The Fast Show

The Fast show is one of the funniest programs to come out of the home of sketch England. It is full of one liners, running gags and send ups that leave you laughing hours after the show is finished. Characters such as Arthur Atkinson and the news team from channel nine will become timeless classics of British comedy. Also check out previous works by some of the team especially the "Harry Enfield and chums" television program.

I pity any American reading this, I truly do. Over here we get the absolute cream of the sketch show crop. An absolute masterpiece of comedy writing and acting. In America, the cream of the comedy crop is "Everybody Loves Raymond". Hah!

Some of the catchphrases in the Fast Show are so ingrained into the British national concsience that they are regularly used in just about every type of media outlet. "Football isn't it?" "You aint seen me, right?" "This week I have been mostly..." "Suit you sir!" "Schorchio!" the list goes on. What Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson have created here is legend. If there was a book on how to do great sketch shows, this would be the foundation.

The reason the Fast Show works so well is that it has found the balance. It's funny on the most basic level of physichal comedy and repeated simplicity for those who wish to switch there brains off for half an hour, whilst simaltaneously being sharply satirical and brilliantly observed enough to engage the more cynicaly minded viewer. The fact that Ron Manager, the football analyst now has his own column in a Saturday Sport pullout in the Guardian is a measure of what huge cult figures the characters have become.

So in conclusion I would just like to say:

Son terrenos el kleftikos den teflon do Fast Show est ter keles butros butros Gahli. Faliahala falihala faliahalay faliahala Chris Waddle. Ten deros muchos bonkos hinky sminky pinky meth-eth-eth-eth-eth-eth-eth-eth-eth-eth-eth Nelson Mandela win on penalties. Hava vin doros fendevicos Sheffield Uwednesdaye e hemeriodos ton fig leaf e six gerbils.

In other words

Brillllliaaaaaannnnnnntttttttttt!!!!!!!

I can understand why people can see the Fast Show as being simpleminded, or plain not funny and repetitive.

But that's just the point.

It's sketches, it's fast paced wit, it's not deeply intelligent humour. It's in your face comedy.

I especially like Bob Flemming and Clive Tucker. Bob:"I've got a tickle in my..." Clive:"ARSE!"

Also notable is Rowley Birkin who wilst only muttering and mumbling can actually tell you a whole story with a few audible sentences.

Ted and Ralph, as said before, do not rank as being humourous, but more as being lovable characters, although you can chuckle at Ralphs ineptitude in finding the words to say what's on his mind.

One that will also always stay in my memories is one with Jesse: He steps out of his door, looks quite bewildered and says with loud voice:"This week, I have been mostly eating..." slight pause..."PROZAC!"

It's a pitty that they stopped with this show, as for the fans, the highpoint has not yet been reached.

Any repeats are more than welcome!

The Fast Show represents some of the finest comedic writing, performances, and timing since the very early days of BBS comedy (which is huge praise). The format is based around mostly quick sketches of characters that are not only funny, but immediately identifiable. Every single sketch is magic, not only being outright funny, but many also mixing comedy, with tragedy and usually with a poignant comment on society. The acting is, to use a Fast Show catch phrase - Brilliant!, with the performers going over the top when needed, but also being subtle and somehow surprisingly dramatic just at the right moments. With that said though, there are many laughs to be had, and I still get a good laugh out of it five years after the series finished up (and having seen all the episodes many times before). For those of you that need big names mentioned before you'll give a show a chance, then watch the last Fast Show ever which stars Johnny Depp in a scene with two of the funniest characters from the whole series (Depp was a huge fan of the show, especially the driving force behind it - Paul Whitehouse)

An American not familiar with this show, as I was, will probably compare it to SNL (Saturday Night Live).

However, there are four big differences. One, it's not live. Two, no music. Three, no guest stars. Four, it's consistently funny.

Anyone who has watched SNL will know that for every absolutely-roll-in-the-isle-genius-sketch, there are about ten poor ones.

These sketches range from the monotonous to the downright painful. Then there are the painful one-joke movie franchises (Wayne's World excluded).

Then I saw the Fast Show, while living abroad a few years. Each sketch was hilarious or memorable, and each character was inspired and sometimes even vaguely rounded.

The editors are intelligent enough to cut off one joke characters before five minutes of an painful, drawn-out sketch. In the Fast Show it is: character's on, cut to a new character, cut back, cut to a new character, cut back etc. Humor is mostly timing, anyway.

Imagine SNL with much better editing and consistently funny and that's what you've got here. It is disappointing that the talent in the show has gone largely unrecognized to this point.