Vicious (2013–2016) User Reviews

A George and Martha for the new millenium

[liufilms-yl · 9/10 · 13 October 2018]

What a delight to see Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi having a wonderful time because their pleasure is our pleasure. A gay Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf 48 years together in constant battle with each other but unable and unwilling to have it any other way. Love is all there is and when love has been constant between two people nobody can understand why they are together. They know. I love them, together. They are surrounded by spectacular actors and actresses playing hysterically funny characters without lowering the standards that they themselves represent. A special valentine to Frances de la Tour and Marcia Warren.

Delightfully funny

[rgcustomer · 8/10 · 22 June 2013]

After reading the hyper-sensitive and depressed reviews of this show, I was expecting to hate it, but I decided to give it a chance for Ian McKellan.

I'm glad I did. It is laugh-out-loud funny.

Unfortunately, it seems we're only getting six episodes this year (until Christmas). I wanted it to continue, because each episode seems to be better than the one before.

I haven't seen the shows that others are comparing it to, so it is fresh for me. Maybe you have to know a few couples like Freddie and Stuart for it to make sense. They are in no way out of date or homophobic.

Violet is also a character for our times. And who doesn't have a Penelope in their life?

Ash fills out the ... uh, yes, cast. His optimism is a great contrast to the rest of the jaded characters.

This is a fun show!

[fgasparotto · 8/10 · 19 January 2014]

I thoroughly enjoyed this show.

I saw a few episodes and I fell in love with all the characters. My best friends are gay couples and, in spite of the put downs, they do love each other. Well written, charmingly acted - it is a great show!

I have always loved Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellan. I am a great fan of their work.

They work well together and the Frances De La Tour character is a laugh riot.

The young man that lives upstairs is a particular favourite of my fifteen year old daughter.

I hope this show lasts for a long time!

It has been too long since I laughed this hard and this much!

[charleshuber · 10/10 · 8 June 2013]

I had my reservations after reading the reviews. After watching the First episode, no doubt - funny and original. Make sure you stick around for the third and you will not be able to let it go.

Stereotypical characters in a brand new light. Excellent casting, perfectly matched the roles and the actors. The witty and snappy comments compliment the new character types not too often seen on TV. Original script with lines you can use in an everyday life. I must admit - I stole some and already used a few.

Without a doubt, one of the best progressive comedies as of late.

A must see! However, a warning: if you are accustomed to the typical, safe boilerplate comedies, this will probably not be for you. If you lack the necessary humor it could be viewed as extremely offensive on several levels - not intended as such. If you watch comedies for sex, turn on the porn channel, because this replaced most of the sex with wit and humor.

Not everyone's cup of tea but definitely mine.

[goodlilkitty · 10/10 · 11 May 2013]

I went into this one without any idea of what I was in for. I had some time to kill and found this on my DVR so I decided to check it out. I'm the kind of person that will watch nearly anything at least once even if I have no idea what the show is about or who's in it. I put it on without bothering to read the info and was shocked right away to see Sir Ian McKellan's name on the cast list. I love this man. I have never seen him in anything I haven't loved. Then the show started and I found myself wondering what the heck I was about to watch and how the heck it ended up on my DVR. By the end of the first episode, I was madly in love with Vicious.

I get why people are having a hard time with this show. From the moment the first episode started, I wasn't entirely sure what I was watching. It isn't what one would expect to see on television these days. It's definitely hammy and over the top but I think that's what I liked about it most. It's ridiculous and I think the ridiculousness is what makes it so brilliant. All that out of the way, this is not a show everyone is going to love. If you want a well acted, thoughtful sitcom that pokes fun at life but still takes itself seriously in the end, you should skip Vicious. If you're looking for a bit of silly fun, definitely check it out.

Utterly, utterly brilliant

[yachtpennies · 10/10 · 17 September 2014]

It would be such a shame if this show did not continue- there have been quite a few critical reviews and so I am writing to try to even the balance. In this stressful world, it is vital to find ways to lighten the gloom. Vicious provides quality of a kind that just does not come around every day. We just need more episodes! We have found this series to be full of entertainment, laughs, tenderness and, a really high quality addition to to our lives. We have enjoyed the main actors performances in other shows on stage and screen and now we have an extra dimension There is nothing to fault and everything to hope for in terms of subsequent series.

