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General Forum - Ricky Gervais hates UK comedy shows. - Page 1
Elite
From IMDB
Quote:
Ricky Gervais has launched a scathing attack on British comedy - insisting it's so bad he can't stand watching TV in his native country anymore.
The funnyman, who has co-written hit comedies The Office and Extras, has blasted British television shows as unoriginal, and slammed writers for lacking ambition.
He says, "I don't watch TV comedy in the U.K. anymore. We've got some poor copies of Curb Your Enthusiasm, some poor copies of Entourage, and some poor copies of Seinfeld. With a few exceptions the Americans seem to be ahead of the game... In Britain it's like you shouldn't put your head too high above the other poppies.
"I think it's the way we're brought up. Americans are told they can become the next president. English people are told, 'It won't happen to you'."
Gervais also credits his writing partner Stephen Merchant with forcing him to finish penning The Office in 1999.
He adds, "In the early days he'd have to say to me, 'Rick, don't have three sausages, you'll fall asleep after lunch.' But now, unbelievably, I'm the workaholic.
"I think it's because I don't want to die before I get all my ideas out. I started so late. And it takes me ages to get the ideas out because we write and produce and act and we worry about the font on the end of the DVD. But I wouldn't have it any other way."
So what do you think of his opinion?
floyd
Elite
Can't stand the man.
I consider myself an optimist, albeit an optimist with cynical tendencies and a dark side that Lucifer himself would find a little creepy. (Perhaps you’ve noticed.) You don’t normally associate cynicism with an upbeat pov. But I have exactly that combination and will defend it.
Heartily glad that I don't have to learn how to spell Chiwetel Ejiofor.
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Reviewer
Name some good current UK comedy shows then? Aside from Peep Show, The Inbetweeners and Outnumbered, there's very little good comedy on UK TV at the moment in my opinion.
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"Why should YOU go to jail for a crime someone else noticed?" - Bob Loblaw
Reviewer
Don't forget Crud Mandoon and the Flaming Pile of S***e,
I haven't laughed at a UK comedy since The IT Crowd, and Series 3 was going off the boil.
That said, the only US sitcom that currently tickles my funnybone is the Big Bang Theory, and it's just funny, not hilarious.
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Jitendar Canth
Quote:
"I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes."
My Top 20 movies at YMDB
Site Reviewer at DVD Reviewer & MyReviewer
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Elite Donator
I tend to agree with the guy. Thinking hard I can't put my finger on a UK comedy show that's made me laugh. Top Gear doesn't count as it's not classed as comedy, even though it's the funniest thing out there.
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Elite
i think he's right, modern British TV for the most part is rubbish.
i think Shameless is the only excellent English comedy drama.
Have I got news for you is still very good, as is QI, and 8 out of 10 cats, but they're not sit coms.
Peep Show is very good, as glad to hear on J Ross the other week, they're going to do 2 more series. Funny this is, missus and I think their sketch show is aweful.
I'm struggling to think of anything else homegrown I'd class as essential viewing, actually can't think of anything else British we watch.
Little Britain, we like that 
The shows he mentions though are probably some of the finest examples of US comedy. They do make a lot of rubbish as well.
As he says a lot of brit shows try to be liek US ones.
Saying all that, Missus and I love The Office, and Extras, but found his stand ups OK, and his guest appearances as "quirky funny English guy" in anything are always terrible.
Elite
I think he is a complete arse but....
Ideal BBC3 just finished thats was good
Reviewer
Well, I didn't laugh at The Office or Extras, so he's got a point. I agree with Stantz that Top Gear is the only funny show on television, but I think it is a comedy show - The Goodies for Petrolheads. Oh, and I do like QI, but none of the other quizcom shows as they don't manage the same trick as QI, of being intelligent and funny. Most of them, like Buzzcocks, just come across to me as celebrating the cult* of the smart-arse.
* I said cult - C U L T. That's right. No N.
J Mark Oates
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I'm In A Silly Mood. Why Aren't You?
sprockethole.myreviewer.com
This item was edited on Tuesday, 30th June 2009, 18:52
Elite
The reason that Peep Show is so much funnier than the Mitchell and Webb show is because Mitchell and Webb don't write Peep Show.
The Inbetweeners is funny but we watched series two straight after series one and it was nowhere near as funny so who knows if series three will dip again.
We only get the good US stuff but we do have some good UK stuff. Psycho Ville seems really good and Gavin and Stacey was fantastic.
Nick
Elite
No love for that pint and a packet of crisp show then?
floyd
