Phil

[Phil]

I thought that was the default conclusion! Does this make me some kind of porno man?

[Phil]

See, I thought it was to do with the fact that women would not have a certain necessary appendage to play the new cello…

[Phil]

Right…as far as I’m aware it’s just a very vaguely inappropriate suggestion…I don’t think there’s a SPECIFIC image you’re supposed to have in mind…

Correct me if I’m wrong. I always laughed at it, but, like the audience, I was probably laughing at the suggested idea more than any one particular humorous end.

[Phil]

Don’t forget Worf’s shrinking underpants. They don’t MENTION Red Dwarf but it’s pretty clearly a nod. Especially Worf’s delivery of, “They’re my all time second worst fear, guy!”

[Phil]

I think that’s a “joke.”

[Phil]

“Thanks.”

[Phil]

I’d have gladly taken your ticket.

Well, not so much gladly as forcibly. But you get the idea.

[Phil]

NEVERMIND I’m a tard. The HISSING was dubbed…I thought you meant “my tits were on fire” was dubbed in that scene. Completely my fault. I hate me. You can hate me, too.

[Phil]

Wait wait wait…so what did she say in the record that you saw?

I thought that scene was a bit overplayed. It could have been funny, and it would have been, but “my tits are hot” was repeated too much. Ditto the paging of Peter File in the airport in an earlier ep. Hilarious at first, slightly less funny the next time, and by the scene ends you’re basically just waiting for the next joke.

All of this is nit-picking, though, and I’ve really enjoyed series 2 so far. I’d say it’s a bit better than series 1, but it’s a slight gain. The dinner party episode is my favorite of either series so far. The work outing would probably come second.

[Phil]

Which one was Friday? Dragon’s Den?

[Phil]

>You definitely don?t belong in the ?Star Wars Kid/Numa Boy? category.

You mean I’m even less attractive than them? I’ve always believed it…but to hear it confirmed…!

A friend of mine just pointed out that they label me in the video as “Philip Reed – Non-Drinker.”

Now that’s funny.

[Phil]

If it isn’t, it SHOULD BE.

[Phil]

Sanibel! What a small world. I’ve had sex on your beach.

[Phil]

Surely THAT’s sarcastic.

[Phil]

Wait, was THAT sarcasm?

[Phil]

>what is official canon now

If only effects shots are being touched up, as opposed to plot or dialogue, why would it matter? What difference does it make whether a cheap, sparky explosion is canon versus a flashy CG one? Canon is only important–if it’s ever important–when there’s a contradiction to be ironed out.

[Phil]

Need a cheaper alternative?

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=1759465

I’ll see you in the spring…!

[Phil]

Danny clearly prefers a smooth #2.

You and me both, brother.

[Phil]

Any more after THAT, and you’ll get a third warning.

[Phil]

You do not exist. I am convinced of this.

[Phil]

You’re so sweet, Dave.

Without any question I would have sex with that charming young/old man/woman who posted after I did.

[Phil]

>what fucking fucking awful picture packaging

After seeing this I never, ever want to hear someone pick on the region 1 Fawlty Towers box again.

Why in fuck did they draw Mrs. Doyle to look like Kevin Klein?

[Phil]

Forgot about Keeping Up Appearances! That was also part of British Comedy Night. (The shows were kept in fairly regular rotation so obviously not everything I listed would be seen in one night.) I enjoyed KOA a lot. It’s a perfect example of a formulaic sitcom still managing to be funny every time.

They also aired As Time Goes By, which was a case of two great actors stuck in a world of poor supporting actors and even worse writing, and My Hero, which, I’m afraid to admit, I actually enjoyed.

I’d never say it was genius, but every episode I saw got at least one good laugh out of me. And I realize that by saying that, nobody here will ever want to speak to me again.

[Phil]

I miss the British Comedy Nights we had on our PBS affiliate in New Jersey. Up there we had Dwarf, Brittas, Thin Blue Line, Fawlty Towers, Monty Python, Father Ted…

The affiliate down here in Florida seems to think “British Comedy Night” translates perfectly well into “six episodes of Last of the Summer Wine.”

[Phil]

Quiet, you.

[Phil]

Well I’m sure he doesn’t mean that the first *episode* you saw is going to be your favorite…I think it’s more about the era during which you first experienced the show. It’s easy to break a show into series/season, mainly because the boundaries are pre-defined…but it’s more the period of the show’s evolution that he’s referring to.

Also I think Andrew is right to refine the comment to mean “when the show first spoke to you” rather than “when you first saw it.” I’m sure Groening had Andrew’s idea in mind, however it happened to be phrased…explaining things on the fly in a commentary you’re bound to express at least one idea gracelessly.

[Phil]

>I always wonder whether I would have stuck with Dwarf if I had seen VII or VIII first. Obviously LOADS of people have.

