You'll probably get the wrath of the Corpses upon you for saying that!

The show is alright. It's got good bits, and bad bits. I squirm when they do the "funny phone calls" but that's partly my view - I don't like comedy where members of the public aren't in on the joke and thus humour is intended to arise (doesn't for me) even when John Shuttleworth does it. Even Even when Chris Morris does it (though I've still managed to find some of his members of the public stuff funny despite hating the overall format).

Dead ringers is OK in my book. But... nothing special for me.

k

"Hello. I'm Brian Perkins.

Wassuuuuup?"

That was f'kin funny, but most of it was fairly poor, especially the phone calls, as they seem to think speaking in a funny voice is funny in itself. Actually, that's the reason I dislike most impressionist shows, they just don't have good enough jokes.

I have to say I really like it. Maybe it's just me being shallow, but I don't think many, if any, jokes last night missed the mark by much. No doubt I will be corrected on this, but I think it's really funny.
And I like the phone calls.
Doing funny voices is funny.

A bit hit and miss. Everybody 'does' Robin Cook these days. Jan Ravens swings from the very good to way off the mark, however, it is a good way to pass 30 minutes on a Saturday lunchtime.

Hit and miss is the best description. The phone calls are a bit wank often (and I usually don't like such activities) but an early one with 'Tom Baker' (a spot on impression) phoning up B&Q to see if they stocked sonic screwdrivers was pretty good.

>Hit and miss is the best description. The phone calls are a bit wank often (and I usually don't like such activities) but an early one with 'Tom Baker' (a spot on impression) phoning up B&Q to see if they stocked sonic screwdrivers was pretty good.

Yes I agree with you about the phone calls, but the Tom Baker one was funny.

A friend said something very incisive about Dead Ringers which was that if they were any good at impressions they wouldn't have to tell you who they were impersonating. Having said that, I do enjoy parts of the show.

I always love the Alan Bennett/Thora Hird things (this week's about the American elections was particularly good I thought - Thora "the stairlift" Hird!) and William Hague phoning the White House was very good too.

I think the Brian Perkins thing, as good as it is, is probably reaching it's used by date. How many times can they tell us that he's evil? REALLY? I mean, he is evil, but it's just not working for me as much as it used to.

As the co-writer of the Alan Bennett monologues, I'd like to thank you for your praise.

Nev, praise where it is due.

Do you plan to do a send-up of Bennett's new set of monologues then? In my opinion they are a tiny bit self-indulgent. Self-indulgence which is cunningly disguised by Bennett's grim, weary view of everything.

I can just imagine Bennett doing a monologue about his life in the present day and having some non-too-veiled mention of satirical impressionist shows on radio 4.

I remember Jon Culshaw when he used to be a jobbing voice-over artiste. He does a very good impersonation of Paul Brown from the production company LBS. Tad obscure that one, but pleasing.