Home  

Members  

Join  

Search  

Listings  

 
<<<<   1842   >>>>

Topic: Thank God You're Here

Message 1 / 6
Dean BedfordFeb 2, 2008
 

 
The reviews and ratings for Paul Merton's new TV show seem to suggest it
will soon be pulled from the air. I've been looking out for comments (I
haven't seen it) and have yet to see even one that was positive.

Has anyone here seen it?

Paul has had huge success in so many things - and yet equally he's tried
a lot of things that haven't worked out - his TV sketch series, his TV
series adapting Tony Hancock, his movie.

I'm sure he loves Have I Got News For You, and the freedom it gives him
to experiment with other forms of comedy. But he must also wonder
sometimes why some of these other things have been flops.

 
<<<<   1843   >>>>

Topic: Re: Thank God You're Here

Message 2 / 6
SeDi_98Feb 2, 2008
 

 
I really did want to love "Thank God You're Here", because I've missed
seeing Paul Merton do that kind of improvisation on TV. However, his
contribution to each show is really very small (only one sketch). The
guests were variable, but no more than you'd expect.

The main problem with the format is that all the other actors in each
sketch appear to have pre-scripted lines, leaving the improviser
trying to second-guess the writers' intended responses. Too often it
became a string of non-sequiturs. (Personally I like a bit of surreal
humour, but too much of it in a single show gets wearing.)

Also, the interviews with the performers were totally unnecessary and
slowed down the show a lot. Imagine if, at the end of each round of
JAM each panellist was made to go over it again blow-by-blow. That's
kind of the effect.

Basically, it could have been a very good series, but it was too slow,
underused the talent, and didn't give each scene enough room to develop.

That's what I thought, anyway.

--Darren

--- In just-a-minute@..., Dean Bedford <dbedford@...> wrote:
>
> The reviews and ratings for Paul Merton's new TV show seem to
suggest it
> will soon be pulled from the air. I've been looking out for comments (I
> haven't seen it) and have yet to see even one that was positive.
>
> Has anyone here seen it?
>
> Paul has had huge success in so many things - and yet equally he's
tried
> a lot of things that haven't worked out - his TV sketch series, his TV
> series adapting Tony Hancock, his movie.
>
> I'm sure he loves Have I Got News For You, and the freedom it gives him
> to experiment with other forms of comedy. But he must also wonder
> sometimes why some of these other things have been flops.
>

 
<<<<   1844   >>>>

Topic: Re: Thank God You're Here

Message 3 / 6
Robert TorresFeb 2, 2008
 

 

The reviews and ratings for Paul Merton's new TV show seem to suggest it
will soon be pulled from the air. I've been looking out for comments (I
haven't seen it) and have yet to see even one that was positive.

Has anyone here seen it?

Paul has had huge success in so many things - and yet equally he's tried
a lot of things that haven't worked out - his TV sketch series, his TV
series adapting Tony Hancock, his movie.

I'm sure he loves Have I Got News For You, and the freedom it gives him
to experiment with other forms of comedy. But he must also wonder
sometimes why some of these other things have been flops.

---

Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

 
<<<<   1845   >>>>

Topic: Re: Thank God You're Here

Message 4 / 6
Anthony HobsonFeb 2, 2008
 

 

 
<<<<   1846   >>>>

Topic: Re: Thank God You're Here

Message 5 / 6
jeremy_keensFeb 3, 2008
 

 
Hi

even funnier - the show is an original australian concept and has been
through a few seasons here - it makes a change to be exporting formats
to the US and UK rather than recieving them

even if youse didn't get it

Jeremy

--- In just-a-minute@..., Robert Torres
<bobbyshaddoe3004@...> wrote:

>
> funny thing is, there was an American show with that same title, and

a very similar premise done here in the states, but it too didn't last
long either, in fact it was one of those blink and you'll miss it type
of shows that I don't think anyone saw.

>

 
<<<<   1848   >>>>

Topic: Re: Thank God You're Here

Message 6 / 6
thomaswake16Feb 4, 2008
 

 
Fair point. People will watch Saturday night TV if they're in anyway
but nobody ever stays in to watch it (with the likely exception of
Doctor Who), so most Saturday night programmes are just game shows
like Family Fortunes and Millionaire. There's no point putting on a
potential ratings-grabber if nobody's going to see it.

--- In just-a-minute@..., "Anthony Hobson" <antster@...>
wrote:

>
> I've not seen it.
>
>
>
> Is it any wonder nobody's seen it? We're all in the pub at that

time! Nobody

> gives a toss about television on a Saturday night unless it's

sport, like

> the Amir Khan fight tonight.
>
>
>
>
> Any other time I'd be happy to sit down and watch it.
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: just-a-minute@... [mailto:just-a-

minute@...]

> On Behalf Of Dean Bedford
> Sent: 02 February 2008 21:22
> To: just-a-minute@...
> Subject: [just-a-minute] Thank God You're Here
>
>
>
> The reviews and ratings for Paul Merton's new TV show seem to

suggest it

> will soon be pulled from the air. I've been looking out for

comments (I

> haven't seen it) and have yet to see even one that was positive.
>
> Has anyone here seen it?
>
> Paul has had huge success in so many things - and yet equally he's

tried

> a lot of things that haven't worked out - his TV sketch series, his

TV

> series adapting Tony Hancock, his movie.
>
> I'm sure he loves Have I Got News For You, and the freedom it gives

him

> to experiment with other forms of comedy. But he must also wonder
> sometimes why some of these other things have been flops.
>