Monday night's Coogan - Classic or Dud?

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Did anyone see it? We're all big Coogan fans in our house but I was very disappointed. Has he lost it?

― Will, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And on that bombshell, new answers.

― Will, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Shooting fish in a barrel. I think I would have prefered to have seen a proper excerpt from Hammer's House Of Horror.

― Pete, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Has he lost the comic genius that gave us Tony Ferrino, you mean?

(I can't answer as I live in the 1900s house without TV)

― Tom, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

funnily enough i actually WAS shooting fish in a barrel last night, and (as usual) found it far more entertaining

have there ever been any genuinely funny parodies of the horror genre (assuming you don't count buffy et al, which is often funny w/i its own conventions, but [yadda yadda])? That Roman Polanski movie is shockingly rubbish.

― mark s, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sorry, I have never heard of Coogan but I have heard of John Cougar... :) Gale

― Gale Deslongchamps, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't like Coogan, I really can't stand Partridge. Actually I'll qualify that, I quite liked the chat show spoof, but that series in the travel lodge was cringeworthy.

― chris, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

series in travel tavern is the best it's ever got.

Did coogan have much input to this, i haven't seen it but i heard it got bad reviews. maybe he's just the front man placed to pull in punters as i'd heard he'd given up writing and was just managing talent.

― Alan Trewartha, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"have there ever been any genuinely funny parodies of the horror genre?"

'Carry On Screaming'!

― Andrew L, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There seems to be a worrying connection between Steve Coogan's decline and his involvement with his co-producer Henry Normal. They both produced this godawful thing called 'The Sketch Show', (which just nicked old Tommy Cooper gags wholesale) as well as 'The Parole Officer'. Maybe that has anything to do with it?
Tom - I've not seen 'the Tony Ferrino phenomenon' but the Ferrino bit was damn funny on 'The Man who thinks he's it'

― Will, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Partridge in travel lodge = best sitcom eva but the horrorshow was terrible[I expected better]>after COS and RHPS you need to twist things further>>>maybe it'll pick up#the chatshow did

― , Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I thought Monday's show was poor-ish, but not dreadful. But it seems to me that with almost every comedy series ever, you HAVE to give it several shows before the characters become confident in themselves (i.e. the writing of the characters). Familiarity with the characters and the situation is essential for real appreciation of humour - the expectation of something funny, but something which you can quantify (and surreal humour is paradoxically the one which is most anticipated by its fans), is far more likely to result in laughter and appreciation.

So I'm going to give it a few more weeks before judging. I don't think it's going to be a classic (and the travelodge show WAS a classic, sorry Chris, but you're wrong), but it could be quite fun.

― Mark C, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I wanted to watch it, but I completely forgot about it. Will it have a repeat showing later this week?

― Kodanshi, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That was Coogan? I thought it was that bloke who played Robin Hood in that Maid Marian kids show!

It were boring!

― james, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i always thought Coogan was a dud after the earlier stuff. monday nights have become rubbish - the Kumars at No. 42 was pretty dull too, although a nice idea.

― m jemmeson, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

mark s - do you mean Polanski's 'The Fearless Vampire Killers'?

― m jemmeson, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The entire gag of the series is revealed (in case anyone wasn't sure) by Dr Terrible's remark immediately after the Lesbian Vampires story ends: "That was DIABOLICAL". Yes, this isn't just heavy-handed smut'n'innuendo but see-how-shit-this-is parody too. Kenny Everett did it better.

The Edgar Lustgarten bookending bits show some hope, but I wonder how much mileage it's possible to get out of a group of very talented comic actors/writers gurning shamelessly through a deliberately stilted script, pausing every now and again to deliver a neon-lit double entendre.

I agree with Chris that 'I'm Alan Partridge' was cringeworthy - but I also think it was fantastic.

― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

my beef with the travelodge series was that I have this problem where I get embarrassed for characters on TV, Partridge on that was so pathetic that I was cringing every time he was on screen, it kind of ruined the programme for me. I had a similar feeling with the Office but somehow got through that as I knew people like that here at work.

― chris, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Monday's Coogan was dreadful. The only bit that made me laugh was the dribbling bit at the end. A great shame I thought. It's sad to see Coogan get it so wrong. I loved the Travelodge series - especially the trip to the owl sanctuary.

― Jonnie, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Careful Will vis a vis The Sketch Show ripping jokes off of Cooper. These are probably newly minter Tim Vine jokes. After all the majority of Tommy Cooper gag e-mails that get sent around are actually Tim Vine jokes (plenty of newspaper milage out of this one I remember the pun king getting). That said, The Sketch Show was bluddy rubbidge.

― Pete, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Man in armour walks into hotel: 'Got a room for the (k)night?' - Cooper. Nicked by Sketch Show. Vine's puns are quite good, but his kind of humour works more in the imagination than visually. Maybe he's a good radio comedian???

― Will, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sources, sources - I need sources. The burden of proof is upon you Mr McKenzie - or you will be the weakest link and I may have to use the worst music related joke ever seen on ILE.

