There is a British TV comedy that is going to post episodes to the web. It’s called The IT Crowd. First episode is there and available for download.
If you’re geek enough you can figure out how to modify the links posted there so you can download it and save it instead of streaming it.
http://edge.channel4.com/theitcrowd/episode1_c4web.wmv
Thanks for posting that John, although I live in the UK I missed this one and it’s quite funny. I’ve now programmed my Sky+ box to record IT so I don’t forget.
BTW if you’re in the UK it’s on Channel 4 Friday’s, repeats on other days, check for days & times on http://www.tvtv.co.uk .
Well, I watched the first few minutes before my PC seized up. Useful: I won’t bother with the series. I just didn’t find it funny. Not what I have come to expect from BritWit at all, SOME of which is incredible. Some sadly is not. A lot of the more modern stuff I find to be very mushy, no sharpness at all. My opinions probably as ever will diverge from those of others. Maybe I will start a thread.
It might be worth watching more, the start is just gradually introducing the characters, not much flesh. Of course like anything it’s a matter of taste.
The first time I watched some “Little Britain” I wasn’t taken by it but then tried again and now I’m hooked. I don’t think ‘The IT Crowd’ is in the same league but it’s entertaining.
One of my favourite comedians is Al Murray with his creation “The Pub Landlord” but he’s not to everyone’s taste.
…and Shameless
Thanks Unicus, I’ll have another look if the PC stays the course. The crossing of the pond by comedy is an interesting topic in itself. Those US SITCOMs that I have seen here in the UK seem to be very, very fluffy, all things bright and beautiful. When I read about a British comedy sent to the US, it is often “being remade for an American audience”. I have never seen the end result of such tweaking, so am not really sure what they change. And do they also change stuff for the Brits as it crosses the ocean?
I read that “Shameless” is to be re-jigged for the USA? My God. How much will that have to be watered down? Dare they show it in anything like its full gory? I admit it has surprised, if not actually shocked ***, me, although I do find it unremittingly funny. I shouldn’t, because I used to work very, very near to where it was filmed, and I know many of the plot lines, and worse, have often been acted out for real in those same housing estates.
Has it actually reached the States yet? How did the bible belt react?
*** I’ll go with shocked, having just remembered the chosen camera angle for more or less the first scene of series three.
I’ve only ever caught a few minutes of Shameless, the first time I thought it was a real life documentary until it went a bit silly. It’s on my ‘to watch list’.
I know what you mean about TV from the US and it’s unfortunate because there are some good comedians but the TV producers have to please the majority and their advertisers so the US comedians don’t get a good stage with TV. I remember seeing not so long ago an advertisement for a DVD which was billed as ‘uncut’ US comedians but they were doing no more risky stuff than can be seen on UK TV. I guess they meant ‘US TV uncut’. Here in the UK I think it’s always been better for comedians.
On a slightly related note I heard the other day, and I don’t know how true it is but, US TV had banned ‘Touched by an Angel’ because it mentioned god in every episode. Now I’m religionless but that is just daft it’s only entertainment.
…a bit silly? Had I never spent time there, never been in those shops, that pub, the working mens club etc etc, I would have agreed. The only real difference between true life and when the cameras roll is that the action on the estate gets crammed into just 60 minutes. The Post office in amongst those shops had to close after being armed robbed three times in just months. The chemist shop has a bell on the door and you have to ring to be allowed in after scrutiny. The working men’s club has razor wire trailed across the roof, as have quite a number of the houses atop their fences. The public phone box always used to receive an astonishing number of phone calls. Oddly there usually seemed to be someone stood nearby when it rang. You could be forgiven if you thought someone was running a business there. In Summer the kids manage to turn on the fire hydrant, making a huge fountain. Then they get out their swimsuits. I saw a police car up on bricks: wheels stolen, windows smashed. I could go on…and on…
Documentary? close, much closer than you might think.
PS watched the full IT crowd episode, but am still not really impressed much.
Ah well. Never mind