I really enjoyed the first instalment of this second series, but this week's third episode was a nadir for David Mitchell and Robert Webb's comedy. So much so that it has me pondering whether or not the pair succeeded in venting all their comedy in 2007's acclaimed series, and are now just expelling fumes.
A sketch-by-sketch:
TV Mine Shaft: A newcomer to a television programme development team is shown around the office, and it's revealed he'll also have to help mine for coal sometimes. One of those daft, but quite unfunny twists of reality M&W like to do, played deadly straight.
Helivets: The pink jump-suited pair of heroic veterinarians fail to save a dead gerbil. I like the characters' costumes and make-up, but it seems clear they're one-joke creations now.
Sports Movie Writers: Two hack screenwriters introduce their British sports comedy about a Yorkshire cricket team of unemployed steel workers. Quite a limp idea, but especially tedious because of how long the sketch lasted.
Sir Digby Chicken Caesar: The hobo and his drunken cohort stumble around a country home in the middle of a tour. I really like the concept of Sir Digby and there are wry smiles here -- but it's kind of run its course, hasn't it?
"The Man Who Had So Many Penises He Was Worth Making A Television Programme About". Self-explanatory parody of exploitative documentaries. The titles are becoming increasingly elaborate, but the joke was made back with "The Boy With An Arse For A Face", really. And we didn't even get to see the penises, which sort of destroyed the whole exploitation joke.
Advertising Songs: Three advertising executives try to marry songs to various adverts, but fail to make the obvious choices that stare them in the face. A nice idea, mildly amusing, but just kind of obvious.
Cheezoid: A top chef loses the ability to smell, makes a mess of a dish, is fired from his job, and takes the time to create a robot that can do the smelling for him. Absolutely awful in every respect, sadly. I just can't fathom why anyone would think this was funny. Possibly M&W's lowest point.
Back To Life, Back To Reality: A Big Brother-style gameshow where they've unfrozen some people who were cryogenically frozen back in the 30s/40s, purely to entertain the nation. Hmm, all Big Brother parodies are about 5 years behind the times now, and Shaun Of The Dead sort of did joke this perfectly in their end credits.
Horse French: A farmer is upset his work horse doesn't seem willing to learn French. Filler material, totally unfunny.
Chat Show: GMTV-style interviewers chat to a Dave Gorman-style celebrity who can't help making TV shows about zany adventures based on bets from his friends. Finally! An original target to poke fun at! As much as I like Dave Gorman, it's very strange more people haven't targeted his "crazy adventuring". Sadly, this sketch wasn't actually that funny, but it was okay.
Making Cheese. The behind-the-scenes interlude with Mitchell and Webb arguing over the method used to create cheese. Are they obsessed with cheese? Yes, another pointless behind-the-scenes sketch that resembles inane prattling instead of actual comedy.
So yes, this was an extremely bad episode in practically every respect. The quality nosedive from episode 1 rather is staggering, and the second series in general looks to be very limp. I don't think I properly laughed once in 30 minutes here, and can only hope things rapidly improve for episode 4.
6 March 2008
BBC2, 9.00 pm
