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.

While most other reviewers slate this show for its 'over-use' of CGI, they're simultaneously ignoring the fact that this is the USP of the programme. It's like complaining there's too much murder in Poirot.

Indeed, special effects replace a long tradition of making intricate or wonderfully shoddy props prevalent in all British sketch shows up to this point and this can be a bit frightening for anyone born after 1984. It would be incredibly easy for this show to lazily leave us marvelling at the pretty visuals but instead backs itself up with excellent writing, with each episode taking a loose theme ranging from darkly humorous to darkly mad, and excellent performances from an extremely varied comic cast (largely devoid of regulars, helping the surrealism along.)

Let there be no misunderstandings, this is a programme aimed at a younger audience with an unnerving sense of humour (thus the scheduling) meaning criticism can largely be put down to this being "a generational thing." In the end, you can probably filter the audience as being anyone who's ever laughed at an internet video not involving a cat. I laughed.

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...

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.

What is it with the BBC and producing possibly the worst comedy sketch shows in history? Is it deliberate? I hope so because if the commissioning editor actually finds this stuff funny then the BBC is effectively doomed.

The Wrong Door consists of a stream of wee, poo and bum "jokes" with the odd swear word thrown in an attempt to make it "edgy", evidence of the show's lack of substance and desperation to make any impact at all. In fact, take away the swearing and you could probably broadcast this to an audience who would also find themselves watching Dick & Dom and even then it would be touch and go as to whether they would watch until the end.

The only reason I'd give for watching is so that people can see how bad this is and hopefully it will inspire some good writers to see how easy it is to get stuff on TV and persuade them to come forward.