Simply Brilliant

[Pantelemon · 8 May 2013]

My favorite new comedy by far. Yes, there are a few 'inappropriate' (not dirty!) jokes here and there, but i't part of the show's charm - a show that don't give a damn about what's appropriate. With every one of the two lead actors having such a fine career, I think they earned the right to not be politically correct once in a while. Finally a decent comedy with great writing and superb performances by every single lead actor, especially Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi. Just as good as I hoped it would be.

I strongly recommend for anyone who's tired of the same American sitcom all over again every new season and looking for a laugh with a bit more class in it.

Good Old Fashioned Comedy

[nuepb · 10/10 · 18 June 2013]

This series has passed my expectations. I was looking forward to it originally for the cast alone, but the writing is sharp and very funny, Vicious in fact. I hope they make a second series despite some bad press as it is so wonderfully crass and UN-PC.

My wife and I love the language and the pettiness of Freddie and Stuart who have been in a relationship for 50 years. And despite this Stuarts Mum still doesn't know he is Gay, let alone in a relationship. Most episodes start with Stewart (Derek Jacobi) on the phone to his mother trying his best to ignore her or get her off the line.

Freddie is foul mouthed and full of barbed jibes that, delivered by Ian McKellen, have a very funny and cutting edge. Still under the impression he is a wanted actor despite not having worked in anything long running, allows for a lot of current TV series to be sent up slightly.

The supporting character of Violet is also brilliantly portrayed by Frances De la Tour who gives us an older, more self confident take on Miss Jones from Rising Damp. She falls easily for younger men who can take advantage of her desperation.

This is a series to savour.

Fantastic

[martin_krajniak · 10/10 · 30 June 2013]

This show isn't for everyone, you have to like dark sometimes even morbid humour and be a fan of sarcasm, if you qualify you will love this show. All the actors are just amazing and perfectly executing their roles, with the exception of Iwan Rheon, not that he would be a bad actor, but the character of Ash is a little badly written. He was obviously meant as a source of attraction for the gay couple and not much more, which can be seen in his lines (sort of shallow, empty and basically just fillers) as opposed to all other characters, including Penelope and Mason which have pearls for lines. It takes a little to getting used to the character of Ash, but once you do and you understand the character you get to see the "charm" of it.

But honestly, I love the show, the only thing I wish is that there would be more, 6 episodes is too few in my opinion but truthfully its better to have 6 outstanding episodes than 12 mediocre. Hoping for a new series soon and I definitely recommend this show.

Keep them Coming- Amazingly Funny!!!

[lauraj-95-468147 · 10/10 · 12 September 2014]

I love this series! I hope they keep them coming for as many years as the actors are willing to make them.

I am laughing/crying watching this. It reminds me of my own parents (who are straight), so I think anyone with family married as long as these two have been together can relate.

I honestly laugh every time I watch these (and I have watched each episode at least 3 times).

So just enjoy a good laugh (if the gay aspect puts you off---- get over it and just enjoy the fun).

PS- The dog cracks me up... so close to life at my house!

What happened to one of my new favorite shows?

[vincethesoundguy · 7/10 · 14 September 2015]

I had been watching season one of this series on PBS in the USA, and thought it was hilarious. The veteran leads were amazing in their timing and delivery. Surprisingly, it also had it's tender moments as well.

Now season 2 comes along. I'm not sure what happened, but the second season seems much more contrived and mechanical than the first one. I'm pretty disappointed. New director, new writers, bored actors, smaller budget, not sure? I'm guessing there's no season three on the horizon, although I'm not sure, and based on #2, I wouldn't follow it anyway. Too bad, it had great potential for a long run.

Could have been the next Honeymooners or Fawlty Towers classic.

To Sirs (McKellen and Jacobi) with Love!

[Billyjhobbs-1 · 9/10 · 7 July 2014]

It's deliciously vicious, this "Vicious" series from the Brits. And no one does "camp" like the Brits. Between Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi, we have "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe" meeting "Will and Grace," with the former coming out better, higher, funnier.

