Tuesday 31 August 2010

Matt Versus Bad Telly...!

Can you guess what the Show's about from this Picture alone?!
No?!!  Neither could I!!
Every now and then, there comes along a TV Sitcom with a brilliant, intelligent, and/or intriguing premise. Unfortunately, more times than usual these types of Sitcoms fail to find an audience due to TV schedulers that either have the thought process of a Chimpanzee or just happen to be one. Sadly, Pete Versus Life (C4) is not one of these Sitcoms that shouldn’t be missed. Praise be to the great Monkey Schedulers that this mish-mash of a Comedy languishes in a dead-end timeslot!!

It’s by no means terrible. The concept is good, but the Show lacks one important thing – actual comedy. This for a so-called Sitcom is as terrible a disadvantage as a Jockey riding a Pig in the Grand National!!

The Concept: Pete (Rafe Spall) is a budding sports journalist, who just happens to have his life commentated upon by two Sports Commentators. Pete either makes a pig’s ear of a relationship or screws up a Job, and they comment over his actions. Hilarity ensues. End Show. Repeat.

Yes, the idea is good, but not good enough to sustain a full, Five-Part Series. Perhaps if it had instead been a series of sketches for some kind of Comedy Sketch Show, the idea wouldn’t feel as strained and overused after just two Episodes.

The acting and writing isn’t as good as you would expect from a Channel 4 Sitcom – both are weaker than a room full of Nerds playing Dungeons & Dragons!! Rafe Spall especially seems completely gormless throughout...fair enough, but when watching thirty minutes of a Man being gormless and nothing else, it starts to have an effect upon the viewer similar to what happens to the Nazis at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

As I said before, don’t bother trying to find it on Channel 4 now...it’s in a dead end timeslot and most probably won’t make a second series. Just as well really. I’d rather watch an actual Football Match with Commentary then watch this drivel. Never thought I’d be saying that. Thus ends the Review. Now over to Bob & Gary for the post-blog discussion...

Bob: Thanks Matt. Well, Gary, a rather short but sweet Blog there this week, one which, I think many will agree, perhaps wasn’t his best performance there. Your thoughts?

Gary: Yes, Bob. He hasn’t been at his peak since that Lee nelson Review, and it’s fair to say it shows. In fact, perhaps it’s time he considered retirement, and forgot about this whole blogging business and got a proper Job, like being a Waiter, or a Salesman, or a Rubbish Collector, or a...

Matt: OH, PISS OFF!!!!!!!!!!

2 comments:

  1. Hi, this may seem random so apologies in advance. But I found this review, and found it interesting. I watched the first episode of Pete VS Life and enjoyed it, but agree that the same format cant really last much longer than a couple of episodes. Did you ever watch "The Worst Week Of My Life"? I felt that was much the same. Good concept, but too repetitive. Great review though. And sorry again for the random comment. Im just trying to read more blogs and things in spare time from writing my own!

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  2. Thanks Christopher, sorry for the VERY late reply, I've taken a back seat from Blogging lately. I did see 'Worst Week', and enjoyed it, though felt like I'd seen it all before.

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