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A replacement thread for my favourite comedy duo. I had started another that is now lost where I had been making my way through each series of the show. I took a break after series 5 and this week I finally finished watching the last series the series in the boxset. I was a little surprised that I didn't actually really love the last series which was filmed in 2004, I think. There was another series after that 2007, but it's not included in my boxset.
The thing I didn't really like about the 2004 series was that the format was altered slightly where we have Dawn and Jennifer as writers of their show. Most the show seems filmed inside offices at the BBC where Dawn and Jennifer are supposed to be working. The film parodies were reduced and the ones they did of COLD MOUNTAIN, COLD TURKEY and TROY just wern't that funny. The budget seems to be smaller as there are less elaborate sketches. There was less of the ridiculousness that I love about French and Saunders and one thing that I really, really didn't like. They swear! They really swear and it seems kind of desperate. French and Sunders were comedy gold they didn't need to swear, ever! It kind of ruins their appeal. Part of the angle of the series was that they are seen as dated and cosy by the BBC and that there is a push to make them hip and young. It seems they were probably working that into the script as it was likely true. The comedy seems harder, a little harsh and as mentioned desperate. The sketches seem to just have random swear words and bad language shoved into them.
I remember watching this series when it was originally on TV and thinking it was very funny, but it hasn't aged well. Not in the way the other series have. It feels more dated and more time specific than even the '80s stuff.
After I finished it I was feeling a little down and so went straight on to watching ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS from the beginning and have been enjoying that. I am currently near the end of series three and it's been good to watch it all the way through. I really, really loved the New Years Eve episode with Kate O'Mara as Patsy's sister Jackie. I plan on watching it all in the next week or so.
The thing I didn't really like about the 2004 series was that the format was altered slightly where we have Dawn and Jennifer as writers of their show. Most the show seems filmed inside offices at the BBC where Dawn and Jennifer are supposed to be working. The film parodies were reduced and the ones they did of COLD MOUNTAIN, COLD TURKEY and TROY just wern't that funny. The budget seems to be smaller as there are less elaborate sketches. There was less of the ridiculousness that I love about French and Saunders and one thing that I really, really didn't like. They swear! They really swear and it seems kind of desperate. French and Sunders were comedy gold they didn't need to swear, ever! It kind of ruins their appeal. Part of the angle of the series was that they are seen as dated and cosy by the BBC and that there is a push to make them hip and young. It seems they were probably working that into the script as it was likely true. The comedy seems harder, a little harsh and as mentioned desperate. The sketches seem to just have random swear words and bad language shoved into them.
I remember watching this series when it was originally on TV and thinking it was very funny, but it hasn't aged well. Not in the way the other series have. It feels more dated and more time specific than even the '80s stuff.
After I finished it I was feeling a little down and so went straight on to watching ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS from the beginning and have been enjoying that. I am currently near the end of series three and it's been good to watch it all the way through. I really, really loved the New Years Eve episode with Kate O'Mara as Patsy's sister Jackie. I plan on watching it all in the next week or so.
