Baddiel's Syndrome Posted Thu Aug 17 04:37:29 BST 2000 by Bent Halo

BADDIEL'S SYNDROME - A SITCOM ABOUT A MAN IN THERAPY

CAST: David Baddiel (Dave), Morwenna Banks (Aiva), Pete Bradshaw (pete), David Corbett (Ethen), Stephen Fry (psychiatrist) and Kim Thompson (Josh)

WRITERS: David Baddiel, Pete Bradshaw and occasionally, Dan Maher and another.

INCIDENTAL MUSIC: Pete Baikie

An Avalon Production for Sky One.

Where to start on this one. I've just returned from a recording of this show. There's been a small amount of chatter on the forum on this, so I thought I'd post a full write up. This message is very long. It also contains 'spoilers' so hide under a blanket if you don't want to know.

The set up is this. The Teddington Studios audience were tonight provided with a pre recorded show to usher us into Baddiel's first real solo TV venture. The episode, entitled 'Hair Day', was as far as I can gather, the pilot for the series. It served as a good warm up for the evening, quite the opposite to Howard Reed.

After the pilot we watched the recording of a new show, aided by a familiarity with the characters and - from this angle - an understanding of the production as well as the final edit of 'Baddiel's Syndrome'. This benefited the audience in the respect that we could also see the series' development in a rather truncated form. Seven episodes are yet to be filmed (reprising weekly from 30/08/00) and we can assume that unlike TGP's 22 episode run, we are dealing with a set of thirteen shows. Ish. No PR is available to confirm such things.

Taking advantage of this, its a good idea to transcribe Baddiel's pitch for the show which he told as an off-the-cuff preamble to the screening of 'Hair Day'. Treat this as an honest and direct summing up of the show, untampered by PR types:

'Anyway, this is my show. In this show I play an architect, basically...me! As an architect. And I just want to tell you a couple of things about it. I have a Slovenian cleaning lady who the immigration are trying to chuck out of the country, so she's always trying to get married. In last week's episode, which you won't see, I did end up marrying her in a marriage of convenience. Er, I have an American lodger who's a personal trainer. I have a mate who lives next door who's very posh. I have a kid. Are you with me? Or have you gone to sleep?! Er, my ex partner, with whom I had the kid, runs a kind of trendy club in LOndon that I designed.'

Plenty there to pick over but, however contrived, the show works pretty well. The only issue is the premise of Dave as an architect, which seems totally ancilliary to the show and is never mentioned elsewhere. More important to the set up is the Woody Allen connection. Each show opens (and as a coda in show 1) with a psychiatrist visit, with Stephen Fry in the chair.

Two things. This is a bit too close to Allen for it to be ignored, and Baddiel does seem to have retired into the Woody schematic in these sequences. Both are pre recorded as Fry's exclusive contribution - the anonymity of his character is like the Allen equivelant. The only visual change is that Dave hoiks his legs up, rather than tensing his arms like the American fella. The combination of Dave and Stephen is wonderful to see, but it doesn't quite tally.

The crucial similarity between the two opening sequences was that they both rested on gay jokes. Very good gay jokes, but all the same the second episode's mishearing of 'burglary' for 'buggery' is pretty limp. It also seems such a waste for Fry, primarily because this isolated duologue has great potential as an ongoing pre-credit signature. It won't be spoiling 'Hair Day' to recant the first such scene:

BADDIEL: So, I'm worried about Josh.

FRY: Your son.

BADDIEL: Mmm. You know he's a bit delicate...highly strung. (hesitates) A bit sensitive for his age and, ah... I've wondered recently whether this might mean that he's er... growing up to be, er...

FRY: Gay.

BADDIEL: (spasming) YES! Bloody yes! Gay! Yes!

FRY: And does this bother you?

BADDIEL: No, of course not. I mean, I don't *know* if he is. His interests are sort of gay-ish, rather than full on 'mo'.

FRY: I would say that his sexual parameters are just starting to form. If he seems curious about male sexuality, that may just be a facet of his perfectly natural, growing sexual self-awareness.

BADDIEL: He's just subscribed to 'Aromatherapy Week'.

FRY: That is quite gay.

BADDIEL: Whatever you say, I... I will support him. Y'know, I'll always accept him whatever he becomes. I love him for who he... DO YOU THINK ELECTRO-SHOCK TREATMENT MIGHT HELP?! I saw something where they showed gay porn, cranking up the voltage at the same time!

FRY: (calming him) No, Dave. This is your problem, not Josh's problem - you are frightened about what it says about your own sexuality and you're reacting defensively. Perhaps if you spoke to, I mean... do you have any gay friends?

BADDIEL: Well I always thought you might be gay.

FRY: (stands up, smarting) Outside. Me and you. Now.

