Psychoville

[DanaC]

Wow. Just wow. And then more Wow.

Sundae, you were right. It's absolutely wonderful. I was worried that it'd just be ..I dunno a rehash of the league...

These men are geniuses. The combination of comedy and horror and ...real pathos. I almost wept at Dawn French's character. Whne she comes home with the 'baby' and her husband 's face...oh my.

If this makes it to BBC America, watch it. It's wonderful.

[Sundae]

Did you watch the second episode?
It was available via the red button, so of course I did, immediately.
It's the other one I'd already seen, but I picked up on some more lines by having subtitles on.

I had to smother my belly laughs at times - the scene in the restaurant was so funny, and so well played.

Don't forget to check out all the sites in the internet as well - up so far are Biggins' site, which links to Robert's and Midget Gems. I'm really looking forward to Mr Jelly's - I can't find it by googling or guessing, so I'll have to wait for a link via the main website. Oh hang on, I recorded it last night - I'm pretty sure the website address was on the hearse. I'll be watching each one in detail when the 'rents are away next week!

I LOVED the children's party. From the credits I'm guessing the Princess was actually Reece's daughter. Which is why I suppose he was able to interact with her rather than having a cut-away

[Sundae]

Just found this on YouTube

NSFW (language)

[be-bop]

Class act i nearly wet myself laughing at the guy who's into serial killers and his mother and Mr Jelly was brilliant...

[Sundae]

David Sowerbutts also has his own YouTube page.
Jellyparties, murderandchips (the Murder Mystery company David works for) and David's own website (bestmurders) aren't fully live yet - I assume they contain information pertinent to later episodes.

I haven't looked for Lomax or Joy yet!

Yes, a lot of things are popping up on the net, David's web page isn't up yet and neither is the psychoville forum .
I sense the net will come alive after watching this great program.

[Sundae]

Hello magical! Sorry, I missed it when you posted - welcome to the Cellar.

Rewatching the second episode of Psychoville reminded me of why I got hooked by The League of Gentlemen first time round. They said themselves that their scripts aren't necessarily funny on the page, it's the acting that brings them alive. And when I say hooked - they got me right through the gut. With a rusty Mr Jelly hook.

For me it's like Shakespeare. No, wait. I mean it's the cadence and the rhythm of the lines that work so well. I'm not claiming they have his writing ability. But they are bloody funny. And he wasn't really, bless him. Then again, they laughed at lepers in them days.

Two of Jolly's lines from episode two have been with me all week:
- They're not real sausages.
- Mr Punch. Mr Punch. Mr Punch, Punch, Punch.

Not funny in isolation, but I laughed out loud (haggis) on the bus just thinking, "They're not real sausages!".

Don't worry, Torchwood starts soon. I'll have another obsession to play with. And apparently the Captain and Ianto are officially a couple in the mini-series. What that means I don't know. But I have eager anticipation of full-on oral and butt sex scenes...

They're not real sausages.... snigger. It's so adaptable.

[DanaC]

Oh I can't wait for the new torchwood. You know they're doing three audio plays on bbc radio 4 right? Captain Jack's voice makes me go all girly. I shall be listening.

[Sundae]

Argh.... I've missed!
I also missed a Gatiss interview the other Tuesday.
I'll have to go searching online, see if I can track them down.
ETA - rereading I thnik they might not have been on yet? Yay?!

You know I'm seeing the Barrowman in January, right?
Last date of his panto run. Possibly telekinetic dwarfs?
It'll be great fun, he's cute facially and very naughty and personable in interviews... but he's not Captain Jack really. So it's Torchwood I hold a torch for. And Cardiff (and the various locations) I can't wait to see. He does have a yummy voice too.

I'm not completely a fangurl of TLOG or Torchwood (or the Doctor). But they are like paddles for my knackered old heart... Damn. I am that lonely old woman with a cat. David Sowerbutts probably gets more action than me!

[DanaC]

Torchwood audioplay is on BBC Iplayer. I think the gatiss one is too.

I didnt know you were going seeing him. Or have forgoten. Oooh I am jealous.




[eta] and i'm not so much a 'fangurl' of Doctor Who, as a full-blown, beyond all hope, knows far too much trivia than is strictly speaking healthy, Whovian.

[Sundae]

I have to say that in the end, Psychoville disappointed me.
And that's a hard thing to say, when three of my heroes were in it and the overall series was so well done.

I believe my disappointment essentially came from the fact that they made it up as they went along. Which in my mind made it little better than Coronation Street (where long-term characters change character on the whim of a new writer) or Lost (of the latter, Sixth Form drama classes have come up with more coherent improvs!)

The thing is, these are intelligent, well-read, well-versed-in-TV-scriptwriting and horror-film-buff men. They could have woven an intricate plotline with ideas seeded all the way through it. With clues and red herrings that would make even Miss Marple choke on the bones. Imagine a darkly funny comedy/drama where you rewatch the first episode and say, "OMG! That's what that was about!" That was what I really expected from this. I wanted to see something new on the second, third, fourth viewing. I wanted the writing to be informed.

YES it was funny. YES, it was dark, although they hate that sobriquet. And YES it was well acted and polished. But the story lacked cohesion. I know these writers don't spoon-feed their audiences - that's part of their appeal - but there were enough dangling ends to delight Shelob. They are capable of so much more. At least I think they are. The League series three at least suggested that. Perhaps Gatiss could have had more involvement, his novels at least display an aptitude towards planning.

I am being unfair I suppose. The series was not written in advance - it was bought on the basis of the pilot and seems to have been written piecemeal. To the extent that a seventh episode (which became episode 4) was shoehorned in at a later stage - although still pre-production - purely to raise a budget to be used on other episodes. Yup, it was a good'un. But that's no way to run a railroad. And no way to make a potential cult classic.

Now you know I am a Torchwood fan, but the budget spent on promoting the first series of that show would surely have been better spent on encouraging original work like this? Although of course, they would have to go back in time in order to do so

It bugs me that the Beeb would skimp on the talents involved in this show.
And I think it shows that they did - certainly where the writing process is involved.
I believe Steve and Reece could have put together something absolutely spectacular in scope, given a bit more faith and a bit more money earlier in the process.

I will treasure some cracking dialogue, set pieces, imagery.
But the ending, in the end, means it's only a bit of fluff.

[Sundae]

Funny, I'm counting down to ANOTHER new series of Torchwood and ANOTHER series of Psychoville is coming.

I liked the Halloween Special, and I'm definitely going to be watching on 5th May.
Turns out a lot of people liked the dangling ends and not having everything wrapped up neatly. Perhaps I put too much emphasis on it. The same way people were obsessed with This is Not Pron and then ultimately disappointed to the same degree. If I was watching it for shits & giggles I might just have gone along with it.

Anyway, date duly marked in my calendar.
Hoping for a slew of promotional interviews. Although I'll probably miss 99% of them, as they're not as self-promoting as JB and there is nowhere that lists interviews and appearances in advance.

Still no word on whether JB will be in panto 2011/12.
I'm guessing not. I'd booked tickets by now for the last two years...

[Sundae]

I liked.
I really liked.
I've watched it about five times.

I couldn't tell you if it was really funny. I think it's more wry. But parts of it have lodged in my brain the way any good comedy will.

David's performance as Jean Valjean
The Silent Singer (OMG!)
The lovely pulsing pencil
The sly references to the previous series (no loose ends!)

I expect this to go from strength to strength.

[DanaC]

Loved the Jean Valjean performance.


And the librarian showing up for the book lol.

[Ibby]