Not really, no.
 

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www.myspace.com/mvstott

 

I watched the show for the first time last night. I enjoyed it, but I felt it was too much like a British Curb Your Enthusiasm.
 

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Hollyoaks spoiler:

The Valentines' is awash with talks of hen nights and stag dos. Carmel voices her concerns about Calvin to Valerie, but she allays her fears with talk of wedding jitters. Danny and Leo are excited about the stag do, but Calvin can't feel anything but apathy for the night ahead.

When they arrive at the Loft, Leo and Danny are delighted to see that Warren's organised a stripper for the occasion. Calvin's attention, however, is drawn to a mystery man who heads into Warren's office. Calvin forces his way into the office and is floored when he discovers a briefcase stuffed with bricks of cocaine. Torn on whether or not to report Warren, Calvin flees the Loft.

Arriving home, Calvin and Valerie are both surprised to see each other. Valerie's aware something is playing on his mind and beseeches him to trust her. Soon, one thing leads to another and Valerie finds herself kissing Calvin, before he calls a halt to proceedings. To make matters worse, Calvin blurts out that Leo's going to ask her to marry him tomorrow. Panic struck, Valerie resorts to drastic measures to combat her feelings for Calvin and also manages to destroy her family along the way.
 

I watched episode 1 (which I had originally missed) last night, and enjoyed it more than the episode which I had seen, #2 I think. Starting to warm to this more.
 

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Aaron
BSG Forums & DVDs Editor
(Half man, half Internet, half TV.)
(Loyal follower of The Magical Aura of Laura.)

 

Yes, Lead Balloon is certainly a slow burner. I'm really liking it now. For those that haven't heard a second series has been given the go ahead by BBC4 (not that surprising really).
 

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Mark
BSG Editor
 

I also watched this for the first time last night and I really enjoyed it.

Nice pace and good running gags. Well acted and written too. I've seen comparisons to CYE but can't really comment as I haven't seen CYE despite all the good things I've heard about it.

But surely being influenced by another show and style is all part of the game. It happens in all other branches of the 'arts' and as long as it's not outright plagiarism then it's ok by me.

 

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Go on then! Say something funny! Go on!
 

Quote: Thomps74 @ October 16, 2006, 3:34 PM

I see it as the sort of show that could do well on BBC2.

View original

For the record...

MediaGuardian: "The hasty scheduling of Jack Dee's BBC4 hit comedy, Lead Balloon, onto BBC2 also proved popular, with the repeat of the first episode pulling in 2.6 million and an 11.8% share at 9.30pm."

 

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Mark
BSG Editor
 

Much as I've enjoyed Jack Dee over the years, I have to concur that Lead Balloon is a poor man's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Not having the show in front of my as I type, I can't be sure, but I seem to remember it even has the twee farcical music that is such a hallmark of Curb. This new series of Extras certainly took a cue from Curb and Seinfeld, but Gervais had the talent to make it his own, whereas I found it hard to enjoy Lead Balloon in the shadow of Larry David. Oh yeah, plus the jokes were few and the characters thin. That too.

Can I go out on a limb and say I actually thought the American writing partner a good addition, even if he is a bit smug? I can? I actually thought the American writing partner a good addition, even if he is a bit smug.

Mental note, never make a joke on a sitcom forum, it'll go down like a ... never mind.
 

Just watched the latest episode, realised Curb isn't the only American source of 'inspiration'; see also the silent visual gag at the end ala Frasier as the credits and end music roll.

Let's not steal from the Americans, let's just start showing the Colbert Report on More4 in addition to the Daily Show, one fix of brilliant satire isn't enough for me any more.
 

Welcome Bunty - even though you look frighteningly like my last girlfriend. I agree with your comments, if an unknown was playing Dee's part, this would have been rejected at the script reading stage (here, i refer to the first episode - surely meant to be the flagship script? - as i couldn't face losing another 30 mins of my life.) Another similarity re: frasier - the handwriting sections are very like the captioning in that show.

The Beeb apparently forced Dee to drop the character of Giles, his often-mistaken for a gay but cultivated brother, and the proposed family dog Teddie. The dog went through fear it would eclipse Dee with its wittier lines.
 

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The Slagg Brothers live at:welshwriters.org.uk/slaggbrothers.

Our MySpace. Feel free to add us as friends.

Our YouTube. Subscribe to us and we'll return the compliment.
 

I came across this image the other day (credit goes to b3ta.com):

http://www.themoistness.com/images/repeats.jpg
 

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Mark
BSG Editor
 

Haha, very true!
 

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Aaron
BSG Forums & DVDs Editor
(Half man, half Internet, half TV.)
(Loyal follower of The Magical Aura of Laura.)

 

Thursday's BBC2 episode was a rip-off of the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode, where Larry gets in trouble for stealing a fork from a resteraunt.
 

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Hollyoaks spoiler:

The Valentines' is awash with talks of hen nights and stag dos. Carmel voices her concerns about Calvin to Valerie, but she allays her fears with talk of wedding jitters. Danny and Leo are excited about the stag do, but Calvin can't feel anything but apathy for the night ahead.

When they arrive at the Loft, Leo and Danny are delighted to see that Warren's organised a stripper for the occasion. Calvin's attention, however, is drawn to a mystery man who heads into Warren's office. Calvin forces his way into the office and is floored when he discovers a briefcase stuffed with bricks of cocaine. Torn on whether or not to report Warren, Calvin flees the Loft.

Arriving home, Calvin and Valerie are both surprised to see each other. Valerie's aware something is playing on his mind and beseeches him to trust her. Soon, one thing leads to another and Valerie finds herself kissing Calvin, before he calls a halt to proceedings. To make matters worse, Calvin blurts out that Leo's going to ask her to marry him tomorrow. Panic struck, Valerie resorts to drastic measures to combat her feelings for Calvin and also manages to destroy her family along the way.
 

I like Lead Balloon a lot, but saw an episode of Curb last night I hadn't seen before and the difference is immense. Curb is so near the knuckle while Lead Balloon is much more pleasant in comparison. I was crying with laughter at Larry David while Jack Dee makes me laugh but not as much.

I know its a bit naughty to compare them but it can't be helped.
 

Quote: Miranda Walker @ October 12, 2006, 4:04 PM

I've heard having an American character helps to sell a show (and novels) to the states. I wonder if that's true, and if people might be tempted to add an American character for this reason? It occured to me when I watched Love Soup, Lead Balloon and Not Going Out, all recent and all with one American. Hmmm...

View original

That would explain a lot, I thought these American's were a bit randomly placed. I have nothing against Americans on the whole (actually that's a lie but a different story) but I really dislike them in British sitcoms. I'm not xenophobic though because I equally dislike Brits in American comedies like Daphne in Frasier and whatever Helen Baxendale's character was called in Friends. Can anyone name a successful transatlantic comedy?