'The Fast Show' is 'Harry Enfield's Television Programme' without Harry Enfield. No offence to Paul Whitehouse and co., but they are hardly in Enfield's league when it comes to comic characters. So whilst funny at times ( the lovely 'Ralph and Ted' sketches, the 'Ground Force' send-up, the spoof of 70's British film comedies ) at others its the proverbial pain in the butt.
Enfield's show used catchphrases too, but they weren't the focal point of the comedy. The early 'Monty Python' shows had visual catchphrases like the knight with the chicken, the angry Colonel etc., they were later dropped when the Pythons realised they were a cheap way of getting a laugh.
'The Fast Show', on the other hand, is full of the most banal comic catchphrases ever devised. When Arabella Weir complained to the producer about the use of naked breasts in one scene, she was told: "We're being postmodern ironic!". Which is a novel way of saying "We can get away with being un-P.C., because we're clever!". Sorry, Charlie, but I won't fall for it. Whenever I watch repeats of 'Fast' I always tape them first so I can fast-forward through the filler to get to the good stuff.
Enfield's show used catchphrases too, but they weren't the focal point of the comedy. The early 'Monty Python' shows had visual catchphrases like the knight with the chicken, the angry Colonel etc., they were later dropped when the Pythons realised they were a cheap way of getting a laugh.
'The Fast Show', on the other hand, is full of the most banal comic catchphrases ever devised. When Arabella Weir complained to the producer about the use of naked breasts in one scene, she was told: "We're being postmodern ironic!". Which is a novel way of saying "We can get away with being un-P.C., because we're clever!". Sorry, Charlie, but I won't fall for it. Whenever I watch repeats of 'Fast' I always tape them first so I can fast-forward through the filler to get to the good stuff.