As you can see, 'Baddiel's Syndrome' has a well considered script. The most interesting thing about this first scene, however, is that he has created a son for his series. Most plainly, the repetition in the second show's opener suggests a desire to stick to a repeated formula. It veers on the side of 'Frasier', if the Woody comparison doesn't appeal.

In fact, it reminds me most of eary-90's ITV sitcoms or an overlit Steven Moffat script. The broadcaster has obviously had some kind of veto on the look of the show. The perennial problem with Sky is that it believes it is the future, yet it's programming is outmoded by a decade. For all the mild swearing in the show (plus Tourettes and Bobby Sands jokes), this is a safe vehicle for Baddiel. It has a broad appeal without sacrificing everything that he is recognisable for. It could get a slagging or it could totally clean up his image. Mind you, it is on Sky.

The flat is a vision of clinical, sophisticated design which tries hard to distract from the pine and pastels. The latter is obviously going to help with overseas sales, because it looks slightly American as a result. What will help even more is the plot of 'Hair Day' which rather inevitably revolves around his lodger Ethen (DAvid Corbett) who's grooming skills have been disposed with, even if his horrendous American accent hasn't. Think the opposite of *that* Manc in 'Frasier' and you're getting close. An insult to the nation.

This is horrible in a number of ways. His voice completely overpowers the material and deeply annoys. Corbett's timing is great and his lines are good, which is saddening because they areburied beneath all of this. He's a good character in a kind of dopey, slapsticky sort of way but he's allowed little room for error should he prove an issue with the producers. But, of course, he won't be. This is Sky and the US presence has to stay intact.

With that accepted, Ethen's 'bad hair day' is one of the most sodden and hackneyed plotlines in American sitcom,yet it's central to this introductory show. It does have a smattering of good lines, excusing Baddiel to run through a repertoire of hair and B.O. gags. The scene also has the underused Morwenna Banks as Aiva, plus the aforementioned Josh (Kim Thompson?).

BADDIEL: Ethen, is there something different about you?

ETHEN: Ur, I'm American?

BADDIEL: No. Not different to us. Different to you, how you are usually.

AIVA: He's talking about how greasy your hair looks. You look like a bowl of Jewih soup.

ETHEN: A bowl of Jewish soup?

AIVA: Yes, your head is like the soup and your hair is like the film of schmaltz on top of the soup. Ok, admittedly it's a bit of a stretched analogy.

ETHEN: Oh yeah, I'm not washing it. It's - like- Marcia's idea.

AIVA: Oh, the witch.

BADDIEL: Yes. do you really think you should be taking personal hygeine tips from someone who drinks her own urine?

ETHEN: (knowing) She doesn't do that anymore. She just doesn't wear deoderants. She says they, like, cover up the body's sublime musk.

BADDIEL: Right. Well we mustn't cover that up. How else would we attract marmosets on heat?

And so on and so on. From hereon in there is also a minor rounding up of the gay worry in Josh. A comedically innocent remark by him about boning up to Keanu Reeves gets a big laugh and then Posh Pete the neighbour is introduced as ex-military and turns the boy into a walking war machine. Until the end of the show anyway.

In show 2, ostensibly about Pete's date and Dave's paranoia over house keys, there is a clear development if tied to a rigid formula. There is one beautifully delivered scene where Ethen tackles a voice activated 'phone line when booking tickets. His 'no's are mistaken for 'yes' because of the opposite lilt in his accent. This is pointed out by Dave, who coaches him throughout the episode. He is clearly trying to deal with the voice and perhaps deflating criticism of the show as a result. I'll wait and see. This show doesn't air until January incidentally, so you've got plenty of time to see recordings (if you're nearby) or forget the contents of this message and come to it afresh and approach like a new friend.

A notable change of script in the second show occured during the recording. Morwenna suggests a pun on burglars who shit on victim's beds - "turd burglars". The policeman laughs, says "very good miss" then turns to Dave and as an afterthought, "how's your son?" No one laughed until the second take when the policeman added "Which reminds me" to his final line. Which works better and got a staggered but solid laugh. The only question this raises is whether 'Hair Day' was screened specifically to give this joke some meaning. It was throwaway to start with but, oh...never mind.

What this all points toward is a desire to stick to a repeated formula, without enough deviation or decent set pieces with which to escape. Y'know, a bit of light and shade. I shan't spoil the ending of show one, but Pete undergoes a spectacular transformation which is forgotten by the start of the next show. Each episode is easily seperable from the other, with a feint evolving plot through the full set. So, just like in America then.

