"The Mary Whitehouse Experience" experience

[The Mumbler]

My first exposure to the show was with the TV version, and while I could laugh at stuff like The Boy Looked At Mark Experience I still didn't know what the actual inspiration was.

Mark Gardener of Ride.

They were lucky that that routine aired in March 1992, just after Ride's biggest hit Leave Them All Behind.  Felt slightly weird even then - like Python doing five minutes on Hatfield & The North.

[TJ]

No, that was the only snippet I kept - it only survives because I stuck it on one of my homemade MWE compilations.

It was a great series - nobody seems to have them.

According to INFAX, they're all still there. I can also remember Rowland Rivron, Jo Brand and Vic Reeves showing up.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

I can also remember Rowland Rivron, Jo Brand and Vic Reeves showing up.

And Hugh Laurie performing 'Mystery'.

[Garam]

Though he was unbelievably smug (obvious opinion to have I know, but he really was

What's a good example of him being smug? I've never thought he, or the show generally, was smug at all.

Heh, his demeanor in general really. His sneer and the way he sort of swaggers his shoulders around when he's doing the stand up bits just make me want to lamp him. I just find his 'Am I right or am I right?' persona really irritating.

Anyway, I just watched the first episode of N&BIP and really enjoyed it. The show had a wonderful somber feeling that fitted in nicely with the insomnia material. I was a bit disappointed to see the History Today sketches again, but it's only a couple of minutes, I suppose.

I saw Sean Lock's name in the credits, but I didn't notice him anywhere.

[thewomb]

Sean Lock played the "As you do!" guy.

[The Culture Bunker]

He played the "As You Do" (J.J.) guy in the live video, it was the Geordie guy from I'm Alan Partridge in the series.
Sean Lock played the wildlife guy and various small parts - the estate agent, cafe guy etc.

[RFT]

My brother put the full series of In Peices onthe computer he built me last year and on rewatching I got a lot of laughs out of it.

My favourite bit is still the one where rob composes a symphony through david. I knew exactly what was going to happen, but it still made me laugh like a drain.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Mark Lawson interviews Baddiel tonight on BBC4, 10pm.

[Morgan]

Quite a pseud-o-rama in store there.

[Sheriff John Indolent]

What has Newman said about P&D in the past?

There was also a Smash Hits interview at the time of 'In Pieces' where, questioned on why they became a duo, one of them said something along the lines of "It's hard to make a groundbreaking album when one half of the partnership is Showaddywaddy".

[Pinball]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm...........

[Jemble Fred]

I finally got round to watching the whole of the ITP&D Show DVD the other weekend, and it really was so, so much worse than I remember, and I recall almost dying of shame and misery when it was first broadcast. Jesus himself is the only person who knows A) why two such great writer/performers managed to put together such a bad show, and B) why on Earth anyone thought the DVD was worth bunging out. Every last routine reminded me somehow of Little & Large without the Depouty Dawg impressions.

Still, they got through it and have definitely found their niche since. But as far as career blips go, that series has to be one of the blippiest any act has ever had.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Lawson's still terrible (what was the Roy Castle sketch he was wittering on about?), but at least he shuts up most of the time. Some nice stuff covered in that interview - Baddiel's bemusement at/hatred of the word 'smug' for one. And nice to have the Julie Burchill lawsuit justified at last. Watching Lawson squirm when Baddiel talked about how useless and manipulative journalists are - that was good too.

[Garam]

I just watched episode 1.9 of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' and noticed a solemn looking Steve Punt sitting in the audience.

[neveragain]

I finally got round to watching the whole of the ITP&D Show DVD the other weekend, and it really was so, so much worse than I remember... child, it was one of the blippiest acts I ever did see!

I think the DVD was worth it for Hugh's Robin Williams impression, the line 'I shall be sick on a dog in the morning', the first explosion gag in the first of the spy sketches and the brief yet amusing outtakes (Hugh's passe scream of 'Oh no!' when he breaks a prop, particularly). Mind you, I picked it up for £2.50.

[geeef]

I remember quite enjoying ITP&D show, or just the Punt and Dennis show for series 2, when they were first on, but I haven't seen the shows since. The memory of Dennis crying "KROPOTKIN!" is enough to make me giggle at odd times when it drifts into my brain for no good reason.
Certainly, the shows aren't overlooked classics, but they were a good attempt at a pre-watershed early evening comedy show, something that hasn't been attempted much since, if at all...has it?
I love the Newman and Baddiel in Pieces series, I still have my off-air VHS of all of those, and it gets a rewatch every so often. I always thought it was odd that for the repeat that the title was changed to "..Rest in Pieces" with a new animated title sequence..wasn't that something to do with complications from using the Munch scream image in the original titles?
edit: I've just been reading back through this thread. I did see that Newman interview in the Times, and was a bit taken aback that he still seems to have a downer on Punt and Dennis. The Now Show has some great moments, and it's easily the best 6.30 pm on Friday R4 show (though I hope Sandi Toksvig being in the the chair might reinvigorate the News Quiz)...that Charm Offensive thing was really disappointing.
Anyway, I've got a lot of time for Newman, his History of Oil was a brilliant show, thought-provoking and funny, and his new show sounds good.
At the time of the MWE tv series I was mainly a fan of N&B, but on rewatching, and with Punt and Dennis'  post-MWE work,  I find how wrong I was to overlook them. I'm always glad to see that Dennis, particularly,  is going to be on any show, he always makes it worth watching/listening.

