Snuff Box

There is a darkness in this humor that is hard to shake off. If you are already familiar with and enjoy the work of Berry and Fulcher then jump right in. They are at their peak here.

From the shocking opening scene to the oddly moving final song at the end of the series, Snuffbox will make you laugh at the strangeness of its writing and then gasp as suddenly it takes a vicious dark turn.

Not every sketch is what it appears from the outset and the use of what would normally be clichéd jokes as deliberate points to then rip from the norm is not only clever, but original if occasionally disgusting.

This is not comedy for the every day, this is not comedy for those who enjoy the nice sort of story that has happy couples having the vicar around for tea. This is comedy for those with a dark heart who enjoy exploring the dangerous side of humour.

So if you can find a gory death funny, can laugh at obsessive behaviour and are not easily offended, then this is for you. Not only that, the music is worthy of a listen on its own and it has to be said that Berry has the most unusual yet tuneful voice.

This show is not as nihilistically brutal as say Chris Morris' Jam, but it is still at the black edge of British comedy and is worthy of your time.

BBC3 has brought some fantastic comedy shows to our screens over the last few years like little Britain and the mighty boosh. Snuff box is no exception, in fact it is hilarious and my favourite show of 06, though it isn't to everyones taste.

Matt berry and Rich Fulcher star as a hangman and his American assistant respectably, It is based somewhere in upper class London, which for some reason has a lot mentally ill people roaming the streets. The pair spend their days hanging condemned souls for cash, chasing women and sitting in their rather posh gentleman's club sipping whiskey.

The plot may seem strange but believe me, the comedy moments are priceless and couldn't be achieved by any other show, for example, the execution scenes where we see lads doing their job, hanging criminals with the priest who would rather be down the 'rubber dub' than stand around reading the last rights all day. It may seem sick but it is funny.

With original music including the awesome theme tune (written and composed by Berry),various sketch-like scenes and the incredible comedy double act of Berry and Fulcher, all in all a top show which, if you give it a chance, will have you in stitches.

I love British comedy, everything from "Fawlty Towers" and "Are You Being Served?" to the Boosh, "the Office", and "League of Gentlemen". Snuff Box probably leans more towards LOG in terms of menacing atmosphere and milking hateful interactions for laughs. It definitely is not as episodic as Mighty Boosh or those other shows mentioned. Plot and defined story lines are more incidental than anything else, but there are a number of repeating jokes and/or obnoxious characters which become funnier as you come to anticipate what's going to happen. Berry is not as strong an actor as Fulcher (who has one setting; crass obnoxiousness), and sometimes his delivery is a little flat, but it almost becomes charming after a while. I laughed out loud a few times but mostly found myself smirking internally. I also like the music and catchy theme tune, and it's fun when all the characters start going into a song and dance routine. My favorite sketches are the ones with Berry smooth talking random ladies until he finds out they already have a boyfriend, at which point he performs some violent act of property destruction. I do find myself returning to this show over and over, mostly late at night. There's only 6 episodes anyway so you've not wasted much time in watching the whole series.

This show is a high point in the British tradition of sitcoms which give the most oblivious, selfish and lewd male characters free reign to inflict hurt upon the world. The boors also suffer but there is little justice or fairness to be found. More often the cruelty just mounts and no one escapes some awful fate. I am reminded of absurdist theater but with better jokes. I agreed with dschmeding that Mr. Show and the Tim and Eric Awesome Show from the USA are comparison points. But those shows exhibit some sense of balance and compassion. Perhaps dschmeding's low rating reflects his desire for this sort of ethical balance in a comedy story. That is a more popular approach, certainly in feature films. As for me, I find the laughs in Snuff Box harder for their sheer offensiveness and unfairness. The lack of ethical logic keeps the jokes from being predictable. In real life no one could never get away with doing anything that happens on this show. If you weren't killed on the spot you would be quickly locked away. Lovers of Peep Show, the original British The Office and Extras will enjoy this show though they should expect a heightened level of offensiveness. I call it offensive because I realize it is often seen as offensive, but I have not been offended by anything on Snuff Box. I haven't seen anything from American television that can compete for sheer low taste. But if you go out and watch stand-up groups like New York City's UCB perform live without censorship and advertiser pressure, you'll find some of the same type of funny, and it's more shocking and satisfying live.