Dismal comedy finally dies a deserved death
TV Review
PAUL WHITELAW

Green Wing Special, Channel 4
Build a New Life in the Country - Was it Worth it? Five

FOR fans of dismal comedy, this past fortnight must have been a time of some mourning. Not only did The Vicar of Dibley host her valedictory service, but also Green Wing worked its final shift. And not a moment too soon.

Of course, fans of this gruesomely overrated medical comedy - which bowed out with a feature-length Green Wing Special - like to think of it as a sort of hip antidote to the mainstream cosiness of something like Dibley, when in reality both shows are as conventional as each other. At least Richard Curtis writes actual jokes, whereas Green Wing has always been more interested in showing off how desperately cutting-edge it is with its self-conscious surrealism, pointless camera trickery and scratchy lo-fi soundtrack. This was "edgy" comedy for people who like their edginess spoon-fed to them by a JCB - driven by a GP in a tutu.

This final instalment was typically awful, more so considering its length. Full of horrid student whimsy (a character dressed as a squirrel for no reason - how random!) and clumsily sign-posted gags, there wasn't an iota of genuine wit or inspiration to be found. The script was astonishingly weak, with ghastly performances all-round, particularly from Karl Theobald as the child-like Dr Dear, surely one of the least loveable characters in popular fiction since Hannibal Lecter. Mark Heap, an otherwise talented comic actor, also reached new heights of irritation in his jarringly OTT role of Dr Statham.

In fact, Heap's cartoonish mugging highlighted Green Wing's main problem. We were asked to care about the relationships between its characters (one even announced he was dying last night), but since they lived in such a deliberately "wacky" world, it was impossible to believe in any of it. When at the end Tamsin Greig floated off into the sky holding a bunch of balloons, what were we meant to think? That this was somehow sweet and whimsical? Or was it just because it looked cool? Green Wing wanted to be a comedy drama, a soap, and a black Chris Morris-esque satire all at once, resulting in a truly wretched clash of styles. I was glad to see it finally flat-line.

Another confused concept loomed large in Build a New Life in the Country - Was it Worth it? which looked back at the story of a couple building a new life - in the middle of busy St Ives. I was expecting to see Ma and Pa Larkin-like couples hammering away at barns and worrying sheep, rather than harassed urbanites attempting to get their stylish seaside B&B off the ground. But for those of you desperate to know whether Peter and Andrea from the last series managed to fulfil their dream, this was a chance to wade through footage you've already seen to eventually discover that, yes, it was worth it. May you now rest easy at night.

Appending "Was It Worth It?" to a programme's title is clearly an inspired method of disguising a repeat as something new. The World at War - Was It Worth It? could simply end with a shot of a bulldog giving the thumbs-up. And what about Green Wing - Was It Worth It? a tearful apology broadcast on the hour, every hour, featuring those responsible promising never to do anything so tiresome again? Now that would be something worth repeating.


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this pissed me off! it had my blood boiling!

i know i didn't like the special, but this was just pure evil!

and how DARE he say a bad word against the squirrel costume?!?!?!?!??!?!


i saw we march on him with flaming torches and kill him

That is bloody out of order!!!!! can you imagine the actors, scriptwriters and director reading that!

did the writer of that article even stop to consider that the point of it might just be that it is different from other programmes(ie betta!) and also that its supposed to be un-naturalistic or at least heightened naturalism!!!!!!!! idiot writer!

he/she obviously didnt watch the 1st 2 series and also has no sense of humour whats so ever

(how dare they openly and personaly say that Martin was an awful character!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and diss Mac :cry )

omg the idiot! attack him! make him see the genius of grreeen wing!

i can't believe what he said about karl theobald.

i LOVE karl theobald!!!

HOW DARE HE?!?!?!


*gets out beard and crossbow* :ph43r:

i am actually distraught that some1 said that about the fantast GW!

even though not everyone was fantastically amazed by the special...it ended and most of it was done in fantastic GW style!

It's obvious that the person who wrote that has only ever watched the special, I mean if they'd actually watched the last 2 series they'd apprieciate that Sue White is Random full stop and we all knew Mac was dying in the last episode.

I wouldn't bother getting fired up about it, this is just another pathetic article posted by an ignorant fuckwit.

We all know the truth

Greenwing fans solidarity will counter this horrible attack! :ph43r:

WHAT?!?!

i agree!


the stupid wanker... :ph43r:

where was the review from?????

What a twat. :ph43r:
Why do these writers who have blatantly no appreciation or previous knowledge of Green Wing think they can write biased articles and slag it off.

