Funland

I remember this show being advertised on BBC3 last year and thought it looked interesting, but wasn't too sure about David Mays (Carter) being in this serious, gangster like role. He just looked a bit too babyfaced for the role.

Anyway...

it pops up on bbc2 and i caught 1 or 2 episodes and was better that i had first thought, so, on returning from my holiday and bought the series and watched everyone back to back.....it was money well spent.

11 Episodes of quality, dark humour and drama. The best way to describe this show is The League Of Gentlemen meets Twin Peaks set in Blackpool. I love the idea of it being set in Blackpool. It captured the Dull, Englishness and Melancholy feel that i think every English person (especially North Western people) can relate to.

The cast were terrific, almost like each was born to play that role (especially Connie, Lola, Shirley & to my surprize, Carter, who were all fantastic). Though the Mayor will always be Alec Gilroy from Corry to me.

I rated this as 10/10 on IMDb out of sheer enthusiasm but in reality i give this a solid 9/10.

Go Buy, Go watch, Go Love...

Jordan

I am currently watching Funland on BBC2 after having missed it when it was originally shown on BBC3. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed it, the comedy element appeals to my sense of humour perfectly. The cast of grotesques that populate this production are uniformly excellent and the shadowy lighting / sets convey the seedy atmosphere perfectly. I love Blackpool and am a regular visitor but I must say that this programme does not serve as a very good advert for it! It does however capture the darker side/underbelly of this unique town. It is also extremely near the knuckle both visually and verbally! Anyone who enjoys comedy such as that performed by the League of Gentlemen will enjoy this series.

Bought this on DVD for the price (five quid) and the writing/cast credits (half of The League of Gentlemen) - I wasn't disappointed.

This is a dark, twisted, comedy that also works as a compelling, enthralling and gripping thriller. At times, the tension makes it almost unbearable to watch, and then suddenly there's a scene or a shot that makes you laugh aloud.

I watched this in one sitting, all six hours of it, such is its power to draw you in and captivate you.

Beautifully written and well-acted by all involved, this is a darkly funny series that is well worth checking out. Most of the cast are familiar faces, seasoned pros giving excellent performances. Simon Greenall (Michael The "Work Geordie" in I'm Alan Partridge) is almost unrecognisable as the local newspaper reporter.

If you like your comedy with a deeper, dramatic storyline, or your mystery with a sense of humour, check this series out.

I have to say that I'm enjoying Funland on BBC2(I live in one of the large areas of the country where digital TV remains unavailable)and I didn't really have that high hopes for it.

It is extremely strange - and some of the grotesque features are over the top (an editor should have been more in evidence at times) - but I want to know if there actually is a plot (rather like Lost!) so I keep watching despite suspecting all the questions may never be answered.

I think we have some fine little acting gems in there - Philip Jackson (Finch) is of course excellent as ever but also mentions in dispatches for Sarah Smart (Lola), Ian Puleston-Davies (Shirley) and Judy Parfitt (Mercy). Frances Barber (Connie) was rather wasted but you can't have everything

Most of all however it has made me laugh - and that strangely enough is something the League of Gentlemen never did...

The grotesque world of the 'The League of Gentlemen' was a fairly standard comic creation, but Simon Ashdown, one of its writers, has surpassed himself with 'Funland' (co-written with an 'Eastenders' scriptwriter), in which they create an even more vicious, obscene and fantastic environment but moreover manage to play it straight throughout eleven episodes of tightly plotted thriller. The comedy here is so black that there's little in the way of conventional laughs, but the jarring lines between the ludicrous situations and the merciless drama make this a series like no other. The story is set in a Blackpool reduced to the grimmest of parodies (one wonders if the local burghers thought about suing), there's no affection here. If it reminds me of anything, I think of Alan Platers's 'Beiderbecke' trilogy, a series of unlikely escapades set in the ordinary landscape of northern Britain, but that was ultimately gentle whereas 'Funland' is anything but. What stops it from being great is that it's hard to relate what one sees to the reality of life in modern Britain, and the dialogue rarely rises above 'Eastenders' standards; but the same can be said for a good many more realistic dramas as well. And for savage inventiveness, it has few equals.