Supernova (Tuesday, BBC2)

[ffogems]

Wank off BBC, just fucking wank off.

he BBC has ordered a second series of the Rob Brydon comedy Supernova.

The sitcom, about a British astronomer working in a remote Australian observatory, attracted a modest audience of 1.7 million when it debuted in a 10pm slot in October.

However, the BBC said it was 'pleased' with the show, which was a co-production between Australian cable network UKTV and London-based Hartswood Films.

Filming on the next six half-hour shows will begin in Sydney and the Australian outback next month; and it will be screened on BBC Two later in the year.

Pack your bags again lads, it's time to top up those tans.
Wankers.
WANKERS.

[Jemble Fred]

I really rather enjoyed this,when I caught episodes. In fact, it's the closest I've come to enjoying any even vaguely Australian comedy. I really tried with Kath & Kim, and came away wanting to kill myself, after the rest of the human race. It's not that it was bad per se, and I certainly wouldn't personally criticise it, it was just massively depressing, to me.

Supernova, however, had some great characters (a brilliant turn from Brydon), and enjoyable plots. It could almost be the best sitcom of 2005. Which I admit, isn't saying very much at all.

[ffogems]

While it lacked the offensiveness of Balls of Steel of Tittybangbang, it just seemed like an excuse for the BBC to have a holiday at our expense. It had a lot of potential, but there was such a dissonance of styles and moods it seemed that those involved had conflicting ideas of how the show should be, so it just came out as an amorphous mess that doesn't deserve a second series.

[ffogems]

BUMP
It got a second series. Starts tonight. 9:30 on BBC2. Slotted between a repeat of Extras and Time Trumpet. Oh, what fun.

[Jack Shaftoe]

Jemble Fred said:

came away wanting to kill myself, after the rest of the human race. It's not that it was bad per se, and I certainly wouldn't personally criticise it, it was just massively depressing, to me.

Oddly enough, that was exactly how I always felt about The Royle Family. I just found it terribly sad, and although there was clearly humour there, i felt too guilty to laugh.

[Gradual Decline]

Well, two sets of bollocks tonight, thanks to Supernova and Time Trumpet. Thursdays to be rubbish until September.

Sorry, make that three sets of bollocks including Extras.

[Notlob]

This is just really boring. And not at all funny.

I actually quite liked the episode of Extras they put on tonight.

[Jemble Fred]

Still enjoying it. It should be on BBC1 8.30 really, as it's just a heartwarming sitcom all about a bumbling group of characters. It would fill that slot a lot better than Dork & Mindy & Their Disturbing Children does, anyway.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I liked the first series- it was amiable enough, but this definitely didn't have a second series in it. Plus, there's too much 'amiable' stuff around at the moment, as if its an excuse to get away with not being funny often enough. Where's Rowan Atkinson calling someone a 'total dickhead', where's David Schneider telling me I'll never work for the BBC again? Eh, Eh? And what happened to comedy writers who could write naturalistic dialogue and comedy performers who could do anything other than 'socially awkward conversations'? Let me guess- dead, or writing romantic comedy films (same thing)?

[Jemble Fred]

Can you point me towards any of this over-abundance of 'amiable' stuff? All I see on telly is shit pranks shows and desperate attempts to be edgy and dark from all fucking quarters.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Extras, My Name Is Earl, Corner Gas, The US Office, Hyperdrive, The Boosh, Home Again, Jemble Fred's World of Arguments. Time Trumpet?...and Supernova, of course.

[Jemble Fred]

That's a pretty shit list, to be fair, and very little of it is amiable. Extras? Hyperdrive isn't amiable in either intent or practise. TIME TRUMPET?

You;re going to have to define 'amiable' – if you can put The Boosh into the same bracket as Supernova when they're such different shows, you must have your own specific definition.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

A bit soft. None of them wanting to hurt anyone. Oh, I'll add Kath & Kim to this list too.

They're all the same really. Dialogue that's in the Gervais patented style of awkwardness,or cosy meandering rubbish. They all lack any sort of dynamic- whether it's with the strength of the storyline in an episode or it's the dialogue that let's them down, they're all too full of filler material really, as if the writer's been talking to themselves with a dictaphone and then just placed it in the script, hoping no-one notices.

I'm not asking for another load of Monkey Dust and Nighty Night "IT'S DAAARK!" comedies by any means, I just don't want more comedies filled with safe inoffensive characters trundling through crap dialogue and gags you wouldn't even tell your friends. 'But it's OK it's got Rob Brydon in'.

[Mr. Analytical]

The thing that annoys me about Supernova is the fact that the writers didn't bother looking at a basic text book on astronomy before deciding to write a sitcom about a bunch of astronomers.  The science is routinely dreadful and they clearly have no idea of what a radio telescope is.

It reminds me of that Mitchell and Webb gag about the hospital drama that didn't bother with medical terminology in order to "focus on the characters" so you had doctors saying things like "This man needs surgery because he's very very poorly".

[variant]

Sorry S?S!, I've got to disagree with you about MNIE. Best show of the year. Whilst it wasn't 'laughs' every 30 seconds like friends it did have proper jokes and a proper storyline driving the thing on.

As for Supernova - isnt it all a bit soon for the 2nd series? Did they shoot 2 series back to back or somehing?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

It is the best of the current 'amiable' comedies, I agree. But some of the episodes were quite redundant I thought, and the series should've been shorter.