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Are you being served?

Started by Steve Green, 29 August, 2016, 01:04:01 PM

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Steve Green

I just caught the remake/tribute to Are You being Served? on iplayer - I have a bit of a soft spot for the dramas about period film/tv that often pop up on BBC Four - so I was curious as to how this would work.

I must admit it did make me laugh a couple of times, although I'm sure Jason Watkins was playing Mr Humphries even camper than John Inman.

The innuendo was cranked up to 11, and it was fully Finbarr Saunders with pussy jokes by the end.

Buttonman

I enjoyed it too - think they sent the anti-PC crowd a wrongfoot with the black character - and then they made him as letchy as Mr Lucas! Good idea to set it after the series but still in the past (1983?) meant it was still kitschy but with no continuity issues. Porridge was pretty good too.

Steve Green

1988 - I haven't watched Porridge yet.


Fungus

I jumped into the middle (of a recording) just to see how it fared...
lasted about a minute of Mrs Slocum gurning before making other plans  :(

Mattofthespurs

Quote from: Steve Green on 29 August, 2016, 02:07:43 PM
I haven't watched Porridge yet.

Ive downloaded it. Intend to watch it tonight. Not expecting much if I'm honest.

Frank

.
It was exactly like an old episode.

Porridge reminded me of the Chewin' The Fat sketch where the journeyman Beano cartoonist tries to impress the new editor with a strip called Nettie On The Internet. It turns out he doesn't actually have an idea for a story, he just thought it sounded modern.

I watched Victoria so I'd have something to talk to my mum about next Saturday. I thought doing away with tired notions of plot, forward momentum, and incident was a bold formal experiment.



Mattofthespurs

I've watched Porridge now.
I will not be watching another episode.

Dandontdare

yeah, Porridge was absolutely awful.

AYBS was, as "Frank" (who he? - ed) pointed out, was just like an old episode - unfortunately, it was always one of the crapper 70s sitcoms, so they were both a bit pants.

Anyone seen any of the new sitcoms being piloted this week? The blurb doesn't look promising for any of them.

Grugz

rather enjoyed the "goodnight sweetheart " one with the old cast and a sequel that should be made into a full series with gary being in the 60's now but being from the 90's and travelling to the 10's and a spoilery thing that I cant put cos I still cant access spoiler tags etc.
don't get into an argument with an idiot,he'll drag you down to his level then win with experience!

http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,26167.0.html

By-Jove

I haven't enjoyed this show, Are you Being Served & at that, the original series. Since I was still in high school for the eye candy. These days, I find it tedious. Same goes for Mind Your Language, On the Buses, Bless this House, Man about the House, George & Mildred. Some of those had American counterparts like Three's Company. Benny Hill was the best of these for obvious reasons. Then there were those films The Likely Lads and anything with Carry On proceeding the title. With what I have seen of this remake. They might as well made something that was less obviously a copy, a return to and just made something with a lot of references to it. Definitely don't like younger Mister Grace. Might have made more sense towards the end of the original series.

The Monarch

I would really like a full series of the new goodnight sweetheart

By-Jove

Love thy Neighbour, Steptoe & Son, which was also made in America.

I think I could watch Love thy Neighbour again.

Tony Angelino

I thought the Are You Being Served? was poor. I could only watch a couple of minutes of it before switching off.

I wouldn't have minded seeing the Goodnight Sweetheart one though. I'm not sure why as I didn't watch it when it was on originally. Sometimes time travel programmes bother me when there is no attempt at an explanation for the time travel. For that reason I can fully accept the Tardis works but I cant get in to things like Life on Mars.

Dandontdare

Quote from: Tony Angelino on 10 September, 2016, 05:19:23 PM
I thought the Are You Being Served? was poor. I could only watch a couple of minutes of it before switching off.

I wouldn't have minded seeing the Goodnight Sweetheart one though. I'm not sure why as I didn't watch it when it was on originally. Sometimes time travel programmes bother me when there is no attempt at an explanation for the time travel. For that reason I can fully accept the Tardis works but I cant get in to things like Life on Mars.

I'd have to disagree - as soon as you try to explain a time-travel story you've got paradoxes up the wahoozie and you either descend into boring and impenetrable sci-babble; or you pull off some shameless fudge.

Time travel can be great in loads of things - Life on Mars being a good example - without needing an explanation.

In short I'm happy with "It's magic"

sheridan

Quote from: Dandontdare on 10 September, 2016, 08:47:48 PM
Quote from: Tony Angelino on 10 September, 2016, 05:19:23 PM
I thought the Are You Being Served? was poor. I could only watch a couple of minutes of it before switching off.

I wouldn't have minded seeing the Goodnight Sweetheart one though. I'm not sure why as I didn't watch it when it was on originally. Sometimes time travel programmes bother me when there is no attempt at an explanation for the time travel. For that reason I can fully accept the Tardis works but I cant get in to things like Life on Mars.

I'd have to disagree - as soon as you try to explain a time-travel story you've got paradoxes up the wahoozie and you either descend into boring and impenetrable sci-babble; or you pull off some shameless fudge.

Time travel can be great in loads of things - Life on Mars being a good example - without needing an explanation.

In short I'm happy with "It's magic"
Depends on the tone of the piece - something like Goodnight Sweetheart, the reason for time travel is irrelevant to the story.  Life on Mars would be actively damaged by explanations, as otherwise there's always the possibility that it's all a dream.  Back to the Future and Doctor Who are based around the actual time travel device.