Main Menu

Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 03:41:22 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Big Boys

Started by Virgo76, May 28, 2022, 06:10:29 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Virgo76

Stars him off Derry Girls.
Great.Funny.Sensitive.
Also Katy Wix.
Recommended.

dead-ced-dead

I'm enjoying it too. Very sensitive and sweet, and the way the narration is delivered by the show's creator (who 'im off Derry Girls is playing) refers to his best friend as "you" is so tender.

You really feel he loves his friend dearly.

bobloblaw

Binged 4 eps one night, 2 the next morning. It's great, full of heart and basically a really nice tale of non-judgemental friendship. Feels authentic in the same way as In My Skin captured its own true-life teenage story.

Plus it has a great way of using pop culture references of the time (2011-2014) that doesn't feel tacked-on or overloaded but natural - as Russell T Davies has said in his glowing endorsement, it's a show that loves TV (though I was brought up short by its accurate reference to Gogglebox in a scene set in 2013...)

Anyone read Jack Rooke's book that draws on the same period in his life?

Des Wigwam

Quote from: dead-ced-dead on May 28, 2022, 06:23:55 PMI'm enjoying it too. Very sensitive and sweet, and the way the narration is delivered by the show's creator (who 'im off Derry Girls is playing) refers to his best friend as "you" is so tender.

You really feel he loves his friend dearly.

About to start episode 3. Have really laughed at a few bits and the rest of it is just really nice. Did think that the constant "you" reference was a bit like a love letter to a dead friend (it might be - I have no idea) but it is really nice.

"You" is the one off the advert where he's a vampire isn't he? He's funny on those although I can't remember the product - Virgin broadband maybe?

bobloblaw

Quote from: Des Wigwam on May 28, 2022, 07:28:18 PMAbout to start episode 3. Have really laughed at a few bits and the rest of it is just really nice. Did think that the constant "you" reference was a bit like a love letter to a dead friend (it might be - I have no idea) but it is really nice.

"You" is the one off the advert where he's a vampire isn't he? He's funny on those although I can't remember the product - Virgin broadband maybe?

He's great as Charlie in Pls Like, too

Des Wigwam

Quote from: bobloblaw on May 28, 2022, 10:39:36 PMHe's great as Charlie in Pls Like, too

Of course. I knew I'd seen him before when the ads aired.

Spoiler alert
Got a bit worried about Danny at one point. Thought the whole idea of this being a letter to a lost friend feel might have been accurate - especially as I had a quick Wikipedia of Jack Rooke at about ep 5 and saw he's an ambassador for a male suicide charity.
[close]

Really enjoyed this. Very touching without being mawkish - I was quite choked up at various points of the second half of the series. Would say More Please but think I'm just happy with what it is.

Watched the first two on record, and its bumped itself up to Must Watch immediately. Well put together, a few hearty laughs, and a central warmth to it.

Camille Coduri was excellent and Annette Badland gets her second slightly unexpected cameo of 2022.

dead-ced-dead

I just binged this.

It's sooo sweet. Moving without ever being mawkish; the exact opposite of After Life.

Several tear jerking moments that felt earned and never manipulative.

Dylan Llewelyn is good but Jon Pointing as Danny is excellent. I could see him breaking out from this.

Des Wigwam

Quote from: A Hat Like That on May 29, 2022, 11:47:06 AMWatched the first two on record, and its bumped itself up to Must Watch immediately. Well put together, a few hearty laughs, and a central warmth to it.

Camille Coduri was excellent and Annette Badland gets her second slightly unexpected cameo of 2022.

I thought Annette Badland was Pam St Clement for about 30 seconds in the first episode. She has lost an awful lot of weight since Greg Davies banged her in Man Down.

Thought there were some well constructed laughs and some easy (but excellent) laughs along the ways. Voice overs are really good ways to do sudden things aren't they? Have just been chuckling at "One day you might want a whole arm in you" /
Spoiler alert
"I don't want an arm in me."
[close]

Quote from: dead-ced-dead on May 29, 2022, 02:26:16 PMIt's sooo sweet. Moving without ever being mawkish; the exact opposite of After Life.
My exact thought at the end. I didn't mention it as I get a bit obsessed with Ricky Gervais - a man I never think about in between his terrible projects - and he seems everywhere right now. But yea - exactly.

