This is the thread where we talk about how great "Spaced" is

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I got the DVD of the 1st series the other day, and its ace! I remember enjoying it at the time, but I watch it now, and its super cool! It manages to be sexy and funny coo, without being up its own arse.

Let me feel your love.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 5 October 2003 11:42 (twenty-one years ago)

The best episode is the one where they all go clubbing. I detest clubbing with a passion, so any TV show that makes me want to go clubbing must be doing something right.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 5 October 2003 11:46 (twenty-one years ago)

yes it is good, i'm wondering if it was ever shown on BBC America or Paramount in the States, and how it went down over there

maybe it SHOULD have been up its own arse more - some scenes and jokes were a bit trite (in the same way Teachers is as soon as they play that bloody Belle & Sebastian song) but no real complaints. the paintball and dog rescue episodes are probably my favourites, but the whole slow-motion gunfight with those teenagers from the second series is the real genius

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 5 October 2003 11:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Best line: "This is Mike, and he's a Mike."

[ /fawning fandom]

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 5 October 2003 11:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The clubbing episode is one of the best depictions of british clubbing ever on film.

― Ed (dali), Sunday, 5 October 2003 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

the whole slow-motion gunfight with those teenagers from the second series is the real genius
best scene ever in anything ever. ever.

― Alan (Alan), Monday, 6 October 2003 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

that slow motion gunfight thing is the only thing i've seen off the tv, that i've tried to copy. My friend and I decided that it would be fun to reenact that scene at a club we were at.. cue lots and lots of strange looks from people around us.

― jellybean (jellybean), Monday, 6 October 2003 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

The slo-mo gunshot episode is just fantastic TV. I think on reflection, series 2 is slightly weaker as a whole, but still bloody marvellous. Season 1 is just superb; from the first episode, it kicks in. And they filmed the birthday party in episode 6 of season 2 in a spanish bar.

― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 6 October 2003 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Unutterably fantastic. The clubbing thing, especially Mike leading the A-team dancing, is hilarious. The bit in the first episode where Tim and Daisy resemble Shaggy and Velma is where I fell in love with the programme.

Shame Twist is now slumming it in Coronation Street as one of Peter Barlow's bigamous wives.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 6 October 2003 16:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Is there a good reason why we didn't get another series, anyone know?

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 6 October 2003 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Spaced is pedestrian unfunny shit and I'd be happy to take up the challenge to write something better than that twaddle.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 6 October 2003 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

four months pass...

revive

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 29 February 2004 08:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and I was right. After watching it closely, I can confirm that the second series is tres unfunny. Excepting the gun-fight episode (I will forever refer to oragano as "the good shit" because of it) the rest of it is like an unfunny in-joke, rather than a funny one. Its almost like its by someone trying to make a cheapo C5 version of Spaced.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 29 February 2004 10:45 (twenty-one years ago)

"Mike, you get there at 2200 hours, everyone else at 10pm."

― Nick H (Nick H), Sunday, 29 February 2004 10:58 (twenty-one years ago)

"I think it's a waste of Bako, the foil."

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 29 February 2004 11:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Still not funny.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 29 February 2004 14:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd have thought that Spaced was the ILX sitcom of choice - inventive, self-referential, floored in contemporary culture . . . a bit like the boards really.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 29 February 2004 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I was watching bits of series 2 today. I think it's still funny, the first epsiode could be one of the best first episodes of a returning series (maybe apart from the West Wing Series 2 ep 1).

It's odd.. I love Spaced cos it sort of illustrates the live I wished I have, and to have a group of friends like that. It's quite similar to the way my sister loves Friends, and wished the Friends cast were her friends. She hates Spaced btw.

― jellybean (jellybean), Sunday, 29 February 2004 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Oooh, jellybean, I need your help for a charity-type event, and I reckon you're just the one to help me out. I'll email you tomorrow, if I may, to get down to some begging. Is that your real addy?

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 29 February 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

yup. it should get to me if not, insert jif instead of jellybean

― jellybean (jellybean), Sunday, 29 February 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

B-b-b-but the people in Spaced are so fucking obnoxious! Each and every one is absolutely hatable!

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 29 February 2004 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

nonsense

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 29 February 2004 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I love the look on that guy's face when he starts dancing to the telephone ringing.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 29 February 2004 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

the whole thing is DYS at it's greatest, the characters are flawed but loveable

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 29 February 2004 21:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd have thought that Spaced was the ILX sitcom of choice - inventive, self-referential, floored in contemporary culture . . . a bit like the boards really.
-- Johnney B (stigoftdum...), February 29th, 2004 2:25 PM.
[...]
B-b-b-but the people in Spaced are so fucking obnoxious! Each and every one is absolutely hatable!

-- dog latin (doglati...), February 29th, 2004 9:04 PM.

Hmm.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 29 February 2004 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"...and your penis!"

What was that advert Twist was in before Corrie but post-Spaced?

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Sunday, 29 February 2004 23:31 (twenty-one years ago)

It was for Boots, I think.

― Cathy (Cathy), Sunday, 29 February 2004 23:35 (twenty-one years ago)

ooh was she in Corrie?

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 29 February 2004 23:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow - I was told this last night, as I was watching the first series on DVD. I think Spaced is very underrated - it's very tight in the main. I also like the set-up gags; the thelma and shaggy gag in Episode 1 took 4 minutes to set up. Also, it was the first sit-com for the playstation generation < / middle-class wanky critic >

I feels like the sort of comedy me and my mates would make if we had the time, money and talent.

― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 1 March 2004 11:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I may not always like it, but I have to love a series that actually includes a parody of the end of The Empire Strikes Back. Dave B's last sentence completely OTM.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 1 March 2004 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Yet again I have to say Shawn Of The Dead to thread. Really looking forward to this and guessing it will have similar comedy stylage to that of Spaced.

Also Big Train had it's moments, I think this was the same team wasn't it?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 1 March 2004 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

not sure if Edgar Wright worked on Big Train but obv. Pegg and Heap were involved.

as well as great DYS, Spaced is GOOD TWEE, ala Michel Gondry

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 1 March 2004 11:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Spaced is responsible for a certain lack of self-confidence in myself, viz, I'm not sure if I have an actual personality of my own or one "half-inched" (as they sa) from TV's Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and all those other lovely people from North (pah) Lunding.

Spaced is SO responsible for my viewing of Robot Wars.

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 1 March 2004 11:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Big Train was written by Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews of Father Ted fame, and starred Simon Pegg, the actor Kevin Eldon, Mark Heap and the woman who played Sonia in I'm Alan Partridge, who's name I forget. They were the sort of second generation to come from under the Morris/Coogan/Iannucci umbrella, along with Lee and Herring. I think the cast co-wrote bits and bobs too.

I think Spaced was underrated by citics and the populace at large, but overrated by fans. The characters seemed a little too knowing of their geek chic to really empathise with. Apart from Mike obviously.

I would've thought Seinfeld was the archetypal ILX sitcom; self-obsessed, urban, gloriously shallow.

― Nick H (Nick H), Monday, 1 March 2004 13:36 (twenty-one years ago)

..and unlike Spaced, unfunny.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 1 March 2004 14:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Seinfeld is the devil.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 1 March 2004 14:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Spaced is SO responsible for my viewing of Robot Wars.

Haha War Bastard!

I'm still errily convinced that Spaced was created *specifically* for me and just me alone. It seems so tailor-made for my sense of humour, and contains so many of my favourite comic actors, that I feel weirdly compelled to ignore it just because I Am The Target Market and that winds me up no end. It'd be like Jarvis, Wayne Coyne, Cornelius and Richard James forming a band together...just too weird.

Also, new series of Black Books imminent. Bloody fantastic, that is. I wand Dylan Moran's hair.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Monday, 1 March 2004 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh my, I fell off my friends sofa in happiness when I saw the trailer for BLACK BOOKS THREE: INSERT AMUSING JOKE ABOUT HOBBITS HERE!

Man, I should have a BLACK BOOKS VIEWING PARTY at ours when it's first shown, actually what a brilliant idea! Who wants to come round and drink shitloads of red wine in our flat and shout filffy things about Dylan/Bill/wossnamewhoplaysFran?* Oh my god how exciting.

By the way, I think Typhoon could be pretty on the money in the Robot Wars finals.

*er not rilly in the style of Black Books but I must point out no smoking allowed in flat though :)

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 1 March 2004 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

YES YES YES. It should be a special occasion Starry. Next week sometime innit? I will bake cake and everything if you do this.

I just want Dylan Moran. *sigh*

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 1 March 2004 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

"Series Three Episode one is to be broadcast on Thursday 11th March at 10pm on Channel 4"!!

Eeeeeeeeeeey. Nice. I am sure Caaaaampbell will be fine with this.

YES YES CAKE.

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 1 March 2004 14:55 (twenty-one years ago)

HURRAH!

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 1 March 2004 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh god now I have to take cake to Peckham.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 1 March 2004 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, yes you do!

I will attempt to make carrot cake...

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 1 March 2004 15:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Man, I must have just not been listening when they had the jokes in Spaced...

I still still can't see why the characters would be likeable - they just seem really sad and uncomfortable, like turning up to the worst party ever. Simon Pegg's character is an irritating wannabe-trendy twat; Jessica Stevenson's is just such a sad case that every time she says anything that's supposed to be funny even the other characters in the show can't bring themselves to give more than an embarassed shrug; the "eccentric" artist guy is a pinnacle of manners and sociability compared to a lot of people I know; the landlady is just fucking so irritating I want to kill her; the army guy is an ugly fucker with no charisma or funny-ness to him (oh look he's jumping around in a leotard, how witty! If I'd wanted to see a panto I'd've gone to the Gordon Craig in Stevenage. But I didn't); and Twist is also very very annoying. Maybe they'd be easier to bear with if they were more clearly defined but it seems that the writers couldn't be bothered to write anything less wooly than "Oh, there's one sad girl and one sad bloke and a girl who diets and an army guy and a mad dude".

The few jokes they manage to crowbar into the lifeless plot fall flat because they just go on forever. You can see them coming a million miles away:
I'd never noticed that if you jump up and down on a bed it makes sex noises! Have you ever noticed how men never grow up and still read comics and ride skateboards? No I hadn't picked up on that facet of life till Spaced told me about it again. Clubbing is crap but can be funny too - of course Human Traffic was crap but somehow Spaced did exactly the same thing, was just as embarassing and fucking boring but for some reason people liked it. Oh yeah, performance art is really weird too isn't it?

Maybe it's because I don't live in London that I just don't get this show?

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't like simon pegg or, as a result, this.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 01:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Hippies.

― pete s, Tuesday, 2 March 2004 01:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I liked Hippies. I don't know anyone else that did though.

