Telly Vision: Vicious and The Job Lot
Vicious
A new flagship sitcom for ITV, Vicious stars Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi as the bickering, aging partners Freddie and Stewart. This show surprised me for three reasons; a) it’s an ITV sitcom, b) it’s filmed in front of a live studio audience and c) I didn’t hate it. The cast alone should be the first clue that this is going to be something much better than you would expect from a channel which isn’t exactly famous for modern sitcom greats.
Set in the darkened, dingy flat of Freddie and Stewart, the pilot doesn’t faff about setting up back stories and characters, and therefore the opening episode isn’t a total comedic write-off. Some of the writing isn’t exactly subtle but it can be forgiven. Naturally, the performances are fantastic; the cast of well-established actors are entirely believable, despite the live studio setup. It doesn’t feel like it panders or patronises, and it moves along at just the right pace.
There are things that I would change, of course. I would move it from the live studio and into single-camera mode, for one. But that’s just preference. It definitely runs the risk of feeling dated, and the whole setup will either stand or fall based on the quality and originality of the episode arcs.
I’ve heard it said that it is a very bold statement to set up a 70s style sitcom starring two gay men, but let’s not dwell on that too long. I will just say this: it’s a long time coming that members of the LGBT community aren’t portrayed in comedy as subjects of mockery and, for me (admittedly, a straight man) the roles appropriately show a couple who happen to be gay, rather than making their sexuality the butt of the joke.
Give it a go, and let me know what you think using the comment section below.
The Job Lot
The Job Lot is a second sitcom premiere from ITV, airing directly after Vicious. This is quite a different beast: an ensemble cast (featuring names such as Sarah Hadland, Russell Tovey and Jo Enright), filmed single-camera, focused around the employees of a West Midlands Job Centre.
The Job Lot is filmed in a style which will be reminiscent to most viewers of modern sitcoms (in particular, The Office), right down to the slight focus readjustments on closeups. This is a bit of an odd one, as the style feels at odds with the writing, which didn’t feel as real as the environment we were being shown. The main failing of the opening episode though, was that it focused too heavily on background and not enough on laughs. I counted actually laughing only twice, and they were just the ‘light expulsion of air’ sort of chuckles rather than actual belly laughs. In its defence, one trapping that is doesn’t fall into is demonising the unemployed and ‘lower’ classes in that familiar way that a lot of mainstream comedy tends towards.
I will give the next episode a go; it wasn’t awful but I’m certainly yet to be impressed. I might just watch more for Hannah off Hollyoaks. I like Hannah off Hollyoaks.
