[TV] Vic n Bob’s Big Night Out

[The Clamp]

Have watched all three now and gave up half way through the last one. This is really not funny anymore. I liked the original but this just seems dated and unfunny. Shame, I had high hopes. Both have gone on to do far better shows, both together (Shooting Stars) and individually (Gone Fishing, Braniacs).
Not impressed.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

How strange you should say that as I was talking to someone about this earlier.

I used to watch the originals with amazement at how cutting edge they were. A totally new direction for comedy. Shooting Stars was the start of many a night out for me in my 20's and we all used to congregate at mine with a case of beer and plenty of Ul-riiii-ka-ka-ka-kaaaas were shouted.

Now... it's just not funny any more. A bit like Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse when they did a series of pretty much everything they did in their prime. It was just regurgitated old material.

I suppose this is a case of re-invent yourself, or if you can't - just get out whilst you're at the top.

Sad, really... I love Vic & Bob, and Harry & Paul - but I think I love the memories which come with them just as much, if not more.

 

[zefarelly]

Agree with both of you, Nothing last forever . . . We do seem to have a bit of a drought for this type of comedy at the moment, possibly a sign of the times.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

Comedy is all about self deprecating and being 'observational' these days. It can be funny, but when everyone is doing it - it becomes a bit bland....

Reeves & Mortimer were genuinely left-field and quite surreal at times. Harry Enfield was largely observational in his characters - and because it was such a new take on comedy, it was funny. I suppose as I get older I'm not looking for new and fresh - I just like what I like.

I saw Kevin Bridges at the Dome a couple of weeks ago and laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. He's not cutting edge as such - but he's so good. I also like Jim Jefferies... he's brilliant.

 

[vegster]

Comedy is all about self deprecating and being 'observational' these days. It can be funny, but when everyone is doing it - it becomes a bit bland....

Reeves & Mortimer were genuinely left-field and quite surreal at times. Harry Enfield was largely observational in his characters - and because it was such a new take on comedy, it was funny. I suppose as I get older I'm not looking for new and fresh - I just like what I like.

I saw Kevin Bridges at the Dome a couple of weeks ago and laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. He's not cutting edge as such - but he's so good. I also like Jim Jefferies... he's brilliant.

I think that comedy just re-invents itself periodically and changes with the medium but the basics remain. A comedy act could have a career lasting 40 years playing the old theatres and music halls but once exposed to television the material is gone so you have to come up with something new each time. Morecombe and Wise had a wonderful act but managed to adapt quickly to the changed world of television by evolving their comedy
You look at Harry Enfield, and latterly Paul Whitehouse, and his character based comedy and its a straight lift from Dick Emery, Dom Jolly and his Trigger Happy TV owes much to Candid Camera and You've Been Framed also steals directly from this classic series.
Now you see many comedians doing guest appearances on panel shows which have replaced the old variety shows and this is their chance to be witty and shine and then go on the road with a comedy tour for a year or maybe two then back to the drawing board.

Vic and Bob were a modern zany upgrade on Monty Python/ Q Series comedy and were equally as groundbreaking but, you can never go home.

 

[METALMICKY]

It's the old adage of 'never go back' and an appreciation that the original ' Big Night Out' was surreal comedy at its best but critically of the moment!

With a nod to the original series " very poor and they should have let it lie". And Judge Nutmeg's wheel of justice would have condemned them

 

[Ernest]

I watched the first 2 shows and realised it just wasn't funny, the original series was brilliant and different to anything else but this is just meh. Plus I hate all the hipsters in the audience trying to look so cool

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I'm going against the grain here but I think it's less funny precisely because they HAVE changed it. In the original, Vic compered and Bob provided the variety, eg the Man With The Stick, Graham Lister, etc. (and let's not forget Les). But now because Bob has to have equal billing, they're just repeating the double act they've been doing on all their other shows.

Bring back Les's lunch club and the living carpets!

 

[The Spanish]

I watched the first 2 shows and realised it just wasn't funny, the original series was brilliant and different to anything else but this is just meh. Plus I hate all the hipsters in the audience trying to look so cool

To be fair originally they were relentlessly championed by the NME and had a big student following after their original cult following, which would have been considered hipster by today’s standards.

What’s missing now is the genuinely deranged stuff, lister etc which was quite dark. I still feel quite bad about how the man with the stick was treated by his mate terry.

 

[jimhigham]

I'm enjoying it. Doesn't feel as fresh as it did back in the day. How could it? It still makes me laugh a lot though.

 

[vegster]

Is it as bad as having to sit through an evening of "Alleged " comedy with Greg Davies ?

 

[beorhthelm]

i watched last week and found it amusing, but then i dont recall watching it much first time round, so not much expectation or nostalgia to live up to.

 

[Pevenseagull]

They should have let it die.

 

[Easy 10]

I used to love Red Dwarf with a passion, and can still glean some enjoyment from the re-runs. But now, having watched the likes of The Thick of It, Partridge, VEEP and The Office, the writing on those shows is just light years ahead IMO. Maybe its because I grew out of Vic and Bob, which I loved at the time and IS a different kind of comedy, but...silly slapstick just doesn't do it for me any more.

Oh, while I'm on, I've recently started watching F is for Family on Netflix - kind of a Family Guy style satirical adult cartoon, but set back in 1973. Its magnificent. Again, the crude but articulate writing is everything. It doesn't top Malcolm Tucker, but then, what does.

 

[Triggaaar]

Is it as bad as having to sit through an evening of "Alleged " comedy with Greg Davies ?

I haven't watched either, but I'm going to guess no.

 

[BadFish]

Agree with both of you, Nothing last forever . . . We do seem to have a bit of a drought for this type of comedy at the moment, possibly a sign of the times.

Its all explained in the Left Loony thread. Adverts aren't allowed to make mindless generalisations anymore and comedy is now banned.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

 

[zefarelly]

Put it up against other offerings, like anything on ITV or Mrs Browns boys and it's intergalactically good.

The last leg and HIGNFY amazingly is still brilliant, but with a constant stream of political f*ckwittery they're never going to be short of material

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Went to see Vic and Bob's big night out live at the Dome on the day I passed my driving test. 1991, seems an eon ago

 

[Norman Potting]

I used to love Red Dwarf with a passion, and can still glean some enjoyment from the re-runs. But now, having watched the likes of The Thick of It, Partridge, VEEP and The Office, the writing on those shows is just light years ahead IMO. Maybe its because I grew out of Vic and Bob, which I loved at the time and IS a different kind of comedy, but...silly slapstick just doesn't do it for me any more.

Oh, while I'm on, I've recently started watching F is for Family on Netflix - kind of a Family Guy style satirical adult cartoon, but set back in 1973. Its magnificent. Again, the crude but articulate writing is everything. It doesn't top Malcolm Tucker, but then, what does.

...Don't forget Father Ted and the IT Crowd - never get tired of those.

 

[Soul Finger]

I think it's great.

If you don't think it's funny, fair enough, but no-one can simply say 'it's not funny'.

Who made some of you comedy experts?