which series of Phil Cool's 1980s comedy show "Cool It" sounds the most entertaining, based on the descriptions from wikipedia?

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_It_(TV_series)

Series 1:

Highlights included; impersonating the entire cast of The Young Ones including Alexei Sayle, Prince Charles interviewing Mick Jagger, the Pope ordering Fish and Chips, Rolf Harris painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Mike Harding singing the song "Spewie, Ewie" and Quasimodo singing "The Bellringer's Blues".

Each series of Cool It had a different set of opening titles, for Series 1 it had an animated version of Cool's head pulling various faces behind a light-blue background.

Series 2

Highlights included; Rolf Harris (literally) painting the audience, an anecdote in which Cool reminisced about the time he imitated the face of an Aquaphibian from Stingray & it stuck and portraying Terry Wogan as an Intergalactic Alien from Outer Space.

The opening titles for Series 2 started with an animated version of a Guitar and a Harmonica playing themselves in time with the Theme Tune. We then go inside the Harmonica to find 5 animated versions of Cool jumping Up and Down to the music. After that we see a long shot of Cool's head pulling a selection of funny faces while his head spins all the way round. His head then explodes revealing a variety of Mechanical works and Cogs inside his head, the lights go out and the Cool It logo appears on screen.

Series 3

Highlights included; Impressions of Ventriloquist Dummy's, a parody of The Four Tops called "The Four Bottom's" performing the song "Mooning" and singing the Elvis Presley song "Are You Lonesome Tonight" in Japanese.

The opening titles for Series 3 started with Cool relaxing on a chair watching television and then for no apparent reason the Series 2 titles appear on screen. Cool uses the remote control to change channels but it appears on screen again, he gets increasingly frustrated and starts pulling faces. He then presses a red button at the top of the remote which operates a huge swinging ball that smashes the TV screen.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Series 2 2
Series 1 1
Series 3 1


soref, Tuesday, 20 September 2016 22:50 (seven years ago) link

so this is that rubber-faced irritant

imago, Tuesday, 20 September 2016 23:05 (seven years ago) link

From those descriptions, it should have been awes. It was not.

But, I will say, his Neil Kinnock doing 'A finger of fudge' was fant.

Mark G, Tuesday, 20 September 2016 23:08 (seven years ago) link

there is something deeply disturbing about Phil Cool imo, I kind of wish he's worked with someone who was interested in exploring that creepy side of his performance, a bit like Lee Evans in Funny Bones, maybe.

soref, Tuesday, 20 September 2016 23:26 (seven years ago) link

people frequently referred to as a "rubber-faced funnyman": Phil Cool, Lee Evans, Jim Carrey - is that it? Rowan Atkinson, maybe? I guess Jim Carrey did his own "exploring the essential creepiness of the act" type project with The Cable Guy

soref, Tuesday, 20 September 2016 23:37 (seven years ago) link

is there such a thing as a rubber-faced funnywoman?

soref, Tuesday, 20 September 2016 23:39 (seven years ago) link

This was a very cheap show. No other actors, just a stage - there were a few sketches which was also just him on the stage but in costume. It was stand-up. He used to do a lot of impersonating other comedians which seems weird. Who needs Phil Cool doing 5 minutes of, eg. Larry Grayson material when Larry Grayson himself was all over TV at the time anyway, doing it better?

everything, Tuesday, 20 September 2016 23:45 (seven years ago) link

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yjkoR4UUfXw/hqdefault.jpg

soref, Tuesday, 20 September 2016 23:48 (seven years ago) link

Phil Cool went to school with John Foxx, btw:

https://writewyattuk.com/2014/09/19/phil-cool-john-foxx-and-the-swing-park-incident/

soref, Tuesday, 20 September 2016 23:58 (seven years ago) link

I saw him at Glastonbury, comedy tent. I think we were there early to see Jerry Sadowitz et al (I.e. Malcolm Hardee) but had to watch Phil's whole act.

Got to say, high production values, full band, the works. And noe of that 'absence of comic timing' that his TV monologues consisted of. They should have put That show out. Not really my thing, but fair play and all that.

Mark G, Wednesday, 21 September 2016 01:04 (seven years ago) link

God, I read this as Phil Collins and I was like O_O

Lennon, Elvis, Hendrix etc (dog latin), Wednesday, 21 September 2016 13:48 (seven years ago) link

I have been noticing people talking about Phil Cool recently; he seems to be the name people dredge up when they need an example of really bad UK TV comedy of the 80s and 90s. Odd that he should crop up here also.

Tim, Wednesday, 21 September 2016 14:42 (seven years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Thursday, 22 September 2016 00:01 (seven years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Friday, 23 September 2016 00:01 (seven years ago) link

weirdly, a google search for "Neil Kinnock doing 'A finger of fudge'"
comes up with this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaNJgBFW5ic
but doesn't seem to contain it. and i know because i've just watched the whole godawful thing, twice. it does have a sinister and weird no-punchline gag about an 18 yr old philipino girl (4mins) though, and an eyebrow-raising skit about "muslim bums" (5mins).

NI, Wednesday, 28 September 2016 02:38 (seven years ago) link

something hypnotic about watching this bitterly unfunny crap now, wondering what i thought when i was a little kid watching it for the first time. final darkly-liy richard burton section is pretty much a man going through a breakdown onstage while a couple of hundred people sit watching, silently. on a brighter note, the lighting is great. genuinely works with his stuff, adds texture and variety to his absolute shitshow of a set

NI, Wednesday, 28 September 2016 02:38 (seven years ago) link

Yes, the 'Caviar to pigs' was the other 'whoa' moment, mainly the shock of him doing it, but guessing the original would be miles better. Even without the Rik Mayall impression halfway through.

Mark G, Wednesday, 28 September 2016 06:53 (seven years ago) link

the Kinnock/finger of fudge thing is at 5:18 here, and is still funny

https://youtu.be/F4Meq_goNMw?t=5m18s

soref, Wednesday, 28 September 2016 12:41 (seven years ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.