Not only was Twist in Coronation Street, but Marsha has been in it in recent weeks as well.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

the characters only seem that way to you doglatin - you have decided you don't like it and seemingly don't want to like it (i guess i am the opposite but still...)what's wrong with Tim exactly (i'm not sure why people dislike Simon Pegg either, I think he's more likeable than Coogan (tho admittedly not quite as funny overall)? he skates, he's a comic-book artist, he has a fear of dogs (from his childhood), smokes herb and occasionally does speed, is good to his friends (Mike, Bilbo, Daisy) - seems okay to me - obviously he has annoying traits, all leading characters in comedies do. Daisy is sweet but irritating because she is confused, insecure, lazy, unfocussed and nonchalant - just like me a lot of the time. The other characters are of course cariacturesque because they are there to prop up the two leads - how is this different to most other good comedies? Mark Heap is great as Bryan tho - using his facial expressions brilliantly for when the words just can't come out. Marsha is entertaining also - the voice alone, her rows with her daughter, i mean there is more going on with these characters than you seem to have noticed. where's Amber's Dad? Marsha touches on it in one episode with revealing venom and bitterness iirc - never actually seeing Amber is quite a nice touch and reflects how little people in close proximity really know about those teenage girl creatures perhaps. what is the relevance of Mike's 'ugliness'? he's a sweetheart (which he demonstrates repeatedly by staying loyal to Tim and getting upset when Tim lets him down and gets a girlfriend, also wearing a leotard to the club) which is why his obsession with guns and stuff is funny in a tweeish fashion. Basically I think the characters are defined just fine, as well as in any other decent comedy (e.g. Father Ted, Black Books)

How can you see the 'jumping on the bed stimulating sex' joke a mile away? it's a straight cut scene for fucks sake. Tim's skating/comic-reading isn't a joke, it's a serious statement that this is acceptable - why wouldn't it be? Your criticisms are useless and you could be that picky and pedantic about Fawlty Towers if you wanted to.

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 01:32 (twenty-one years ago)

also there can be no complaints about the choice of music in the programme considering The Office uses fucking 'Handbags & Gladrags'

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 01:34 (twenty-one years ago)

the characters only seem that way to you doglatin - you have decided you don't like it and seemingly don't want to like it (i guess i am the opposite but still...)

stevem, first off I bought the DVD of series one having been recommended it by many people. I'm a massive fan of Black Books, Father Ted, League of Gents, The Office etc. This just didn't have the calibre of humour that went with these.

what's wrong with Tim exactly (i'm not sure why people dislike Simon Pegg either, I think he's more likeable than Coogan (tho admittedly not quite as funny overall)? he skates, he's a comic-book artist, he has a fear of dogs (from his childhood), smokes herb and occasionally does speed, is good to his friends (Mike, Bilbo, Daisy) - seems okay to me - obviously he has annoying traits, all leading characters in comedies do.

But this makes him so boring! He's so fucking non-descript! Sure, quite likeable if I knew him as a mate, but not someone who's going to make me burst a capillary from laughing.

Daisy is sweet but irritating because she is confused, insecure, lazy, unfocussed and nonchalant - just like me a lot of the time. The other characters are of course cariacturesque because they are there to prop up the two leads - how is this different to most other good comedies?

It's just, I dunno. Maybe their mundanity. They're embarassing, not in a David Brent way; vaguely pleasant but not as fun as Father Dougal. It's like watching an episode of the Office with only Tim in it - funny enough I guess but not much funnier than someone telling a joke in a pub. I don't see these characters definedly enough. You say they are caricatures, but they're not and maybe that's the appeal. Comedy characters ought to be larger than life. If someone's going to be a mad art genius, make him proper mad, y'know. Father Ted, Black Books, LoG all have this element - Spaced is like watching a British episode of Friends with more cheap reference "gags".

Mark Heap is great as Bryan tho - using his facial expressions brilliantly for when the words just can't come out.
As I say, I've met people who are weirder than that in real life. Anyone can pull a silly face. Also I think it's a bit old hat taking a pop at modern art, it's like joking about not being able to get the shower the right temperature.

Marsha is entertaining also - the voice alone,
it's not funny, it hurts and I know a lot of people who actually speak like that - I didn't realise this was supposed to be a joke.
her rows with her daughter
I did like the "she's the devil in an A-cup" joke, but again my little sister throws fits all day long and I can't see the humour in this.
i mean there is more going on with these characters than you seem to have noticed. where's Amber's Dad?
In prison/dead/divorced I presume. I know they did explain it in one episode. Why are broken homes funny?
Marsha touches on it in one episode with revealing venom and bitterness iirc - never actually seeing Amber is quite a nice touch
what, like Mrs Mainwaring, 'Er Indoors and the one with the tights in "Last of the Summer Wine" who I forget the name of? It's been done so many times it's not even worth doing anymore.
what is the relevance of Mike's 'ugliness'? he's a sweetheart (which he demonstrates repeatedly by staying loyal to Tim and getting upset when Tim lets him down and gets a girlfriend, also wearing a leotard to the club) which is why his obsession with guns and stuff is funny in a tweeish fashion.
Okay, being ugly isn't really a fair chide but this guy had a lot more potential than how they had him in this. He just annoys me for some reason I can't put my finger on.

How can you see the 'jumping on the bed stimulating sex' joke a mile away? it's a straight cut scene for fucks sake.
Yeh but it's such a turgid stock joke. It's been used in at least three or four adverts before Spaced came along and did it again.
All these oh-so-clever movie references have been done better a million times in shows like Family Guy, the Simpsons, League of Gentlemen and Black Books. Spaced goes about these in such a hamfisted "oh look, we're referencing Star Wars/Thriller/computer games/etc" fashion that you just wonder what the point was in doing it in the first place.

Tim's skating/comic-reading isn't a joke, it's a serious statement that this is acceptable - why wouldn't it be?
Yes, but I knew this. Why do I need it pointed out to me that people like skateboarding etc? Is there a big point to it? I always thought they were laughing at him in the show because of his hobbies. It's such a cheap pop even you agree it's not even a joke.

Your criticisms are useless and you could be that picky and pedantic about Fawlty Towers if you wanted to.
Yes, but Fawlty Towers had jokes in it.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 02:00 (twenty-one years ago)

also there can be no complaints about the choice of music in the programme considering The Office uses fucking 'Handbags & Gladrags'

There was no Burzum on it = I don't like it ;-)

The choice of "Handbags" was excellent on the Office. It's just such a fucking downer of a tune it makes you feel like you're going to work.

Maybe the reason I don't like Spaced is because it is actually so close to my real true life that I fail to see the humour in it at all. But y'know, I work in an office and I see why the Office is funny.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I even have a fear of dogs, so y'know.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I also have a fear of the twee which might explain a few things too but what the fuck, I'm going to watch it again soon and I'll try and get it this time. I guess maybe I'm watching it wrong and maybe I should watch it as an entertaining soap rather than a laugh a minute intellectual romp? Fans of the show - what should I look for this time around?

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 02:25 (twenty-one years ago)

don't try and get it, it seems pretty apparent you won't if it's going to to take that much effort - i watched it the first time and liked it instantly, liked the characters, liked what was happening and the way it was happening. otoh i cannot stand Roy Clarke sitcoms, which feature jokes and humour i just don't find funny because to me they seem very hammed and cliched in a more traditionalist sense - but that's Clarke's niche and he's been very successful in it.

i think you were onto something with the Office with only Tim thing, but Spaced relies more on odd incidents revolving around the characters rather than humour coming out of characters own flaws, tho this also happens. if you feel it's reflecting your own life too much and that's a bad thing then i don't know - i see it more as a good thing personally - it's nice to be able to relate more directly, even if that means a certain mundanity trade-off.

i guess really it's unfair to compare Spaced to conventional sitcoms (including Father Ted and Black Books) with their laughter tracks. A laughter track on Spaced would not work - not because there aren't jokes (there are), but there's something about the whole way it's filmed and then cut that would make laughter hard to squeeze in - many of the gags being visual and so acute (this is one reason you don't have laugh tracks on animated comedies), subtle even. Also it feels like with Spaced they want you to feel closer to the characters in that respect, creating something more engaging in a way, laughing with not at etc.

your whole 'oh anyone can do that' and 'oh that happens in real life with this person i know, so it's not funny here' 'arguments' just baffle me. but i'm a big fan of DYS/observational humour as long as it's done more on a show don't tell basis (it's not as if they look at the screen, smile and go 'eh? eh?' when they do a reference ffs. Also you're picking things out for not being funny when trying to be funny was not really their objective (Tim skateboarding, the broken home thing), why?

Spaced is really for teenagers the more I think about it...but that's hardly to it's detriment.

Anyway this argument is really going nowhere - and you only have to read the other posts to see what people find funny about the show.

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 02:49 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

I'm not sure how I missed seeing Spaced when it first came out, but somehow I did and have recently borrowed a video of the first series from someone, having really enjoyed Shaun of the Dead and been told by numerous ppl that I'd love Spaced too. And I do! I must say that i don't think its for teenagers as a lot of the humour comes through being able to empathise with the characters in their twentysomething rented accomodation existence.

"she's drowning, is that the point of the game?"

"depends what mood you're in".

― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 26 April 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

four months pass...

Is there really going to be a third series? I'm in two minds about such an idea.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 04:10 (twenty years ago)

I have only seen the first series. Shall I live in on in glorious ignorance of the second?

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 04:12 (twenty years ago)

Tying into Shaun of the Dead's US release, Trio is showing the first series again. Two episodes a night, starting at 10pm, interrupted constantly by commercials.

― Dickerson Pike (Dickerson Pike), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 07:14 (twenty years ago)

there's a triple dvd out shortly (already?), with a third disk full of, er, i don't know.

― koogs (koogs), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 07:17 (twenty years ago)

(Mark H looks like Edgar Wright btw.)

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 07:56 (twenty years ago)

I think the 3rd disc has a 90 minute making-of, out-takes, and a video "mash-up" By Osymsyo condensing the 2 series's into 10 minutes. So, not really essential if you already own them.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 08:00 (twenty years ago)

Edgar Wright appears in Look Around You (as does Pegg (and Sarah Alexander), but EW is in it longer)

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 08:18 (twenty years ago)

Ah what! Right, I'd best sell my DVDs and get the new one with cool extras and stuff. Yay!

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 08:30 (twenty years ago)

I'm annoyed with their boxset relasing money-grabbing production company...

First I bought both series on video, then I bought them on DVD, now I'll have to buy them on DVD again! :(

― jellybean (jellybean), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 08:47 (twenty years ago)

i wdnae bother with the new dvd if you have teh old ones. the third disc features james delingpole talking about 'spaced'. big thumbs down.

― HKM, Tuesday, 21 September 2004 09:12 (twenty years ago)

Ooh, big turn off.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 10:22 (twenty years ago)

there is definitely going to be a third series! yay!

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 10:31 (twenty years ago)

maybe if dog latin does move to london he will realize the mind-buggering wrongness of his posts upthread.

― HKM, Tuesday, 21 September 2004 10:40 (twenty years ago)

ha, but i watched the first series again recently and found certain bits a lot naffer e.g. Tim's rant about 'a time for dips' being so punchable - i thought everyone liked that Prefab Sprout track! otoh i'm enjoying saying 'i did hear droppage' when asked if the post has been more than ever...

― teh pow! (blueski), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 10:48 (twenty years ago)

The third series is still as far away as ever, isn't it? They've always said there probably will be one, but none of it is written.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 10:58 (twenty years ago)

i am sort of coming from the same angle as dl to 'spaced': i was turned off by the publicity for series one and didn't tune in till the second series, and i'm not into comix/sf/etc. but despite all that it is amazing. the 'gone' ep especially -- just so many ideas per minute.

― HKM, Tuesday, 21 September 2004 12:03 (twenty years ago)

Having met DL since his criticisms upthread I am quite surprised he doesn't like Spaced.

Mark H looks like Edgar Wright btw

OK, off to find a pic of Edgar Wright here, right now....

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 19:15 (twenty years ago)

HUH?

http://www.dvdfever.co.uk/reviews/spacedea.jpg

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 19:17 (twenty years ago)

Mark... you need to work on your beard..

― jellybean (jellybean), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 00:35 (twenty years ago)

i always thought Edgar Wright would look just like Nick Frost for some reason. He actually looks a lot like Felix Buxton.

