The Wrong Door

Okay, the BBC have produced some bad stuff in the past, and stuff which I've found amusing in the past (like Two Pints) seems to have gained a constantly decaying script, getting seemingly more abstract and surreal.

Well, this show begins surreal, with a giant walking robot. What's that, you say? A killing machine? An army weapon? Maybe an alien from outer space? Goodness, no! It's looking for it's keys.

(PAUSE) The pause was for you to laugh. WHAT?!? You didn't? But this is comedy genius! A 500ft robot looking for his keys? A woman dating a carnivorous dinosaur? An annoying creature? What else could you want? Oh, wait! A decent script might be nice! I don't remember smiling (not even laughing or chuckling, but SMILING) once. The program has a ghoulish train-wreck appeal, where once you start watching it, you can't seem to stop! I expect the show to flop, but wouldn't be surprised if a second series of this drivel will make it to the channel.

To anyone who hasn't seen this program, I implore you NOT to watch it! I kept asking myself why I was watching it, and answered "Because it simply HAS to get better!" It didn't. It really didn't.

I accidentally caught the first episode of this and was pleasantly surprised. Now I have read the official tagline "Comedy sketch show set in a surreal parallel universe where film and TV special effects are part of everyday life" it makes more sense! Without knowing this you just think some of the things in there are just a bit too random! The effects are really well done. I enjoyed this because it was something fresh, new and different to cut through the constant stream of reality TV (lazy producers) cr@p. I also love most sci-fi progs (don't be scared I'm not a trekkie!).

Most of the situations covered (losing car keys, getting drunk, bringing new boyfriend home, being stuck with an annoying person) are all things we have encounter so are familiar and relevant to the viewer. They just add a little humor, sprinkle a large helping of special effects and give it a good old 'twist', and there you go.

Personally I found most of the sketches funny and well done (drunk bloke in Hotel, you got to watch it!). I find most of the bad reviews unfair - yes there are a FEW sketches that don't cut it or are more a showcase of effects, but let's be honest, name a sketch show where 100% of them are funny.

Take it with a pinch of salt, take your brain out and see it for what it is - it felt really refreshing watching something different for a change. If you have any interest in sci-fi, every day life, computer games, London, something a bit wacky, special effects you may enjoy.

I can see this getting the same cult status as say Fonejacker did (although nothing similar in the format!). I will be watching every episode - it is of course possible I could change my view by the end of the series, but going on the first episode I would say it is VERY GOOD.

All of those slamming the 'most annoying creature on the Planet', well erm... didn't it do the job it was created for *sighs* It's meant to annoy the hell out of you :)! I would say about 80% of sketches were either funny or enjoyable to watch because of their technical achievements - I would suggest the 1 star reviewers stick to watching Gardens World or something equally mind numbing. Condemning a whole TV Show on 1 episode is a shade unfair. On the other hand I stand here ready and willing to receive some egg on my face if the series declines or becomes too repetitive Going by first ep The best BBC comedy for ages! Worth a wstch definitely.

I HAVE NO CONNECTION WITH the BBC, in fact I resent paying my TV license that solely goes to the cooperation that makes hardly any good stuff anymore. Go on watch it, watch it now on iPlayer, you know you want to... Now wheres me car keys??

After forcing myself to watch two episodes of this, I can confidently say that it is the worst "sketch show" I've ever seen. I honestly think that a group of school children, aged roughly 6, were placed into a room with a computer and told to go nuts.

The excessive use of CGI makes it look like the writers just purchased a new computer program and are trying to use it in every situation possible, creating cringe making, childish characters and situations. I can only assume that they couldn't find any actors willing to play the parts and had to resort to making odd, computer generated "things".

I would advise immediately blocking your ears and screaming to anyone who tries to get you to watch the show.

first of all i want to say that i am a huge fan of British comedy, starting from the classics like monty python, fawlty towers, french & saunders, ranging over light comedy like coupling, darker territory like black books and black adder, weirder stuff like spaced and the mighty boosh and even enjoying stuff that is as drastic as league of gentlemen and little Britain. with that said and not mentioning every single one of the gazillions of DVD boxes i have at home, i must say that i am actually quite surprised if not shocked, that something like that can come from the land that basically invented most genres of comedy we know of today and started worldwide "franchises" like the office or IT crowd.

this is a series that completely and utterly relies on the use of CGI and overuses the element of "running gags". sadly enough the CGI is at best mediocre and the "running gags" actually backfire as they won't get funnier with every time they get repeated. they start off annoyingly and get to a point where you can barely take it without kicking in the TV screen.

one example: a giant robot is searching for his keys. that's it, no further gag, just a robot looking for his keys. repeated over and over again. not funny? damn right.

the writing has some pikes where it barely hits mediocresy, but for the most part just stays rock bottom. throughout the whole few episodes i wasn't able to laugh or at least enjoy what i was seeing. some of the sketches even had some sadistic elements to them.

i don't have a problem with toilet humor, but at least it gotta be in context. just mentioning certain words over and over again doesn't make them funnier.

it makes me laugh reading some comments around here telling people to "switch of their brains and enjoy" when it comes to this series. it is not about being too high maintenance, it is about laughing about every sh*tty gag in the book. i have nothing against light entertainment. i found movies like van wilder 1&2, naturally blonde ..etc etc very entertaining as i am able to switch off and let go, but this series is just agonzing and by far the worst British TV series i have seen in my life.

I can't give it ten because very little comedy is that good. But this had me rolling about with laughter in my hotel bed on a recent visit to London. I had seen trailers of it on the two BBC channels that we get here in Belgium, and was sorry that it was on BBC 3, which we don't get.

Now, by sheer accident - I was zapping to see what was showing on various channels - I've seen it.

All the negative comments that I've read on here "The Wrong Door" may well be true - it is like something produced by kids with their first CGI software - but that's the whole point! It's VERY funny. If it's not, then *I* am! Durrr...

Off to the BBC Shop to see if I can find the DVDs...