I don't think it was the swearing, per se. My problem with it was that the only source of humour was the main character listing sex acts. Replace Sharon Horgan with Sheridan Smith and give it a laugh track and it wouldn't have looked too out of place on BBC3.
I’m sorry but do channel 4 have another show called Free Agents they’re sending out to reviewers? Because the one I watched again last night isn’t the hilarious comedy they all seem to keep going on about.
I think I saw someone making this point on another forum somewhere but this is no funnier than shows like Dexter or Bones. Y’know a drama about a serial killer and a forensic anthropologist respectively. Indeed if anything they are funnier because when they do break up the tension with a joke it’s funny and well constructed, not just relying on a big pile of swearing, that will eventually land a giggle.
I haven’t spoken to one person I know who thought the first ep was funny and I don’t see last nights chaniging anyone’s opinion. Two maybe wry smiles across a half hour isn’t good enough. No matter how beautifully shot this is. It’s a drama. Not a comedy.
And Anthony Head again seemed like he was in a different show.
Not wanting to be girlie about this but... who's this aimed at? I love a good rom com but if I wanted to see a bunch of middle aged people swearing a lot i'd have let my boyfriend watch Scarface again. Don't like it at all.
Pushing Daisies however I ab-so-lutely love. Now that's got a rom story-line I care about. last nights was great.
Not wanting to be girlie about this but... who's this aimed at? I love a good rom com but if I wanted to see a bunch of middle aged people swearing a lot i'd have let my boyfriend watch Scarface again. Don't like it at all.
Pushing Daisies however I ab-so-lutely love. Now that's got a rom story-line I care about. last nights was great.
What a pile of former doggy breakfasts this show is.
Half of the actors are as wooden as the New Forest. Several sounded as though they'd hired Stephen Hawking as their vocal coach. The dull mono-tone delivery reminded me of my 10 yr olds school play.
I've just watched the second episode and it's even worse than the first. Totally devoid of humour, dull acting, even duller characters, piss poor script... basically a waste of 30mins of my life.
The uses of swearing can be really funny (think Life of Brian with Graham Chapman in a hole trying to explain that he isn't the Messiah, giving up and then saying "OK I am the messiah..... now f**k off!") but this show isn't. The constant use of bad/lude language (poorly delivered) just becomes irritating and any shock/comedic value it could have offered is lost.
I'm told it's supposed to be an edgy sit-com. Some people are raving on about it - the thought of which makes me think they are having an 'Emperors New Clothes' moment. It's neither edgy or remotely funny.
I’m sorry but do channel 4 have another show called Free Agents they’re sending out to reviewers? Because the one I watched again last night isn’t the hilarious comedy they all seem to keep going on about.
I was wondering the same thing because The Guardian gave it a rave review and after watching it I did wonder if they watched a episode of Pulling and Green Wing edited together by mistake?
I was wondering the same thing because The Guardian gave it a rave review and after watching it I did wonder if they watched a episode of Pulling and Green Wing edited together by mistake?
I really do feel like all of the reviewers have jumped on the 'Pulling unfairly cancelled' bandwagon, and are praising Free Agents as an excuse to then bang on about how good Pulling was.
I finally watched the second episode last night. Still not funny, but this weeks seemed even worse written. They set up all of these interesting ideas - like Anthony Head's group meeting, how he'd fallen in love, him getting advice from the other two - and then did nothing with them. I don't mind my expectations not being met in terms of where a story's going - but when nothing else happened in the show other than more aimless crying and swearing, it felt like even more of a shame when Head's storyline was thrown away for the sake of a really poor wanking joke.
thought it was very funny and had a good story, alot better than the poor comedies the bbc seem to be making at the moment, good replacement for peep show while its away.
Must admit I was a tad disappointed initially, as all the previews I read hyped it to death as the funniest thing since Father Ted!
Having said that though, I enjoy it nonetheless and will watch it every week even though it's not that funny - I like the two main characters, and find the storylines quite engaging.
Am I alone in really liking this? It's not laugh-a-second hysterical, but I find some of the cringe-worthy moments very funny and true to life! I like the two main characters a lot. And though my office isn't quite in the same leagues of this one, we do have a lot of 'banter' too, so I can identify with that aspect of it.
Have just watched last night's and I agree with the last three posters; the series started very slowly but in the end that only served to let us get to know and like the characters - as opposed to Pulling which I hated as I couldn't warm to any of them.
I'm really glad I stuck with it too. It was a real grower, and just got better and better the more you got to know the very well written (and acted) characters. I agree with Satnavvy - it was poignant, funny and beautifully acted.