― teh pow! (blueski), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 08:45 (twenty years ago)

I can kinda see that atcually. Edgar Wright = Mark H as a member of Gomez.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 09:21 (twenty years ago)

mark, what's that a picture of? (border looks to thin to be a tv. unless, ha, it's your dell monitor with a dvd picture on it?)

you know those dvd's you can buy of the latest films that have obviously been shot by some chinaman in a cinema somewhere? well, that's like the still-frame version of that 8)

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 09:23 (twenty years ago)

EW actually SOUNDS quite like MH, I think.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 09:28 (twenty years ago)

you mean he sounds nasal? I don't mean to sound nasal, my sinuses (Sinai??? No, that's a peninsula) dictate it.

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 21:46 (twenty years ago)

re HKM incidentally - what publicity?

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 21:55 (twenty years ago)

I did some work for Edgar Wright. he was really nice.

I namedropped again.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 21:58 (twenty years ago)

I would like to meet Edgar Wright.

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 22:00 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

pleasantly surprised to hear Simon and Jessica doing a Space-esque radio spot for Red Nose Day together.

― koogs (koogs), Thursday, 10 February 2005 15:12 (twenty years ago)

OHYEAH I DIDN THINKO DA

― Alienus Quam Reproba (blueski), Thursday, 10 February 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

so is there a third series coming or what?

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 10 February 2005 16:58 (twenty years ago)

after the popular and critical success of 'according to bex' jessica stevenson will be far too famous for a third series of 'spaced'.

― Miles Finch, Thursday, 10 February 2005 17:01 (twenty years ago)

i hope they don't do a third one. all the best comedies stop at two (except Porridge, Dad's Army blah blah).

― Alienus Quam Reproba (blueski), Thursday, 10 February 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

Chalk stopped at two series!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 10 February 2005 23:50 (twenty years ago)

mad coincidence this thread being bumped, just finished watching the complete second series. Shit this is funny.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 10 February 2005 23:52 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

also, can anyone answer this:

In the episode "Help" on series two, where Tim has to recover one of his drawings from the portfolio sent to Darkstar.
Towards the end as Tim and Mike are trying to escape from the Darkstar office, as Knox steps out of the lift Tim falls backwards into Mikes arms...

Is this a parody on any existing movie scene?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 28 February 2005 11:11 (twenty years ago)

it's terminator-ish (T2 is probably closest) but it's "that sort of scene" innit.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Monday, 28 February 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

OHYEAH I DIDN THINKO DA = oddest line evah

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Monday, 28 February 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

The best episode is the one in the first series with Flaps and Vulva. David Walliams' performance art sendup is amazing.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 28 February 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

ah yes, thanks alan

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 28 February 2005 12:00 (twenty years ago)

that ep has such a downbeat ending tho Matt. Jess's performance over the credits is a bit cringey.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Monday, 28 February 2005 12:03 (twenty years ago)

I didn't feel that the ending was downbeat - it laughed lots at that. "Rabbit rabbit rabbit! It's been very useful!" etc.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 28 February 2005 12:04 (twenty years ago)

Mike where are you?
I'm in Sheffield
How come you're in Sheffield?
I fell asleep on the tube
Mike, the tube doesn't go to Sheffield!
I must've changed at King's Cross

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 28 February 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)

(xpost)
just me, then. as per. i agree with whoever upthread said ep 1 series 2 is the biz. i love the Phantom Menace stuff (esp Bilbo's dad anecdote), the Gatiss/Eldon/Matrix stuff, him out of films cameo.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Monday, 28 February 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)

OHYEAH I DIDN THINKO DA = oddest line evah

I think it started quite normal, but got stranger with each take.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 28 February 2005 12:35 (twenty years ago)

I've come round to Spaced now but it did take a while and I'll admit that some bits are still a little bit cringey (Jaunty Alan OTM about the rabbit bit).
There still aren't a whole lot of bits that make me laugh but I've come round to seeing Spaced as the comedy equivalent of a warm bath and a nice mug of cocoa. It's not too challenging, it's not dark or complicated but it gives you a nice feeling - perfect comedown viewing.
Watched this with my Dad the other day and his initial reaction was the same as mine. "It's boring!" - and it's true, it is a bit boring. A kitchen-sink every day setting where not a whole lot happens. At least in the 70s sitcoms about shops and banks were littered with jokes and zany characters but Spaced doesn't do this.
Instead my funny bone, desensitised by the League of Gentlemen and Brasseye had to retune itself to just accept Spaced as an observation of young adult life rather than an outlandish caricature.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 28 February 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

It's true, I saw Spaced before I saw Brasseye/ Day Today, and i guess that if the bar had been raised beforehand maybe I'd have a lesser opinion of the series now.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 28 February 2005 12:53 (twenty years ago)

AH YA I HADNT THOUGHT O DA

― g-kit (g-kit), Monday, 28 February 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

ten months pass...

gah! why the fuck does Harry Knowles show up in the little docu featurette thing?

― kingfish kuribo's shoe (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:21 (nineteen years ago)

T/S: Spaced vs this

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 09:39 (nineteen years ago)

God, why did you have to ressurect that dog (latin) shit?

― Merryweather (scarlet), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 09:50 (nineteen years ago)

because i read this thread and he was trying to dictate what is and is not funny, while churning out scripts of that calibre. i thought it was worth a roffle or two, OH! you gotta lol a roffle or two.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 09:55 (nineteen years ago)

yeh i like spaced now.

i don't like my script any mroe.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 10:30 (nineteen years ago)

actually, no i like my script cos it pissed so many people off and didn't even try.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 10:32 (nineteen years ago)

yeah right

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 10:34 (nineteen years ago)

dog latin's script certainly better than much of what ends up on BBC Three.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 10:45 (nineteen years ago)

meh.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 10:52 (nineteen years ago)

haha i enjoyed reading those script threads

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 10:55 (nineteen years ago)

one day i'll try and write a decent one.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

(i meant "meh" to the show, not to doglatin.)

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:48 (nineteen years ago)

dog latin should write one about two people pretending to be a couple in order to live in a flat in Tufnell Park.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

"dog latin you should" even, i xposted and replaced you with dog latin when i shoudl have just inserted your name (now it sounds like ken was talking to you in third person)

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

the characters remind me of the sad, annoying, desperately trying to fit in co-workers who have to be invited out for drinks because they're basically good-hearted yet everyone is praying that they can't make it and arguing over who's going to get stuck sitting with them.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:54 (nineteen years ago)

he skates, he's a comic-book artist, he has a fear of dogs (from his childhood), smokes herb and occasionally does speed

i mean, really! get away!

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:55 (nineteen years ago)

i thought you were describing me for a second, except i don't skate. or am i any kind of comic-book "artist". and i don't really like speed. i do get scared of dogs, expecially if i smoke herb.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

dog latin should write one about two people pretending to be a couple in order to live in a flat in Tufnell Park.

lol!

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

yeah the dog-fear is the only one of those i can tick off. i was going to be a comic-book artist when i was 13 but this was ousted by 'video games designer'.

i've met too many people who, whether proudly or shamefully, admit to being a lot like Tim or Daisy (less so the other characters but then they're all rather more cartoonishly unhinged). this is no big deal because the whole point of those characters is to represent 'middle class fuck-ups' in that way. when they act, or acted - because this is obv. all more 5 years ago, as if this was some huge revelatory breakthrough then granted it was annoying...

but then again it seemed as if that stereotype hadn't been represented much on UK TV before Spaced - whether or not it should've been is another matter of course.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 14:20 (nineteen years ago)

he skates, he's a comic-book artist, he has a fear of dogs (from his childhood), smokes herb and occasionally does speed

i mean, really! get away!

that was the point tho wasn't it? these weren't so much special attributes, just an indication of how regular he was. you could say 'big deal, unoriginal' but like i say there weren't really any other characters like that in British shows beforehand, despite the abundance of them in real life.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

i liked it better beforehand.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

though if the point was for the characters to be unlikeable, then it totally worked.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 14:30 (nineteen years ago)

lauren otm

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:20 (nineteen years ago)

The best british sitcom is based around unlikeable characters - Fawlty, David Brent, Manwaring etc

― Johnny B Was Quizzical (Johnney B), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

leave them to their jar of humbugs.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:25 (nineteen years ago)

if the point was just for the characters to be unlikeable, then it totally worked

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:30 (nineteen years ago)

This is the thread where we talk about how great "Spaced" is

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:31 (nineteen years ago)

i liked it despite sharing lauren's reservations. but it's no 'peep show'.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:31 (nineteen years ago)

i liked it better beforehand.

Interesting!

Johnny B's point is good. Presumably there is something else that makes people not find Spaced funny, beyond 'the characters are unlikeable'. Maybe they didn't like the script in general, or just parts of it. Too reliant on homage perhaps, too trite at times but a fine line between trite and touching.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:44 (nineteen years ago)

different strokes for different folks. some people like Last of the Summer Wine n stuf.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:46 (nineteen years ago)

The best british sitcom is based around unlikeable characters

yeah, true, but this kind of unlikeability is so boring (in the case of the main characters). beyond that, i just don't think the show is funny at all. someone loaned me the first season dvd, and i made it through about two and a half episodes then fell asleep. ooh, is their big party going to be a disaster what with all of their wacky pals and neighbors? the suspense is killing me!

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:46 (nineteen years ago)

did they take pills in the clubbing episode? in what way is realistic as everyone says?

― piscesboy, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:47 (nineteen years ago)

I think it would be unfair to single Tim and Daisy out as 'boring characters', in a sea of countless 'boring characters' in comedy shows. Again it must be something else...

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:48 (nineteen years ago)

simon pegg is ingratiating, is the problem.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:49 (nineteen years ago)

it doesn't have to be!

crosspost

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:49 (nineteen years ago)

i don't really go clubbing, so it's hard to say. but there were lots of wankers dressed like wankers acting like wankers, so it was probablt pretty OTM. xxpost

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:49 (nineteen years ago)

but the thread is about them!

xpost to stevem

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:49 (nineteen years ago)

maybe it suffers a bit now cos it came out j-u-s-t before the whole 'dark' thing really took off, and it isn't very dark. but it can be a bit matey. i usually like it, but i'm playing devil's advocate.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:51 (nineteen years ago)

the suspense is killing me!

I don't think that's how the writers intended you to enjoy it though.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:53 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah but that kind of criticism amounts to nothing better than 'it was crap because I had a headache'.

If I was watching it for the first time in 2005 I don't think I would like it half as much as I did in 1999. But that's true of so many things.

I still think the 'I hated Spaced but loved Shaun Of The Dead' thing is v. curious though, for the people who do/did feel that way.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:53 (nineteen years ago)

not worth the...analysis

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:54 (nineteen years ago)

sounds like we have been spared.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:55 (nineteen years ago)

analysis on a message board. trying to encourage people to come up with something better than 'it's boring/unfunny' - what was i thinking...

