Monday 7 January 2013

THE TV JOKE

Watched the first 2 episodes of Borgen Saturday night. Yes, the subtitle season has started early.

Why is it so fascinating? And it was! I have mentioned before that it was made for Danish viewers and thought to be too arcane for a foreign audience. And it's in Danish. With subtitles. Set in a foreign city, whose geography doesn't immediately make any sense. Starring unknown (except to devotees) actors. And deals with subtleties of Danish politics and even (this week) military niceties. But somehow it is as popular in UK as in Denmark. And the lead journalist hasn't even got her kit off yet.

I think a leader I read today hits the nail on the head – 'why can't the BBC produce anything more complex than a futile game show or a foul-mouthed comedian?' Well, a bit harsh maybe, but I have felt for some time now that British TV has become even more dumbed down than usual.

Stand-up has become big here lately. I quite enjoy some of the exponents myself. But it has led to rather a lot of stand-up programmes, and panel games featuring comedians, and indeed panel games hosted by comedians. Nothing really wrong with that in theory; we all need a good laugh from time to time. From time to time to time even. But, inevitably, with so many funny men and women, not all of them are good. Or even funny.

There are, to be fair, one or two amusing sitcoms (and some unfunny ones too), but even they rely occasionally on the odd belly laugh from foul language or toilet references.

This situation seems to be supported by the film industry. I saw a poster the other day for Stag Night 2 or Bridesmaids 2 or The Hangover 3, or whatever it was, and the tagline was 'even cruder than the last one!' So I presume that this type of humour is a selling point. If that's the current demand, I suppose it explains why the jokes on TV have become so unsubtle.

Game shows and their totally uninformed contestants I've sniped at before. But new ones keep coming along. They now seem to be the accepted parking place for comedians whose own comedy shows have come to an end. So they're usually both irritating and without humour.

Anyway, back to foreign series. I was totally gripped, as ever by The Killing 3, that other Danish thriller, but devastated by the ending. I shan't spoil it for any of you that hasn't seen it yet, but the series' trick of ending each episode with the least expected outcome, to whet your appetite for the next, was exceeded tenfold at the end, but the whole house of cards was not only knocked over, but set light to. Even the US remake writers will have difficulties writing a series 4 now. Perhaps the formula had been played out.

Actually the producers of US TV series don't think so. I know there have been series with unclear or semi-real happenings unfolding – 'Lost', and I suppose '24', for example, and 'The Wire', but 'Homeland' seems even closer to the Nordic formula. The writers used this approach too to prolong the US version of 'The Killing', which was also greatly enjoyable, though different from the Scandinavian version. The immensely enjoyable 'Homeland' similarly underlines that other TV series-makers have picked up on this script-writing method. But 'Homeland' too ended completely unsatisfactorily and, I assumed, with some open-ended denouement intending to signify that the main protagonists had been written out. I have since discussed the ending with several friends and discovered at least as many possible meanings to the ending. Hmmm.

I subsequently read that Damian Lewis (the British lead actor) has signed a new 5 year contract. So I guess he hasn't died then. Just a guess mind. And perhaps the next series will be ready when Borgen finishes. Hooray! Meanwhile, for my health and peace of mind, tell me to switch the bloody television off.

9 comments:

  1. This is not one that will probably pass by my screen on Cable here. But I have Danish friends who may blog about it so I will know what they are talking about. If I remember what you wrote about.....

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  2. I can only agree with your comments on BBC television. I find most of the programmes just rubbish. I only watch EastEnders, and sometimes I do not know why. Living in Switzerland we mostly watch German tv (Mr. Swiss does in any case). We get programmes from all over Europe and some are quite good. I have never heard of the Borgen programme but would interest me. Basically I do not watch TV. I read a book and it might be running in the background, although yesterday evening we switched off TV and was listening to the radio while we were both reading. Mr. Swiss and I both agree, for example, that Kenneth Branagh is completely misplaced as Kurt Wallender and we prefer the Swedish TV series. Branagh is just not genuine and is more a Swedish Harry Bosch figure than a genuine Swedish police officer.

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    1. I actually thought Branagh did quite well; he and the director captured the bleakness of the books rather well. But I don't really know why they remade them; I agree, the Swedish ones were great. Yes, we read a lot too, but sometimes too tired, so just slump . . .

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  3. I disagree somewhat with the comments about BBC programmes. There are are couple of areas where the BBC still lead the world, in my opinion: wildlife/natural history and documentaries. Attenborough's new show'Africa' looks like being another stunner, and BBC4 have had numerous excellent one-off documentaries on a wide range of subjects recently. Certainly in the area of 'light entertainment' they seem to have followed just about everyone else in dumbing down. The BBC still make occasionally excellent thriller/crime series, but not anywhere near as many as in years gone by.

    I find I tend to watch DVDs of movies (no, not the puerile 'The Hangover' type movies!!) and episodes from my ever growing collection of box-sets of favourite shows from years gone by more than I watch current TV.

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    1. Well, you've hit the nail on the head, Mitch, with the BBC pluses - BBC4 is consistently the most innovative of the BBC channels and usually enjoyable and of course you're right the documentaries are usually first rate. Thank goodness for Attenborough might have been my post title.

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  4. I hadn't realised Borgen was back on - I'll need to catch up on iPlayer. The first series was quite brilliant.

    I think we're all agreed on the BBC documentaries... and I found the mad scientists on StargazingLive tonight particularly enthralling... if just for their overwhelming enthusiasm

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    1. Didn't see Stargazing last night. I watched some of the last series and found it all fascinating, but wasn't sure what Dara Ó Briain was doing on there and I felt that he was surprised to be there too (another comedian out to pasture). I watched it again tonight and Dara was better - I see he is actually a scientist, but the format of putting over complex theories and massive imponderables in populist terms is a big ask.

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  5. I was clued to the set when Borgen reappeared last Saturday night and like Neil I enjoyed it greatly. I think a great part of its success is down to Sidse Babett Knudsen who plays the "statsminister" but the rest of the cast are excellent too [particularly Birgitte Hjort Sørensen]. I thought the second episode was much better than the first too.

    You certainly have to concentrate when reading the subtitles [one of the problems with a wordy production].

    Im wonder whether the appeal is partly to do with the fact that we don't know the actors though some of the same faces seem to turn up in Borgen and The Killing.

    Personally I can't wait for the next season of 'The Bridge' to turn up on these shores.

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    1. I agree with all this. It's particularly difficult making a 'real' film with known actors, for me anyway; I keep thinking they should be someone else (except Jean-Claude van Damme of course who's always the same person).

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