We Are Klang (2009)
8/10
The Modern Day 'Young Ones'
22 August 2009
Remember the Young Ones, the short lived surreal sitcom is remembered for the slapstick and over exaggerated performances along with being one of the first 'Alternative' comedies. In the BBC Three comedy We are Klang has taken everything most audiences love about the classic comedies and sitcoms and put it into there own. There are similar characters to sitcoms such as Blackadder and The Vicar Of Dibley. I am mostly referencing Baldrick and Alice Tinker, their 'intelligence' and 'stupidity' is very similar to the character Marek, who is a minister without a portfolio. He is pushed about by the other two characters, and is the victim to slapstick violence such as being hit by a sledgehammer or repeatedly hit by Greg and Steve. One of his characteristics, which shows the audience the level of his intelligence is to lift up his desk only to have everything on it fall of onto the floor and when he puts the desk lid back down he is completely oblivious to where all his belongings have gone.

Well apart from having an actor who looks like Rick Mayall, the actor does surprisingly have the same energy as Mayall along with his loud voice and postures. There are also parts in the show where the plot goes nowhere and its just all about making a laugh, such as the final episode in series one, where the entire episode turns out to be a dram of Marek's. Remember Alexei Sayle as Balowski in The Young Ones and how he would have very random scenes, well the show is kind of like that, for instance the three main characters play a minority of residents of Klangbury, where the show is set, such as a pair of old racist women and other comical stereotypes.

The funny thing is, in parts that make you flinch and think 'Oh my god!' you can tell the actor/writers know that's what your going to think. In episode two 'Crime' Greg is tied to a chair and is told by a juggling criminal mastermind that juggling is a diseases, where Greg responds with 'Are you trying to tell me that juggling is catching' and both break the forth wall by looking in to the camera with cynical looks on their face. Another example is the health and safety officer, played by Steve Hall builds and organises operations around Klangbury, in most episodes where Greg is labelling a point (which is often a joke or a gag) Steve will say the punch line of the joke in a sarcastic tone, as if it was obvious what the joke was. In other occasions in episode five he made the "B.N.P" which stand for "Be Nice to People." If your one of those who likes alternative, slapstick and exaggerated comedies, than this is recommended for you.
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