BBC retro comedy night. Why?

[SlinkyVagabond]

So, watched the reboot of Are You Being Served-amazingly enough managed to be crapper than the original. And now Porridge. Oh bloody dear, why oh why?

😁

I heard an interview with Arthur Smith a few weeks ago when he was saying he thought the script was really good. I suppose in a way he had to say that, but I find it surprising as his humour is normally a lot more hard-nosed than this.

Yes, i thought Are You Being Served was well acted, but it didn't work like the original somehow - it felt a bit forced. That said, it did make me laugh several times. Porridge, on the other hand, was very good and Kevin Bishop was excellent as Fletch's grandson. I wanted to see Godber's relation too! Liked the two wardens and the baddie.

I think the problem with AYBS was that it was more like a panto than a TV prog.

There IS going to be a new Alf garnet one apparently. Apparently he is no longer racist but still a misogynist. So that's nice then.

AYBS was cringy. I'm loving Porridge though! Great update.

the AYBS was awful. The Porridge was quite good.

Theyve redone Steptoe and Son as well. With Jeff Rawle (George from Drop The Dead Donkey as Albert Steptoe.

I wish channel 4 would reboot Desmonds.

I enjoyed porridge but AYBS relied on gay and pussy jokes which was boring.

Desmond's is on a LOT in LobdonLive if you've got it.
I'd like to see reruns of Metal Mickey, I lived that (I was in my 20s)

I have to confess to enjoying AYBS. It was so in keeping with the original (which I remember occasionally watching first time around). One episode was enough though.

I bloody loved Desmonds.

A couple of tv critics tweeted today that they had seen the Goodnight Sweetheart reboot (due to be aired on Friday) and found it very good. I guess it has the advantage of having the original cast (well, a lot of them) in it. Sherrie Hewson in a pink wig making pussycat jokes doesn't appeal tbh - some shows are best left in the past.

AYBS was very much an identikit copy of the original. In so far as that was what it was attempting to be, it was cast and acted really well, and did end up being a very good copy. However, for today's palette, it was just old fashioned.
Porridge OTOH, was very cleverly written, in that it made it clear this was Fletch's Grandson, and didn't try to pretend it would be the same wardens still working in the prison, just wardens with the same personalities, habits, etc., and the same relationships. I thought Porridge was excellent, and generally I'm not keen on old shows being revived or rebooted, as they are rarely as good.

I thought they were both crap

How could they bring back Desmonds though? Pork Pie won the lottery and I seem to think that hinted at a whole change to the dynamic.

I quite liked AYBS. Would have been interesting to see if an updated version would have been better.

The one about a young Hyacinth was shit. Habvent gotten round to watching the others yet.