and problematic that and how dare evil fujoshi fetishise smol bean MLM the other.

[Pink Gregory]

Don't see how you could have had such a negative reaction to this.  It's a slow start but Rhys Darby is never not fun.

Can do a lot worse than this.  It's not shrieking at me and the jokes aren't cringe.

[steveh]

Thought this was okay, but like Avenue 5 I wondered if it suffered from being a multi-national production and whether that really ever works with comedy. It also had 5 directors (counting Bert & Bertie as one) over 10 episodes which seems a lot.

[Two Headed Sex Beast]

I think once I adjusted my expectations from "this should be hilarious" to "this is gently funny" I started to enjoy it a lot. I would like another series of it for sure, I'm invested in the characters' relationships and it did make me laugh.

I felt it was a strange choice to cast Tim Heidecker in such a straight role. Could have cast any average actor as that character and it wouldn't have changed a thing, felt like a bit of a waste

[Icehaven]

Possibly one of the biggest changes in tone/expectation from the first episode to when it got going I've ever seen. I was anticipating a Blackadderish thing, the first episode was woefully disappointing on every level then it literally never looked back. I absolutely loved it by the end and there bloody better be a second series.

[Icehaven]

Plus

Spoiler alert

Will Arnett

[close]

turns up at one point, which is always good, and

Spoiler alert

his death

[close]

was one of the funniest bits of the whole thing.

[Better Midlands]

Plus

Spoiler alert

Will Arnett

[close]

turns up at one point, which is always good

I actually didn't clock him in this until quite a way though the episode.

[Icehaven]

I actually didn't clock him in this until quite a way though the episode.

Yep it took me a while to realise it was him too! It was the voice that gave it away.

[Virgo76]

In the end I enjoyed this in a similar way to The Witchfinder.
A bit disappointing at first and never massively funny. But was drawn in by the characters and story.
Not a classic but perfectly enjoyable.