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What's the worst old comedy show on YouTube?

Started by Gurke and Hare, July 25, 2022, 09:48:47 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Joe Qunt

Anyone know if any episodes of Bent Coppers are available online?

Ignatius_S

Quote from: phatfill on July 25, 2022, 11:41:13 PMi watched episode 1 because well ive heard but not seen a single second of this oddity.
Its strange and seems to me to be an ill judged in sickness clone made on the cheap for itv by what i assume was a burnt out Rolls-Royce owning Speight running on empty as a vehicle for Spike mainly to pretend to be an irish Pakistani to no ones amusement assisted by Eric Sykes trying to act as a buffer against every other character aside of an excellent Kenny Lynch being racist. I noted Kenny Lynchs character is called Kenny is that because he wanted full exposure or a form of racism i Don't understand ?


The series is one that I would only recommend to watch with caveats (to put it mildly) but if you do watch any, you do really have to watch the entire series (except maybe the final episode) to be able to assess it. A major reason is that you see characters in a new light and there is some character development, particularly with Lynch's. I read one academic paper that contained information about ITC's response to complaints and the remarks about Sykes' character is telling and clearly based  on only the first episode.

After the first episode, you get the sense of why Kenny reacts as he does previously, whilst his behaviour changes. His attitude starts as basically 'if I keep my head down, don't make waves, I'll be accepted in the country I was born in eventually' but after Paddy arrives he starts calling out the racism of his co-workers. It might be in the second episode (it's a while since I watched it) where after speaking up, Paddy later congratulates Kenny for doing that and says something like 'you know, you shouldn't be ashamed of your colour, it's a beautiful colour.' As the series progresses, Kenny calls out his colleagues more and argues against the views - at the end of one episode, that ends in a fight between him and the foreman.

Related to violence, there are two episodes where Paddy is attacked for his ethnicity. The first time is he's sitting at breakfast with a bandaged finger; and we soon learn that it happened after wishing someone (I think it's the milkman) good morning, they respond with a racist insult and after, IIRC, Paddy bends to tie up his shoelace, the person kicks him up the arse and hurts his hand as he lands. A minor injury maybe but the response of Sykes' character is feeling and in a later episode, Paddy has another more serious injury (a bandaged head); to have a character racially abused physically as well as verbally, is unusual and I felt had some power. Obviously this is rather undercut by an actor being in brownface, but the decision to incorporate it, makes the show more interesting than Love Thy Neighbour, for instance.

As for Sykes, when Paddy tells him what has happened, he completely downplays it. Initially, he says something like 'it's just his way' about the person who assaulted him, when Paddy questions that, he continues with something like: "You have to remember that you - you - are a guest in our country." He comes across as more disturbed that Paddy is complaining about an unprovoked physical assault than him being assaulted, he should just keep quiet.

In the ITC consideration that I mentioned, one of the things they weren't happy about was that the reasonable-minded 'liberal' character (i.e. the one played by Sykes) is made to look a Charlie. At first glance he is, but very quickly is shown in subsequent episodes as someone who wants to keep the status quo and out for a quiet life.

Re: about it being an 'In Sickness' clone, that series came later and is very different, as is Till Death Us Do Part. The latter series was founded on the generational clash and that's reflected in the episodes, whereas Curry and Chips was focussed on racism.

The idea for C&C was Milligan's but wanted someone else to write it. There were issues with Speight delivering scripts (like one time he was tracked down to a drinking club in the company of George Best) and he famously never edited his work; there are huge issues with the series but at times there are some very effective and savage flashes of writing. The development of Lynch's character I would also say is an interesting given how little characters change in sitcoms.

The last episode is the work's Christmas party and largely features characters doing party pieces; tonally, it's closest to the first episode. It does feature Speight playing the drums...

phatfill

Quote from: Ignatius_S on July 26, 2022, 01:18:34 PMThe series is one that I would only recommend to watch with caveats (to put it mildly) but if you do watch any, you do really have to watch the entire series (except maybe the final episode) to be able to assess it. A major reason is that you see characters in a new light and there is some character development, particularly with Lynch's. I read one academic paper that contained information about ITC's response to complaints and the remarks about Sykes' character is telling and clearly based  on only the first episode.

