Human Remains

There was a lot more I didn't like about it than I did. For the most part it's filled with meandering nonsense, it has the "beating a dead horse" style of British comedy that I never really liked, it's basically the same gag done over and over in different scenarios or circumstances. There are some good bits in there but you really have to have patience to get there. Looking back at this series, I think they should have just picked one or two of these characters and did a fully fleshed out series and made sense of those particular characters and told a well crafted story with them. I even noticed there was a short scene in one of these where it fades in offering nothing to the story and fades out and just looks like it was added to fill time. There are plenty of dud scenes that could have been left out. And also what stands out is just how much better some episodes are than the rest. If your a fan of these actors you'll probably just want to watch for the sake of seeing more of them and that's pretty much the reason I bothered watching.

If you like the mockumentary style (such as Best In Show or This Is Spinal Tap) then you'll love this six part British TV series each of which is a self-contained story.

The writers, Julia Davis and Rob Brydon, star in the show and portray a couple with a completely dysfunctional relationship.

From seemingly ordinary circumstances, the two actors manage to turn their relationship into a complete disaster as they engage in interviews about the short-comings of the other, as well as life in general.

If it comes to a TV station near you then do yourself a favour and sit down for half an hour of adult-humour entertainment.

Rating: 7/10

Take 6 seemingly normal couples, probe a little deeper into their lives and discover that they are riddled with idiosyncrasies, peculiar sexual proclivities, pitiful, human and, above all, very, very funny.

The writers have written/produced a piece of work that is dark, subtle, fairly original, well acted, well constructed, as believable as any other comedy series, and funny in a way that makes you pity them and thank the heavens that you aren't them.

The first episode is perhaps the weakest, the following four are fantastic, and the final episode is also fantastic but has strong depressing undercurrents.

Perhaps if this show had received more exposure to the mainstream public then each couple could have been developed further and we might have even seen a series for each couple, but then again, comedies like this are often not popular in the mainstream i.e no canned laughter, no 'spot it a mile off' punchlines, dark, and often so subtle that some people might wonder if they've just watched a comedy, or a documentary about a bit of a peculiar couple.

Do watch if you like: Nighty Night, The Thick Of It, Alan Partridge, The Day Today, Saxondale, The Office (maybe)

Maybe give it a miss if you prefer: Friends, two and a half men, my family, everybody loves/hates Raymond/Chris.

Give it a try. You'll know within 10 minutes if it's for you or not. For me, it's pretty much top-notch comedy and years ahead of most.

CM.

Human Remains is an odd name for a comedy series and thats because its a bleak comedy told in a fly in the wall documentary style and it only lasted one series.

The series stars and was co-written by Rob Brydon and Julia Davis. It was scrip edited by Henry Normal and Steve Coogan was one of the producers.

Each of the six episodes documents a different couple all played by Brydon and Davis and most of the episodes showed that relationships being unhappy and the humour black. Both actors are also heavily and at times bizarrely made up.

Death, violence and depression seem to feature in each of the episodes. For example in the episode 'More than Happy' Brydon plays the optimistic shopkeeper Les while Davis plays his wife Ray, she has suffered the loss of children, business worries, battles with depression and her only solace is to give her husband prolonged anal intercourse through an object she purchased second hand which he finds deeply uncomfortable but she finds immensely pleasurable.

This series of "days-in-the-life" (6) is without a doubt one of the funniest and best-acted pieces I've ever seen. The two principles, Julia Davis and Rob Brydon, have a very well-defined sense of comedic timing, and their characters are at once hilarious and pitiful.

The makeup deserves credit as well; I was half-way through the second episode before I realized that I was watching the same acters. (that's "acters" as opposed to actors, as opposed to actresses)

This is good stuff, and I can hardly wait until this is available on DVD. I just hope we can get (at least) another six out of Davis and Brydon...