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:57 (nineteen years ago)

that sounds sarcastic

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

this is becoming a recurring stevem meme.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

I'll leave those of you who don't dislike spaced to discuss it now

cheerio!

crosspost

haha

crosspost

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:59 (nineteen years ago)

thanks.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:00 (nineteen years ago)

no one has answered my question

― kingfish kuribo's shoe (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:00 (nineteen years ago)

i was less cynical in 1999. mostly.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:00 (nineteen years ago)

i'm sorry that my analysis of spaced isn't up to scratch. clearly, the high intellectual calibre of the program has spoiled you.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:02 (nineteen years ago)

no one has answered my question

this is because i do not know the answer. sorry.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:03 (nineteen years ago)

i feel like that was fairly clear.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:03 (nineteen years ago)

Knowles was a huge fan of Shaun Of The Dead, heartily endorsing it on his site, in effect generating more interest in it Stateside. Would've seen Spaced just after if not before that. Would've led to an appearance on the DVD by virtue of who he is, what he represents etc.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

i don't know who lauren is talking about!

but then i avoid the work/play interface like the proverbial.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:05 (nineteen years ago)

the characters remind me of the type of people that don't want to go for drinks with the elitist, hipsters cunts at work anyway, because they have a small number of genuinely nice friends who have stuff in common with them and don't really fancy spending an evening with a bunch of people looking down their noses at them with pity in their eyes because they have atypical hobbies OH NOES.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:08 (nineteen years ago)

i would've thought Lauren might at least like Twist.

see, to me, this could well be a compliment :(

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:09 (nineteen years ago)

god i wish i worked with hipsters.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:09 (nineteen years ago)

ironingly, 'co-worker' was not a concept Tim and Daisy were that familiar with, based on their situations in the show.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

i don't even know what a hipster is tbh.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:11 (nineteen years ago)

i'm a terrible person, snowkitten. i'm going to drown a sack of wriggling newborn puppies after work.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:12 (nineteen years ago)

this doesn't sound like any character in Spaced I've heard of.

Now this sounds more like it, in fact it's ME. which is why I enjoy Spaced.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

i like the artist guy best.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

same here.

i don't mean anything by that, L.
don't haet me! that's how i read the characters, because that's how i feel myself and i epathise with them. i'm going to go home and play computer games.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

i feel like i have upset somebody now :(

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:17 (nineteen years ago)

yourself, by the sounds of it. go and have a sit-down (oh you are).

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:18 (nineteen years ago)

(sometimes i wish everyone posting to ILX was doing it standing up).

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

Peep Show falls horribly flat far more often than does Spaced.

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

no, not upset! don't worry about it.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:20 (nineteen years ago)

that was funny, adam

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:21 (nineteen years ago)

Peep Show's ultra-cynicism reflects the current modus operandi perfectly.

Spaced was actually conceived, written and made by a bunch of teenage monkeys.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:22 (nineteen years ago)

i thought that was two pints of lager...

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:22 (nineteen years ago)

No THAT IS terrible

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:24 (nineteen years ago)

NoW rather

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:24 (nineteen years ago)

can you set those puppies free then?

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:25 (nineteen years ago)

"Peep Show falls horribly flat far more often than does Spaced.
-- adamrl (adamr...), January 17th, 2006.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

that was funny, adam
-- RJG (RJ...), January 17th, 2006."

i don't get RJG's edgy humor, sometimes.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

i like spaced.

it's quite geeky though.

it reminds me of them kevin smith films.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:27 (nineteen years ago)

ignore the comma

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:27 (nineteen years ago)

it reminds me of them kevin smith films.

uh oh...

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

xpost it's not about whether you get the humour but whether you like the character

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

RJG doesn't like 'peep show', or 'spaced'.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:29 (nineteen years ago)

you think i was kidding about the puppies. now that's funny.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

oh, meow.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

I think I can understand Lauren's reservations as I had exactly the same ones upthread. I now quite enjoy Spaced but it took a little while. The characters, particularly Daisy, are semi-saddos at the end of the day and they're not particularly interesting or funny enough to actually glimmer with comedy. As I said before, I live with someone who acts a LOT more unhinged and lovably strange than the artist character (who i forget his name).

I'd also agree that the whole dark-comedy thing may have killed a lot of the appeal behind Spaced. It's not wacky or thrilling or weird, in fact it's very very down to earth.

What did it for me is that I ended up watching it a few times with different people, and while there aren't a lot of big laughs, it's more like watching a rather pleasant and fluffy soap opera. It's a nicey version of Nathan Barley or a young, British Curb Your Enthusiasm I guess.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:07 (nineteen years ago)

Even if Nathan Barley is a lot better than Spaced.

*ducks*

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:07 (nineteen years ago)

no, no! curb your enthusiasm is bitingly, evilly, hysterically funny ie NOT LIKE SPACED AT ALL.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:10 (nineteen years ago)

also - what I think someone mentioned earlier, is that the characters are cartoonish, but not cartoonish enough. I thought that more could be done with some characters.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:10 (nineteen years ago)

they're very restrained - the whole thing is very restrained, is what i'm saying and the current clime of comedy (Mighty Boosh, Chris Morris, Nighty Night) is to awe and shock.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:11 (nineteen years ago)

I think you're talking rubbish and not even about spaced, now

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:12 (nineteen years ago)

Spaced was more playful than dark, but then even Shaun Of The Dead only has a couple of actually eerie bits. Wright and Pegg have seemingly had far too pleasant lives to want to explore the dark territory ala Morris and Brooker.

Curb Your Enthusiasm is a completely different thing again, it's nearest British equivalent would be I'm Alan Partridge or indeed Peep Show but the only real similarity there is the unconventional way they're filmed and the emthasis on humour out of humiliation and farce.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:18 (nineteen years ago)

no, no! curb your enthusiasm is bitingly, evilly, hysterically funny ie NOT LIKE SPACED AT ALL.

Oh come on, Curb is nothing but farce. I mean, sometimes I wonder if it's even a comedy. There are NO jokes, the characters are petty and mealy-mouthed and all they do is sqwauk at each other and then accidentally insult each other. I mentioned on a different thread but it's very formulaic. Is it being made up as it goes along or what?

I watched the whole of the first season. I mean, I don't hate it but it's not as if I actually laughed or smiled while watching it. It's like one of those really boring Woody Allen movies where he goes shopping for an hour and a half. Pleasant, but not funny.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:23 (nineteen years ago)

you are very wrong

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:25 (nineteen years ago)

why would people who don't find spaced funny even fret about it? there's room for lots of funny in the world, and if this variety doesn't grab you, well meh.

spaced was never dark, but it was genre-fiction obsessed and silly - has more in common with the Simpsons there. if you're not the sort of person to ape Homer riffing on a sci-fi film, or crying "NooooooO!" over a paintballed friend then just look away.

daisy and tim are clearly cartoonish lovable losers, and it's meant to be an alternative sitcom, in that the characters have what you might call "genre" features or sub-culture traits that you don't find in One Foot in the Grave or My Family.

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:26 (nineteen years ago)

i might see if the second series (of Curb) is good as i got it lent to me. I hear it does get better. But still, I'm oblivious to the funniness of it all. It's more about plot and situation rather than anything particularly witty. Also I find Larry David hard work and have little sympathy for the situations he gets himself into. Half the time he, or some other character will just end up getting irate at something so infinitesimally minor that I'm sitting there going "What's the problem? Just let them go through the door first? Why are you getting so upset?". The guy's loaded and succesful so why should I feel sorry because he has to wait a minute or two to see a doctor?

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:28 (nineteen years ago)

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:30 (nineteen years ago)

curb is great, tho the series on more4 recently took it off the rails to a place i didn't care for

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:31 (nineteen years ago)

'Horrible' main characters:
Fawlty, Partridge, Brent, Bucket, Steptoe(s), Rigsby, Jeremy and Mark, the Young Ones/Eddie and Richie, Victor Meldrew...maybe Arkwright?).

'Loveable' main characters:
Blackadder, Fletcher, Mainwaring, Del, Lister, Briers and Kendal, Renee, Tim n' Daisy...

Doesn't seem to hold much sway ultimately - altho Tim n' Daisy do stick out like a sore thumb in that list because the other examples of 'loveable' come from laughter-track shows which tend to share more traits. Spaced really is quite different from everything else listed. it's a show where a laugh track wouldn't work at all, things are gentler and subtler (are these words? don't care) generally. The Office I can actually hear an audience laughing along with in the background, in all the expected places.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:31 (nineteen years ago)

It's like one of those really boring Woody Allen movies where he goes shopping for an hour and a half. Pleasant, but not funny.

???????????????

I guess you could be talking about Scenes From A Mall, which is not a "Woody Allen movie" but a movie with Woody Allen in it.

Anyone who doesn't like CYE or Woody Allen is basically an anti-semite.

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:32 (nineteen years ago)

yeh, scenes from a mall.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:34 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone who doesn't like CYE or Woody Allen is basically an anti-semite.

Perilously close to 'people who hate rap/rnb hate black people' but...well...yes ;)

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:36 (nineteen years ago)

xxpost - It's hard to argue with that.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:36 (nineteen years ago)

Perilously close to 'people who hate rap/rnb hate black people' but...well...yes ;)

I was kidding!

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:37 (nineteen years ago)

oh...er...me too...

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:38 (nineteen years ago)

Um, "Scenes From A Mall" would still be a Woody Allen movie in the same way "Terminator" is an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. You know what I mean. Don't tell me you enjoyed "Scenes From A Mall"?

I just don't understand the hype behind Curb. I do quite like it, much in the same as I quite like Spaced. But when both of these shows came out, people would rave about them and tell me that they laughed so hard it made them spit milk. Really I'm yet to understand why this is so hilarious. And yes, there is a difference between comedy and farce, which is what Curb is.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:39 (nineteen years ago)

Are the people in Spaced Jewish too? ;-)

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:40 (nineteen years ago)

it's really funny watching the dudes in Spaced pretend to do pro wrestling on each other, and also enter robot wars. because that's the kind of things my flatmate and i would do.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:41 (nineteen years ago)

And yes, there is a difference between comedy and farce, which is what Curb is.

Farce is a device used within Comedies, is how I see it.

To my shame I have only seen one episode of CYE and that was only a couple of weeks ago!

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:43 (nineteen years ago)

I might write a sitcom based around people making cups of tea. It'll be funny because I make cups of tea sometimes as well. And so do my friends!

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:43 (nineteen years ago)

Ken you were never on Robot Wars, as wonderful as this vision is.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:43 (nineteen years ago)

Are the people in Spaced Jewish too? ;-)

The landlady is!

Woody Allen is a writer, Schwarzenegger is a movie star.

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:43 (nineteen years ago)

see i don't find making cups of tea funny because i don't make tea or drink it!!

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

Woody Allen should write a movie for Schwarzenegger to star in.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

Curb is sort of Farce's microhouse. I don't like it, but then I'm no big fan of the comedy of embarrassment.

Woody Allen and Sylvester Stallone costarred in what film?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:45 (nineteen years ago)

The best film ever!

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:45 (nineteen years ago)

xxpost
i tried to enter the red bull "flying machine" contest in hyde park a couple of years ago (with a RED BULLDOZER flying machine) except they didn't like my design (except they let another team enter with a machine, called, a RED BULLDOZER. cunts)

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:46 (nineteen years ago)

Farce is a device used within Comedies, is how I see it.

yeh, that would be right. see, what gets me is it seems to be pretty much the only device used in the whole show. it's the verbal equivalent of watching someone trip over a doorstep. and then the next week he falls down the stairs. and then the next week, not only does he fall down the stairs, but (get this) - remember the doorstep he tripped over a couple of weeks back, right? He falls down the stairs and then trips over the doorstep AGAIN!

