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Joking Apart: Complete BBC Series 1
RRP: £13.99
Our Price: £12.98 (subject to change)
"Dear John " as it might have been reworked by Moliere
Review date: 2008-04-02 Rating: 10 out of 10
Despite the novel concept of each episode being introduced by the main protagonist (a very young, pre Cold Feet Robert Bathurst) doing a stand up act, this is very old fashioned farce, with a lot of physical hiding-in-the-wardrobe style scenes.
However, while the same writer's "Coupling" series varied from very so-so to pure comedy gold (eg. the "wooden leg" in the train episode), I very much enjoyed every episode of Joking Apart. I would have liked to share my enthusiasm with others, but like the previous reviewer found I don't know a single person who saw or even heard about this show.
To sum up, if like me some you particularly enjoyed episodes of Frasier involving mistaken identity and other elements of classic farce, then buy this DVD. If you much prefer "The Office" then maybe this isn't for you.
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Reviews
Cult Classic
Review date: 2008-03-28 Rating: 10 out of 10
Pretty much ever since it first aired, I've counted Joking Apart as one of the top five British sit-coms ever, but that claim has to be seen in the context of some of its weaknesses. Unlike One Foot In The Grave or Spaced, for example, Joking Apart is not perfectly made, and is not perfectly cast. The studio audience is often slow to get the jokes, meaning that there is an odd creakiness about the episodes. Robert Bathurst, whose character holds up the entire series and gets most of the dialogue, never quite persuades us that he is a bitter, sarcastic stand-up comedian. In the light of its flaws, you might wonder whether this sit-com is even good, let alone great.
What elevates Joking Apart into the first rank is the scriptwriting from Steven Moffat whose brilliance (here as with the later Coupling) shines through the flaws in execution. No one writes farce like Moffat, whose complex, improbable situations build from careful, logical setups to pay-offs more ingeniously constructed than a classic whodunit. Along the way, the dialogue is razor sharp and bears comparison with some of the better US comedies.
The BBC never knew what it had with Joking Apart and still don't: this DVD was meticulously prepared by an independent company and even has commentaries on four of the episodes. Fans of the series tend to be protective of it, knowing that there are things here that have probably never been bettered by any other sitcom. Not everyone will see past the admitted problems, this DVD provides a second chance to catch one of the neglected gems of British television.
I longed to see this!
Review date: 2008-02-07 Rating: 10 out of 10
Why isn't this better known? It's very much like Steven Moffat's other sexy comedy, Coupling but with more punch to it: all the same Moffat trademarks of great jokes and extraordinary tension but when these characters fight, it's really wounding. It's hard to think of another sitcom that manages to be so funny yet simultaneously have you utterly into the drama of the situation.
I actually thought I was the only person who remembered this from when it was on BBC but since I got the DVD friends have been snatching it off my table. Some are Coupling fans, true, but most say Joking Apart is that great comedy they thought only they had loved.
So pleased that it's out, so much more pleased that the series is as good as I remembered. And the extras are great; looks like everybody involved in the show loves it as much as I do.
William
Product Details/Specifications
Artist(s):
Steven Moffat
Actor(s):
Tracie Bennett
Fiona Gillies
Paul Raffield
Robert Bathurst
Director(s):
Recording label: Replay
Manufacturer: Replay
EAN: 0094922544315
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, Colour, Dolby, PAL,
Release date: 2006-05-29
Universal product code (UPC): 094922544315
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 179 minutes
Language: English (Original Language)