After the first episode, you get the sense of why Kenny reacts as he does previously, whilst his behaviour changes. His attitude starts as basically 'if I keep my head down, don't make waves, I'll be accepted in the country I was born in eventually' but after Paddy arrives he starts calling out the racism of his co-workers. It might be in the second episode (it's a while since I watched it) where after speaking up, Paddy later congratulates Kenny for doing that and says something like 'you know, you shouldn't be ashamed of your colour, it's a beautiful colour.' As the series progresses, Kenny calls out his colleagues more and argues against the views - at the end of one episode, that ends in a fight between him and the foreman.

Related to violence, there are two episodes where Paddy is attacked for his ethnicity. The first time is he's sitting at breakfast with a bandaged finger; and we soon learn that it happened after wishing someone (I think it's the milkman) good morning, they respond with a racist insult and after, IIRC, Paddy bends to tie up his shoelace, the person kicks him up the arse and hurts his hand as he lands. A minor injury maybe but the response of Sykes' character is feeling and in a later episode, Paddy has another more serious injury (a bandaged head); to have a character racially abused physically as well as verbally, is unusual and I felt had some power. Obviously this is rather undercut by an actor being in brownface, but the decision to incorporate it, makes the show more interesting than Love Thy Neighbour, for instance.

As for Sykes, when Paddy tells him what has happened, he completely downplays it. Initially, he says something like 'it's just his way' about the person who assaulted him, when Paddy questions that, he continues with something like: "You have to remember that you - you - are a guest in our country." He comes across as more disturbed that Paddy is complaining about an unprovoked physical assault than him being assaulted, he should just keep quiet.

In the ITC consideration that I mentioned, one of the things they weren't happy about was that the reasonable-minded 'liberal' character (i.e. the one played by Sykes) is made to look a Charlie. At first glance he is, but very quickly is shown in subsequent episodes as someone who wants to keep the status quo and out for a quiet life.

Re: about it being an 'In Sickness' clone, that series came later and is very different, as is Till Death Us Do Part. The latter series was founded on the generational clash and that's reflected in the episodes, whereas Curry and Chips was focussed on racism.

The idea for C&C was Milligan's but wanted someone else to write it. There were issues with Speight delivering scripts (like one time he was tracked down to a drinking club in the company of George Best) and he famously never edited his work; there are huge issues with the series but at times there are some very effective and savage flashes of writing. The development of Lynch's character I would also say is an interesting given how little characters change in sitcoms.

The last episode is the work's Christmas party and largely features characters doing party pieces; tonally, it's closest to the first episode. It does feature Speight playing the drums...
thats very interesting about character development through series 1.
I felt episode 1 was so heavy handed it had go somewhere but i wasn't going to spend 2 and a bit hours finding out due to the lack of laughs and language if im honest.
 

 

Mr Vegetables

As a child I thought "Bobby Davro" was just one of Doctor Who's nicknames for Davros; it took me a very long time to realise he was a real live person

shlug

Quote from: imitationleather on July 25, 2022, 10:08:33 PMQueenie's Castle

A truly diabolical Diana Dors vehicle. I couldn't finish this episode. Even the audience sound like they're dead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2B53psAirQ

Comedy or lack thereof aside, cuts/edits and camera work on this is all over the shop.

How this got 3 series I'll never...

Quote from: Wikipedia
Quote..British sitcom set in early 1970s Leeds, West Yorkshire. The series was made for the ITV by..


Heil Honey I'm Home. The inevitably short-lived BSB sitcom starring Adolf n Ada living next door to some Jews.
What's going to happen?

https://youtu.be/mf9jJx0NSjw

thenoise

Quote from: Mr Vegetables on July 26, 2022, 04:50:10 PMAs a child I thought "Bobby Davro" was just one of Doctor Who's nicknames for Davros; it took me a very long time to realise he was a real live person

I first heard about Bobby Davro when he was used as a punchline on the first Big Brother (2000?), where the housemates were given a task to do impressions of one another, with the prize of a 'video'. They pass and the prize arrives - a Bobby Davro video. They agree that "everyone hates Bobby Davro",

Brundle-Fly

#37
Following on from the snobby kicking of Pauline Quirke in the Birds Of A Feather CC thread, 'You Must Be Joking' (1975) is a fascinating watch. Basically,an Anne Sher Stage school showcase. It's woefully amateur, but then, also utterly charming with its adolescent humour. These are the sort of sketches I would've loved to have performed at school assemblies back then.