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:46 (nineteen years ago)

Different doorsteps each week, credit where credit's due.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:48 (nineteen years ago)

oh yeh, right right.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:48 (nineteen years ago)

DO YOU LIKE DESPISING THE CENTRAL CHARACTER IN COMEDIES? IF YES, GOTO "CYE". IF NO, GOTO SPACED.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

this is the thread where we talk about how formulaic "Curb" can get

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

Each doorstep belongs to the house of a different actor from Spin City.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

The Allen/Schwarzenegger movie partnership deserves more consideration.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

just need to factor Mel Gibson in there somehow

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:50 (nineteen years ago)

Are you supposed to despise Larry David though? I get the impression you're supposed to be on his side but he comes across as a petty, arrogant cantankourer who deserves everything he gets.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

space is funnier than this thread

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

as is spaced

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:52 (nineteen years ago)

Your Larry David moments (Warning! Blandness!)

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:52 (nineteen years ago)

it is weird how i've avoided first Seinfeld and now CYE all this time. but then i'm only just watching Frasier properly now (on HomeChoice).

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:54 (nineteen years ago)

This has to happen. I think it should be called TEA2 and involves the following:

Woody Allen getting lost in a mall but is then rescued by Arnie who takes him back to Michael J Fox's house where they all drink tea but then evil Mel Gibson comes to get them but is thwarted by a skew-whiff draught-excluder.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:54 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.musicobsession.com/Pictures/s/p/space195651.jpg

Steady on, Ken!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:55 (nineteen years ago)

I've never really watched a whole episode of Seinfeld either.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:55 (nineteen years ago)

(I'm annoyed no-one's trying to guess the Allen-Stallone answer)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:56 (nineteen years ago)

I wish I had Homechoice.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:57 (nineteen years ago)

no, I've never really watched Frasier either I donb't think. I mean, I know what it is but I don't think I've ever sat and watched a whole episode.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:57 (nineteen years ago)

What do you guys think about the rave episode?

― kingfish kuribo's shoe (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:58 (nineteen years ago)

it's okay. it's better than that fucking crappy film that came out.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:59 (nineteen years ago)

there are people who didn't find Seinfeld funny! possibly it wasn't dark enough for them.

jerry = tim
elaine = daisy
george = brian
kramer = mike
newman = the head of dark star comix fella now in corrie

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:59 (nineteen years ago)

i love the rave ep. there is definitely a "this goes on for some time" bit, on which i originally said "This is the bit where they took drugs in the script, but they had to take it out at editing". the dvd commentary sez otherwise, but you know.

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:00 (nineteen years ago)

It's more club than rave though they did seem to wilfully confuse/blur the differences. It's corny for the most part but in an okay way (ala Human Traffic).

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:00 (nineteen years ago)

actually, i dunno. the thing is i think it's impossible to make ecstasy-eaters funny which is weird because they're a lot more lively and dynamic than stoners.

i thought the scene with tim and daisy in the chill-out room was realistic and appropriate.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:01 (nineteen years ago)

a few years back i went to a birthday in a candy raver retro sort of club (might have been Smile, can't recall) and a few friends who hadn't seen anything like it IRL kept saying "this is like that bit in spaced". then i put luminous gel in their hair

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:03 (nineteen years ago)

and the bit during the end credits where they're all coming down on the couch while matey-boy dances around. that was genuinely funny actually.

it's arguably the best spaced episode.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:03 (nineteen years ago)

i didn't like that bit

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:03 (nineteen years ago)

i really liked the equivalent bit in Peep Show recently, where Mark pretends

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:04 (nineteen years ago)

that seemed more realistic

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:05 (nineteen years ago)

pretends what?

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:06 (nineteen years ago)

and your collective opinion of Tyres?

― kingfish kuribo's shoe (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:06 (nineteen years ago)

Legend.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:08 (nineteen years ago)

i like tyres's accent. If that shit comedy script I did would have worked, he'd have been the Martin character.

That said, they ought to have done a lot more with him.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)

tyres is the most cartoonish character - practically out of the pages of viz (just remembered ravey davey)

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)

horrible teeth

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)

it's v telling that the Father Ted thread has no real criticism - as i just pointed out over there it's aged better than anything else in the last ten years, for a number of reasons.

the 'problem' for Spaced is that it can't get any hipper or more relevant than it was when it first came out, being so of it's time as it was and seemingly making a big deal about this (e.g. reliance on references to the Star Wars prequels, Matrix etc.). Spaced = Big Beat, basically.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:14 (nineteen years ago)

i think my favourite corollary of that rave sequence is Mike when the big fallout happens and Tim asks "What are we going to do?" "We could go clubbing!" and then a bit later when they've ruled stuff out "Clubbing it is!"

it's all in the facial expressions

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:15 (nineteen years ago)

I remember a lot of Star Wars, not a lot of the prequels. I get the impression that five years previous (or even now) a lot of the gags would be the same, they're just... geeks. It's UKILX the sitcom.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:23 (nineteen years ago)

Though they will live forever for the five seconds where they leave Mike alone while they're breaking into the comics company, and when they find him he's spooning instant coffee into his gob.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:24 (nineteen years ago)

I hate this thread!!!!!!!!!!!!

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:25 (nineteen years ago)

they're just... geeks

dude that's what i said y'all

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:25 (nineteen years ago)

sentences too long for you? ;) (xpost)

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

i liked it when we were talking about how great "spaced" is

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:27 (nineteen years ago)

I'll always wonder why it was put in quotation marks.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:29 (nineteen years ago)

Spaced is funny. You lot could talk the fun out of sex.

― Algernon Vang, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:29 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, let's have less talking on message boards please.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:31 (nineteen years ago)

Finally

― Algernon Vang, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:33 (nineteen years ago)

You're talking.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

My lips are sealed.

― Algernon Vang, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

The 'rave' episode has the second funniest bit of the whole series, when the cycle courier bloke starts getting into the sound of the kettle (that doesn't sound remotely funny, I know). Father Ted & Peep Show are both *much* funnier than Spaced. Spaced was kind of pleasing, rather than hilarious.

― Teh HoBB (the pirate king), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:37 (nineteen years ago)

Style over substance is a reasonable criticism re Spaced. I just really liked the style.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

oh, god. tim and daisy may be an everyman and everywoman for a lot of people, but it's for the lot of people who don't really have a slot that they fit in in the world, despite there being loads of them. (the programme isn't just for those people, either.) they're talented in their own ways - er scratch that, tim is, we never get to see daisy do anything really - more of which in a second - but those ways are not in great demand in the rest of the world. they're too bright to be office/shop drones, too creative to be tech-heads, too geeky to swan in and succeed in the hip ends of the spectrum of what they do do, too insecure/not breezeblockheaded enough to do same, daisy is too lazy/given to procrastinating/afraid of failing to ever carve herself out a place in her chosen bit of the world (so long as she isn't really *trying*, then she can keep thinking she could if she really worked at it - we don't know if she could or not, but we know she can be quick and genuinely deliberately funny), neither of them care enough about money more than good times enough to want to do high-powered CAREER-careers, they don't feel the world is arsed enough about them for them to be arsed enough about the world to really want to join in anyway. the way the society they/we live in is stratified means they aren't really catered for, so they kind of fumble along through the bureaucratic bits of life and find themselves swept up by the chaotic bits, but they find real intellectual and emotional sustenance and support and recognition in each other and their motley collection of friends, each of whom has fallen through the cracks as they have, but for different reasons. they're not part of mainstream society or any of the different variants of elite society, but they don't really give a fuck about that, and i don't think they feel alienated. why would they?

sometimes it's sad, sometimes it's warm, sometimes it's joyous, it's never bleak. sure, it's partly about recognition, but not necessarily self-recognition. you recognise them as real in a way you recognise any of the characters in 'friends' as absolutely unreal (and thank FUCK for that, imagine if the 'friends' friends were your friends? i would slit my fucking own throat if they were mine. after i'd done all theirs first), you recognise the world they live in as real. it's about friendship, and getting through all the stuff that's expected of you, and trying to have a good time while you do it. it's about the fact that sometimes the things that drive people and that they're really obsessed with doing, they're a bit inept at really (bryan). it's about there being life after fucking up (mike). it's about loneliness (marsha). it's about people who look perfect not necessarily being any happier than people who don't and not getting everything they want (twist). but er then, really it isn't serious enough to be ABOUT any of those things, which is great because it would be terrible if it tried to be. it's there to make you laugh, and it's there to make you glad of your friends.

um, i fucking LOVE spaced.

― emsk ( emsk), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 20:21 (nineteen years ago)

nice post emsk, but...

and thank FUCK for that, imagine if the 'friends' friends were your friends? i would slit my fucking own throat if they were mine. after i'd done all theirs first

...as i mentioned, most of my friends make people like Bryan look like an MP, I'm not joking ;-)

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 00:35 (nineteen years ago)

I fucking LOVE emsk.

NB please learn to read, Mr Latin. Or quote a bit of the post that has relevance to what you're saying.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 01:23 (nineteen years ago)

oh right, "friends". ok i didn't understand it.

ok i was too lazy to read it properly.

hey it's 2am! fuck!

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 01:49 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone who doesn't like ... Woody Allen is basically an anti-semite.

what about people who don't like pedophiles?

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 07:02 (nineteen years ago)

(I am just trying to stir shit)

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 07:02 (nineteen years ago)

DOG LATIN HAS WACKY FRIENDS Y'ALL THEY BE KERAAAAAAZEEEEY

― the kit! (g-kit), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 08:50 (nineteen years ago)

before i get to the bottom of the thread: does anyone explain why we're talking about 'curb'? what does 'curb' have to do with anything?!

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 09:19 (nineteen years ago)

emsk's post made the whole thread worthwhile, though.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 09:25 (nineteen years ago)

-- Sororah T Massacre (stevem7...), January 17th, 2006.

this is also otm.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 09:27 (nineteen years ago)

i'll just go shoot myself, yeh?

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 09:54 (nineteen years ago)

i liked emsk's post a lot, but curiously it made me like 'spaced' less, because it kind of indulged the sort of people she was very accurately describing, and i dunno if they deserve it.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 09:58 (nineteen years ago)

DOG LATIN HAS WACKY FRIENDS Y'ALL THEY BE KERAAAAAAZEEEEY

yeh yeh yeh, i knew i'd get this.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 09:59 (nineteen years ago)

emsk OTFM!

Why should modern comedy have to be dark and edgy? Spaced was innovative in its own way, not least in its distinctly non-trad filming techniques, quick edits etc. And while some of the references will inevitably date the characters will not. I was at uni when the show first aired and all the stuff about Resident Evil and Hawk The Slayer ("a big pile of shit!") resonated. A few years on, watching the series again on DVD, the what-to-do-with-my-life-now-I'm-in-my-mid-20s themes really hit home, although even there there's a warmth and self-deprecating quality to balance the frustration.
The show's warmth and fun make it perfect hangover viewing too.

― stew!, Wednesday, 18 January 2006 10:06 (nineteen years ago)

otm. i watched the whole second series on a new year's comedown tucked up in bed with my g/f a year or two ago and it was perrrrfect!

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 10:08 (nineteen years ago)

It wa Babylon 5 that was the big pile of shit, Hawk The Slayer was merely rubbish [/lame pedant]

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 10:29 (nineteen years ago)

GET OUT OF MY SHOP!

― stew!, Wednesday, 18 January 2006 11:31 (nineteen years ago)

wow, thank you people.

i liked emsk's post a lot, but curiously it made me like 'spaced' less, because it kind of indulged the sort of people she was very accurately describing, and i dunno if they deserve it.

is it indulging them though, or just representing them? it's not self-congratulatory or aggressive or "we are the underclass of the middleclass! weep for us!" or repraZENT in any way, it's just kind of "yeah, um, here we are". and as we've seen upthread, there are plenty of people who'll just think they're losers, plenty who'll think "OMG this is for ME about ME omg".

it's been WAY too long since i watched this.

