Les célébrités et les politiciens sont dénigrés par une équipe talentueuse d'impressionnistes dans ce spectacle de sketches comiques.Les célébrités et les politiciens sont dénigrés par une équipe talentueuse d'impressionnistes dans ce spectacle de sketches comiques.Les célébrités et les politiciens sont dénigrés par une équipe talentueuse d'impressionnistes dans ce spectacle de sketches comiques.
- Nomination aux 2 BAFTA Awards
- 3 nominations au total
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This is a brilliant show. A mate of mine introduced me to this program and when seeing it for the first time was mesmerised by the uncanniness of the voices. They haven't quite got the looks exactly but it takes a back seat to the voice artistry of the performers, especially the Doctor Who impressions where if you closed your eyes you'd sware it was really Tom Baker. The sketches themselves are hilarious as well as being topical with quite a bit of political satire thrown into the mix like most sketch comedies have. I'm glad now that the ABC has picked up this little gem even though I can't speak for other Australians. Overall it gets 10 out of 10 off me.
Listen to this on R4, and some of the impressions are aurally stunning. Jan Ravens' Anne Robinson is amazingly accurate, as is Jon Culshaw's Tom Baker/Dr Who (pity that it is out of date). Mark Perry must have cursed the day that Robin Cook resigned, as his unintelligible rants were a highlight. The biggest praise I can bestow on the show is that there have been several occasions (eg the Archers) where I am unable to tell whether it is Jon Culshaw, Mark Perry or Kevin Connolly doing the voice (Jan Ravens of course is fairly obvious, though). The show also built up its share of catchphrases, the favourite of which is "OH NO" as spoken by Ruth Archer (Americans probably haven't a clue who that is!). The spoof phone calls were a bit hit and miss, and usually funnier when the victim is a celebrity, like when Jon Culshaw as Brian Perkins called the real Brian Perkins.
All the above comments were about the radio show. The problem with transferring to TV is making the impressionists look like the people they're lampooning, and here the show falls down. The skill of the vocal mimicry can't disguise the fact that Jan Ravens cannot look like Sophie Raworth, Anne Robinson, Kirsty Wark or Nigella Lawson. Mark Perry is obviously quite a big man, considerably larger in stature than his voices (David Dickenson, Robin Cook), and Kevin Connolly always resembles himself. In fairness Jon Culshaw - "in character" - looks like a couple of his victims, but that's about it. The material - which seemed so sharp on the radio - is a bit tired in comparison. The "Candid Camera" stunts are as variable as the spoof phone calls, but you have to admire Jon Culshaw's improvisational skills in the various ridiculous situations in which he involves unsuspecting members of the public. My own favourite was "Michael Parkinson" interviewing people at a bus stop. Still a good if disappointing watch.
Keen eyed readers will notice that I have not referred to Phil Cornwell. I can only assume that he is in the show to give the idea that anyone can get on, however bad the impersonation. Yes, I do not see how he is able to share the stage with the four others, who do have talent for vocal mimicry. Phil Cornwell may have a sharp eye for comedy, but he is not an accurate impressionist. All the characters on Stella Street were OTT caricatures and were never meant to be seen as accurate, but that's not good enough on this show, where his Greg Dyke/Michael Caine is by far the biggest irritation.
All the above comments were about the radio show. The problem with transferring to TV is making the impressionists look like the people they're lampooning, and here the show falls down. The skill of the vocal mimicry can't disguise the fact that Jan Ravens cannot look like Sophie Raworth, Anne Robinson, Kirsty Wark or Nigella Lawson. Mark Perry is obviously quite a big man, considerably larger in stature than his voices (David Dickenson, Robin Cook), and Kevin Connolly always resembles himself. In fairness Jon Culshaw - "in character" - looks like a couple of his victims, but that's about it. The material - which seemed so sharp on the radio - is a bit tired in comparison. The "Candid Camera" stunts are as variable as the spoof phone calls, but you have to admire Jon Culshaw's improvisational skills in the various ridiculous situations in which he involves unsuspecting members of the public. My own favourite was "Michael Parkinson" interviewing people at a bus stop. Still a good if disappointing watch.
Keen eyed readers will notice that I have not referred to Phil Cornwell. I can only assume that he is in the show to give the idea that anyone can get on, however bad the impersonation. Yes, I do not see how he is able to share the stage with the four others, who do have talent for vocal mimicry. Phil Cornwell may have a sharp eye for comedy, but he is not an accurate impressionist. All the characters on Stella Street were OTT caricatures and were never meant to be seen as accurate, but that's not good enough on this show, where his Greg Dyke/Michael Caine is by far the biggest irritation.
