League of Gentlemen: Series Four

[depressed beyond tablets]

I think Pemberton and Gatiss are both great at accents. I like Reece's acting but his vocal range is pretty laughable. No biggy.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Greg Evigan for TMWRNJ

I think that's his finest hour, myself. Unusually for a 'proper' actor doing L&H material, he understands why it's funny and what words he should stress etc.

[Ja'moke]

I dont know why some of you hate the commentarys, I think there great and whats wrong with been a little smug about your own programme which you made and happens to be very good.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I think that's his finest hour, myself. Unusually for a 'proper' actor doing L&H material, he understands why it's funny and what words he should stress etc.

Well, that's because he's a 'proper' actor who also happens to be a very talented character comedian and writer.

That said, I have no idea what any of you are talking about re: this Evigan impression. L&H always annoyed the Hell out of me, so I probably never saw it at the time.

[mjwilson]

Upon buying the DVD and listening to the commentary though I began to loathe them. I'd never heard such a bunch of self-congratulatory luvies backslapping and praising each others performances in the most stomach churning way.

This, sadly, is all too true. I remember being quite excited about listening to their commentaries, but I was already bristling with irritation by the end of the 1st episode.

I sincerely advise any LOG fans who haven't heard the commentaries to avoid them if you can, as they may well put you off for good.

There's some great scarcely-restrained vitriol in the Season 3 commentaries though.  Shearsmith, I think it is, is furious most of the way through.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Really? Why? I've only got series 3 taped off the telly. I can add my own furious commentary to that, though. Ho fiddly ho.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

I remember the bit in that S3 docunmentary when they were reading their reviews in the morning papers. I was completely torn, thinking 'Well, yes, the journalists are ignorant wankers, and I must admit I'd be pissed off in your position' but at the same time also thinking 'Don't allow youself to be filmed exclaiming at them, you self-important tits'.

[mjwilson]

Really? Why? I've only got series 3 taped off the telly. I can add my own furious commentary to that, though. Ho fiddly ho.

He just seems angry and aggressive throughout. Bad experiences in the filming? Got out of bad the wrong side? I don't know.

In the extras, when they're reading the newspaper reviews they're annoyed at the promotion that The Office got, compared with LoG.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

He just seems angry and aggressive throughout. Bad experiences in the filming? Got out of bad the wrong side? I don't know

That's interesting, as Sheersmith has always struck me as mildly aggressive in interviews. Perhaps aggressive isn't the right word... permanently on the cusp of a slight miff might be better. Sort of a less explosive version of Ollie Plimsoll, really.

[threestripes]

Last night I went along to the launch of Mark Gatiss's latest book and there was a bit of a Q&A session with everyone there. Without a doubt the majority of the questions were about Dr Who but near the end he was asked about the chances of any more LoG episodes. Now he never totally ruled it out but he did say that he thought it had run it's time and that "black" humour wasn't in vogue anymore. He also felt that the film had put a cap on the LoG and that in his opinion the Xmas special was the best work they've done.

You never know though......

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

"Black" humour not in vogue anymore? But that's all BBC3 and C4 shit out these days.

The rather over-enthusiastic rumour with which I started this thread may well prove to be a steaming pile of old pony, then. Sorry. Still, I suppose it got some LOG chat on the go.

Oh, and he's right about the Xmas special.

[Marvin]

"Black" humour not in vogue anymore? But that's all BBC3 and C4 shit out these days.

No, light is the new dark now remember.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Oh, it' so hard to keep up.

Is cringing still the new laughing? Shit still the new good?

I suppose I'll just have to read Sam Wollaston tomorrow and find out.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

...and that "black" humour wasn't in vogue anymore.

They could alway do comedy which isn't in vogue. Crazy idea, but y'know.

[BJB]

So what is in vouge now? Just out of interest.

[Marvin]

...and that "black" humour wasn't in vogue anymore.

They could alway do comedy which isn't in vogue. Crazy idea, but y'know.

To be fair, when they started out dark humour wasn't in vogue and I don't think they were going for mass-appeal.

[Entropy Balsmalch]

but he did say that he thought it had run it's time and that "black" humour wasn't in vogue anymore.

Subtext - "It wasn't our fault most people didn't like the film."

[Darrell]

the humourless sect of Doctor Who fans with far too completist an outlook buying the DVDs alongside Dead Ringers CDs etc)

Hopefully this'll mean some extra album sales, as humourless completists stock up on Neil goodness to be stored with their League of Gentlemen DVDs and Dead Ringers CDs

I've been paraphrased! My life is complete!