― emsk ( emsk), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 11:37 (nineteen years ago)

I've realised I can't watch Spaced these days, simply becasue they're burned onto my brain. The 1st episode esp, it's like having deja vu. The only one I can watch now, and it still make me laugh, is the clubbing one, everything else kinda dies.

Oh, and let me join the chorus. Emsk, as usual, OTM.

― Johnny B Was Quizzical (Johnney B), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 11:40 (nineteen years ago)

is it indulging them though, or just representing them? it's not self-congratulatory or aggressive or "we are the underclass of the middleclass! weep for us!"

OTM

I'm sure plenty of us on here are in our mid-20s, arts graduates and not quite sure what they want to do or struggling to make it in their chosen field. We don't expect people to weep for us, cos things could be a whole lot worse, but we're a bit frustrated and disillusioned all the same.
Spaced also nails the dilemma of growing up vs youthful fun, but does it in a light-hearted, witty manner. Indeed, it suggests the two needn't be mutually exclusive.

― stew!, Wednesday, 18 January 2006 12:15 (nineteen years ago)

i don't really like the Robot Wars/Flight Club episode. Reece Shearsmith just about saves it.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 12:47 (nineteen years ago)

i never thought of da. i ought to buy the second series.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 12:51 (nineteen years ago)

second series might be better? it has that amazing one where they go to camden.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 12:53 (nineteen years ago)

that amazing one where they go to camden is my absolute hands-down favourite of all.

― emsk ( emsk), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

i have seen it, and i liked it. i think it kind of solidifies the whole thing. the wee documentary about spaced where at the end Simon Pegg and Whatserchops knock on the door of the house they filmed it all in and no-one answers but then when they leave, Tim and Daisy come out the door - is very charming.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

but also UBER-LAME, ha ha

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 12:59 (nineteen years ago)

Second series is stronger over all. First series takes a couple of episodes to really get going (but then that's the case with Father Ted too).
The shoot out in the Camden ep is glorious. Funny and poignant.

Other great Spaced moments: Brian painting to the sounds of pain, Marsha's alternative life if she hadn't become a lush, Vulva (best thing Walliams has done, easily), War Bastard, pin balling, "I'm not a monster Tim", the One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest kitchen...

― stew!, Wednesday, 18 January 2006 13:00 (nineteen years ago)

Brian's gleeful face when he opens his door to Tim, expecting Father Christmas

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 13:24 (nineteen years ago)

"it's from the DKNY sale I boughtitTODAY!"

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

my fave thing is probably still the artist dude explaining his work to people, with the flash-cuts.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

or similarly when Brian has the painting block; "have you tried approaching the canvas in a different way?" and then it shows clips of various 'canvas approach methods'

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

Pin balling should of course read paint balling! D'oh!

― stew!, Wednesday, 18 January 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

And the food fight is FILMED IN SPAIN

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

I didn't understand the reference at first, when they're in the restaurant with that man playing the piano.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

cozen says I should read this thread but I am not convinced

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

you've ruined it, ruiner.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 15:02 (nineteen years ago)

my fave thing is probably still the artist dude explaining his work to people, with the flash-cuts

Vulva (best thing Walliams has done, easily),

I really didn't like these bits. Performance art is such an easy target I'm surprised they bothered. It probably worked a lot better on paper than on screen. And why-oh-why did they need to do Brian's explanation exactly the same way twice in the same series?

I guess I found the Brian character the least funny because he's very boringly mental as opposed to actually proper mental. He doesn't strike me as an artist really and would have been better as a crackpot inventor, given his character traits.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 15:56 (nineteen years ago)

And why-oh-why did they need to do Brian's explanation exactly the same way twice in the same series?

it's funny to repeat things, sometimes.

i with withhold my views on dog latin's conception of "proper" versus "fake" mentalism. he is a rockalist.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

"I'm using my penis...do you want to see?"

I liked Paul Kaye in that episode.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:00 (nineteen years ago)

i dunno really. something about brian doesn't ring true for me. i guess it's because i live with someone very similar who happens to have 4sp3rg3r's and is all the more chaotic and shy and basically strange on the outside but really cool when he gets used to you. Brian's like an unconvincing copy of him. I guess it's all subjective in this case.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:02 (nineteen years ago)

I didn't think of Brian as something I had to be 'convinced' of. Nor Vulva.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

Brian's one of my fave characters as he totally reminds me of my art friend, in almost every way.

"do you live upstairs?"
"do you mean am i gay?"

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:07 (nineteen years ago)

If people could please stop giving Dog Latin opportunitues to talk about his karayzee friends, the thread will move along that much faster.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:18 (nineteen years ago)

what is this? pick on me day?

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:31 (nineteen years ago)

decade ;)

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:35 (nineteen years ago)

Howcum The Office picked up more steam in the U.S. as a cult phenom than Spaced did? The series is completely something that most american geeks would love & identify with.

Is it just that one has a more universal premise than the other? Did it have anything to do with the fact that one show came along later, when things like filesharing networks were far more established?

― kingfish kuribo's shoe (kingfish 2.0), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:37 (nineteen years ago)

There. I'm so upset I've changed my name now, happy?!

― Louis Giomblechett (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:38 (nineteen years ago)

The Office had proper BBC clout behind it plus was scheduled better in the UK (Spaced was shown by Channel 4 on a Friday night when a lot of people who would enjoy it would most likely be out). I don't know if BBC America showed Spaced as they did with Father Ted but they should've.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:45 (nineteen years ago)

i think 'the office' has more universal appeal.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:46 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, even though it will have reminded many people of the sad, annoying, desperately trying to fit in co-workers who have to be invited out for drinks because they're basically good-hearted yet everyone is praying that they can't make it and arguing over who's going to get stuck sitting with them.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:49 (nineteen years ago)

Yeh, I hadn't even seen Spaced until about 2003.
xpost

― Louis Giomblechett and his kerayzy friends (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:51 (nineteen years ago)

Howcum The Office picked up more steam in the U.S. as a cult phenom than Spaced did? The series is completely something that most american geeks would love & identify with.

because Spaced has never run on american television

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:52 (nineteen years ago)

i wish my co-workers were unemployed.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

there are a lot of pedants on this board. I WON'T MENTION ANY NAMES!!

― Louis Giomblechett and his kerayzy friends (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:56 (nineteen years ago)

because I'm one of them.

― Louis Giomblechett and his kerayzy friends (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 16:56 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

Spaced: let's talk about it.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:29 (eighteen years ago)

Very very odd to watch the repeats last night on C4. It was never an absolute laughfest, but as said previously this week you sacrifice laughs for making the characters likeable. Also seems very of its time, the idea that you'd contact someone with a house phone rather than a mobile dates it very rapidly. Daisy also a much more fully realised character than Tim, even though Jess Stevenson mugs her way through the show even more than Pegg does.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:32 (eighteen years ago)

i like simon pegg but i don't like spaced. he was funny bantering with nick frost and talking about how he fancied some bloke cos he looked like his dad.

― Frogman Henry, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:35 (eighteen years ago)

i larfed like a drain even though i know the clubbing episode line by line. this = great comic timing, performances and editing

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:38 (eighteen years ago)

(ok, not actually like a drain.)

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:38 (eighteen years ago)

Why have Channel 4 been so shy on repeating Spaced? Because it was part-financed by Paramount? DVDs must have sold well enough, I see them in enough collections.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:40 (eighteen years ago)

also it's free on on demand!

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:43 (eighteen years ago)

probably *because* the dvds sell well, dom.

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:44 (eighteen years ago)

That's not exactly stopped repeats of Little Britain or The Office though, has it?

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:45 (eighteen years ago)

when was The Office last repeated?

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:47 (eighteen years ago)

maybe it's a pegg thing. i don't think 'big train' has EVER been repeated.

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:47 (eighteen years ago)

in my mind i always link spaced up with my older cousin going on about how great human traffic and music has the right to children were... is this linkage in any way correct?

-- acrobat, Thursday, 10 May 2007 15:06 (10 minutes ago)

i still needs answers. that clubbing episode made a lot more sense once i had done some 1998ing.

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:47 (eighteen years ago)

when was The Office last repeated?

It's been repeated over the Christmas period on BBC2 for the last three years.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:50 (eighteen years ago)

Big Train goes on UKTVG2 so no 'need' for BBC2 to wheel it back out.
Spaced has been repeated on Paramount and E4 before.

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:51 (eighteen years ago)

i never really connected the three tbh. one is po-faced and hip, one is funny and unhip, one is unfunny and unhip.

xpost

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:51 (eighteen years ago)

same cultural moment? post britpop revival of dance music? cheap pills? cargo trousers? carhartts?

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:54 (eighteen years ago)

not really.

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:55 (eighteen years ago)

Spaced and Human Nature are the only two representations of late 90s cultural life that people talk about though, right?

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:56 (eighteen years ago)

I mean, Tim still has a PS1.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:56 (eighteen years ago)

the biggest thing about watching that clubbing ep is how I've changed in watching it over the years. when it came out, it was "yes, this is what it's like, well done them, and ha ha" to now "oh, those were the days, i was a young man myself once, oh yes, and ha ha" sad, but not sad

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:57 (eighteen years ago)

"clubbing it is"

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:58 (eighteen years ago)

i met the director of 'human traffic'. i can't remember the deal with that film but the producer was a really shady guy and the director was pretty much a film student. i think it's a shoddy film. i don't think he'd ever heard of boards of canada, though id i'd known about this thread i'd have asked him. i also doubt pegg and stevenson had ever heard of them or, indeed, gone to a club that didn't play indie music. i don't think it represented clubbing so well.

Spaced and Human Nature are the only two representations of late 90s cultural life that people talk about though, right?

-- Dom Passantino, Monday, May 14, 2007 12:56 PM (1 minute ago)

i... don't know. there was that thing 'loved up' i guess.

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 09:59 (eighteen years ago)

"ooooh Tinseltown..."

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:00 (eighteen years ago)

does anyone were converse in spaced?

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:01 (eighteen years ago)

*wear

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:01 (eighteen years ago)

The characters in Spaced never talk about music, mainly because this would probably have showed the scripts up. Pegg isn't as "hip" as Tim, a Tim-character around that time would have been listen to, I dunno, DJ Vadim or something. When we finally get music-talk written by Simon Pegg (in Shaun of the Dead) it's all "lol dire straits suck amirite?"

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:04 (eighteen years ago)

Human Traffic and Spaced have a lot in common stylistically. If Pegg and Stephenson had never been to a dance club ever I doubt they would've written the episode so that it involved their characters going to one.

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:04 (eighteen years ago)

Were the lost children of Britpop filtering into the clubs and doing E in 98/99 then?

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:05 (eighteen years ago)

I mean, I *assume* they were, but I was still listening to The Living End at the time so I wouldn't know.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:06 (eighteen years ago)

Pegg isn't as "hip" as Tim, a Tim-character around that time would have been listen to, I dunno, DJ Vadim or something. When we finally get music-talk written by Simon Pegg (in Shaun of the Dead) it's all "lol dire straits suck amirite?"

interesting points -- but there is that ep where they play prefab sprout etc. they know they're not cool. and of the many tens of thousands of comix geeks out there probably only a couple hundred listened to dj vadim.

If Pegg and Stephenson had never been to a dance club ever I doubt they would've written the episode so that it involved their characters going to one.

they seemed more naturally at home in that pub in camden. pegg is or was v conscious of his need to "write to and for his generation" and i reckon he felt he had to put clubbbing in.

Were the lost children of Britpop filtering into the clubs and doing E in 98/99 then?