I really enjoyed this show when it was on BBC America. I thought that Jon Culshaw's impressions of Ricky Gervais, Simon Schama and Arnold Schwarzenegger were a riot. I especially loved his impression of Ozzy Osbourne. As for his impression of George W. Bush he got the voice dead on but he doesn't even bear a resemblance to him. Because of the show's hilarious impression of David Dickinson I even watched "Bargain Hunt" and no wonder they ape him. I haven't seen the actual people that they lampoon such as Greg Dyke, Michael Buerk, Kirsty Wark and a bunch of others that are too long to name so I can't tell you if they are accurate or not although some of the quotes that they attributed to these people were hilarious. I did enjoy the show when they did a special lampooning the presidential election last year. Of course they aped Bush but I liked the impressions of John Kerry and especially Michael Moore. The Christmas show was really hilarious and I loved the Ozzy Osbourne line. A very entertaining show.
I love Dead Ringers. It is easily the best BBC Radio 4 sketch programme and I think that this is the medium it excels in. The television series though...well, it's alright. There are some bits that are extremely funny (particularly the 'Gladiator' spin-offs) but personally I don't think it should ever have gone to TV. Though the voices are accurate, the appearances are not - and, most importantly, there was no way of being able to show the Dr. Who "tell me, my friend, do you stock spare parts for a tardis" phone-calls (an absolute classic.) I much prefer hearing the voices of the chosen victims and picturing them in my mind than seeing an inaccurately portrayed celebrity on the TV (though Tony Blair is still very good!)
Beginning life on Radio 4, this show first came to my attention because John Culshaw used to be a regular on the Chris Moyles radio show back when I used to think he was worth listening to. At first glance it didn't really appeal to me because I was expecting something a lot more like Bremner, Bird & Fortune, by which I mean I was hoping it would be cleverer, sharper and not necessarily the sort of funny that makes you laugh but occasionally the uneasy feeling that the latter show can give you. However a few more viewings and I settled down into acceptance that Dead Ringers is not in the same arena as BB&F and that this is not necessarily a problem.
DR tends not to be as sharp because it isn't really a satirical show (although it can be), it is more of a straight comedy show (although not totally to the degree of, say, Alistair McGowan). This mix of populist and political works quite well and produces some very good scenes with a good hit/miss ratio. It isn't always the smartest game in town but it makes for it by being roundly entertaining. It rarely has a point to make but rather just takes aims at public figures with general mockery. Hence we get things like Andrew Marr with his fantastically out-of-control arms or the simply dumb George Bush; it is rarely insightful but it works.
The performers are all pretty talented and, although the visuals aren't always great, the voices are normally spot on. Culshaw relies a bit too heavily on the old stalwarts of Dr Who and Obi-Wan, but generally he is very good although I do get the impression that the general comic approach of the material is down to his influence. Ravens is usually the one that looks least like any of the people she is impersonating but she does get the voices really on target to compensate; with fewer females in target positions, she tends to take more of a support role at times but she is generally good. Cornwell isn't a great impressionist but he is very close and he has good delivery, Connelly is equally as good and Perry is good in most, if not all, of his roles.
Overall this isn't a clever show or the satirical impressions that I've grown used to with BB&F but instead Dead Ringers is more generally amusing. Mocking and poking fun rather than being sharp and incisive puts it below BB&F in my book (despite actually being funnier) but for the majority of viewers this will do the job. A bit broad for my tastes but generally funny and entertaining.
DR tends not to be as sharp because it isn't really a satirical show (although it can be), it is more of a straight comedy show (although not totally to the degree of, say, Alistair McGowan). This mix of populist and political works quite well and produces some very good scenes with a good hit/miss ratio. It isn't always the smartest game in town but it makes for it by being roundly entertaining. It rarely has a point to make but rather just takes aims at public figures with general mockery. Hence we get things like Andrew Marr with his fantastically out-of-control arms or the simply dumb George Bush; it is rarely insightful but it works.
The performers are all pretty talented and, although the visuals aren't always great, the voices are normally spot on. Culshaw relies a bit too heavily on the old stalwarts of Dr Who and Obi-Wan, but generally he is very good although I do get the impression that the general comic approach of the material is down to his influence. Ravens is usually the one that looks least like any of the people she is impersonating but she does get the voices really on target to compensate; with fewer females in target positions, she tends to take more of a support role at times but she is generally good. Cornwell isn't a great impressionist but he is very close and he has good delivery, Connelly is equally as good and Perry is good in most, if not all, of his roles.
Overall this isn't a clever show or the satirical impressions that I've grown used to with BB&F but instead Dead Ringers is more generally amusing. Mocking and poking fun rather than being sharp and incisive puts it below BB&F in my book (despite actually being funnier) but for the majority of viewers this will do the job. A bit broad for my tastes but generally funny and entertaining.
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesStarted in 2000 as a radio series on BBC Radio 4.
- Citations
Ozzy Osbourne: [a customer at a chemist wants some echinaecia] Here, she says she wants a bottle of "Euthanasia" or something...
- ConnexionsFeatured in 100 Greatest Funny Moments (2006)
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By what name was Dead Ringers (2002) officially released in Canada in English?
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