But that's all to be expected. 'Baddiel's Syndrome' could really work. It could run for several years, once Dave begins to bask in the undeniable fact that he has escaped the football baggage after a lengthy period of railing against it in his act. Note that there were no mentions of the game anywhere tonight, from either the sound stage or the audience. This is about time and Dave should be seperable from it, so he can concentrate on what he does best. He's still capable of good writing (given some memorable lines in these two shows) and he's proven in the past that he has the wit with which to balance ideas and find a good formula. At the moment 'Syndrome' offers zero adventure.

Lots of other things happened but this is quite enough. I'll even resist discussing the warm up guy's joke about racists coming to comedy shows, because Hitler would have to throw in his tuppence worth.

Finally then, to reward you for reading this hurriedly written gumph, Dave did tell a fantastic story which I'll transcribe verbatum before it becomes a filler gag on 'Unplanned' or whatever. Enjoy.

'Before I start I'd like to tell a short story. I wrote this show with another guy who's in the show but we do have a couple of other writer's on it - and this other guy is a man called Dan Maher, a very funny bloke, and he wrote a joke for 'the Richard Blackwood Show', er - when Mel C was a guest. And she was outraged by the joke, refused to do it and walked out. And I think it's such a good joke I'm going to tell it tonight, because, y'know, I think it deserves a wider audience than Mel C going into a stpid tantrum and walking out. (huge solitary cheer) A huge round of applause there! From an All Saints fan. Excellent. Erm, this is the joke right. It was a sketch for 'The Richard Blackwood Show', it had Richard Blackwood and Mel C backstage. This got no further than script stage, this joke - and shame to Mel C. Erm, and Richard Blackwood says to her...I've got it wrong, fuck! Professional comedian, people are thinking. Bloke in pub telling joke (he laughs) No, this is what happened. Mel C says to Richard Blackwood, "look, tonight I don't want to talk about my sexuality. There's been a lot of rumours in the press and it really upsets me and frankly, y'know, if you talk about it I'm just going to walk out." Richard goes, "Oh, okay, that's fine." And she says, "Also, I don't want you to mention my weight because there's been a lot of rather unpleasant picture of me in the press, it's just offensive, it's body fascistic and frankly if you mention that, also I will walk out." And Richard Blackwood goes "All right, no that's fine, I've understood that, that's fine". And then she says, "in fact the only thing I will talk about on your show tonight is music" and he goes "all right then, what do you think of Fat Les?"

Subject: Re: Baddiel's Syndrome [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Peter Ohanraohanrahan on Thu Aug 17 09:44:06 BST 2000:

So are you saying it was funny or not funny?

Subject: Re: Baddiel's Syndrome [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Ewar Woowar on Thu Aug 17 15:54:26 BST 2000:

<impressed>

Wow, Bent, now *that* was a review! Thanks for going to the bother, I'm really looking forward to the show now. One question: how was Baddiel as an actor? Do you think he should've got a trained/experienced leading man and just stuck to the scriptwriting?

Oh, and another question: were there any plebs in the audience? Cos if there were I won't bother with it...



PS: Translation for Peter: Man like show. Think show good. Grunt.

Subject: Re: Baddiel's Syndrome [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Peter Ohanraohanrahan on Thu Aug 17 18:52:46 BST 2000:

Me no understand comedy criticism - me go get wood for fire instead.

Subject: Re: Baddiel's Syndrome [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Bent Halo on Fri Aug 18 00:29:05 BST 2000:

Baddiel is very good as the central character. He's got over the wall of sarcasm seen in 'N&B In Pieces' and past the footy issue. He looks like he really enjoys it and the production seems to be running smoothly, everyone treating him with such respect.

My shock was the ordinary approach. He'd fragmented the sitcom on 'In Pieces' into something that had to be called a "vehicle" instead. So why is 'Syndrome' so ordinary? It's like early 'Men Behaving Badly' at the moment, but set in a Camden flat with token foreigners. He reuses ancient jokes and picks dull plotlines that are tied together nicely with a few long words. It's not the best thing he's done, just a virulently standard approach to sitcom. But it has elements which he can and should experiment with. It also contains great writing. I did enjoy it, even if the recording went on for far too long.

Another thing skipped. The theme music is Cud's "Rich and Strange" which is nice - nice, largely so I can mention that they were produced by XTC's Dave Gregory once. Hem.

The titles are lovely. Really sharp colours of a red target scanning a city street packed with people. The target picks out random people and identifies their condition - "too American", stuff like that. The lettering looks like digital film scratch as seen in the 'Seven' titles.

The target finishes on Baddiel. A selection box spins in search of his syndrome. They invent a new one. That's the title.

Subject: Re: Baddiel's Syndrome [ Previous Message ]
Posted By TJ on Fri Aug 18 12:03:38 BST 2000:

Rich And Strange as the theme tune??????????


I'm watching it. That's all there is to it.

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