TV Review – The Peter Serafinowicz Show, BBC Two, Thursday, 9.30pm

By mofgimmers on October 12th, 2007 9 comments

The currency of comedy is laughter, and if that’s the case, then The Peter Serafinowicz Show (BBC Two, Thursday, 9.30pm) is a very wealthy show indeed. Again, after a slightly muted reception (like the Vivienne Vyle show) on these pages, Peter Serafinowicz’s characters seemed to have missed the mark. Of course, this is where I disagree. After two episodes, I’ve laughed and laughed all the way through.

Serafinowicz is clearly one of Britain’s finest comedic character actors. In his show, he sends up the best and worst of television, lampooning many things that I can’t believe haven’t been pastiched before. As an easy jibe, he parodied Simon Cowell which, though hardly inspired, did use a gratuitous use of the word “c*nt” which, as purile as it is, is pretty funny. In saying that, as good as his Cowell is, it’s the weakest thing on a wonderful wonderful show.

If there’s one thing that Serafinowicz does incredibly well, it’s to send up the big players. His impressions and observations of The Beatles are unmatched in my opinion. Last night, he managed to out Rutle The Rutles with a Beatle rooftop gig which saw the Fab Four singing about having a poo. Again, it’s purile, but crikey, his Lennon is incredible, only surpassed by his masterful Paul McCartney mimicking.

In his ‘acting masterclass’ sketch (last week, a surreal take on Michael Caine) we saw Al Pacino teaching a group of actors how to cry on screen. Pacino, with tiny legs, gruffly told of his use of his pet ant Limpy. Basically, if you’re going to cry on screen, remember a sad event in your life. In ‘Godfather 2.5′, we see Pacino looking over his dead buddy, screaming “Here I go! Jesus! *tear* LIMPY’S GOT CAAAAAAANCER! LIMPY’S GOT CAAAAANCER!” Even writing that down made this writer snigger.

However, Serafinowicz’s finest creation is the fabulous and bumbling Brian Butterfield. In what sees the world’s worst detective agency, Butterfield can be seen showing off an array of super disguises. This essentially sees him (in his infomercial) sporting various hats. As the sketch went on, the disguises became more farcical and thus, the laughs kept on coming. Thankfully, the laughter was all mine as Serafinowicz wisely avoided the dreaded canned laughter. I don’t really think this show needs time to bed-in. It’s already brilliant. However, nay-sayers should stick with it, you’ll be sewing your sides up before you know it…

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Category: BBC 2, Comedy, TV Reviews
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http://danowen.blogspot.com/ Dan Owen

Very interesting that you like TPSS. I really wanted to like it, but I find it very dull, uninspired and mostly unfunny.

Oh well, comedy is very subjective — but I really can’t fathom why Simon Cowell saying “cunt” is funny. The best sketches are parodies of serious things (the 70s “how to” vids – very Look Around You… now THAT is a funny show) and the 10-second long, sillier sketches — like those “poison sockets.”

Everything else smacks of weak ideas that never have gone beyond an off-the-cuff mention in a meeting. Vampire QVC presenter? Beatles singing about poo? They seem funnier when written, actually — but it was cringe-making stuff to see it performed in a post-Fast Show age.

Sorry — a big failure, imo.
http://danowen.blogspot.com/ Dan Owen

Very interesting that you like TPSS. I really wanted to like it, but I find it very dull, uninspired and mostly unfunny.

Oh well, comedy is very subjective — but I really can’t fathom why Simon Cowell saying “cunt” is funny. The best sketches are parodies of serious things (the 70s “how to” vids – very Look Around You… now THAT is a funny show) and the 10-second long, sillier sketches — like those “poison sockets.”

Everything else smacks of weak ideas that never have gone beyond an off-the-cuff mention in a meeting. Vampire QVC presenter? Beatles singing about poo? They seem funnier when written, actually — but it was cringe-making stuff to see it performed in a post-Fast Show age.

Sorry — a big failure, imo.
Deano

You must be watching a different show mate. This is the very worst “comedy” programme in many a year. PS is a nice guy but desperately unfunny.
And the BBC’s bold assertion that the man is a “comic genius” is the worst joke of all.
Paul

I thought his Beatles sketch was spot on. If you’ve seen the original rooftop footage you’ll realise that he’s gone to a lot of trouble to replicate that. It was also incredibly funny, his impression of Macca was immaculate. Yes the Beatles singing about Poo was a little puerile, but in a way it demonstrates that the Beatles could basically sing the phone book and get a hit record in the end. It’s a hit and miss show (the vampire QVC seller was just plain weird), but hit’s the mark more than not (it’s light years better than the ‘comedy’ on BBC1 on a Friday night (Now That Your Gone with Rodders???) I will certainly be sticking with it… Also worth mentioning was the Elvis sketch – singing a song about an undeliverable email – inspired!
Ben

Simply watch it alongside his first series of Look Around You and you’ll see why TPSS is such a dissapointment. The funniest tning in the half hour I saw was the Poison Sockets, that was just brilliant, but it seemed so out of place with the rest of the show, being as it was just a man doing some decent impressions with pretty unfunny material. I read someone called it ‘populist tat’, and I can see why. What went wrong for him? Shame.
Rik

I’m completely baffled by how unpopular this show seems to be, as it’s absolute comedy gold. While not every sketch is side-splittingly funny, it’s still one of the best new comedies to grace the BBC since the days of Harry Enfield and the Fast Show. To be honest it’s worth watching just for the excellent Butterfield sketches.
Not Funny

How can anybody have found the ‘Butterfield Detective Agency’ sketch remotely funny? Only a complete cretin who is obviously under 30 years old, and has never experience REAL comedy, could force themselves to pretend that this sickening shit from the BBC is ‘funny’. The Butterfield Detective Agency sketch is about the most lame, pathetic, sad attempt at ‘comedy’ that has ever been on television.
The fact that ANYBODY in this country finds it funny is an indictment on the dysgenic scum who are breeding like rabbits nowadays.
Mofgimmers, you really have problems if you find it necessary to pretend to LIKE this shit.
Alex

Although not the best show i have ever seen, there are some genuine laugh out loud moments, the david Butterfield detective agency and karaoke bar, Micheal-9, the seventies style informational ads, are immensely funny. however some parts are lacking and unfunny, probably due to him . certainly funnier than Harry Enfield’s latest show, and deffinatly better than anything Catherine Tate, or Matt Lucas and David Walliams have ever done. peter serafinowicz is deffinatly a brilliant comedian, if not a little alone without support from a partner or team.
deffinatly one to watch in the future
p.s and ‘Not Funny’ shutup you berk, keep your oppinions to yourself and dont try to slander others.
Tom

I must say I agree with you completely. I discovered this show, completely by accident and I was inmediately hooked. Michael 6.0 the Robo-talkshow host and the news caster that depends on a buzzer or a bell to report the news are maybe the most original sketches I´ve seen on TV in a while.

Definetively one of the best comedy shows on TV at the moment.