Is there any point discussing how woefully unfunny left-wing humour has become in the post-2016 world? Given the constant declining in audience viewership, there shouldn't be, but unfortunately because the maniac left are in overdrive to reverse two democratic decisions they disagree with, they shall use any weapon they can to do it. Hence why we have shows like The Mash Report.
The main problem with this show is this; it's not funny. Even then however, I feel that's too polite. Really, this show is anti-funny as its barrage of safe, politically correct humour is so stale and boring, it evokes more eye-rolling than laughs. Not to mention, but the 'comedians' here are rarely funny. The Beeb have admitted they had an issue in finding right-wing comedians, but surely they could do better in finding somewhat talented left-wing ones. The likes of Frankie Boyle and Russell Howard were openly left-wing, but were at least funny. The likes of Nish Kumar and co. here aren't, and seem to often reach for lazy, flat gags that would get them booted off an open mic.
To make matters worse, it's so overtly one-sided to the left. Attacks on Brexit, men (especially those pesky white ones), Trump, and the 'right-wing press' are common, all the while snowflakely millennials, the climate change alarmists, feminism and whatever positively puerile cause is supported to the high heavens. Meanwhile, the show constantly cites the likes of the New Statesman and The Guardian in its reporting (confirmation bias much?) for its sources (didn't Peter Sissions complain about the BBC doing that more generally once? Oh never mind...). Now, I can admit if that sort of comedy appeals to you, that's good (and by judging the positive reviews here from smug leftist, Remoaner types, seems to be sole people who enjoy this) but if you live outside of the London bubble, this shan't, and it doesn't help that no effort seems to be made in the humour here. Nor am I against that viewpoint being expressed, as it is a legitimate one. Despite this, if part of the reason of show is to win over people to its side, shouldn't appealing to a broader audience in humour and ideology be a way to that instead of kick a dead horse?
After all, for all their faults, the likes of Jon Stewart and John Oliver in the US were able to become very popular that way by being accessible to all, as did the likes of TW3 in this country. It's similar to how Siskel and Ebert criticised movie director Ronald Emmerich for not killing them in the 1998 version of Godzilla, despite his open hatred of them by satirising them in the movie. If the makers of this were so concerned in getting people on side, surely trying to get more on board as opposed to preaching to the choir might be the best way forward? Instead, it feels safe in that way.
At parts, it looks cheap to, like a YouTube skit gone wrong. Some of the news skits look so crudely made and cheap, you'd be forgiven in assuming a third rate YouTuber with little cash were behind the sets and décor, not a comedy with government money being thrown at it. Even some of the worst effects in the numerous Marvel/DC TV shows don't look this cheap and poorly made. One assumes all effort was dropped ages ago.
Is there any redeeming factors? There is. Geoff Norcott (whose politics I'm sympathetic to, to put that to one side), is genuinely funny, but even then, his talents seem to go to waste on this show. He is a genuinely talented comedian, and I wish him well, unlike everyone else on this show.
Overall, this show is awful, and if the Beeb had any sense, they would scrap garbage like this for stuff worth your viewing habits. Auntie hasn't aired a great political comedy for over a decade now, and it's last genuinely funny sitcom that wasn't terribly passé was 2010's Come Fly With Me (something they wouldn't air for quite obvious reasons today). It shows how in a post-Brexit and post-Trump world, the political left are so in overdrive in trying to be correct in the culture wars that they can't be bothered to air quality entertainment any more.
