Archive for the ‘Comedy TV & Films’ Category

And perhaps that is part of the show’s purpose; to take the often idealised notion of women in their 20′s and firmly kick it up the ass. But if it is then I’m not yet convinced it has successfully hit its target. Having watched the first 3 episodes of the widely acclaimed HBO show I am admittedly intrigued to see how the characters lives play out but I’m not particularly invested in any of them. Usually by now I would at the very least care that Hannah & Marnie are both in unhealthy relationships, I would want more for them, I would be watching the screen shouting at them to move on because they deserve better. Instead I found myself simply accepting that these disappointments are necessary parts of the girls’ lives, for the moment at least. Which is rather more despondent an attitude than I was expecting from something hailed as a comedy!

The show is about a group of girls in their early 20′s who are trying to find their place in the world having moved to New York after college. Created by and starring Lena Dunham, ‘Girls’ strives to cast a comic eye upon the assorted everyday humiliations suffered by 20something females. No stone is left unturned and no topics are out-of-bounds; even the girls very casual approach to abortion is broached. The cast includes Jemima Kirke, Allison Williams, Adam Driver and Zosia Mamet and the executive producers are Judd Apatow and Jenni Konner (alongside Dunham herself).

I am firmly undecided as to whether I enjoy the show yet, though I can say without hesitation that it is, at least, refreshingly frank about the realities of sex, std’s and relationships. While obviously somewhat inspired by Sex & the City there doesn’t appear to always be a silver lining and I suspect there won’t be any big happy endings for these girls (it would be a terrible shame if it gave into the Hollywood temptation!). In a lot of ways it’s a huge relief to see “normal” people being portrayed on the t.v. which ultimately is the greatest achievement of the show, it wholeheartedly embraces the first world problems of today’s overeducated, social network reliant youth & highlights their naiveté beautifully. It does fail however to be as fresh and innovative as many people are claiming it to be with the four girls taking on fairly typical roles; the responsible/sensible one, the self-absorbed brat, the free-spirited wild child and the sheltered/excessively innocent (bordering on stupid) one.

In summary the show, described as a ‘dramady’ in the LA Times, ‘Girls’ is certainly “a potent force but hard to love”. If you fancy watching a series that will make you ponder more than chuckle then you should check it out for yourself tonight on Sky Atlantic at 10pm or play catch up now with sky.com

Hmm, all this chat of Movember brought old Charlie to mind, he really knew how to work that moustache didn’t he!

Besides, what could be more enjoyable on a Sunday than taking a stroll down memory lane with some classic comedy moments from a simpler time!?

Happy Sunday folks!

As you already know we here at thecomedyscoop had the pleasure of seeing Jeff Dunham do his thing live in the O2 last year. As part of that show he gave us a sneak peek at the now completed Minding the Monsters ‘Halloween Special’. So it is with pleasure that we now introduce you to all your favourite Dunham friends, slightly modified for the Halloween season!

How could you resist Batnut?

That’s a heck of a costume Walter!

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I love winter tv because there’s always an extra special effort made by tv execs to brighten up the dreary evening with a little extra laughter & Sky Atlantic’s latest offering is a prime example of this!

Don’t Sit in the Front Row is a new comedy entertainment show in which Jack Dee and a group of comedians explore the lives of the studio audience.

In each episode, three comedians probe the lives of five members of the audience for potential comedy material. The more comedy material the Front Rowers provide the stand-ups, the longer they’ll last. As the panelists get to know more about the contestants, they will then have to decide who to eliminate at the end of each round. The last Front Rower standing will be crowned with the ultimate prize of a ‘Golden Chair Award’.

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we may as well jump on the bandwagon! Here’s a few random ‘Bond’ clips to keep you amused until you give in & go see the latest installment in the never-ending franchise!

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