was it really or is that sarcasm? sum it up in ten words or less.

Good: Details/pacing/somegags. Crap: topicality/11ocsness.

Nyah, I used slashes so it only counts as one word!!!

It's got that usual rushed Weekending knee-jerk formula feel to it. Which means that (a) it hits the mark a few times, just like Weekending, (b) loads of tedious old Spitting Image stereotypes will be dug up and dusted off, leading to an eerie feeling of deja vu throughout the show, and (c) all its writers will be terribly defensive about it - just like Weekending.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that this show exists, and I don't want to be sneery for the sake of it - it's just that I hate watching a comedy show where you can sing along with the punchlines the first time you see it.

Isn't it in the nature of topical comedy to be reassuring (sing along with the punchlines)?

You need to pick stories everyone knows, characters and stereotypes who are instantly recognisable, and punchlines that don't shock in themselves, but become funny when applied to topical situations / stereotypes.

Consensus is necessary for topical comedy to work. We must all agree that the government is dishonest to find jokes about government dishonesty funny. This sort of comedy relies on a shared set of assumptions, preaching to the converted. That's why it's a myth that light weekending / Spitting Image -style comedy has any political worth.

The sort of savage trouncing of expectation necessary for real satire doesn't really have a home in the mass media, since it would, by definition, have a tiny audience of informed fans, with everyone else going "Is Charlie Farnzbarnz, MP, really selling arms illegally? I didn't know that. I thought he was just the fat bloke who spits? Where are my reassuring culurally agreed stereotypes?"

It's like all that "dangerous" drugs comedy, tellin' it like it is, maaaaaan. Yes, Bill Hicks, if all your audience hadn't also had "great times on drugs" your crusading stance wouldn't make them laugh. Listen to them go "Whooooo!" Preaching to the converted, duuuuude. It's the foundation of dangerous comedy.

(BTW, Hicks fans, I find Bill Hicks very funny, I just don't get the silver crusader on the edge of oblivion thing, but then I'm not American and wasn't twelve when I first heard him - both of which would probably have affected my view of the man.)

They are making us watch this for homework. This is worse than uniform.

Who are "they"?

Don't listen to them, Radi, they're not real...

I *feel* for you, love.

>I *feel* for you, love.

Up a bit

>I *feel* for you, love.

No wonder I've been hearing voices!

This show is deplorable in the most utter sense of deplorable. And, no, I didn't watch it, I had 4 sleazy teenage primeval creeps regurgitate the whole thing onto me.

"I had 4 sleazy teenage primeval creeps regurgitate the whole thing onto me."

You disgust me.

>You disgust me.

You try getting political satire out of cashmere.

Political satire out of Kashmir, that's a different matter...

Nice of you to keep the level of humour in tandem with the subject matter. : )

So why did you have to watch this show, then?

Nobody told me to listen to WeekEnding when I was at school.

>So why did you have to watch this show, then?

It's "sociological". Then again I persuaded the teacher, on the same grounds, to let us watch the entire Brass Eye series if we can fit it in...

"It's "sociological"."

Schools nowadays! I bet you've never read a proper EastEnders script in your life! Dumbing down, etc.

No, it was Royle Family for "Social Class", The Simpsons for "The Family" and Ali G for "Weirdos and Twats"...

"Ali G for "Weirdos and Twats"..."

She's such a scamp...

Caught the repeat of this (an unscheduled repeat, seems ITV are pretty proud of it), and I have to say, it was much better than I'd expected. Despite the lazy references (Posh Spice=thin. Prescott=Fat, hits people. You know the drill), it had a certain charm. Bush Jr gurgling away at the antics of the sock puppet would have been equally at home in an episode of South Park. Even the Talibannies bit (I mean, Christ. Even the references to Teletubbies in The Simpsons are getting round to BBC2 now), made me smile.

So, in summary, erm.. yes. Very Spitting Image-y, but not Classic Spitting Image. Better than Sam's Game, and a million times better than 11o'cs.

Gosh, what a tepid, ill-conceived posting.

> an unscheduled repeat

Sorry, a bit off topic, but this reminds me: tonight a BBC2 continuity bod announced that "Due to technical problems we are unable to bring you tonight's edition of Despatch Box. In its place, a look at the role that colours play in the world of nature". Then they showed a half-hour documentary about frogs and squid. An instant improvement. I sincerely hope their ratings show a startling increase.

"Due to public demand, all of our Westminster programming is to be replaced by Wildlife On Two."

>"Due to public demand, all of our Westminster programming is to be replaced by Wildlife On Two."

i'm holding out for
"due to managerial difficulties, all episodes of seinfeld will now be shown in reverse. in black and white. dubbed into esperanto. on bbc choice..."

>Caught the repeat of this (an unscheduled repeat, seems ITV are pretty proud of it), and I have to say, it was much better than I'd expected. Despite the lazy references (Posh Spice=thin. Prescott=Fat, hits people. You know the drill), it had a certain charm. Bush Jr gurgling away at the antics of the sock puppet would have been equally at home in an episode of South Park. Even the Talibannies bit (I mean, Christ. Even the references to Teletubbies in The Simpsons are getting round to BBC2 now), made me smile.
>
>So, in summary, erm.. yes. Very Spitting Image-y, but not Classic Spitting Image. Better than Sam's Game, and a million times better than 11o'cs.
>
>Gosh, what a tepid, ill-conceived posting.

Don't you worry it was a very nice, tepid ill-conceived posting.

And the sock puppet stuff was ours. Thanks for picking it out.