In that case then they need to judge what works in theatre doesn't work on TV or film. They are quite different mediums.

I actually didn't watch more than a few minutes of episode two, so I have followed your advice. Hopefully others will do the same and then the message might get through to stop being lazy and steal ideas from Gimme Gimme Gimme and Entertaining Mr Sloane.

Well, the second episode was a slight improvement on the first. But I still don't know how I feel about this.
Granted there are some funny lines but there are also some gags that are just completely obvious and don't deserve that amount of raucous laughter from the audience.

Again, that's the point of a studio based sitcom. Theatre on the TV. It's purposefully hammy.

I'm not keen on it myself but this is what it's intended to be.

I strongly disagree. On the contrary, they are to be applauded for attempting a theatrical format on TV. In fact, many of the great sitcoms - Frasier, The Golden Girls, Cheers - are highly theatrical in setting and delivery. Frasier was like a brand new Noel Coward comedy every week.

I also see no similarity to Gimme,Gimme,Gimme - a show which didn't make me smile once. And anything which channels Joe Orton is to be welcomed, not despised.

I'd be surprised if they were intentionally attempting a theatrical experience on TV. There's been no mention of that whatsoever.

I agree that the three sitcoms you have mentioned stuck mainly to a 'staged' setting but there is no comparison in the writing or performances.They are my three favourites too. Friends and The Big Bang Theory also follow this type of format. I see no over-acting in any of these productions.

The similarity between GGG and Vicious is the cruel bantering between the leads and the similar deluded nature of the female.

If you are going to channel Joe Orton, again a favourite of mine, then show his work. Don't steal from him.

BIB I'm not sure it needs spelling out. It's pretty obvious to me.

Cruel bantering is hardly the monopoly of Gimme, Gimme, Gimme. Indeed, much great comedy is based on cruelty so I still don't see Vicious as an kind of rip-off of that earlier show.

Clearly you are right in drawing comparisons with Entertaining Mr. Sloane. But Orton shamelessly drew from many different influences and works and even called himself "the Oscar Wilde of the welfare state generation", so I think it's a tad harsh to accuse the writers of Vicious of stealing from him.

Nice to meet another Orton fan on DS, though!

Whether it works or not is a matter of opinion. Mine is that it is working, yours clearly differs.


Do you know what? Between DJ IM and FdlT, not to mention the all producers, directors and other professionals involved I suspect they have some inkling of that fact .

And I dare say they know that some will not like what they are doing.

But others do and so it's good that they have tried it.

Very much so. I read his diaries, the John Lahr biog and saw Mr Sloan many years ago on stage with Barbara Windsor as Kath.

It's the stereotype of the characters that concern me the most. Surely in 2013 we've moved on from all of that. Or if we haven't, let it at least be funny - Will & Grace is another good example. And yes, I am aware of the irony of that last statement. (c.f. creator Gary Janetti)

What does 'BIB' stand for?

I've looked at several different acronym sites and can't find anything that works in context.

(I'll bet I kick myself when I find out. )

Bit In Bold

Bit In Bold. I had to ask once. I think it's unique to DS.

FYI. The new DVD version of Entertaining Mr. Sloane - released last month - has a much longer extract from Orton's interview on The Eamonn Andrews Show than has been previously released. It's fascinating to see - especially the bit where he lies about having been married once!

I caught a few minutes of last weeks, and am glad I remembered to watch it last night. Thought it was great, especially Frances De La Tour as the lecherous friend

You'd have though with the more positive response as to last night's episode that the ratings will be much higher.

It dropped to 3.71m (17.1%) last night, compared to 5.87m (24.4%) the week before so well over 2 million. Figures include +1.

Oh dear - was it down to the weather or that people got sick of it? Considering it dropped over a million during the half-hour period last week. It's a shame as I liked it.

If I'm going to have some ham I'll have it thickly sliced, thank you.

And has been said above, this is a stage production for the small screen. See also #638 and other posters comments on this being a stage play.

"The roar of the grease paint and the smell of the audience dahling".

Well said, Vetinari, couldn't agree more. Personally it more than works for me - I was in stitches last night and the 3 main leads are simply superb imo.

By the time this series comes to it's concluding episode, every time someone knocks at our front door we'll be shouting out.....IT'S ASH!!!

Oh dear. That's a massive drop-off.

I have to agree with you on this,the actors seem to be enjoying I a lot more than the (TV) audience and they are hamming it up a bit too much for my taste.I have not laughed yet ,though some lines are quite smart,perhaps its just not for me ,its no Frasier thats for sure,sorry.

Hat Trick co-founder Jimmy Mulville has defended the low ratings for Sky's comedy programming, insisting that creative freedom is more important for producers and writers than viewer numbers

maybe every channel will have to have the same view as seems all ratings are down with each year that passes, hope itv dont give up on its new comedies wait until the full run ends to decide if that awful cowell cooking show got full run with bad ratings all way through the comedies should.continue

cant judge ratings on a bank hol red hot day as all ratings poor on all channels

I think Frances de La Tour and Marcia Warren out class the two leads.

I remember watching an interview with the great Bea Arthur - Dorothy on the Golden Girls, they had some big name guest stars and she was talking about how some of them, who didn't really 'do' comedy just became 'crazy' when on the GGs

She said they were tremendous actors but just overplayed their hand and went to pieces because they were suddenly in a comedy roll.

I get totally what people are saying about it having the feel of a stage play, even the set looks to have been designed to give that appearance. I just wonder if it was taken to the stage would it get a better reception that it appears be having on television?

Well people wouldn't know if it was better or worse before watching.

If they didn't like last week's they wouldn't have bothered with it this week.

Don't most shows drop between the first and second episode? 3.71m sounds very low for an ITV show (but I never really know about viewings these days).

3.71m isn't low for ITV - many shows get that every day in primetime.

Yes, many shows drop between first and second episode. But, not many drop by 2 million.