Quote from: dead-ced-dead on May 29, 2022, 02:26:16 PMDylan Llewelyn is good but Jon Pointing as Danny is excellent. I could see him breaking out from this.

I thought he was the star of the show tbh. Maybe Jack Rooke wrote it that way - like how Gavin and Stacey is really about James Cordon and Nessa. Dunno - probably about the two of them equally. Really liked it.

Mobbd

#9
Oh man, this is so good. A natural successor to The Inbetweeners and Derry Girls but very much its own thing too.

I love how fucking filthy it is (very much the porny way I talk with some of my pals but I'd be embarrassed to watch it with my mum) but also how sweet and generous. I like how all the different tribes mix with each other and I really hope that's how kids today really are.

The casting is amazing, perhaps especially Danny (absolute lad) and the drug dealer guy. Just uncanny, really true to life.

Glad to see others noticed  Annette Badland as Nanny Bingo. Even though I've not seen her in anything for about 15 years (though she has been working), she was probably my first "that guy," noticing her in stuff since she was Mrs Wobble the Waitress in the 1990 Happy Families kids show. She's been in fucking everything including Doctor Who in 2005 (last time I remember spotting her; didn't watch Man Down somehow) and it's so nice to see her in this, super-old now, but extremely dignified and putting in such a great performance.

What a show! Hard to resist a binge.

(Weirdly not into Katy Wix in this yet. Not her fault at all but I find the wacky character a bit intrusive; a comedy show doesn't really need comic relief now does it? Anyone want to change my mind here? I'd like to like this show up to 100%)

Des Wigwam

Thought the Katy Wix character was a bit superfluous but quite enjoyed her. A little bit too intrusive maybe upfront but thought he gave her a darker edge quite nicely. Two things stand out:
Spoiler alert
tragically pissed at the end of ep 1 and the daughter thing - was that deliberately left hanging?
[close]
. Will have to watch it again but I wasn't sure why she was such an integral part of the last episode having been on the fringes throughout. Might just be me not paying attention though.

Thought the performance was good though - a sort of friendlier version of Carol in Stath.

Small Man Big Horse

Just wanted to echo the love for this, I've watched it over the past four days and really loved it, for me it's the best new sitcom that I've seen in a long, long time. There's possibly no need for a second series, yet at the same time I would love to see more of these characters.

Virgo76

Think Katy Wix actually gave a great performance. I think the problem was that she was a full-blown comedy character in a series otherwise peopled by characters who seemed like real people.
But she was actually great in herself. She always is.

Enjoyed that. A few fewer laughs towards the end, but I enjoyed. Properly enjoyed.

It was an actual relief that they basically resolved things about halfway through the last episode and just let the story meander to them all being happy.

(also, weren't they meant to be going to Reading Festival ... ?)

Camille Coduri was excellent again. Liked the night out that the two had. Can't be a night out without a kebab.

KaraokeDragon

Really loved this, can only echo the praise on here. I can't remember the last time I took to something so strongly from the first episode. Admittedly It probably helps I was already quite fond of both lead actors.

Spoiler alert
Also as mentioned above, delighted it ended as happily as it did. Your man Danny was throwing up a lot of flags there, arguably before even the second half of the series. Phew!
[close]


dissolute ocelot

I'm enjoying it too after 2 episodes, definitely captures a lot of the mundane experience of going off to uni in a way that few TV shows do. I wasn't too sure about some of the refs to 10-15 year old TV (no idea what the Strictly or X Factor stuff was about), but I absolutely approve of the noughties reference that is casting Camille Coduri, who played Rose's mum in Dr Who, and brought back warm memories of my friend who was madly obsessed with her. Plus some great musical choices, such as Patrick Wolf, even if you could object to chronology (but when does a period TV show ever get music 100% right?)

Not much new to add other than to say that I'm three episodes in and already know that this will be the best TV of the year.

I work in a university and come across people like Katy Wix's character in student-facing roles surprisingly regularly, so she rings true for me. There's pathos on top of her OTT-ness and I think she plays it absolutely perfectly.

chrispmartha

Just Binged this.