― Pete, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sources: 'The Real Tommy Cooper'- shown last week on Ch4. Do you need the date? 'The Sketch Show' trailer, again last week. Both used the same gag.

― Will, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

WHOOOAAAH - Rewind Selector! "The Kumars at No.42" DUD!?!!! it was the funniest thing i have seen for ages! that grandma - and the mangoes - and the samosas - Richard E Grant - and the immigrant "questions" - and the SCRUBBERS! *mirth*

― katie, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

and Coogan was rubbish.

― katie, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

sketch show not something i watch as such, but i have seen it and i have laughed some. i like crap puns, and i love recycled tommy cooper gags. i saw a bit last night. three blokes at the urinals and one tries to light a fag. men playing with each other's willys = fun/ny.

― Alan Trewartha, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'll obviously need a time machine to watch the Cooper one but the Sketch Show I saw. You truly are a research whiz-kid and if I was ever arrested on a false charge I would want you and Elle Woods defending me.

Probably Tim Vine getting his own back (he says grudgingly). Or Jim Tavare (for twas he) stealing a joke because he is a talentless twat.

― Pete, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The urinal gag was easily the funniest it ever was.

― Pete, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

katie - i never said the Kumars... was dud, merely a little dull. it looked like the kind of programme that is great fun for those involved, but significantly less exciting for those at home. admittedly i was in a bad mood on monday (and the tv didn't help).

Mr Charity (on at 10pm) was atrocious.

― m jemmeson, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Chris [my beef with the travelodge series was that I have this problem where I get embarrassed for characters on TV, Partridge on that was so pathetic that I was cringing every time he was on screen,it kind of ruined the programme for me.] -

Me too. I have to turn over even in the worst sitcoms. This extends to minor ex-pop stars - can't read 'where are they now?' features for fear they're still trying to revitalise their long dead careers (I'm blushing on their behalf), and can't watch Buzzcocks because of the horror of them wheeling said ex-pop stars on (this latter is a blessing, natch).

― Ellie, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

God yeah, I wish David Van Day would just go away and stop making me hide behind the cushions.

Jonnie I think will be able to testify to me actually hiding behind the cushions at something, possibly Partridge. In shame and horror at their actions.

― chris, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You were hiding behind the cushions when Sweep got sold for a tenner you soppy twat.

― Jonnie, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

True, and when Lassie came home

― chris, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I didn't watch the Coogan thing cos it seemed totally pointless, I mean, spoofing Hammer horror movies? That's really CLEVER, that is.

― DG, Wednesday, 14 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

he was doomed from the moment they decided to do a South Bank Show on him...

― cameron, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't get it Chris. You seem to understand that cringing is the whole point and genius of Partridge, yet still don't enjoy it? Ees no possible.

Monday's was..not great. Only genuinely funny bit at the end..."but what's that under the bed, who's that in the closet?".

― Ally C, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Very lazy stuff, lots of laboured, creaky jokes and heavy-handed innuendo... but not unwatchable.
I just don't really see the point of parodying something as old hat as Hammer - which was quite aware of it's own ridiculousness anyway.
I preferred it to that awful Kumars thing. It's essentially the same trick as Mrs Merton - adopting a persona with which to ask guests cheeky, very direct questions - but without the edge. And Sanjeev Bhaskar just isn't funny (or convincing in his role as show-off).
Mr Charity however was the best of the bunch! I laughed about three times, which is more than I did for Dr Terrible and The Kumars put together. It's cruel gags weren't exactly original - old ladies thinking a vibrator is a massage device! HaHa! - but it made me larf.

― DavidM, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

"Oi! I'm trying to run a high-class bureau de change, not some two-bit nipple peep show in Rio de Janiero!"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 26 September 2004 03:08 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

How weird is it in the 'Anglian Lives' piece when he says "throat cancer" in a french(?) accent?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 6 May 2005 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, I had completely forgotten about this programme.

― Cathy (Cathy), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:06 (twenty-one years ago)

five years pass...

'The Trip' has some wonderful moments. The Michael Caine and 'Gentlemen! to Bed!' bits are my favorites so far...

― calstars, Tuesday, 11 January 2011 03:32 (fifteen years ago)

nine months pass...

it was a v good movie i thought!

― ice cr?m, Friday, 28 October 2011 18:18 (fourteen years ago)

i lold real hard when they were talking into their wine

― ice cr?m, Friday, 28 October 2011 18:18 (fourteen years ago)

also when they were talking abt the timing of leaving for battle

― ice cr?m, Friday, 28 October 2011 18:19 (fourteen years ago)

also the whole movie i thought was good

― ice cr?m, Friday, 28 October 2011 18:20 (fourteen years ago)

one year passes...

You're not doin it with the kind of - and you don't do the broken voice, when he gets very emotional, when he gets very emotional indeed. She was only 16 years old. She was only 16 - You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!

― christmas candy bar (al leong), Wednesday, 9 January 2013 03:57 (thirteen years ago)

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