It probably doesn't help that Little Britain USA follows Harry & Paul on BBC1 every Friday. Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse have been doing sketch shows since the '80s and have it down to a fine art. What's more, they've actually evolved within the format as they get older. Their new series finds them ditching all of their iconic characters (save for the odd cameo) and writing more three-dimensional characters, in scenarios that speak to the middle-aged middle classes.
Meanwhile, David Walliams and Matt Lucas are stuck in a comedy rut trying to shock desensitized teens and twentysomethings. The excuse here is that they're just introducing old characters to fresh-eyed Americans, so they have every right to recycle. So, for British audiences tuning into this unofficial "fourth series", it's all very flat, repetitive and brainless.
A sketch-by-sketch:
Mark & Tom. The "gym buddies" sketch was cut from last week's BBC edit, only to appear in episode 2. No, I don't understand the thinking behind this either! Can the sight of prosthetic penises really upset LB fans post-watershed? There wasn't much to laugh at here (it was all so very, very obvious in its target), but the muscle-suits were superb.
Vicky Pollard. A signature LB character makes her debut, plausibly arriving at a US summer camp in Utah to irritate the staff. The character still has the odd brilliant line of dialogue, but the whole "chav" joke is wearing thin. And I'm not even sure that works as well in US culture, so she's simply a problem child here.
Mildred. The southern granny makes another brief appearance, shocking her grandson Connor with another nostalgic story of shooting a Jew. Forgettable, mainly because of its brevity.
Marjorie Dawes. Low-fat alternatives was this week's topic for the Fat Fighters class, and these sketches are still the best written. Of course, the jokes and set-ups are over-familiar to long-term fans, which is their main failing.
George & Sandra. I love Lucas' dour expression throughout these sketches, as the unhappily-married couple visit the zoo and George finds the caged monkeys symbolic of his marital life. Not bad.
Phyllis. I have to admit, this was the only sketch that actually made me laugh. There's something beautifully warped about an kindly-looking old lady being bossed around by her dog (which she voices herself), as it tells her to defecate in public. Sorry, but it's true.
Carol. I have no idea why this character was considered strong enough to feature in the US series, as her "computer says no" catchphrase doesn't really get the intended laughs, and the sketches are incredibly thin.
Divorcing Couple. A welcome sense of freshness, as a divorcing couple divvy up their possessions and it becomes clear from the paraphernalia she owns that Lucas' character is a lesbian (The L Word egg cups!). Quite funny.
Harvey. The return of the breast-feeding adult, as he visits American cousins. The "bitty" gag has lost its shock-factor for me, but the character isn't as overexposed as many others in LB, so it earned a few giggles.
Sebastian. David Walliams is at his best when performing camp Sebastian, but it's not quite the same now he's been reimagined as the British Prime Minister. Guest star Harry Lennix was alright as the black American Senator (although lacking the comic charm of Anthony Head). The scenario just didn't click with me – despite its timeliness with Barrack Obama's ascension in politics. Sebastian's better as a clear subordinate.
Episode 2 was on the same level as last week's episode; a few decent sketches, quite a few bad ones, and all quite tedious. Little Britain US might be a laugh-riot for Americans who have never seen LB before, but it's lifeless and plodding if you have. With the exceptions of Phyllis and perhaps Bing Gordyn, none of the new American characters are particularly funny, and the British classics have been hawking the same catchphrases and comedy formula for years. With a noticeable lack of intelligence or insightful commentary on American life, it's also missing quite an opportunity to lampoon the USA from an outsider's perspective.
10 October 2008
BBC1, 9.30pm
