....anything?

....must be something...? Lighting? Jeans? ......make-up?

I think they should just reposition the chairs and turn it into one big therapy session with the audience.

I think they should take it off completely and replace it with repeats of Brass Eye (preferably unedited).

Couldn't agree more

Iain Lee no longer works there. That must count as 'constructive'.

I think it's improved a bit. Not much, but a bit.

(I think it's moved on from being a show that gets it's humour from Swearing and Abuse to a show that gets it's humour by being like The News Huddlines with Sweating and Abuse. The jokes are poor and often predictable, though at least there's an effort to put some jokes in, rather than have Iain Lee swearing and being homophobic.)

I'd keep *some* of that (hang on to the existing fan base, whoever they might be) but introduce some subletey as well. The odd intelligent insight. From what I've read, it might already tentatively going that way.

I want more decent comedy shows. I would be happy to say "I hated the first x series of 11ocs but it's good now". I can't say that at the moment tho.

Constructive?

"the satire" in 11oc "focussed on the stereotypical nature of some types of news reporting, an established comedic device in the programme" according to the BSC report with the Jam stuff in it.

Oh.

>"the satire" in 11oc "focussed on the stereotypical nature of some types of news reporting, an established comedic device in the programme" according to the BSC report with the Jam stuff in it.

In that most news programmes don't have swearing in them, but this "News Alternative" has nothing else?

To be honest, I can't see the new series improving an huge amount. Had Iain Lee left earlier, they could have really changed the show - titles, set, music etc. Had that happened, and with a change in focus akin to the earlier comments, it could be genuinely great. This series is getting better, and no doubt will continue to do so, but if Holmes and Alexander get a second series, and they make an effort to improve the format, then that could be something very good.
Another thing to do would be to get rid of the 'News Alternative' bit, and concentrate less on topical material. I recently purchased The Day Today's two videos (only £6.99 in the HMV sale!), and was surprised how little of it was topical, and how much was just plain made up. Obviously still keep the headlines etc, but just shift the emphasis.

Must buy the day today...

11oCS better than the last series? but not by much obviously, still shit.. etc..

Actuallty, a terrifying thing about being in university accomadations is that i get to watch the program with three people who find it hilarious (although not funny enough to make sure they watch everynight, but goo enough to pass the time) half an hour of hell only escaped through hiding somewhere with a book/magazine and a CD player.
On the plus side though, on of them bought KMKY on video, so i could watch that...

I would say it's now up to the standard of NMTB and HIGNFY (which i don't mind sitting through if I've nothing better to do), and could get better than that. I'll give it more time.

The trouble with doing a topical show is the old "plane crash/space disaster/earthquake problem" - what to do if there's nothing very funny about the week's news. The only answer is to limit the amount of topical stuff (like Baddiel and Skinner do).

Jon - it took me about 5 minutes to work out the meanings of NMTB and HIGNFY. I am a retard.
But I have to say I find this strand far better than the other various strands, as it actually is constructive, as opposed to offensive.
Good. And I agree, it is getting better.

Oh, are you another 11OCS writer? I thought they all left us after we rejected the 1st ep.

No, I am no such thing, but I am the webmaster of Jon's website - http://www.poorquality.co.uk incase anyone had forgotten.

Couldn't Jon start calling himself Jonathan or Johnny, to avoid getting confused with me when people slag him off in this forum?

Or is it me they're having a go at?

I think it'll be 100x better when they get new filmed bits. The fashion guys were just 2 people who found the word wanker funny. Posh bloke is totally unfunny. but the linx r better

Sarah Alexander looks a bit like the midpoint of a morph between Samantha 'Janus and Daisy Donovan.
Not sure that's a good thing, but it's more entertaining than 90% of the show.

Why didn't they just get Morph as the new presenter?

And Tony Hart.

And Chas - or was that Iain Lee?

I watch 11 and generally never laugh once.I watch Paxman or Wark on Newsnight and I generally get half a dozen laughs without trying.
The news can be funny, perhaps its not who presents it but the content of the writing. Most of the jokes and characters are just not funny. Why not test them out on the general public and replace those not funny vox pops bits.

I tried again last night. Marginally less obnoxious than it was before, but...oh, you know.

So...here's my suggestion. Make it weekly. Three times a week is too often even for a show that would start off well. Let alone this.

Topol

Yeah.

A bit better this series, but it's still the dreaded TOPICAL COMEDY (a phrase that should have the right-minded reaching for their revolvers...)

Am I just being cynical, or is Topical Comedy just a convenient way of undervaluing / underpaying young writers?

It always smacks of commissioning editors saying "You can just churn this stuff out, can't you? The news changes every day, there's your inspiration" - hence the 3-times a week slot that cripples the 11OCS.

It's comedy being ordered by the yard.

Actually the pay's not bad. I think abo11ocks said "The 11ocs does not fuck over its writers" - and this is true in my experience.

Six pieces of silver, was it?

The pay may not be bad, but we get a load of crap for the money. Still, who cares about making people laugh when there's a decent pay cheque each week. mmm...smell those crisp notes and to hell with your audience......

Jon Holmes, to be said, is a half-decent host. I suspect he knows what a steaming pile the show is, but like Daisy Donovan seems to be just using it as a step up the ladder. Sarah Alexander is a gushing moppet of no value. The naff animations is by Impossible Television, who do endless cheap animation for C4.

In a word, crap.