Don't believe the critics, it is good, WATCH IT.

The opening episode's a corker. ENJOY IT OR PERISH.

So where's the review already?

I can't wait for this. Is it the first time Linehans written a second series of anything since Father Ted, or is there something I'm forgetting about?

They'd really grasped it by the Aunt Irma episode in series 1 (sorry, version 1.0). Graham's always going on about trying to emulate Seinfeld and he really did in that episode, it's so Seinfeld, with some Ted thrown in for good measure of course. Roll on series 2!

Glorious.

"Ten years?"

Very excellent indeed! The cut to Moss...it really is one of those tears rolling down your face funny moments! It's the build-up to it that makes it work, the way it focusses on Roy for ages (and all that stuff is really funny) and you forget about Moss then bang, it's there. The fact he's wearing the uniform makes it too, and the expression on his face. It's too good!

This episode reminded me of One Foot In The Grave actually. Particularly all the Roy stuff. Definitely a Meldrew-like situation. Also the bishops episode of Father Ted (Tentacles of Doom). The first half wasn't that special maybe, Richmond seemed shoehorned in for no reason (am I right in saying he tones down his gothness in the next episode, the one that was meant to open the series?). Once it got out of the studio stuff it went from OK to great. Speaking of the studio, did anyone else notice that a couple of the lines seemed to be almost fluffed? I know I'm being anal. The episode was bloody fantastic.

I haven't laughed so much in years. That was perfect. It all just built and built and got funnier and funnier - this is what a sitcom should be,

Part 1 I was squirming a bit and finding it hard to get used to, but Part 2 I loved.

The best decision was starting the series with this episode. It's totally fresh, you don't need to have seen the first series, it wasn't character-heavy, just funny funny funny, and for those that did see at least some of the first series and didn't like it there were different things here, it wasn't same old same old at all.

One thing that struck me is a change in Jen's character, for the better. She's no longer just shouting at Moss and Roy or laughing at them anymore, she actually introduces them at the beginning to her prospective love interest. Normally she'd probably just be dismissive of them in front of him. She's much more likeable now, I think. I particularly liked the moment when she's talking to Roy in the wheelchair, the OBVIOUS (and therefore shit) way to do this would be to have her looking at him and basically being 'you idiot' or pretending not to know him, but the way they DO do it is ten times more satisfying, notice her delivery of 'you look like you could do with a drink' it's genuine rather than patronizing. Even though this is 'just' an episode of a sitcom and Jen is 'just' a sitcom character, I feel this analysis is needed (mainly because I'm sick of crap sitcom after crap sitcom getting things WRONG WRONG WRONG over and over again!). So there. And then to follow that with the cut to 'yes miss' is pure unadulterated excellence.

And this got bad reviews? Fuck 'em. The sitcom is back. Did it ever go away? Well...no, but watching this makes me feel like it's back.

Agree with the comments above. Brilliant opening episode that made me laugh like a bastard, and a fucking one at that.

Was that Ash Atalia playing the gay man in the bus at the end?

Actually, it could well have been! Well spotted!

It was definitely him.

Typecast as yet another wheelchair-bound character...

I saw Ash Atalla in Space nightclub in Ibiza the other day. What a fascinating fact that wasn't.

Well, that sucked. Nowhere near as good Episode One unfortunately.

I wouldn't say sucked - I liked the episode a lot. Plenty of great moments, including loads that had me laughing out loud ("I'm not fucking joking!"). But yes, I've got a sneaking suspicion that it might be my least favourite episode so far, out of both series. Berry's performance did stike a bit of an off note to me, although it's possible I'll warm to him as the series goes on.

I would also say that the final gag with Berry and the picture was the first IT Crowd gag I've seen to *badly* misfire.

Another great moment: the cut to Jen near the end of the episode was inspired. Fantastic stuff.

> I would also say that the final gag with Berry and the picture was the first IT Crowd gag I've seen to *badly* misfire.

Yeah, what the heck were they thinking? Definitely a gag Graham should have thrown out, or had Berry with a different pose in the picture. What I would have done is have the phone vibrate so much that he had to grab his whole crotch area to stop it and we see the picture and he's grabbing his crotch smiling or something. Or have his pants fall down and he's stood with his pants down in the picture. Something like that. It's still a weak gag no matter what.

The problem with his appearance at the funeral was that it went on for too long. The whole funeral scene was too long. Also, Roy's 'heart attack' being his phone was signposted way too much that it wasn't a revelation, which I'm guessing it was meant to be. Whatever, I still liked the episode.

Anyone who's listened to Linehan's commentary knows the significance of Richmond's skull makeup in the episode.

> It's still a weak gag no matter what.

And what makes it even worse is that it's a riff on the utterly spendid joke that opened Series 1. As in: the joke that made me realise that I would *love* this show.

Still, it's easy to concentrate on the bad points of the episode. I really, really enjoyed it. But the very fact that there *were* bad points is unusual - up until this point, the show has been pretty much perfect for me.

> Anyone who's listened to Linehan's commentary knows the significance of Richmond's skull makeup in the episode.

Yep! He got to fix that!

German version!

http://www.serienjunkies.de/news/ortstermin-setbesuch-16234.html

Scroll down for pictures...

How can you not laugh at the German Moss, with what I'm assuming is a curly wig?? Excellent.

By the way, I'm glad this episode wasn't the first of the series. That would have been a big mistake. Although I know I'm gonna enjoy it when I see it a second time. You know how *changeable* I can be.

Yes, they were lucky that Berry wasn't in the theatre episode, so they had the opportunity to put it on first.

I've watched the episode again and loved it, so there. Up to a point it's a perfect episode. Moss is just brilliant - 'I go on March 2nd 2079, that's right baby I've got seventy more years' Richard's delivery nigh on makes an episode. 'I do, yes', 'I made a mistake!' just fantastic. Also, normally I would hate the line 'I've totally pimped your phone, girlfriend!' but because it's Moss saying it it's actually funny. The Denholm's son stuff is still a bit dodgy perhaps.

Again I'll stress that I really like the fact that Roy, Jen and Moss don't talk to each other in that horrible way that they would in 90% of sitcoms.

Generally great episode, I thought, with some marvellous Moss moments and Deholm's "you delicious bastard!" funeral video. I think the Matt Berry stuff was so-so. The running into the church shouting "father!" stuff didn't really work but the flirting with Jen bit was terrific and he seemed to be channeling Dr Lucien Sanchez at that point which can only be a good thing.

I agree entirely about the gag at the end, though - complete misfire. I'm not even sure I understood it (he's always doing that, was that the joke?).

Series one and two are being released in a box on Oct 1.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000VI5KLU/ref=nosim/?tag=channel4comfi-21

Will series two have finished airing at that point? Cutting it pretty close!

It would've finished the Friday before release. It's odd that it's such a quick turnaround.

I'm excited. I held off on the series one box...but for no discernable reason. Now I realize that I had seen the future and knew it'd be a better idea to pick up both series at once.

Now I have something to add to my order of the Saxondale DVD.

Just got to see episode two. Hilarious, except for the final gag, which seems to be unanimously (and rightly) unliked. Still, I was really happy with Berry. He definitely brought a real personality to the character and it doesn't seem (at this early point) like it's just a simple character-swap that tries too hard not to upset the balance. I like him already and wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be a better fit for the show than Morris was.

(Just pre-ordered the series one and two box, also. Very much looking forward to commentaries.)