I thought it was absolutely wonderful, best thing I've watched in a long time, so much warmth and heart.

Virgo76

Quote from: Wayman C. McCreery on June 11, 2022, 01:45:30 PMNot much new to add other than to say that I'm three episodes in and already know that this will be the best TV of the year.

I work in a university and come across people like Katy Wix's character in student-facing roles surprisingly regularly, so she rings true for me. There's pathos on top of her OTT-ness and I think she plays it absolutely perfectly.

Yes. Happy to concede that Katy Wix point.

Just finished this. I adored every second.

Best sitcom since Detectorists. It might even be just as good. Despite the very different subject matters, I actually think there are plenty of similarities between the tone and the themes of the two shows. I might try and justify that when I'm less tired.

10/10. Perfect in every way.

dissolute ocelot

Just watched the last couple of episodes. Very emotional.

Spoiler alert
I cried more at the last episode than at anything for a while.

It's very well done. Definitely does an excellent job of deepening the characters over the series while staying totally true to them as when they were first introduced. I can't think of anything that does that trick of starting as a sitcom and becoming something much more serious and moving over just a few episodes.
[close]

Agree about Katy Wix, definitely true to life. I'm sure there's a lot of people trying to relive their student days like that (or recreate what they thought they should have been like). Also with Wix re the

Quote from: Des Wigwam on June 05, 2022, 05:14:30 PM
Spoiler alert
the daughter thing - was that deliberately left hanging?
[close]
Spoiler alert
At first I thought it was the thing where you accidentally call someone like a teacher "mummy", but it was repeated, and it was hard to know if it was a throwaway gag or meant to be serious.
[close]

I'm nervous about a second series with anything this perfect, but there is lots of scope for it, and I'd rather have a second series of it than 99% of what's on TV now.

Also, when they showed a photo of Jack's dad, did he look like Hugh Dennis? I guess you can pause things these days.

Des Wigwam

Quote from: dissolute ocelot on June 18, 2022, 09:00:08 PMAlso, when they showed a photo of Jack's dad, did he look like Hugh Dennis? I guess you can pause things these days.

Ha! Glad it's not just me. He looked just like him but it isn't. There's either one scene where they hold on the pic or I hit pause by coincidence and it stuck on it. I don't know the actor's name but he's someone am sure you will have seen.

The Mollusk

Chiming in with my love for this. Danny's depression was handled really well and I thought his performance was a real standout. The couple of scenes where he suddenly starts crying were very affecting

It would have been so easy in the wrong hands to fluff something like this up. Uni coming of age comedy set in the not too distant past sounds like a recipe for shite on paper but it's done so well whilst also subscribing to a lot of the basic tropes like the occasional awkward sex scenes and wild nights out with hedonistic drug taking/dancing montages. Somehow it all worked wonderfully. A very tender and honest show that's also super funny.

Nice show.

If you enjoyed this and haven't watched BBC's Ladhood then you really should.


ajsmith2

This managed the rare (unique?) feat of being a genuinely amusing and at times fairly broad comedy and yet also having a scene where someone graphically shites themselves in a sexual partners bed and it's not played for laughs or farcically, but as a quiet character moment. Don't ever let anyone tell you there are no frontiers left in comedy in 2022.

Icehaven

Really enjoyed this too, although it was weird watching someone being nostalgic about 2013, but it was his late teens so fair doos. The Philip Schofield quip didn't quite work either because he's not an actor, but I'm not going to write to Points of View about it.

Edit: Actually he did Joseph on stage didn't he, I stand corrected.

boinks

I loved this too.

The latest ep of Scroobius Pip's podcast is with Jack Rooke and Jon Pointing and it's a lovely chat.

Being repeated. Still really good.

cromby

Binged all the new series tonight (so much so that I'm now still awake at 2.18am) and not ashamed to say I sobbed my heart out at the last episode. The scene with
Spoiler alert
Jack's dad dying in hospital and him not being there
[close]
rang extremely true to life, to the point I nearly had to turn it off, but I'm glad I persevered.

It's not laugh out loud, but it's broad, funny, true to life and full of pathos. Hope there's a third run.

Mobbd

There's a new series?!

Also, it's mad that this never got past one page of CaB chat. Mad, I tells ya.