Hyperdrive Preview! News Posted by Mr Flibble on 6th January 2006, 17:39 Tonight, BBC 2, 21:55 From tvtv.co.uk: “A taster of the new sci-fi comedy, set in 2151 that follows spaceship HMS Camden Lock as it goes about protecting British interests in a changing galaxy. Written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley, it stars Nick Frost and Kevin Eldon”
I’d forgotten that Andy Riley wrote the Book of Bunny Suicides. I was reading the second one in the shop today and pissing myself. Also, it struck me upon doing so that when Mrs Doyle is attempting to guess Todd Unctious’ name in the Ted Christmas special, “Father Andy Riley” is clearly a reference to him. I wonder how many other of the names are references to Actual People? The only other one I’d spotted – and one that gets a knowing chuckle from a couple of people in the audience – is “Father Neil Hannon”…
The teaser: Hmmm. You can’t tell much from a teaser (or even the first ep, to be fair) – but it didn’t look as good as I’d hoped. Not really bad, or anything, but if that’s the best bits we’re in trouble.
I note that the space shots look like any other slightly-cheap CGI space shots, instead of trying anything actually *new*. (With the possible exception of the main ship being a horizonal version of the Post Office tower, which is great.) Anyway, I don’t mean to be really negative. It could still be great. I’ll watch a couple of eps before deciding. Hopefully the first ep will knock me dead in the same way ‘Rose’ did.
> Hopefully the first ep will knock me dead in the same way ‘Rose’ did. Somehow I doubt this, but I suppose you never know… Actually, the Post Office tower thing doesn’t sit too well with me. It seems…I don’t know a little smug to me or something. As long as there isn’t a reference to it in the series I’m sure I’ll get over it. The preview look OK but I just have a feeling that it won’t be funny at all.
Yeah, the PO Tower thing will only work if they don’t reference it. I don’t think they will, though. I too am worried about a lack of jokes, but we can’t tell yet. Nick Frost will be fantastic, though. And what was that speeded-up thing they were doing whenever Kevin Eldon did something violent? That was awful.
I’m stating to think that Nick Frost can only play one character in anything he does. However, it looks like it has the potential to be quite funny, though. The speady up thing they did on Kevin Eldon amused me, I spose it depends on your veiw on physical humour..
I love physical humour. But that just irritated me. Probably because it reminded me too much of Green Wing, though.
> I’m stating to think that Nick Frost can only play one character in anything he does. I didn’t see the preview, but I’d argue that Mike is significantly different to Ed. Ed’s chief characteristic was that he was lazy and laid-back, neither of which apply to Mike. He plays them in the same style, but the same can be said of any naturalistic actor.
I watched Hyperdrive then Man Stroke Woman after eachother. And there wasn’t much difference in the style he used in either program. Although I’ve not seen much of Spaced, so it’s not much of a judgment, really. And even if I am right, it’s not a bad thing, as long as the sript for Hyperdrive is good he’ll do well in it.
> it reminded me too much of Green Wing, though. As soon as I found out about Hyperdrive I thought it sounded like Green Wing in space… I hope that this show doesn’t impede any return of Dwarf to BBC2 that could happen sometime. I can just imagine it…8 series and great DVD sales and they’d say no to Dwarf because they’ve got a new mediocre space comedy.
