Archive for the ‘Sitcom’ Category

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David Mitchell for Countdown?

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

mitchell.jpgPossibly the oddest piece of news has come to Quintessential Comedy via our rarely-used showbiz source in London: following the departure of veteran entertainer Des O’Connor from Channel 4’s afternoon words and numbers game Countdown, David Mitchell (of Mitchell & Webb and Peep Show fame) is being lined up as a possible replacement.

To say that this would be a both a massive surprise and a huge coup is something of an understatement, yet Mitchell’s genial nature in his appearances on Would I Lie to You? and various chats on daytime television over the last year or so reveal that in terms of tone and character he would give a much-needed boost to the show that has been flagging somewhat since the sad loss of Richard Whiteley.

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Posted in Panel Game, Sitcom, Sketch | 1 Comment »

Time to put them down

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Image:Lab Rats.jpgWell after two episodes, Lab Rats is hardly making any waves. In fact it’s barely generating any laughs.

Visually the university science department look like 1970s Open University professors, and gag wise they’re in the same ball park. I can barely remember sitting through such a tedious waste of 30 minutes in the name of comedy, and I watched 4 episodes Hyperdrive.

As things stand, it needs axing or quickly re-conceiving. There’s no excuse for poor sitcoms in this day and age, and despite a good cast the director isn’t bringing out the performances needed, and the script is so sub-quality… well really I could have done better, which is saying something.

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Posted in Sitcom | No Comments »

Hugh Lloyd

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

hughlloyd.jpgBritish character actor Hugh Lloyd has sadly died aged 85. The actor was best known for appearing opposite Tony Hancock as a multitude of characters in the classic sitcom Hancock’s Half Hour in 1960-61, as well as partnering Terry Scott in Hugh and I from 1962-1968.

His later career mixed appearances in comedy series with straight roles, such as Last of the Summer Wine and Heartbeat, My Family and Foyles’ War.

Lloyd also appeared in the Doctor Who adventure Delta and the Bannermen in 1987, as well as appearing in the 1979 movie Quadrophenia.

A keen football supporter, Lloyd was a lifelong fan of Chester City, and in 2005 received an MBE for services to theatre and charity.

Former Chester Chronicle colleague Eddie McDonald paid tribute to a man he says was well known for comedy shows in local halls in Chester before finding fame.

“It’s fair to say that he remained a true Cestrian. He didn’t spend enough time on the Chronicle to leave a deep impression there but everybody knew him and most people were proud of the fact that a Chester lad had got so far in television.”

A sad loss.

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Gavin and Stacey Channel Hop

Monday, July 14th, 2008

try and keep your breakfast downOh please say it ain’t so.

Alleged comedy Gavin and Stacey - which makes My Family look like Fawlty Towers - is reported to be switching channels for its second series, if star Matthew Horne is to be believed.

Let’s hope it doesn’t get any further than BBC Two.

With the second series complete and a Christmas special scheduled to be filmed in September, however, it seems that more Mong & Bint brown nosing is set to wash over QC’s head for months to come…

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