I spent much of my weekend watching an absurd amount of British comedy.
If you have good taste (and so many people don't) and access to the internet (that, you do have), then there is nothing standing in your way from also spending several hours alone watching television and drinking tea and feeling very pleased with yourself and warm and vicariously hilarious. IT SOLVES WINTER.
Here is your television prescription* from lovely Dr. Marg**:
Peep Show: This is my favourite show. It just is. Ever. Of all time. And they've just started their 7th series***. This is huge for British comedies, since the English aren't dead-horse-beaters like Americans****, and often only do two or three series. Since each Peep Show series is only six episodes long AND the writing is so good, even in it's 7th series, it's still fresh. The important thing is to commit yourself and start from Series One. I'll see you in a few days.
Getting On: I still haven't been able to watch all of Series One, but just am loving Series Two, so I can get behind not starting from the beginning on this one, just because the second series is more readily available on youtube. Two nurses and a doctor in a geriatric ward of a hospital - directed by Peter Capaldi, written by the actresses (Jo Brand, Vicki Pepperdine, and Joanna Scanlan), who also star. Watch this first, and you'll be hooked.
Whites: Unfortunately named show, really, but so, so funny. Created by Peep Show's Super Hans, this one brings us into the world of a fancy hotel kitchen. You'll develop a crush on Bib the sous chef, if you have a heart at all. And if you watch Peep Show, you'll love that Isy Suttie (Dobby in that, Kiki in this) is given free range to steal every scene she's in. “What does steak mean?”
The Trip: I didn't like the movie Sideways, probably because I was waiting for it to be less about wine and more about food, and for it to be less American and more British, and for it to be actually funny, and not just... Sideways. If you've heard anything about The Trip, you've probably heard some comparisons. But what you really needed to hear is that Steve Coogan can do no wrong. And that it is important for Rob Brydon to do impressions ad nauseam, so that you can feel Steve Coogan's pain/jealousy/competitiveness AND yet, if you are anything at all like me, you will still be IN LOVE with Rob Brydon. Yes, it's true. I love him. Even though he looks like this.
Grandma's House: A dark-horse contender really. It's gotten lots of mixed reviews. The important thing though, is that it is really fucking funny. And who the hell cares about anything else? Did you like Never Mind the Buzzcocks when Simon Amstell was the host? Then watch his sitcom! Never watched Never Mind the Buzzcocks? Fuck off and youtube that too.
While you're fucking off and watching that panel show, please also do yourself a solid and watch Would I Lie To You and the motherload, QI.
You are insulting Stephen Fry by not watching QI. What kind of North American monster are you? Get out of my blog!
Well... don't do that.
*I could go on for days about the back catalog of Brit-com you are probably lacking.
** Sure, why not.
*** You know full well that they call seasons series over there.
**** You also know exactly what I am talking about, Just imagine all the solid gold I could link to.
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