[easytarget]

(what was the Roy Castle sketch he was wittering on about?)

I didn't hear it. I'm going to guess it's a reference to Baddiel's line about talking about celebrities through the terrible things that have happened to them: Roy "cancer" Castle and Anne "cot death" Diamond.

[Rev]

I didn't catch it either - we've got a thousand piece jigsaw and no lightbulbs - but that must have been it, and although I was an unshockable adolescent when it went out, it did stick out as slightly wrong.  Being referred to as David 'Mary Whitehouse Experience' Baddiel isn't quite the same as Roy Castle being re-branded as Roy 'Cancer' Castle.  I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that he didn't choose and get paid for the whole cancer thing.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Lawson was talking about someone wearing a bald wig and shouting 'I'm cured!' - no idea who that was. I have the Stab In The Dark routine here with me, and Baddiel's memory of it is accurate.

In other news, it's great that he remembers MWE fondly and wishes the BBC would repeat it.

[benthalo]

In other news, it's great that he remembers MWE fondly and wishes the BBC would repeat it.

Genuinely warming. I watched the first half last night and it was great to hear him doing a Bill Oddie.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Here's Baddiel and Mark Thomas being great on MWE. It's this kind of stuff that the TV version ('Ron the unemployed person' aside) just couldn't replicate:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/bj6ffb

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Actually, this is probably my favourite punchline competition. An example of Newman and Dennis working brilliantly together:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/676lsj

Here's Punt and Dennis interviewing the public about what irritates them:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/phsfd9

And here's their attack on Simon Fanshawe - something that would never happen in a comedy show now:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/1bcvor

[alan strang]

"Eddeh..?"

The above are from what's probably my favourite episode of  Radio MWE (Series 3, Show 9 - 3rd March 1990). A near-perfect half-hour of comedy.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

'Where the hell is my breakfast?'

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

The above are from what's probably my favourite episode of  Radio MWE (Series 3, Show 9 - 3rd March 1990). A near-perfect half-hour of comedy.

Indeed. I'm fed up of asking this question rhetorically, because I really want to get to the bottom of it: why don't shows like radio-MWE exist any more?

[neveragain]

The irradication of fun in (most mainstream British) comedy.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Who's/what's to blame for that though?

[neveragain]

I'm tempted to say the 'industry insiders' who manipulate the programmes we see into their please-as-many-plebs-as-poss shape, claiming to know what's best (and so generally producing cold, albeit widely accessible, terribly unimaginative shows) as well as comedians the likes of modern-day Lucas and Walliams who pander to their beliefs but I feel there must be something wrong with this argument*. There has to be, otherwise it's too damn depressing to contemplate.

The best comedy always comes out of nowhere (inmyopinion etc) and it seems that in today's climate there's no leeway to accommodate it into the schedules.

*It's all a bit conspiracy-theorist for one thing

Edit to say: And why can't we be experimental for God's sake? The BBC or C4 aren't going to go down the plughole for just trying one or two completely new styles of comedy programmes made by newcoming people with fresh ideas. And who knows? We could possibly get something great out of it.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

I'm tempted to say the 'industry insiders' who manipulate the programmes we see into their please-as-many-plebs-as-poss shape, claiming to know what's best (and so generally producing cold, albeit widely accessible, terribly unimaginative shows) as well as comedians the likes of modern-day Lucas and Walliams who pander to their beliefs but I feel there must be something wrong with this argument*. There has to be, otherwise it's too damn depressing to contemplate.

The best comedy always comes out of nowhere (inmyopinion etc) and it seems that in today's climate there's no leeway to accommodate it into the schedules.

The thing is, MWE was a manufactured show anyway - like Hey Rrradio!!!, it was commissioned because Radio 1 were trying to get younger listeners.  There was undoubtedly a cynical/market-led reason behind its existence. And yet, like the Sex Pistols, it was brilliant anyway.

So what's changed? Is it because the suits keep poking their noses in and trying to change stuff? I suspect The Milk Run (or whatever it's called these days) gets much more freedom than MWE ever did (they could probably do a speech-only show if they really wanted). That's what pissed me off about that 3am slot, to be honest - the fact that it could have been filled with absolutely anything, but the contributors just thought 'No, talking dogs, that'll do'.

Is it just that the climate has changed generally? 'Shag Or Die' seemed genuinely naughty in 1990, but in a world filled with Modern Toss such an item just wouldn't have the same meaning any more.

Or is it just that comedians never seem to be enjoying themselves very much? The atmosphere in the studio when Thomas and Baddiel are taking the piss out of Simon Tuff - that's completely gone, as far as I can tell. In its place there's a kind of strained positivity, where comedians are pretending to be happy and laid back but actually just sound really cautious and desperate.

I will get to the bottom of this.

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

Oo-ee, you bumper!

Here are some lovely MWE-related bits and pieces passed on by (yes) Bent Halo for you all. Be grateful you chumps:

An edition of MWE from Glasgow, not in circulation as far as we know

A revealing post-MWE interview with Baddiel on local radio

David Quantick and Steve Punt have a lovely chat about comedy on Resonance FM:
Part 1
Part 2.