Mitchell is woefully miscast though, and lacks the gravitas or the authority to be convincing as the Ambassador. He and Webb should have both been at the same 'deputy' level, with a more 'weighty' actor in the top spot.
Yes, he definitely seemed to be a long way out of his comfort zone (though I'm never sure what that is - it seems to be 10 o'clock live: that's about the only time he seems genuinely passionate about his presentation).
All in all, it was an odd little series. It wasn't a comedy. It didn't really have a story to tell. It was just "a day in a (slightly quirky) life", times three. I still reckon the stars of the show were all the supporting characters. They provided all the interest - M&W were just there to bulk it out and maybe provide a bit of pathos.
Mitchell is woefully miscast though, and lacks the gravitas or the authority to be convincing as the Ambassador. He and Webb should have both been at the same 'deputy' level, with a more 'weighty' actor in the top spot.
Mitchell played the part perfectly well as written.
The problem was that the written persona did not reflect the reality of the sort of person who is appointed as an ambassador.
They gain experience in lesser posts and are selected for various attributes, two of the most important being diplomacy (obviously) and unflappability. There is no way the slightly dithering character in this series would ever have made it to the level of ambassador. They must be adept at portraying rock solid confidence in all situations.
Thinking back to some M&W performances, I'm pretty certain that Mitchell could well have handled a more realistic portrayal of an ambassador if that's what he'd been given in the script.
I've just watched all three episodes back to back, and absolutely loved them.
I don't expect something to be literally "a laugh a minute" just because it comes under the "comedy" heading. When the writers go for that, it's likely to just end up as an hour of slapstick, catch-phrases and one-liners; which is fine in it's own right, but not the be all and end all of comedy.
I liked the fact that all of the characters were important ... ie it wasn't just about M&W getting all the best lines and the supporting cast having to play second fiddle all the time (as often happens when you have well-known comedy "stars" in a programme).
The Prince was a hoot! The stereotypical upper-class twit, but unusually, he wasn't just there as the butt of all the jokes with M&W having to clear up the mess after him. He sorted out the problems because, although he was a bit of a twit, he was in his element when it came to dealing with the likes of the President.
As for Mr. 21 ... brilliant ... but one of the reasons was the reaction from the security team who absolutely loved him! The scene with Mr. 21 looking decidedly uncomfortable when surrounded by his gun-toting fans was a gem!
3 episodes is a curious length for a series...with the mentions in the first two episodes of trying to get the daughter to visit and then the impending arrival of POD it feels like a 6 part show with the end missing.
The more I think about this, the more I believe you're right.
Just look at all the stuff they'd set up and never got closure for:
The daughter's visit
The helicopter deal
Thingy and his spying
Then look at the final episode. That had 4 major themes, the president's jubilee, the president's daughter, Mr 21 and the insurrection.
Each of those would have made an episode on its own.
Try this for size: that after episode 2 had been made, some nit at the BBC stuck his/her/its head round the door to the production team and said: "We've decided to cut your show - what was it called ... oh never mind. But we're canning it after the next episode so wrap it up as best you can. Cheerio, gotta rush - there's a meeting about why viewers keep complaining about the shortness of our drama series. Byeeeee!"
And that's why the last 4 episodes (each with one of those themes) got wrapped into one last gasp.
If you wanted to extend on this, maybe episode #3 would have been the jubilee and news that the french had won the helicopter contract. Episode 4 could have been Mr 21 and thingy's spying. Episode 5 would have been the daughter's visit coupled with the president;s daughter - a much more likely combination than trendy prezzy's daughter with a rather mumsy, middle-aged KH. And the finale would have been the insurrection with a cliff-hanger of whether el presidente had been overthrown (and then series #2 starting with another ibex hunt with the new guy).
Just a thought ....
If you wanted to extend on this, maybe episode #3 would have been the jubilee and news that the french had won the helicopter contract.
The French won the helicopter contract in Episode 1! Webb's character said so, and that's why, at the end, the message from POD to the Ambassador was that he owed Britain $2billion!
The more I think about this, the more I believe you're right.
Just look at all the stuff they'd set up and never got closure for:
The daughter's visit
The helicopter deal
Thingy and his spying
Then look at the final episode. That had 4 major themes, the president's jubilee, the president's daughter, Mr 21 and the insurrection.
Each of those would have made an episode on its own.
Try this for size: that after episode 2 had been made, some nit at the BBC stuck his/her/its head round the door to the production team and said: "We've decided to cut your show - what was it called ... oh never mind. But we're canning it after the next episode so wrap it up as best you can. Cheerio, gotta rush - there's a meeting about why viewers keep complaining about the shortness of our drama series. Byeeeee!"
And that's why the last 4 episodes (each with one of those themes) got wrapped into one last gasp.
If you wanted to extend on this, maybe episode #3 would have been the jubilee and news that the french had won the helicopter contract. Episode 4 could have been Mr 21 and thingy's spying. Episode 5 would have been the daughter's visit coupled with the president;s daughter - a much more likely combination than trendy prezzy's daughter with a rather mumsy, middle-aged KH. And the finale would have been the insurrection with a cliff-hanger of whether el presidente had been overthrown (and then series #2 starting with another ibex hunt with the new guy).