You can see Ray (Operation Good Guys) Burdis was a burgeoning impressionist and really had the hump with contemporary light entertainers; actually quite acerbic. Also great to see John Blundell before Ray Winstone done for him in Scum (1979) "I'm the Daddy now!".

There is an utterly bizarre, sexy, surreal sketch with Sylvestra Le Touzel that defies belief for inclusion in a kid's show.

And JIM BOWEN!!!!


I've added the omitted musical folky interlude with Gary Kemp and Phil Daniels. Bless.


Parklife!...etc.


Jake Thingray

Quote from: Spudgun on July 25, 2022, 10:43:48 PMYep, all present and correct here:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0968726/fullcredits

And three out of the four here:

https://youtu.be/_ttcsDRfBPM?t=2953

Should we inform The Hague?

The same YouTube channel linked to in the OP also has several eps of the preceding series Bobby Davro on the Box, was alarmed to see an additional material credit there for Hunter and Docherty, once revered on this forum.

Autopsy Turvey

Excellent analysis of C&C, Ignatius. All I can add is that I enjoy C&C because I'm a big fan of comedy where morons argue aimlessly in a room for half an hour, and because the end result is that racism comes out of it looking totally idiotic from every angle, the ethnic slurs ceasing to have any serious meaning or power. I may have said before, I think it should be studied on the GCSE syllabus.

Dannyhood91

I once met Bobby Davro about 4 years ago in Halifax. Me and my mate were having a cig outside the bar that faces the back of the Victoria Theatre.

I think he'd been doing a panto in there because he appears out of nowhere (presumably the theatre) drunk as fuck and asked for a cig, gave us a card with an inspirational quote his mum used to say and then asked if we'd like a picture. Honestly it took me up until that point of him asking for a picture that it really clicked who he was because he'd not really been on my cultural radar. We obliged and then he went into the bar and we decided to go home.

My mate who I was living with got the picture printed off a photograph at a joke and two houses later my old landlady text me shortly after id moved telling me I'd left it behind and I told her she could keep it.

Lisa Jesusandmarychain

#41
Quote from: Brundle-Fly on July 26, 2022, 11:35:44 PMFollowing on from the snobby kicking of Pauline Quirke in the Birds Of A Feather CC thread, 'You Must Be Joking' (1975) is a fascinating watch. Basically,an Anne Sher Stage school showcase. It's woefully amateur, but then, also utterly charming with its adolescent humour. These are the sort of sketches I would've loved to have performed at school assemblies back then.

You can see Ray (Operation Good Guys) Burdis was a burgeoning impressionist and really had the hump with contemporary light entertainers; actually quite acerbic. Also great to see John Blundell before Ray Winstone done for him in Scum (1979) "I'm the Daddy now!".

There is an utterly bizarre, sexy, surreal sketch with Sylvestra Le Touzel that defies belief for inclusion in a kid's show.

And JIM BOWEN!!!!


I've added the omitted musical folky interlude with Gary Kemp and Phil Daniels. Bless.


Parklife!...etc.



You weren't joking about the amatueurishness. Although It was quite amusing to see the drummer out of Flintlock being demonstrably a better actor than Jim Bowen in one sketch, the sketches seem to peter out on absolutely pathetic punchlines, with the child audience clearly being forced to clap and cheer at gunpoint. Also a homophobic Six Million Dollar Man sketch, and a "joke" that involves Playboy magazine and blatantly referencing masturbation! The young Water From Majorca almost unregnisable in the aforementioned bizarre, surreal and totally unsited for children sketch/ poem ( what are we supposed to infer from that poem? That she fucked all the animals at the zoo?)

Wasn't Sara Pascoe's dad in Flintlock?

Tony Tony Tony

Quote from: Lisa Jesusandmarychain on July 27, 2022, 04:56:28 PMWasn't Sara Pascoe's dad in Flintlock?

