The Mighty Boosh

"The Mighty Boosh" is one of those series that are only possible in the U.K.. Writers and producers have such a refreshing and daring humour there, it's a joy to ignore American sitcoms for a while and take a peek at British comedy shows. "The Mighty Boosh" is another very original and imaginative show that grew from a stage act to a radio show to a T.V. sitcom. Every episode is taking place in different locations including jungles, deserted islands, snow and sandy deserts and underwater worlds. Sounds far out? It is.

The only things linking up from one episode to the next are the main characters, clumsy, but lovable Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) and Uber-Mod Vince Noir (Noel Fielding). In the first series these two are working at a zoo where some rather curious colleagues of theirs hang out, too. The second series mainly takes place at night. Vince and Howard have moved in with their friend Naboo, an Indian shaman, and a talking ape. Sounds far out? It is.

Another element that's in every episode is the hilarious, quite catchy music. Barratt is responsible for these short little ear candies. As funny as these songs may be they reveal a real songwriting talent as Barratt covers a lot of different styles effortlessly. Usually I'm not a big fan of musical parts in TV shows, but it works here and the songs about "Nanageddon", "Mod Wolves" and the "Ape Of Death" make this program even more special. Sounds far out? It is.

The humour of "The Boosh" is not as in your face as in other sitcoms. The show is more amusing than it is flat out hilarious. That and the innocent, child-like creativity of "The Boosh" might not be for everyone and these are probably the reasons for the show being more of a cult phenomenon right now. Barratt and Fielding already have a loyal following, though, and I'm sure that it will grow over time. Very English, very far out. The Boosh rules!

Everyone's entitled to their opinion and comedy is a matter of personal taste. However, don't be misled by most of the negative comments about the Boosch. It is NOT just humour for adolescents. I'm nearing retirement age and I remember Hancock in the early sixties but I think this programme is excellent. I think American sitcoms are generally grossly overrated (I despair at the popularity of that awful smug tripe known as Friends) and have been concerned at the recent trend to try and imitate this style in British sitcoms. The Boosch has no truck with that approach. It is wonderfully uncompromising in following the British tradition of not writing to a ratings-chasing formula (which nearly all US sitcoms do) but says "if you like this - fine but we're not going to water it down just to try and make it more acceptable to a mass audience". Whether you like it will depend on your personal taste in humour but it is right up there with the Goons, Python, the Young Ones, Father Ted and the rest. Future series may not be up to the standard of the first two but so what? There are only two series of Fawlty Towers but that's not exactly branded it a failure. Incidentally, I'm not totally anti US sitcoms. The Simpsons was great at first (well beyond its sell-by date now though) and one of the greatest of all time was, of course, Bilko.

I've been raving about this comedy for a long time even though I missed some of it when it was on TV (usually late at night). So the arrival of the DVD was awaited with much anticipation. People often ask me to describe The Mighty Boosh - which is not an easy thing to do.

Essentially the structure is that of a sit-com, in that there is the reoccurring location of the zoo, and a set of familiar characters most notably the two main protagonists – zoo-keepers Vince Noir (Noel Fielding) and Howard Moon (Julian Barratt). Vince is the fashion conscious shallow one, that plays against Howard's jazz loving, self-important but likable loser. Each episode is a juxtaposition of the Morecombe and Wise type banter between Vince and Howard, and the sheer surrealism of their subsequent adventures that take them to exotic locations and pit them against bizarre and often quite dark foes.

For me the triumph of the show is due to the breadth of vision that links the fantastic theatrical visual look (based on largely on Noel's sketches), with Julian's love of music, together with the off-beat acting style and witty script to provide an experience that is more than the sum of its parts.

There is nothing else quite like this on TV, you won't be splitting your sides every minute at quick-fire one-liners written by teams of caffeine stimulated comedy writers, but instead prepare yourself for a rather more gentle experience, peppered by some hilarious set-pieces, who's imaginative brilliance will ingrain itself into your heart and mind. It's quite simply lovable.

I'm late to the game & I'm upset I wasn't aware of it when it was current. Late 40's American here, whose brother suggested the show & my wife knew of Noel Fielding from the "British Baking Show."

Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding have great chemistry, the classic straight man & eccentric guy bit mixed with oddball characters that you grow to love. Rich Fulcher brings an over the top, American brand of comedy and Richard Ayoade as one of the shamans kills it. Shamans and gorillas are mainstays and various reoccurring characters bring out Barratt's sense of humor and Fielding's art school creativity.

In my opinion, the show improves as it goes on as the creative team really finds their groove towards the end of the first season. Part of the fun of "The Mighty Boosh" is all of the stuff you miss when you first see an episode which leads to watching it over and over. I highly suggest Season 3, episode 3's "The Power of the Crimp;" hysterical. If you liked punk growing up and were aware of British music & pop culture from the 80s & 90s, you'll love this show. It's a great blend of British and American senses of humor. Highly recommended.

It takes a certain type of person to appreciate this type of comedy, and I'm glad to say I'm one of them! This show is cool, its British, it's laid back and it's trippy, much like Naboo I guess. I only just started watching it at episode six, but as soon as I saw Naboo holding up a picture of two kittens I was hooked. "Look at the cat on the left. His name is Phillip." Classic.

It's a great show, something really different and really funny. Vince and Howard are a great couple, their styles compliment each other well, but I have to say I like Vince the best. He has really cool hair.

I hope this show gets another series. I love it. I just went out and brought a poncho!

Its a hubba bubba nightmare!