Just a thought ....
I said much the same in post #91.
But the three things that definitely contravened the principle of Chekhov's Gun were:
Neil's involvement with the host's secret service
The daughter's visit
Jennifer's potential job
Each of these had been explicitly set up and then just left dangling.
The helicopter story was finished, as was the vetting officer's.
Oops, 'pollies - yes, you did. I quoted post #90, looks like those two must've got stuck together.
Apropos Chekov's gun (not a Star Trek reference, as I originally thought): I also like Mark Twain's rules of writing. Sadly, these days more notable for their absence than their observation.
Mitchell played the part perfectly well as written.
The problem was that the written persona did not reflect the reality of the sort of person who is appointed as an ambassador.
They gain experience in lesser posts and are selected for various attributes, two of the most important being diplomacy (obviously) and unflappability. There is no way the slightly dithering character in this series would ever have made it to the level of ambassador. They must be adept at portraying rock solid confidence in all situations.
Thinking back to some M&W performances, I'm pretty certain that Mitchell could well have handled a more realistic portrayal of an ambassador if that's what he'd been given in the script.
Yes thinking about it if you compare it to The Thick of It the character was more like Hugh Abbot/Nicola Murray who were pretty hopeless relying totally on the staff and stumbling from disaster to disaster in the job than Peter Mannion, a more bullish character, who was more in the know and knew the ropes of how the political world works.
I'm not saying the Ambassador was totally useless but the way Mitchell acted him it was more like a junior minister pushed into a post that he was not prepared for or wanted rather than someone who had greased their way up the ranks with total confidence.
From the Michell & Webb sketch shows he can play that type of smarmy bullish political guy.
... anyone else watching the repeats of this? ... absolutely love it although it's a very odd combination of mild drama with mild comic moments ... tis a shame there were only three episodes, there was definitely a lot more that could have been covered! x
I thought I'd give it another go. My only concern is, if there's another series, how are they going to get the incredibly hot Natalia Tena (Tanya) back into the country?
... yup, they would certainly need to bring her back ... I love how much Neil cares for the country, and Tanya ... it would be odd without her ... although I guess it would help Neil decide if it was the country or Tanya he really wanted! x
Interesting, it was halfway there already of course, I'd worry about Mitchell though - he was the least actorly of the cast when there were laughs included. Webb on the other hand was comfortable with the serious bits.
Well, I quite enjoyed it. Not the funniest thing it the world but it had potential. I'm big fans of Mitchell & Webb and Keeley Hawes is always good value.
A serious drama about British ambassadors is a good idea but I would do it with a brand new cast and a totally different setup.
I'm bumping up this topic to draw people's attention to the fact that the BBC have axed this following alleged pressure from the government to do so (Particularly from Prince Andrew and William Hauge).
I was a huge fan of this show and personally felt it was the best thing Mitchell and Webb have ever done. If you would like to help support the show and Mitchell and Webb you can complain (as I have done) to the BBC here:
Crazy, brilliant series i really enjoyed. no different to Yes Prime minister.
The BBC are always defending there right to put the likes of McKenzie on tv who angers thousands yet they take this whole series off just because Hague and Duke of york get peeved off being satirized, no wonder people are losing respect if they are so out of touch they think we cant tell the difference between comedy and real life. them again maybe the Duke of york thinks it's a documentary.
It's such a shame, although as you say the article wasn't concrete evidence that the show is 100% axed. I'm also very confused about the DVD release, three times it's been pushed back and currently it states it will be released September 2015.
Why would this be when most BBC dvds are released about a month after broadcast? That's why I felt impassioned to raise awareness about this! Please if you have a moment spare send a quick e-mail to the beeb to complain and ask them to commission series two! You'd make this Mitchell & Webb fan very happy.:) Otherwise we will never know what Niel Tilly was up to, or what happened to the previous Ambassador! Or what was going to happen when POD visited!
Just bumping this topic as I had a reply from the BBC last week and I thought it would be apt to post about it considering Prince Andrew has been in the news today (seeing as he is allegedly the one blocking series two).
The reply was quite vague, it actually didn't clarify if the show was axed or not. It denied any political involvement in the BBC's decision making and cited Charlie Brooker's shows and HIGNFY as examples of more left wing comedies on the BBC. As for the DVD release they said they only produce DVDs if there is a demand for them. That's rubbish as the amazon page is full of people asking for it to be released but ok. So to sum up I think there is still a real chance of series two but if anyone feels like rallying up some support that would really help!
Comments
All in all, it was an odd little series. It wasn't a comedy. It didn't really have a story to tell. It was just "a day in a (slightly quirky) life", times three. I still reckon the stars of the show were all the supporting characters. They provided all the interest - M&W were just there to bulk it out and maybe provide a bit of pathos.
Mitchell played the part perfectly well as written.
The problem was that the written persona did not reflect the reality of the sort of person who is appointed as an ambassador.