Sharp, very sharp, screenplay and the biting, scathing retorts to these who longtime partners is at once horrifying yet all this ends up in an "ab fab" understatement: they really are more than partners; they are friends. Kudos to them for chancing such roles and kudos to the writers for being so "spot on." (And what's NOT to like about Ash!)

Here's to a continuation of this series.

Oh deary, deary me, Deary!

[CelticbikerUK · 1/10 · 14 May 2013]

What an utterly inane pile of old-fashioned shite this is! I was so looking forward to this, given the thespian resources that have gone into it and the build-up to the series by the actors themselves. Unfortunately, despite the stellar cast, nothing can save this continuous onslaught in the form of endlessly repeated digs about bad acting, fading looks, ageing bodies and annoying friends and relatives. I think comedy about old people can be wonderful, especially with trenchant characters (think Victor Meldrew, Madge (Benidorm) or the residents in Waiting for God), but this just reduces everyone to sex-starved saddoes who live and socialize together out of pure desperation, with seemingly nothing to live for except the almost-dead dog, the nightly cup of cocoa and the odd salacious glance at the male totty from upstairs (Ash). The two female characters are good (particularly the old dear with dementia), but not even the magnificent Frances de la Tour (of Rising Damp etc.) can save this one, and she in turn has been minimally characterized as a neurotic, hypochondriac old vamp ready to pounce on anything in trousers. Yes, Josh is cute, but he is a device, not a person. A foil for the crinklies' jokes, yes, but little else, at least so far. And he seems to be wearing a different leather jacket on every appearance. I thought the episode in the department store at the gents' clothing department was absolutely dire - reminiscent of Are You Being Served, admittedly, but with none of that show's effortless humour or bawdy innuendo to redeem it. I do wish our finest actors could resort to something more genuinely comic than hamming up the classic old queen role with a lot of lovey-dovey theatrical padding that has been done so much better in the past. I simply cannot stomach all the teapot-handle posturing and pursing of lips between every line, as they stand there, poised and ready to pounce, like the cast of Acorn Antiques, all eager with anticipation and beautifully timed, but to no avail, sadly. And incidentally, anyone who has been down the Cock & Balls of a Friday night to see the most amateurish drag show in all London will find this decidedly second-rate by acerbic gay standards. The show's bitchiness is to gay humour what Vestas is to curry or Double Diamond is to real ale drinkers - vapid, flaccid and tasteless.

I laughed through the whole six episodes!

[AnnaShade · 9 September 2013]

I give this an 11/10 because it was so much more entertaining to me than most shows I watch. I laughed a lot in every single episode and loved all of them by the end (which seems bizarre at the start, but really it's inevitable by the end).

The show takes stereotypical things and people and plays them very well, turning them into characters that I'd love to see come back for another season. It is original in that its main characters are almost all 70+, and that the main two are gay men, but they're all played as people who happen to be those things, not totally defined by them.

If you don't have the necessary sense of humor, you will be confused and/or offended by the show. But if you understand it, it's incredibly funny, relevant, and you'll see that the people are all very loving with each other (in a crazy way).

It doesn't have a massively dynamic, ever-changing cast of characters with deep plots - it's about two people living their very ordinary lives together. They do it so well that it makes it extraordinary for me.

So, I recommend this and I hope you give it a chance or three.

a showcase for two great actors

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 29 June 2014]

Sir Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi star in "Vicious," also starring Frances de la Tour.

McKellen and Jacobi play, for want of a better term, two old queens, and de la Tour plays their upstairs neighbor Violet. McKellen's character, Freddie, was an actor with so-so success who talks about his fan mail ("You only had one fan," Stuart (Jacobi) reminds him. "Yes, but he wrote a lot of letters," Freddie says.) In the episode I saw, the two were mourning, if that's the right word, the death of an old friend who apparently had been the lover of Freddie at one time, though he also managed to have two wives and six children. "Wasn't there a wife?" Penelope (Marcia Warren) asks. "Oh, yes," Stuart says, "but that was only for 19 years." Basically, it's the two guys throwing insults at one another and having a bad reaction when someone opens the curtains and lets in the light. The one-liners for the most part are very funny, delivered by two great actors who are obviously enjoying themselves camping it up.