The only Simpsons DVD set I own is season eight, so if this idea is expanded upon in another set someone is welcome to clarify or correct me, but Matt Groening has a theory that people are always going to enjoy most what they see first. Which means those who loved The Simpsons during the first few years will think it’s been downhill ever since, those who came to it later will think it’s been downhill since season 10 or 11, and those who came still LATER think it’s brilliant now and will follow the pattern of becoming disillusioned somewhere down the line.

And I DO think there’s some truth to that, as much as I’d like to refute him. Long-running shows are the best gauge of this, obviously…

I did enjoy The Simpsons from early on, but my interest blossomed around the time of seasons 6-7-8, and, of course, I pretty much think those are the best. My favorite cast of Saturday Night Live is the one I grew up watching (Phil Hartman, John Lovitz, Chris Farley…), and my favorite series of Dwarf is still V, which, coincidentally, happens to be the first series I saw (if you can discount one single episode of IV).

It’s an interesting theory and Groening is not a stupid man…the urge to refute him is definitely there, and I’m sure there are enough counter-examples to do so…but it’s worth considering. There’s an issue of comfort that comes with your first real exposure to something and it’s hard for something else, no matter what the quality, to unbalance that.

[Phil]

Cool site, but I usually just get Austin to do it for me.

[Phil]

Meltdown.

PBS was airing series I-VII (there was no VIII at the time) in a weekly rotation, in sequence. I remember my first viewing of Meltdown rather well, and it was a pretty good episode to start with. Since I didn’t know the characters, there was enough situational comedy to keep me very amused.

Holoship was aired the next week and THAT was when I fell in love. I didn’t know much about the characters at all, but I knew this was a show that was treating them with some real respect, and the writer in me was very much impressed.

I started watching because my manager at Taco Bell (oh, to be 17 again!) was talking about it to me one night when we were closing up. He was talking about the bit where the ship is hit with a meteor in Queeg. I don’t remember it being a particularly funny re-enactment (are they ever?) but it was enough, evidently, to get me to tune in.

[Phil]

>the one where Denholm leaves

So does this mean Morris is present for at least one episode?

[Phil]

So if I had to choose between importing The IT Crowd and Hyperdrive, what would everyone recommend?

[Phil]

Junior Angler’s the best you’re getting out of me…!

[Phil]

You can come visit me, Danny. I’m just a short naked jog across the Atlantic.

[Phil]

Funnily enough I was having a very similar conversation with a friend of mine last night. I second this request for hosting info.

[Phil]

>Phil, seriously, fucking download it. The lot of it.

Actually, I was thinking of picking this set up if it’s cheap enough. I don’t DOUBT I’d enjoy it…I just must have seen it at a time I wasn’t receptive to its type of humor.

But I’ll be on the lookout for downloads.

>Also Phil, reply to my email, y?bastard.

!!!

I didn’t get one! Where did you send it? My yahoo account?

[Phil]

>Can you remember which one it was or what it was about?

Nah, this goes back YEARS. All I remember is that one of the characters…some guy in a hat…I think there was a party going on in the house, or something, and the guy in the hat was addressing the camera about how he didn’t like that a party was going on. Or that he did like it. I dunno. Something with him addressing the camera is all that I remember.

I HAVE kept meaning to give it another shot, but British shows aren’t run commonly here (except for PBS and BBC America), and I haven’t had the chance to watch it again since.

Now that I’ve enjoyed so much else from the mind of Ben Elton, I reckon I’d be better equipped this time around.

[Phil]

I saw one episode of The Young Ones and I didn’t like it.

*is stoned to death, and probably rightly so*

[Phil]

*felches*

[Phil]

*felches*

[Phil]

The Sci-Fi Network carries the new episodes of Who, Arlene. You might want to check their listings. No promises that they’re un-edited, though.

[Phil]

BECAUSE I’M SMARTER NOW BACK OFF.

[Phil]

>I though everybody had noticed this?!

I didn’t notice it either.

[Phil]

>Simian Smegheads

I laughed out loud at that. And I’m not happy about it.

[Phil]

I definitely think the G+T team should pool their resources and invest in a monkey theater in which the performers will re-enact classic Red Dwarf scripts.

[Phil]

Does anything happen in the extended versions that would really make a difference? It’s just a bunch of line-trims and chat scenes, no? The biggest addition would probably be the ending of Tikka, but even that doesn’t really matter for anything but the comedy value.

[Phil]

Jesus horse-ass fucking wow.

[Phil]

Forget the name…I want to know the story behind the avatar.

[Phil]

Well, Andrew, looks like the Amazon review board has too much respect for you to post my negative review. Just goes to show it’s not who you know…it’s who Andrew knows.

[Phil]

Even though I disagree with a lot of what he says, I love those reviews. The predictions for series IX, I seem to recall, are hilarious.

[Phil]

Absolutely. It would efficiently punish him for his views on Stephen King, and reward me for mine.

[Author]

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