What a let down – not a patch on the book it’s based on, and Peter Kay horribly miscast! Any thoughts or comments?
From Cradle To Grave
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
Literally just watched it.
Loved the book(s), but didn’t think it worked all that well onscreen. The stories are very funny and his dad’s a great character, but it all felt a bit panto. Agree about Kay; accent all over the road.
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The funeral scene with the trousers was vaguely amusing. The voiceover was a bad mistake.
Oh, I see this isn’t a Subhumans thread after all. *backs toward exit*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LLCMMPY2ZI
Haven’t seen it but I always wondered if “mis-cast” means “can’t act” in a nicer way.
I watched a bit but gave up cos Peter Kay’s hopeless attempt at a cockney accent just got on my nerves. He gives Dick Van Dyke a run for his money.
Love the book(s) and sort of enjoyed the first episode of the TV version, mainly because I knew exactly what was coming in every scene.
I found Kay’s accent just about passable, but I simply couldn’t suspend disbelief enough to accept someone who lives and breathes Lancashire portraying an east Londoner – I’m the same with Americans doing regional British accents (eg Laura Linney’s shaky West Country brogue in the new Sherlock Holmes film).
Overall I found the TV show a little rushed. Everyone seemed be speaking very fast and whole chapters of the book were glossed over too quickly.
For added authenticity some of the scenes with Peter Kay were filmed in Bolton. Probably those involving the dockyard. We get quite a few ships coming up the Irwell.
Kay was far far better in the recent Carshare series or whatever it was called.
I agree. Most of that was filmed in Bolton too, especially on the A6 where PK lives (in Blackrod).
it made me smile.
no laughter track
good pace
got the decor and fashion spot on
30 minutes is a good episode length
what other 2015 made British comedy are you comparing it with (not much out there)?
Ouch. Talk about damning with faint praise.
Didn’t fancy watching it. Like Danny Baker, though frankly not as much as Ellen or Hepworth, but felt a TV biopic felt a bit ‘media-insiderish’. Daft to say whether he’s ‘worth’ such a prog as what works, works, but I just didn’t feel like I needed to see it, to be honest. The same would apply to Caitlin Moran (yes I’m aware of her Raised by Wolves) or Stuart Maconie, fond though I am of those two…
Caitlin Moran is a human “You don’t have to be mad to work here…. but it helps!” sign.
It was alright. I laughed a few times. I wasn’t offended by Peter Kay’s accent (I’m a Northerner too), I just find him offensive overall.
Danny’s own retelling of ‘Spud’ stories was a million times funnier than this was. The podcast with him with the trip to Liberty’s (“we don’t want a receipt, Chas’ and the phrase “everybody wants a drink, don’t you worry about THAT”) were shot through with love and humour.
Danny’s own “impression” of his old man bought him to life wheras Kay was just too distracting. No doubt bought in cos he’s a mate and attractive to commissioning editors but did a complete disservice to the material
Totally agree with all of that, and recommend that podcast, it’s great.
Baker tells his stories brilliantly. He’s a fantastic raconteur and clearly loved his old man dearly.
Not sure any drama could have lived up to that.
The show itself was just really cack handed. The jokes that weren’t in the book felt clumsy and fell flat. Characters weren’t introduced properly. At one point there was a flashback within a flashback. The audience was asked to nod along and go “I remember that wallpaper”, but it never really elevated beyond that, and all the funny moments were funnier in the books.
The whole thing made me wish they’d just stuck Baker himself against a black screen and let him spin his yarns; it would have been far better.
A pedant writes: *coughs* I think you’ll find the “we don’t need a receipt” thing took place in Heal’s, Tottenham Court Road, not Liberty
That podcast was the Richard Herring Leicester Square podcast btw not the WORD
http://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/richard_herring_lst_podcast/episode_40_danny_baker/
A nice programme but it has nothing on the book.
I enjoyed it and will watch the rest of the series.
I think some of this criticism is a little harsh and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see people coming round to it by the end (first episodes are always difficult).
We always knew that this would stand and fall on the audience’s willingness to accept Peter Kay as Baker’s dad. He’s shown in Car Share and even Max & Paddy that he actually a rather good actor. There was plenty of warmth in his portrayal; the accent was iffy but it’s my guess you’ll forgive that if you stick with it.
The script was concise and properly funny; the period details (would-be suedeheads, prog-curious) were spot on; and the lad playing Baker was great, even his voiceover. And, while it would be facile to do a like-for-like comparison with Raised By Wolves, I think it worked much better as the characters seemed real rather than caricatures building up to a punchline.
Of course, the main reason I liked it was the source material, those books. I thought it brought the anecdotes (the trousers, the tortoise, the Hair knob touch) to life very convincingly. Baker’s always been prone to fanciful elaboration and the show captured his cartoonish recollection of events perfectly.
I haven’t watched it yet, I only listened to the book a couple of months ago and I think I’ll wait bit but the overall view seems to be that it’s not as good as the book. Presumably, being as good a the book is what producers would like but ultimately, the series needs to stand on it’s own and entertain those who would never dream of reading (or listening to) the book.
Pish! Shite! Rubbish! same goes for Raised by Wolves.
I was fucking surprised by all the fucking swearing. What you looking at? Fuck off!
I like the little music details like the album posters on young Danny’s bedroom wall:
White Noise – An Electric Storm (Island 1969)
Free – Heartbreaker (Island 1972)
Not having the disadvantage of expectations raised by reading the book I’ve been enjoying this.
Some nice 1970s detail touches, I well remember doing that anonymous notes thing in a sex education lesson.
I really liked the book (actually the audiobook) and I thought the sitcom version was good as well. Peter Kay’s accent was a bit wayward but thats it.