Entertainment For Lively Minds
The Trip 2/6
Structured around visits to fine dining restaurants, a different location per episode, rather like the design of a sophisticated contemporary novel, avoiding the usual clichés of a comedy series, with highly amusing, improvised, occasionally irritable conversation between Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, liberally sprinkled with brilliant competitive impressions; this show got even better this week, I thought, with plenty of chuckles to be had.
I'm with those who liked the first one; it's a refreshing attempt compared to the usual tired approaches seen in a half-hour comedy slot. Not so made up as it goes along as it seems, with subtle nuances and an ongoing, somewhat troubled background (well in Coogan's case at least) of the protagonists' lives to keep up a more reality-grounded thread running through it.
Steve Coogan being Ray Winstone pretending to make Brydon drink his phlegm (actually one of their nine courses from a rather poncey Michelin star style taster menu) was a high point. The contrast with the hysterics of the trailer for 'Miranda' that followed only underlined the subtle quality of what went before, and much of it is very funny. I’m growing to love this series. Hope they can keep up the standard, and not run out of impressions.
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It's simply superb.
Best comedy Coogan's been involved with since 'Saxondale' and easily the best thing Brydon's ever done. Give them both the BAFTAs now and be done with it.
Gave it another whirl
and my opinion hasn't changed. As soon as Coogan trotted out the Kate Bush song....AGAIN I rolled the eyes and dug out the Knowing Me Knowing You DVD to see it all the first time around.
love it
Have to say the Mrs and I laughed like drains throughout, as we did with the first one. I just find the impressions shoot outs, and the Odd Couple sparring very funny, and far more hit than miss. Admittedly the pathos of Coogan lamenting his fading career and marriage feels a bit forced, but overall I think it works. Must admit it helps having it set on our patch; the restaurant guide to the North West is an added bonus. Have eaten at the Inn at Whitewell (highly recommended) and looked through the window at L'Enclume thinking we'd like to give it a try sometime. Wonder where they will go next? I wonder also what the deal is with the restaurants - presumably they have been assured they will be nice to them, but how much of a risk for them was it?
sorry ignore repeated
sorry ignore repeated accidental post
i agree with both blueboy and jimmy
In that the one bum note was the Wuthering Heights reprise and sometimes the pathos feels a little shoehorned. But maybe they're just contrasting Brydon's happy go lucky nature with Coogan's more brooding personality. That line 'I wish I'd got Steve Coogan when he was 35,' seemed to ring true. I thought that it was brilliant overall though - and yes, like Saxondale and AP it will bear repeated viewings. Love it.
Shoehorned Pathos
TMFTL
Saxondale: on letter to Santa.
Made me laugh
.
Enjoyed that one much more than the first...
.. but then I hadn't seen what was in effect a transcript of the episode in the Guardian beforehand (as was the case with the first).
Like blueboy, some of the enjoyment I get from it is probably linked to knowing the area, but I found the laughs really started rolling in once they were sat in L'Enclume trading impressions. (L'Enclume is a great experience, blueboy - well worth a special occasion blow-out).
Holbeck Ghyll is next, apparently.
thanks for the tip
one for the GLW's birthday perhaps - she'll be made up!
Worth it just for the Ray Winstone
"Now, you're gonna tell me where the money is or you're gonna drink what I just flobbed up"
Did Partridge do Wuthering Heights as part of Knowing me Knowing You? I thought it was only as part of the live shows and benefits? But frankly if you are out of a wild and windy moor I defy you not to start singing it "you had distemper like my jealous eel etc.'
They no doubt did do a deal with the restaurant as I have said before they had to eat everything three times as they improvised. Nice free ad on the Tv and at film festivals.
Loved it
I loved it, and the scenery was particularly breathtakingingly beautiful.
For those who rightly loved it
the DVD lets a little light in on the magic with multiple takes on the 'Gentlemen, to bed' section which appears as a small riff within an improv section and they go back to and work on until they get what they want.
Well worth a purchase.
ooh
That's decided me. Became a regular Monday night ray of sunshine for the last month.