They gain experience in lesser posts and are selected for various attributes, two of the most important being diplomacy (obviously) and unflappability. There is no way the slightly dithering character in this series would ever have made it to the level of ambassador. They must be adept at portraying rock solid confidence in all situations.
Thinking back to some M&W performances, I'm pretty certain that Mitchell could well have handled a more realistic portrayal of an ambassador if that's what he'd been given in the script.
I don't expect something to be literally "a laugh a minute" just because it comes under the "comedy" heading. When the writers go for that, it's likely to just end up as an hour of slapstick, catch-phrases and one-liners; which is fine in it's own right, but not the be all and end all of comedy.
I liked the fact that all of the characters were important ... ie it wasn't just about M&W getting all the best lines and the supporting cast having to play second fiddle all the time (as often happens when you have well-known comedy "stars" in a programme).
The Prince was a hoot! The stereotypical upper-class twit, but unusually, he wasn't just there as the butt of all the jokes with M&W having to clear up the mess after him. He sorted out the problems because, although he was a bit of a twit, he was in his element when it came to dealing with the likes of the President.
As for Mr. 21 ... brilliant ... but one of the reasons was the reaction from the security team who absolutely loved him! The scene with Mr. 21 looking decidedly uncomfortable when surrounded by his gun-toting fans was a gem!
The more I think about this, the more I believe you're right.
Just look at all the stuff they'd set up and never got closure for:
- The daughter's visit
- The helicopter deal
- Thingy and his spying
Then look at the final episode. That had 4 major themes, the president's jubilee, the president's daughter, Mr 21 and the insurrection.Each of those would have made an episode on its own.
Try this for size: that after episode 2 had been made, some nit at the BBC stuck his/her/its head round the door to the production team and said: "We've decided to cut your show - what was it called ... oh never mind. But we're canning it after the next episode so wrap it up as best you can. Cheerio, gotta rush - there's a meeting about why viewers keep complaining about the shortness of our drama series. Byeeeee!"
And that's why the last 4 episodes (each with one of those themes) got wrapped into one last gasp.
If you wanted to extend on this, maybe episode #3 would have been the jubilee and news that the french had won the helicopter contract. Episode 4 could have been Mr 21 and thingy's spying. Episode 5 would have been the daughter's visit coupled with the president;s daughter - a much more likely combination than trendy prezzy's daughter with a rather mumsy, middle-aged KH. And the finale would have been the insurrection with a cliff-hanger of whether el presidente had been overthrown (and then series #2 starting with another ibex hunt with the new guy).
Just a thought ....
The French won the helicopter contract in Episode 1! Webb's character said so, and that's why, at the end, the message from POD to the Ambassador was that he owed Britain $2billion!
I said much the same in post #91.
But the three things that definitely contravened the principle of Chekhov's Gun were:
Neil's involvement with the host's secret service
The daughter's visit
Jennifer's potential job
Each of these had been explicitly set up and then just left dangling.
The helicopter story was finished, as was the vetting officer's.
Apropos Chekov's gun (not a Star Trek reference, as I originally thought): I also like Mark Twain's rules of writing. Sadly, these days more notable for their absence than their observation.
I'm not saying the Ambassador was totally useless but the way Mitchell acted him it was more like a junior minister pushed into a post that he was not prepared for or wanted rather than someone who had greased their way up the ranks with total confidence.
From the Michell & Webb sketch shows he can play that type of smarmy bullish political guy.
http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001512/ambassadors_may_return_as_a_drama/
A serious drama about British ambassadors is a good idea but I would do it with a brand new cast and a totally different setup.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/londoners-diary-bbc-denies-fco-pulled-plug-on-ambassadors-9900573.html
I was a huge fan of this show and personally felt it was the best thing Mitchell and Webb have ever done. If you would like to help support the show and Mitchell and Webb you can complain (as I have done) to the BBC here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/
and also to Points of View here:
https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mysv/contact
Thanks
The BBC are always defending there right to put the likes of McKenzie on tv who angers thousands yet they take this whole series off just because Hague and Duke of york get peeved off being satirized, no wonder people are losing respect if they are so out of touch they think we cant tell the difference between comedy and real life. them again maybe the Duke of york thinks it's a documentary.
edit that Matthew Parris is the one speculating.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ambassadors-Series-DVD-David-Mitchell/dp/B00GHPALEC
Why would this be when most BBC dvds are released about a month after broadcast? That's why I felt impassioned to raise awareness about this! Please if you have a moment spare send a quick e-mail to the beeb to complain and ask them to commission series two! You'd make this Mitchell & Webb fan very happy.:) Otherwise we will never know what Niel Tilly was up to, or what happened to the previous Ambassador! Or what was going to happen when POD visited!
The reply was quite vague, it actually didn't clarify if the show was axed or not. It denied any political involvement in the BBC's decision making and cited Charlie Brooker's shows and HIGNFY as examples of more left wing comedies on the BBC. As for the DVD release they said they only produce DVDs if there is a demand for them. That's rubbish as the amazon page is full of people asking for it to be released but ok. So to sum up I think there is still a real chance of series two but if anyone feels like rallying up some support that would really help!
Thanks!;-)