>He's not a Morris copyist, said someone a while back, can't remember who. And they're right.

Yep, that was me. This corner is a little less lonely now. Is that you who just farted?

>"People Like Us"

I've hurt myself listening to 'People Like Us'. All of them in fact.

TV show was tops as well, but popular opinion swung to 'Operation Good Guys' for some baffling reason. I have a tape of Chris Langham plugging the series on 'Loose Ends'. I shan't attempt to quote it innacurately just now, but I will do a proper job of it soon.

>"The Sunday Format" - yeah, alright, does for the Sunday papers what On The Hour did for Radio 4, but I don't care. Steve Maddocks *is* William Leith.

Listened to this the other day after TJ mentioned it. It's not terribly exciting in the cold light of day - quite disjointed even for a very disjointed thing. It does have it's moments.

The best thing Morton has done beyond 'People Like Us' was the literary discussion send up for Radio 3 called 'Mightier Than The Sword'. Ever heard this? It starred John Sessions and featured Reb Front, John Wells, Serefinowicz, Sally Phillips...the usual crowd. And very good it was too. But no fucker listened to it, natch.

>And...most contentiously of all...
>
>"Kiss Me Kate"

Not entirely agreeing now, but I wouldn't like to dismiss something I mostly failed to catch.

>John Morton - great writer.

Now *that's* fair enough, Justin.

Saw the People Like Us about teachers on UK Play last night, This is the best, funniest satire of my profession I have ever seen. Believe it - it almost wasn't funny it was so accurate.

Ah, it was you Bent. Thanks for answering - it was getting remote here.

>The best thing Morton has done beyond 'People Like Us' was the literary discussion send up for Radio 3 called 'Mightier Than The Sword'. Ever heard this? It starred John Sessions and featured Reb Front, John Wells, Serefinowicz, Sally Phillips...the usual crowd. And very good it was too. But no fucker listened to it, natch.
>
I am a fucker, as I missed it. Was it just the one series? I'm ashamed to say the John Sessions connection may have prejudiced me slightly (had I known Rebecca Front was involved, I'd have been rather more enthusiastic). More information would be much appreciated.

>>And...most contentiously of all...
>>
>>"Kiss Me Kate"
>
>Not entirely agreeing now, but I wouldn't like to dismiss something I mostly failed to catch.

Don't get too excited - but Chris Langham was really terribly good in it from time to time. But Caroline Quentin's character gets a bit annoying (especially in series 2). Still, for a recent pre-watershed BBC1 sitcom, it was watchable. Which is little short of miraculous.

>I am a fucker, as I missed it. Was it just the one series? I'm ashamed to say the John Sessions connection may have prejudiced me slightly (had I known Rebecca Front was involved, I'd have been rather more enthusiastic). More information would be much appreciated.

I'll admit Sessions put me off a bit, but I only swung back round to him with 'Stella Street' and 'My Night With Reg' in which he was fantastic. 'Gormenghast' ruined everything.

I did suggest writing a 'Sword' article for SOTCAA as I still have the five shows on tape. You are welcome to those. Bother Rob S and he'll forward your message. And why the hell haven't you got a red name yet?

Very briefly, 'Sword' ran across one week in April(?) 1996 and picked a different classic novelist for each show - Woolf, Beckett, Hardy etc. In each Morton would invent a text of theirs which would be performed rather shoddily in hushed "we're acting" speak. Beckett was the best - "Where is the toast?"

To bridge the five shows, the host would struggle to hold back the details of his crumbling marriage. Links were usually ruined by sobbing. Class listening.

>Kiss me Kate

Got any on vid? Serious question.

I've been arguing the 'John Morton = ersatz Chris Morris' argument for some time. I'm not convinced I'm right.

My problem with Morton is that he falls between two stools - he's influenced by the Morris timbre, but what he *really* wants to produce is a jolly, warm-brown-voiced, sensible-trousered R4 show. The TV version of People Like Us came across as a bit po-faced for this reason: all those pregant, 'aah, do you see what I'm trying to do with that line' pauses irked me, especially when the plots in each episode were so heavy-handed. Broader comedy (eg, KYTV) does fly-on-the-wall pastiches so much better, because at least it's played as comedy for its own sake.

Kiss Me Kate was a proper sitcom, and good for that reason. Take away the cod-American exterior stings between the scenes and I'd have no problems with it.

Mightier Than The Sword - very good. And it disproved all the wanky, strength-in-numbers anti-Sessions arguments in one swoop.

>I did suggest writing a 'Sword' article for SOTCAA as I still have the five shows on tape. You are welcome to those. Bother Rob S and he'll forward your message.

I shall be in touch very soon about this - ta Bent.

And why the hell haven't you got a red name yet?
>
Hey presto.

>Very briefly, 'Sword' ran across one week in April(?) 1996 and picked a different classic novelist for each show - Woolf, Beckett, Hardy etc. In each Morton would invent a text of theirs which would be performed rather shoddily in hushed "we're acting" speak. Beckett was the best - "Where is the toast?"
>
>To bridge the five shows, the host would struggle to hold back the details of his crumbling marriage. Links were usually ruined by sobbing. Class listening.
>
>>Kiss me Kate
>
>Got any on vid? Serious question.

Got four shows from the first series (May - June 1998) and (I think) all of the second (May - June 1999). First series is generally better, but what sets it apart from most mainstream sitcoms is some very unusual and surprising dialogue (Morton's forte). I'll mail Rob S with more details.

btw Morton wrote KMK with Chris Langham - I forgot to credit him before now. Sorry, Chris.