We Are Klang

I fear for the beeb sometimes. They cancelled Peter Serafinowicz and Pulling, didn't let Adam Buxtons MeeBox get past a pilot and turned Live At The Apollo to *shudders* Michael Macintyres Comedy Roadshow. It's hard to forget though that in the last 10 years they've given us The Royle Family, The Office, Broken News, The Thick Of It, The League Of Gentlemen, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, Gavin & Stacey, Getting On, Mock The Week and continued to supply Have I Got News For You and Buzzcocks.

Reading that you'd rightly think I'm a BBC fan (I am, it still makes some of the finest television in the world) but you might have also noticed only 3 of the shows I mentioned (Gavin & Stacey, Pulling *cancelled*and MeeBox *pilot only*) were BBC 3 productions and while my summary might sound like I like this show it's worth remembering that BBC 3 made about 9 series of 2 pints of lager and let the creators of that monstrosity make another series (the terrible Coming Of Age) as well as the so awful you'll tear your hair out, Grown Ups.

This isn't quite that bad but it's basically Chucklevision with ruder jokes. They leave a lot of mistakes/corpsing in and break the fourth wall (perhaps because they're not massively comfortable with the change of format from stage to television) but it's not cleverly done as it has been in shows like Garth Merenghi's Darkplace. I personally think the jokes they make at the expense of one characters mental disability aren't very sophisticated and there's a lot of hamming it up and shouting punchlines, which hurts the material more than it helps.

It's not a total disaster and I can imagine it would appeal to the sort of people who thought Little Britain and The Mighty Boosh were funny (they're certainly marketing it as though Klang are the new comedy troupe to watch). All that said I found the odd joke funny (If you're having facial spasms I feel bad for you son, I've got 99 problems but a twitch ain't one) but if you're looking for really good British comedy BBC 2, BBC 4 and occasionally Channel 4 are still your best bets.

We are Klang is just about as funny as comedy shows are right now. Even the songs (comedy songs normally a no no for me) are reasonable.

Shows such as Little Britain are amusing, but really not that funny. League Of Gentlemen very amusing, but certainly not laugh a minute.

Not saying We Are Klang was laugh a minute but as an anarchic comedy I would suggest it is actually better than The Young Ones. Have you watched one lately??; maybe not as funny as you may remember when 10 years old. With the exception of the 'Bambi' episode.

So anyone who thinks We Are Klang is total rubbish can I ask you the question; "what current 'comedy programmes' are you watching?"

Monty Python / Steptoe / Open All Hours / Only Fools & Horses

Whoops they're not current

Me laud... I rest my case

But seriously what out there is funnier I would like to know? Please not Friends PLEASE PLEASE no no no

We are Klang has to be one of the worst, if not THE worst BBC programmes of all time.

I really don't want to write 10 lines to get this comment on to IMDb but if it saves the pain of someone else watching it.... so be it!

It tries too hard to be funny/different/random (because random is the "in" thing). It's loosely strung together with a vague plot in between a jumble of stupidity, possibly rejects of ideas from family guy thrown across the Atlantic into the head of an ex-teacher who (as it says in the first episode) looks like a fat version of Rick Mayall!

All I can say is don't bother... even Big Brother would be better to watch (not that I would suggest that either).

oh and it's on BBC 3 if you were wondering.

There's no humour anymore, no comedians. Try this for size!

Halfway through the first episode I was questioning my own sanity about watching this nonsensical show, but the thing is I was enjoying it!

We are Klang are three comedians who have been "klanging" on radio and on stage before breaking into TV. I hadn't actually heard of them although I did recognise Greg from Mock the Week.

They are council workers in a fictional town. Greg is deputy mayor and a buffoon, Steve is health and safety and is verbally abrasive, and Marek is minister without a portfolio and is, well, just slightly odd that you don't know if you should be laughing at him or calling social services. There is also the audience ministry deliciously breaking the 4th wall as the camera pans to the audience clapping.

This is a surreal comedy and utter nonsense but it is so funny. The cast members know exactly what you are probably thinking and they pre-empt it themselves. Greg is constantly being ridiculed for either being a fat Rik Mayall, or (my personal favourite) a fat Giles from Buffy. In the first episode Greg says "You know what i've just realised?" and Steve jumps in with "That this is a poor imitation of The Goodies?"

The cast play other characters as and when they are needed but to be honest it is when they are all in the office together that it is at its best.

This won't be for everyone, it is very odd and childish in a grown up kind of way, but I would urge you to at least give it a go. I'm really glad I did