Even at the time, I never thought this was - to quote one of the characters - brilliant. In retrospect, I think what happened is that Paul Whitehouse - obviously the leading light and self-proclaimed 'star' - can do voices, caricatures rather than characters, but not so much write funny material. So the result was to create a stable of cut-outs, each with their own static situation and - most importantly - a catch phrase. Subsequent attempts to turn some of them into sitcoms showed just how little dramatic mileage there was in them. Essentially the show is just a set of revolving catch-phrases - or to put it another way, you see much the same sketches every week.
It does have the odd good moment, and what it has over Little Britain - which is, on the whole, funnier - is that some of the characters are actually likeable. Caroline Aherne for example was feeling her way - slowly - towards the much richer character-based comedy of The Royle Family. On the other hand the 'suits you' sketch is crass and boorish, incredibly off-putting. I thought so at 22 and I certainly think so now.
All in all, it makes you wonder why the sketch show format didn't die off a lot sooner.
PS I just watched the interviews with Whitehouse and Higson - separately - on the DVD extras. They completely confirm my guesses about the genesis of the show. They also include a lot of sneering by Whitehouse about Higson, in the classic only-a-joke-but-I-mean-it manner: 'he's proof that mediocrity can raise to the top, a nuts-and-bolts man that lucked in [out?]'. It feels like Whitehouse believes Higson has had the greater success, and that it's undeserved. Whitehouse obviously sees himself as the talent, and maybe he is - but would he have got the show made by himself? Every George Michael needs his Andrew Ridgeley. Besides, they both lucked in/out: Whitehouse would probably still be working for Hackney council if he hadn't happened to know Harry Enfield.
They're both mediocrities, truth be told - certainly as far as writing goes - but it leaves a bad taste for one to snipe at the other like that.
It also surprised me that they don't acknowledge their debt to Python: the location shooting, the desire to get away from punchlines, and 'Ed Winchester' is a clear nod to their style. Maybe that stuff had filtered through so many layers, by the time it got to them, that they didn't realise its ultimate source. But they were, and are, totally incapable of the kind of organic mayhem that Python created at their best.
It does have the odd good moment, and what it has over Little Britain - which is, on the whole, funnier - is that some of the characters are actually likeable. Caroline Aherne for example was feeling her way - slowly - towards the much richer character-based comedy of The Royle Family. On the other hand the 'suits you' sketch is crass and boorish, incredibly off-putting. I thought so at 22 and I certainly think so now.
All in all, it makes you wonder why the sketch show format didn't die off a lot sooner.
PS I just watched the interviews with Whitehouse and Higson - separately - on the DVD extras. They completely confirm my guesses about the genesis of the show. They also include a lot of sneering by Whitehouse about Higson, in the classic only-a-joke-but-I-mean-it manner: 'he's proof that mediocrity can raise to the top, a nuts-and-bolts man that lucked in [out?]'. It feels like Whitehouse believes Higson has had the greater success, and that it's undeserved. Whitehouse obviously sees himself as the talent, and maybe he is - but would he have got the show made by himself? Every George Michael needs his Andrew Ridgeley. Besides, they both lucked in/out: Whitehouse would probably still be working for Hackney council if he hadn't happened to know Harry Enfield.
They're both mediocrities, truth be told - certainly as far as writing goes - but it leaves a bad taste for one to snipe at the other like that.
It also surprised me that they don't acknowledge their debt to Python: the location shooting, the desire to get away from punchlines, and 'Ed Winchester' is a clear nod to their style. Maybe that stuff had filtered through so many layers, by the time it got to them, that they didn't realise its ultimate source. But they were, and are, totally incapable of the kind of organic mayhem that Python created at their best.