I have to say I found it quite enjoyable, funny, and on a higher level than some of the comedies on TV today.

Absolutely Fab..Fun

[deedee_2000-985-341635 · 10/10 · 3 October 2022]

I was surfing about Tubitv. You never know what you might find lurking about and that's part of the fun. When i saw the names Ian McKellan and Derek Jacobi, i was sold. I didn't have to see the rest, didn't know what the premise was, but i knew with those two, it would be amazing.

And it was!!

Vicious is a brilliant, no holds barred comedy that hits you in the gut and doesn't let up. McKellan and Jacobi have been together for almost fifty years and if you're thinking this has endeared them to each other, you'd be right and they show this affection in horrible, twisted ways that are laugh out loud funny. It is a joy to watch these two grand masters at the height of their game. My only complaint is why, oh why did this comedy gem last only two seasons??

So check out Vicious. It's a genuine brilliant delight.

Glaring Stereotypes made HILARIOUS

[joeywyss · 10/10 · 26 July 2014]

I wasn't sure what this was when it first popped up on PBS, and just happened to catch it one Saturday when nothing was on - and the binge began! I laughed my a** off continually thru the whole first episode. It actually reminded me of the Golden Girls without the gooey sweetness. It is truly vicious. All four stars are favorites of mine from previous projects and I couldn't believe the chemistry they pulled off. And the writing is fabulous (if I can get away with that). I have never seen Rheon in anything comical, but he is much more accomplished than I realized (he's a fave of mine from Misfits and Thrones). I will have to order the DVD to get the uncensored version, because you can tell they actually will use the grown up language appropriately. Once again, British TV trumps American TV.

Very funny and witty. Give it a chance!

[axe_hallorann · 9/10 · 16 August 2014]

I am so very pleased with this excellently written and performed comedy. The dialog is sharp and witty, and the actors are predominantly over 70 (which showcases their amazing talents and experience). I don't think there's ever been a show about a gay couple that is actually played by two gay actors, much less two knighted actors of such high caliber. The scathing insults they throw at each other are reminiscent of classic shows ranging from The Honeymooners, The Jeffersons, or Married With Children (and many others). Even though the insults are constant, there's also a heartfelt sweetness and love between the two leads that is undeniable.

I've read the many negative comments here, and I'm utterly appalled by the ignorant, puritanical, and completely humorless people that are out there. To say that the main characters are stereotypical is absurd. Remember, these characters were together in 1960's Britain; homosexuality was illegal and the culture was completely different from today's much more enlightened attitudes. Much of the humor is delivered from an older perspective, and most people lose their tolerance for BS and social niceties as they age. I've been with my partner for 25 years, and, although we don't openly insult each other, we both find this show to be hilarious and sweet. Don't let the trolls and haters influence you to see the show, just give it a chance.

PS- The people upset by the "rape" joke are uptight idiots. The joke did not belittle rape, it was funny in context of who said it. Ask any comedian and they'll tell you any subject can be funny under the right circumstances or context.

Ian&Dereck!

[kikkapi20 · 9/10 · 20 August 2015]

Vicious is hilarious! Not in its pantomime/farcical plots and set-ups you can see coming for a mile, but in the throwaway lines ("don't touch the cheese, it's only for show") and the interactions between the characters. It's my guilty pleasure. I laughed and laughed at this episode. The actors are really into their stride now. They're obviously enjoying their craft and having a whale of a time.

It's the reverse of Grace and Frankie where an astounding cast participate in a good-looking but empty-of-heart show. Vicious looks tacky but under the catty veneer there is a real affection for the tragedy of the human condition. And, of course, theatrical tradition.

Wish They Would Bring It Back

[iamajadejr-59958 · 10/10 · 26 September 2018]

I just loved the whole cast of Vicious and wish that they would bring back the show. I can't believe that it was cancelled after only 3 seasons I was wanting to see what was going to happen once they meet their new neighbor Oliver

Wonderfully funny

[rxdiamond · 10/10 · 13 March 2019]

This confluence of some of the finest actors and acting in a generation powers this brilliant and relevant comedy that is long overdue.