-- Dom Passantino, Monday, May 14, 2007 1:05 PM (2 minutes ago)

WELCOME TO BIG BEAT

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:09 (eighteen years ago)

why did you dudes chase dog latin away?

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:10 (eighteen years ago)

for me, living in london at the time, going to odd clubs and doing naughty drugs and talking bollox and all that, it was a spot on depiction.

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:11 (eighteen years ago)

we're trying to get him to move in with jag-lou, and maybe write a sitcom based on it.

xpost

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:12 (eighteen years ago)

the 'moral' of brian's introduction to loved-up vs boozed-up dancing/clubbin more concisely (in two tiny echoed scenes) summed up what it was all about better than many longer docs and films

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:13 (eighteen years ago)

WELCOME TO BIG BEAT

I thought the thing about big beat was that it was fuelled by alcohol and not narcotics, which is why the lads mags liked it?

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:17 (eighteen years ago)

When we finally get music-talk written by Simon Pegg (in Shaun of the Dead) it's all "lol dire straits suck amirite?"

Wellll - it's a bit better than that. References to Prince's "Batman" soundtrack, "Blue Monday", "Second Coming" and "it's not hip-hop, it's electro". Sight gags about Merzbow and Os Mutantes a bit thin on the ground, but it's hardly Ben Elton.

― Michael Jones, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:19 (eighteen years ago)

The two music videos Pegg and Frost chose last night were Art of Noise and BLIND MELON

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:23 (eighteen years ago)

I thought the thing about big beat was that it was fuelled by alcohol and not narcotics, which is why the lads mags liked it?

depends what kind of Big Beat you're talking about. it started off very k and amyl.

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:24 (eighteen years ago)

their thing last night looked v ropey. i hope they DIDN'T have a script and were just riffing mostly. Pegg did manage to make me lol when Frost was playing the pinball and Pegg stood there clicking his fingers and doing a little dance. thought this must be from some film.

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:25 (eighteen years ago)

What kind of big beat were the indie kids listening to?

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:26 (eighteen years ago)

lol low it was. and no "Northern Exposure"?

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:27 (eighteen years ago)

I thought the thing about big beat was that it was fuelled by alcohol and not narcotics, which is why the lads mags liked it?

-- Dom Passantino, Monday, May 14, 2007 1:17 PM (6 minutes ago)

well yeah maybe -- later on anyway -- but that might've been part of its appeal to oasis fans. having said that in the provincial town i grew up in it's not like alcohol wasn't a big part of clubbing in whatever genre.

What kind of big beat were the indie kids listening to?

-- Dom Passantino, Monday, May 14, 2007 1:26 PM (5 seconds ago)

ooh let's see, 'life is sweet' and 'setting sun'.

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:27 (eighteen years ago)

kidding. it was possible to like different types of music in the 90s, it was a crazy time.

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:28 (eighteen years ago)

Very disappointed with the show last night, in particular the way they started off sneering at other clip shows that "just go aaah", but then themselves didn't even manage to articulate THAT. The best thing was Simon Pegg's advert for BUTTERCUP coff medicine.

Also no-one cares you live in Crouch End, anyone who has even been north of the loathsome river has drunk in the same pub as Simon "bash the" Pegg so play a new record ffs.

(I liked BIG BEAT! A friend did me a big beat MIX TAPE! Which I bet I would still like if I listened to it now, hey, maybe I will listen to it tonight)!

― Sarah, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:29 (eighteen years ago)

you can come to my big beat revival club night. it will take place in a SCOUT HUT.

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:31 (eighteen years ago)

I AM THERE

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:32 (eighteen years ago)

Track listing
"Warm Up Music" (0:08)
"Theme Of Luxury" - Fantastic Plastic Machine (1:05)
"Count Five Or Six" - Cornelius (3:03)
"Beat Goes On" - All Seeing I (4:00)
"We're A Couple" (0:04)
"Gritty Shaker" - David Holmes (6:10)
"Smash It" - Fuzz Townshend (4:17)
"There Must Be An Angel" - Fantastic Plastic Machine (3:58)
"It's Over" (0:05)
"Homespin Rerun (Kid Loco Space Raid Remix) - High Llamas (7:47)
"We're Gonna Get Our Dog Back" (0:05)
"Absurd (Whitewash Edit)" - Fluke (3:39)
"More Beats And Pieces" - Coldcut (4:03)
"Morse" - Nightmares On Wax (6:20)
"If We Have It They Will Come" (0:04)
"Bobby Dazzler" - Sons Of Silence (4:53)
"Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp (Chemical Brothers Remix)" - Mercury Rev (6:22)
"Disco Fudge" (0:13)
"Synth And Strings" - Yomanda (3:18)
"Test Card" - Fuzz Townshend (3:30)
"This Party Is Rubbish" (0:04)
"King Of Rock And Roll" - Prefab Sprout (4:23)
"S'Il Vous Plait - Fantastic Plastic Machine (5:39)
"Fake Sex Noises" (0:08)

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:33 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.leftfield-online.co.uk/images/discography/scan/brithop.jpg

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:33 (eighteen years ago)

it's a shame there isn't a Skins OST to compare that with.

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:36 (eighteen years ago)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_music_featured_in_Skins

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:36 (eighteen years ago)

I love Fantastic Plastic Machine and Kid Loco and the All Seeing I and probably the High Llamas if I'd just buy one of their records FFS.

― Sarah, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:37 (eighteen years ago)

bloody hell how many songs? what a waste of money (xp)

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:38 (eighteen years ago)

hell of a lot of late-90s-friendly stuff there.

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:39 (eighteen years ago)

"Easy Muffin" by Amon Tobin
"The Crane Wife 3" by The Decemberists
"Get Your Snack On" by Amon Tobin
"Verbal" by Amon Tobin
"Positive Tension" by Bloc Party
"Gadje Sirba" by A Hawk and a Hacksaw
"Broken Boy Soldier" by The Raconteurs
"Hello Again" by Neil Diamond

That might be the worst soundtrack ever.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:40 (eighteen years ago)

'Verbal' is v Spaced.

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:40 (eighteen years ago)

"Effy"
"Keep Loving Me" by The Draytones
"Your Heart Is So Loud" by Colleen et les Boîtes à Musique
"Knife" by Grizzly Bear (band)
"Sheepdog" by Mando Diao
"Reprise" by Grizzly Bear (band)
"Ancient Delay" by Wolf Eyes
"Under Me Sensi" by Barrington Levy
"Colourful" by Skream
"Ancient Memories" by Skream
"On A Neck, On A Spit" by Grizzly Bear (band)
"For Lovers" by Pete Doherty and Wolfman
"0800 Dub" by Skream
"Dragonfly" by M. Craft
"Close your eyes" by Micah P. Hinson
"Ancient Delay" by Wolf Eyes from Burned Mind album

Dubstep! Noize! Freak folk! Doherty! Zeitgeist! Stylus staff messageboard!

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:41 (eighteen years ago)

"Under Me Sensi" by Barrington Levy

This is a good song.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:43 (eighteen years ago)

did they just use 3 seconds of each song and then fade out ala Daria?

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:45 (eighteen years ago)

Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp (Chemical Brothers Remix)" - Mercury Rev

i have the spaced album but don't remember this track

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:46 (eighteen years ago)

Annie Chewing Gum was on Psych!

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:46 (eighteen years ago)

dubstep was played at the party which effy taken to when she was kidnapped by the klaxons. then there was noize when she got drugged and they tried to make tony sex her even though she is his sister.

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:48 (eighteen years ago)

Skins: not as good as Daria.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:49 (eighteen years ago)

skins is wicked. my younger brothers friends look like the cast of skins. at least their myspace photos do.

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:52 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.fabriclondon.com/press/beta/uploads/forthcoming/hadouken.jpg

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:55 (eighteen years ago)

is amon tobin still around or is the skins music-chooser a late-90s guy?

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:59 (eighteen years ago)

can't really see the characters in the show digging him out.

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:59 (eighteen years ago)

Doesn't he make music for video games now?

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:00 (eighteen years ago)

no that's Neil Diamond

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:01 (eighteen years ago)

pix ain't working for me. sorry.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Spaced is pedestrian unfunny shit and I'd be happy to take up the challenge to write something better than that twaddle.

-- dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 6 October 2003 17:51 (3 years ago)

Man, I must have just not been listening when they had the jokes in Spaced...
I still still can't see why the characters would be likeable - they just seem really sad and uncomfortable, like turning up to the worst party ever. Simon Pegg's character is an irritating wannabe-trendy twat; Jessica Stevenson's is just such a sad case that every time she says anything that's supposed to be funny even the other characters in the show can't bring themselves to give more than an embarassed shrug; the "eccentric" artist guy is a pinnacle of manners and sociability compared to a lot of people I know; the landlady is just fucking so irritating I want to kill her; the army guy is an ugly fucker with no charisma or funny-ness to him (oh look he's jumping around in a leotard, how witty! If I'd wanted to see a panto I'd've gone to the Gordon Craig in Stevenage. But I didn't); and Twist is also very very annoying. Maybe they'd be easier to bear with if they were more clearly defined but it seems that the writers couldn't be bothered to write anything less wooly than "Oh, there's one sad girl and one sad bloke and a girl who diets and an army guy and a mad dude".

The few jokes they manage to crowbar into the lifeless plot fall flat because they just go on forever. You can see them coming a million miles away:
I'd never noticed that if you jump up and down on a bed it makes sex noises! Have you ever noticed how men never grow up and still read comics and ride skateboards? No I hadn't picked up on that facet of life till Spaced told me about it again. Clubbing is crap but can be funny too - of course Human Traffic was crap but somehow Spaced did exactly the same thing, was just as embarassing and fucking boring but for some reason people liked it. Oh yeah, performance art is really weird too isn't it?

Maybe it's because I don't live in London that I just don't get this show?

-- dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 01:06 (3 years ago)

i thought that dude would have loved spaced. how wrong i was.

― acrobat, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:02 (eighteen years ago)

he didn't like it, then he did.

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:02 (eighteen years ago)

I'd be happy to take up the challenge to write something better than that twaddle.

he sure showed them!

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:03 (eighteen years ago)

the "eccentric" artist guy is a pinnacle of manners and sociability compared to a lot of people I know

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:03 (eighteen years ago)

paging dog latin for real

― That one guy that quit, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:04 (eighteen years ago)

Tim should have had a pet dog possessed by the ghost of a PIRATE. That would have got Funky DL's vote.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:04 (eighteen years ago)

oh yeah and people being funny, and jokes are funny - like i need a tv show to tell me that. pshaw

― Alan, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:05 (eighteen years ago)

haha i have that "brit hop and amyl house" comp. - it is FANTASTIC!! "lobotomie" by emmanuel top in particular

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:08 (eighteen years ago)

that peep show thing closed on saturday, bah.

― CharlieNo4, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:16 (eighteen years ago)

Pegg isn't as "hip" as Tim, a Tim-character around that time would have been listen to, I dunno, DJ Vadim or something. When we finally get music-talk written by Simon Pegg (in Shaun of the Dead) it's all "lol dire straits suck amirite?"

Streetsounds Electro #3* was the first album he ever bought, and the house is fucking covered in Ninja Tune posters! possibly even including Vadim.

*or whichever

― energy flash gordon, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:45 (eighteen years ago)

Do you think that was Pegg's doing or the work of a set-designer, though?

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:48 (eighteen years ago)

I mean, I'd wager a heavy amount of money that Simon Pegg's favourite single ever is either "Fool's Gold" or "There She Goes"

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:48 (eighteen years ago)

was it already mentioned that Pegg plays a character called Geir in the film Free Jimmy?

