While it’s still damp and the gateway leading to my bees is flooded, I’ve been watching video streams. Big Bang Theory still rocks. As does Third Rock From the Sun. They make me laugh, but British comedy, what has happened? Have I spent too much time out of the UK to ‘get’ the humour any more, or has something happened to UK comedy? I’d heard they were cancelling comics on the stand up circuit, but having seen a few ‘names’ die on stage while so called ‘lesser’ talents blew the roof off, I think the problem is at a deeper level.
Take for example my own tastes. As far as writers go, one of my favourites (As if you couldn’t have guessed) is Terry Pratchett. I have read just about everything of his but the Dragons of Cumbling castle. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that a second season of Good Omens had been made and was available on Amazon Prime.
The first series was not perfect, it was unfortunately hobbled by PC casting and the sharpness of Terry’s razor edged wit dulled by the script. However, the performances of Tennant and Sheen (As Crowley and Aziraphale) were so blindingly brilliant that it’s shortcomings and lame child actor performances could happily be overlooked. But that is true of most books converted to TV.
Good Omens 2 started off promising, but then about mid series showed how deep the rot has gone, and by episode six I found myself literally grimacing at the screen. It was almost like the story had lost it’s way and wandered off to play elsewhere, while the cast floundered on gamely to the finish line. It was less about averting Armageddon and more like a farce with all the jokes and confusions removed. And why were so many of the characters gay?
The first series was written when Terry was at the height of his writing powers and was meant to be a standalone, a one off. The end should have been Armageddon averted, well done and time for tea and medals. The franchise should have ended there.
Frankly, at times the script came across like it had been written by a committee of London-centric Stonewall activists. That and too much of it felt laboured and self involved. Then right at the end, Mrs S remarked that “Ooo look, they’re setting it up for a third series.”
No. For the love of God. Please no.
The Bill Sticker Alternative 
We watched the final episodes of Good Omens 2 last night. As Manuel might have said, “F****** Que?”
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It reminded me of a one trick pony with Alzheimers. Bitterly disappointed.
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We have Acorn and Netflix for streaming shows, mainly because New Zealand tv is full of “Reality Shows” and wall to wall adverts. Even with some of the programmes on the streaming channels we have abandoned watching because we feel that the plot lines are verging on the ridiculous or we are tired of hearing about the main characters awful life experiences and fraught personal relationships. Whatever happened to good old story telling?
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Indeed. What happened to the humour? It’s like the UK has lost it’s comedy mojo. The best writers can’t deliver because they’re told what they can and can’t poke fun at by some miserable know-nothings.
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Oh, shame. I was looking forward to this. Now I guess it’s going to join the list of ‘Series I can’t be bothered to finish’. It’s becoming quite a long list…
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Our youngest used to refer to things that were lame and uninspiring as ‘gay’. Now I know what she meant.
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