Rubbish

[frmarcus-1 · 1/10 · 27 December 2013]

About as funny as a dose of genital warts.

The scripts are dire; the only positive feature - and I'm pushing it in saying that - is the two well-known principals, about whom you have to wonder what on earth induced them to stoop this low.

Over the course of 30 long minutes the men bicker with each other, lust over a young, good-looking man by the name of Ash in his tight-fitting t-shirt, and generally mince around, all limp-wristed, calling each other things like "You stinking pile of turd" or 'You cheating slut". Classic one liners, I'm sure you'll agree.

These gay characters are nothing more than camp stereotypes, but the main issue is that this just isn't funny.

Vicious was panned by a number of critics, with the Telegraph saying that the script "fell disastrously flat", and calling it "the least funny new comedy in recent memory"; the Guardian said it was "frankly, a bit lame" and a "Greggs doughnut of a show" (that is, for US readers, 'cheap').

Hard to believe a second series is planned.

Utter rubbish.

A surprising hit

[BigWhiskers · 8/10 · 24 August 2015]

I hadn't even heard of this show until I was perusing PBS this past Sunday night and watched the entire first season back to back. Being a single gay man myself , I found it hilarious and the catty back and forth was so much fun between McKellen and Jacobi. I disagree with the haters saying it's dated and painfully unfunny or plays on bad stereotypes. The men are both in their mid 70's and being gay back when they met in the 60's was very different and they grew up much differently then someone like myself who grew up in the 80's for the most part. Men can be catty and witty especially in England as I've seen and heard and lets face it , McKellen and Jacobi are old funny queens in real life too. I love them both and would watch them read a phone book together they are so wonderful. The only character I really don't like is Ash, a bit out of place and seems like he wants to be the male equivalent of a fag hag to our main characters. I just cant see him being this hottie they drool over and he spends so much time with them. I mean I wouldn't be hanging around two old lesbians all the time. He seems to have a secret agenda. He doesn't seem to have any chemistry with any of the girls he dates either, in one episode he is making out with every girl he meets and then in another he's in love and wants to get married. It's just unbelievable because his acting doesn't match his feelings.

I can also only take so much of Violet, Sorry but the actress portraying her seems to only be a one note act, the drunk Mrs Roper of this show so to speak. The brother of McKellen's character and the empty headed Penelope are much more fun to watch. I hope they do another season. If not I'd love to catch either Sir Ian or Sir Derek in a theatre.

Incredible, well written, very British comedy presented by the best of the best actors. You will spend the entire time laughing

[mickman91-1 · 10/10 · 17 November 2021]

I watch a LOT of film and television, and this is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Occasionally i saw a joke coming a second before it did but most of the time the script is so well written and so incredibly well acted by Mckellen, Jacobi and De La Tour, that most of the time the jokes just whack you round the face, and they roll off line after line you spend most of the 20 minute episode laughing. While it is very much a comedy rather than sitcom, there is a dramatic element and a story about a gay couple who have been together for 50 years and their friends. There are a few really touching moments. But mostly it is just flat out hilarious. And again it is such a pleasure to watch the amazing actors that are in this do comedy that isn't cringey and which is real, which is actually extremely rare. Because it is so well written it is not lewd and doesn't need to rely on cheap gags. However it is called vicious because some of the banter they have between each other is vicious lol. It is very British in that sense. Very sarcastic. I would recommend this to everyone except young children.

Great show...

[GrigoryGirl · 8/10 · 6 July 2014]

I watched the first few episodes of this, and found it hysterical. Many here (and some others) have said this show is terrible because its main characters are caricatures/stereotypes of gays, and I think that's silly. I've met gay guys like the two depicted here, so it's not all a "stereotype". I would also like to point out that Ian McKellen is gay himself (and has been out for years), and if Sir Ian thought this was a terrible show about gays, he wouldn't have done it. It's not like he needs the money.

Watch this show and laugh. Don't let the uptight PC crowd deprive you of laughs.