Time Gentlemen Please

Pretty much found this series by accident after looking up Al Murray's YouTube channel. Am up to episode 10 and loving it.

Murray isn't mentioned at all here in New Zealand on mainstream media, maybe because he isn't PC enough, which is a shame as he's very funny. At least we have youtube to get our fix.

This series is like a cross between Bottom and Cheers, well, more like Bottom and quite a bit ruder but funnier for it.

I suspect it has been swept under the carpet because it is so un-pc but that is what makes it so funny. Worth a watch imo.

Set in a no name pub somewhere in England, it was a brilliant sitcom full of satire such as the guv's speech on proper food after insulting the Germans and the Koreans "bangers and mash...the genitals and offal of a pig mashed up and stuffed into an intestinal sheath...now thats proper food". The amazing catch phrases that sprang up and not bothering to give half the characters proper names such as the old man and up to a point which gave birth to a wonderful line.

(on the phone) Old man: Yes its the old man with no name...at the pub with no name.

It was a sitcom completely unafraid to be non-PC, poking fun at religion and countries whilst making fun of the Guv's small mindedness and ignorance. I believe this to be one of the best sitcoms to ever be made definitely in this day and age. I hope its released on DVD one day.

This is without a doubt one of the funniest shows British television has produced in ages. Al Murray is superb as he translates perfectly his stand-up character, the landlord, into a sitcom star. His unusual and un-PC rantings almost always hit the spot and though his supporting characters are rarely given any material to work with who cares? He carries the show on his own with only Terry and, more recently, The Prof lending any comic support. Julia Sawalha is completely wasted. Steve is equally unfunny, and he's a stand-up comic apparently, but to be fair to them they haven't much to work with. The gags come fast and often and with most of them revolving around the pub trade (which has been meticulously copied, go to a real pub during the day and you'll see what I mean), the French and the landlord's own take on life, they're always good. A rare treat and I've become quite hooked, here's to a second series.

I don't know what Teotihuacan was watching, but it obviously wasn't Time Gentlemen Please.

My wife is American and it's about the only British comdy she watches, laughs at and really enjoys. The programme has now moved on and Julia is no longer there, so any other Australians put off by Teotihuacan's comments can rest assured that they won't be cringing at her accent, not that I thought it was that bad. The strong characterisations (slutty Aussie, maloderous Drunk, still in the closet gay pervy guy, failed-at-everything landlord) and catchphrases add immensly to the humour of this thoroughly hilarious show. Perhaps it's just *too* British for Teotihuacan to understand.

Give it a try!

Shear genius!!! This sitcom just keeps getting better!!! 18 Episodes in (18! - you don't get that on terrestrial) & it still has me wetting myself every week. Catchphrases abound: "Its not normal","never confused","I'm cheeky me","Look at his face - its a picture","Back off Brussels","Damn my bean shaped face","COW! Never pulled a pint in her life","Mustards Yellow - not Brown!","They play bowls on gravel for pitys sake!" and "Do you remember when the Prof won £2 out of that machine". Funniest telly since the Fast Show.