This should be brilliant, shouldn't it? It's written by Jennifer Saunders, it stars every female comedy actress over the age of 40 (plus Sally Phillips) you can think of, and there's even David Mitchell thrown in for good measure. Sure, it's not going to be exactly cutting edge, but it's going to be well observed, well acted, Dawn French will be a bit silly, and it'll raise a few giggles. Right? Hmm.....
Well yes, it was quite well observed I guess, the acting was good, and Dawn French was a bit silly. Very silly. But the few giggles? Well they were harder to come by, weren't they?
There were A Few Giggles, I'll give them that. Both Eric Morcambe and Christopher Eccelstone have taught us that you can't go wrong with a bit of fake arm business (it was during his first outing as Doctor Who, if you're scratching your head, but do keep up) and it raised the first chuckle here too, even in a death scene. As I say, it's a banker. Plus, the inappropriately harsh vicar made me laugh, as did the idea of a biodegradable coffin - though, when you think about it, that's not such a bad idea. You may have picked up, by the way, if you didn't see this, that someone died. Yes, the doctor husband of central character Sal Vine (Sue Johnstone) has been killed off already, spurring Sal on to join the local women's guild, where we meet some rather strange characters.
And herein lies the problem. On the one hand we have Sal's storyline played relatively straight, or at least in a Royle Family-esque 'realist' fashion, and on the other hand we have Dawn French and Joanna Lumley (who is recognisable, contrary to every single preview I read) hamming it up to a ridiculous degree. French, as Rosie (well, Rosie and Margaret; she seems to have some sort of multiple personality disorder) literally appears to have wandered onto set still in character from a sketch show and everyone likes her too much to say anything. Like, 'this is meant to be subtle, Dawn'. Maybe it is meant to be outrageous and it's actually Sue Johnstone who's got it wrong. That's the problem, there's no way of knowing. It wasn't awful, and it definitely wasn't great, but it certainly confused me. [annawaits]
To be honest, I expected nothing less. Dawn French is perenially awful... with the Vicar of Dibley being up there with 'My Hero' as worst sitcom ever made.
In fact, if I thought it constructive, I'd write an article telling all to avoid anything with French/Saunders/Lumley in. And I mean ANYTHING AbFab fans...
Mof
It's years since I saw Dawn French do anything remotely interesting or funny, Dibley included. Sue Johnstone and Pauline Mcglynn seem to have been parachuted into some bizarre 'Village of the Damned' where the death of the doctor (how regrettable that we should lose the excellent Hywel Bennet almost immediately) reveals that the majority of its inhabitants are too stupid to attend something as commonplace as a funeral. And why would Sue Johnstone's character suddenly seek to join this bunch of comedy grotesques? The 'comedy' grief counselling was too horrific to contemplate, particularly after the excellent revelation that Sue's depression had led her to sleep in the dog basket (an unusually good observation in an otherwise hackneyed potboiler of a sitcom). Who else guessed that it would be the counsellor who would need counselling before the scene was over? - yawn! And so, will the down-to-earth Sue take over the women's group and whip them into shape? Can't say I care.
French and Saunders are easily the most overrated 'comedy' act in the country. I managed about 6 or 7 minutes of this (only initially deciding to watch it because of the quality of the rest of the cast) before switching it off.
Another appalling offering from French/Saunders. this ranks alongside the equally rubbish Wild West / Let them Eat Cake / Vicar Dibly etc etc. All rubbish - all at the taxpayers expense. Is it worse than 'My Hero' or 'Ten Pints Lager Pkt Crisps'?..possibly.
Expectations were high as TV comedy is at it's lowest Ebb. Sadly more attention seems to be of placed on casting Jam than humour or content.
TV stations need to totally rethink their ideology on previous success meriting new commissions regardless of their quality. Just because it's got so and so in doesn't mean it's good. Content & Quality first! Names second.
PANTS!!!!
Tom: "Just because it's got so and so in doesn't mean it's good"
Quite right. This concentration on The Names is really something that needs to be sorted in tv at the moment.
Haha Dee and Jo, you sum it up.
Thanks for all your comments!
Truly, truly awful! Why do the BBC keep commissioning rubbish like this just because it is written by Saunders et al.
Wow, I guess it's not cool to like this show in the UK but we think it's very funny. Maybe all of you that hate it should start watching American T.V. Then you really will die of boredom.
Wow, I think you are all very harsh on French and Saunders. Admittedly some of their sketches have problems...the problem of not being funny, but others have me crying with laughter and as for the Vicar or Dibley and Ab Fab, I thought they were great. So, I was really looking forward to seeing Jam and Jerusalem...and this is where I start to agree with everything you've said: I didn't laugh once through the first episode, and when I forced myself to watch the first episode of series two in hope that it had change, I was again disappointed. I just don't see how such great comediennes could go so wrong.