― blueski, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:57 (eighteen years ago)

Ha ha, no way!

― Tom D., Tuesday, 15 May 2007 10:00 (eighteen years ago)

favourite single ever is either "Fool's Gold"

"Second Coming."
"I like it!"

you can't have it both ways Dom, he wrote the record-tossing scene but he also wrote the Streetsounds gags. (unless Wright did. but maybe Wright wrote all the "dire straits lol" stuff since he didn't write Spaced and now could insert his HIDEOUS INDIE INFLUENCE.)

― energy flash gordon, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:01 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.spaced-out.org.uk/about-spaced/interviews/simon/onelist.shtml

Do you have any favourite bands?
I listen to lots of music, I don't really have a favourite band. The bands I'm listening to at the moment are Sneaker Pimps, Day One, Rage Against the Machine, Dark Star, Underworld. The soundtrack to the film 'Ron Lola Run' is fabulous. Basically anything but pop.

― onimo, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:13 (eighteen years ago)

Basically anything but pop

LOL

― Tom D., Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:15 (eighteen years ago)

wow, 1999 flashback! Dark Star! Day fucking One!

― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:17 (eighteen years ago)

chortleX0r!!

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:19 (eighteen years ago)

Fuckin' Day One. Man they disappeared awfully quickly. I still like In your Life though... I am sad.

― kv_nol, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:14 (eighteen years ago)

You can believe in socialism, or any theorism.... BUT IT STOPS RIGHT THERE.

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:14 (eighteen years ago)

I remember 'Graceadelica'. beating Kasabian at a game they weren't around at the time to be bold enough to play etc.

― blueski, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:21 (eighteen years ago)

i have an mp3 of the 'Imperial March' breakbeat thing they used in the dog rescue episode. it's still ace.

― blueski, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:23 (eighteen years ago)

The guy who did most of the music for Spaced is the same guy who wrote "Crocodile Shoes" for Jimmy Nail.

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:24 (eighteen years ago)

Paddy McAloon?

― Tom D., Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:25 (eighteen years ago)

Guy Pratt. I got the Jimmy Nail single wrong, he wrote "Ain't No Doubt"

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:31 (eighteen years ago)

also long-time member of both The Orb and Pink Floyd. and the bloke who did that mobile phone record with Jimmy Cauty. formerly in Icehouse. trufax.

― energy flash gordon, Friday, 18 May 2007 09:38 (eighteen years ago)

I didn't know he'd done Spaced tho.

― energy flash gordon, Friday, 18 May 2007 09:38 (eighteen years ago)

I have no recollection of Spaced music. Every time I try I get Hollyoaks instead.

― ledge, Friday, 18 May 2007 09:39 (eighteen years ago)

ha ha the mobile phone thingy must be about the only thing he hasn't listed on his website!

― energy flash gordon, Friday, 18 May 2007 09:55 (eighteen years ago)

i wanna one-2-one with you! i bought that :-)

― CharlieNo4, Friday, 18 May 2007 10:17 (eighteen years ago)

five months pass...

Oh noes!

― James Mitchell, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 13:50 (seventeen years ago)

Haw

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 13:52 (seventeen years ago)

oh jesus no. other than the office, the US hasn't matched/improved a british series in many years, they need to stop.

― akm, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 13:52 (seventeen years ago)

Skins: not as good as Daria.
-- Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:49 (5 months ago) Bookmark Link

^^^OTM

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 13:57 (seventeen years ago)

eight months pass...

finally getting a Region 1/American release

DVD

Spaced Series 1 and 2 were both released on DVD in the UK, followed by a boxset which collects the previously released single-series DVDs and adds a bonus disc with a feature length documentary "Skip to the End" behind the scenes of the show and a music video by Osymyso.

Music rights issues long prevented the release of "Spaced" in Region 1 (U.S. and Canada), and despite the raised profile that resulted from Pegg and Wright's movies from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, no DVDs surfaced between 2004 and 2007. In an interview, it was suggested a deal with Anchor Bay Entertainment failed to come to fruition over the music rights.

On May 6th, 2008, Edgar Wright posted to his blog the press release finally announcing "Spaced" for US DVD on July 22, 2008 via distributor BBC Video. It will include an all-new commentary with Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Jessica Hynes and special guests Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Bill Hader, Matt Stone, Patton Oswalt, and Diablo Cody. Other supplemental features include the original commentaries, the "Skip to the End" documentary, outtakes, deleted scenes, and raw footage.[8]

― kingfish, Sunday, 6 July 2008 08:39 (sixteen years ago)

One can only hope it's as entertaining and drunk as the commentary for "Cannibal! the musical" was

― kingfish, Sunday, 6 July 2008 08:44 (sixteen years ago)

This should be fun and I am very excited to attend.

― f. hazel, Sunday, 6 July 2008 08:52 (sixteen years ago)

Damn Drafthouse. Only place on the continent that can compete with Portland.

― kingfish, Sunday, 6 July 2008 08:57 (sixteen years ago)

six months pass...

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article5617867.ece

"I like to think of myself,” Hynes says, at one point, “as an older, fatter, seedier, less successful Kate Winslet."

Gotta be LBZC WS Lifetime Achievement Hall of Fame.

― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics), Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:32 (sixteen years ago)

HELL YES

― This is ILXOR, we do what we like (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:34 (sixteen years ago)

(Spaced is shit btw.)

― This is ILXOR, we do what we like (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:35 (sixteen years ago)

nick frost is rubbish.

― special guest stars mark bronson, Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:36 (sixteen years ago)

I love it and Nick frost was hilarious in it.

xp
All of which I prefer over the crazy Winslet and her teary actressness.

― The Unbelievably Insensitive Baroness Vadera (Ned Trifle II), Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:38 (sixteen years ago)

nick frost is ok playing simon pegg's flatmate.

― special guest stars mark bronson, Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:39 (sixteen years ago)

Nick Frost is rubbish.

― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics), Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:40 (sixteen years ago)

im not gonna say this show is shit, i just don't want to watch it.

― special guest stars mark bronson, Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:43 (sixteen years ago)

Actually that's a fairer and more measured response, yeah. But it epitomises the "not actually funny but lol they mention stuff I like like comics and Star Wars so it must be sooooo awesome" lifestyle comedy bullshit that can go suck a nut for being Terry and June in disguise for me.

― This is ILXOR, we do what we like (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:45 (sixteen years ago)

Still, J. Hynes WS 4ever hundred percent true idst

― This is ILXOR, we do what we like (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:46 (sixteen years ago)

not even, but i respecty your choices.

i've never been into comic books, star wars, horror movies, or computer games, so me liking this was a bit of an anomaly anyway.

― special guest stars mark bronson, Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:50 (sixteen years ago)

respect

― special guest stars mark bronson, Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:51 (sixteen years ago)

Watched a couple of episodes recently and the jokes were still good but the constant rushing around of the camera has become irritating, although probably more due to having seen that type of effect a millions times now.

― The Unbelievably Insensitive Baroness Vadera (Ned Trifle II), Sunday, 1 February 2009 11:53 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

Any thoughts on Lizzie and Sarah. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rq3c2. I lolled.

― caek, Sunday, 21 March 2010 14:48 (fifteen years ago)

too uncomfortable, turned off after 12 minutes. should i perserve?

― take me to your lemur (ledge), Sunday, 21 March 2010 15:34 (fifteen years ago)

Not sure. The end of the first episode implies this is maybe just the first act, and it seems like it is about to get a bit sillier/less relentlessly bleak. It gets pretty ridic in the last ten minutes of the first ep tbh.

― caek, Sunday, 21 March 2010 15:38 (fifteen years ago)

no one else? seems like the kind of thing you would like, lj.

― caek, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 10:29 (fifteen years ago)

saw a few minutes of it and found the performances bad. i've never really got the whole depressing comedy thing but it seemed a but desperate and not really believable.

― jed_, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 10:39 (fifteen years ago)

I watched it SUnday night. I know what you mean about "comedy without laughing" but I've never really minded that. All the familiar alt-com faces were great. I'm kinda hoping *mini-spoiler* all the actors that were shot last week come back as different characters.

I'm not sure about "not really believable" - is League of Gentlemen believable? In the same way as LOG was a comedy of grotesque, I suppose L&S is a David Lynch version, finding the darkness in everyday suburbia. Not a new twist at all, but one I enjoy, and I thought it was executed pretty well. Certainly not bad performances for me.

Lots of potential here definitely. First thing that Jessica Hynes has been in since Spaced that I didn't think was terrible.

― NotEnough, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 10:59 (fifteen years ago)

I did lol at

"I'm busy."
"What are you doing?"
"Counting the days till I die."

― take me to your lemur (ledge), Tuesday, 23 March 2010 11:01 (fifteen years ago)

This was utter shite. No wonder the knives are out for the BBC.

― The Oort Locker (Tom D.), Tuesday, 23 March 2010 11:02 (fifteen years ago)

is League of Gentlemen believable?

for the most part, yes.

― jed_, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 11:05 (fifteen years ago)

^ also it's actually funny sometimes

too uncomfortable, turned off after 12 minutes. should i perserve?

Or persevere? No need to, this surely won't get commissioned.

― The Oort Locker (Tom D.), Tuesday, 23 March 2010 11:05 (fifteen years ago)

Not sure whether airing the pilot is a sure sign of a series to follow or whether sticking it out at 11:45 on a Sat night is basically burying it. Good to see Cann on TV again. Really wasn't sure for the first half but the daftness of proceedings after the pub encounter redeemed it. I thought Davis and Hynes were pretty great.

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 11:07 (fifteen years ago)

fwiw i loathe league of gentleman for what but i didn't hate this

― caek, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 11:21 (fifteen years ago)

try again

fwiw i loathe league of gentleman for what i think are some of the same reasons people don't like lizzie and sarah, but i didn't hate lizzie and sarah and would watch another episode. i mean it's better than bbc3 comedy, right?

― caek, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 11:22 (fifteen years ago)

No. What are these same reasons you speak of? Being "dark"? I don't find LoG very dark. Or just not being funny? Worst thing about LoG is repetition, different wigs+make up, but fundamentally the same characters over and over again.

― The Oort Locker (Tom D.), Tuesday, 23 March 2010 11:26 (fifteen years ago)

yes, i was referring to that whole being dark/very black humour, which relative to pretty much any other tv comedy you care to name, both this and LoG are. maybe you kill kittens on the regular, or live in scotland, so they are not dark to you, which is fair enough.

― caek, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 12:35 (fifteen years ago)

LoG's far too silly to be really dark, I think

― The Oort Locker (Tom D.), Tuesday, 23 March 2010 12:39 (fifteen years ago)

saw a few minutes of it and found the performances bad.

this is a criticism i don't get. is it shorthand for "not for me" (which i have no problem with btw. i didn't find it very funny either.) but the performances were pretty good, particularly in terms of the ~~~serious acting~~~ the script called for, and the delivery of the gags was not bad, was it?

― caek, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 12:40 (fifteen years ago)

This was utter shite. No wonder the knives are out for the BBC.

This is clearly the reason...

― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 23 March 2010 12:43 (fifteen years ago)

ten months pass...

Getting into slow-mo action scene fights with strangers on the escalators on the Tube is one of life's greatest pleasures.

― 전승 Complete Victory (in Battle) (NotEnough), Wednesday, 26 January 2011 07:03 (fourteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

Bizarro clip from US Spaced
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDsdBB1LUto

― Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Thursday, 17 February 2011 00:39 (fourteen years ago)

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