I caught the last couple of minutes of this when it was on at 11:30,
switching on to hear the real comedy shows on BBC7, and thought it
pretty good.
And indeed it is.  There are a few laboured bits in it, but overall,
not bad at all.

Tiddy Ogg.
http://www.tiddyogg.co.uk

Tiddy Ogg wrote:
> I caught the last couple of minutes of this when it was on at 11:30,
> switching on to hear the real comedy shows on BBC7, and thought it
> pretty good.
> And indeed it is.  There are a few laboured bits in it, but overall,
> not bad at all.

Agreed. A lot to do with the enthusiasm with which the parts are played 
IMO, hammy as it should be.

John of Aix wrote:
> Tiddy Ogg wrote:

>> I caught the last couple of minutes of this when it was on at 11:30,
>> switching on to hear the real comedy shows on BBC7, and thought it
>> pretty good.
>> And indeed it is.  There are a few laboured bits in it, but overall,
>> not bad at all.
>
> Agreed. A lot to do with the enthusiasm with which the parts are
> played IMO, hammy as it should be.

Also agree. IMO it's almost in the spirit of the ISIRTA 'plays' though 
without the rodent references.

-- 

SB

Steve Brooks wrote:
>> Agreed. A lot to do with the enthusiasm with which the parts are
>> played IMO, hammy as it should be.
> 
> Also agree. IMO it's almost in the spirit of the ISIRTA 'plays' though 
> without the rodent references.
> 

It had hints of Goonery about it, though completely inferior. To say 
that it's "good" says more about what we're comparing it to than 
anything else.

Down the Line has a lot of potential. The fact that real Radio 4 
listeners never get to phone up and give their views live on the BBC is 
an irony I haven't missed.

turnitup wrote:
> Steve Brooks wrote:

>>> Agreed. A lot to do with the enthusiasm with which the parts are
>>> played IMO, hammy as it should be.
>>
>> Also agree. IMO it's almost in the spirit of the ISIRTA 'plays'
>> though without the rodent references.
>>
>
> It had hints of Goonery about it, though completely inferior. To say
> that it's "good" says more about what we're comparing it to than
> anything else.

What's inferior about it?

> Down the Line has a lot of potential. The fact that real Radio 4
> listeners never get to phone up and give their views live on the BBC
> is an irony I haven't missed.

You don't count 'Any Answers'?

-- 

SB

Steve Brooks wrote:
> turnitup wrote:
>> Steve Brooks wrote:
> 
>>>> Agreed. A lot to do with the enthusiasm with which the parts are
>>>> played IMO, hammy as it should be.
>>> Also agree. IMO it's almost in the spirit of the ISIRTA 'plays'
>>> though without the rodent references.
>>>
>> It had hints of Goonery about it, though completely inferior. To say
>> that it's "good" says more about what we're comparing it to than
>> anything else.
> 
> What's inferior about it?

It's inferior to the Goon show. Nothing on radio has come close to the 
Goons in more than fifty years.

> 
>> Down the Line has a lot of potential. The fact that real Radio 4
>> listeners never get to phone up and give their views live on the BBC
>> is an irony I haven't missed.
> 
> You don't count 'Any Answers'?
> 

No. It's not live. The subject matter is chosen by the editors.

turnitup wrote:
> Steve Brooks wrote:
>> turnitup wrote:
>>> Steve Brooks wrote:
>>
>>>>> Agreed. A lot to do with the enthusiasm with which the parts are
>>>>> played IMO, hammy as it should be.
>>>> Also agree. IMO it's almost in the spirit of the ISIRTA 'plays'
>>>> though without the rodent references.
>>>>
>>> It had hints of Goonery about it, though completely inferior. To say
>>> that it's "good" says more about what we're comparing it to than
>>> anything else.
>>
>> What's inferior about it?
>
> It's inferior to the Goon show. Nothing on radio has come close to the
> Goons in more than fifty years.

I like TG. And it certainly deserves credit for revolutionising radio 
comedy. But I think you're going a bit far.

I really meant what aspect(s) of it make it inferior.

>>> Down the Line has a lot of potential. The fact that real Radio 4
>>> listeners never get to phone up and give their views live on the BBC
>>> is an irony I haven't missed.
>>
>> You don't count 'Any Answers'?

> No. It's not live. The subject matter is chosen by the editors.

If the BBC (or any other broadcaster) were to broadcast genuinely uncensored 
vox pop they'd have to get some kind of agreement to the effect that they 
weren't responsible for the content. I can't see that happening in any UK 
that's existed so far.

-- 

SB