Yep.
QuoteDerek Pascoe
Born   1957 (age 64–65)
Instruments   Vocals, saxophone
Derek Pascoe (born 1957) is a British musician now based in Adelaide, South Australia. He was the vocalist and saxophonist in pop band Flintlock in the 1970s. He is a member of the jazz performance academic staff of the Elder Conservatorium of Music and has collaborated with a number of musicians in musical and spoken word performances.

Tony Tony Tony

You would have to go a long way to find a show as lame as the John Inman vehicle "Odd Man Out" penned by Vince 'Love thy Neighbour' Powell. The theme tune is the most seventies comedy show opening music you are likely to hear.


Lisa Jesusandmarychain

Quote from: Tony Tony Tony on July 27, 2022, 05:15:57 PMYou would have to go a long way to find a show as lame as the John Inman vehicle "Odd Man Out" penned by Vince 'Love thy Neighbour' Powell. The theme tune is the most seventies comedy show opening music you are likely to hear.


What a solid, stalwart sit-com supporting cast, though! Top Alison Goldfrapp lookalike Josephine Tewson  and Peter Butterworth! I managed the first minute of that episode, bailing out after John Inman said " an egg warmer".


Brundle-Fly

I'm slightly obsessed with Odd Man Out. It was trailed all the time on ITV back in '77. Me and a schoolmate could recite the trailer verbatim and even at eleven years old we both knew it was utter cat shit. The breaking the fourth wall post-credits chat is very Miranda, if Miranda was played by Alan Carr in contact lenses.

mtpromises

The remake of That's 70's Show, Bain and Armstrong's Days Like These, must be up there.


Matthew Dawkins Jub Jub

Revolver. Pretty terrible comedy sketch show from the early '00s loaded with unfunny old hands.


And if that link doesn't work for some reason: https://youtu.be/A9ORnTHOnOg

badaids


There's some terrible sitcom form the early 00s that someone linked to on here a while ago - probably c4 it's set in an office, horrible garish set and it has Simon Farnaby in a supporting role as the manager playing some kind of foreigner who is a stud. Can't remember the lead it might be Peter Seranfinowicz or someone like that.

Anyway it's utterly terrible and everyone involved should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

George White

Anyone ever seen Freddie and Max? Utterly forgettable ITV dirge notable for being ITV"s most expensive sitcom simply cos it was created by Clement and LeFrenais as a vehicle for its star - Anne Bancroft.

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: badaids on July 27, 2022, 08:12:01 PMThere's some terrible sitcom form the early 00s that someone linked to on here a while ago - probably c4 it's set in an office, horrible garish set and it has Simon Farnaby in a supporting role as the manager playing some kind of foreigner who is a stud. Can't remember the lead it might be Peter Seranfinowicz or someone like that.

Anyway it's utterly terrible and everyone involved should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.
The Persuasionists, with Adam Buxton


Alberon

It was worth it for the follow-up video Adam Buxton did reading out comments on the show, though I can't seem to find it on youtube anymore.


jsgibble

Quote from: Alberon on July 28, 2022, 08:31:00 AMIt was worth it for the follow-up video Adam Buxton did reading out comments on the show, though I can't seem to find it on youtube anymore.

The link is here, it's private now, could've sworn it was unlisted not long ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tRXpkYLSIc

edit: https://web.archive.org/web/20210723070613/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tRXpkYLSIc

shlug


Not the worst but still noticeably lukewarm

jobotic

Lisa Rogers was in that? I might watch it.

No I won't. Fucking hell it's dreadful. Who are these other cunts?

Alberon

Oh well, if we're going heavyweight then there's these two.




Lisa Jesusandmarychain

Quote from: jobotic on July 31, 2022, 10:37:40 PMLisa Rogers was in that? I might watch it.

No I won't. Fucking hell it's dreadful. Who are these other cunts?
Quote from: jobotic on July 31, 2022, 10:37:40 PMLisa Rogers was in that? I might watch it.

No I won't. Fucking hell it's dreadful. Who are these other cunts?

Top crap film critic for " The Guardian" Peter Bradshaw was in it as well, as one of Baddiel's mates. DB cast Lisa Rogers as his girlfriend, bit cheeky.

PaulTMA

Quote from: shlug on July 31, 2022, 10:21:34 PM

Not the worst but still noticeably lukewarm

Well it got a LOL out of me (if only by theme tune being by Cud)