Grrr. Thats really pissed me off.
He needs to go die. Slowly and painfully.

Stupid wanker. :ph43r:

WE HATE HIM!!!!!!!WHOOPWHOOP

right, i found not only this but his insulting reveiw of the ruby in the smoke (aka, one of my fave books) iritating! i say we use the comments button on this link and message him our response!

link.
http://living.scotsman.com/tv.cfm?id=1919692006

i haven't read the book but i heard it was supposed to be fantastic

Um...some of the stuff he says I agree with... :unsure:

ok, admittedly the ruby in the smoke could have been better but...

what he said about greenwing made my blood boil!

it is obvious that he has never watched any other episode bar that in his squalled little life, so therefore he cannot have any right to write such a remark on greenwing!

he didn't even understand the characters!!!!!!

I mean I kind of agree that the episode was quite lazily written and acted... Yeah it's a bit OTT, and I disagree entirely about Mark Heap.

It's stupid, you can't base your opinion one the one episode - which was quite frankly, not the strongest. To actually understand GW you have to get to know the characters and know the plotlines.

Bloody fucksies.

:o THAT BLOODY FUCKSIE!!!!!!!!! :ph43r: NINJAS ATTACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO ONE BADMOUTHS GREEN WING!!!!!!!!!!!!! :swearing

I actually agree with a lot of that - it is a bit harsh, but most of the points made are valid.

Sadly POAP, I have to agree. The surrealism does get too much after a while. It seemed like in this special they were just using it to fill up time.

the only thing i can say is ... it just didn't say Green Wing to me at all times...but some of the stuff in it was classic GW...

i was disappointed that the writers didnt put more love and attention in2 it!

i do really think the special was poor - really poor in parts, but this dude isnt only insulting the special, but the show as a whole.

and series one and series two were awesome.

but but....

THE FURLONG OF BRAS!!!!!

:sob

CAN I PLEASE JUST STATE THAT I HAVENT EVEN READ THE ARTICLE YET ONLY THE TITLE AND I AM ALREADY THINKING THIS IS OUT OF ORDER!!!!!!
"Dismal comedy finally dies a deserved death"
ITS BETTER THAN HE COULD DO....NOT ONLY IS THIS TITLE SLATETING THE FINAL EPISODE BUT IS SLATING THE WHOLE SERIES!!!!! INFACT THE WHOE SHOW

AM NOT VERY HAPPY

will report more when i have read more!!!!!!!
:angry:

^^^^ Quote from review
i would like to point out that on the extras in series 2 episodes 7-8 it is stated that there is no camera trickry it is all filmed from one camera and all stunts are done by the actors!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think the g*t means the speed ups and downs.

bloddy bast*rd...

:angry:

"i spit in your general direction!" sorry for quoting Monty Python on here but i thought it was necesery!

:o BASTARD! BASTARD!
I know the special wasn't all it could have been, but that is TOO FAR! How dare he say that?

I think that it's out of order to be honest i'm all for people stating there own opions but that was taking it too far has he even taken into consideration the large fanbase of the program .. so it must be good on some level and in many people's eye's. I think the only reason he wrote this article was because he's a failing journalist who's trying despratly to 'stray away from the crowd' by disagreeing with every article on green wing out there. I think we should burn down his house and tape it, THAT would be something worth repeating

Well said S&C! *claps consistantly!*

*nods in agreement with S&C*

Like I said he clearly has only see the special.

He didn't need to take it that far though, i mean he's insulting the fans and it's just not nice really is it.

Even an idiot could have written it in a nicer tone!!!!!!!

that's it...*punches hand menacingly*

the fucker is going down.... :angry: :ph43r:

twat ... sorry everytime i see this article i get all stressed and several snappy comebacks come to mind that i will use if i ever meet the man ... (not that i will)

NINJA'S ATTACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i dont rele think that any consideration was put into that and i would have liked to have seen the cast and crew's reaction to that.....i hope someones going to do somthing.....if i knew what to i would but im not sure wat we can do <_<

Did Alan Statham write this review himself or something?

Prat. The problem now is that this writer is getting loads of attention for all the wrong reasons, so the best thing to do is just ignore the prat having a kids tantrum on paper and walk away :rolleyes:

lol LLAM are you suggesting that Alan Statham is a borderline schizophrenic with a predilection for self harm and a jackhammer stammer???

OK. OK.

I am try REALLY hard not to do one right now.

*breaths deeply*

BUT THAT BLOODY BASTARD!!! HOW DARE HE? HOW DARE HE!?

Stupid up-himself, know-nothing prick. That just proves he has no sense of what comedy is.

I HATE HIM.