Not queer at all. Six episodes per series has been the accepted template for a British comedy show for years; e.g. People like Us, The Office, Gavin & Stacy (series 1), The Inbetweeners, Nighty Night, Being Human, The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Phoenix Knights, Father Ted (series 1), Early Doors, The Royle Family, and many, many more.
There are exceptions; Gavin & Stacey series 2 and both series of Spaced had 7 and Father Ted later series grew but generally it's six.
(Sadly the likes of My Family or My Hero subject us to dozens of episodes per series).
As for a proper ending why would they do that when they want to be comissioned for a second series?
I thought this was an excellent series that was different to pretty much anything else out there at the moment. I guess people just can't absorb new things that easily...
It was sharp, dark, rude, foul mouthed, and realistic in the right places and exagerated in others. Basically like real life with the funny and sad moments highlighted...
Does it have to be a laught a minute? What is wrong with a well acted character driven comedy drama?
Comments
My Digiguide doesn't show any repeats
No doubt it will show up on E4 or More4 before too long though
Unfortunately, the anti-Jonathan Ross parade have thrown a wobbly over it: http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2009/02/15/8301/tabloid_targets_c4_sitcom
:rolleyes:
if im honest i turned off after 10 minutes
I think I saw someone making this point on another forum somewhere but this is no funnier than shows like Dexter or Bones. Y’know a drama about a serial killer and a forensic anthropologist respectively. Indeed if anything they are funnier because when they do break up the tension with a joke it’s funny and well constructed, not just relying on a big pile of swearing, that will eventually land a giggle.
I haven’t spoken to one person I know who thought the first ep was funny and I don’t see last nights chaniging anyone’s opinion. Two maybe wry smiles across a half hour isn’t good enough. No matter how beautifully shot this is. It’s a drama. Not a comedy.
And Anthony Head again seemed like he was in a different show.
Utterly disappointing.
What with QI, Not Going Out, Pushing Daisies then this on C4+1, I'm finding Friday night telly perfect easy-going, start-of-weekend viewing.:)
Pushing Daisies however I ab-so-lutely love. Now that's got a rom story-line I care about. last nights was great.
"Middle-aged"?!
Does mummy know you're using the computer?
My teenage daughter watched it and thought it was just a bunch of grown-ups swearing in an attempt to shock a la Skins :rolleyes:
Half of the actors are as wooden as the New Forest. Several sounded as though they'd hired Stephen Hawking as their vocal coach. The dull mono-tone delivery reminded me of my 10 yr olds school play.
I've just watched the second episode and it's even worse than the first. Totally devoid of humour, dull acting, even duller characters, piss poor script... basically a waste of 30mins of my life.
The uses of swearing can be really funny (think Life of Brian with Graham Chapman in a hole trying to explain that he isn't the Messiah, giving up and then saying "OK I am the messiah..... now f**k off!") but this show isn't. The constant use of bad/lude language (poorly delivered) just becomes irritating and any shock/comedic value it could have offered is lost.
I'm told it's supposed to be an edgy sit-com. Some people are raving on about it - the thought of which makes me think they are having an 'Emperors New Clothes' moment. It's neither edgy or remotely funny.
I was wondering the same thing because The Guardian gave it a rave review and after watching it I did wonder if they watched a episode of Pulling and Green Wing edited together by mistake?
I really do feel like all of the reviewers have jumped on the 'Pulling unfairly cancelled' bandwagon, and are praising Free Agents as an excuse to then bang on about how good Pulling was.
I finally watched the second episode last night. Still not funny, but this weeks seemed even worse written. They set up all of these interesting ideas - like Anthony Head's group meeting, how he'd fallen in love, him getting advice from the other two - and then did nothing with them. I don't mind my expectations not being met in terms of where a story's going - but when nothing else happened in the show other than more aimless crying and swearing, it felt like even more of a shame when Head's storyline was thrown away for the sake of a really poor wanking joke.
Rab C. Nesbitt for me this week, I think...
Having said that though, I enjoy it nonetheless and will watch it every week even though it's not that funny - I like the two main characters, and find the storylines quite engaging.
Loved the two main characters as well.
Loved the main two characters. They were beautifully played and I actually cared.
There are exceptions; Gavin & Stacey series 2 and both series of Spaced had 7 and Father Ted later series grew but generally it's six.
(Sadly the likes of My Family or My Hero subject us to dozens of episodes per series).
As for a proper ending why would they do that when they want to be comissioned for a second series?
It was sharp, dark, rude, foul mouthed, and realistic in the right places and exagerated in others. Basically like real life with the funny and sad moments highlighted...
Does it have to be a laught a minute? What is wrong with a well acted character driven comedy drama?