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i_agree_with_nick
28 Aug 16 23:36
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Date Joined: 21 May 10
| Topic/replies: 14,078 | Blogger: i_agree_with_nick's blog
Makes you realise how good the original cast were after watching that dross tonight.

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Replies: 22
By:
rob_dylan
When: 28 Aug 16 23:39
I quite enjoyed it. Thought the guy playing Fletch jnr did well.  That bit where he goes "three gnomes, or was it two" was classic Barker.. In fact did the original Fletcher pull the same trick, I dont remember it think I have seen every episode though.
By:
crags
When: 28 Aug 16 23:42
What about Are You Being Served? Only caught 5 minutes and wasn't too impressed
By:
i_agree_with_nick
When: 28 Aug 16 23:43
The guy who played Fletch was good but a pale shadow compared to Ronnie Barker. You could see him attempting some of the same facial expressions and body language.
By:
rob_dylan
When: 28 Aug 16 23:45
Are you being served the original was absolutely dire, surely the new one couldnt be worse. Porridge was a reasonable half hour diversion I thought, no one involved would say they were trying to better the original.
By:
rob_dylan
When: 28 Aug 16 23:56
Just watched comedy connections on "Are you being served?"  Well it was made in 2003 and I keep googling the cast, well it seems the entire cast was alive when the doco was made and the entire lot are now dead
By:
JOMO
When: 29 Aug 16 08:54
I watched them both. Both were vaguely passable and could have been A LOT worse, though I'm just not quite sure what the BBC's trying to achieve with these (apart from plugging DVD boxsets of the original etc)?

Apart from being set in the 80s and with a couple of different characters, Are You Being Served's primary aim seemed to be to show how close some of today's actors could get to the originals. Actually, I thought they were pretty decent on the whole, but... so what? Just don't know what it achieved.

Agree that the guy playing Fletch Jnr did well in what was an imnpossible task, and I think having Clement and Le Frenais back writing it helped too. But again... not quite sure WHY?

Far preferred both to Still Open All Hours. Haven't watched the Dad's Army film (and don't really intend too either) but I'd guess they're both a richer gravy than that, too.
By:
morpteh mackem
When: 29 Aug 16 09:16
you dont tamper with the classics.....
By:
GoOnThen
When: 29 Aug 16 09:17
I enjoyed both. Pleasantly surprised.
By:
pumphol.
When: 29 Aug 16 09:24
My conspiracy theory mind says,  lets remake & update all these classics for one off shows, put them on at roughly the same time, wait for the reaction from the public & then  lets make a series or three of the one that appeals the most, the BBC  are not exactly churning out classic comedy hits at the moment are they, so I'm pretty sure this not a nostalgia exercise Mischief
By:
i_agree_with_nick
When: 29 Aug 16 09:45
Basil Fawlty, embittered and penniless after an acrimonious divorce, notices an advert for a job in a hotel in Barcelona... Plain
By:
i_agree_with_nick
When: 29 Aug 16 09:50
They're also giving Goodnight Sweetheart the same treatment. Don't know if there are more.
By:
Facts
When: 29 Aug 16 09:54
Landmark classic comedy season will feature new versions of Till Death Us Do Part, Steptoe and Son, Hancock’s Half Hour, Porridge, Up Pompeii, Are You Being Served? and Keeping Up Appearances
By:
BennyBinion1
When: 29 Aug 16 09:57
Thought the two yesterday evening were shocking beyond words.

Canned over the top laughter just made it worse too.
By:
Facts
When: 29 Aug 16 10:01
Canned laughter was used in the originals, so apt to include it in these remakes.
By:
Crisp77
When: 29 Aug 16 11:03
I thought Porridge was decent enough if you forget it was a remake. Not watched the other one yet.
By:
DStyle
When: 29 Aug 16 13:02
Porridge wasn't that bad. It could have been a great deal worse.

One noticeable thing though was that all the moments of charm and good humour were essentially a carbon copy of the original, which begs the question, why try and remake it?

Also the canned laughter is intrusive. It was present in the original, but it was better weighted and appropriate. Same goes for Blackadder and Upstart Crow. It's painful when it's inappropriate, or too strong such that it becomes noticeable and distracting.

I'd rather have watched a repeat of the original; there's no shame putting it on at primetime, it was that good.
By:
TheBetterBettor
When: 29 Aug 16 17:44
Bring back Love thy Neighbour with Nigel Farage and Citizen Khan
By:
TheBetterBettor
When: 29 Aug 16 17:52
Pity they couldn't get the original Grouty.  He is still acting at the tender age of 93.
By:
Facts
When: 30 Aug 16 08:22
I enjoyed this remake. Well written and acted by a number of the cast.
Could well see this becoming more than a one off.
By:
i_agree_with_nick
When: 30 Aug 16 09:20
On the subject of John Cleese, he's reportedly in talks with the BBC about returning in a sitcom which has already been written and specifically for him.
By:
lovegod
When: 30 Aug 16 12:50
It's not about a hotel owner in Torquay is it?
By:
screaming from beneaththewaves
When: 30 Aug 16 22:59
Funnily enough Grouty was only in three episodes of Porridge. Fantastic scriptwriting (and acting) for even a bit part to have left such an impression on everyone.
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