Archer TV Show

I mentioned recently the TV shows I have been watching on Netflix.

One I need to add to the list is the outstanding "Archer".

I am half-way through season 3 at this stage (season 4 is not on Netflix as I write).

It is somewhat reminiscient of "Mad Men" in that by moving to an upspecified time in the past, the makers are able to be as non-PC as they wish. We have racism, sexism, and every kind of "ism". The characters drink alcohol at all times of the day and night (again a la "Mad Men") and there is gratuitous violence which you can get away with because, after all, it's just a cartoon.

My favourite episode is "Placebo Effect" (S02E09). Archer goes on "rampage" to find the people who are selling fake chemotherapy drugs. He has to question some members of the "Irish mob" which he does in the style of "Family Feud" ("Family Fortunes" on this side of the pond). The way he questions them is exactly the way a man who has a "licence to kill" would! Brilliant! And then he comes up against the head man. This scene is a tribute to an episode of "Magnum P.I." apparently. It's excellent. You can read more (and even watch the scene from Magnum) here.

The episode also deals with Archer's friendship with fellow cancer-sufferer Ruth. Another one of those vignettes which help you to root for Archer in spite of his many, many failings.

Now I'm sure I should be outraged by the portrayal of the "Irish mob" and by the "Irish accents". But I love the show too much to take offence.

Here are two stills from the corresponding scenes from Magnum and Archer:

Fry and Laurie on Netflix

I have been talking about Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie and about Netflix in recent postings and this one pulls those two threads together.

I was surprised and delighted to find the following on Netflix:

• A selection of episodes from some of the seasons of "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" (not sure why there are quite a few omissions)
• What appears to be most of the episodes from all of the seasons of "Blackadder"

I say "most" re Blackadder because one seems to be missing: "Blackadder Back & Forth (1999)".

Here is a picture of the two boys from their ABoFaL days:

Fry and Laurie Reunited

I have been a huge fan of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie since forever.

In 2010 a TV programme was put together to allow them to discuss their past work together. I missed the program entirely but spotted it on Youtube the other day. What a joy.

The programme was constructed to celebrate the fact that it was 30 years since they first met (in Cambridge of course).

It seems remarkable that they have not worked together since "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" in 1995 (15 years). But that is the fact of the matter. And it is evident from the programme that they are still the best of friends.

I would have thought that Fry would have guested on House at some stage but that never happened.

I take hope in the fact that the following exchange takes place during the programme:
Fry: We never decided to do another Fry and Laurie, did we?
Laurie: The case is still open
Fry: And whenever we talk about these things we still say that we want to work together and do things
Laurie: Would this be a good time to announce...?!

Here is the first of 5 parts:

Simon Pegg - Run Fat Boy Run

I went into the sitting room the other evening to see what was on TV which was making my wife laugh her head off! Turned out to be the movie "Run Fat Boy Run". It was the scene where Simon Pegg is a security guard and is experiencing some personal discomfort! I sat down and watched the rest of the movie (which we had both seen previously) with her.

The moving is pleasant and heart-warming, and has some extremely funny passages. The scenes with both Pegg and and Dylan Moran are particularly funny. It is directed by David Schwimmer (who makes a cameo appearance) and I think it deserves considerably better than its current 6.6 rating on IMDB (it gets an even worse 5.4 from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes!)

I'm a big Simon Pegg fan (to the extent of following him on Twitter - the pretty intuitive "simonpegg"). I'm not sure where I first came across him but I suspect it was "Shaun of the Dead" first and "Hot Fuzz" second. I had missed "Spaced" completely but have since bought it on DVD - it's also very good.

To be honest I think I enjoy his out-and-out comedy roles most - although I am glad that he's had the level of success to enable him to work on "Mission Impossible" and "Star Trek".

Here's a shot from the movie showing Pegg's character struggling to compete with Hank Azaria:

The IT Crowd - US Style

I couldn't believe my eyes when I discovered that they tried to make a US version of "The IT Crowd".

Why?!

The original series is perfect. It even features Chris O'Dowd who seems to have made his break-through in the US with Bridesmaids.

There are moments of pure genius (such as S04E06 about the "damp squid" and all of S02E01 "The Work Outing").

This article claims that the US remake had 4 writers. This must be the easiest money they ever made as, based on the clip below, the script seems to be virtually the same as the original.

Two good decisions they did make:

• They got Richard Ayoade to reprise his role as Moss
• They canned the series after making the first episode

Here is the first part of the pilot show: