Dumb Comedy v Brainy Comedy
But it is not just because people are spoilt for choice. It is also because comedy programmes currently seem to be aimed at a certain, very specific market. On the one hand, for instance, we've just had the launch of Horne & Corden, which, although I initially thought it had mainstream potential, now feels so shamelessly aimed at a youth demographic it might as well have a parental advisory sticker on it – albeit one that says "not suitable for parents".
On the other hand Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle on BBC2 seems to be aimed at the comedy fan who keeps his brain turned on when he turns on the television. And not aimed at viewers with Attention Deficit Disorder. Where James Corden leaps around like a six-year-old on Sunny Delight, Lee barely flickered an eyelid during his stand-up routines as he skewered the low literary ambitions of Chris Moyles and Asher D.
I'd be interested to know if anyone out there apart from me plans to watch both shows regularly. Lee is barely ten years older than Horne & Corden and yet the programmes seem to come from different worlds. One is analogue comedy, one is digital. In every sense. It is ironic that Horne & Corden feels so puerile, because if there was a contender for contemporary crowdpleasing family show it would be the sitcom that spawned their sketch monster, Gavin & Stacey.
The funny thing is that the first edition of Horne & Corden got record viewing figures for a BBC3 debut with 817,000 viewers. Meanwhile Stewart Lee notched up more than that – around a million viewers. but because he is on BBC2 it was a lower figure than that slot usually gets. It says something about the upside down world of TV ratings that the lower set of figures looks good, while the higher one does not seem so healthy. It is brilliant that Lee is on BBC2, but I wonder whether a more natural home for this cerebral, knowing brand of stand-up would have been BBC4. Maybe he could have built up a following over there as Lead Balloon did, and then transferred to BBC2. Failing that, maybe he should strip to the waist and jump around a bit.
"On the one hand, for instance, we've just had the launch of Horne & Corden, which, although I initially thought it had mainstream potential, now feels so shamelessly aimed at a youth demographic it might as well have a parental advisory sticker on it – albeit one that says "not suitable for parents"."
Nice bit of backtracking to get in line with the critical consensus, Bruce! Not shameless at all.
Posted by: Alex J. Thomas | 23/03/2009 at 03:10 PM
Perhaps the viewing figures for Horne and Corden reflect BBC3's unprecedented PR campaign. I have never seen a show so heavily trailed and advertised. Despite the standard BBC3 defence that it is aimed a specific demographic and won't be enjoyed by anyone outside that, they stil trailed it before QI on Friday evening, and I can't see the audience from that show happily sitting down to watch a stream of fat jokes and playground homophobia.
That said, I will watch both shows again. Lee's because it is intelligent, well written and funny, and Horne and Corden's because it is none of those things, and I am intrigued to see if it can actually get any worse.
I would also like to see if anyone from BBC3 or Tiger Aspect will admit that the show is a failure. Will someone, perhaps the writer/performers or one of the many producers and executive producers ever take responsibility for the incredibly low standard? Of course not, it has already been re-commissioned, and everyone gets paid.
It still remains as an astonishing kick in the teeth for any one of the many young aspiring sketch troupes currently working. Writers and performers who will hone and rehearse material, try it out on the live circuit and in Edinburgh, develop an understanding of comedy, of structure, of performance, only to learn that BBC3 isnt looking for any of that, they just want to award a sketch show to two men from a mildly successful sitcom, who really don't know what they are doing.
Posted by: Hannah | 23/03/2009 at 03:54 PM
You have a point - however, Mathew Horne did spend 10 years doing the Edinburgh Fringe before Gavin & Stacey....
Posted by: John Mackay | 24/03/2009 at 04:54 PM
No he didn't - it was more like two shows at two edinburgh fests.
Posted by: Helen Saville | 24/03/2009 at 06:32 PM
I really don't understand why the two can't exist.
There were elements of both shows that I didn't think worked.
Styles of comedy are often compared to different muscial genres, some suit some tastes, others don't, Lee's Bartok to Horne and Corden's McFly, they both have an audience and a place.
Posted by: Phillips | 25/03/2009 at 12:44 PM
The reason, I believe, that the BBC backed such a dumbed down offering as Horne and Corden, is that they saw an opportunity to marry together the bum gag style of humour of Little Britain with the 'observational' style of Ricky Gervais.
Horne and Corden fails to satisfy the first style of humour because it is entirely unoriginal (the Fast Show pastiches are cringe worthy). And doesn't come anywhere remotely near the comdey of Ricky Gervais because Ricky Gervais is a highly talented writer and perfomer.
Posted by: John | 08/04/2009 at 12:28 PM