[explodingvinyl]

While not a major fan of any of them, series 3 is still my favourite. It's far more pacy, with a really strong idea tightly played out, plus it has Dean Tavaloris or whoever it;s spelled, my favourite LoG character. And the best theme.

If they're completely departing from the template for 'series 4', they should just come up with a whole new show, new name, everything.

You have just climbed into my brain and removed my thoughts. Apart from the bit about not being a major fan of any of them. I love them all. The rest applies though.

[Roy*Mallard]

OOoh, it's been a while.

Just like to say that series 3 is also my favourite of the LOG output. Having just re-watched the show on dvd, i was very surprised with how well the running storyline hangs together. Also, it was beautifully shot and acted, as well as being totally convincing and, for me, on-the-edge-of-your-seat stuff.

[simonsonandon]

OOoh, it's been a while.

Just like to say that series 3 is also my favourite of the LOG output. Having just re-watched the show on dvd, i was very surprised with how well the running storyline hangs together. Also, it was beautifully shot and acted, as well as being totally convincing and, for me, on-the-edge-of-your-seat stuff.

This is my first post. After being endlessly amused by the strong and unapologetic opinions here for a little while, I've decided to chime in on this.

I watched the third season in its entirety recently and found it to be, if not their best work exactly, darn near masterful. I felt the whole thing could have ended stronger, at least the Papa Lazaru storyline (and the other storylines its ending winds up encompassing).  It wasn't funny, it wasn't chilling, it wasn't ironic, it was just plain silly and poorly executed. But really it's a minor quibble, as everything leading up to it was so incredibly good, and ending the Pauline, Mickey and Ross storyline in such a decidedly un-cynical way was refreshingly unpredictable and immensely satisfying.

Regardless, the ambition and scope of the season, alone, impresses the hell out of me. I commend them for taking the risk and mostly succeeding (artistically/comedically). While they owe such a debt to so much, I know, there's still basically never been anything that quite occupies the space they do.

[meta]

I liked series one and three. Series two seemed to run out of material after the first show.

I agree. Series 3 was fantastic, both for having some cracking episodes ("The One-Armed Man Is King") and for the brilliance of the intertwining plots. Oh, and for not taking the easy route and doing a bunch of Village Shop sketches (Lucas and Walliams, take note).

Series 1 was also great, and the Christmas Special is stunning of course. It's Series 2 that I find doesn't hold up with repeated viewing.

[purlieu]

Something I'm not keen on about the second series is the lack of laughter... the laughs are small and there are so many uncomfortable silences from the audience.  You could tell a lot of people were expecting it to be less "dark".

[samadriel]

I liked series one and three. Series two seemed to run out of material after the first show.

That's interesting; I'm very much the other way 'round on season 2; the first two eps were the unfunniest things I'd ever seen from them (Papa Lazarou is among of the most hamfisted attempts at character-creation I've ever seen in a comedy, and as an Australian, I can assure you that I've seen comedy that would turn your hair white; that and Auntie Val and Uncle Harvey, who I loved in series 1, had that shitty musical number, not to mention the pointless euphemism 'spraying your belly with sticky white love-piss' -- the point of a euphemism is to express a lewd idea in a non-lewd way, idiots!), but I quite liked the latter eps.

[Xander]

I agree. Series 3 was fantastic, both for having some cracking episodes ("The One-Armed Man Is King")

I adore the 3rd series, yet I felt that was the weakest of the lot. It managed to flesh a lot out of Les, but I just wasn't interested. I thought the Gatiss monologue was rather sub-par and guessed the joke almost immediately. The only redeeming features were the debt collector subplot and the absolutely brilliant "Stop messing with that model eye" cutaway.

[Entropy Balsmalch]

that shitty musical number

I'd forgotten about that and I've always remember the series 1 DVD commentary was the begining of the end for me - now you've reminded me - that musical bit was it.

Something so dreadfully ghastly I had genuinely wiped it from my memory.

[BJB]

This isen't much to go off from, but reece and steve were just being interveiwed on the russel brand show. Russel asked if there was going to be more league of gentlemen and reece responded "yes".

It might have been a joke but he sounded pretty confidente.


P.S I probly shoundent be trusted for watching the russel brand show in the first place.

[Ja'moke]

^ Yeah I saw that. It did seem like a positive 'yes'. As Russell said I think he was expecting them to just say 'no'...that's why he responded all excited and said 'Why?...When?'....but then he went off on a tangent and that never got answered.