Upstart Crow

Genius writing and further episodes become better with Christmas a magical satire

We've been enjoying this show quite a bit. It can be uneven, but there are usually quite a few good laughs. And the more Shakespeare you know, the better! I doubt a show like this could ever make it in the US; kudos to the Beeb for continuing to take chances with content that demands something of its audience.

And we LOVE the little animations. Whoever thought of that is brilliant!

I came across this on TV a couple of weeks ago, and I was surprised by how funny it was. I wasn't aware at the time that it was from the writer of "Blackadder", but it certainly shows in the quality. The cleverest thing is the dialogue. It's a great mix of Shakespearean phrases and modern English brilliantly rolled into one. The jokes are very funny, and the cast well-chosen (Mitchell is excellent as Shakespeare). If you haven't seen this, I'd recommend checking it out. It's well-worth your time if you like British Comedy.

I find rather hard to believe that folk believe that there is canned laughter in this show. I also find it had to believe that someone who claims to have watched only 30 seconds of it can actually judge. I have attended 2 recordings of this rather clever show and can categorically state that the laughter is real laughter from real people sitting in their bums watching the actors sweating. Ben Elton is there throughout, pointing clues between takes for those not fully versed in Shakespeares. In fact in some of the breaks where characters have to make lengthy costume change he goes into long spiels about have British sit-coms are made and that laughter tracks are never used at the BBC.

Second series in now in the can - hopefully there will be a third.

This is a very intelligent show. Not everyone will be able to find the humour on it. It uses a lot of sarcasm and pictures the Shakespearean era with a lot of parallels to current days. The way it describes the public transportation delays and problems, we can always relate to what happens nowadays. One of the characters I can relate directly with Ricky Gervais personas (don't know why :) ). The critics about women's role in the society, political and government laws are always amusing. The way it dismantles Shakespeare work and how it should be interpreted is hilarious. In summary, if you like the intelligent English humour, and wish to learn a little bit more about Shakespeare life on a very flexible way...it is a must.