As you probably don't know, I am slightly enamoured with David Mitchell, the less conventionally attractive (and much nerdier, neurotic, and black-humoured) half of the Mitchell & Webb comedy duo. He and Robert Webb (voted 88th sexiest man in the world, as I learned watching Would I Lie to You?) star in The Mitchell & Webb Situation, That Mitchell & Webb Look, and Peep Show, which are all awesome and worth watching right this very moment.
Despite the similarities and heavy borrowing between US and UK television, they've got one sort of programming over there that's no longer around over here: panel shows. These are part game show, part chat show -- basically, a game show with no prizes whose contestants are minor celebrities, TV personalities, and comedians. The entertainment lies in the competition and the contestants saying funny and ostensibly off-the-cuff stuff. Would I Lie to You? is one, along with my favorite, QI, which is hosted by Stephen Fry and would never take off in the US because of its emphasis on knowledge and wit. David is a regular on WILTY? and frequently appears on QI -- there are more, god knows. While most of the TV comedians here (Mencia, Larry the Cable Guy, Colin fucking Quinn) totally suck, many of those on these shows are actually funny and quick witted (plus they can swear): Jimmy Carr, Rob Brydon, etc.
ANYWAY. In my hunting around for more of Mitchell's work, I found this, even though it's sponsored by some eco-friendly Euro equivalent of Axe body spray or something:
Go watch all of them right now.
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The US American equivalent only happens on the radio. Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, for example. Or My Word, but I guess that was BBC produced in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThe group-wank format isn't that visually appealing/interesting in the first place. I'd say radio does it justice.
wherever this first place i'm apparently so fond of may happen to be ...
ReplyDeleteAh, you're right -- panel shows on the radio (and NPR in particular) just work better, because the panelists trade less on being recognized/famous and more on actually bringing wit -- and the audiences are more forgiving, I think.
ReplyDeleteI guess the closest thing we have to panel shows here are, like, I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here and Celebrity Fit Club and such -- but on those the lower-level "stars" are still performing with the same level of artifice as they would be on a sitcom. But they're still trading on being widely showbiz personalities in a similar way.
I pretty much watch BBC panel shows because it's a chance to see some kind of work by actors I admire (Fry, Mitchell, Brydon). You can't tell me you wouldn't watch Michael K. Williams answer trivia questions on TV.