Saxondale

[n1 gull]

I think its excellent. I thought the Clarkson piss take was superb.

 

[surrey jim]

What is Saxondale a medieval Emerdale

 

[London Irish]

I'm shocked and heartbroken by this thread. I think Saxondale is absolute class, classic Coogan. You can't make the man flail under the weight of Partridge for the rest of eternity - considered on its own merits, Saxondale is brilliant.

Have exactly the same reaction as you - I'm very annoyed there is is no repeats as I missed the first half yesterday.

 

[Mr Banana]

I recorded it and would be glad to let you have the tape if you're in the Brighton area or tell me where to send it

 

[CHAPPERS]

I saw this last night and was very impressed though he's tight polo shirt made me feel uncomfortable.

 

[London Irish]

I recorded it and would be glad to let you have the tape if you're in the Brighton area or tell me where to send it

That's very kind of you - but I'm convinced the critical reaction to the series has been so good already that there'll be a swift repeat on BBC3 - thanks though

 

[Seasider78]

Someone has uploaded them onto youtube.com if you missed the first two!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Saxondale is not really hitting the spot IMHO. A bit like the Peter Kaye bouncer spin-off, whatever it was called. Suspect Alan Partridge was Steve Coogan's defining moment - well apart from his superb Tony Wilson in 24 hour Party People, that is. Seem to recall Paul & Pauline Calf were pretty shite also. Oh well.

 

[looney]

I thought it was a mix of Brilliance and Cringe. AP was more suttle true but this may develope.


Now for tommy Saxondale Hangman.

Which NSC poster looks like Saxondale?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 

[clapham_gull]

It's definately not classic Coogan. I think with most of his characters they work because there is more than an element of truth with them. With "saxondale" - I can see what he is trying to do, but in my experience there is pretty much nothing "ex-roadie" about the character other than the fact we've been told that he was one.

I'd agree with the comment above that the character isn't well defined. Yes - I now we've only seen a couple of shows and they all suffer from that starting out, but that's what Coogan excels at isn't it ? Coogans Run ?

My major problem with the character is that it is just too much like Alan Partridge. A lot of the facial expressions are identical, the snide comments very similiar. The deeper you look they are almost identical - loves motoring, drinks bitter, loses his temper, has suppressed strange sexual tendancies etc.. etc..

I think he's played a little too safe with this one. Its just a fat Alan Partridge with a beard. Shame.

I'm a massive Coogan fan, not only Partridge but especially Gareth Cheeseman. Went to see the live West End stage show, and was in stitches.

Was looking forward to this, but very disappointed.

 

[Giant Seagull]

is he northern or brummie?

 

[looney]

dunno, could be a northern Brummie.

 

[looney]

Clue..................

 

[London Irish]

My major problem with the character is that it is just too much like Alan Partridge. A lot of the facial expressions are identical, the snide comments very similiar. The deeper you look they are almost identical - loves motoring, drinks bitter, loses his temper, has suppressed strange sexual tendancies etc.. etc..

I think the key difference is that he is a much more sympathetic character than AP, that's what makes Coogan's work here much more subtle. Saxondale is knee deep in frailties but they are human ones that you don't despise him for, AP by contrast was just a comic book cipher built entirely to be destroyed.

An example was last week when he shot the animal rights protesters. Now, as a fairly liberal type, I don't normally advocate the shooting of such people, but when Saxondale did it, you couldn't help laughing

 

[clapham_gull]

I think the key difference is that he is a much more sympathetic character than AP, that's what makes Coogan's work here much more subtle. Saxondale is knee deep in frailties but they are human ones that you don't despise him for, AP by contrast was just a comic book cipher built entirely to be destroyed.

An example was last week when he shot the animal rights protesters. Now, as a fairly liberal type, I don't normally advocate the shooting of such people, but when Saxondale did it, you couldn't help laughing

I think you'll agree that the measure of whether something is funny is whether you find it funny yourself. I think where AP did it for me is that I actually used to work for someone very much like him in many ways. I actually found AP quite a sympathetic character myself especially in the second series.

 

[Les Biehn]

I think part of the thing with Partridge is I did find him sympathetic, because he was so pathetic. There was a real human frailty behind him whereas I don't get that with Saxondale. As Clapham says, he is basically Partridge, but a Partridge who wins which stops him from being sympathetic and just a bit bland.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Slightly off-topic - but are those pony-tails Lord B is sporting ?

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I think part of the thing with Partridge is I did find him sympathetic, because he was so pathetic. There was a real human frailty behind him whereas I don't get that with Saxondale. As Clapham says, he is basically Partridge, but a Partridge who wins which stops him from being sympathetic and just a bit bland.

Perfectly summed up by our resident dyke.

 

[Les Biehn]

Perfectly summed up by our resident dyke.

Ah, I love you Cheeky.